***SWEEPSTAKES***
Check out our Brand
New Sweepstakes contest! We are giving away a 6lb bag of Diamond Small Breed puppy food, a home made fleece blanket, and a large squeak toy!
Just follow these steps:
1: Click this Link: http://a.pgtb.me/HkC5Z
2: Enter your email and click submit!
3: Share with your friends and receive 2 extra entries for each friend that enters.
The contest runs from 3/25/14-5/6/14, the winner will be announced 5/6/14.
Even if you don't have a pet or don't use Diamond Brand dog food you can still enter and donate the prize to a local Humane Society or Shelter. Good luck to everyone!
We raise first generation Cockapoo puppies. For info. on us and available Cockapoo puppies please visit our website at: www.cutecockapoos.com Cockapoo Puppies for Sale are listed on the "Puppies for Sale" page. 'Like' us on Facebook!
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Friday, March 7, 2014
How Our Waiting List for Cockapoo Puppies Works
During the Spring and Summer months and during certain Holidays we get really busy with families wanting to adopt our Cockapoo puppies so we generally develop a waiting list. People have paid attention to how fast our puppies are adopted and they have learned that the sooner they reserve in advance the better because that way they don't have to worry about not getting a puppy when they want one. As soon as I post online that we have a waiting list for puppies I get flooded with questions! People often want to know how long our list is, who the parents are, how many will I have, and what colors will the puppies be?? It's really hard to give specifics on exactly when a person on our waiting list will get a puppy because it all depends on what they want, how many puppies are born, and what color/sex combination they are. I'll have people call me wanting specific answers and I feel bad because I always have to tell them it depends on the litter and I have to wait until they arrive before I can go into specific details. I do not know how many puppies we will have or what color they will be until a litter is born.
Here is how our waiting list works:
We have one waiting list for everyone. When a family gets on our waiting list to reserve a puppy in advance they place a Nonrefundable $300 deposit and I ask them to tell me if they are looking for a male or female or are open to either. If someone only wants a female I will only contact them about available females, if they only want a male, I will only contact them about available males, if they are open to either I will contact them about available males and females. Sometimes a family will get on the list but not want a puppy until a specific time of year so I will make a note of their preferences and wait to contact them until the timing is right. Here is an example of a waiting list that I would have, I will explain how it all works as we go through it.
Family #1 wants a Female only and they don't want one until June
Family # 2 wants a Female starting in May
Family #3 wants a Male only, any time of year
Family #4 wants a Male, any time of year
Family #5 wants a Female, starting in May
Family #6 will take any sex as soon as possible
Family #7 will take a female as soon as possible
Family #8 wants a Male or Female as soon as possible
Family #9 wants a Male as soon as possible
Family #10 wants a Female any time of year
Okay, so the above is my pretend waiting list and lets say it's February 16th and I have a litter of puppies born with a total of 4 Females and one Male and they will be ready for home the beginning of April. Once I know what is born I go to my waiting list and see who is on it and what they are looking for.
One of the biggest things I ask of you when getting on the waiting list is to have patience and understand that you will have to wait for your turn to pick out a puppy. I've had people submit a deposit to get on the list and then email me three days later wondering when I will have a puppy for them. If I have babies due in November and you submit a deposit in November that doesn't necessarily mean that you will get a puppy from that litter, it all depends on what color, sex, how many puppies are born, and how many people are ahead of you in line, so I never guarantee a date or month that I will have a puppy available for you. Patience is the key to being on a waiting list!
If you're interested in the Cockapoo Puppies that we have for sale please visit our website: https://www.cutecockapoos.com/puppies-for-sale
Here is how our waiting list works:
We have one waiting list for everyone. When a family gets on our waiting list to reserve a puppy in advance they place a Nonrefundable $300 deposit and I ask them to tell me if they are looking for a male or female or are open to either. If someone only wants a female I will only contact them about available females, if they only want a male, I will only contact them about available males, if they are open to either I will contact them about available males and females. Sometimes a family will get on the list but not want a puppy until a specific time of year so I will make a note of their preferences and wait to contact them until the timing is right. Here is an example of a waiting list that I would have, I will explain how it all works as we go through it.
Family #1 wants a Female only and they don't want one until June
Family # 2 wants a Female starting in May
Family #3 wants a Male only, any time of year
Family #4 wants a Male, any time of year
Family #5 wants a Female, starting in May
Family #6 will take any sex as soon as possible
Family #7 will take a female as soon as possible
Family #8 wants a Male or Female as soon as possible
Family #9 wants a Male as soon as possible
Family #10 wants a Female any time of year
Okay, so the above is my pretend waiting list and lets say it's February 16th and I have a litter of puppies born with a total of 4 Females and one Male and they will be ready for home the beginning of April. Once I know what is born I go to my waiting list and see who is on it and what they are looking for.
