| WEEK 2 Everything has been going according to plan. As you can see from the 3 day old photos on the last page, the litter is very uniform in size, structure and appearance. Even their little heads are remarkable in similarity. It will be interesting to see how they type out as they age. I have been in love with Piper and little boy number 3 (the solid one) since day one! |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
| Piper our little pied girl is a beauty. We have been handling and imprinting the pups. I will be curios to see how our observations turn out. At this time Piper is relaxed and quiet. Their eyes opened 2 days ago. She has no trouble on her back or with struggling of any kind. The first too do everything, she is on her feet and trying to walk. She has a lovely head and awesome show quality pattern. She appears to have some length of neck. Her coat is moderate. She has the only single dewclaws in the litter. They all look like Guinea Pigs at 2 weeks! |
| The Group of 5 Pups 2 Females & 3 Males |
| The TWO GIRLS are at the top of the page. ALL PUPS ARE LONG-HAIRED!!! |
| Valhalla's Golden Pied Piper |
| Piper has one white ear and will be BAER's tested if available |
| All Valhalla pups are temperament tested at 49 days of age by a professional behaviorist. They are structurally evaluated by one of three hand selected AKC judges whenever possible. Each of these judges offer useful and DIFFERING insight regarding each puppy and the Valhalla breeding program as a whole. Done by experts, hopefully their findings will support my placement decisions! I am paying these individuals for thier OPINION, which may at times differ from my own. This is the world of selective dog breeding and kennel management. We know our foundation dogs better than anyone. Their puppies are a different story. These evaluations not only help with placements, but hopefully prevent me from becoming "kennel blind." I began this process with my first Valhalla litterbeing evaluated a few years ago. I found the information so useful, I commited to the process. Now, my puppy buyers are invited to these evaluations whenever possible. It gives them an excellent opportunity to learn more about their new puppy, too ask questions and to begin a lifelong journey of self-education on the breed which is essential for new owners of breeding, show or performance dogs! Their presence also clarifies why no placements are guarenteed prior to the evaluations. |
| IMPORTANT PUPPY EVALUATION INFORMATION |
|
|
| Valhalla's "Mystique" This little girl is a dead ringer for her brother. If you look at their heads they are consistent also. I actually like the heads on the other two boys the best. This little girl is well balanced and uniform. She has responded to touch stimulus well and will roll on her back. She is the ONLY puppy who remains a little "grabby" with her paws indicating some insecurity. But it is very minimul. |
|
|
| THE BOYS |
|
|
|
| "Polaris" This little guy is outgoing and adventurous. Double dews, he is exactly like his sister except he has the best coat at this time with lots of density. He doesn't mind the lift, or belly rub. He "saw" VooDoo, emitted a scream and backed away. He didn't "stress" over it and went to sleep resting on my chest. It will be interesting to see what coat color he develops into. |
| Valhalla's Klondike Gold Rush "Klondike" This boy already has some lighter hair coming into the high black mask. His color is very clean. He has the same typical look as the rest of the litter only I like the dish to the face but it looks like his muzzle is narrowing. Awesome underjaw. He tolerates all the touching but is the most edgy of the pups. He doesn't like being lifted now and you can feel a jump in heart rate which quickly returns to normal. He is also a mover and one to do things first. |
| Male Pups 1 and 2 show width of head in lighter Pup 2 |
| The 3 male pups are joined by their sister on the Right. She is lighter |
| Candid's of the Litter. Watch here for new pictures taken in between the weeks! |
|
|
|
|
|
| Valhalla's Strike the Gold "Stryker" The adventurer. Stryker is independant and strong. He LOVES people and the other dogs. The first to vocalize, he wasn't found of the white glare from outside the window (snow) and he protested with growl like sounds. He startled himself! He has a beautiful head like his littermates. He is my pick because he is shorter of back and appears to have a nice rear. To date, this litter is quiet which is a great relief (when barking at 2-3 weeks, I question the potential temperaments of adults). Only exposure (GSD and sun brightness) resulted in vocalization but not barking! I plan to selectively breed "quiet" dogs whenever they meet my standards in all other way. |
 |
| Valhalla's Heart of Gold "Mystique" |
| VALHALLA'S CELESTIAL GIFT O' GOLD |