-- Meet the Breeders --
The Garretts:
Laura and Todd Garrett, their 3 children and their animal companions - Aggie, Scarlett and Brindie
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Scarlett
[Dam - Active]
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Aggie
[Dam - Retired]
[Scarlett's mom]
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Brindie
[Scarlett's 2nd mom]
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Pictured above are the Garretts' dogs which are very much
a part of their family circle. They are all great with our
children .. and quite protective, when appropriate.
Here is a letter from the main caretaker of the pups, Laura:
How the pups are raised:
"A lot of my time is spent caring for the pups .. from the minute they are born. My children and I love to hang out with mom and help her get through the whole birth. Each pup is closely watched for the first two weeks. It is crucial to keep an eagle eye on them to make sure they don't get sat on by mom .. rolled up in the bedding .. and that they are getting enough of mom's good milk. One thing I am quite proud of is that we have never lost a pup! There has only been 1 pup still born .. and I was there to witness this sad event. Needless to say, I don't get much sleep during the first few weeks!
After the first three to four weeks, I can start relaxing a bit .. as does mom. It is when they are able to wobble around that the fun begins. They start becoming playful .. and my kids love it!
From the moment of birth to about 2-1/2 weeks, the pups and mom are kept in our laundry room. But, when they start walking, they need more room! We then move them to a nice set up in our garage. The garage is right by our study .. a place the kids and I spend a lot of time in as we homeschool.
When the pups are about 4 weeks old, depending on the weather outside, they are introduced to the green stuff .. grass. During this week, they are also given real food - softened, of course. Both of these moments are so fun to capture in photos. I always try to share this through the updates and pictures.
The pups are given shots by my husband and me around 6 weeks of age. What a team .. he gets the shot ready, I get to be the bad guy. Actually, rarely does a pup protest. They don't seem to mind at all! (Not sure I could do it if they did!)
If the pups are doing well with eating dry food and seem less dependent on mom, we allow them to go home at 7 to 8 weeks of age. They are quite playful at this age. It is a sad time for our children but a good life lesson. They are helped by being made to realize that the pups don't stay small long .. and we simply can't have more than three big dogs around! I like that they learn how to cope with a loss here and there. And, it helps when I can assure them that the pups are going to new owners that are going to love them just as much as they have .. they, in a sense, have helped get the puppy ready for its new owners."
The temperament of our pups:
"For the most part, the Doberman breed has a good temperament. What I have found with our pups, however, that there is something exceptional about their temperament. I whole heartedly believe it has to do with the fact that we are handling them from the minute they are born. Through the entire time they spend in our care, they are handled and loved. It makes a noticable difference."
Role of Protector:
"What you are going to find in all our pups is confidence. Aggie and Scarlett both are submissive only to us, their human owners. In every other area they are extremely confident an cower to nothing. So, shyness is a trait that you will not find in any of the pups. They will approach everything with an attitude of "what is that" then back down. For those who live out-of-state, I wish you could meet Aggie and Scarlett. They have greeted everyone who has ever come to look at the pups very well. As long as they can tell we are okay with the people being there, then they are okay with them, too -- and will insist that hand at their side is petting them!! But, should they hear a noise that they are uncertain of, they take off running to check it out. It is amazing to watch them switch it on and off like they do."
Cleanliness is IMPORTANT!
"Most of our pups sell out of state .. so who is witnessing the living conditions of the pups? My CHILDREN!! They are with the pups all day long. I cannot afford to let things get too messy. I am constantly cleaning up after the pups .. that is where newspaper comes in quite handy. My washing machine is constantly running!
If you will look closely at the pictures throughout this site, you will notice that there are no droppings in the yard, the bedding is clean and the pups LOOK clean! There is no telling how many times I am bathing the pups before they go home. Let's be honest, when a whole litter of pups starts doing their business .. it gets messy. It is a constant job but with the kids around, I HAVE to stay on top of it! There is no keeping them away from the pups!!"
From the Heart:
"Through some of what I have written here, I hope you are able to get a real good depiction of where the pups are coming from .. and how they are cared for while they are here. I take my role of caring for the pups very seriously. In this breeder's environment, it is not just up to mom. I don't want our female stressing herself out anymore than what is absolutely necessary for the survival of the pups. Mom and I work together as a team. What you have to remember is Scarlett is my baby .. I want the best for her! She provides a great experience for all of us by having the pups. It is my job to make sure she is well taken care of in exchange!"
