First off I want to help a friend out, Jeremy and Natalie still have three male pups from the Daize X Apollo breeding they are trying to find homes for, they are willing to take $500 OBO if they find good homes quickly. They are 10 weeks old now and need their ears done right away or they will remain floppy. Here is their info, ask them about shipping, health guarantees etc.

Jeremy and Natalie Daley

(801) 368-3585

Jeremy (natalie_daley_03@yahoo.com)

Next we would like to announce Zenny has sired his first litter, Farika is expecting puppies March 15^th. If anyone who has an existing Family Dobe would like a second, these will be unrelated to all previous puppies we have whelped.

Now… It has been a while since we sent off another newsletter, and I haven’t received much feedback on new topics this time, so we will cover Ear Cropping as it might foster some discussion. Most of Ivy’s litter is going through the ear crop right now, and surely you guys all have different brace systems, tape systems etc. It is getting harder to find vets that are qualified and willing to do ear cropping as many of you have already found. It is no longer taught in Vet school and can only be learned by assisting a vet who already has the art. Most vets still tape ears around “posts” which range from popsicle sticks wound with gauze and tape, to tampons to plastic formed posts. After the ears are cut, they are sutured or glued at the edges and taped or otherwise braced in the upright position. There are many different lengths and styles to choose from, most likely your vet will recommend the one they are most comfortable with. Depending on the length and shape of the crop they may be in tape from 2 weeks to 1 year. Show crops are the hardest to get standing, but look amazing when they do. Medium is what I recommend for most pet dogs, they stand easily and take the least amount of time. I do not recommend military or guard dog crops for anyone, I find them ugly. Look at lot’s of pictures to decide what it is that you like the best, and discuss it with your vet. Then after surgery they will need taped and retaped often while they heal. After a few times you get the hang of it and can retape on your own, though most vets will include several retapes with the surgery. The most important thing is to keep them clean and dry or they can get severe infections. This means no baths, no rain or snow storms. Second is trying to keep the dog from damaging their own ears, next keeping other dogs from damaging their ears. Dogs love to chew on each others ears and it seems they enjoy it even more if you have spent a lot of money on them and taped them nicely in the erect position! It is the hardest thing to go through when the pup s at the age they are just a ball of energy and you have to keep them quiet and interested in other things. Some get to wear lampshade collars to keep them from bothering their ears, and that is an experience in itself! But most of you will decide to crop, and will be happy that you did. Floppy ear dobes are cute as well, and much less work and money, but don’t have the same look about them.

We hope everyone is staying warm and dry this cold season, we have SAR training today in 12 inches of fresh snow which should be loads of fun! Hopefully we will get some new pictures. It has been a while since we have heard from many of you, those with Sasha and Shania pups, how are they doing, how big are they now, do you have any new pictures?

Stephen Parsons

Family Dobes

Quality Dobermans for 17 years

801-870-3777

http://www.familydobes.com