# Nikkia



## Nikkia (Jul 27, 2008)

Nikkia has 27 Schutzhund Champions on her dad's side and 25 on her moms. She has a great pedigree. She has a killer personality, is smart as ****, Has an incredible work drive, and is a reliable protector. I am going to get some titles on her to prove she is standard I also plan on having her hips, heart, eyes, etc... checked before I even start to think about breeding. And finding a stud who does not carry the LC ressive gene.


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## KCandMace (Apr 8, 2008)

If LC are now being allowed by the SV, why would you discount them?


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## GSDOwner2008 (Jan 19, 2008)

Why do you want to breed?


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Maybe because he has a great dog and if we do not breed the great dogs, than all that will be bred will with the substandard dogs living in puppy mills. 

Our sport will die if we do not have new blood in the breeder pool. It sounds like this person is already thinking about health checks, pedigree, and working ability/titles. Let's not drive him off before he introduces himself. 

I know a lot of people say stick with the experienced breeders, but every day that goes by, these people decide to get out of breeding. We all will someday. So what we really need to do is mentor new breeders. Some of the people who have all the experience are not as stringent when it comes to health testing and qualifying their animals as some of the new people can be. We have the ability here to be proactive in setting up a new breed of breeders, or getting people upset and leaving and doing what they were going to do in the first place. 

Nikkia, get involved in your local GSD club (may not be so local either, you may have to drive a ways, but it is worth it). Work at the shows, volunteer, show your dogs in obedience, tracking, schutzhund, whatever. Get involved with the dog people, the shepherd people out there. They can help you evaluate your dogs, and help you to figure out what type of dog will be the best match for your bitch. It is also a good place to get recommendations for puppy buyers, etc. If you cannot find a GSD club, find a schutzhund club. 

People on the internet have a great deal of knowledge and are willing to share it, but there is no substitute for the people you will meet in a GSD club at shows, matches, trials, events, etc. 

Good luck.


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## KCandMace (Apr 8, 2008)

Nikkia looks like a LC in the pic, maybe it is just the pic. But I honestly wanted to know why she didn't want any more LC. I am not a breeder. And I don't have any opinions to offer other than a simple question. 
I am all for adding new blood to the lines. To bad some of the registration groups make it hard to do that.


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## EastGSD (Jul 8, 2001)

> Originally Posted By: KCandMaceNikkia looks like a LC in the pic, maybe it is just the pic. But I honestly wanted to know why she didn't want any more LC. I am not a breeder. And I don't have any opinions to offer other than a simple question.
> I am all for adding new blood to the lines. To bad some of the registration groups make it hard to do that.


She doesn't want a LC stud because it is still considered a fault and a LC bred to a LC will produce all LC puppies. Breeding to a properly coated dog will produce proper coated puppies in the litter. Of course potentially there could be LC puppies if the stud carries for coat.

Cherri


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## Nikkia (Jul 27, 2008)

I am not planning on breeding unless she has at least 2 titles and passes her heath check with flying colors both of her parents were passed and her breeder showed me both of their x-rays and certificates before I purchased her. My mom breeds and shows papillons and I have helped her whelp all of her litters I will also find homes for the puppies before breeding. I hope most of them will go to search and rescue, the police force, and service animals. In Nikkia's family she has brothers and sisters in all. Her breeder will be helping me to find the male as she knows some studs who she has bred her LC females successfully to. I am not breeding her just because I want to I am breeding her because I have been told by both trainers and breeders that she is a great representative of her breed. Just know that I have good intentions in mind and I am taking all steps of having her checked out before hand if she does not pass I will not breed her.


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## GSDOwner2008 (Jan 19, 2008)

Nikkia, don't get me wrong, in no way was I trying to discourage you from breeding. I don't know you all that well, so for me, I was just asking you a question, wondering if you do know what you're doing, knowing what you're getting into. You seem to know where to get started, and that's great. I see nothing wrong with the question I asked because it was a simple question. You seem to be responsible by wanting to get your dog titled and examed before you consider breeding. We need more people like you.


