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Our Breeding Program
Breedings are carefully planned. Frances will only breed healthy dogs with OFA certified Hips (with an Excellent or Good rating),
OFA Certified Elbow clearance, Eyes certified by CERF (Canine Eye Registration Foundation), and at least one parent must be Optigen
Normal, to prevent prcd PRA, a disease that will cause blindness. There is no cure for PRA at this time. Click here for more
information on PRA http://www.optigen.com/opt9_test_prcd_pra.html.
The dogs used in her breeding program have excellent temperament, trainability, and the willingness to please.
Because of the love and care Frances has for her dogs, she will only sell puppies to qualified homes, where the main purpose of
the dog will be as a family companion. The primary goal at Puddleduck Retrievers is to produce a beautiful, healthy puppy with
an exceptional temperament, trainability, and more than enough personality. Frances's puppies have proven to be very versatile.
With so much trainability bred into the dogs, they love to work and please. Frances's dogs excel in, but are not limited to,
Obedience (AKC Hunt tests and/or hunting) and Agility. They also make exceptional Therapy dogs (nursing homes), Service dogs
(trained for the disabled and deaf), Detection dogs, and most importantly, Outstanding Family Companions.
Frances has spent a lot of time coming up with some great ways to provide a very good start for the puppy, and an adjustment
period that is as stress free as possible. Her program has been proven to be very successful.
Puppy Socializing
Frances spends a vast amount of time with all of her puppies. She provides wonderful and very beneficial puppy socialization,
confidence building, and an excellent training program. The program starts at 4 days old and continues till the day the puppies
go home. By 8 weeks of age, your puppy will have already been introduced to lots of socialization, mild stress (a special program
successfully used by many, including Guide Dogs of America), many different noises (vacuum, cars going by, lawn mowers, hammering,
etc.), crate training, housetraining, and car rides. Frances also gets the puppies used to being touched all over their bodies. She
trims their toenails, cleans their ears, handles them a lot, opens their mouths, and looks in their ears. (This makes vet appointments
easier, and much less stressful for the puppy.) Frances also works with the puppies on retrieving and obedience (sit, down, come,
walking on a leash, and heeling on leash). (Frances will go over these commands with you, so you can continue obedience training at
home.) Most of all, Frances gives her puppies lots of love and attention!!!
Introduction to Crate Training
At 3 weeks of age, the puppies are moved from the whelping box to a much larger area.
At this time, they are introduced to a crate, with a blanket inside. Their food and water bowls are placed next to the crate. Dogs
do not like to pee or poop near their sleeping area, or where they eat, so they keep this area very clean. Completely removed from
the crate is an area with shavings, so they can relieve themselves. The rest of the area is for the puppies to play in. By the time
the puppies go home, they have been well conditioned to sleeping in the crate and keeping it clean. Many people rave about how easy
it was to crate train their puppy.
Once you take your dog home, your relationship with Frances does not stop. She is always willing and available if you have any questions,
for the full life of your dog. Since 1992, Frances has raised Labrador Retrievers, and has trained all breeds of dogs. With her experience,
she is more than qualified to answer most, if not all, of your questions.
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