COMPENDIUM
-Amstaff from Kennel Hall Of Heroes
In this compendium we have gathered information about what it is like to own and raise an amstaff puppy and what to expect. We as breeders carefully select our puppy buyers for each puppy based on our experience of what that particular puppy needs to live a good and healthy life as a companion dog.
Amstaffen is an all-round dog with many nice qualities, something we want to take advantage of in our breeding work. First and foremost, our puppies should be and become fantastic companion dogs, but we strive for them to also have a good job satisfaction and be able to perform the forms of training that their owners want and thus they should be adaptable and cope with most environments. For this to work, they must be mentally strong and our breeding animals must have the best psyche available.
Of course, they must also be of a fully approved amstaff type according to RAS.
In order for the amstaff puppies to be able to develop in the best way, they need a lot of closeness and good guidance in their upbringing so that they develop security and confidence in their own abilities. This requires a lot of commitment and social training, but above all time and patience. So think through your puppy purchase carefully. Puppies are a full-time job.
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Think about these questions before you get a dog:
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Do you have enough time for the dog? - A puppy requires activation and socialization a little, but often several times a day.
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How does everyday life work, family and activities? - An adult dog should be supervised after 6 hours, while a puppy can only be left alone at home for short periods, about 5-10 minutes which is then built up as the puppy gets older and is able to be alone at home.
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Are you ready to get involved with the dog as long as it is alive, 10-15 years? - To ensure that the dog has food and water, and to work with both physically and with the brain.
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Is anyone in your family or among your relatives allergic? - Many people do not know that they are allergic until the puppy has already returned home. If you have not had a dog before, do an allergy test on you and the family that will be staying at home. Sad to have to sell / return his long-awaited puppy again.
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Can your finances cover the costs associated with dog ownership, even in unexpected situations? - Food, equipment, insurance, veterinary visits, vaccinations, deworming, dog courses, etc. cost a lot, so work out what your puppy would cost in maintenance.
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Can you have a dog where you live? - Not all rental apartments allow pets. Check out what is in your contract. Some countries have banned the ownership and holding of amstaff, including Denmark and Norway, while Spain has strict restrictions on how they are to be held. If you are considering moving abroad, you should therefore find out what rules apply to the breed in that country before you buy a dog.
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Are you prepared to go out with the dog several times a day? - A puppy should go out about every other hour (10-15 min / walk) to be room clean, while an adult dog needs about an hour of activation and rest every day divided into 3-4 times to feel good.
ABOUT YOUR PUPPY
BEFORE THE PUPPY COMES HOME
The work with the puppy actually starts even before it comes to your home. There is a lot that needs to be planned and prepared. The whole family must be involved in planning which routines and rules should apply to the puppy, who takes which responsibilities. We as breeders will under no circumstances sell or sign contracts with minors, so the main responsibility for the puppy's well-being is the adults / adults in the household. Start discussing through how you want the dog to be as an adult. Ex: Should it be allowed to jump on people who visit it? If not, start by greeting the puppy by squatting and letting it come to you. The same goes for the other behaviors and rules. Then we have insurance, training, etc. that are added. If the puppy is to have the opportunity to become a wonderful companion and family dog that the whole family must be involved and have their say and plan. We are there for questions and good advice to all our puppy buyers.
TRAVEL AND HOME
Traveling can be both scary and fun, riding a car, bus or train is an important exercise for your puppy and will make traveling with it as an adult much easier! If the puppy becomes ill, only go shorter distances and take out the puppy before it starts to drool or vomit. Let the puppy experience something fun when you have reached your destination. A picnic area, park or a school trip usually makes the puppy think trips are pleasant experiences.
When it comes to social, the puppy needs to take in the people who should be in its vicinity first and foremost in peace and quiet. The puppies usually love people and other dogs, but they can easily become overstimulated if there are too many at once. So take it easy to let the whole neighborhood visit and make sure that the puppy can get away in peace and sleep if it needs to. One step at a time, it goes great! Your families and others who will be around the puppy must of course be allowed to come. But steer so that not everyone pats the puppy at the same time and make sure that the puppy gets breaks.
