Update Aug 8, 08
Hello,
My name is Pam Knust. I have had poodles all my life
and I've been grooming small dogs since 1980. Most of the years were grooming at my home. I did groom in a large pet
store for about 4 years when I lived in Ohio. That's a whole 'nother ball game!! and I won't even go there. I enjoy working
alone and being at home.
My kids are grown and gone and the house was quiet.
In 2004 I filled our empty house with Poodles, it's not quiet anymore! :o). I chose to buy puppies instead of grown
breeders mainly because I wanted pets, not kennel dogs. I wanted to house break them, keep them in my home, and when they
retire they will live out their life with me.
I wash a boat load of piddle pads! I have "potty places" in each room complete with fire hydrants for the lil boys.
I vaccinate and worm the
puppies according to schedule and they go home with their medical record.
They
all drink reverse osmosis OR distilled water. I start feeding my puppies dry Eukanuba Small Breed puppy mixed
with dry BilJac Select between 4 to 6 weeks, depending on the litter situation. I soak the dry Euk food in
a mixture of boiled ground beef with the broth, egg, and cottage cheese, then cover and soak in the fridge. (do
not soak BilJac!)
I feed **Eukanuba** Small Breed Adult
or High Performance Active (same protein, fat content), Eukanuba Small Breed Puppy. I also give a handful of Flint
River Trout and Sweet Potato and Bil Jac Select for treats. I am going back to rawhide,
BIG pieces, and throw them away when they are half gone. The nylabone stories scare me more than the rawhide stories!! They
like the bully sticks also. Throw them away when they get short. (Due to the economy, gas and shipping
prices, I no longer feed the expensive holistic dog foods, instead I use boiled low fat ground beef, egg and
cottage cheese with Eukanuba dry )
I recommend you feed Eukanuba. I insist you feed it at
least for the first 10 days before you start a slow changover to what ever you decide to feed. Eukanuba is a
great balanced food for small dogs. The change over can sometimes cause big upset in a tiny dogs system.
Nursing mothers get goats milk and/or homemade chicken
broth twice a day for the first couple of weeks and a calcium tablet for 6 weeks. I give the tiny tiny puppies
my puppy formula.
My Young Puppies NEVER go outside. My adults go
out for short periods of time and are monitored very closely.
UPDATE: June 1 2006:
I have a new little "Poodle Yard" right outside the back
door. My Daddy and I put up the fence Memorial Day weekend 2006. Now the poodles can go outside and play in their "SAFE" area,
lay around in the dark green grass and chew on their rawhide sticks, snooze in the sunshine, or lay on the cool patio
and watch the birds , and best of all Potty Outside!! yee haw! Early mornings and late evenings I sit on the patio and watch
them enjoy life. I also have a tiny pen area right out the front door for them to go out.
My poodles are crate trained, the puppies
are raised up in 'puppy pen' complete with bed and wee wee pads. I do have crates and cages enough to be able to
separate the males and females in season when needed. This is an absolute necessity to insure true breeding. I have no problem
in crating my dogs. If Im going to be gone away from home for 4 or 5 hours, they go in their crate. They eat their 'wet'
food in their crate so each gets his own share. When you come to pick up your puppy, you will notice all poodles, except the
parents of your puppy, are crated. Most of the time tho, they are loose in the house, you will also notice the
potty pads around the house.
The babies are born in the birthing box and
stay there until they decide its time for them to get out and run loose!!!, then they go to the puppy pen.
I love what I do and wouldn't trade my profession for
any other job in the world. I like being at home 24/7 with my dogs. I love grooming. I also board my customers furkids.
I especially love boarding my adopted puppies! They come in just like they never left. Check out the nursery or
email to see what I have coming up.
pam
