Puppies from femkerun

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Health

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Our puppies come from health-tested parents.

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• Hip health: Their parents have hip ratings of “Good” and “Excellent,” the two highest of the three ratings considered acceptable for breeding.

• Elbow health: Both parents are free of elbow dysplasia. Femke’s mother has the mildest grade of dysplasia (Grade 1) in one elbow. This does not affect her quality of life and may have been caused by an accident. Several of Femke’s siblings and half-siblings have also been tested, and all have normal elbows.

• Genetic diseases: Femke is a carrier of von Willebrand disease and acral mutilation syndrome. E-Pica has been genetically tested and is clear —meaning that he is not a carrier—of both conditions. Therefore, none of their puppies will be affected by either disease, although statistically about half will be carriers.

 

Each puppy will undergo Embark genetic testing before going to its new home, so the owner will know whether the puppy is a carrier of either condition. Carriers do not show symptoms; only affected dogs develop the diseases.

 

To maintain genetic diversity, it is generally recommended that carriers be bred to genetically clear dogs rather than excluded from breeding altogether. Approximately half of the offspring from such a pairing will be clear. By selecting clear offspring for future breeding, the frequency of carriers within the Drent population can gradually be reduced without losing other desirable traits.

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• Risk of epilepsy: Epilepsy is present within the Drent population. Because the relevant genetic markers are not yet known, its pattern of inheritance is not fully understood. Dutch breeding regulations prohibit breeding dogs that have epilepsy among their first-degree relatives.

 

Femke and E-pica do not have such relatives. Femke’s great-grandmother is recorded as having produced offspring with epilepsy, and the same is true of E-Pica’s great-great-grandmother. However, seizures are not always reported, though some may have causes other than hereditary epilepsy.

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We follow the recommendation to wait until both parents are at least three to four years old before breeding them. This allows more time for any cases among their close relatives to become known.

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Femke with Mom and Siblings

 

 

Temperament and Traits

Both parents are cheerful, affectionate dogs. They greet visitors enthusiastically, enjoy being petted by strangers, and are gentle and careful around children. They bark occasionally, primarily to alert their owners to perceived intruders.

They have an excellent “off switch” and enjoy settling down and cuddling with their owners and friends. When allowed to run off-leash, however, they are energetic and may cover two or three times as much ground as the dogs around them—assuming those dogs are not also versatile hunting breeds. They keep track of their handler, although developing a reliable recall still requires consistent training. When asked to work, they show tremendous drive and enthusiasm.

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Both parents come from the Gloucester line, a prominent Dutch breeding program whose descendants are prized for their excellent field instincts, broad skulls, powerful working noses, natural tracking ability, and high intelligence.

Working Ability

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Both Femke and E-Pica come from lines of working dogs. A Drent is happiest when it has a job. That job might be hunting, search and rescue, dog sports, scent work, or any other activity that provides sufficient physical exercise and mental stimulation.

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What Each Puppy Goes Home With

Each puppy will go home with:

• A written purchase contract that includes a health guarantee

• Embark genetic-test results, including results for all conditions covered by the test

• A complete veterinary examination and health record

• A registered microchip

• Age-appropriate vaccinations and deworming

• AKC registration

• A blanket, toy, or other item carrying the scents of the puppy’s mother and littermates

• Enough food for the first couple of weeks

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Early Socialization

Our puppies complete Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) and Early Scent Introduction (ESI). They are carefully socialized and exposed to a wide variety of people, settings, sounds, surfaces, and other environmental stimuli.

Building confidence at a young age is extremely important. We nurture their confidence, physical coordination, problem-solving skills, and love of learning by introducing them to a progressively more challenging series of obstacle courses. Their early experiences also include an introduction to water, live birds, and tracking. In addition, we give them a head start on crate- and house-training.

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Puppy Placement

We make placement decisions when the puppies are approximately seven and a half weeks old. We consider each puppy’s aptitude-test results, observed temperament, and genetic-test results, as well as each family’s circumstances, needs, and goals.

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Puppies must be picked up from our home near San Diego and may leave at eight weeks of age. We will organize a pick-up party for those who can make it. In exceptional cases, we might be able to deliver a puppy at an extra cost. We do not ship puppies.

The price of a puppy is $2,700. A $500 deposit is due once we confirm that a puppy is available to you, usually three to five days after the puppies are born.

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Lifelong Support

We provide lifelong mentorship, welcome questions at any time, and always appreciate receiving updates about our puppies.

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We will reimburse half of the registration fee for the NAVHDA Natural Ability Test, provided that the puppy participates in NAVHDA or comparable training and that the handler is familiar with the test rules.