Merjuke - Litter of German Shepherd Dog Puppies

All puppies have now been sold

Breeder : Merjuke
Sire : Gayville's Ando
Dam : Carlithos Enya
Birth Date : 13th April 2009

Health Tests

• Gayville's Ando
  • Elbow Score : 0 - 5th September 2008
  • Hip Score : 8/9 = 17 - 2nd September 2008

Brains & Beauty
Pure Platinum Pedigree
European & UK Working & Show Lines
Level Top-Lined Parents
Hip & Elbow Scored & Haemophilia Tested Father & Hip Scored Mother
Pups Are Extensively Socialised & Commence Basic Training
There is NO line breeding between at least 5 generations of the pup's pedigree
(NO INBREEDING goes without saying)
‘Yasko’ free litter & Mixes Between The Bloodlines Leading Towards Further GENETIC DIVERSITY
Top-Sized Parents
Short & Long Coats Predicted
Normal B / T & Dark Masked B / T Predicted
(To the best of our knowledge mum carries the pure black gene but NO pure blacks will be present )

The pups were born on the 16th and 17th of April, and not the 13th as listed.

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Originally we had more potential homes on our puppy list prior to mum being confirmed as being pregnant with an ultrasound than she gave birth to.

Within a week of this scan (week 4 of her pregnancy) we had the whole litter confirmed with deposits.

However a few weeks after their birth circumstances (i.e. redundancy) affected a couple of our homes. Although we had spoken to someone within a couple of hours of loosing such a home, and although they had sent a deposit in straight away we were not due to meet them until the pups were over 8 weeks of age. Because of this we decided to keep our advert active just in case. However all of the puppies have since settled into their new homes for a few weeks now, and their owners love them very much. Thank you for all of the interest that was shown in them.

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Attempting to produce my perfect representation of the breed standard, which includes TEMPERAMENT, HEALTH, and AESTHETICS AND MOVEMENT

Since temperament & trainability is NOT 100% dependent upon genetics alone we do not like to rely alone on the fact that both parents have beautiful temperaments. Which is why we spend so much extra time and expenses on our puppies.

PLEASE NOTE: 50% of Mum’s pedigree contains some of the BEST UK & EUROPEAN confirmation & working KENNEL NAMES and PROVEN WORKING DOGS. Working line breeders put a VERY strong emphasis upon temperament & the dog’s desire to perform certain tasks / working ability (health goes without saying as they need their dogs to be capable of consistent daily strenuous activity). Although most like to ensure that the dog has a strong frame (i.e. feet, hocks, breadth, level top-line) and others take into consideration aesthetics (i.e. very strong blocky heads & dark pigmentation) unlike the show lines the working line breeders very rarely bother with show placements. Instead they concentrate on working qualifications such as SCH. However unfortunately the below pedigree is unable to reflect this as I am unable to attach SCH & working awards (which are official awards upon the dog’s official pedigree in their county of origin). Thus PLEASE EMAIL FOR A PEDIGREE with all of the awards attached to it.

The puppies:

Are Raised Indoors
EXTENSIVELY SOCIALISED (exposed to sound CDS, bangs, different surfaces such as a yoga board which rocks up and down, CARRIED into town … people are NOT allowed to touch them … a bus & train station, & sometimes a farm to see sheep & horses)
COMMENCE BASIC TRAINING (including OBEDIENCE, AGILITY, GROOMING, CAR TRAVEL, HOUSE & CRATE training).

KC Registered
Vet Checked at 7 ½ weeks of age
Insured For 6 Weeks
Tattooed
Freshly Wormed (wormed every 2 weeks with Drontel puppy liquid)
Given Flea & Tick Protection
Come With A Blanket To Help Remind Them Of Mum / Premium Food / Lots Of Information Booklets (Prevention of common problems, daily training, and training for obedience, agility, etc.)
Given LOTS OF LOVE & CUDDLES

Dad is the son of a German VA1 & JUNIOR SEIGER SCH3 Crufts BOB & CC winning FATHER, and a UK CHAMPION German V & Treble SEIGERIN (I & B) SCH 1 mother. He is the litter sibling to and ½ sibling to UK & European Top Winning Dogs & Champions. Dad is due to be shown in 09 in the show ring. With excellent aesthetics (i.e. colouration), angulations, and movement (including STRONG HOCKS) we are confident that he should do very well.

The majority of mum's last litter went to families with CHILDREN between the ages of 1 ½ and 7, and one of her puppies was even chosen as a THERAPY DOG FOR A 2 YEAR OLD GIRL. One of her puppies was also chosen for the show ring. Numerous breed Championship judges highly complimented him and one even predicted that he should become one of the TOP-WINNING DOGS OF 09. However unfortunately his thick coat got longer and longer around his cheeks and down the centre of his back (but not his ears, belly or legs), and despite receiving these comments when he was 12 months of age his owners (who had initially only wanted him as a pet) decided to withdraw him from the ring on the basis of his coat being too long.

