Will there be ribbons?
As we prepare for our next litter of puppies, I’m sharing some of my thoughts about the selection criteria we use when we review applications. There’s so much more to it than simply finding nice people that really want a puppy. Obviously, we want the best possible fit for each of our puppies such that they live happy, healthy, purposeful lives. Additionally, we want to ensure we’re helping to grow an ongoing community of dedicated Standard Schnauzer owners that will help the breed thrive well into the future. At the most basic level, that means you need to ensure your dog is a well-mannered, well-groomed ambassador of the breed so he or she makes a favorable impression on people. That’s just responsible dog-ownership. (And please understand that neither I, nor my dogs, can claim to be perfect examples of good manners – it’s a work in progress.) Taking it to a higher level, training your dog to perform or compete in sports cultivates wider recognition of the breed’s versatile abilities. Titles on paper, trophies, and ribbons are great for sustaining a personal sense of satisfaction, but my goal in encouraging you to be involved in dog sports is so that trainers and spectators get to see how smart, agile, and personable this breed is. That is, I want us all to do our part in growing their fan base. Make no mistake, competing can be expensive! Entering a single competition might only cost $20 or $30, but to title in a sport might take 5, 10, 30 entries. Plus, you will likely have had training before competing, so that’s time and cost. You will probably travel to events and incur the cost of overnight stays. When you add it all up, it can be expensive, but it’s an investment that rewards you and your dog with great experiences, a tighter bond, and a network of like-minded friends …plus, there’s ribbons. Then there’s service and therapy work. What can be better and more fulfilling than a dog that provides affection and comfort to people in hospitals, retirement and nursing homes, hospices, disaster areas, and to people with learning difficulties? Standard Schnauzers can be wary of strangers and a little self-absorbed in their own interests, but they love to train and perform their duties well. It’s in their nature to excel in this area when given the opportunity. This, to me, is one of the highest forms of purposeful dog ownership. Finally, there’s conformation. The big show. The true dog-fanatic’s obsession. This is where we remove our blinders and expose ourselves and our dogs to the judgement of others. Think your dog has perfect structure? Perfect gait? Perfect teeth? Think you can execute every step and every turn perfectly to show-off your dog’s exquisite awesomeness? Does he or she have the genes that should be carried forth in future generations? Well then, come join me in the ring! Let’s make Champions! …plus, you get ribbons! What about pets, you wonder? Good, old-fashioned, family-pet dogs? Yes, Standard Schnauzers are great family pets, but let’s face the fact that family-life has changed in a way that may not make it the best environment for an intelligent, active breed like the Standard Schnauzer. I loathe the idea that work and school and after-school activities, and overtime, social commitments, and then down-time in front of the TV or computer culminate into robbing the dog of adequate attention and exercise. This is a Working Dog breed. Spending 10 minutes in the yard playing 2 or 3 times a week just isn’t going to be enough. These dogs need physical and mental stimulation. A bored Schnauzer can be a real problem. They’re purpose-driven, and if you don’t give them purpose they’re likely to assign themselves some that you may not appreciate. Would you ever ask a toddler to just sit quietly in a space with no toys for 30 minutes? How about for 8 or 10 hours? Now imagine that toyless space has lots of breakable dishes, electric appliances, sharp objects, potted plants, etc. You may plan to keep your dog “safe” by crating him or containing him in a confined space, but consider what kind of adult would be produced from a child that was raised in solitary confinement. Puppies need crate time, but they don’t need a lot of it because it’s convenient for you. The point I try to drive with people that tell me they have kids to keep the dog busy is that a house full of kids does not mean that the dog is getting the attention it needs and deserves. Kid-chaos does not constitute training and exercise for the dog’s mind and body. Let me just sum-up by suggesting that before you consider applying for one of our Standard Schnauzers, make sure you can convey what you know about the Working Dog mindset; what attracts you to the Standard Schnauzer breed over other breeds; what purpose will it have, and how will you ensure he or she will be successful, happy, and healthy? What do you want to DO with your dog? …And, of course, will there be ribbons?
We’re pregnant!
