Pedigree Dogs – Featured Kennel – Slighedhala Neapolitan Mastiffs

Paul | blog | January 4, 2012

IR CH Vinastino Valour For Slighedhala Jun. Ch.

Slighedhala Neapolitan Mastiffs are the featured kennel for January on Pedigreedogs.ie and I would like to thank Paraic & Agbons Sheridan for the following piece

We are Paraic & Agbons Sheridan of Slighedhala Neapolitan Mastiffs. Our aim is to show the finest examples of the breed in Ireland and strive to make improvements through the generations with our breeding programme.

I consider myself very fortunate to have inherited a true love of dogs from my dad. His were not show dogs, but Rough and Border Collies, who earned their crust, working with cattle and guarding in the farmyard. My earliest fond memories are of days spent with the dogs, and indeed in the loft of the barn amongst the hay and straw when we were lucky to have a litter of puppies. I would sit for hours on end with them. No surprise so that my first mission when I moved out to my own home was to acquire a dog. I researched a lot of breeds that I admired and finally settled on a boxer and set about finding a reputable show kennel. I felt that even if I was not successful in the show ring, I would have a pet of excellent pedigree, from a well-planned mating and where every effort had been made to ensure happy, healthy puppies. Also I would have the full support of the breeder for the lifetime of my pet. After many wonderful years, my first dog passed. She had been with me through my bachelor days, marriage, the arrival of our first child and a void many of you are familiar with was left behind.

That year we attended our first Crufts. As Agbons is as crazy about dogs as I am, we were looking forward to it for weeks. As we roamed around the show rings, we happened upon the area where the Neapolitan mastiffs were being exhibited. Neither of us had met the breed before and we were instantly smitten. The noble head, the adoring eyes, the sheer size and magnificence and when we went over to say hello we were struck by the total gentleness behind such a massive stature. Upon our return home we set about researching reputable breeders and in a relatively short period of time we had acquired 2, a brother and sister. We showed them both and they became our first two champions. We later acquired some other blood lines in the UK and also imported a male from Italy and currently have 6 in our extended family including some home bred. It is safe to say we were totally bitten by the bug and could not imagine life without this rewarding breed.

As a show kennel, we are constantly researching and educating ourselves about this magnificent breed. They fulfil every conceivable requirement we could have from a family pet. We have 3 small children and they are the gentlest giants imaginable. Their loyalty is unparalleled and no one will bother wandering uninvited into your property if a Neapolitan mastiff pops his head across the garden fence. !!! However they are not without their health concerns and we are actively involved in a health screening programme involving BVA eye testing and hip scoring. The main health issues are skin conditions resulting from a low immune system, Eye conditions which are easily rectified and hip dysplasia. We are also aiming with our breeding programme to help extend their longevity which could be much better. Unfortunately large breeds do not tend to live as long as small ones. We have loads of information on the breed available on our Web site

We strongly recommend Neapolitans as a breed but they are not for everyone. They need a firm hand and experience with dogs is recommended. As with any dog they require training and socialisation.

Above all I would recommend anyone interested to do as much research as possible.

We are very proud of our dogs and occasionally have puppies available to vetted homes. The Neapolitan Mastiff has become a passion for us that will last our lifetime and our dogs reward us daily with their love and unwavering loyalty and adulation. We breed for Health, Temperament and type and we place our puppies primarily as pets who if required are suitable as show dogs. We hope you find our website informative and all details about our dogs, breed standard and health issues are available there. Above all I would ask anyone considering buying a puppy of any breed to ensure their puppy comes from healthy, happy parents. Insist on seeing where the dog is kept.

We would like to thank Pedigreedogs.ie for this wonderful opportunity to talk about our breed, it has been a wonderful honour to have been asked.
Paraic & Agbons Sheridan

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Happy Christmas from Pedigreedogs.ie

Paul | blog | December 21, 2011

Things are well and truly winding down as 2011 is rapidly coming to an end.

