Oakwood German Pinschers & Manchester Terriers

Our Vision and Philosophy:

"Oakwood" is the prefix for dogs bred and lovingly raised in my home. I breed very selectively so when I do breed a litter, I am implementing a thoroughly researched multigenerational plan to produce dogs of superior quality, temperament and health.

My priority as a breeder is to produce one or two fantastic litters in each of my two breeds each year. A small well thought out breeding program produces puppies that are well socialized, healthy and beautiful. Once our pups are old enough to travel we head out to shows for lots of fun and socialization. Oakwood dogs finish with limited visits to the show ring and prove their quality by consistently winning at the national and international level.

A Vision of Temperament:

A breeder must have a vision of what they want to produce in their bloodlines and what characteristics are important to them to reproduce in their dogs. At Oakwood, I am as focused on producing dogs of stable temperament while ensuring my dogs exhibit the highest quality in conformation and breed type. A solid personality makes both a wonderful life-long companion for those pups who are beloved pets as well as those who are lucky enough to be selected to be show dogs.

All Oakwood dogs are first and foremost family companions and need to be a joy for their owners to have in their homes. All our dogs live peacefully together in my home.

Puppies begin socialization at birth and are handled by family members and visitors until immunized. Puppies begin taking trips to local parks, dog handling classes, puppy match shows and to any community activities to meet new people after they have been properly immunized.

A Vision of Health:

Both the Manchester Terrier and the German Pinscher, in comparison to other breeds, are relatively free of inherited diseases. To ensure we are producing dogs free from inherited genetic disorders, all dogs are DNA tested for vonWillebrands Disease (a bleeding disorder) or have been proven DNA clear by parentage. We x-ray to ensure there is no evidence of Hip Dysplasia (German Pinschers) or Legg-Perthes disease (Manchester Terriers) and do routine heart screenings with a certified cardiologist. We complete opthamological exams with both breeds to ensure that eye diseases are not in evidence. Cataracts are prevalent in the German Pinscher and yearly certification is a must for breeding animals. Eye problems are rare in Manchesters and eye exams are completed on a 2-3 year cycle. Thyroid problems can be inherited and are not uncommon in either breed especially in a dog's elder years. We complete baseline thyroid testing between 1 and 2 years of age and screen for thyroid biannually thereafter.

We do not believe in over-vaccination and applaud the AVMA for their new vaccination protocol. AVMA has finally acknowledged that, just like humans, animals remain at full immunity for life once properly immunized with a series of shots during infancy. This means that yearly booster shots, which can cause serious illness to a fully immunized adult dog, can be eliminated. Only rabies, which is required by law, are routinely given to our adult dogs.

Oakwood dogs are fed a combination of high quality commercial dog food (Eukanuba Adult Maintenance) supplemented with a raw diet of human grade foods in keeping with the Bones and Raw Food (BARF) diet. Information on B.A.R.F. can be found by searching for the diet on line. The books by veterinarian Dr. Ian Billinghurst, while an excellent resource, are a bit outdated. BARF is a commonly accepted feeding method for those interested in natural or alternative methods of feeding and is now available commercially.

A Vision of Conformation:

While the intent of any breeding program is to produce that breeder's next spectacular specimen for the show ring, at Oakwood, temperament and health are of equal importance as proper conformation in choosing a stud dog or brood bitch for a breeding program. Improving a dog's structure for the conformation ring is a very long and slow process involving complicated control of multifaceted genetics and just a bit of luck. Breeders cannot ignore the importance of temperament and health while working toward their vision of their ideal dog's conformation. Since a majority of puppies produced in any breeding program are companions living in pet homes, Oakwood's emphasis is on temperament and health without sacrificing structure. A sound dog constructed with properly angulated shoulders and rears makes for a dog who moves effortlessly and can still perform the work it was bred to do. At Oakwood, we will not sacrifice a healthy, sound and properly structured dog for "typiness".

Our two National Award of Merit Winners - AMTC National 2002, Punch and Cajun

We are striving to produce sound dogs of correct structure for competition worldwide, not just in the United States. Dogs are selected for our breeding programs in both breeds that are sound in body and that epitomize our vision of what the ideal breed type should be. We never sacrifice our vision of excellence for a dog show win and we place show prospects into pet homes if they do not meet our high standards as they mature. I will not present a dog in the show ring that is unsound.

A vision of my responsibility as a breeder :

I love my dogs with a deep passion and have a tremendous commitment to ensuring each one has the best life possible. While it breaks my heart each time I place a beloved adult who has retired from both the show ring and from my breeding program, I believe I am doing the right thing for the dog. I could not bear to put my retiree's out of the house and into a kennel where they would be isolated from family life and where they would only see me for a few short periods of time each day. I choose instead to find wonderful forever homes where each dog can be the center of their new owners universe. My heartache at placing them turns into joy as I get photos of my beloved dogs in front of Christmas trees with their presents, on boats, hiking with their doggy backpacks or just lounging on the couch. I know I've done the right thing when I see how pampered and loved my retirees are in their new homes. In order to continue to home raise and properly socialize and train my dogs to be wonderful ambassadors of the breed, I limit myself to keeping no more than 10 dogs. The testimonials I receive from the new owners are so rewarding that it makes me sure that I am doing the right thing for my best friends.

FUN PHOTOS OF OAKWOOD DOGS BEING DOGS!

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