The puppies from mum’s last litter were all very intelligent, and some excelled in drives that would have made them VERY suitable for working homes.

Mum has been trained for SEARCH AND RESCUE and she is a producer of and a daughter of POLICE DOG AND FIREARM SUPPORT DOGS.

Mum’s Grandfather on her sire’s side was the top sire of 98 & 99, and sire of 2 Champions, and her Grandmother on her dam’s side was a producer of police and schutzhund dogs. This success is replicated via both sides of her pedigree (please email for further details and awards won by the dogs which I am unable to include on the below pedigree). Further giving credit to the ability of her pedigree to produce both brains and beauty.

Dad’s pedigree is a gorgeous blend of beautiful looking, moving and producing dogs. But in addition to this every single dog within 5 generations of his pedigree has a working qualification. Puppies from his last litter have been highly commended both on their LOOKS and TEMPERAMENT but also upon their INTELLIGENCE. All of the puppies left as adored pets (including with young families), but one also went to a very experienced working trials and obedience home and another to a show home.

In terms of the show ring we would hope based upon what mum produced before that there would be at least one puppy with show potential. We were VERY tempted to repeat mum's last litter. But on the basis that Ando excelled in terms of his colouration, angulations, and movement we decided that there was a strong chance that he would produce even more beautiful puppies. Plus although dad of this litter is ‘Yasko’ free he is slightly related to dad of the last litter via Esko his great-Grandfather and dad of the last litter’s Grandfather.

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My following achievements should help me to fulfil my long-term goal. I have undertaken an ANIMAL SCIENCE DEGREE, participated in additional BEHAVIOURAL LECTURES (including Ian Dumbars), extensively researched the confirmation of dogs, the German Shepherd Dog’s original purpose, and the development of puppy behaviour. I am also the member of several dog clubs, regularly give advice to newcomers on the behaviour and training of dogs, and I am a regular participator in KC recognised dog shows (including Crufts).

Due to the vulnerability of very young puppies to infection they cannot be viewed until they are over 3 weeks of age). After then they can be hugged, loved and cooed over as much as you want too.

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Because of our approach to breeding including what we are aiming to produce, we do find that we get a high level of response to our litters. Thus we recommend that homes try to get in contact sooner as opposed to later in order for you to attempt to reserve a higher pick / a pup from one of our beloved and treasured litters. We prefer to speak to people via the telephone as we find this a much more personal way of speaking in addition to being easier for both parties to ask as many questions as possible.

Our homes range from 1st time dog owners to homes that have produced conformational Champions in other breeds, and homes that are extremely successful within the working fields (obedience, etc.). We love our puppies very much, and although it is nice to see a puppy’s credentials proven within the rings all that we really want is to see our puppies in homes in which they will be LOVED & HAPPY (i.e. BELOVED FAMILY PETS).

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Puppy update:

Overall the puppies are very content and quiet between meal times, and noisy wiggly bundles of fun when awake; a perfect balance in our opinion.

We are giving the pups a dog milk substitute via a bottle. Hopefully this should not only help to develop their cognitive parts of their brains leading to better trainability and responses to stress, but it should hopefully really imprint them onto people, combined with hopefully helping towards their with lure training at a later date, as once the puppies can see they should quickly associate following hands with food.

5 days old: The pups are still blind and unable to walk, but they already associate me with the bottled milk. They swarm towards me when they detect my presence, and when the entrance of their box is opened they try to tumble through the opening. One little boy is so determined to get to me that I am forced to feed him first so that he can settle down for some more snoozing. Otherwise he would scale a height of around 30 cm before teetering on the top (which has something soft on the other side just in case) … which at first resulted in me plucking him off before he does something silly, but as I don’t really want him climbing at such a young age after he proved a couple of times that he was willing to repeat this behaviour I put the aforementioned step in place to prevent it.

6 days of age: one of the little boys siblings swiftly followed in his climbing shoes, which was quickly replicated via the rest of the pack. They are now all taken out 1 at a time and placed back in their box 1 at a time.

The 1st boy to complete this behaviour though was the 1st to associate me with food, and the entrance opening with my presence. I am hopeful that he has obtained more than his fair share of his mummy’s working blood, as well as taking after his ½ siblings sired by his father who is proving to produce very quick learning puppies. Although I am rather apprehensive at how high I am going to have make the entrance of his box when he gets older. If he scale this high at this age then how far up will he go in just a few week’s time?

I have also noticed that the same little boy tried to leave his siblings to toilet in the back. At first I thought this was coincidence. But a few days later I have come to the conclusion that the behaviour had been repeated too often and too purposefully. Plus I have since noticed other pups copying him. Both this pup and others will if given the chance try to leave the box to toilet outside it. When you take into consideration that the pups are still blind and unable to walk I think that this has to be a very good sign that these puppies should follow their 1/2 sibling’s paw steps in terms of being hopefully very easy to house train.