For my very first time posting on our website, I have the pleasure of announcing that our Zoey, (GCH CH Postem’s Zoey FDC BCAT CGC TKI) is pregnant, and her pups are due around the July 4th time frame. Zoey is currently an AKC Grand Champion that holds numerous titles in companion and performance sports. In Fast CAT events, her average speed is 25.43 MPH over a 100-yard dash! Zoey is tied as the fastest female Standard Schnauzer in the nation…. Ever! The Sire for Zoey’s pups is BIS, BISS, GCH CH Blackhawk Finnegan’s Wake RATN. Better known as Finn. Finn finished his 2014 show career as Number 1 Standard Schnauzer, Number 4 working dog, and Number 12 All-Breed in the country. You can read more about Finn through this URL: http://www.hanlonstandardschnauzers.com/hanlonstandardschnauzers/Finn/Finn.html For those of you who would like to be considered as a new puppy parent for one of Zoey’s pups, on our website, please look under the Litters dropdown and you will find an application for a puppy. Please understand that first and foremost we are looking for wonderful homes for our puppies. We take finding the right home for our puppies very seriously as you will see during the interview process. I would encourage you to be forthcoming and be thorough when filling out your application. We insist on staying connected after you get your puppy. Under the Pictures and Videos drop down, you can see pics and videos of our 2018 litter. That litter produced two pups that have achieved AKC Champion titles and a third pup is well on his way to achieving same. One of the pups – like her mama – is an AKC Grand Champion. Representing the breed’s versatility, the pups now hold titles in Coursing, Dock Diving, and as Trick Dogs. They’re also certified Farm Dogs, Canine Good Citizens, Temperament Tested, and Therapy Dogs serving the elderly. They love to perform, so some of them also train in Agility, Nosework, and Barn Hunt. All our pups from the Flag Day litter found wonderful homes; of which that is the most important thing to us. To find out more about us and our dogs, please feel free to join Steadfast’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/steadfaststandards/. If you’ll go there, you’ll see where we’ve been spending most of our time as opposed to our website. But I’m going to work on keeping it more active and up to date moving forward. In addition, you can catch up on all of our dogs videos on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDURgN4VZ1xT94EN8mf-OQQ Darcy and I look forward to our new litter of puppies, and ultimately expanding the Steadfast family. Thank you for reading my first posting here on our website. We’re looking forward to hearing from you and getting to know some of you.
Go fetch!
Is your puppy sitting in front of the window with a forlorn “I’m so bored” look? That’s about all it takes for mine to motivate me into a game of fetch. Fetch is a great game that wears them out physically and challenges them mentally while they’re learning “get it,” “bring it back,” and “drop it.” Plus, your puppy won’t mind if you’re still in your jammies – anytime is a great time for fetch!
First kisses
I’ve been collecting and storing the pictures new puppy parents share with me as the pups settle into their new lives. I can hardly express how important these pictures are to me. I look at them over and over …and I smile. Breeding is extremely challenging! And I’m not referring to the sleep-deprived nights or the endless cleaning-up of poop and pee, nor even the efforts to keep house and yard somewhat in order and in tact. I’m talking about the emotional fortitude it takes to let pups go! Wow. Let me say that even when I know these little furbabies are going to great homes where they’ll be cherished and get waaaay more attention than I can give them, I cry and sulk around the house each time one of them leaves. Those pups still with me have to put up with me hugging them and crying on their beautiful coats. What helps me get through my pity-party are the pictures and videos and updates from the new puppy parents. I love em! Seeing the pups in their new homes with happy owners reminds me of how blessed I am to be able to bring joy into these puppies lives and into the lives of dog-loving people. I thought some of you might like to see those pictures too so I added a page of some of my favorites. You can find it here: https://steadfaststandards.com/puppy-parent-pics/ Keep sending them! I never get tired of seeing them or hearing from you.
Tonsure!… and moths.
