Written by Samary Birkline 2021. When bringing to mind the ideal dog, one rarely cultivates the image of a bashful animal. For most people, the “perfect” dog has a relatively outgoing personality, easily handles new people and seamlessly transitions from infancy to adulthood without bad habits, anxiety attacks, self-confidence complications, or hiccups. These types ofContinue reading “Bringing Out Fido’s Best: How to Instill Confidence in Your Puppy”
Category Archives: Early Puppy Experiences
Early Scent Introduction: Creation of the Canine Super Nose
Written by Samary Birkline, © 2020 Canines are born with incredible noses. With even the weakest canine nose sporting four times the smell receptors and an area in the brain dedicated to smell four times larger than the corresponding area in the human brain. Even more impressive, dogs can use their noses (and their observationContinue reading “Early Scent Introduction: Creation of the Canine Super Nose”
Doberman is Just Another Name for Lassie: The Truth About Doberman Pinschers
Written by Samary Birkline, © 2020 In 1997 I wrote my parents a document, entitled 101 Reasons Why I Need a Big Dog. To date, it remains the most life-impacting document I’ve ever written. I was sixteen. My father grew up in livestock and scaled down the farmers’s education to fit into our suburban life:Continue reading “Doberman is Just Another Name for Lassie: The Truth About Doberman Pinschers”
“Dobermans are All Brave Guard Dogs.” And 9 Other Breed Lies Debunked
In the early 1970s, there was a movie about an amazing dog trainer who trained a pack of six Doberman Pinschers to commit a bank robbery. The Doberman Gang was sucessful enough to validate a sequel released the next eyar. Also released in the same few years was a movie called They Only Kill TheirContinue reading ““Dobermans are All Brave Guard Dogs.” And 9 Other Breed Lies Debunked”
Raising Super Dogs: Understanding and Using Early Neurological Stimuli
Written by Samary Birkline, © 2020 A great deal is set into stone in the early days of a mammal’s life. This is true for humans, whales, cats, dogs, and every other form of mammal. For decades research has been done in the betterment of mammal rearing, specifically canines. Much has been learned and yearsContinue reading “Raising Super Dogs: Understanding and Using Early Neurological Stimuli”
Just Zip It: One Breeder’s Step-by-Step in Canine Ear Posting
Written by: Samary Birkline © 2020. For decades the Doberman’s sleek, muscular body has captivated audiences and owners alike. Its characteristic erect ears draw a sharp image in the mind: a mild bell sloping gracefully up to a point, then dropping straight to the skull; the vision of laser-focus and concentration. Veteran Doberman owners willContinue reading “Just Zip It: One Breeder’s Step-by-Step in Canine Ear Posting”
How to Be the Alpha Dog in Your Pack
Written by Samary Birkline, © 2020 Being a dog owner can be great! But it can also be a miserable experience, depending largely on the kind of dog you have and the relationship you have with that dog. There are a variety of factors that go into what makes a dog’s brain work the wayContinue reading “How to Be the Alpha Dog in Your Pack”
Infancy to Acquisition: A Day in the Life of a Birkline Doberman Puppy
Written by Samary Birkline, © 2020 After whelping, the pups need warmth and nourishment, as provided by the dam. They are kept indoors, inside the whelping box with the dam twenty-four hours a day; seven days a week. The dam is, of course, encouraged to leave the box several times each day for food, water,Continue reading “Infancy to Acquisition: A Day in the Life of a Birkline Doberman Puppy”
Puppy’s Critical Stages of Learning
**an excerpt from A Novice Looks at Puppy Aptitude Testing, By Melissa Bartlett, originally published in Pure Bred Dogs, American Kennel Gazette, March 1979 1-3 weeks (1-20 days). The puppy needs warmth, food, sleep, and his mother. Neurologically very primitive, the puppy responds by reflex and essentially it is unable to learn. 4th week (21-28 days).Continue reading “Puppy’s Critical Stages of Learning”
A Novice Looks at Puppy Aptitude Testing
By Melissa Bartlett, originally published in Pure Bred Dogs, American Kennel Gazette, March 1979. (Photos and format altered; some grammatical and spelling changes have also been made.) I learned my first lesson in puppy testing at the tender age of eleven. After noticing an ad in the Sunday newspaper for Belgian Sheepdog puppies, I pleadedContinue reading “A Novice Looks at Puppy Aptitude Testing”