Dogs & Chocolate

Tomorrow is Halloween, so be sure to keep the chocolate candy away from your dog.  Chocolate even in very small amounts causes vomiting and diarrhea.  If a dog eats more than that, seizures, respiratory failures, and cardiac arrest can occur.  If your dogs needs a treat then give him a dog biscuit not a piece of chocolate.

Fall Colors Of Michigan

Have you ever seen fall colors like this?

Old Dog Food Ad With Saint Bernard

Do you remember this ad?  Saint Bernards have often been used in advertisements, it is probably because the breed is so widely recognized.

Waterfall & Fall Leaves

How many bags of leaves have you raked this year?

Multiple Saint Bernards In Your Home

(continued from yesterday)

Unless you have a strong relationship in your family, I do not recommend taking on a problem like this.  Our first instinct was to return the younger female to the breeder.  The breeder said we were getting rid of the wrong female; he felt this one had great potential for the show ring.  So we kept both and tried to make the best of it.

On down the road, the female with the great potential did not develop in the show ring; so the handler/breeder stopped showing her.  The problem with the two females only worsened.  So what do we have to show for all our effort to work through this problem?  We have three dogs that we love individually.

I do not recommend that you ever try to keep large breed dogs in your home that do not get along.  If you have a kennel that would be different;  that is an environment that can accommodate these sort of problems.  Trust your instincts on dealing with a serious problem like this.  We should have returned the younger female, it would have saved us so much stress and grief. 

Multiple Saint Bernards In Your Home

You often hear from Saint Bernard fanciers that one is never enough.  I know we went from just one, to two, and then to three.  We had a wonderful experience with just one and even two Saint Bernards in our home.  The same was not true when we jumped to three.  The three consisted of one male and two females.  The two females got to the point where they could not be kept together.

This was a very hard adjustment for us.  We wanted all three and we wanted them to be together and get along.  It meant changing our entire family life to keep the two females separate and safe.  You find out that it is not at all unusual for females to not get along; but that does not make dealing with this problem any easier.  Of course, it didn’t help when initially the breeder tells you that you caused the problem.  There is some truth in this statement but it isn’t your fault and you did not cause the problem.  It actually goes to the dynamics of dogs trying to figure out where they belong in a pack.  Think about it, two females and one male, both females will want top billing.  

Contracts With Breeders - continues

Some contracts with breeders are about co-ownership of the dog.  There are many reasons why a breeder will request you sign this type of contract.  It could be the breeder wants to show the dog, like in the Bred-By-Exhibitor Class.  The breeder may also want control regarding the breeding, such as; when, who, and where. It may also be a matter of economics, sharing the expenses of showing and breeding a dog.

I would caution anyone with the co-ownership contracts.  There are so many unforeseen events that can come up and they won't be written into that original agreement.  With these types of contracts, it is not usually a 50/50 level of ownership and responsibility; this can cause problems.

Don't ever agree to an oral contract with a breeder regarding co-ownership, spay/neuter policies, dog sold only as a pet or the opposite sold only as a show dog.  If a breeder is requesting any of this; then get it in writing.  Save yourself heartache and money on down the road.

Contracts With Breeders

You may be asked to sign a contract with the breeder when you purchase a purebred dog.  Make sure you read the entire contract and understand it, before you sign it.  If something is unclear or simply hard to understand, ask questions.  If the answers you receive clear things up and you feel comfortable with the conditions of the contract then proceed; otherwise have a lawyer look at the contract or simply walk away.

A spay/neuter requirement by a certain age, may be a contract requirement by the breeder.  Breeders want to insure that only certain dogs are used in breeding.  The reputable breeder knows what dogs are show quality and which are pets.  If you have the attitude that spay/neuter policy is up to you personally; then don't buy from someone requesting this in a contract.

Recognized Colors & Markings For Saint Bernards

Did you know that there a nine different recognized colors for Saint Bernards from AKC?  Well there are and here is the list along with the code used by AKC.

1. Brindle & White - Code 059
2. Brown & White - Code 063
3. Mahogany & White - Code 130
4. Orange & White - Code 134
5. Red & White - Code 146
6. Rust & White - Code 162
7. White & Brown - Code 204
8. White & Orange - Code 213
9. White & Red - Code 214

The AKC recognized marking for Saint Bernards is the Black Mask, Code 004.

Training Your Saint Bernard - continues

Barking can quickly become a nuisance.  If you let it become a nuisance then you are not being a good neighbor.  Some dogs bark constantly when their owners are not at home.  Dogs that bark that much should not be left outdoors; they are a huge nuisance for any of your neighbors who are at home. Try using a bark collar with a static discharge.  The static discharge needs to be sufficient enough to get your dog’s attention but not so strong that injury is caused.  In most cases people are not using a strong enough static discharge, so the dog is not responding and the barking continues.  Debarking a dog should be considered when you become aware that your dog is a real nuisance in the neighborhood.