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Newborn pups may not look the way you expect.  It takes a couple weeks before their ears and eyes will open and they develop their fluffy coat.

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Our Puppy Process

Our puppy process follows a regular sequence.  Start at the top and work your way down.  You are always welcome to send us a note or call with questions.

  • Send an email or call us at littlelaureen@gmail.com or 403-650-4909

  • Read more about the breed & make sure it's right for you.

  • Check the timing of our next litter

  • Complete our Puppy Application

  • Have a phone interview with us

  • Provide us with 3 references - character, dog skills, reliability

  • Meet an Entlebucher in person

  • Consider your feeding plan,  veterinarian & training classes.

  • Celebrate with us when pups are born!

  • Become an 'Approved Home'  Get to know the other puppy families

  • Develop your list of desired character traits

  • Provide your desposit (50% of the total price, non-refundable)

  • Send  us a stinky T-shirt with your deposit so the pups can get to know you

  • Review the Puppy Contract & ensure you understand your commitments

  • Sign the Puppy Contract & return with remaining payment

  • Complete the Puppy Matching information & learn which pup will be yours!

  • Consider purchasing a Snuggle Pup and Adaptil for the first night at home

  • Purchase dog food (All Life Stages or Puppy are fine), Food & Water bowls

  • Consider ordering probiotics, Plaque-Off and Omega 3 oil supplements

  • Arrange your Pick Up trip (Mar 1-4)

  • Plan for safe puppy travel with a harness (10 lbs) or sherpa bag that you can attach to the car seat belt

  • Visit us and pick up puppy

  • Take puppy to vet at home for health check within a few days

  • Provide vaccination protocol to your vet & get their agreement

  • Talk to your vet about keeping your dog intact until 2 years for better health

  • Talk to your vet about titre testing for berter protection against disease.  Book appointment to draw serum 2 weeks after final vaccine

  • Join NEMDA & participate in Open House webinars

  • Check out NEMDA's advice on new puppy care at Nemda.org

  • Start your Puppy Socialization Homework

  • Take Puppy Classes

  • Send blood sample to CAVID to check vaccine protection

  • Celebrate 1st birthday - send us a photo

  • Take blood sample for  PRA-prcd genetics.  Send results to NEMDA & OFA.

  • Celebrate 2nd birthday - send another photo

  • Complete hip, elbow & patella xrays.  Send results to NEMDA & OFA.

  • Complete CAER eye exam

  • Send blood sample to OFA for PRA-prcd genetics & DNA repository

  • Consider attending Entlefest and completing CEBA Assessment

  • Connect with the Breed Committee, Get Educated & Plan a Breeding​​

By two weeks of age, the little pups can move around,  pulling and pushing themselves on their bellies.  They squeak when they are uncomfortable and quietly mew as they nurse or go to sleep.

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If possible, we will introduce the pups to swimning.  It seems that pups that try swimming before they leave us, love to swim once they are grown.  Those that don't see water until they are older are more likely to remain waders.

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Young pups are so resilient and open to new experiences.  They love meeting new people and are not bothered by plane or car rides to their new homes - as long as you stay close by.

Delayed Spay & Neuter
Vaccination Protocol
Titres to Check Immune Status
Herbal Health Treatments
Household Hazards

Before your pup heads home, you will have some preparations to make.  Puppies love to chew - especially phone cords, while they wait in the car.  We will help you to make your space safe for your puppy while he learns the rules.  A crate and exercise pen are invaluable for the first few months.  Before you can start classes, use a Tag Line to stop jumping.

Feeding
Tag Lines
Potty & Crate Traiing

Our A Litter, the Bar TT Tractors was born just at the time that COVID arose.  We had an interesting trip home from Arizona that spring, with our 2 horses, 2 dogs and 7 puppies in the rig.  They were good little pups and enjoyed stops at many church parking lots for a run at noon.

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Keep Pup Healthy
Longer Healthier Life
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We will begin socializing your pup before you take them home but you will need to continue this work.  Up to 16 weeks they are open to almost anything they see, hear or feel.  After that, they become more resistant to change and likely to develop fears.

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You can keep your world with them more fun by providing lots of new situations in a non-threatening way.  We call this process socialization.  Below are some great ideas.

Socializing

We enjoy opportunities to get together with other Entlebucher owners.  Entles have great people in their lives!  

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Each summer, there is a gathering called Entlefest.  It's location varies so it should be closer some years than others.  Besides meeting other owners and their Entles, you can show your dog in conformation.

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There are often herding or other skills demonstrations and a chance to eat dinner, hike or tour with your dog.

We will plan to host a gathering of any pups that live close by each summer in Alberta and winter in Arizona.  If you are travelling through our area, please call and drop by to visit.  We would love to reconnect and see your grown pup.

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Safety with Kids
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Young pups can be a challenge with children.  Be sure to closely supervise in case either gets overwhelmed.  Puppies love to bite on phone cords or fingers and move very quickly.  Children's high pitched screams can scare the pups and cause chaos.

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The most common location for dogs to bite children in the home are on the bed.   A child walking by the bed has their face at the dog's level, which can startle the dog and cause a bite.   Consider keeping your dog on the floor while children are young. 

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Pups at home get used to their family and the usual activities.  Soon, they will know who is in their pack and who are intruders. 

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Keep things simple for the first few hours, days & weeks.  Everything will be new to them.  Provide a safe, warm spot to rest and allow them time to rest on their own while they take it all in.

NEMDA, the National Entlebucher Mountain Dog Association is the breed club in North America.  They work hard to keep our beautiful breed healthy and well cared for.  Their volunteers manage any Entles that need rescuing or rehoming, they set breed standards with AKC and celebrate Entles that achieve show records.  Their newsletter, The Entlebook, provides connection and education to members regularly.  Membership is very reasonable - Join now!

Dog Language

NEMDA encourages breeders of Entlebuchers to be well educated, highly ethical and responsible in their breeding.  They have established a Breeder Code of Ethics and highlight the breeders that comply with these requirements on their web page.  If you are searching for a pup, be sure to look at the BCOE group first and have confidence that your puppy will be as healthy as possible.

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NEMDA's BCOE advises on the necessary health testing before breeding Entlebuchers in North America, but it's very similar around the world.  Orthopedic disease can be devastating in medium to large sized dogs and PRA-prcd blindness is completely avoidable.  Anyone interested in breeding is encouraged to investigate testing at 2 years of age to qualify their dogs for the breeding pool.

Once your pup is 2 years of age and has passed their health tests, they should be evaluated for temperament and conformation before considering breeding.  It is important to exclude dogs from breeding that have physical defaults for the breed but just as crucial to exclude dogs with severe anxiety or aggression.

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At Entlefest, your dog can particiate in CEBA - the Comprehensvie Entlebucher Breed Assessment of temperament and structure.  It's a fun event where you will be able to compare your dog to the others and learn more about what makes them tick.  CEBA is structured to deliver the same results regardless of location - in Zurich or Lake Elmo, MN.

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Any undesirable but heritable trait should be considered before breeding.  We know that anxiety is inherited to an extent along with crooked legs and weak hearts.  Even cosmetic weaknesses such as too much white should not be doubled up in both parents.

You can show your dog in AKC Conformation to learn more about their strengths and weaknesses in terms of physical stature.  Dog shows can be fun but it does require some training and preparation for both of you.

You and your dog may be interested in one of the many performance sports.  AKC shows often include both performance and conformation.  Find a local dog club to get started.

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