Finally, we want to point out that the puppy does need mental stimulation and physical activity. BUT it must not be exaggerated either. Passivity and rest are at least as important! When the puppy has moved in, no extra stimulation is needed in a couple of days. Then the new house, you and your other animals (if you have one) will be great. You notice when the puppy is at home and starts to get bored;) That's when the walls start to chew on! But in the beginning it is full of everything new!
PLAYTIME
The puppies think that most things are fun. Balls, tug of war with just about anything you can find. Your body is great fun! The hand under the blanket or rug is exciting!
The puppy needs a lot of mental stimulation, it is difficult to get them really tired of just physical activity. They need to get things figured out. Here are some simple and fun tips.
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When they are small, empty toilet rolls as they are, rags, old socks (which can be filled with newspaper or other "rattles") are great fun toys! The toilet rolls can then be increased in difficulty by placing a candy and pushing the ends of the roller so that it is closed, then the puppy has to figure out how to access the candy. When the puppy grows, some form of tape can make it difficult, but then be sure to monitor so that the puppy does not eat the tape!
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Rubber toys should be of the toughest quality. Amstaffen has strong jaw muscles and rarely gives in before it has demolished the toy.
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Candy under a blanket or cushion is good for the little puppy, the more it grows the harder it is for the candy to be hidden.
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Kurra-Hiding is a good game that can be really difficult for the puppy in the beginning, so hide easily. The bigger the puppy becomes, the harder you can hide.
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There are lots of "brain-gym" games on the market to buy. If you want one, avoid those that are made of plastic, they go into a thousand pieces pretty quickly after the amstaff got hold of it! And no matter how fun they seem, the amstaffs solve the simpler games far too quickly and then basically lose interest. It's better with homemade things in the long run.
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Small simple scent tracks can be laid early on the lawn, for example if you intend to have the puppy as a track. Lots of scent, short track and good reward. We do not recommend that you put small pieces of the candy as it requires such small amounts for it to be a whole meal for the puppy which it then has to skip and it gets a little crazy.
WALKING
One thing that is important to remember is that an amstaff puppy, if it gets, walks until it falls. This can have serious consequences as the puppy gets older. As an owner, you have to use a little common sense in how far you can go with a small puppy.
At home in the house or in the yard, it can go away when it gets tired, go to bed somewhere. But on a walk, the walk is too interesting and all fatigue is forgotten. We recommend a harness or regular collar for the puppy and a Flexi leash to safely train summoning and a regular leash for the puppy to get a feeling of being stuck.
But we want you to let the puppy be loose as often as you can and have the opportunity. Recall can be started training immediately (of course we train on this before the puppy also moves). Here too, the word "hit" may not mean much in the beginning, but say it when the puppy is still on its way to you and praise lots when it arrives. If you want to use a whistle or click, it is also good to have it from the beginning. It is also good to use these at meal times so that the puppy understands that the sound means something good - Now it's food .
SOCIALIZATION
One should be aware that it is a breed that feeds part of its owner. It requires a firm owner. As a person, you should be confident and determined in your actions, consistent and fair in your upbringing. Like all dogs, the breed develops after socialization, training and upbringing. How amstaff works with other dogs and animals is the same as with all other breeds; Individually. What is typical of the amstaff is that it can have a rather rigid body language, which so many other dogs of this breed type have. It can often be misinterpreted by the other dogs and that they also often skip the important greeting phrase and go straight to play, a rather harsh one. The breed has small signals that happen quickly, which means that there can be a tumult among the dogs. Many amstaffs have a lot of hunting in them and especially on smaller, fast animals. As the breed is very playful and can see a toy in most things. This means that it may take a lot of patience and time to get them to accept and work with the family's rabbit or cat.
By allowing your puppy to follow and experience as much as possible from the beginning and meet other stable adult dogs and animals in a safe and secure way, you prevent your dog from having problems with these situations in the future. Should your puppy be scared, de-dramatize by approaching the object the puppy is afraid of and handle it in a relaxed way, without making any big deal of the thing in front of the puppy.
