How much are your puppies?
Chosen Road Keep pomeranian puppies are $1500 regardless of color, gender or size.
I want a very young puppy but you keep your puppies until they’re at least 12 weeks old. Why do you keep them so long?
I keep my puppies until at least 12 weeks for several reasons, but my goal of producing the best puppies I can is at the root of all of them.
I breed to support my own goals, which means with each litter I breed I may be looking for a puppy to keep in my program. Every puppy is cute, and it’s easy to fall in love with the sassiest one, or the one that hangs back and seems like it just needs a cuddle. Keeping puppies longer gives me time to do a thorough evaluation of how each puppy might develop. That not only helps me decide if I want to choose a special keeper for myself, it also helps me understand the type of family each puppy needs. Placing a puppy in the right home goes a long way toward keeping that puppy happily in that home.
Pomeranian puppies are small. I mean, really small . . . and because of that, early vaccinations aren’t always done on a ‘normal’ schedule. Vaccinations are tested and recommended based on age, not weight, and that can be a problem for tiny puppies. I work closely with my vet to make individual vaccination decisions for each puppy based on weight and general health. I trust my vet and we partner to make sure each puppy’s vaccination schedule reduces risk while providing appropriate coverage. That means puppies often have several more vet visits than a puppy buyer might normally expect. I’d rather bear the cost of those extra visits to make sure vaccinations don’t overwhelm a puppy than pass that responsibility on to new owners.
What comes with my puppy when I bring it home?
CRK puppies are nearly always sold on limited registration and they are already registered when they go home. They are vetted with all age appropriate vaccines which – at 12 weeks – includes distemper, parainfluenza, adenovirus, and parvovirus as well as coronavirus, leptospirosis, bordatella and lyme disease. They’ve also been wormed at least twice. Older puppies may also have the third set of vaccinations as well as a rabies vaccine. They are also microchipped and registered in my name with HomeAgain.
Your puppy will come with copies of all veterinary records, microchip records, and pamphlets about pet health insurance, as well as oral parasite prevention. You’ll get a photocopy of the AKC registration papers.
I send my puppies home with a week-long supply of dog food and treats, a blanket or towel that smells like mom and litter mates, and a favorite toy or two. You’ll receive a signed copy of your contract, either at pick up or via email.
What will I need for my puppy when I bring it home?
Coming home day is exciting for new owners and puppies! You’ll want to be prepared with certain basics like food and water dishes; a harness and leash; puppy pads; dog food and treats; a crate and pad; and toys. Play pens or ex-pens are also nice to have, and so are baby gates. Here are links to some of my favorite equipment:
Stainless bowls: https://tinyurl.com/Stainless-Bowls
Rolled leather leash and harness: https://tinyurl.com/LeashandHarness
Puppy pads: https://tinyurl.com/Puppy-Pads
22″ crate & pad: https://tinyurl.com/22-inch-Crate and https://tinyurl.com/Crate-Pad
You can find baby gates at thrift stores or yard sales – just make sure they work and that the bars aren’t set too wide apart for a tiny Pom puppy. It’s also nice to have a car seat and/or soft-sided travel crate.
On pick-up day, you’ll want to bring a towel and baby wipes in case the puppy gets sick, a car seat or travel crate to keep the puppy secure during travel, and a harness and leash in case you need to stop on the way home.
Is it safe and ethical to breed your dogs every heat cycle?
It is both safe and ethical. I’ve decided – after a great deal of research and within a strong partnership with my vet – that it is healthiest to breed my dogs “back to back” for two heat cycles and then give them a break to evaluate whether they will be bred another time. This allows my dogs to have better reproductive health while they’re young and then they are spayed and retired from breeding by the time they’re 4 or 5 years old.
Many reproductive vets are advising “back to back” breeding because this practice is healthier for the female than skipping heat cycles. Once a female dog is ready to be bred, progesterone levels increase each time she comes in season. Progesterone is inflammatory to the uterine lining and it has that effect whether the dog is bred or not. This can lead to diseases such as cystic endometrial hyperplasia, mucometra and pyometritis. As long as the female is otherwise healthy, then, it makes more sense to breed her with careful planning rather than increase her health risk for no reason.
At the same time, it’s important to make sure the dog is otherwise healthy. If she had a C-section; is underweight or otherwise compromised; had a difficult pregnancy; or suffers from other unresolved health issues the dog should not be bred until those issues are resolved. I consider all of these things when planning my breeding schedule. I make sure my dogs are given a clean bill of health prior to any breeding, and I retire dogs that are done breeding, usually much earlier in life than if I were skipping a heat cycle between each breeding.