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## Nikkia (Jul 27, 2008)

Thank you and I know you were not discouraging me. It upsets me when people breed dogs that really shouldn't be bred also, so I know you had the breeds interest in mind.


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## Deejays_Owner (Oct 5, 2005)

*We all feel NOT breeding bad dogs is all important.
But making sure that GOOD dogs ARE bred is very important as well.*


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## Nikkia (Jul 27, 2008)

Yes that is so true. I can't wait till May Nikkia will finally be 2 and I can get her Structure checked I'm sure it'll be fine her dad checked out with excellent hips and good elbows her mom checked out with good hips and excellent elbows. I still want to get her checked out before we get serious about any physically demanding sports. This is the big decider on our future breeding plans is she doesn't pass I'm going to get her spayed before her next heat.

If she does pass I plan on showing her in conformation in the UKC, and doing UKC and AKC agility, obedience, and flyball. We will also start shutzhund in October or November after I turn 16 (all of the clubs I've talked to have politely told me I cannot join until I am 16). We are going in for our CGC test in March or April we are both very excited.

she is a very promising mother. My mom breeds papillons and she becomes the nanny/jungle gym for our babies when they are old enough that we can start letting them crawl around on the floor.

I am very educated as far as breeding goes. I cared for a litter of abandoned pit bull puppies when I was 13. I know exactly how demanding it would be on my part if she were not able to care for the pups. I also deliver all of my mom's Papillon's litters I have taken care of many special needs pups I know how to tube feed, give saline injections to dehydrated puppies and so on. I know many of the medical risks that are posed during and after pregnancy such as her not being able to deliver the pups and needing a c-section or eclampsia (Milk Fever)and many more. 

While rearing the pups me and my mom split the litter so if there are 4 I'll rear 2 and she'll rear 2. they stay with their mother of course but we provide them with extra mental stimulation and socialization. We do what is called the super dog program once daily with each pup it's where you lay them on their backs, elevated upwards, upside down, put pressure on their pads and ears, and lay them on a damp towel for 5 seconds each exercise. When they get older we stack them on the table we brush them and work with their paws ears handling etc... by the time we send them home at 10 weeks they are house broke, easily handleable, partially socialized, kennel trained, and work well on a collar and lead. it is a time consuming job but we manage it and enjoy every minute of working with the pups.

I am going to have the puppies evaluated with a hastings evaluation at 8 weeks old to sort them into work/show quality and pet quality structures. I am going to have at least 6 homes lined up before I breed her.

We sell our pet quality pups on spay and neuter contracts and our show quality dogs on a contract where we retain breeding rights until the dog is titled. We want the best home possible for our pups and interview them very thoroughly. We have them send in a form that we have made to see if they may be a prospect home for our pups if they pass that we then set up and interveiws we do them by email or by phone. then if the pass those interviews we progress to home interviews one in our home and one in theirs. When they pass interviews we check former veterinary records of previous and current pets and check for any citations issued to them by animal control. When all inspections are passed and they seem a suited home for one of our puppies we match one of our pups to the families personality and what they want (show/pet quality) I know people like picking their pups but I would rather know that their personalities mix instead of sending an alfa personality puppy to a home where the owner doesn't know how to handle him/her. Then before the pup is officially theirs the sign a show or pet quality contract stating what they are required to do with the pup, (will be indoor pet, provide with proper amounts of exercise, provided with food and water, we retain breeding writes until titled (show working quality), or retain papers until fixed ( pet quality), provide with proper veterinary care, the puppy will not be sold or taken to a shelter if they cannot keep it it WILL be given back to us to re home, etc...) then of course they are required to send us pictures and updates because we love to see them grow up.

I still don't plan on breeding Nikka for another year I want her titled and to be mature enough to handle the pups and the physical demands of the pregnancy and nursing them.