Just when I thought we were sliding into a comfortable and manageable routine everything changed again. I took several puppies in for ear cropping and over the next two weeks we had to closely monitor activity and keep them separated so none of the other puppies would chew on their little healing ears. The time impact of rotating everyone so they still got plenty of play time while being protected from rough-housing was… wow, crazy. And noisy! Our little healing pups seem to enjoy “running the fence line” outside of the Puppy Palace while those on the inside chased and barked at them. Those with cropped ears had their little heads and ears shaved by the vet and now they look like little Monks. To make matters worse, I started working on their coats and I’m slowly stripping out the puppy coat to reveal all that gorgeous pepper/salt Schnauzer coat coming in. But you know by now that I am all about making sure new experiences are positive. So, I only work on their coats if they’re relatively still and happy with all the praise. Consequently, their coats now look like moths have attacked them. They’re all patchy and spotty! They turned 10 weeks old and three of them have made the journey to their new lives. Of course, I cried to lose them but I’m also extremely happy that they’ve gone to wonderful people that will love them and care for them. They’re lucky dogs. My expectation is that these dogs will go out into the world and remind us humans how to love deeply and almost unconditionally – cause that’s just what dogs do! Plus, there’s the added benefit that as puppies they provide enough chaos and destruction to our lives such that they ensure we exercise our ability to show patience and tolerance. Some people may not appreciate that service, but any doctor will tell you that exercise is important! It’s so hard to believe that they were this puppyish just two weeks ago! Here they were at 8 weeks old: Watch this video on YouTube
Zoey gets her groove back!
If you read my Puppy Update blogs you know that Miss Zoey had a period where she just seemed to have the ‘blahs.’ Now she’s feeling spry again. She doesn’t get up the trees nearly as high as she did before, but you wouldn’t either if you’d birthed a whole pack of nine just a couple of months ago! Jackie isn’t related in lineage to Zoey but she’s “Aunt Jackie” to these pups anyhow. Watch this video on YouTube
Personal space
This is a long update because I’ve been remiss in writing. If you didn’t discover them already, I sneaked in pictures of the puppies’ first day outside a couple of Saturdays ago. You’ll find them under Picture Gallery / Flag Day Puppies 2018. Be forewarned! The cuteness is almost too much. Here’s a sneak-peek: They’re big shots in the yard now. They’ve explored every nook and cranny; barked at suspicious things like water pipes and vases they broke. They learned about uppity cats that will smack a pushy, solo pup but run for the trees when the whole pack gets after him. Climbing! Mama demonstrates “how to” climb the driftwood log and within a flash pups all over it. Potty-training is almost a done-deal. When they’re indoors they use the litter box. Occasionally someone misses the litter box, but for the most part they’ve got it figured out. When we’re outside, all I can say is it’s a really good thing we have a big yard because 9 puppies and 2 adults make for a lot of landmines. I feel so bad that my husband doesn’t let me do the clean-up. He says I tear-up the lawn too much with the end of the shovel. I just don’t know why I still can’t seem to get the hang of that. <grin> I even let them venture around the house a little when we first come in from outside. They discovered that my cowhide rug was fun to chew, and so was my napping blanket that I keep folded up in a basket. The basket itself was about to be swiss cheese, but I saved it. The Sisal rug in the breakfast area was then targeted as a great tug-of-war toy, and Jackie maligned a pup that tried to steal a toy from her crate. When I caught Benny chewing the cord to the puppy-cam that was the last straw – I herded everyone back to the safe zone. It just goes to show you that no matter how puppy-safe you think an area is they always find SOMETHING THEY’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE!… But, no one pee’d or poo’d where they weren’t supposed to – so that is awesome. Okay, so here’s what we’ve worked on over the past week: Manners! Mama has been teaching them that “no” means “no” – the milk bar is closed. Zoey is such an incredibly good mama. I’m so pleased with how gentle but firm she is with them. She lets them play pretty darn rough with each other without interfering. Occasionally, someone cries out with the right amount of distress and its big Mama Zoey to the rescue. They’re getting valuable lessons in what constitutes “too rough” from their siblings, their mama, and us. They’re also working on ‘sit quietly.’ I make them practice sitting still and taking food GENTLY from my hand. They must do this even if one of their brothers or sisters gets over-exuberant and tries to steal the tasty morsel. No one gets that treat until they can sit quietly and calmly. It’s precious to see that little circle of nine faces concentrating on being calm. Some of them are very relaxed about it and could easily sit for two or three minutes while others are working so hard at just being in control of themselves for twenty or thirty seconds. I’ll try to get some video of it. I’m dang proud of them for it because it’s hard work being that calm when you’re a puppy! And nails. The dreaded nail-trimming… I use a Dremel. I’m just too much of a nervous-Nelly with regular nail guillotines. So far, I’ve let the cordless Dremel run completely out of battery power twice because I just leave it running with the pups in close proximity so they can get used to the sound of it. When I finally pressed it to a foot – not even the sanding part – you’d have thought a bee stung him. He jumped and screamed and wriggled and just generally made a big fuss. Mama came in to see what was going on, gave him a little lick on the face and then showed no more concern. He calmed down enough that I was able to sand off the ends without ever getting close to the quick. Lots of treats and praise for his bravery at the end. On to the next pup. It’s a slow process building trust in the face of something this scary. I’m going to keep working on it with them so that hopefully nail trimming won’t be a source of fear for them. Finally, ‘Operation Me Time’ has begun. I want them to have a gentle transition into being able to accept and enjoy having their own space in their own crate. Therefore, I’ve set up two crates with a divider in each – creating four personal spaces. The pups are taking turns spending time in those personal spaces so it won’t be such a big shock when they go to their forever homes. I let them go in there when I know they’re about to fall asleep anyhow. They get a chewable treat that is ONLY something they get when they’re in those special personal spaces. That way, it’s always a positive experience for them – except when a sibling in the personal space next door manages to thieve your chewable from under the divider. That’s not so fun.