From our perspective it’s been a great year, among the many highlights the organising of the IKC all breeds open show for Munster Agricultural Society at the Cork Summer Show in June, and then organising the Breed Village for the organisers of Pet Expo in the RDS in October stand out.

Both events show cased the world of Pedigree Dogs in Ireland to a captive public audience, and gave all involved the opportunity to part with some of the extremely important information pertaining to their breeds that they have amassed over the years to people who may be interested in becoming an owner of the breed in the future.

At this stage we would like to thank again all the dog owners / breeders that supported both events.

We would also like to thank the vast amount of people that have supported our site this year by way of contributing articles, commenting on our blogs shared on Facebook, supporting the classified section of the site, and for spreading the word that there is a web site in Ireland where reputable breeders can share space with like minded people if they have a litter due or pups for sale to show or pet homes.

Today’s blog will be the last until 2012 and on the day that Minister Phil Hogan signed in the Dog Breeding Establishments Act, let’s hope that this is the first of many steps that need to be taken in order to improve the lives of many dogs in Ireland

Merry Christmas to one and all, and let’s hope 2012 sees us and our four legged friends safe and well

Paul & The Team @ Pedigreedogs.ie

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Bernese Mountain Dog for sale Ireland

Paul | blog | December 14, 2011

On a recent blog I mentioned that we have been on a real roller coaster ride since launching the Pedigree dogs web site nearly 2 years ago.

The Dog side of the site, to me, is quite simple. Stick to what is right, and not much can go wrong.

The other side of the site is the techie side, the actual working of it, dealing with things such as search engine optimisation, google pay per click ad’s etc, etc. Before launching the site I had never heard of Google Analytics, but now I visit the site every day, as it lets you in on information like, how many visitors landed on your site on a certain day, was it their first time to visit your site, how long did they stay on the site, and what words did they search under or Google in order to land on the site.

Well yesterday, one of the high ranking search terms on Pedigree dogs was, “bernese mountain dog for sale ireland”

On a Blog back in July of this year, we mentioned how certain media attention, in this case a TV advert could increase a certain breed of dogs popularity with the public.

I wonder if the fact that our recently appointed president Mr Michael D Higgins, taking on 2 Bernese Mountain Dogs and the media attention it received, has anything to do with yesterday’s increase on our site for this search term.

Let’s hope that if people are truly interested in this breed of dog, that they have done sufficient research in to the breed, by way of it’s requirements regarding exercise,training,grooming,feeding and housing requirements of the breed.

Let’s also hope that if they do decide that this breed is the perfect choice for their family that they go down the right channels like Michael D, and get in contact with the Bernese Mountain Dog Club Of Ireland who are one of the clubs that are linked under Breed Clubs on our blog. By doing this they can be pretty certain that they will be put in touch with an owner / breeder that carries out all the breed specific health checks for the breed, and that a pup from one of these people, will have had the best possible start in life, with the add on of a lifetime’s worth of assistance at the other end of a phone.

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Take the blinkers off – It’s in your dogs interest

Paul | blog | December 12, 2011

Friends of ours went through the same terrible tragedy that we experienced for the first time earlier this year that is, having to put your dog to sleep

The dog in question had some form of cancer, but before this resulted in his untimely death, he had undergone major surgery due to a disc problem that was causing problems on his spine. He was one of two pups born, both dogs, which was a very small litter for the breed in question.

Nearly two weeks ago, the other sibling underwent the very same surgery, and thankfully is well into the recovery stage. The Vets in University College Dublin couldn’t believe that it was the same disc, causing the same problem, in two dogs, the only pups born from this litter, even though the owner was 100 % positive based on the same symptoms being presented.

Now, it wouldn’t take the smartest amongst us here to say that this disc problem was a genetic fault, and was passed onto these two dogs by either one of the parents.

