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Puppies
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Why From Us?
We
have been very active members of the Leonberger Club of America, the founding
registry for Leonbergers and the largest parent club of the breed, for over twelve
years now. Many of our closest friendships have been formed with other LCA members
as a result of caring about this breed over the years. Our decision to breed has
not been made lightly as we take our responsibility to each of our puppy buyers
very seriously. It has only been after several years of learning about the breed,
attending multiple seminars on canine genetics, structure, and reproduction, actively
showing our own dogs in conformation, water work, and obedience, as well as networking
with other experienced breeders, that we finally feel ready to breed Leonbergers
ourselves. We test
each dog that we breed for the following: - Hips
(need to be certified clear by the OFA)
- Elbows
(need to be certified clear by the OFA)
- Eyes
(certified clear by a Canine Ophthalmologist-CERF)
- Thyroid
(needs to be fully functional according to an OFA blood panel)
- Heart
(needs to be certified OFA clear by a board-certified cardiologist)
We
thoroughly research the pedigrees and family history of each dog we breed,
running inbreeding coefficient numbers on each breeding for upto 10 generations,
as well as doing health testing as indicated above. We can tell you about our
dogs' siblings, parents, and grandparents, because we firmly believe that
the best possible breeding does not simply involve two individual dogs but their
family histories as well. Our puppies
will be raised in a home setting, exposed to everyday sights, sounds,
and smells. Every day, our family spends hours of our time sitting in the whelping
box with the pups, handling them, and observing them to make sure each one is
growing well. They grow up hearing the vacuum running, seeing us have dinner,
and hearing the dishwasher run - all sights and sounds they will be perfectly
familiar with when they become part of your homes. During
the first eight weeks, they will also have a wide and varied selection of puppy-sized
activities, surfaces, and obstacles available to stimulate them both mentally
and physically. In addition, they will have safe positive interaction with children,
adults, and age-appropriate interaction with our other Leonbergers. In short,
we are striving to make sure that each of our puppies is very well-socialized
and has had a headstart on life before they ever leave our home. Between
Days 3 and 16 after birth, we perform early neurological stimulation exercises
with the pups, called Bio-Sensor
exercises. Puppies exposed to the Bio-Sensor stimulation exercises
have been observed to have improved cardiovascular performance, stronger heartbeats,
stronger adrenal glands, more tolerance to stress, and greater resistance to disease.
In tests of learning, stimulated pups were found to be more active and were more
exploratory than their non-stimulated littermates over which they were dominant
in competitive situations.
We also
conduct a complete structural evaluation of the litter at eight weeks of
age, as well as temperament test each puppy, using an experienced outside
impartial evaluator, to help us in choosing the puppy that will be the best fit
for each home. Prior to going home, each puppy will be microchipped, dewormed,
introduced to a crate, and be given a clean bill of health by our veterinarian. We
are available to each of our puppy buyers 24/7 for support, advice, and concerns
that they may have. |
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