Hi Tracie: I first want to say that I love your show! As a regular and habitual listener of WLIU while driving, I first stumbled on your DOG TALK® shows several years back and loved hearing your opinions as well as those of your guests, and this was without even owning a dog! We are now in the process of getting a German Shepherd puppy through a breeder in PA which we are picking up in early November, and I am in heavy nesting mode as well as trying to crunch as much information as I can into my wee brain to prepare myself and my family.
My question is about crates. I bought your DOG BIBLE and have also been doing a lot of homework online and realize that we need to get a crate for many reasons. I also recall a show where you talked about a particular crate that was considered the “Rolls Royce of crates” that you found to be exactly the opposite. Are there any particular crates, whether brand names or what to look for, that you can recommend?
Your advice and expertise/experience in this matter would be invaluable!
Thank you!
Best,
Monday from Aquebogue, NY
Although I wasn’t asked, I just had to butt in about the breeder Monday was getting a puppy from – unfortunately, all the high volume puppy millers in Pennsylvania have ruined the state’s reputation for the good breeders – but forewarned is forearmed.
Monday – first, do send me your address so i can send you a bookplate – and thank you so much for your very kind words. It means SO much to hear that a non-dog owner has been enjoying the show!
An important aside – I don’t want to alarm you but I am very wary of any breeders in PA – it is a very high volume puppy mill state and the Amish have gotten into commercial breeding. You have picked a magnificent breed but one with some heartbreaking genetic problems. Any reputable breeder will have x-rayed hips and knees of breeding pairs as well as other genetic testing. You have the DOG BIBLE already – did this breeder ask you the questions in there? Did you ask the questions I recommend? And have you already met the breeder and seen where and how the dogs live? Also, have you contacted the national AKC GSD group to see if this breeder is a member? If the answers to any of this are NO, please correct it ASAP before you ever set eyes on that puppy and it is too late. This is really important.
The crate question – there are the usual ugly plastic crates but there are now gorgeous wooden crates made of furniture-grade materials which can fit right into a bedroom or living room decor – my web site sponsor Smartpak.com carries several made of different woods – if you can afford them and have room, it’s a great option (and I appreciate you going to Smartpak since their support allows me the freedom to have no advertisers on my site but still get the job done right). The crate needs to be snug for the puppy – the DOG BIBLE explains everything you need to know, just trust it. The horrible “Mercedes Benz” of crates was a nasty little environment in which to keep a dog caged for long periods with an astro turf area to pee in – the exact opposite of what crate training is intended to teach. Good luck – and call in!
Tracie
Readers may check the kennel inspection reports for any PA licensed breeder on the North Penn Puppy Mill Website – just scroll down the left hand column and look for “Kennel Inspection Reports.”
Many kennels are only referenced by their kennel name and those consumers who only have the name of the breeder (and not the name of the kennel) should cross reference the information they have with the USDA/APHIS license list: http://tinyurl.com/4lky2p Once you have the kennel name you may then find the report in the PA kennel inspection report data base.
All kennels that sell puppies to any commercial venue MUST has a USDA license.
Be smart. Do your research. Better yet, save a life and rescue or adopt!
Give Hope to the Mill Dogs
BOYCOTT STORES THAT SELL PUPPIES!
North Penn Puppy Mill Watch
Visit Us Online: NPPMWATCH.COM
Thank you for the comment and information. I immediately checked the suggested link and was not surprised to see that the breeder we are getting our puppy from is not listed as a puppy mill operator. I just spoke with her again on the phone, and what a delight she is to hear how she cares for her dogs, her holistic approach to things, as well as the stories on the puppies’ development. She shared with me her approaches to feeding and training, including some interesting holistic approaches to preventing certain dog ailments (such as feeding them garlic to ward ticks); I tend to veer away from instant fixes (I don’t like to take medicine unless it’s ABSOLUTELY necessary, try to cook and eat organic and natural foods, or “slow foods” as it’s lately called, etc.), so many of what she’s spoken with me about make sense for my own personal philosophies and I feel I can trust her.
One additional question I have for you, Tracie (I meant to call in but got caught up with mommy duties!) is about the timing of neutering/spaying. The breeder’s opinion is that one should not spay/neuter until the puppy has completely developed into a mature adult, which she says for GSDs are 2-1/2 years, but I know the majority of vets and other forums I’ve visited suggest that anywhere from 8 months or shortly after is good timing. Her opinion is that one can avoid many health problems that can be caused by spaying/neutering too soon, that the body and hormones need to completely develop before getting “fixed.” I’m curious as to your take on this.
Thanks again!
Best,
Monday Michiru
Aquebogue, NY
What wonderful news! There are so many wonderful decent caring breeders all over this country and it’s up to us to find them and congratulate them. This breeder’s comments about a delay in spay/neuter turns out to be the topic of DOG TALK on Oct 18th – I have some serious professionals agreeing with your breeder and I urge you to sign her up for the podcast of DOG TALK so she can hear the latest thinking. This theory is fairly new to me so I’m eager to learn more, as I am sure you are. Certainly I’d wait longer than the conventional 6 months if the breeder herself has noticed a difference in dogs. However, it also depends on whether the dog hits a really rebellious stage, which can happen at just past a year and in some dogs expresses itself as aggressiveness. So it may be best to wait to see how your young man develops in the early months before making that decision.
Wow, I’m really excited to hear the Oct 18th DOG TALK on this subject as one of my major concerns is the aggressiveness I’ve heard that especially male dogs are proned to if they’re not fixed (and my husband is insisting we get a male). With a GSD, I’ll be honest — I’m afraid. I was wondering how I could go through the 1 to 2-1/2 year stage when they are no doubt hormonally challenged. Thank you again and I’ll be sure to tune in for more information.
Whoa – hold your horses! I never suggested that 2 1/2 is a good idea – I share your doubts that it is a good idea to wait THAT long. I think a delayed neuter may turn out to be the advice we’ll get from these experts, but not 2 or more years old. I believe they are going to talk about 9-12 months as preferable to 6 months so that secondary physical characteristics can develop (full musculature, head shape, bone growth). I have heard anecdotal stories about nice young male dogs turning entirely different by about 14 months – getting head strong and aggressive. So we’ll have to wait and see together what they recommend.