For further information, I’m including a list of relevant research, and there is significantly more evidence available. I encourage you to do research of your own on this topic and draw your own conclusions.
- Back to Back Breeding and Pseudopregnancy, The Australian Journal of Professional Dog Breeders, pub. Feb. 5, 2011 by Dr. Kate Schoeffel
- Ovarian and Estrous Cycle Abnormalities by AP Davidson and EC Feldman, Text Book of Veterinary Internal Medicine, pub 2004
- Cystic Endometrial Hyperplasia, Pyometra, and Infertility by CA Johnson, Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine, pub 1992
What health tests are needed for Pomeranians?
The American Pomeranian Club calls out a list of the most common health issues for Pomeranians on their website here:
www.americanpomeranianclub.org/health/health3.htm
The most common include luxating patellas, hypothyroidism, coat loss problems, collapsing trachea, heart problems, hypoglycemia, seizures, eye conditions, Legg-Calve- Perthes disease (LCP), and hip dysplasia. The Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) is a centralized database that tracks reported health test results per individual dog and works in companionship with the American Kennel Club (AKC), Canine Health Foundation (CHF) and the OFA.
The health tests recommended for Pomeranians include the following and some of these are required for CHIC certification:
- Recommended health screenings:
- Eye clearance (CERF evaluation required)
- Congenital cardiac database (OFA evaluation required)
- Patellar lucation (OFA evaluation required)
- Hip dysplasia (OFA evaluation optional)
- Legg-Calve_Perthes (OFA evaluation optional)
- Autoimmune thyroiditis (optional)
http://www.americanpomeranianclub.org/health/chic.htm
What is patellar luxation?
According to the OFA “The patella, or kneecap, is part of the stifle joint (knee). In patellar luxation, the kneecap . . . pops out of place.” The kneecap can typically be popped back into place and if not, surgery may be required. This is a genetic deformity.
What health testing is done for CRK Pomeranians?
Health testing completed before a dog is 2 years old isn’t accepted by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA). CRK Poms are tested for patellar luxation throughout their puppy and young adult stages as part of their overall evaluation. Eye clearances are completed between the ages of 1 and 2, with follow ups as necessary. Heart exams are conducted throughout each dog’s life. Mature dogs are x-rayed for patellar luxation grading and assessment of hip dysplasia.
The goal for 2020 is to ensure that all CRK Poms used in the breeding program are OFA certified.
What about DNA testing?
Most CRK Poms are submitted for DNA testing through Embark, and all of the dogs in the breeding program have full DNA profiles. Embark tests for breed-specific genetic health conditions and up to 175 genetic mutations relevant to dogs. The testing also helps to identify genetic coloration and aids in planning litters. Embark testing is done for all CRK breeding dogs and for some puppies who will not be used for breeding. These puppies are tested to provide additional insight into what is being produced by specific parents.
Genetic testing highlights which dogs are carriers for congenital conditions, such as Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA-prcd) or Degenerative Myelopathy (DM), so I can avoid breeding to a dog that is also a carrier for that condition. Instead of spending years breeding puppies and evaluating results, I can make better decisions from the beginning.
DNA testing also gives me a peek at how pairing that wolf sable dog to this cream girl can give me wolf sable, black and tan, or black puppies. I can see how much sabling (within a range) I can expect to see, whether I’m breeding away from a mask, etc. Of course, it’s not a perfect predictor but it gives me more information than I’d have had even after hours of studying pedigrees.
Why do you do genetic testing on puppies that are sold on limited registration and won’t be used for breeding? Isn’t that a useless expense?
It’s important to me to understand what my breeding dogs are producing. I can visually see the shape and features of a puppy but – without genetic testing – it’s more difficult to understand what’s going on below the surface. Through genetic testing I can avoid doubling up on potential congenital conditions, and I can make informed decisions about aesthetic traits.
Testing puppies I don’t intend to use in my breeding programs lets me confirm scientifically what my eye can see. I can gather more information and make better decisions about repeating the breeding. DNA testing is an educational tool that helps me understand what I’m producing and compare it to my breeding goals, and it equips me to narrow the gap when what I’m producing doesn’t match those goals as well as I’d like.
If I buy a puppy from you on limited registration, your contract requires neutering. How old should the puppy be when I schedule the surgery?
No one wants an “oops” litter but we all want healthy mature dogs. Pediatric neuter/spay isn’t the best choice for puppies – many studies show that it’s significantly better for a dog’s physical and emotional growth to wait until it is fully mature before neutering. If at all possible, please wait until your CRK puppy is at minimum a year old before scheduling neuter/spay surgery.