This as you can imagine is happening all the time with the amount of dogs being bred in Ireland, the majority of which are not screened or health tested before being bred from.

The above is obviously a major problem, but a bigger problem faces us when owners of stud dogs or people breeding from certain bitches refuse to listen to feedback from somebody that has used their dog at stud, or bought a pup from a breeder that went on to develop genetic faults.

Surely it’s in everybody’s interest to be up front when it comes to things concerning breed specific health conditions and issues

As another dog lover from Cork, Roy Keane would say, “At the end of the day” it should be all about the dogs and any resulting pups welfare, and not about what some people see as a negative mark against them within the breed, or even worse still, tarnish our perfect reputations.

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It’s a Dogs life in Europe

Paul | blog | November 10, 2011

During the Celtic Tiger years Ireland went through a major transformation.

People everywhere wanted more from their lives, and would do anything to keep up with the latest trend.

Streetside cafe’s sprung up all over the place, and a law was even tabled where alcohol could be served at these premises late into the evening.

This trend was of course mirrored on the European system, that works so well.

Why is it then that we are prepared to freeze sitting outside a cafe in the middle of November, all in the hope of looking more trendy or European, but we don’t adopt their practices when it comes to keeping dogs.

Dogs would be allowed into these premises in Europe, and there dogs are considered an integral part of the family unit.

That in my opinion is the crux of the problem re dog ownership in this country, as in Europe the dog is considered as part of the family, but here in Ireland, the majority of people just see a dog as a pet or less, and something that can be discarded when times get tough.

I know of people in Holland that keep and breed Standard Smooth Dachshunds, and never have a problem in finding excellent homes for the pups, and develop a friendship with the new owners for the life of the dog and beyond.

Here in Ireland, people that own this breed, or any less popular breed of dog, would only consider a litter of pups if they had a large waiting list, as if you had a litter without the same you couldn’t be sure of where they may end up, and the chances are that after the novelty has worn off, just like sitting outside a cafe in the middle of November, the dog would be dumped or sent to the pound.

When it comes to responsible dog ownership in Ireland, as they say at recent Eurovision Song contests – Ireland – Nil Points !

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SOS – Save Our Sealyhams

Paul | blog | October 27, 2011

Even though the Mail online in it’s headline hereunder got the country of origin incorrect for this breed of Dog, at least they are bringing the seriousness of this situation to the man on the street.

Even the FCI /  Kennel Club (London) breed standard states that the Sealyham should be sturdy, game and workmanlike, alert and fearless but of friendly disposition

“The dog that’s almost had its day: English terrier that’s as rare as a tiger” Of course the Sealyham breed was founded in Wales by Captain John Tucker-Edwardes between 1850 and 1891 at his home Sealyham House, in Pembrokeshire. More details can be found here

Now there were only 49 of the puppies registered in the UK last year

As one devoted owner states “Everyone flies the flag for a tiger or a bear, but this poor little British dog is being ignored.”

Here is a breed of dog that was developed by a person that had an extreme knowledge of dogs, that went about creating a dog breed for a very specific purpose, and eventually one that breeds true from one generation to the next.

This is a far cry from the gangsters of today that cross one breed of dog with another just so they can label them as a “Designer breed” selling them to the un knowledgeable person, and cashing in on the current gravy train

As they saying goes though, a fool and his money is easily parted.

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Pet Insurance – Is your dog covered for life ?

Paul | blog | October 19, 2011

Did you know that Lloyds TSB & Halifax are both pulling out of the pet insurance market in the UK ?

Pet owners will now have to pay significantly more to arrange alternative cover, and in a lot of cases will not be able to get cover for existing illnesses or injuries.

Some of these owners had paid huge premiums for what they considered “Lifetime” cover, but this will now cease.

The thing is, pet insurance is an annual contract, and if you need to switch companies for one reason or another, it may be difficult to source an new pet insurance company if you have already made numerous claims.