Good socialization and good experiences from the puppy stage are important. Think about what your / your life together should look like in 4 years. What should you experience together, living apartment-house, what everyday situations your dog must be able to handle - friends' dogs, children, other animals (large and small) trips, etc. This is something that the puppy already needs to have good experience of. Puppy and young dog courses are something we strongly recommend that you start with when the puppy has received his 12-week vaccine.
PUPPY TEETH
When the puppy is born, it is toothless, which is certainly nice for the nursing bitch who avoids the sharp puppy teeth.
At about 3 weeks of age, the first tooth looks forward and it usually coincides with the bitch's milk production starting to decrease. Over a couple of weeks, a total of 28 baby teeth will now grow out, 14 in the upper jaw and 14 in the lower jaw.
Everyone who has met a puppy knows that their baby teeth are sharp, it really hurts to be bitten by them. But there is a biological reason for this - dogs in the wild encounter half-digested food for their puppies. This food often contains tough meat, muscle membranes and skin and the puppies' sharp teeth process this into narrow strips that are easier for the body to assimilate.
When the puppy is about 4 months old, the change between baby teeth and permanent teeth begins. The permanent tooth grows outwards and pushes away the baby tooth while the body absorbs the root of the baby tooth. The first teeth that fall out are usually the ones at the front of the upper jaw. The teeth of the lower jaw usually come shortly after.
When the dog is six months old, the permanent teeth have usually grown out. They are 42 in number. The teeth should fill in the dental arch and there should be no cramps. In some dogs, the baby tooth does not fall off but the permanent tooth grows up next to it, then you should have a veterinarian remove the baby tooth so that the permanent teeth are not damaged.
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When the puppy bites
For many puppy owners, it is a problem that the puppy bites them in the hands and even attacks the feet and legs when it is in that mood. How to get the puppy to stop biting?
Your puppy is probably neither aggressive nor crazy, but just a puppy. The puppy discovers and feels most things by chewing and biting. It gets to know its surroundings in this way. Many times the behavior grows away, but it is not safe and then you stand there with an adult dog bitten, which of course is not acceptable.
Different ways to get rid of the bite
Died
Start by trying to distract the puppy when it wants to bite your hands or feet. Make sure you have some easily accessible toys and give the puppy. But do not play with the toy but give the puppy the toy and walk away. If you start playing with the puppy in this situation, you can get a dog that starts by biting into your hands to start a play, which of course is not desirable.
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Use your voice
Giving you a valid sound like "AJ", when the puppy bites and immediately leaving, usually works for most people. Always say the word NO when there is something the puppy is not allowed to do, it may still take a while before the puppy understands the meaning of the word, but it is faster and easier if the words / "commands" you want to use are included from the beginning in the events .
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A little to think about
It itches in the mouth when brushing teeth. When the puppy is between four and six months old, it loses its puppy teeth. When the new teeth grow out, it can itch a little, which means that the puppy then wants to chew and bite most things. Then give the puppy something hard to chew on a chewing bone or a carrot diverts the problem and the puppy gets an outlet because it itches in the mouth.
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Things to bite into
We always have lots of things to bite into in front of us always, chews, soft toys, leather, rags, strings, blankets, balls, yes what you can think of. Try as much as possible to have things available for the puppy that it can bite into. If it takes any of your things, mark "no - mine", and take the puppy off the thing, then give the puppy something it can have. It usually goes pretty fast to learn them.
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FOOD AND FEED
At the kennel, the puppy has eaten Doggy's puppy food soaked varied with a meal of homemade food that contains eggs, meat, vegetables, vitamins and minerals. We have noticed that when the puppy has access to different food and raw meat, fresh food, etc., both the puppy and the adult dog get a more stable stomach that does not get bad so easily. They tolerate most of the dead voles, snails and other things that it stuffs into itself.
As long as the puppy is small, it should eat its fill in general. Some puppies may need more food, some less and it is important to follow how the puppy is feeling and not just according to the producers' amount of food. Adjust the amount of food so that your dog is not too thick or too small. A good trick is that the ribs should be felt, but not visible.
