Checking in on Yaddle's Puppies

Anyone who has been following my stories for a little while probably knows Yaddle's story. She's a beautiful Teddy Roosevelt Terrier whose accident as a puppy left her brain injured and emotionally stunted. Because I knew that her lack of terrier attitude was not genetic, I felt as if I wanted to breed her, just once, to let her contribute to my gene pool. She had a lot of positive traits going for her and, I believed, I could give her emotional support if the puppies got to be too much for her.

I'm happy to report that none of my concerns were realized. Yaddle instantly took to motherhood, putting all of the energy she could muster into her little furballs. They nursed copiously and she kept them and the puppy den (a 3x3' puppy playpen) scrupulously clean. All of the care that she gave them led Kathleen to comment that I might consider breeding Yaddle again, depending on how this litter "turns out." The jury is still out on the potential second litter, but the puppies are almost everything that I ever dreamed they would be. (Except girls. There are never enough girls!) So, let's take a look at the puppies as they stand right now.

Puppy #1

This little guy is a very dark "blue," very like Yaddle. He is a "tuxedo" marked puppy, meaning that he's at least heterozygous for a solid-colored coat. He absolutely has to have tan points (above eyes, cheeks, legs) because both Yaddle and Steele are homozygous for them. His points are very faint, probably due to being brindled, like Steele. It's way too early to tell if he's a show quality puppy, but based on what I've seen he's got a nice bite and moves very well. He's got a really nice temperament, although he's not as "forward" as I like my terriers. I like him a lot, but he's not going into my breeding program. At this moment, I think that he'll make a great pet or mid-level Rally or traditional obedience dog.

Puppy #2

Last night, while I was giving them their final meal of the day, this little muffin came up to me and started giving me kisses. Be still my heart! She's the only girl of the bunch, so it doesn't give me a lot to choose from if I want to keep a female from Yaddle. (I'm still not sold on breeding Yaddle again and am leading towards "not.") This puts me in the position of holding onto her for about six months to see if she starts to develop into as nice a dog, if not better than her mom, then checking her for genetic issues and so on. She's a much lighter blue than either her mom or her dad. Her tan patches are also lighter, meaning that her intensity modifier is "intermediate" at best. That's not a deal breaker. As the saying goes, "you have to build a house before you can paint it." All other things being equal, such as conformation, bone, gait, bite, and so on, color is really the least important factor. At the moment, I really like her temperament, as she seems to be the most people-oriented of the group. At the moment, she's my "keeper," although she still lacks a name.

Puppy #3

I suspect that this guy is my "Artoo" of the group. He is a nice bright blue with standout tan markings. His points are a little light for my taste--I'm working on getting dark biscuit/light copper--but I have no complaints about his appearance. Right now, he's still the largest puppy, although the blue tux boy is not too far behind now that they're eating food. In general, I reallyreallyreally like him. He's a pleasant puppy, curious and playful. Lots of energy, but with an "off" button. He's the puppy that initiates play most of the time. He was also the first one to try to drag forbidden items into the playpen, so I need to keep a close eye on him when he can get into things. Time will tell if he'll make a good conformation or sport dog. I think that the answer will be "yes" to both.

Puppy #4 (aka "Teddy")

This adorable blue tricolor guy already has his own couch to go to at the end of September! His bone is a little light for my taste and his head is a little narrow, so he's strictly a pet based solely on those qualities. However, the average pet owner doesn't care about those qualities. They want a dog with a good temperament, trainability, and playfulness. "Cute" might be high on the list for a puppy, but as the dog matures, even a "not cute" adult can be a person's best friend based on affection alone. Fortunately, Teddy has got a lot going for him and I'm certain that his new owner will be thrilled to death with him.

So, to Sum it All Up . . .

I think that Yaddle and Steele deserve a hearty "Goedzo!" for this litter. They're very pretty colors, nice bites, good temperaments, and, from what I can see, they're developing very nice conformation. Kathleen and I are getting together in Monroe just as they turn eight weeks, so we're going to try to get them on the table and evaluate them. With luck, we'll have another Teddy breeder who's been around since before the breed was UKC recognized, with us that weekend to help with the evaluations.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the way puppies grow, eight weeks is a sort of "golden age," at which you have a moment to glimpse what the puppy will look like as an adult. It's not a perfect glimpse, as the puppy's head will always be a little large over what it will be as an adult, but the overall head shape and body outline are there. This glimpse will give me a better idea of whether Puppy #2 is going to stay and "grow out" or not. Once we've had our meeting, I'll post the results and, hopefully, some decent "stacked" photos.