--Laura Garrett
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Harley
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[2003-2007]
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Guen
[Dam - Retired]
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Polly
[Dam - Retired]
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Amber
[Dam - Retired]
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Below is a picture of one of the Garrett children with (from left to right):
Amber, Harley and Polly
Like the Garretts, Pat and her family are very involved
with the pups. In fact, the pups are kept inside their home
until they are a minimum of 4 weeks old .. and they are held
often and looked after with great care.
Here is a letter written by Pat which demonstrates
the type of care her pups get:
"The first week, we constantly check on the pups to see that each one is getting their fair share of mother's milk. During the first few weeks, no one will get to see the pups to avoid exposing them to harmful germs, etc. When the pups are 4 weeks old, we then allow interested owners to see them.
Tina, Don and I hold the pups a lot after they are one week old. We stay close to mom to keep her comfortable. None of our other dogs are allowed near them.
At the end of the third week, the babies are started on food. During the fifth week, we start training our pups to potty on newspaper.
The pups are born in our day room in a whelping box. They stay with us in the day room for 4 weeks. After their first shot, we then take them outside.
Two of Gwen's puppies are being shown in UKC. (I only like the AKC shows).
We sound like we are really picky. We just want the pups to have the best of health!
Pat G"
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* Pat's sire (pictured above) is who the Garretts have
used for the past two breedings for Scarlett.
Pat George with 2 of the Garrett kids
(also pictured Polly and Amber)
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The Weavers:
Karah and Daniel Weaver and their son
(plus one on the way!)
love their canine familiy members:
Maggie, Brody, and Bailey
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Maggie
[Dam - Active]
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Brody
[Picture pending]
[Future Sire]
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Karah Weaver is another breeder who loves having the
pups around. It is a fun experience for her and her family.
Here again, the pups get lots of attention which helps make
them wonderful dogs to bring into a family home.
Here is a letter written by Karah again demonstrating the type of care a breeder associated with the Garretts gives to the pups and the beloved mom:
How the pup's are raised:
"From the time the pups are born, we spend lot of time with them. I stay with Maggie while she is having the pups so that she knows I am there. Maggie is 2 years old, but we have only had her for 11 months. That being the case, I do not let my son in the room while she is having the pups. I do not want the added stress of a 2 year old on her while she is in labor. However, after she is done having the puppies, my son is right there with me .. all the time with Maggie and the puppies.
Maggie adores my son and has no problem with him holding and loving the puppies. We do not let anyone other than myself, my husband, and my son handle the puppies for the first couple of weeks. We do not want outside germs getting to the pups.
Each pup is looked after very closely to make sure they are not underneath mom, not tangled up in the bedding, and that each one is getting plenty of milk.
The first 3 to 4 weeks, Maggie and the pups are kept in our spare bedroom. We have a plastic swimming pool lined with comforters for mom and babies to rest comfortably in. Since the pool has sides, mom is able to rest easier knowing her pups cannot crawl too far from her. Of course, they soon outgrow the pool and we set up larger accomadations for them. When they start walking around, they need more space!
At about 3-1/2 to 4 weeks old, we take the pups outside and introduce them to the green stuff .. if they weather cooperates. Mom is usually starting to wean the pups at this time, so we introduce them to soft food at this point.
At 7 to 8 weeks, if the pups are eating dry food well and not needing mom as much, we let them go to their new homes. We hate to see them go but it helps to know that they are going to good homes."
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The Kents:
David and Darlene Kent and
their Doberman companions:
Jadzia and Nevel
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Jadzia
[Dam - Active]
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Nevel
[Sire - Retired]
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around to help socialize the pups, their nieces and
nephews are frequent visitors. With those special little
helpers and the Kent's other animal family members around,
their pups get socialized well before ever going into a new home.
Here is a brief note from Darlene about her pups:
"All of our pups are AKC registered. Honestly, any of our pups would be wonderful with a child and any pets. We do not have any children at home, but our nieces and nephews come over all of the time to help care for the pups. We also, have our parent Dobies, a Sheltie, two Pomeranians and 3 cats. They all get along very well.
Our pups are mainly raised in the house; however, we do have an outdoor dog run where they spend their exercise time when they are old enough to go out. We begin working with them on potty training and kennel training.
All our pups have been very intelligent and affectionate, although not overly so. By this, I mean they are not always jumping up or constantly trying to lick you in the face. Our pups do like to give little kisses and they demand the love."
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