December « 2007 « Guide Dogs for the Blind Breeder

Archive for December, 2007

Dog Pregnancy Calendar

Tuesday, December 4th, 2007

The following information gathered from http://www.schaferhund.com This calendar is from her L litter in 2006.
Wed 2 Nov 2005 First day of mating.
	48 hours after the first mating the bitch should be mated again. Subsequent matings occurring over a period of time enhance the chances of fertilization taking place. The spermatozoa migrate up through the cervix.
Thu 3 Nov 2005
	Sperm travel searching for a mature ripened eggs.
Fri 4 Nov 2005
	Spermatozoa reach the eggs in the oviducts.
Sat 5 Nov 2005
	Fertilization occurs in the oviducts which lead from the ovaries to the uterus.
Mon 7 Nov 2005
	Fertilized eggs migrate down the oviducts and into the uterine horns. The migration continue to enable even spacing of the embryos. During this migration the eggs will grow into a blastocystes.
Tue 15 Nov 2005
	The blastocystes implant in the wall of the uterus.
Wed 16 Nov 2005 – Wed 23 Nov 2005
	Dams nipples begin to pink and enlarge. The fur on the dams belly and around the nipples may become thinner.
Sun 13 Nov 2005 – Sun 27 Nov 2005
	The blastocystes will grow into an embryos. During the next two weeks the important organs will develop.
Tue 22 Nov 2005 – Tue 29 Nov 2005
	Morning sickness might occur due to hormonal changes or stretching and distension of the uterus. Dam may appear a bit apathetic. She may be off her feed for a while and vomit from time to time. Feeding the dam several meals spaced throughout the day might help. Your veterinarian may want to prescribe a drug to relax the uterus. Alda is now very mellow and sleepy. Her response to seeing the Vet for the ultrasound was quiet and unexcited (not her usual self). She is eating well and seems hungry.
Sun 27 Nov 2005 – Thu 1 Dec 2005
	An experienced person (a breeder or a veterinarian) can tell by careful palpation whether the dam is pregnant. It’s now the best time to do this because the embryos are walnut-sized now and easy to count.
Tue 29 Nov 2005
	Ultrasound appointment at GDB. Alda has between 6 and 7 pups. This is just a guess things can always change.

Wed 30 Nov 2005
	Start to increase the dams food ration. Don’t overfeed, excessive weight gain should be avoided. The fetuses are now and are fully developed miniature dogs. Alda’s daily food increases from 3 cups to 4 cups.
Tue 6 Dec 2005
	The Dams abdomen starts to get larger. Alda’s daily food increases to 5 cups.
Wed 14 Dec 2005
	Alda’s daily food increases to 6 cups.
Fri 16 Dec 2005
	It’s very easy now to feel the puppies, counting them might be a bit more difficult.
Mon 19 Dec 2005 – Tue 27 Dec 2005
	Dam begins to spend a lot more time in self-grooming. Her breasts become even more swollen. She may become a bit restlessness and begin to search for a suitable place to have her puppies.
Wed 21 Dec 2005
	The dam might lose her appetite during this period. Her abdomen can be crowded with puppies. It is better to feed several smaller meals spaced throughout the day. You can easily detect abdominal movement now.
Wed 22 Dec 2005 – Thu 5 Jan 2006
	Nipples and vulva should be gently cleaned with warm water, you might want to trim the hairs surrounding the nipples, to allow easier access for the puppies to suck.
Tue 27 Dec 2005
	Alda’s “return to GDB” date.
Sat 31 Dec 2005 – Tue 3 Jan 2006
	Milky fluid may be expressed from the nipples.
Sun 1 Jan 2006
	Alda’s due date. You might want to start taking the dams rectal temperature each morning and evening.
Wed 4 Jan 2006
	Twelve to 24 hours before she is due to deliver, the dams rectal temperature may drop from 101 to 98 degrees. Clear discharge from the vulva might occur.
Thu 5 Jan 2006
	Expected date of whelp. Of course this is just an average. Whelping may take place from the 59th to the 65th day. Puppies born before the 58th day will probably be too young to survive.

Tags:calendar, dog, Pregnancy
Posted in Pregnancy, What to Expect | Comments Closed

Guide Dogs for the Blind – Training Phases

Tuesday, December 4th, 2007

Phase #1

Pre-training physical exam
Neutering/spaying (with the exception of potential breeding stock dogs who are under evaluation at this time)
X-rays
Eye checks
Relaxing walks on campus and play sessions
Introduction to the kennel environment and schedule
General daily care and grooming

Phase #2

Preliminary obedience training
Exposure to distractions (toys, food, other dogs, cats, etc.)
First on-campus workouts with a harness
Introduction to the BEST program training techniques (including treadmill sessions)
Sessions to teach guidework-specific commands (such as “Forward,” “Halt,” “Hop Up” and “Steady”) and the desired responses to the commands
On leash introduction to the campus obstacle course

