SF Kennels
Skyfire Australian Cattle Dog
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SF Kennels Skyfire Australian Cattle Dog
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| PLANNED LITTERS
Preliminary plans for a 2010 litter. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PAST LITTERS
PAST LITTER LINKS TO BE ADDED
If you are interested in a puppy, please fill out our Puppy Survey.
Previous Puppy Photos - See what ACDs look like at the different ages!
One Week Photos Two Week Photos Three Week Photos Four Week Photos Six Week Photos Seven Week Photos
How Mom Is Cared For Mom's need their health clearances before they are bred. Hearing tests (BAER), sight (both CERF and prcd-PRA testing) and hips (OFA) are done prior to breeding. We also consider the other genetic faults a mom may have before breeding. Since we breed for competition dogs, physical structure is very important to us. We always want to try to improve the breed. After mom is bred she is treated like she always was. She gets plenty of exercise and we watch her weight closely. At about week 5 she starts to show. By week 6 we know if she is bred or not. And at about week 7 we x-ray to have a quick look inside. Below is a picture taken at 50 days gestation. Taking a x-ray of the mother allows us to see about how many puppies are in there. It helps us prepare for the birthing process and have a better feel for when the mother may be in trouble. Small puppy litters are also prone to needing to be delivered by cesarean because the puppies can sometimes get so large. Can you count how many are in there?
How Our Puppies Are Raised We try to expose our puppies to multiple surface and visit multiple locations prior to leaving our home. This helps to begin their socialization at a very early age. The following is a brief overview of how our puppies raised. It is important for puppies to not be born in one place (a kennel or laundry room) and still be there when you go to collect your puppy at 8 weeks. We calculate the due date of our puppies based on the first breeding. Our puppies are typically born in our garage where mom and puppies can have some privacy (location #1). I am there for the birth of each and every puppy which typically takes place in the wee-hours of the morning. After attending to the birth of a litter of 6 while I was 8 months pregnant myself, I have mastered the art of making the garage a comfortable place (including the use of a lazy-boy recliner). We set up "whelping box" which can be fitted with a heating lamp, heat pad, and lots of towels (surface #1). We drape blankets across the top to form a den environment. The blanket allows mom to feel enclosed but still allows us easy access for observation and intervention. Puppies are constantly packed around the house by myself, our guests and our own children. Everyone loves puppies, so it is an excellent way of getting them handled. Puppies stay in the whelping box for the first few weeks. Once they begin to walk, we set up a yard around their box to allow for exploration and to establish a outside vs. inside. It is covered with newspapers for easy cleaning and is quite slippery for them. At about 4 weeks, we fill the yard with shavings (surface #3). They will usually begin to potty "outside" in the shavings and go "inside" to sleep. We introduce toys at this age and the favorites are ALWAYS the fuzzy ones. They also typically get filled with shavings over time and are "sacrificed".
We introduce a puppy meal at this time as well which consists of soaked puppy food in water with milk replacement added. I like to call this surface #4 as it is walked in more than eaten. Once they are up good on their feet, we begin to take them places to romp and play. Around the house they experience cold tile and fuzzy carpet (surface #5 & 6). We expose them to cold itchy grass (surface #7) which they do not typically care for and gravel (surface #8) in the puppy play area shown below. By weeks 5 the puppies have really grown and they are playing and are becoming quite independent. Although still with them, their mother usually begins to wean them at this time and they are eating puppy mash several times a day. We start gentle behavior training at this time which must be carried on after the puppies leave our home. We correct for puppies for biting, praise for going potty outside, and make sure the puppies spend time on their back in a submissive position being held by different people. They being to spend time outside in a puppy pen.
The puppy play area is made of chainlink panels that are able to be moved around to expose the puppies to different areas without the fear of their getting lost or into trouble. We add puppy toys, and child play structures with tunnels and slides that really challenge the puppies. We also put a kiddy pool in the puppy yard. Initially we put it upside down so it becomes a noisy plateau to play king of the mountain on. Then (when they get so heavy it starts to indent) we flip it over and add water. We try to introduce lots of obstacles for exploration. To some, it may look like a bunch of stuff in a pen, but to the puppies, it is a jungle! We also introduce a doggie door as we have an air conditioned dog house with a flapper type doggie door on it. At week 6, their mother is spending only night time and some play time throughout the day with her puppies. She corrects them regularly when with them, but still likes to play with them. Typically she has no interest in letting them nurse as they are strong and their teeth sharp!! At week 7, we go solo. The puppies start spending nights by themselves. We also start crate training for very short periods of time at 7 weeks. At 8 weeks companion puppies are leaving for their new homes. Puppies are spending the night in their crates (9pm-4am) now. They are starting house breaking and have to be watched constantly for signs of "gotta go".
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Mark and Tracy Johnson, Richmond, KY 859-625-0424 |