Some policies offer the option of resetting the benefit limits each year, based on previous claims etc, so you have cover for existing conditions, but if the company decides to cease trading in the pet insurance market, you have basically paid an elevated premium for something that you may have been led to believe as lifetime cover for your pet.

These two companies are not the first in the UK to exit the stage re pet insurance, as some have already ceased offering the service after their underwriters pulled out, and if a new underwriter was found more often than not they refused to cover dogs and other pets if they had previous claims on their policy.

An independent financial research company in the UK advises that there are 86 pet insurance service providers in the UK offering over 400 different policy options.

The last few years has seen a few companies withdraw from the market, and spiralling veterinary fees has been quoted as one of the reasons.

How long will it be before insurance companies offering pet cover in Ireland, decide to bail out ?

We have Blogged about Pet insurance here before on Pedigree dogs, but I think the message to be taken from the above is that “Lifetime” cover does not guarantee cover for the life of any pet, and like all insurance make sure you read the small print in relation to policy limits and what isn’t covered, and maybe more importantly what is covered.

(“oh yes!” and Churchill above has nothing at all to do with Lloyds banking)

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Your Dog,Discover Dogs & Pet Expo

Paul | blog | September 2, 2011

A good fiend of mine recently gave me a bunch of old dog magazines

They are all “your dog” publication and are the 12 monthly editions from the year 2004

I am trawling through same at the moment to see if there is any good material that I can use for the blog, and at the moment can say, that not an awful lot has changed in the 7 years since these magazines were hot off the press.

Letters written in were about behavioural issues, and column inches were given to raids on dog fighting rings and animal abuse.

I have also came across a small piece about Discover Dogs advising that 21,000 people attended the show at Earls Court London that year compared to 18,000 the previous year.

I just hope that the people that have signed up to this years Breed Village at Pet Expo being held on the 08th and 09th of October in the RDS, Dublin are prepared for the onslaught of questions and excitement from Joe Public, when representing their breed at this years event.

So far the following breeds have signed up:

Chinese Shar Pei
Airedale Terrier
Welsh Terrier
Smooth Fox Terrier
German Spitz Klein
German Spitz Mittel
Newfoundland
Rottweiler
American Akita
Akita Inu
Black Russian Terrier
Russian Toy Terrier
Irish Terrier
Border Terrier
Jack Russell Terrier
Parson Russell Terrier
Neapolitan Mastiff
Hungarian Vizsla
Samoyed
Siberian Husky
Pyernean Mountain Dog
Great Dane
Pugs
Bullmastiff
Alaskan Malamute
Bracco Italiano
Rhodesian Ridgeback
Griffon Bruxellois
Petit Brabancon
Leonberger
Tibetan Terrier
St Bernard’s
Pyrenean Sheepdogs

And from the following breed representatives a verbal confirmation

Dogue De Bordeaux
Miniature Schnauzer
Shih Tzu
Maltese
Staffordshire Bull Terriers
Gordon Setters
Mastiffs -
Miniature Pinscher
Eurasia
GSP
Bulldogs
Afghan Hounds
Kerry Blue – Fionnuala
Poodle
Cairn Terriers
Chow Chow
Golden Retriever
Labs & Irish Gundogs
Bearded Collie
Dobermann

Let the mayhem begin !

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Dog Fighting Game Virus – What a shame

Paul | blog | August 25, 2011

Now obviously I am not in favour of computer virus’s and hacking but must admit that when I found out that the Android App “Dog Wars” was infected with a virus, it brought a small smile to my face.

Once infected the virus apparently sends a message to everybody in the persons phone contacts saying “I take pleasure in hurting small animals, just thought you should know that,”

This App is a game where the purpose is to become the biggest virtual dog fighter, and even the disgraced American Footballer Michael Vick, who was sentenced for his role in organised Dog Fighting, had criticised the game.