Basic recipe for homemade dog food
For 10 kg dog / day
1-2 dl meat / poultry / fish / eggs
2-4 dl vegetables and rice / food grains
1 tbsp Standard Cook (available at the pet store) *
1 tbsp Fat / oil
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Make a larger batch that lasts for about 1 week or longer (freeze). The food otherwise stays good for about 1 week in the fridge.
Boil meat / minced meat / poultry / fish and let cool in its spade. If there are bones with the meat, it can be boiled as there are lots of nutrients that are released from the bones during cooking, but then throw away the cooked bones that must not be given to dogs. Save the nutritious shovel. Finely chop the meat. Eggs are given here boiled and peeled. Feel free to vary the meat variant between cooks. One week it will be e.g. chicken and the second week it will be minced meat or salmon, perhaps mixed with eggs. Choose what is at extra price. Store in a jar in the refrigerator.
Boil the vegetables that can be from the freezer counter, choose something / some of e.g. Summer vegetables, green beans, wax beans, peas and carrots. Carrots are generally kind to the stomach. Feel free to cook in the meat spatula. Mix with a hand mixer.
Boil rice or food grains well as described on the package. Choose what works best for your dog.
Mix equal parts rice / food grains with the vegetable mix. Store in a jar in the refrigerator.
When serving, Pour Standard Cook and fat on the food. Fats can be rapeseed oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, fish oil, unsalted butter, lard, etc.).
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* As an alternative to Standard Cooking, you can take:
½ teaspoon Hundapotekets Lime + 1 teaspoon Haelthy Paws Herbolistic (these contain only natural vitamins and minerals). Follow the instructions on the package carefully.
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NOTE! The dog must always have access to clean and fresh water. When changing feed, make a slow transition for 1-2 weeks and mix the old feed with the new one. Give more and more of the new feed and less and less of the old.
Age / Meal
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Supper
4-6 months
About 15 kg
Kl. 6.00
Soak 108g dry food (2 parts water / 1 part dry food)
Kl. 11.00
0.5 d l meat / poultry / fish / eggs, 1 dl vegetables and rice, ¼ tbsp Standard Cook *, 0.25 tbsp cooking oil.
Kl. 16.00
Soak 108g dry food (2 parts water / 1 part dry food)
Kl. 20.00
Soak 108g dry food (2 parts water / 1 part dry food)
2-4 months
About 10 kg
Kl. 6.00
Soak 122g dry food (1 part water / 1 part dry food)
Kl. 12.00
1 dl meat / poultry / fish / eggs, 2 dl vegetables and rice, 0.5 tbsp Standard Cook *, 0.5 tbsp cooking oil.
Kl. 18.00
Soak 122g dry food (1 part water / 1 part dry food)
6-9 months
About 18 kg
Kl. 6.00
167g dry food
Kl. 12.00
1 , 5 dl meat / poultry / fish / eggs, 3 dl vegetables and rice, 0.75 tbsp Standard Cook *, 0.75 tbsp cooking oil.
Kl. 18.00
167g dry food
9-12 months
About 20 kg
About 1 year
About 22 kg
Kl. 6.00
255g dry food
Kl. 6.00
255g dry food
(time to switch to adult food)
Kl. 18.00
2 dl meat / poultry / fish / eggs, 4 dl vegetables and rice, 1 tbsp Standard Cook *, 1 tbsp cooking oil.
Kl. 18.00
2 dl meat / poultry / fish / eggs, 4 dl vegetables and rice, 1 tbsp Standard Cook *, 1 tbsp cooking oil.
Dangerous food for the dog
There are a lot of foods that are directly harmful and sometimes even fatal to a dog. Among the most dangerous is chocolate, the higher the cocoa content the more dangerous. Avocado, raw broccoli, nuts, grapes, spices, corn on the cob, raisins, unfermented dough, mold cheese, fluoride, xylitol or onions in any form should not be given to your dog either. Avoid giving the dog bird, fish and pork bones as these can chip and damage the stomach and intestinal tract.
CARE AND CARE
Teeth and mouth
We recommend training the puppy from the beginning to brush his teeth. Start by brushing with water for a few seconds. Reward afterwards with something good. This will not only keep tartar away but also facilitate health checks of the mouth and if the puppy has taken something that it absolutely should not have. If the puppy and the adult dog have access to chewing bones, this is also good for both teeth and mouth.