Family #1 is instantly skipped over because they don't want a puppy until June, Family #2 is skipped because they don't want a puppy until May, Family #3 is contacted first because I have one Male available, Family #4 is skipped because the male I had was taken by family #3, Family #5 is skipped because they don't want one until May, Family #6 is contacted second because they will take any gender as soon as possible, etc, and I keep moving on down the list until the puppies are all chosen or I'm out of families to contact.
Once I figure out who is first to contact I send them an email with names of the parents, date that the puppies were born, date that the puppies will be ready for home, and pictures of the available puppies to choose from. I ask them to look the pictures over and let me know within 24 hours if they see a puppy they like. If they don't want any of the ones that are available I will move onto the next family in line.
So now lets say that after contacting all of the people on my list that I have one Female available and no one on my list wants her, I will then post her for sale on the website for the public to view and adopt. The remaining people on my waiting list will be contacted when my next litter is born as long as the puppies match what they are looking for. From my example you can see that if you are more open minded about the gender and timing combination you can go from being lower on the list all the way up to the top because other people are very specific about what they want and you are not.
I hope this example makes it more clear as to why I cannot specifically tell you when I will have a puppy for you, it all depends on what you want and who is born, that is why I don't take deposits for a specific litter. I also hope that it makes the number of people on my waiting list less scary because your turn in line can change, again, all depending on what you want and what I get for puppies.
I have said this a million times but I will say it again, we do not know what color or sex combination we will get until the puppies are born! Our dogs have a ton of different colors in their bloodlines, we do this on purpose so that we can get a nice variety of colors, and each litter is a nice surprise! It's very common for us to have a couple of litters due around the same time so I do not announce parents until the babies are born and I contact you with pictures to choose from. I have had families in the past ask me which parents were due and when I told them they got their heart set on a specific litter that they did not get to choose from so I have decided just to keep quiet until the babies are here and available.
I do not accept deposits from people only wanting puppies with a certain eye color. When they first open their eyes (around 2.5-3 weeks old) they are a bluish grey color that eventually changes.
I may also deny a deposit if someone is looking for a color that I don't have very often.
Please do contact us if you want to get on our waiting list and reserve a puppy in advance, we take nonrefundable deposits anytime and they are good for one year from the date that they are submitted, meaning that you have one year to actually pick out a puppy that you want.
I hope this example makes it more clear as to why I cannot specifically tell you when I will have a puppy for you, it all depends on what you want and who is born, that is why I don't take deposits for a specific litter. I also hope that it makes the number of people on my waiting list less scary because your turn in line can change, again, all depending on what you want and what I get for puppies.
I have said this a million times but I will say it again, we do not know what color or sex combination we will get until the puppies are born! Our dogs have a ton of different colors in their bloodlines, we do this on purpose so that we can get a nice variety of colors, and each litter is a nice surprise! It's very common for us to have a couple of litters due around the same time so I do not announce parents until the babies are born and I contact you with pictures to choose from. I have had families in the past ask me which parents were due and when I told them they got their heart set on a specific litter that they did not get to choose from so I have decided just to keep quiet until the babies are here and available.
I do not accept deposits from people only wanting puppies with a certain eye color. When they first open their eyes (around 2.5-3 weeks old) they are a bluish grey color that eventually changes.
I may also deny a deposit if someone is looking for a color that I don't have very often.
Please do contact us if you want to get on our waiting list and reserve a puppy in advance, we take nonrefundable deposits anytime and they are good for one year from the date that they are submitted, meaning that you have one year to actually pick out a puppy that you want.
When a litter is born and it is your turn to pick I will email you pictures of the babies to look over and choose from, the names of the parents, and the dates that they are ready for home. You will have 24 hours from the time I email you to make your decision, if I don't hear back from you within that amount of time I will move onto the next family in line. If I do not hear back from you at all I will make one more attempt to contact you about available puppies and if I do not hear back from you a second time you will be removed from the waiting list and will forfeit your deposit.
For health reasons I do not allow visits to pick out newborns in person so if you prefer to see a puppy in person before you adopt then the waiting list may not be the best option for you, please see our FAQ page for our policy on visits.
Deposits are non-refundable and good for one year from the date that they are submitted (for example March 6, 2020-March 6, 2021.) If you change your mind, get tired of waiting, or decide to go with someone else, etc. you forfeit your deposit. Once you pick out a puppy the deposit is applied to that specific puppy. We do not transfer deposits to another puppy if you later change your mind and want a different one, the deposit is an agreement that you are going to adopt a specific puppy and that I am not going to sell that specific puppy to anyone else.
