Soluna Dobermans

[Ravenbird]

Those mugshots are showing little Doberman faces now instead of the round baby bear faces! Growing up, wow! What week do you do the personality testing? (I think you said you are doing Volhard or similar?)

 

[Ddski5]

So I get very amazed and intrigued…I really get into the little, different quirks and personalities of puppy life.

Can you give us a quick synopsis and tell us the differences of each pup?
Who is the Alpha?
Who is silly?
Who is determined?
Who would be the runt?
Who stands back and observes?
Who is the bull that just bust through?
Who has to be first?
Who just doesn’t care?
Is there a bully?

and other things you think of you may want to share.

 

[Ravenbird]

So I get very amazed and intrigued…I really get into the little, different quirks and personalities of puppy life.

Here's an example of how the puppy evaluations are done. Since @Rits has already done so much enrichment I expect they will all have very good temperaments by genetics and by early enrichment. But for a close look by impartial team, they may reveal answers to your questions like you mentioned. Testing is ideally to be done by a person that the puppies have never met & scored by a neutral person who is not involved in placing the puppies with owners. If I was a breeder I would have a 3rd person in the room standing in a corner to video and I would not be in the room at all. But since I'd HAVE to see what they looked like in the test, someone has to make me a video to watch later! LOL.

There are different tests that are similar but this has been standard for a long time by good breeders.

https://www.appenzellers.org/uploads/6/0/7/4/60747419/volhards_puppy_aptitude_test.pdf

 

[Rits]

Here's an example of how the puppy evaluations are done. Since @Rits has already done so much enrichment I expect they will all have very good temperaments by genetics and by early enrichment. But for a close look by impartial team, they may reveal answers to your questions like you mentioned. Testing is ideally to be done by a person that the puppies have never met & scored by a neutral person who is not involved in placing the puppies with owners. If I was a breeder I would have a 3rd person in the room standing in a corner to video and I would not be in the room at all. But since I'd HAVE to see what they looked like in the test, someone has to make me a video to watch later! LOL.

There are different tests that are similar but this has been standard for a long time by good breeders.

https://www.appenzellers.org/uploads/6/0/7/4/60747419/volhards_puppy_aptitude_test.pdf

Yeah volhard doesn't work well for puppys raised on ens, ESI, and puppy culture because they have been socialized and prepared so well lol. It can show what a puppy needs more of.

What week do you do the personality testing?

9 weeks. That's when my evaluator said it would be best done at and no earlier. Much more accurate to do during 9-10 weeks old. We are doing the avidog APET temperament testing. Here is the score sheet. Adobe Acrobat I like it because it goes so in depth and will help me be able to place dogs in a variety of homes, not just pet, confo, sport but also active pet homes vs avg pet home vs quiet pet home. Competitive agility vs obedience vs SAR.

Can you give us a quick synopsis and tell us the differences of each pup?
Who is the Alpha?
Who is silly?
Who is determined?
Who would be the runt?
Who stands back and observes?
Who is the bull that just bust through?
Who has to be first?
Who just doesn’t care?
Is there a bully?

Right now it's hard to judge because a lot of them are so forward, no one really sticks out substantially more than another but Dietrich and Vasquez are the most brave with Ferro not far behind. Those are the three I personally have my eye on in that order because temperament means a lot to me!!

Drake can vary but he's more middle of the pack and Newt is right there with them but if there is something to be "hang out and watch others reactions" itd be her. She is also the smallest but only by a pound behind the next one. The biggest one is just two pounds more than her.

Vasquez has the strongest facial connection. She looks at your face a lot more than the others with Newt and Dietrich not far behind. That's why while Ferro is brave and forward, I have her third because she takes a little longer looking to make that connection. She's very miss Independent and if you take too long to pay attention to her she will run off and find her own thing to do. Vasquez will sit and sit and sit, staring up at you with the brightest expression! Dietrich will do the same but if you take too long she might bounce and express her frustrations with a bark/yip then paw punch your leg lol. I really love Dietrich for that reason. She very spunky. Vasquez I can't ignore how much she wants to be connected. Though I'm sure with training Ferro can build that connection too.