The sounds of chaos
It was ‘Operation Exposure To Children’ weekend. Barking puppies and squealing children were last weekend’s mode of chaos. At first, the puppies didn’t know what to make of tiny human beings that made strange noises. We had my granddaughters sit on the floor and be as calm and quiet as possible – which isn’t actually very quiet at all. By the end of the weekend we had children bouncing around screaming with delight while puppies chased and barked with enthusiasm. It was a sight to behold …if only it had a mute button. And when all the fun and games ended, we had some exhausted puppies. It was also vaccination weekend. The puppies got their first round of DHPP, and no one even cried. Next week, the puppies will be able to visit the big outdoors for the first time. We will venture into our backyard for exploration, to learn about pottying outdoors, and to discover CATS. I’ve got quite the variety from which these puppies will learn about cats. We’ve got one that will run when chased (fun!), another that will hiss and spit (kind of scary), and a third one – the only one we purposely meant to own – that thinks he’s one of the pack (weirdo brother, Brogan). ‘Bro’ used to spar with his canine brothers, Bosco and Winston, before they crossed over the rainbow bridge. He’s tried sparring with Jackie and Zoey, but they only see him as a confused cat rather than a member of the canine pack. I’m hoping the puppies will form a fondness for Brogan. He’d like that. And what would you think if I attached a picture of two pee spots on the floor? TWO PEE SPOTS are all I came home to today, y’all! I’m so proud that MOST of the time the puppies are using the litter box. We started with pee pads in the whelping box and then once they moved downstairs to the Puppy Palace we introduced the litter box with compressed wood pellets. Okay, I’m trying not to brag but today when I had them running loose in the dining room I saw one puppy turn circles in a little panic and then bolt back into the Puppy Palace to go use the litter box. I was so proud! And while I was clapping and cooing “good puppy” someone pee’d on the floor behind me. Next week, once they’ve discovered the great outdoors, I’ll leave a scented layer of the wood pellets in the litter box but over the pellets will be a nice new square of sod. Operation “Potty on the Grass” will have begun. And as if the weekend weren’t already filled with enough ‘firsts’ the puppies also had their first solid food. Who would have known how they would devour a piece of hardboiled egg white? I now have a wonderful training tool. Eggs are very heavily scented (stinky!) and the puppies love it. We may play some games like “let’s go,” “come” and “sit.” Nothing too challenging, and there are no wrong actions – just lovely, stinky rewards for playing thinking games. Expect more pictures and videos. We’re having a blast and we want you to share in the fun.
Boot camp!
The other day my Miss Zoey just seemed awfully down. She didn’t want cookies, she wouldn’t wag her tail, her head hung low – I’ve never seen her like that! Postpartum? Exhaustion? Sick? I took her temp – normal. I gave her extra yummy toppings on her supper, but no, she wouldn’t eat. Then it occurred to me that the girls and I have not been taking our morning walks since the pups were born, and Zoey is an athletic likes-to-be-outdoors kinda girl. So we leashed up and headed out for a walk that was about 1/4 the speed we normally go and a distance of about 1/10th our typical 2 mile route. Hey, a girl can’t go too far or too fast with distended mammaries! We did it again the next day, and the next, and I’m happy to say that everyone is happy again. Physical activity is so important to Zoey that sometimes when I’m on the treadmill she volunteers to hop on with me. She’s even done that since she had the pups so I had to slow the treadmill down to a snail’s pace to accommodate her current condition. Well, that got me thinking. Why should those pups get to be lazy while the rest of us are trying to get fit? So today we started their exercise routine. I open the door to the Puppy Palace and let them spill out over the gate. Then I “run” into the dining room and do laps around the table calling for the pups to follow me. They toddle along behind – some following, some cutting through the middle, some going the opposite way. Zoey got in on the activity and after a few laps around the table Drill Sergeant Zoey leads them off to the stairs and tries to get them to climb! …game over. A little too much too soon. But, we had a blast and I snapped some pics of the pups that I added to the website.