One of the biggest things I ask of you when getting on the waiting list is to have patience and understand that you will have to wait for your turn to pick out a puppy. I've had people submit a deposit to get on the list and then email me three days later wondering when I will have a puppy for them. If I have babies due in November and you submit a deposit in November that doesn't necessarily mean that you will get a puppy from that litter, it all depends on what color, sex, how many puppies are born, and how many people are ahead of you in line, so I never guarantee a date or month that I will have a puppy available for you. Patience is the key to being on a waiting list!
If you're interested in the Cockapoo Puppies that we have for sale please visit our website: https://www.cutecockapoos.com/puppies-for-sale
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Tail Docking: Long and Waggy Tails are Welcomed Here!
Tail docking or cropping is the act of intentionally removing part of an animals tail. This practice, depending on the type of animal, is often done by a licensed vet, a breeder, or by a farmer and can be done in various ways ranging from cutting to banding and burning. Because I am a dog breeder I am going to focus on tail docking in dogs. For canines tail docking is originally thought to have started way back in the Roman Empire, and the most popular reason was to prevent working and hunting dogs from being hurt by the animals they were hunting or by their long tails being caught in the underbrush they were traveling through. In more modern times tail docking was made popular by people thinking it made certain breeds more attractive when they had shorter tails and also during the 1950's rules for pedigree dog shows established standards requiring docked tails for particular breeds. For example, a Cocker Spaniel would be required to have a docked tail and would not be "show worthy" if they had their naturally long tail.
The debate over whether tail docking is ethical has a long history, for a time it was totally acceptable to have a dog with a docked tail, people fully expected certain breeds to automatically have their tails docked when born, and some of that is still true to this day, but I have found that more people have shifted to the other side and prefer their dog's tails naturally long and not docked. I'm not sure that everyone adopting a dog with a docked tail is fully aware of what a painful procedure it is. I think most people like to believe that their dog, when first born, was taken to the vet where it was given medication and the tail was removed with minimal pain, but the truth is most breeders do it themselves with a knife or tool similar to a nail clippers and the puppy is not given any type of pain medicine. The tail is cut off, the puppy screams, and a powder called 'blood stop' is put on the wound to stop the bleeding. If done wrong it can cause infections, bone can be exposed, and it can later lead to future issues throughout the dogs life.
Having dogs and other animals with tails my entire life I fully realize that the tail is something much more than a cosmetic feature, it is a way for the animal to communicate their emotions with you and other animals. If a dog is scared where does the tail go-right between their legs. If a dog is happy and excited, where does the tail go-all over the place and they usually wag it as hard as they can to express how excited they are. If a dog spots something they aren't sure of or that they want to point out, where does the tail go-usually straight out in a 'pointed' position. If a female is in heat and she is put in with a male, where does the tail go- up and to the side to tell him she's ready to breed. Studies have also shown that even though a dog may be wagging their tail, the direction and pattern of that wag may express different emotions and signals that we, not being dogs, don't understand but others of their kind do.
In the early 90's in the United Kingdom the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons ruled tail docking to be unethical unless it was done for medically necessary reasons, not simply cosmetic. Vets found guilty of doing tail docking for cosmetic purposes face very high fines and potential time in jail. In 1987 Norway banned tail docking, in 2006 it was banned in England, Scotland, and Wales and other countries that have banned the practice include Australia, Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and Sweden amongst many others. I wonder if America will ever change its breed standards and also participate in the tail docking ban?
We raise Cockapoo puppies and do not dock their tails. A Cockapoo is a cross between a Cocker Spaniel and Poodle and Cockapoos are born with naturally long tails. Cocker Spaniels have a breed standard and are known to have docked tails and I have found that people go either way with Poodles, some breeders automatically dock tails and don't think a Poodle is 'right' without it being done while others leave them natural. We sometimes raise Cocker Spaniels or Poodle puppies when we want new ones for breeding and do not dock either breeds tails. We recently just had a litter of Cocker Spaniel puppies, we were hoping for females but got Males, so we sold them with naturally long tails and were happy to see that people accepted them for who they are, tails and all. I do on occasion have people call me inquiring about a puppy and tell me that they don't want one if it doesn't have a docked tail and I am fine with that, I respect their opinion, but they will have to go elsewhere for a puppy because I will not do it. If having a docked tail is something you are adamant about when adopting a puppy please be sure to ask the breeder about it before you put down a deposit on a puppy. In the past I have had people reserve a puppy and then ask me later if I would dock its tail and the answer will always be no, even if they offer to pay for it. I have found customers that were unsure about their puppies having a long tail now really appreciate that we did not dock them and I get a lot of comments from people thanking us for not participating in the practice. If you have a dog, or a cat, or another animal that has a long tail sit down and pay attention to how they use their tail and you will see it is much more than a cosmetic feature.
