Soluna Dobermans

[Rits]

I did meet Brandy Billington at Indy this past weekend! @Ravenbird

My apologies, the last puppy left last weekend and immediately coming home from the 4 day show on Monday this week I caught a horrible bug. Congestion, fever, the works...just really drained and endless coughing. So me posting on here is when I have a moment of energy and time available, it's not much but I'm trying to catch up

More 9-10 week candids. You will see some of the temperament test pics. I can discuss that in another post.


"This week has been a week of training with the pups! The puppies are learning that training is so much fun and is super rewarding!

We've been teaching them to go into their kennel on their own, recall, leash pressure, following alongside while on leash, sitting on command, luring (learning to follow the hand) onto and into obstacles, stay for 2 seconds, willingly coming inside after potty , and most importantly having structured rest time to decompress and process what they've learned.

All of these skills are most certainly a work in progress, and some puppies have caught on to certain skills faster than others, but they have all been started! The most important takeaway piece is how this is a critical time in their lives for them to learn that emotionally connecting and engaging with humans while critically thinking is incredibly rewarding!"


They love TV like Ripley does lol. Ripley watching real world TV this time.


Breaking in their blankies. They'll each take one home that smells like their littermates.


Puppy go home kits complete with an ear posting starter kit

 

[Rits]

"Happy 10 weeks babies! It is bittersweet that we are on our final week together.

3 will be going home next Saturday and another the following weekend. It's been a real pleasure taking this journey for the first time. I won't lie, it has been incredibly exhausting the last two weeks as Derek has been working 7 days a week for 12 hrs+ shifts due to winter deciding to finally show up with non-stop snow events so I've been potty training, training, and caring for very active puppies mostly solo...and it's hard!

They are so worth it though. Our homes are going to continue where we left off and do great things with them! They are going to love them to bits like we do. I'm looking forward to updates from everyone in the future and hearing the joy and incredible love these guys will bring their owners like Ripley has brought us. "







" These guys had their first outing! They loved all the attention they received, including all the new sights, smells and sounds. This is prime time for these puppies to have long lasting positive experiences about the world they live in.

I've included the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior's stance on early socialization before vaccination in an image below.

The socialization period is a developmental stage of all puppies that lasts from 3 weeks through approximately 14 weeks, sometimes a little longer. This is the time in the pup’s life when he is most open to new experiences, exploring the world, and learning what is safe and what is not. If a puppy is exposed to all manner of people, dogs, noises, smells, sights, sounds, surfaces to walk on, and so on during this period, he is much more likely to be happy and confident as he matures. Puppies that are not exposed to a wide variety of people and places, are sequestered at home, or have bad experiences early on, are very likely to be fearful in new contexts as they mature. Unfortunately this fear can not only be debilitating for your sweet pup, but it can also lead to very serious behavior problems, including aggression. The socialization period is your chance to prevent potentially devastating outcomes! The risk of parvo with careful socialization is much lower than the risk of serious behavior problems with no socialization. Here are some general guidelines to safe socialization:

Absolute don’ts:

Dog parks
Beaches or Public Parks
Walking down the street on a leash
Neighborhood parks (unless carried or in a stroller, see below)
Setting your puppy down anywhere on the ground where you don't know the history of what has walked on that ground! This includes the vet for me. I carry them into the vet office until they have their full set of vaccinations!

Alternatives:

Carrying or using a stroller to take a walk through your neighborhood or city.
Visiting stores that allow dogs but maybe doesn't have a lot of dog traffic like Lowe's, a farm store, or JoAnn Fabrics. Carry or place your pup in a cart. I always sanitize the cart with odoban or bleach spray for 5 minutes before use!
Sit in the parking lot of a grocery store or park with your puppy in your lap, especially during busy hours. Feed treats anytime a person walks by.
Have a small puppy party where you invite a small amount of people over of different ages to let the puppy interact with them. Keep it positive and don't let the puppy get overwhelmed. Low key is key. Make sure all dogs at home of your visitor are up to date on vaccinations.
Take the puppy with you to school to pick up/drop off the kids. Keep him up in your arms but let the kids shower him with treats.
Ask your veterinarian about doing “happy visits” in between vaccine appointments so your puppy learns to love the vet! This will set your puppy up for a lifetime of health and wellness.
If your work is dog-friendly, consider bringing your puppy to work with you, or stopping by at lunch or on your day off to visit with your coworkers.
Last but certainly not least, PUPPY CLASS is one of the best (and safest) ways to get your puppy socialization. Well-run puppy classes will also help you with normal puppy antics – chewing, potty training, etc. Once your puppy makes friends, you can arrange play dates between classes, too!"




They each got to watch Ripleys agility class from my lap.





That's Uncle Stavros fighting for his life under them lol


First posts!







One last family picture

 

[remy]

Thank you for continuing to share all of these photos with us! I loved seeing them all!

 

[LifeofRubie]

OMG... the cart full of puppies and uncle Stravos fighting for his life

 

[Rits]

and uncle Stravos fighting for his life

He LOVED the puppies and was so gentle with them. They were equally obsessed. Sometimes that meant his ears and bits n bobs getting nibbled

 

[MichiH]

This is wonderful! You do such an amazing job! Thank you for all the updates, pictures, and information! The last family pic

 

[MyBuddy]

Beautiful, beautiful photos! Love all the photos! Such adorable babies and you have done a tremendous job with them! I love, love, love all the conditioning that you did preparing them for the outside world, the inside world, lots of noises and distractions, and building a strong confident dog for your new owners!
Well freaking done!