Claw clipping
The puppies are used to claw trimming, but small puppies rarely find it fun to get stuck, so cutting the claws when the puppy is tired makes it much easier! Cut a little and often rather than a lot and rarely! Filing the claws can be a trick to get the puppy used to handling the claws and holding it for a while. Reward with a candy after you finish.
Ears
The ears may need to be inspected sometimes, but do not clean ears that look nice, then you can create problems instead of preventing them. If your ears smell or are dirty, call a veterinarian instead. Never use earplugs.
Deworming
The puppies are dewormed at 3 weeks and 6 weeks and we recommend that you do it again at 9 weeks of age. Deworming is done so that worm spores can go from the bitch via the milk to the puppy. It takes about 21 days for the spores to become a finished mask and you should therefore deworm just before that time has passed.
Vaccination
The puppy is vaccinated at 8 weeks and needs another syringe at 12 weeks. It is a good idea to book that syringe with you as a puppy buyer at a veterinarian as soon as possible.
The next vaccination should take place at the age of 1 and every four years thereafter. Vaccinating more often does not mean that the dog gets better protection.
Room cleanliness
Amstaffs can generally be a bit late in getting room clean. Plenty of patience, praise when it happens in the right place and ignore when it goes wrong.
We have trained the puppies to go out and treat themselves after every meal and every time they wake up. But it's in a hurry! They do not have many seconds before it needs out.
At night, both urination and poop accidents usually happen inside. Try to take the puppy out as late as possible to pee and poop so the night accidents will probably release soon as well.
Right after the move, everything can be a little different, it is so much new and exciting so finding the front door is not the most important thing so you have to carry the puppy out after every meal and nap.
Puppies are usually very interested in the larger dogs when they pee and poop, so a tip is also to let the adult dog be with, if you have one and if the adult dog tolerates a small puppy who tries to do the same in that situation of course.
THE PUPPY GROWS UP
An amstaffen is not fully grown until he is 3 years old. It is important to know even if it becomes sexually mature much earlier. It is therefore only at the age of 3 that you can see the results of education and training. A large part of the amstaff's upbringing is spent working with the brain and socialization as well as environmental training.
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The ghost age
Ghost age is certain phases in the puppy's upbringing as the senses take a step back in development and the puppy can become much more afraid of himself for a while. This can usually be a real change as the puppy goes from one day being completely unafraid to the next day being afraid of his own shadow. These phases pass, but they are good to know!
The first ghost age usually appears when the puppy is 9-10 months (but it can start as early as 6 months or come as late as around the year). Normally, they then have a couple more such phases, one at about 1.5 years and one at 2.5 years. It varies between individuals how much and how strongly they are noticed. In the later stages, it is often noticed by the puppy trying to dominate or scare.
1. Continue to socialize. Do not break contact with other people, the dog needs to learn that strangers are not dangerous. However, reduce the stress so that your training does not have the opposite effect.
2. De-dramatize. Go yourself to the object the puppy is afraid of and handle it in a relaxed way, without making any big deal of the thing in front of the dog.
3. Died. Move the puppy's focus away from the upsetting moment and be calm and safe yourself.
4. Praise. Reward the dog when it is calm.
5. Play loudly. Train the puppy to handle noise by, for example, hiding sweets under or on top of swaying saucepan lids, or play next to a construction site. Of course, you should not go so close that the dog's hearing (or your own) can be damaged!
6. Rank carefully. In the ghost age, the dog begins to try to climb in rank. Then you as a herd leader should very carefully and without violence show that it is still you who decides by being clear and consistent.
Education
One thing we want to point out is to say "now it's enough" instead of "it's good now" as the latter actually tells the puppy / dog that we are happy with what it does.
We also often use whispers when we want the attention from the puppy / dog. Amstaffs have extremely good hearing (like most other dogs) and a whisper stands out more than a cry.
When the puppy gets things to chew on, we immediately start by "borrowing" the chewing bone / toy or whatever it is. Of course, we have already done that for a couple of weeks, but now it's time for you to continue.