One of our Cockapoo puppies, look at that beautiful tail :)
Another one of our beautiful Cockapoo puppies with a long and waggy tail!!
To see the Cockapoo puppies that we have for sale please visit our website: https://www.cutecockapoos.com/puppies-for-sale
The debate over whether tail docking is ethical has a long history, for a time it was totally acceptable to have a dog with a docked tail, people fully expected certain breeds to automatically have their tails docked when born, and some of that is still true to this day, but I have found that more people have shifted to the other side and prefer their dog's tails naturally long and not docked. I'm not sure that everyone adopting a dog with a docked tail is fully aware of what a painful procedure it is. I think most people like to believe that their dog, when first born, was taken to the vet where it was given medication and the tail was removed with minimal pain, but the truth is most breeders do it themselves with a knife or tool similar to a nail clippers and the puppy is not given any type of pain medicine. The tail is cut off, the puppy screams, and a powder called 'blood stop' is put on the wound to stop the bleeding. If done wrong it can cause infections, bone can be exposed, and it can later lead to future issues throughout the dogs life.
In the early 90's in the United Kingdom the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons ruled tail docking to be unethical unless it was done for medically necessary reasons, not simply cosmetic. Vets found guilty of doing tail docking for cosmetic purposes face very high fines and potential time in jail. In 1987 Norway banned tail docking, in 2006 it was banned in England, Scotland, and Wales and other countries that have banned the practice include Australia, Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and Sweden amongst many others. I wonder if America will ever change its breed standards and also participate in the tail docking ban?
We raise Cockapoo puppies and do not dock their tails. A Cockapoo is a cross between a Cocker Spaniel and Poodle and Cockapoos are born with naturally long tails. Cocker Spaniels have a breed standard and are known to have docked tails and I have found that people go either way with Poodles, some breeders automatically dock tails and don't think a Poodle is 'right' without it being done while others leave them natural. We sometimes raise Cocker Spaniels or Poodle puppies when we want new ones for breeding and do not dock either breeds tails. We recently just had a litter of Cocker Spaniel puppies, we were hoping for females but got Males, so we sold them with naturally long tails and were happy to see that people accepted them for who they are, tails and all. I do on occasion have people call me inquiring about a puppy and tell me that they don't want one if it doesn't have a docked tail and I am fine with that, I respect their opinion, but they will have to go elsewhere for a puppy because I will not do it. If having a docked tail is something you are adamant about when adopting a puppy please be sure to ask the breeder about it before you put down a deposit on a puppy. In the past I have had people reserve a puppy and then ask me later if I would dock its tail and the answer will always be no, even if they offer to pay for it. I have found customers that were unsure about their puppies having a long tail now really appreciate that we did not dock them and I get a lot of comments from people thanking us for not participating in the practice. If you have a dog, or a cat, or another animal that has a long tail sit down and pay attention to how they use their tail and you will see it is much more than a cosmetic feature.
One of our Cockapoo puppies, look at that beautiful tail :)
Another one of our beautiful Cockapoo puppies with a long and waggy tail!!
To see the Cockapoo puppies that we have for sale please visit our website: https://www.cutecockapoos.com/puppies-for-sale
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Saying Goodbye to Your Pet
Saying goodbye to a pet is one of the hardest things I've
had to deal with in life. My pets become my family, they are like children to
me, so I cherish every moment I have with them and it's absolutely heart
breaking when it's time to say goodbye.
Last fall my father's
14 year old Golden Retriever wasn't doing well, her hips were getting bad, she
wasn't eating well and we could all see that her quality of life was fading. I
brought up the subject of putting her to sleep a few times with my dad, and like
any pet owner, he was hesitant to do it, but I reminded him that he had to put
her needs ahead of his own personal feelings. Finally he could see that it was
her time and he took her in to be put to sleep, even though it was hard, he
realized that she was in pain and wouldn't be getting any better. About a week
after he lost his dog, his wife also passed away, and we could all see he was
lost-everyone he had been taking care of had left him in such a short amount of
time and he was left with a sad and empty house and no one to care for. When Sally, his dog, passed
away I asked him if he would be interested in getting a new puppy and he said
he wanted to wait awhile, his wife was sick, and he didn't know if a new puppy
would make things harder and he also wanted some time to heal from losing Sally which I
understood. When his wife then passed away and I could see how lonely he was I
asked him if he would now be interested in getting a puppy? He wasn't sure but
did mention it a few times and seemed to be on the fence about it....