Ferro and Newt are my loud mouths. If there's a reason to bark it'll be them. Oh my god. So I increased my manding training throughout the day and Im finding the frustrated barking to lessen.

Newt has been the quickest and smartest catching on to training. Vasquez behind her and Dietrich just slightly behind her with Ferro and Drake about even. They are all incredibly smart but some have been lightning quick. Newt had manding down day 1. Ferro again she knows what I want but decides to run off first then joins everyone later. Drake is smart in a different way and eats food scraps off the ground that others dropped

I think they ALL stuffy/blanket suck. Ferro being the most prominent.

Drake was the first to pee in the litterbox. He's also been my best about potty training through the weeks. They are all finding the litterboxes now that I have placed in the kitchen and living room for when they have play time out of their xpen and out in the house! Pees outside the litterbox in their whelping pen is lessening to about two or so a day and they are close to the box.

They all tell each other off all the time lol. Especially if someone wronged them. Dietrich and Drake are probably the ones that are on top of another the most. Drake loves to posture by walking sideways up against another one.

To be honest, I'm incredibly happy with all of their temperaments and how they handle things. They are all brave and forward just in varying degrees so I'm pretty happy with the strong genetics there from Ripley and this pairing.

 

[Ravenbird]

For sure, you already have genetics for well tempered puppies, and there is no failing the test - I consider it a personality test to keep it in a "nobody fails" frame of mind. I'll go look at the link you shared for the test you'll be doing. It's so much fun that you share all this. Your brain must be about to explode with all the note taking! And you probably have a date for ear cropping in a few weeks? Lordy, you have a lot on your plate!!!

 

[CRDobe]

You are doing such an amazing job with them!!!!! Lucky pups and lucky future owners.
I'm in love with Newt....

 

[Ddski5]

I read all that with a smile because I can see those little shits pouncing about having fun and being goofy.

I have zero experience with this and maybe it’s not this easy but I do know Ragnar and Freyja were completely total opposites….

Can you give one or two words to describe each personality? Or are they too young to decipher this because they are just goofy puppy’s?

 

[JanS]

You're doing such a great job with them and they're growing up to be such gorgeous pups. I guess they're Olive's cousins too.

 

[Rits]

Can you give one or two words to describe each personality?

Oh as soon as their eyes started opening shortly after 10 days their personalities were already showing.. they just get more strong as they experience the world.

Ferro - Independent, playful, sweet, brave
Dietrich - Spunky, Sweet, Playful, brave
Newt - Sweet, Shy, holds her own,
Drake - Watchful, Even tempered, sweet, brave
Vasquez - Sweet, Playful, happy, brave

The best age to tell their individual personalities at their fullest will be at 9 weeks. There is a lot of overlap though so I had a hard time using a different word for each of them. They are all playful and sweet and all brave, just varying intensities

 

[Rits]

I guess they're Olive's cousins too.

Yep their moms are littermates.

I consider it a personality test to keep it in a "nobody fails" frame of mind.

Oh yes, me too. I never considered it a pass or fail it's always been a way for me to place the puppy in the best suited home and for me to keep the one with the temperament I'm looking to continue to produce.

Thank you everyone for the compliments and curiosity. It has been a lot a lot of work lol. Every day we have been living our lives revolved around the pups just in general care they need but also making sure they experience so many new things at an appropriate age, which then the list of what needs to happen grows lol! They had more visitors over this week of varying ages, went outside for the first time the day before yesterday and yesterday and are starting to potty outside. Today we will feed them their lunch then take them right outside to potty to start that habit! Tomorrow we will take them on their first car ride around the block.

And you probably have a date for ear cropping in a few weeks

They get their ears cropped and maybe one tail's scar tissue removed on Jan 9th! Won't go home until stitches are out, edges hopefully healed and first posts in last weekend of January. Pray for me for having 5, 11 week old puppies in this house. lol

You are doing such an amazing job with them!!!!! Lucky pups and lucky future owners.

Thank you! I've had so much positive feedback on all the pictures, videos, updates, little training tidbits, and all that we are doing it makes the hard work well worth it. Newt is a cute and precious little girl! They all are fussing less and less but she was the best girl for her nails today. Zero fuss.

