Ch. Stahlkrieger's Southern Light, CGC

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Snips and snails, and puppy dog tales

I have been reflecting a lot recently on the relationship between children and dogs. Dogs were a very important aspect of my own childhood, in part because my grandfather was a vet and there wasn't much I liked better than "helping" in the clinic on weekends and school holidays, and in part because my parents breed boxer's and my siblings and I were the official "puppy socialization" team.

Although not all working group breeds are good with children, in their native Germany, our own breed  is known as the kinderkeeper. The ability to shift from all around farm/guard duty to gentle affectionate playmate is a hallmark of both sexes. This doesn't mean that the temperament of our breed is "soft" rather it reflects the versatility of these intelligent and sensitive animals.

Our family made the decision to acquire our first standard when our son was less than a year old and just learning to walk. Naturally, there were some difficult moments teaching both boys how to respect and care for each other. Standard schnauzer puppies do not always realize their own strength, and for that matter, neither do little boys. However, having two rambunctious boys developing at about the same rate has provided endless hours of comic relief at our house and I just can't say enough about the companionship of a four legged friend for  all the middle of the night calls, tantrums and other mischief toddlers get into.

For us, having a dog has RELIEVED parenting stress, making it easier for us to meet the emotional needs of child and puppy alike.  However, this may not be true for many other families.  Puppies require a lot of work (especially standard schnauzer puppies), socialization, housebreaking, crate training, obedience, etc.

Although it makes me sad that many breeders will not place a puppy in a home with small children, I understand that their reluctance is based on bad experiences in the past with just such placements.

Please be honest with yourself and your prospective breeder, not just about whether this is the right breed for you but also whether or not this is the right time in your life to make this commitment. Dogs are not disposable (or interchangeable).  They are sentient beings with a personality and life all their own and they are such phenomenally loyal partners that they deserve no less than a lifetime commitment from us.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Health Certification update

I blogged about health certifications once last year and wont repeat myself here. However, there are some recent changes in the recommended health certifications for standard schnauzers as per the latest issue of the Pepper and Salt newsletter.

The SSCA has recently joined together with CHIC (Canine Health Information Center) which is a joint project between the AKC and OFA. CHIC will be a cross referenced public database to help breeders and owners easily locate health data for their breed. SSCA is participating in this project and encouraging members to obtain CHIC certification for all standard schnauzers (pets, breeding stock, performance dogs, etc).

CHIC certification requires the following tests, all completed after the age of two:

1) OFA Hip test
2) CERF test

and at least one of the following:

1) Thyroid test by approved OFA lab
2) Cardiac test read by boarded cardiologist and/or
3) blood sample to CHIC DNA repository

SSCA is also recommending re-testing for CERF and Thyroid after seven years of age for breeding stock.

As noted elsewhere, Kord passed his cardiac, petella luxation and eye exams at 12mths. He is registered with CERF and OFA for these tests and we will undertake the additional recommended tests when he attains the recommended age.

I personally believe that good health is one of the characteristics that sets standard schnauzers apart from all other dogs, making them desirable as both pets and performance animals. I am glad that our parent organization and the many concerned breeders in this fancy are all doing their part to ensure that good health continues to be a defining characteristic of our breed in the future!