I grew up on a farm and have had animals my whole life so
I've been through the entire process of getting, and then losing, a pet several
times throughout life but the hardest one yet was my house cat, Stinker. I got
Stinker as a kitten when I was about 10 years old and he was my shadow- he slept
with me, was always on my lap, loved to be carried around, and watched me change from a child, into a teenager, and then onto an adult. When he was about 10 years old I
started to notice some changes in him, he wasn't eating as well, was getting
constipated, and losing weight so I brought him to the vet and, after some
testing, he was diagnosed with kidney disease. Of course I was devastated with this news but the
vet told me we could get him on medication, switch his food, and do other
various things to keep him comfortable, but it wasn't a battle I would
ultimately end up winning, I just had to appreciate the time I had left with
him. I did what the vet said, I got him on meds, changed his food, put water
bowls all over the house and kept a close eye on him, even checking into
getting him a kidney transplant. For awhile he was really good, but he did also
have his bad days where he wouldn't eat and was very lethargic and sick which always reminded me that my time with him was limited. I
continued to take him to the vet for regular blood tests and, as his disease
progressed, he had to get IV's to refresh his system which really helped him
out, but again, was only a temporary fix. Luckily with my animal experience I was
able to do the IV's at home and handled all of his various problems quite well
but it still was so emotionally draining to watch this disease progress, and at
times I felt helpless. When he turned 13 he had lost a lot of weight over the years and it got to the point where I had
to give him IV's more and more often and I finally had to sit down and ask
myself whether I was keeping him alive for my own selfish reasons or if it was
time to put an end to his suffering and let him go. In the end I decided that
his quality of life had gone down to a point that he had more bad days than
good and that I had to say goodbye. I called my vet and she agreed so I took
him in the next day and had him put to sleep, it was one of the hardest days of my
life!
When you take a pet in to be put to sleep it's an extremely
sad thing to have to go through but the vets work very hard to make it as
peaceful and humane as possible. I said I wanted to stay for the process (you don't
have to watch if you don't want to) so
she gave him a sedative which worked almost instantly and that gave me a few
minutes to say my goodbyes. When I was ready she gave him the second shot which
stops their lungs and heart and he was simply gone in a matter of seconds. When
you lose a pet there are a lot of options as to what you can do with their
body, cremation is a common one, you leave them at the office and the vet
clinic takes care of handling the details and when the process is finished you
can come back and get their ashes. They have a wide variety of earns if you are
going to keep the ashes, or you can also choose to have the ashes put in a
communal burial plot. If you don't like the idea of cremation you can also take
your pet home and bury them where you choose. Pet cemeteries have also become
widely available in areas where you can purchase a plot and bury them and have
a grave marker, similar to human cemeteries. We all have our own ways of
dealing with the process of losing our pet but it certainly is nice to have
some options as to how you want to remember them.
When I got home after putting Stinker down I didn't even
want to walk in the house, I knew it would feel empty and seeing his toys and
bowls all over the house would just make me cry. I sat outside for awhile and
just thought about how we had such a good life together and how I would never
forget him, and I was glad his suffering was over.
A friend of mine had
a litter of kittens born a few weeks before Stinker died and she asked me if I
wanted to take one, and my first thought was no, how could he ever be replaced?!
Didn't I need some time to heal? How could I just move on from one cat to
another right away? I also thought about how empty my house felt, how I was
used to having a kitty by my side and how I missed being purred to sleep at
night. I eventually went and saw the kittens and took two home, a brother and
sister pair, and I am so glad I did!
Being a dog breeder I hear stories of loss all the time,
customers call me and tell me how they've lost a pet and it's time to get a new
one. Some people take years before they are willing to get another pet, some
people contact me within days of losing their dog, and others get a puppy
before their older dog is ready to pass because they can't imagine life without
one. The most common decision I hear is that they don't want to get a puppy the
same color as their previous dog because it would be too much of a reminder of
the other one, that I totally understand, Stinker was solid Black, my two
kittens were not, Donavan is a Tabby and Abbey is a Mackeral Tabby, and it took
me six years before I got another Black one.
I found getting the kittens was very therapeutic, I realized
I wasn't replacing the one I had lost but was starting over with a new pair and
it felt great to come home to a house that felt whole again. It had been a long
time since I had kittens and the experience was wonderful! I finally had
someone to purr me to sleep at night again, they were hysterical to watch
wrestle and roll around the house, and I loved it that they had a special bond
by being siblings and being together since birth. Those two little babies made
the sadness of my loss not hurt so much and helped start a new chapter of my
life. Donavan and Abbey are now turning 10 in March of 2014 and I am dreading
the double digit ages because I realize that some day I am going to have to go
through the process of losing not only one again, but two, and it will be just
as heartbreaking as it was with Stinker. I cherish the time I have had with
them and I hope that they will continue to live for several more years with me.
One thing that I did learn with losing Stinker is that I wouldn't hesitate to
go out and get another kitten when Donavan and Abbey pass, life is too short to
not have those little paws running throughout the house!