Phase #3

Guidework training in quiet residential areas
Frequent rides in the training vans
Introduction to more advanced guidework commands and responses (“Right,” “Left,” and “Over Here,”); continued training on commands learned in Phase #2
Introduction of curbs and street crossings
Progressive obstacle course training on campus
Continued obedience training
Mall exposure walks
Dog social sessions
Neutering/spaying for those dogs dropped from the breeder-watch list

Phase #4

Progression of guidework training: more difficult sidewalks in busier sections of downtown areas
Training on more complex street crossings and curbs
Obstacle clearance initiated by the dogs; they begin to guide their mobility instructors through the campus obstacle course
Preliminary obedience testing and evaluation of the dogs’ reactions to head collars

Phase #5

Preliminary guidework testing with the mobility instructor under blindfold
Complete veterinary history review
More challenging guidework training environments (pedestrian traffic, stairs, different flooring surfaces, etc.)

Phase #6

Guidework routes in difficult and challenging work environments (heavy pedestrian and vehicle traffic areas, wide crossings, hectic atmospheres, etc.)
Introduction to sidewalkless areas and rounded curbs
Continued work in malls, stores and buildings, with increasing exposure to varying sights, sounds and smells
Lessons in advanced guidework skills, such as moving turns
Introduction to “intelligent disobedience” (dogs learn to refuse to obey a command if it is unsafe to execute)
Advanced obedience training

Phase #7

Guidework in extremely challenging downtown urban areas (San Francisco and Portland)
Training on buses, light rail/subway systems and platform edges
Introduction to low overhead clearances
Advanced off-leash obedience
Formal traffic training

Phase #8

Advanced guidework and obedience training continues
Intensive indoor mall training with crowds and slick floors
Escalator training
Advanced sidewalkless training with obstacles.

Phase #9

Final obedience testing, including on-leash obedience with the mobility instructor wearing a blindfold
Off-leash obedience with distractions
Workouts with unfamiliar or novice handlers
Final traffic testing with instructor under blindfold and “real life” traffic situations

Phase #10

Final guidework testing: city streets. Includes working a 40-50 minute route with the mobility instructor wearing a blindfold in downtown Gresham or San Rafael. The route covers nearly every aspect of guidework (curbs, street crossings, stairs, buildings, crowded sidewalks, traffic, etc.); obedience exercises are done along the way.
Final guidework testing: inside buildings (malls, stores, etc.). Includes working escalators, elevators, stairs, etc. with the mobility instructor wearing a blindfold.
Final physical exams

(From Guide Dogs for the Blind)

Tags:Blind, Dogs, Guide, Phases, Training
Posted in Training Phases | Comments Closed

Coat Color Inheritance Chart

Sunday, December 2nd, 2007

The following information is from: http://www.vetgen.com/schippcolor.html

For example, if your dog is a Type V, (yellow dog with a black nose carrying the hidden genes for black). If you were to mate your dog with a Type III, the resulting litter would, on the average, all the puppies would be black. These probabilities represent expectations averaged over the long run and are subject to the law of probabilities.


	I	II	III	IV	V	VI	VII	VIII	IX
I	All Black	All Black	All Black	All Black	All Black	All Black	All Black	All Black	All Black
II	All Black	¾ Black ¼ Yellow	All Black	¾ Black ¼ Yellow	½ Black ½ Yellow	½ Black ½ Yellow	½ Black ½ Yellow	All Black	¾ Black ¼ Yellow
III	All Black	All Black	¾ Black ¼ Choc.	¾ Black ¼ Choc.	All Black	¾ Black ¼ Choc.	½ Black ½ Choc.	½ Black ½ Choc.	½ Black ½ Choc.
IV	All Black	¾ Black ¼ Yellow	¾ Black ¼ Choc.	9/16 Black ¼ Yellow 3/16 Choc.	½ Black ½ Yellow	3/8 Black ½ Yellow 1/8 Choc.	¼ Black ½ Yellow ¼ Choc.	½ Black ½ Choc.	3/8 Black ¼ Yellow 3/8 Choc.
V	All Black	½ Black ½ Yellow	All Black	½ Black ½ Yellow	All Yellow	All Yellow	All Yellow	All Black	½ Black ½ Yellow
VI	All Black	½ Black ½ Yellow	¾ Black ¼ Choc.	3/8 Black ½ Yellow 1/8 Choc.	All Yellow	All Yellow	All Yellow	½ Black ½ Choc.	¼ Black ½ Yellow ¼ Choc.
VII	All Black	½ Black ½ Yellow	½ Black ½ Choc.	¼ Black ½ Yellow ¼ Choc.	All Yellow	All Yellow	All Yellow	All Choc.	½ Choc ½ Yellow
VIII	All Black	All Black	½ Black ½ Choc.	½ Black ½ Choc.	All Black	½ Black ½ Choc.	All Choc.	All Choc.	All Choc.
IX	All Black	¾ Black ¼ Yellow	½ Black ½ Choc.	3/8 Black ¼ Yellow 3/8 Choc.	½ Black ½ Yellow	¼ Black ½ Yellow ¼ Choc.	½ Yellow ½ Choc.	All Choc.	¾ Choc ¼ Yellow