 

[jazzies mum]

Hope you are feeling better soon and thankyou for taking the time to finish their story line. Last family photo was beautiful but bittersweet. All the pics are delightful but my all time favourites are the family tv time and poor Uncle Stravros getting mobbed! I do hope we get a few updates of their life going forward. I wish every pup had the start to life that yours have but I can't imagine what that would be like with a litter of 10+!

 

[Ravenbird]

Job well done by the whole Team Soluna - human & dogs! - everyone worked hard at making this adventure a success!

 

[Kaiser2016]

So many great shots! The curly ears, the shopping cart full of pups, just so cute!

I had to wonder how Ripley feels when her pups leave. Does she adjust fairly quick or does she watch for them out the window? I guess it might be more pronounced when the last ones leave.

Also, in the family photo, some of the pups aren't wearing collars, but I'm guessing you can tell them apart by now?

 

[Rits]

I had to wonder how Ripley feels when her pups leave. Does she adjust fairly quick or does she watch for them out the window? I guess it might be more pronounced when the last ones leave.

Lol they don't care. Animals don't see motherhood the same way people do. It's a result of hormones telling them they HAVE to take care of them than a want. Then once they are weaned they care less and less because of the lack of oxytocin. They start seeing them as just another dog to worry about resources with. Sorry to be real LOL. That's why it's super silly to think "oh, she needs to experience being a mother" No they don't.

Also, in the family photo, some of the pups aren't wearing collars, but I'm guessing you can tell them apart by now?

Yep! They had breakaway collars that were really good at doing what they were intended for. The pups towards the last few weeks learned how to take them off one another and have a great game of chase but each puppy had something unique about them. Body style, head shape. The two pick girls were the only ones I had to do a double take.

 

[Rits]

Updates on the puppies from our first litter!

Soluna N Melrae's Dressed To Chill "Crowley" at 14-16 weeks! Handsome man!
(Drake/Black collar boy)

Crowley is coming along nicely. His mom is exposing him to all sorts of things. She takes him to the grooming salon she works at, training to barn hunt, conformation practice and training out in public. People always remark how well behaved he is, even the first week home he had a great sit stay! He loves his papillon brothers and kitties. He absolutely loves to cuddle and wants to always be touching mom. Mom said he's truly a great puppy! She's doing a wonderful job with her first doberman.







Soluna's Cool As A Cucumber "Mija" at 16 weeks!
(Newt/Teal collar girl)

She looks just like Ripley did as a baby. She sounds like she's keeping her dad busy just as much as Ripley keeps us busy, ha! Gotta love those smart, busy girls!

Dad reports that she is super smart, and loves to cuddle. She has learned sit, down, on your side, let's go, get it, come, names of certain toys and how to ring the bells to go outside. They are looking forward to starting obedience classes this month and are interested in trying out trick titles and barn hunt! He's doing a wonderful job keeping that smart mind stimulated! Can't wait to see all the fun and success they'll have together trying these new things!




Miss Collins looking pretty at 16 weeks! One of the show pick girls. She was Ferro/Pink collar

Melrae N Soluna's Cold As Ice
"Collins"

Collins is having a blast in Kentucky! She has made fast friends with Baskins the beagle. She's also having fun learning how to be a show dog with her mom and mom's granddaughter to maybe one day be a juniors dog in addition to showing! Her mom reports that she's super sweet and SO smart! She may do nosework classes soon in addition to conformation practice. She is so very loved and her mom is already very attached and bonded to her





Soluna's Glacier Girl "Serenity"
(Dietrich/Purple Collar)

Serenity is settling in real well in her new home! She loves to explore her yard and play with her vizsla sister Liberty. Serenity is learning how to go to her place to wait patiently. Such a great skill her mom is teaching her that will be useful in many applications such as waiting for meal time or even letting guests inside the home! Her mom said the best thing about her is that she loves to cuddle and lay her face on hers and that she is absolutely in love with her. As I require of all my puppy homes, they'll be starting obedience classes this month!


Making sure sister is doing the same thing, lol.





Our other show pick girl, and Soluna's keeper, at 16 weeks.

Soluna's Before It Was Cool "Trendy"
(Vasquez/Yellow collar)

Trendy is a spitfire full of energy! I think she's part kangaroo She loves a good game of tug and has deep grips. She's super sweet too and will gladly climb into anyone's lap for a cuddle session. Trendy is currently working on obedience, practicing for the conformation ring and is dabbling in some IGP when there is time, which we hope to find more of soon We are super excited about this girl's future and the fun we will have together!

 

[Ravenbird]

Thanks for the update and all the great photos! Looks like they all have a great future in front of them!

 

[jazzies mum]

I'm loving seeing these babies in their new homes and your girl looking gorgeous and growing so fast!

 

[Kaiser2016]

Purple collar seems feisty and smart with that side eye. They all look great!

 

[Two Dobes]

Thank you for the wonderful update! They all look great....love Rip's final family photo. Love all your photos!

 

[NancynLiberty]

Purple collar seems feisty and smart with that side eye. They all look great!

That's my wonderful girl! She definitely is feisty and smart and she does that side eye quite often, I guess she doesn't want to miss anything. Her name is Serenity.