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## IliamnasQuest (Aug 24, 2005)

I'm not sure what you mean by "excellent elbows" - OFA doesn't rate elbows in that way, they either pass or they are marked according to the level of elbow dysplasia. So if you were told that her dam had excellent elbows and her sire had good elbows, that's a subjective opinion and not one done by the actual grading organization (well, at least not OFA).

If you're going to be serious about breeding properly, you should take a look at the Canine Health Information Center (CHIC - http://www.caninehealthinfo.org/brdreqs.html?breed=GS) and see what is recommended for testing for the GSD. And if the parents ARE certified through OFA, you can go to the OFA website and actually check for sure as to the level of certification.

I hope that you plan on getting some great titles on Nikkia, too - simple titles like Rally Novice, Companion Dog, CGC are not indicative of a breed-worthy dog. If you want to prove that she is following in the footsteps of her ancestors with SchH titles, it would be best to put at least a SchH I on her (or the minimum of a CDX and a TD, for a GSD). I would think that most Schutzhund clubs would welcome a young member although I can understand the restriction of 16 years old. But still .. a teenager who is dedicated to the sport can be a great asset!

It's quite an endeavor to breed properly. And there's always the possibility of losing your bitch during whelping, which is enough to make me not want to breed mine. And then finding enough quality homes for 8-12 possible puppies .. that's a huge responsibility! I'm glad there are breeders out there doing a good job. I have a lot of respect for those truly proving and testing their dogs.

Melanie and the gang in Alaska


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: IliamnasQuestAnd then finding enough quality homes for 8-12 possible puppies ..


i was also thinking that 6 prospective homes might not be enough. some may change their minds, or not check out in the end.. going over is always safer.


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## DianaM (Jan 5, 2006)

> Originally Posted By: Camerafodder
> 
> 
> > Originally Posted By: IliamnasQuestAnd then finding enough quality homes for 8-12 possible puppies ..
> ...


Especially in this economy. Selzer on this board had a recent litter and had a few pups left over for several weeks. Be sure you can take on that responsibility! Socializing one is tough, two is a huge undertaking, but if you have a large litter and five don't sell, be sure you can handle feeding, vetting, socializing, and training five young dogs however long it takes. Besides all that, you'll have to work VERY hard to make sure your coated bitch stands higher than the rest. Get her out there, if she's training in schutzhund then take her to different clubs, make sure people in the know see her and see her full potential. Good luck!


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## Nikkia (Jul 27, 2008)

Yes I have been planning on getting her champion titles in the things I have mentiond the two I am aiming highest for are conformation and shutzhund.

6 is the amount we do for our papillons as their highest litter has been five. I guess I just forgot to specify that, I sometimes do that when I write long posts. I am thinking of going about 12 prospective homes for Nikkia's litter. I have some breeder friends who I can refer people who aren't able to get a put to.

I am pretty young but I have had more experience in training than the average bear. Before I got Nikkia I used to be sort of a foster home I didn't get my fosters from groups. I went to the kill shelter and found the filthiest, ugliest, dog with the most training problems and took him home because I knew he was more likely to be put down than the rest of them. I had a friend who was a groomer who taught me a lot of things about grooming. So after we got home I'd de-matt him bathe him clip his nails and do anything else he majorly needed done. I'd take him to the vet and have any current medical issues he had addressed then I trained him until he was a complete angel. After I had found the dog a new home I would start all over again.

Now that Nikkia is trained I have been helping my neighbors with their dogs. No charge I just love to help out. The most dog's I've trained at once in my house has been 3 it was quite time consuming but worth it in the end. I love training dog it is one of my major I guess you could say hobbies i think it is so much fun! 

I have access to a good vet, since this is the career I wish to pursue I am doing an apprenticeship with him and get discounts on Nikkia's visits and what not.

Thanks for all of the advise guy's I can see you all care about this breed and dogs in general as much as I do.


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