1 week of age: The pup’s ear canals should be starting to develop (most breeds open 6 - 14 days of age) so that they can detect some sounds. We are taking advantage of this via exposing them to loud noises. The puppies are not bothered about loud alarm clocks, mobile phones, TV, radio, a crate door shutting, or sound CD. They don’t even note its presence.

The pups are also 100% keeping themselves clean by going to the other end of the box. Their eyes are still closed, and they are just learning to make their front legs work. So it is amazing to see them thinking about keeping clean already.

2 weeks of age: The pups are still very dependent upon using their noses to find me, but they are starting to try and focus upon me. They are a lot more aware of sounds now, and they can hear me when I am further away. As soon as they detect me they turn straight from a sleeping snoring pile into a wiggly and tumbling mass as they try to rival each other in an attempt to be selected first.

They have now been wormed with Drontel puppy wormer

2 weeks and 3 days of age: The pups have had probiotic goat’s milk yoghurt added to their diet. Not only will this give additional essential nutrition, but it should also help with their digestion, and towards them growing healthier and shiner coats. The majority of the puppies are not developed enough to lap, and instead suck it off the spoon. But a couple of others surprise me by tumbling over to the bowl before sticking their heads in and sucking it up. On a whole I notice that they are very focused on my hands and associate them more with food than either the spoon or the bowl. I hope that this lesson stays with them, and that it is a sign that they will go onto develop very good hand & food focus later on in their training.

3 weeks and 1 day of age: We have started to hand feed scrambled egg made out of freshly laid eggs and goat’s milk

3 weeks and 2 days of age: The pups have the aforementioned meal, and a meal made up of dog substitute milk, Heinz organic baby rice, honey and probiotic goat's milk yoghurt. Due to its additional sticky nature this meal is fed in a bowl. The pups love it, and smack their lips with glee at the honey.

3 weeks and 5 days of age: The pups have Aberdeen Angus beef & prime lamb & fresh fish fried in a tiny amount of organic butter added to their diet.

4 weeks: They have now been wormed with Drontel puppy wormer for a 2nd time.

4 weeks & 1 day of age: The pups have soaked Royal Canin Maxi added to their diet.

The pups now have a stable diet consisting of a dried premium food specially designed for them, fresh meat, fish, goat's milk, probiotic goat's milk yoghurt, eggs, and honey. We will also aim to give them treats consisting of carrot, apple, dried fish, and liver cake (flour, water, eggs, liver, garlic).

In our opinion they could not be more spoilt if we tried.

HOWEVER to make it easier for their owners, and because we believe that the Royal Canin dog food has everything within it for essential and correct growth, as they get closer to 8 weeks of age we will gradually fade out the above aside from the Royal Canin Maxi dried food.

Although we would love it if they maintained adding in a bit of meat for taste, and small quantities of the fish, honey, & goat's milk to help towards healthy coat production.


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The next 4 weeks flew by … a combination of socialising, playing, and training the puppies.

We were very proud of our puppies, and VERY sad to see them go. This in my opinion was mum’s best litter with the overall quality of heads overcastting her last one.

‘Pinky’ always stood out due to his blocky dark head, his speed of development, and ability to learn. ‘Greeny’ will always be my cheeky baby … I have little holes in my garden and cheeky nibbles in my wallpaper to recall him by, and I loved how his favourite toy was a big bunch of keys. ‘No collar’ and ‘Blue’ were always my big boned chunky headed fluffy bunnies, although no collar was rather cuddlier than my boy blue who was a cheeky little monkey always getting up to mischief (such as trying to steal Greeny’s keys not because he wanted them, but just because he didn’t want Greeny to have them). Hopefully this cheeky streak helps my boy blue within his sheep work, and the cuddly streak of no collar helps him to fulfil his promise of a much-adored pet. ‘Silver’ was another little darling who we hope will continue to swamp his new owners in kisses and cuddles. With his dark golden legs and dark mask due to probably carrying the recessive pure black gene ‘Goldie’s pigmentation always made him stand out. Chosen for his colouration and for the fact that he kept crawling into his new owners lap he now has a lot to live up to, as he has now been chosen as their son’s Rugby mascot, and they wish to have some fun working & possibly showing him. ‘Ellie’ my only girl has been placed in co-ownership with a lady who has made up Champions in another breed. She is the spitting image of her mother, but I look forward to seeing whether or not more of her daddy will come through.

A few weeks on I still miss my babies lots and lots, but the knowledge that they are bringing a lot of love to their new families brings a big smile to my face … that and the fact that I have made some lovely new friends as a result of having this litter. I wish all of my puppy owners all the best with their future ... and if they are reading this please pass on some extra cuddle from me to my puppies.