The Story of the A-Litter
A clandestine trip to Germany, a rendezvous in the afternoon sun, some wine, some cheese, gourmet kibble, and a little whoopee.
Ahhh it is good to be a stud dog….
9 months later…..
The A-Litter: 6 boys and 2 girls; Ypsilon vom Lärchenhain x Maikali vom Kirschental
Maika looks fabulous and is terrific condition, if it were not for the enlarged milk delivery implements you would never know she just had a litter.
This is a light-hearted post but I have to get serious here and do a little venting. I took these pictures of Maika and Ypsilon in a tie because of the overwhelming rumors that Ypsilon vom Lärchenhain is over-sized. Maika is a true medium size female and you can see Ypsilon is only a few inches taller then her, making him a medium to large size male but completely within the standard.
Sometimes there may be a grain of truth in rumors that have been distorted. But when a rumor is completely false it truly makes me furious. Ypsilon is a super dog with excellent temperament, solid character, and very strong in the work, these are truths.
This slander and defamation happens all the time in the dog world. Good people, good dogs are trashed by others who are envious, jealous, or for whatever their reason is. Other people, most of whom know nothing pick up the thread and spread it further. It really irks my sense of right and wrong. This example with Yspilon is rather benign and can easily be proven wrong. Others are not so easily dispelled such as attacks on a persons character. The world of dogs is so very bittersweet. These magnificent beings come into our world get into our heart and then they break leaving us at the too young age of 14. A good dog, is a good dog. It doesn’t matter who owns that dog celebrate it. As my good friend Margot says there is no need to wish anyone ill-will, there is not a set amount of happiness in this world. Someone else’s happiness does not take happiness away from you. (I was paraphrasing it and Margot says it much more eloquently)
This brings to mind something else I need to express. At all times you must be your dogs advocate. Even when working with people you trust and have know for a long time. You must be there thinking of your dog, do not worry about hurting their feelings or being impolite. Your dog trusts you to be there for them just as they are for you. I am talking about anyone your DVM, your trainer, a friend, anyone. If they are doing something with your dog that makes your brain take a little stutter-step. Just stop it. Maybe it is nothing but you need to take your dog out of the equation and satisfy yourself as to what caused that little tickle in your brain. If talking about it at that time is appropriate then do so. It could be as simple as you don’t understand the purpose behind it, or the person is having a bad day and it is effecting their judgement, or it could be something much more serious that could damage your dog. Believe me this stuff happens all the time.
He is a stunning GSD and Maika looked even more gorgeous after she had her pups.
Maika has always been fabulous Julie! I can’t wait to see these kids grow into rockstar dogs!
Your last message in post just made me tear up. Remember when I brought Odin to the Vet (that I have known for a long time) that Friday, he told us that Odin just had sprained his foot, I KNEW that wasn’t the case. We took Odin to 3 different hospitals, until we found the one that will take care of him just like I would till his last breath. Believe in your gut feeling, always.
I don’t care how big or not Ypsilon is, he is a gorgeous dog!!! This will be a very nice litter!
He doesn’t look big to me.
Garth
Ypsilon is gorgeous and looks to be at a perfect height for a male. I’m with you, Julie… the pox on rumor mills and those who gossip. I can only speak from my experiences with you and the great dogs (puppies) which I’ve seen you produce, to say how wonderful it is to have found you, and how important it is to have an honest and caring breeder. Nikko is a testament each and every day (Eitan before him) of the quality, beauty, and perfect GSD temperament produced by your breeding program. If I had the time and money, I’d be having more Alta-tollhouse puppies and showing all of them off at meets.
Good advice, Julie.
Thanks, Julie. This is excellent advice. I’m glad I followed my gut and ditched my old DVM. Sometimes, I’m pressured by other dog people to do things I don’t feel is right for my dog, like have him participate in “puppy playtime” after class or neuter him. In such cases, I usually make up an excuse or politely say no. I figure, if they’re nice people, they’ll respect that it’s my dog and my business. And if they don’t, eff ’em!
You can explain your reasoning to people, but it’s a lot harder to explain it to your dog if you end up doing something harmful that you can’t take back.
On the flip side, I’ve learned to hold my tongue when I see people doing things I don’t agree with (or using a Flexi-lead, LOL).
9 months later????? That must have been some pregnancy for Maika!! The pups look georgous.
That’s in doggy time.
Being able to hear and listen to your gut is such an important thing to learn. I have actually been ‘trained’ to listen to my gut through a previous job. It’s a tool I’ll keep sharpened and use for the rest of my life.