We do this: we give a chewing bone, let the puppy have it for a while, go there, sit down quietly next to it and let the puppy see that we are there, grab one side of the chewing bone and say "loose", if the puppy does not let go the leg so we gently "tie" up the mouth (here you have to make sure that the puppy does NOT take it as a threat or punishment but was natural or dingy or whatever, but not hard on the voice !!!). When the jaw is open, we take the chewing bone and say loose (much praise only), we keep the chewing bone for a while and lock that we look at it and tell the puppy what a nice chewing bone it is. Then say goodbye and return it. You do not go on directly again, but now the puppy should enjoy his chewing bone. But if he / she has it for a long time, you can go back and repeat the procedure again the same day.
You then repeat this with EVERYTHING the puppy has in his mouth!
If the puppy tries to bite or chop when you have to take something it has in its mouth, then there is a trick that works to 99% if it is repeated a few times! You put your finger on the puppy's upper lip and press it over the teeth in the upper jaw. When the puppy then tries to bite you, he / she will bite in his / her own lip and it is neither nice nor popular, but after a couple of times the growling and attempts to bite are usually blown away. Then the puppy can show in a thousand other ways that it does not like you taking things from it, but it does not have to do that either. However, you must be able to do that. As long as the puppy shows his dissatisfaction in an acceptable way, we believe that he has the right to have an opinion. But it MUST NOT bite / chop or threaten.
If you want to use a clicker, whistle or the word here when summoned, start using it at meals and the puppy will come towards you voluntarily, both outside and inside. In the end, it will understand the sound / word and that it should go to you.
TIPS ON DOG SPORTS
Amstaffs are intensely aware of what is happening in their environment. They are curious, fast and agile. Because it is a terrier, it goes quickly from thought to action. It is strong for its size and has a lot of energy, energy that it needs to put on something useful. Good basic obedience and sufficient activation are important for life with an amstaff to be positive for both owner and dog. It feels best to get both mental stimulation and exercise. An understimulated AST is an AST that often takes matters into its own hands, and then it rarely happens as you intended. Amstaffen is suitable for most dog sports because it is a dog that is both athletic and loves to work.
Nose Work
In the dog sport nosework, the dog may use one of its main senses, the sense of smell. It is a general dog sport where all dogs can participate. In nosework, the dog and his handler must search for specific scents in different environments. The dog sport is inspired by the challenges that professional search dogs perform daily in, for example, the police and customs. But it is also an easy and fun way to activate your dog!
Most dogs find it exciting to use the nose. Nose work also gives the dog both physical and mental stimulation when it searches with you for the scents, which can be placed both inside and outside, at different heights, surfaces, vehicles and in boxes. As a dog sport, nosework has its roots in American dog stables, where it was used to activate dogs waiting for them to get new homes. From there, nosework has developed into a form of training and competition that many companion dogs enjoy. If you want to compete in nosework, the dog must first pass a scent test, which it must perform at the earliest at 10 months of age. After that, it is welcome to start competing after it turns one year old.
Rally obedience
In rally obedience, joy, cooperation, contact between dog and driver are in focus. It is a general dog sport where all dogs can participate. Rally obedience is a sport where the dog and driver complete a course with signs that illustrate various steps to be performed. The signs can say, for example, "360 degrees right", "slalom", "sit" or "send over obstacles". Rally in the name does not mean that it should go fast without the dog "driving" a course according to the "map reader", the driver, instructions.
But the most important thing is to have fun with your dog. When walking a track, the driver should not touch the dog, but it is free to encourage, shout, clap your hands and cheer in other ways. Rally obedience is an excellent activity for the average family dog. The dog does not have to perform all the steps perfectly to get a good result. No physically demanding elements are included and therefore the dog sport is also suitable for dogs and drivers of all ages. Rally obedience competitions are open to all dogs over 10 months old. The dogs can participate in four classes: beginner, advanced, advanced and master. Everyone starts in the beginner class and then climbs up the scale after they have achieved qualifying results.
Agility
In agility, the dog and driver must complete an obstacle course on time. It is a general dog sport where all dogs can participate. Seesaw, sack, tunnel, deck, balance beam - these are just some of the obstacles that the dog must overcome over and through in an agility competition. The course must be completed in the shortest possible time and without mistakes or refusals.