As for my dad, an employee of his got a Golden puppy and
told us that the breeder still had one available that was the color he
preferred (he likes Dark Goldens which are hard to find.) I talked to him about
it and he decided he would like to meet the puppy and possibly take him home.
That morning I took him shopping for toys and supplies and I could already see
a change in him, he was excited about something, and I hadn't seen that in
awhile. When we got to the breeders house we walked in and I knew that Barron
(what my dad named him) was coming home! He has truly been therapeutic and a
blessing for my father, and I am glad he didn't wait too long to get one. Yes,
the puppy stage can be very trying at times but it gives my dad something to do
and to focus on, the house doesn't feel lonely anymore, and now that Barron is
72lbs. you can barely get in the door without noticing his presence!
If you're looking for a Cockapoo Puppy to add to your home please visit our website: https://www.cutecockapoos.com/puppies-for-sale
Friday, February 14, 2014
Happy Valentine's Day!
Don't forget to give your animals some extra love today!
If you're interested in adopting a Cockapoo puppy from us please visit our website: https://www.cutecockapoos.com/puppies-for-sale
If you're interested in adopting a Cockapoo puppy from us please visit our website: https://www.cutecockapoos.com/puppies-for-sale
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Homemade Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Dog Biscuits!
When I woke up this morning the temperature was -16 and with the wind blowing the last few days it has created wind chill temperatures close to -40 and -50, needless to say it is cold out and it's only early January! To help keep things warm I have done a lot of baking the last few days and decided to try making some home made dog biscuits. Due to the weather the dogs haven't gotten a lot of outdoor exercise so I figured this would help heat up the house and also give them an added bonus to their day! I found a recipe for Peanut Butter and Pumpkin biscuits, here is what it originally called for:
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup canned pumpkin, 2 tbs. peanut butter, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon. Preheat the oven to 350 and whisk the ingredients together in a bowl, adding water as needed to get the dough to the right texture. Roll out the dough, cut into pieces, and bake until hard, about 40 minutes.
I made a few changes: I had a 15oz can of pumpkin so I decided to use the whole thing because it would otherwise have been thrown away and I also did not add the salt. As I was mixing things I added water to get the dough to the right consistency and then just added more flour if it got too thin. Pumpkin is very sticky so as I was rolling the dough out on the cupboard I kept the bag of flour out so that I could add it as necessary to keep it from sticking to everything.
To create the biscuits I rolled out the dough, used a doggy bone shaped cookie cutter and placed them on the baking sheet.
Because my treats are small I only baked them for 13 minutes at 350 degrees. Due to having a lot of pumpkin in them the biscuits are softer but did harden a bit after they cooled off.
Once they were cool enough I took them out to the dogs and they were instantly devoured! They are definitely something I would make again, the recipe is simple and the dogs thoroughly enjoyed them.
If you're interested in a Cockapoo Puppy please visit our website:
https://www.cutecockapoos.com/puppies-for-sale
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup canned pumpkin, 2 tbs. peanut butter, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon. Preheat the oven to 350 and whisk the ingredients together in a bowl, adding water as needed to get the dough to the right texture. Roll out the dough, cut into pieces, and bake until hard, about 40 minutes.
I made a few changes: I had a 15oz can of pumpkin so I decided to use the whole thing because it would otherwise have been thrown away and I also did not add the salt. As I was mixing things I added water to get the dough to the right consistency and then just added more flour if it got too thin. Pumpkin is very sticky so as I was rolling the dough out on the cupboard I kept the bag of flour out so that I could add it as necessary to keep it from sticking to everything.
To create the biscuits I rolled out the dough, used a doggy bone shaped cookie cutter and placed them on the baking sheet.
Because my treats are small I only baked them for 13 minutes at 350 degrees. Due to having a lot of pumpkin in them the biscuits are softer but did harden a bit after they cooled off.
Once they were cool enough I took them out to the dogs and they were instantly devoured! They are definitely something I would make again, the recipe is simple and the dogs thoroughly enjoyed them.
UPDATE: About a year after I posted this article some companies started adding an ingredient called Xylitol to their peanut (and other nut) butter, this ingredient is toxic to dogs and can cause death so please be sure to read the ingredients on your peanut butter before feeding it to your dog or using it in treats you make them. Xylitol is a sweetener and is often found in 'sugar free' foods including some peanut butters.
If you're interested in a Cockapoo Puppy please visit our website:
https://www.cutecockapoos.com/puppies-for-sale
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Puppy Vaccinations
A lot of people ask me questions about puppy vaccines and I recently read an article on a website and thought it was very helpful. I have copied some of the original article and also added some of my own thoughts:
Vaccinating a puppy is one of the crucial steps in assuring they will have a healthy and happy puppyhood. The who, what, why, when, where, and how of vaccinations are complicated, and may vary from puppy to puppy. Always consult with your veterinarian to determine which vaccines are appropriate for your puppy. To better understand vaccines, it is important to understand how the puppy is protected from disease the first few weeks of its life.