(Funnily enough the group “Dogs Deserve Better,” who bought Vick’s former home, continues its work to turn it into a rehabilitation centre for chained and abused dogs)

The owners of the App say that it’s only a video game, and to a point they are right, as there are plenty are war type video games on the market, and not everybody that buys them gets a gun and mows down all in their path. But why glorify the act of dog fighting, that I am sure even the biggest war mongers around, would have to despise ?

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You can’t put a price on that!

Paul | blog | July 19, 2011

Regardless of the lineage of the dog, they still give us unconditional love, companionship, and enjoyment! You can’t put a price on that!

This was one comment in relation to a post on my FB page (Paul Barry) yesterday about a person advertising pups that happened as a result of a “freak accident ” between a Rottweiler and Shih Tzu

There is not doubt that the above comment is so true with all dogs, and it got me thinking about what else do dogs do for us, and what can they teach us, or what should we learn from them

Patience – Not everything comes easily in this life, and as they say patience is a great virtue. Our Dogs could teach us a master class in how to be patient. Look how patiently they wait for their reward when we are in the process of trying to train them, whether it be for obedience, agility, ringcraft or even just toilet training. Again patience abounds when we leave the house for longer periods than is normal, and they wait patiently sometimes all day for us to get home to take care of their needs.

Communication skills – We all know that our dogs talk to us, but we are inept in picking them up on what they are truly saying to us. When one form of communication fails, they try another whether it be vocal, a gentle nudge by a nose or paw, or the wag of a tail. Of course not having a voice that us humans can understand fully doesn’t stop dogs from communicating within their own pack. Dogs that have never met each other before can instantly tell what the other dogs intention is by just looking at such things as posture and tail position, skills us “higher beings” can sometimes take a lifetime to try and master.

Behaviour – Dogs behaviour is mostly a direct result on their interaction with humans. Once we correctly teach our dogs rules, and set boundaries you can be pretty sure that they stick to the programme. Not like us 2 legged mammals, we can be shown over and over again the right way to do things, and what is the correct behaviour in certain circumstances, but unlike our dogs, we can’t be trusted to follow what is considered by the majority as the correct path.

Courage -  I’m not sure if all dogs teach us this, as I know a certain member of our pack that is all bark and no trousers ! However we all know of dogs that will search for explosive devices in war zones, or enter buildings that have collapsed due to an earth quake, and defend a family and their property no matter what they face.

Loyalty and unconditional love – As the opening quote states, all dogs give us unconditional love, companionship, and enjoyment and now add loyalty to it. Our dogs stick with us through thick and thin, no matter what we have dished out in the past – Dogs for many of us are our only 100% real friend and I have modified the following quote just slightly, which I am sure you will all agree  “The difference between friends and Dogs is that friends we allow into our company, Dogs we allow into our solitude.”

And last but by no means least Compassion – Dogs constantly forgive our failings and are always there comforting us when we are in pain.

It’s just a pity that some people don’t realise what a massive role a dog has in shaping our lives, and what we can all learn from them, before subjecting them to abuse and indiscriminate breeding, as in the case of the person that allowed the “freak accident ” between a Rottweiler and Shih Tzu

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Rottweiler Video & FCI Breed Standard

Paul | blog | May 17, 2011

I have posted this today, as a tribute to 12 year old Daniel Mooney from Belfast whom was involved in a fatal motorbike accident last Sunday evening. I Didn’t know Daniel or his devoted Father Fred personally, but did know them to see at the many Dog shows they attended. Daniel was easily spotted, as he stood out from the crowd, and once in the ring he commanded your attention. He loved all dogs, but in particular his chosen breed, the Rottweiler.

May He Rest In Peace

ORIGIN : Germany.

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 06.04.2000.

UTILIZATION :    Companion, service and working dog.

CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. :    Group    2    Pinscher and Schnauzer type, Molossian type, Swiss Mountain- and Cattle Dogs.
Section    2.1    Molossian type, Mastiff type.With working trial.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : The Rottweiler is considered to be one of the oldest dog breeds.  Its origin goes back to Roman times.  These dogs were kept as herder or driving dogs.  They marched over the Alps with the Roman legions, protecting the humans and driving their cattle.  In the region of Rottweil, these dogs met and mixed with the native dogs in a natural crossing.  The main task of the Rottweiler now became the driving and guarding of the herds of cattle and the defence of their masters and their property.  This breed acquired its name from the old free city of Rottweil and was known as the « Rottweil butcher’s dog’ ».  The butchers bred this type of dog purely for performance and usefulness.  In due course, a first rate watch and driving dog evolved which could also be used as a draught dog. When, at the beginning of the twentieth century, various breeds were needed for police service, the Rottweiler was amongst those tested.  It soon became evident that the breed was highly suitable for the tasks set by police service and therefore they were officially recognized as police dogs in 1910.

Rottweiler breeders aim at a dog of abundant strength, black coated with clearly defined rich tan markings, whose powerful appearance does not lack nobility and which is exceptionally well suited to being a companion,  service and working dog.

GENERAL APPEARANCE : The Rottweiler is a medium to large size, stalwart dog, neither heavy nor light and neither leggy nor weedy.  His correctly proportioned, compact and powerful build leads to the conclusion of great strength, agility and endurance.

Continue reading »

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Could I be harbouring a ” Terrierist ” ??

Paul | blog | March 7, 2011

One of the many additions to the new version of pedigreedogs.ie is the information regarding microchipping.

This was suggested to me by Veterinary Ireland, due to the amount of dogs that turn up at veterinary practices around Ireland, with no sign of a chip, or if there is, the owners details are incorrect (New ownership details not updated)

Last year I blogged about a great book, that would interest any dog minded person, called Two Suitcases And A Dog, which in in the forthcoming London Book Fair

We had the pleasure of meeting the author, Finn Mac Eoin, whilst holidaying in Loumarin (France) last year

Finn sent me the following piece during the week

I found a dog lost two days ago. no lead or tattoo.
I am taking him to the vet now to see if he has a chip.

While I was waiting at the Vets for a micro chip scan of the
stray dog, I sat and duly requested the dog to do likewise.
” Assiz Assiz ” twice in French and the dog ignored me.
Then I said ” Sit Sit ” and he sat down.

There was a man opposite and I said
Ca, cest bizaar, le chien compris anglaise.
(that’s bizarre, the dog is an anglophone)

And the Monsieur responded,

Il y a des chiens comme ca, et je ne sais pas comment
ils ont apris un deuxieme langue.
(there are dogs like that and I have no idea how they
learn a second language)

Anyway, it looks like the dog may be that of a tourist and
no doubt smuggled into the country, hence no chip.

Could I be harbouring a ” Terrierist ” ??

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Show me the Money !!

Paul | blog | March 6, 2011

I came across the following statement in one of the dog papers the other day, and must say I was taken aback by it.

“The Secretary of the AKC has issued a stark warning to exhibitors over the pond, give better entries to shows or lose them.

In an echo of the UK show scene, Jim Crowley has said that with conformation dog show entries declining across all club types, the AKC has begun a study to determine if the increase in the number of shows has been a cause of, or factor, in declining entries.”

We are in the midst of an economic crisis, and with many people facing home evictions, after losing their employment, and us dog show enthusiasts (well not in Ireland – yet) are being told to enter more shows or they will be lost.

The cost of entering dog shows these days has risen quite substantially, look at the IKC Celtic Winners show in 2 weeks time €20.00 for every dog entered, this is on top of spiralling fuel prices, with people travelling from the four corners of Ireland to attend. You could guestimate that the cost to an average exhibitor in Ireland is between, €100 to €150 per show, correct me if I am wrong.

What do we get in return ? Maybe we should turn the tables ! …I know at the only Crufts qualifying show in Ireland for my breed /group, where entry fee’s are similar to the IKC Celtic winners show, you don’t even get a place card.

