We have a very strict regimen when we create a litter of puppies. I did say create. Our breedings are planned and researched thoroughly. I feel that anytime a person takes it upon themselves to breed dogs they have an incredible responsibility for those puppies for their entire life, not just while they are here.
Our puppies are born in our home in a brood box made just for them. I assist or just sit with Mom during the birthing process, letting her do her maternal duties but always ready to step in if assistance is needed. Often times, I am simply the lap that she wants to lay her head in between deliveries. Each puppy is immediately given a little colored collar and recorded as to sex, color and time of delivery. Later, the AKC registration # will reflect the order the puppies were born in---so if your puppy’s number ends in a 6 then he/she was the 6 th one born. I live & sleep by the brood box for the first 10 days after the puppies are born, making sure everyone is warm and secure, getting enough to eat and that Mom is reassured she is the most wonderful girl in the world.
Our puppies are placed with AKC Limited Registration, unless other arrangements are made. Limited Registration simply means you cannot breed that dog. I will change the Limited status to Full status when your Doberman is titled in some discipline (agility, obedience, Schutzhund, etc). We provide a health guarantee/contract and ask everyone who wants one of our puppies to provide two personal references and a veterinary reference. If you don’t have a veterinarian yet, we will help you to locate one.
If you live close enough we will give you hands-on instruction on how to post the ears. For those folks that live elsewhere we send along detailed posting instructions. All of our puppies have a parchment paper pedigree and their own personalized health record to take to your veterinarian so he/she knows exactly what vaccines have been given to your puppy.
I am available for questions and guidance for the life of your Vicaral Doberman. I enjoy seeing pictures and hearing about what you are doing from sitting on the back porch anecdotes to titles earned. The folks that own our Dobermans are some of the finest people in the world. We are an extended family. Perhaps you will join us.
Our puppies are held, petted and hugged constantly by everyone in our family. We socialize puppies at home and away from home, making a better companion for you. Soft food is offered at 3-4 weeks of age---they dive right in! Vaccinations are started with a high titer vaccine at 6 weeks old and repeated every 3 weeks until they leave us. Around 6 weeks old I introduce them to a scuff track I make in our yard to imprint tracking and how much fun it is. At 7 weeks we temperament test each one individually. They are placed in homes appropriate to the results of the test— there are no exceptions to this. Some puppies are high drive and some are not---a family who wants a mellow, laid back fellow isn’t going to enjoy a high drive agility prospect---no matter how cute he is at 8 or 9 weeks. Also, at 7 weeks after the temperament test, we have the ears cropped. Dr. Mark Weaver, DVM of Squaw Peak Animal Hospital in Phoenix is our laser ear crop vet. I attend the cropping, checking each pattern before it is cropped, sometimes assisting and always helping puppies to wake up. While the puppies are asleep, I implant their microchip so they are permanently identified. The microchip will always be there. It is the permanent ID for hip x-rays and if your Doberman is ever lost it will identify him/her to get them back home to you.
