How do our dogs live?

Our dogs live in a medium-sized area on a farm located slightly outside in a rural environment. The dogs are accustomed to both outdoor and indoor living.

Due to our location, the dogs are constantly exposed to various external stimuli. They encounter everyday and agricultural traffic such as cars, motorcycles, tractors, and trucks on the road. We have sheep and some chickens as neighbors, which can be observed by the dogs from their enclosure. This exposure helps reduce their hunting instinct as they become accustomed to the animals from an early age. A black powder shooting range is located a few hundred meters away at the edge of the forest, which is regularly used for training purposes on weekends. As a result, our dogs are accustomed to gunfire and are also not bothered by fireworks. 

During the season from September to April/May, the dogs are regularly harnessed to a scooter, bicycle, or training cart, and sometimes a sled, depending on the weather conditions. Currently, we engage in this activity as a hobby due to time constraints, not for official races. We train for sprint or lower middle-distance distances, covering up to 150km per week, depending on the weather. Outside the season, we engage in activities such as hiking, trekking tours, and lunging. The dogs also enjoy scent games, so we often hide food throughout the garden or go for mantrailing. In addition to exercise training, our dogs are also trained for dog shows, which helps develop their physical perception and their bond with us.

Furthermore, some of our dogs are "trained" as therapy or assistance dogs, especially in the physiotherapeutic and educational fields. I regularly take some of my dogs to physiotherapy seminars, and Marcel works with children in kindergarten for educational purposes. I primarily use medical training, which is mainly based on marker training.

Our dogs are lovingly and consistently trained, and the same approach is taken when raising our puppies and integrating them into the pack, so they learn to communicate with humans and other dogs.

We work with all our dogs on various cognitive levels, which provide different forms of stimulation and challenge. As a result, our dogs are always open and friendly towards people.

Our dogs are fed a combination of a raw food diet (BARF) and sometimes dry food. Each dog has its own "eating area" and must wait calmly until they are allowed to start eating. This training primarily focuses on impulse control, which we consider to be extremely important.

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What must a dog have to be used for breeding at Royalsans?

At Royalsans, only dogs that meet the following criteria are used for breeding:

• Regular vaccination and deworming, including the ShppiL4T vaccine.

• Possession of internationally recognized FCI papers.

• Ancestry free from diseases that restrict or cause pain in life.

• Good health and successful completion of the following examinations:

  • Hip (and elbow) X-rays.

  • Eye examination by a specialized DOK veterinary ophthalmologist, testing for over 15 conditions.

  • Gonioscopy to test the angle of the eye chamber (a component for the development of glaucoma).

  • Embark DNA analysis, which tests for over 200 genetic diseases, the actual inbreeding coefficient, genetic diversity, and more. If there are full siblings in the breeding, only one of them is tested, provided that all tests are negative.

  • Genetic testing for Siberian Husky Polyneuropathy and Shaking Puppy Syndrome (Siberian Husky Variant 1).

  • Comprehensive blood work, general examination, and worm and Giardia testing before mating.

  • Intestinal reconstruction using pre- and probiotics at least twice a year after each deworming or antibiotic treatment.

  • Breeding approval by a breeding authorization judge from DCNH e.V., affiliated with VDH and FCI, and a repeat DNA analysis by an independent assistant from DCNH e.V. through Laboklin.

• Displaying healthy and social pack behavior with appropriate communication towards other dogs.

• Presenting themselves freely, friendly, good-natured, and human-oriented in our everyday life.

• Demonstrating impulse control and frustration tolerance, and despite the famous stubbornness of Huskies, showing a certain "will to please" in interaction and a desire to work.

• Convince us with their body structure, so they can live their everyday life without pain or restrictions and are not prone to skeletal and joint diseases such as ED, arthritis, joint deformities, cruciate ligament tears, patellar luxation, and more.

• Possessing a flowing, light-footed, and effortless gait.

• Meeting the SHCA breed standard of the USA, as it has been developed by experts over decades to preserve the form and function of the Siberian Husky in its original state.

• Having a healthy appetite, as this is essential for a working sled dog.

• Being able to cover distances of at least 50-100km per week in training with the team.

• Having no more than 5 missing teeth from birth out of the 42 teeth, specifically limited to P1 or P2 (not caused by an accident but by genetic dental development).

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How our puppies are delivered:

• Freshly bathed in the 9th to 12th week of life.

• EU pet passport.

• Microchip with Tasso registration.

• Basic immunization with ShppiL.

• Health certificate, DCNH breeding supervisor report, and delivery protocol.

• 3x dewormed with Drontal Puppy, Milbemax, and Panacur.

• Puppy package (leash, collar, blanket, toys, book, incontinence pads, chew items).

• Vouchers.

• Accessory checklist.

• Information sheet on feeding and house training.

• Health checklist.

• Exercise list until the 12th week (bonding exercises, impulse control, etc.).

• FCI/VDH/DCNH pedigree (recognized worldwide for dog shows and sled dog races!).

• Lifelong support (available by phone at any time or via Facebook/WhatsApp).

• Health guarantee for hereditary diseases (return policy, partial refund).