There have been some rumblings on Facebook about prize money being offered at shows, with a lot of the non IKC shows offering some tasty pots.

The Rough Collie Club Of Ireland, are offering some prize money at their open show today, and the Munster Agricultural Society, have offered over €540 in prize money at their open show on the 19-06-11 (Subject to IKC confirmation)

Maybe we should vote with our feet / entries, and only support the societies / dog breed clubs that give something back to us the exhibitor, whom without us, there wouldn’t be a show in the first place.

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To neuter your dog or not…?

Joe | blog | March 4, 2011

As an elderly lady sat on her front porch reflecting on her long life, a Fairy Godmother suddenly appeared and offered to fulfill three wishes for her.

“Well,” said the woman, “I guess I’d like to be rich.”
POOF: The Fairy Godmother turned her rocking chair into solid gold.

“And I wouldn’t mind being a young and beautiful princess.”
POOF: The Fairy Godmother turned the old woman into an exquisite young princess, with a priceless crown of jewels.

“Your third wish?” asked the Fairy Godmother. “Could you possibly turn my wonderful dog into a handsome prince?”
POOF: There, in front stood the most handsome young man anyone had ever seen. She stared at him in awe, completely smitten.

As he came toward her, her knees weakened. He bent down, brushing his lips across her ear as he whispered, “I bet you are sorry you had me neutered.”

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The new site has been launched

Paul | blog | March 1, 2011

As all our friends on Facebook will know, we had been working on a site upgrade over the last few months

The site went live Yesterday, and we are delighted with the way it looks

There are lot’s of new features, and it’s seen some significant improvements re usability.

We still have a few minor things that need tweaking, but in the meantime feel free to log on and have a browse.

Best regards
Paul Barry
Pedigreedogs.ie

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To breed or not to breed ?

Joe | blog | February 21, 2011

Firstly one should never breed a litter of puppies for financial gain. If you look after your puppies and their mother properly there are a lot of financial costs involved that need to be taken into consideration, the mother and the puppies have to be fed good quality food, you have to be able to cover any unexpected veterinary bills in case your bitch may have trouble whelping and if the puppies need medical attention at any stage.  In our case our bitch did have trouble whelping and we had to bring her to the vets on a bank holiday weekend in order to have her induced, most bitches whelp without any problems but sometimes it does not always go to plan and veterinary assistance is required. Thankfully we had thought about unexpected costs and we were able to cover same.  Responsible breeders treat each litter with care and the physical and mental health of the mother and her puppies is paramount at all times,this is what differentiates them from puppy farmers/backyard breeders. 

You have to select a healthy male to mate with your healthy bitch and for most breeds especially the larger breeds it is vital that the necessary health checks have been done on both the male and female, as any health defects can be hereditary. A good temperament is also vital as this will be passed onto the puppies.   Luckily for us we owned the father of our litter of puppies, Dempsey, and he had the most wonderful temperament and this can be very hard to find in the dachshund breed as they can be quite aloof, as a result we had 3 wonderful well adjusted puppies.

You have to be prepared to spend a lot of time socializing the puppies in the first few weeks as this is a vital time in their lives. Puppies need a lot of care and attention and it can be a full time job for the first few weeks, both day and night, that is, if you do it right !

Be prepared to do house house checks on any potential buyers, have a detailed list of questions for them,(Like on the advice page on our site) you need to ensure that your puppy is going to the perfect home.  Thankfully our bitch only had 3 in her litter, initially we had only planned on keeping one but we could not find the quality 5 star home that we were looking for, for the remaining puppy and luckily we were in a position to keep two from our litter.  Some people would say that we were very fussy, but we firmly believed that we did it the right way and we were in a position to give these two puppies a great home and the time and love that any dog deserves. The puppy that we parted with went to a fantastic home, we had spoken to the interested party over the phone and we then arranged a house visit and we had the new owners sign a contract. Some bitches can have up to 8 puppies, can you imagine trying to find top quality homes for each of them, it would be a very difficult task in my opinion.  Puppy farmers don’t care where their dogs end up, but responsible breeders do !

