Well we still have two puppies, Missie (changed Maizie's name, too close to Daisy, it was getting confusing for them both) and Luke. Missie is doing fine, she's still growing and a little thin but no problems otherwise. I actually think she's better than she was at 10 weeks. Luke has such a charming personality we couldn't sell him. I hate myself for having 4 dogs (I'm that person! aaagh!) but there is not one we could part with. I found out our town has a bylaw of 2 dogs per household, which I assume is only enforced when there is a complaint, so hopefully we fly under the radar. I only have one neighbour whose property is anywhere near my house and I'm friends with him so he's not going to complain. Luke is such a sweetie, and obeys my every command. He's actually the best puppy I have ever had. The other 3 dogs are much more stubborn. So we took down the posters and tell people when they phone that they're all sold. Unfortunately one of the pups chewed through the USB cord for my camera so I have no new pics to show you. LOL.

When we were researching breeds, we seriously considered Boxers, but we went with Great Danes (and later English Mastiffs, as well). Boxers and Danes are very similar in temperament, as they are both "working" breeds of German origin, but we went with the lazier, less active Dane. I'm sure we would have loved having Boxers, too, given how wonderful the many we've known have been. Boxerpups gives you some wonderful advice, and I'd suggest you follow it carefully. Finding the right breeder is the hardest part. Good breeders do thorough genetic testing (not just vet checks), so find out which genetic problems are common in your breed and expect that your pup's parents would both be tested for those issues and certified by the appropriate organization. When you contact a good breeder, expect to be grilled. Don't be offended, be glad. In fact, if they don't ask you more questions than you ask them, walk away. Good breeders care deeply about where every pup they produce ends up and what happens to it for its entire life. They would rather keep an entire litter for life than let one pup go to an irresponsible owner. The breeders who don't know what they're doing are the ones who will be anxious to make the sale. Don't respond to newspaper or Craigslist ads for puppies. Those tend to be the worst breeders, who will sell their pups to anyone who has the cash in hand. You can find responsible breeders through breed clubs, but don't assume all breeders registered with their club are good. Do your homework and find someone you can really trust. I'd like to echo ae2ga's recommendation of books and DVDs by Dr. Ian Dunbar. He is the originator of the trend of puppy training and the founder of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. Trainers used to insist that it was important to wait until a puppy was at least six months old before initiating training. Dunbar recognized how ludicrous this was and began his Sirius Puppy Training program. He has both a DVM and a PhD in Animal Behavior. His methods are consistently positive, and I've found them much more effective than the punishing "corrections" advocated by some trainers--even for controlling very large, powerful, and stubborn dogs. We've had 11 very large dogs over the past 25 years, each well over 100 pounds, and we've never had to do an "alpha roll" or use any other harsh techniques because we started early and consistent training with Dunbar methods. Back when I was competing in obedience in the late 80s, I attended a Dunbar seminar and have been a huge fan ever since. When we were breeding (we only have rescues now), we would send each puppy home with a copy of his Sirius Puppy Training video. Check his web site for upcoming seminars--they are well worth it! Since you are doing your homework now, I especially recommend his book called Before You Get Your Puppy. His site has a bunch of other free advice books and pamphlets for download, too. Here is a link that might be useful: Sirius Puppy Training

Not a vaccine - that exists already. This is a treatment. Currently the treatment for Parvo is strictly palliative care - IV fluids, medication to reduce vomiting. It takes 1 to 2 weeks, and a large percentage still die. With this treatment, puppies are ready to go home in 1 to 2 days. My husband works for Avianax. There's another site with the same article that includes photos (and he's in some of them). Here's a link to a video of puppies treated during the early field trials. Here is a link that might be useful: puppy video

Thanks for the links. I haven't used YouTube as an instructional source but that's a good idea. (Better than spending my time there looking for 'funny Sheltie puppy' videos!) Now I'm going to see if there are good instructions on the Tube for paper piecing. Kate Speaking of amazing things on You Tube, if you haven't seen this choir performing "Africa" you need to watch it. Turn up your sound! a capella "Africa"