Agility is an easy and entertaining sport, often both the speed and the mood are high - and the dog is at least as delighted as the audience. It is also a show in advanced interaction, and requires a lot of training and a close and sensitive cooperation between dog and driver. Remember that agility is a demanding sport for your dog as well. The dog should be at least a year old and fully grown before you start training seriously.
DOG SHOW
At a dog show you can show your dog and get a statement on its merits. You can also win prizes and other awards. Dog shows give all dog enthusiasts the chance to see nice dogs and meet like-minded people in nice ways. Dog shows give us as breeders the opportunity to get a "receipt" on our breeding from an appearance and breed typical perspective. But to participate in mind, this is a nice way to spend the day with your dog and other dog enthusiasts, and an opportunity to learn more about your dog breed.
TIPS AND TRICKS
Amstaffs love play and food. Whichever
works best, however, is individual!
Encouraging voice can get an amstaff
from wandering in their own world
"Unaware that you exist" to become
overjoyed that you have finally arrived.
BEHAVIORAL AND PERSONALITY DESCRIPTION DOG (BPH)
BPH is designed to fit all dogs. For all dogs, they must be ID-marked, vaccinated and have reached 1 year of age, but there is no upper age limit. The owner or driver must be a member of a county club or a special club / race club. It helps you as a dog owner to get to know your dog a little better and is valuable in the breeding work for us as breeders when we evaluate our breeding work or choose breeding animals for the next generation. The description takes about 45 minutes and contains eight different steps. The purpose is to get an idea of how the dog reacts to and handles different situations. These include meeting strangers, playing, working to access food and encountering surprises.
MENTAL DESCRIPTION DOG (MH)
Mental description dog (MH) describes the behaviors that, through research, have been shown to be highly hereditary. During an MH, the dog and owner go through a course with different elements where these behaviors are documented. All dog owners with dogs registered in SKK have the opportunity to report their dog to MH and they give the dog owner a good idea of who the dog is at the other end of the leash. MH has also aroused great interest outside Sweden. MH is not a test where the dog is approved or failed, but is a description that is recorded. The dog must be 1 year old, registered in SKK, ID-marked, fully healthy and vaccinated according to rules to participate.
MENTAL DESCRIPTION PUPPY (MV)
The purpose of describing puppies is to eventually get a basis, which can be evaluated and be a complement to the mental description dog (MH). Mental description puppy is also intended to be an aid to the breeder in choosing suitable puppy buyers. MV is done when they are 7-9 weeks old and gives a description of the puppy's behavior in specific situations. The description is performed in an isolated space where the puppy has not been before or in an enclosure outdoors.
The description contains 11 elements where the puppy descriptor describes the puppy's behaviors; interest / curiosity, greeting, contact, playfulness, form of arrest, ability to act and anxiety.
The description ends with the puppy descriptor estimating how active and safe the puppy has been during the steps. The breeder estimates how active the puppy is in everyday life and in relation to other puppies in the litter.
The puppy descriptor must be a person that the puppies have not met before.
RACED PROBLEMS AND DISEASES
Amstaffen is basically a healthy breed. The most common problem is skin conditions such as itching, rashes, red paws and allergies. These disorders usually occur before the age of three. Therefore, we wait to breed our dogs before they are 3 years old. A large proportion of the X-rayed dogs have hip dysplasia (HD) and elbow dysplasia (ED). Therefore, the breed has a health program from 2014-01-01 for HD and ED with requirements that the parent animals have official HD and ED status before mating so that the puppies can be registered in SKK and have a pedigree. Cruciate ligament injuries also occur and are prevented with well-balanced and varied exercise on a good surface. Another racial disease is cerebellar ataxia (NCL-A, instability and coordination difficulties, so-called amstaff ataxia) which is an incurable neurological disease. We have therefore chosen that at least one of the parent animals should have a known status for ataxia to see if they carry the gene. Then we use the result when we select a partner as the disease is autosomal recessive. Which means that both parents must carry the predisposition, and carry them on for the puppy to fall ill.