 

[JanS]

Pray for me for having 5, 11 week old puppies in this house. lol

LOL I can't even imagine. Having 1, 11 week old pup in the house is a whirlwind so you're going to have a tornado.

 

[CRDobe]

What are you going to do with yourselves when they leave???

 

[Ravenbird]

maybe it’s not this easy but I do know Ragnar and Freyja were completely total opposites

Genetics have a lot to do with it. I don't know Ragnars breeding, but I'm betting his is pretty different. My Asha had most of the upbringing that @Rits is doing - all the puppy culture, intros, sleeping in the same room when born, moving to the living room at that age so they can hear the TV, vacuum, kitchen noise, toys, tunnels, being crated alone etc etc etc - but different genetics will still come through. I'm sure there are no common relatives in the first 4 or 5 generations of Asha and these pups. Responsible breeders will have a goal in mind and that's what you are paying for: predictability! I got exactly what I asked for, I just was not aware enough to be careful what I asked for. But seriously, the goal is clear on this litter and anyone wanting what they are bred for will get it in spades. Plus 100x bonus of the hard work and exposure to all the things being done before they go home compared with a similar litter without all of Rits's hard work.

 

[jazzies mum]

I'm really hoping these pups new owners will continue with updates on this forum. Would love to follow their lives going forward!

I'm in love with Newt....

You and me both!

 

[Ravenbird]

I'm really hoping these pups new owners will continue with updates on this forum. Would love to follow their lives going forward!

That would be fun!!!

 

[JanS]

One of them joined here but I haven't seen her for a while. Maybe after she gets the pup...

 

[Rits]

Sulaco crew turned 7 weeks old this past Friday. Time is winding down but they still have big days still ahead of them!

At 8 weeks they will be stacked and their conformation graded for show picks.

Shortly after that their ears will be cropped by Dr. Midgarden.

At 9 weeks they will be temperament tested and evaluated by a third party. This will help us match puppies to the homes with the lifestyles they would be best suited for. For example, we would not want to put a very active, pushy and forward puppy in a more laid back home that isn't looking to do sports or isn't going to be super active. Nor would we want to place a laid back pup in a home looking to do agility or hike every day! They'll be temperament tested using the Avidog test.

After this time, they will continue to be socialized and trained while their ears heal. Their ears will then go up in their first posts and they'll be ready to go to their new homes right at 11 weeks.





Some of these stacks are stills from a video so that's why the quality looks different.



Overall, Im incredibly pleased with how everyone is looking.

 

[Rits]

Sorry that Ive been slacking. It's been very busy here and going to be busy up until they leave! Between getting Stavros and Ripley ready for upcoming 4 days of shows with back to back specialties each day, our kennel club awards dinner, ear crop, temperament test, IGP club meet, and work, Im having a hard time keeping up! But here I am!!


8 week stacks of the babies are here!

We had the sire owner of the litter stack and grade these spunky babes with another dobe breeder. We are all very pleased with the results! Ink and Ripley did a good job!

GCH Denalli's Hot Off the Press x
BIS UKC GCH Melrae's Houston We Have a Problem
BN RI RA DJ DS BCAT WAC CGCA CGCU TKA SPOT-ON RACEN RATI

Pedigree:

Dobequest:Dog Profile Page

And for consistency sake, Derek stacked the puppies too to compare since he has been stacking them up until now.

 

[Ravenbird]

Amazing babies!

Between getting Stavros and Ripley ready for upcoming 4 days of shows with back to back specialties each day, our kennel club awards dinner, ear crop, temperament test, IGP club meet, and work, Im having a hard time keeping up! But here I am!!

Is the 4 day show before the puppies get placed? Surely not! Your just talking about getting them ready, right? Pace yourself girl

Except I really want to hear about the IGP club!

 

[Rits]

Is the 4 day show before the puppies get placed?

The weekend after

Pace yourself girl

My friend asked how old the pups would be cause she wanted to handle them in BPUP (beginner puppy 4-6 month). I laughed and said not old enough just yet!