Be prepared to cope with the emotional stress of parting with your puppies, for some people this can be very difficult even when they know their little ones are going to a great home.

Having a litter of puppies can be a very stressful and demanding time but if you do it right it can also be a very rewarding and happy experience,  we have wonderful memories of our three healthy puppies who were raised in house, it was a very happy time in our lives. We are glad we did it, but just the once !  Sadly the father of our puppies, Dempsey passed away last month and we miss him terribly but we are so glad we have two of his wonderful offspring, Danno and Daisy to keep his memory alive.  They are a credit to him and to the Dachshund breed in our opinion of course ! We still call them our puppy doodles even though they will be three this August.  Yes you are right we are dotty about our breed and our dogs, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Breed only for the right reasons, for the love of your breed and to promote healthy and well adjusted puppies that will be loved and cared for by responsible owners !

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Pedigree Dogs Vet – Smelly Dogs

John | blog | February 17, 2011

Smelly Dogs
A lot of owners complain that their dog smells.  Dogs do have a natural odor — in fact, each  dog has a distinctive odor, which is how they distinguish one another.  Many owners try to mask the normal ‘doggy smell’ because they, or someone in the household, does not find it very appealing.  But sometimes a dog gives off a particularly unpleasant odor, which can have a number of causes.  On the least offensive end of the scale, your dog may give off the typical ‘wet dog’ smell when it comes in from the rain (and that is quite often in Ireland).  On the other end of the scale are the odors that come from rolling in dead things or droppings from other species of animals.  In some cases, though, your dog may have a problem that needs medical treatment.

Continue reading »

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Has Westminster gone to the dogs ?

Joe | blog | February 16, 2011

In the aftermath of one of the biggest dog shows in the world, I came across the following statement

“Westminster had 49,000 friends on Facebook by late Tuesday afternoon, said Susi Szeremy of the kennel club’s social media team, and the total quickly zoomed to more than 60,000. There are about 2,400 followers Tweeting along – litters of twitters”

I know that my posts on twitter over the last few days had the #WKC, where all tweets re the show could be viewed together. With technology today changing so fast, it’s hard to keep up with the latest trends.

It’s been mentioned that at dog shows here in Ireland, there is usually a very small crowd left to spectate around the Best In Show Ring at most championship shows. One reason maybe is the fact that by the time exhibitors have driven home after their breed or group has been judged the full results can usually be found on one of the dog related web sites or on peoples Facebook pages, more often than not with accompanying video.

Our thirst for dog related information is nearly unquenchable, you just have to look at the amount of time that most dog folk in Ireland spend on Facebook, Twitter, and all the other dog related sites out there, to keep abreast of what is going on in the dog world, on this, our tiny island.

Having said that, looking at some of the results from Westminster, and hopefully we can replicate the same at next months Crufts, we have had a huge impact in the world of Show Dogs, punching way above our weight.

Onwards and upwards!

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Suggestions please….

Paul | blog | February 15, 2011

As per my blog on the 29-01-11, pedigreedogs.ie has just passed it’s first birthday. Hurraaaggghhh !!

We are in the middle of a site upgrade, and I am now turning to you, our trusted readers, to submit any suggestions, or recommendations that you would like included on the new version.

Be quick though, as the crack team of James & Jon (otherwise known as Jamjo Design) are ploughing away with the improvements that I have already submitted.

One suggestion that came in recently and we are working with, is for ad’s that come in from a breeder that has done the required breed specific health tests on the dogs / parents, would receive an accredited award of some sort on their ad, that would differentiate them from the breeders that haven’t done same.

C’mon get your thinking caps on, your dogs will thank you for it in the long run!

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