Protection from the mother (maternal antibodies):
A newborn puppy is not naturally immune to diseases. However, it does have some antibody protection which is derived from its mother's blood via the placenta. The next level of immunity is from antibodies derived from the first milk, called colostrum, which is only produced from the time of birth and continues for the first 36-48 hours. After the first 36-48 hours have passed the puppy does not continue to receive antibodies through its mother's milk, so it is very important to make sure they are nursing well right after born. All antibodies derived from the mother, either via her blood or colostrum are called maternal antibodies. It must be noted that the puppy will only receive antibodies against diseases for which the mother had been recently vaccinated against or exposed to. As an example, a mother that had NOT been vaccinated against or exposed to parvovirus, would not have any antibodies against parvovirus to pass along to her puppies. The puppies then would be susceptible to developing a parvovirus infection. We vaccinate all of our dogs for Parvo so that is not an issue to worry about with our puppies, it was just an example.
Window of susceptibility:
The age at which puppies can effectively be immunized (protected) is proportional to the amount of antibodies the puppy received from its mother. High levels of maternal antibodies present in the puppies' bloodstream will block the effectiveness of a vaccine. When the maternal antibodies drop to a low enough level in the puppy, immunization by a commercial vaccine will work.
The antibodies from the mother generally circulate in the newborn's blood for a number of weeks. There is a period of time from several days to several weeks in which the maternal antibodies are too low to provide protection against the disease, but too high to allow a vaccine to work. This period is called the window of susceptibility. This is the time when despite being vaccinated, a puppy or kitten can still contract the disease.
When should puppies be vaccinated?
The length and timing of the window of susceptibility is different in every litter, and even between individuals in a litter. A study of a cross section of different puppies showed that the age at which they were able to respond to a vaccine and develop protection (become immunized) covered a wide period of time. At six weeks of age, 25% of the puppies could be immunized. At 9 weeks of age, 40% of the puppies were able to respond to the vaccine. The number increased to 60% by 16 weeks of age, and by 18 weeks, 95% of the puppies were protected by the vaccine.
Almost all researchers agree that for puppies and kittens, we need to give at least three combination vaccinations and repeat these at one year of age.
Vaccinating a puppy is one of the crucial steps in assuring they will have a healthy and happy puppyhood. The who, what, why, when, where, and how of vaccinations are complicated, and may vary from puppy to puppy. Always consult with your veterinarian to determine which vaccines are appropriate for your puppy. To better understand vaccines, it is important to understand how the puppy is protected from disease the first few weeks of its life.
Protection from the mother (maternal antibodies):
A newborn puppy is not naturally immune to diseases. However, it does have some antibody protection which is derived from its mother's blood via the placenta. The next level of immunity is from antibodies derived from the first milk, called colostrum, which is only produced from the time of birth and continues for the first 36-48 hours. After the first 36-48 hours have passed the puppy does not continue to receive antibodies through its mother's milk, so it is very important to make sure they are nursing well right after born. All antibodies derived from the mother, either via her blood or colostrum are called maternal antibodies. It must be noted that the puppy will only receive antibodies against diseases for which the mother had been recently vaccinated against or exposed to. As an example, a mother that had NOT been vaccinated against or exposed to parvovirus, would not have any antibodies against parvovirus to pass along to her puppies. The puppies then would be susceptible to developing a parvovirus infection. We vaccinate all of our dogs for Parvo so that is not an issue to worry about with our puppies, it was just an example.
Window of susceptibility:
The age at which puppies can effectively be immunized (protected) is proportional to the amount of antibodies the puppy received from its mother. High levels of maternal antibodies present in the puppies' bloodstream will block the effectiveness of a vaccine. When the maternal antibodies drop to a low enough level in the puppy, immunization by a commercial vaccine will work.
The antibodies from the mother generally circulate in the newborn's blood for a number of weeks. There is a period of time from several days to several weeks in which the maternal antibodies are too low to provide protection against the disease, but too high to allow a vaccine to work. This period is called the window of susceptibility. This is the time when despite being vaccinated, a puppy or kitten can still contract the disease.
When should puppies be vaccinated?
The length and timing of the window of susceptibility is different in every litter, and even between individuals in a litter. A study of a cross section of different puppies showed that the age at which they were able to respond to a vaccine and develop protection (become immunized) covered a wide period of time. At six weeks of age, 25% of the puppies could be immunized. At 9 weeks of age, 40% of the puppies were able to respond to the vaccine. The number increased to 60% by 16 weeks of age, and by 18 weeks, 95% of the puppies were protected by the vaccine.