Let’s ruuuumble!
I know! I know! Everyone thinks I fell of the planet, but I’m here! These puppies are growing and developing at lightning speed – and they’re workin’ me! Four weeks old already, y’all! They’ve got growls, they’ve got barks, and they’re getting some mighty big attitudes. They’re in a development phase where they’re challenging each other and trying to establish their positions in the pecking order. Of course, Mama trumps all. This week we moved out of the whelping box and downstairs to the puppy palace. It was bliss for the pups because they now not only have their 4’x4’ sleeping den but also a 10’ x 6’ play zone. Zoey wasn’t as comfortable with the move since she felt like she had to guard multiple doors from potential dangerous intruders – the cats, her BFF Jackie – these were trusted friends just a few short weeks ago! I have baby gates up keeping her and the pups safely separate from our other pets, but she didn’t even want them looking at her pups from the other side of the gates. Such a protective mama! Then, within just a couple of days of being in the new palace, both Zoey and my husband, Craig, conspired to make life more difficult for me by encouraging the pups to escape the palace. They were so proud of those pups for their achievement in vaulting the gate! Now that they’re downstairs they’re learning to what it’s like to be in a regular home environment. People come to the door and knock/ring; we come and go; the TV is on sometimes, other times I play music, and then there are times of silence. I want them to be exposed to all kinds of noise and quiet so that when they go to their new homes they’ll be better prepared for a different environment. We don’t have small children in our home, but I think my grandbabies might come next weekend and they’ll help us expose the puppies to a whole new level of chaos. LOL! Weaning is going well. Zoey still feeds them but they’re getting 3 squares from the den-mother (me) too. Can I just tell you that real food in makes for …uhm… real stink out? Whew! They’re so cute it’s hard to fathom that something so stinky can come out of them. And their teeth! Tiny needles that they just love to sink into my toes. We’re also working on a graduation from puppy pee pads to wood pellet litter box. My plan is to get them used to using the pellets and then after they’ve had their vaccination at 6 weeks I’ll spread some pellets outdoors to kick-off house training. They’ll still need gentle guidance and a good potty routine when they get to their forever-homes but they should have the ‘go outside’ concept by then. This week I also added to my website the Puppy Contract. It’s in draft stage and may change slightly, but the main terms are spelled out for pet homes. I’m working on getting the contract for show homes uploaded as well. Basically, I want to make sure there are no surprises and that potential puppy parents know in advance what terms they’ll be agreeing to if they get a puppy from me. Over the next couple of weeks most of my free time when I’m not feeding, cleaning, walking, playing, training dogs, I’ll be talking about dogs with the folks that have sent to me their applications. Does it seem like my life revolves around dogs? I like to complain in a “woe is me” way, but actually, I love it. Now, I was going to give my applicants an assignment to go watch “Blackfish” documentary and be prepared to tell me why I would have asked them to watch it, but my husband advocated on their side and asked me to stop giving out homework. So I’ll just say that I have long held the belief that most dogs – and especially Standard Schnauzers – are too intelligent to be expected to thrive in an environment where they’re kept penned/confined for long periods of time. These are smart dogs that need mental stimulation as much as physical exercise – especially when they’re puppies full of wonder and energy. When I watched ‘Blackfish’ a few years ago, it really exemplified how sad it is that we can do so much damage to an intelligent, sentient creature by not allowing them to have the stimulation, socialization and environmental enrichment they need. Yes, we need to crate our pups at times so they rest and so they’re not left unsupervised with the many dangers in our homes (like plugged-in cords, non-edibles, etc.) but hours of solitary confinement is just absolutely unacceptable. Our fur-babies will go to homes that have a plan, toys/tools, and a routine that will help the puppy grow into the great dog they want. …I didn’t mean to get preachy, but it’s one of those topics I feel strongly about. Don’t even get me started on meat by-product!