Almost all researchers agree that for puppies and kittens, we need to give at least three combination vaccinations and repeat these at one year of age.
Consult with your veterinarian to determine which vaccinations your puppy should receive, and how often. |
Some breeders prefer to vaccinate puppies with a combination vaccine at six weeks of age initially, with boosters given every three weeks until the puppy is about sixteen weeks of age. Feeling that this schedule will help protect the widest range of dogs. Realizing that with that protocol, they will be vaccinating some dogs that are not capable of responding, and will be revaccinating some dogs that have already responded and developed a protection. But without doing an individual test on each puppy, it is impossible to determine when the puppy's immune system will be best able to respond. Realizing that in the face of an infection, due to the window of susceptibility, some litters will contract a disease (e.g., parvo) despite being vaccinated. By using quality vaccines and an aggressive vaccination protocol, they can make this window of susceptibility as small as possible. This vaccination protocol may not be right for every puppy. Puppies that are not exposed to other dogs and have a very small chance of coming in contact with parvovirus, may not need to be vaccinated as frequently. At the same time, some 'high risk' puppies may need a more intense and aggressive vaccination program. It is best to work with your veterinarian on a vaccination protocol that is best for your individual puppy or kennel, taking into consideration your individual situation.
Against which diseases should puppies be vaccinated?
The AVMA Council on Biologic and Therapeutic Agents' Report on Cat and Dog Vaccines has recommneded that the core vaccines for dogs include distemper, canine adenovirus-2 (hepatitis and respiratory disease), canine parvovirus-2 and rabies.
Noncore vaccines include leptospirosis, coronavirus, canine parainfluenza and Bordetella bronchiseptica (both are causes of "kennel cough", and Borrelia burgdorferi (causes Lyme Disease). Consult with your veterinarian to select the proper vaccines for your puppy.
We begin vaccines when our puppies are six weeks of age and always recommend to our adopting families that the puppies continue to get boosters along w/a Rabies vaccine when their puppy is old enough. It is also very important to continue to de-worm your puppy, even though they have been de-wormed here. When our puppies go to their new homes they will have received a Neopar Vaccine ( protects against Parvo,) a Bordetella Vaccine (protects against Kennel Cough,) and a 5-N-1 Vaccine ( protects against canine parvovirus CPV, adenovirus type 1 hepatitis and type 2 respiratory disease, parainfluenza, and distemper. Protects against all known strains of CPV, including CPV-2c. Also protects against 2 types of adenovirus that cause hepatitis and respiratory disease in dogs.) They will have also received several rounds of de-wormers that protect against various worms common amongst animals/puppies. When the puppies go home they come with a vaccination history that has the names, dates, brand, and serial numbers of all vaccines and de-wormers they have received so that their new vet can see what they have had and continue a vaccination schedule as the puppy grows. Vaccines are very important, if you want your puppy to live a long and healthy life please be sure to keep your pets up to date on their shots.
If you're interested in seeing what Cockapoo Puppies we have for Sale please visit our website: https://www.cutecockapoos.com/puppies-for-sale
Against which diseases should puppies be vaccinated?
The AVMA Council on Biologic and Therapeutic Agents' Report on Cat and Dog Vaccines has recommneded that the core vaccines for dogs include distemper, canine adenovirus-2 (hepatitis and respiratory disease), canine parvovirus-2 and rabies.
Noncore vaccines include leptospirosis, coronavirus, canine parainfluenza and Bordetella bronchiseptica (both are causes of "kennel cough", and Borrelia burgdorferi (causes Lyme Disease). Consult with your veterinarian to select the proper vaccines for your puppy.
We begin vaccines when our puppies are six weeks of age and always recommend to our adopting families that the puppies continue to get boosters along w/a Rabies vaccine when their puppy is old enough. It is also very important to continue to de-worm your puppy, even though they have been de-wormed here. When our puppies go to their new homes they will have received a Neopar Vaccine ( protects against Parvo,) a Bordetella Vaccine (protects against Kennel Cough,) and a 5-N-1 Vaccine ( protects against canine parvovirus CPV, adenovirus type 1 hepatitis and type 2 respiratory disease, parainfluenza, and distemper. Protects against all known strains of CPV, including CPV-2c. Also protects against 2 types of adenovirus that cause hepatitis and respiratory disease in dogs.) They will have also received several rounds of de-wormers that protect against various worms common amongst animals/puppies. When the puppies go home they come with a vaccination history that has the names, dates, brand, and serial numbers of all vaccines and de-wormers they have received so that their new vet can see what they have had and continue a vaccination schedule as the puppy grows. Vaccines are very important, if you want your puppy to live a long and healthy life please be sure to keep your pets up to date on their shots.
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