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Additionally, upon delivery, the buyer receives:

• Lifetime 10% discount on the entire range of RoyalDogs Shop (20% off the RoyalDogs dog bed).

• Lifelong free physiotherapeutic and osteopathic treatments for the dog purchased from us, provided by Lea.

• Instagram link on our website if the dog is given an Instagram account.

• We contribute 50% of the examination costs (up to €200) for hip dysplasia X-rays upon presentation of the results.

• Voucher for an eye examination between the 1st and 2nd year of life at the DOK veterinary ophthalmologist.

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The puppy is proficient in the following upon delivery:

• Leash training.

• Familiarity with car rides.

• Waiting before being allowed to eat from the bowl.

• Sit command.

• Being calm in a crate.

• Partially house-trained due to the use of incontinence pads.

• Introduction to clicker training upon request.

• Familiarity with the command "No."

• Familiarity with bathing, blow-drying, nail clipping, and brushing.

• Socialized with other dogs.

• Socialized with unfamiliar people.

• Exposure to unfamiliar environments (hardware store, city center, pet store).

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How our puppies/dogs grow up:

In addition to the Puppy Culture program developed by researchers, which includes early neurological stimulation (from the first days of life until eye opening), training of the sense of smell, temperature perception, and proprioception through various external stimuli, we attach great importance to the ideal development of the dogs' physical abilities. Therefore, we promote our puppies at an early stage through sensory-motor training (sensomotorics = interaction of sensory perception and movement). This training enhances support motor skills responsible for movement execution and adjustment, as well as target motor skills that control posture and balance, providing significant benefits for the dog later on. They become fearless in the presence of various (unstable) surfaces and this training can be continued by the owners as an exercise and sports program, preventing injuries and illnesses by training the dog's entire musculature. It improves active joint stability, movement quality, optimizes core stability and posture, and develops more strength and speed, influencing gait quality and safety. As a result, there is increased movement economy and improved performance in any area where the dog is used or worked.

Our work with the puppies begins around the 6th week of their lives and includes various surfaces, balance beams, wobble pads, foam mats, exercise balls, sensory mats, and much more. Here, the puppies learn to respond to human body language, understand it, and be easily guided by it. Furthermore, each puppy is individually encouraged and positively reinforced, developing courage, various physical abilities, and learning to form a bond with their human.

Where possible, we offer the following to prospective puppy parents:

• Daily video and photo updates from the whelping box, everyday life, training with the pack, and outings.

• Bi-weekly Zoom meetings from the birth of the puppies, covering various theoretical topics such as feeding, accessories, garden and home design, house training, and what to focus on in the first week, among others.

• In addition to at least 2 visits to our location before the delivery of the puppy at 9-12 weeks.

• Puppy parties.

• Sensory motor training with an obstacle course for each puppy involving future owners under the guidance of Lea and Marcel.

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Estrus, Pregnancy, and Birth:

From the first day of estrus, things get exciting. After waiting for weeks for the chosen female dog to go into heat, the anticipation is high. Planning becomes necessary - when could she have her ovulation, which day of estrus is the best time for mating? There are various signs to observe, such as behavior, blood color and consistency, vulva shape and condition. All of these can be best observed when the female dog is with us. Therefore, our selected females are nearly always indoors during their heat cycle. However, these signs alone are not enough - around day 5-7, depending on the behavior of the female, a blood test is needed to determine the progesterone level (an additional swab is also useful). This test provides information about the maturity of the egg and when it is ready for fertilization, indicating the best time to mate the female for the highest probability of successful breeding. During one heat cycle (which lasts approximately 15-21 days), it is common to visit the veterinarian 3-5 times. The best mating day is usually between day 10 and 15, depending on the female and bloodline, which can vary significantly. My females are typically ready for mating between day 8 and 12.

Once we have received the veterinarian's approval, we need to act quickly. This requires a lot of planning and organization in advance unless it is our own male, which is rarely the case. And then it begins. Upon arrival at the male's location, the two dogs are allowed to get to know each other calmly, and usually, everything happens quite quickly. My fastest mating took less than 2 minutes after the dogs had just met (B-litter).

After mating, and possibly a second mating attempt, we return home. The female dog stays indoors but still has contact with the pack, who can immediately sense that she has been bred. After approximately 20-25 days of guessing, hoping, and worrying, we visit the veterinarian for a pregnancy ultrasound. This determines whether the female is truly pregnant or if we might have imagined it as breeders :) Typically, the females clearly show signs of pregnancy. (Decreased appetite around day 18-21, clear, sticky discharge around day 18-25, increased attachment, "ruling" over other dogs and keeping some distance, other dogs sniffing the female, enlarged and pink nipples, becoming more cuddly). The number of embryos seen in the ultrasound may differ from the actual number of puppies to be born because dogs can reabsorb embryos until day 30 (the egg dissolves and decomposes). This is a natural process and not unusual, and it does not necessarily indicate stress or deficiencies.

During the estrus period until about two-thirds of the gestation period, our selected female receives special nutrition for optimal nourishment for both the puppies and herself. When the last third of the gestation period begins, we switch to puppy food specially developed for the last third of pregnancy and lactation in females. As the due date approaches, the female's belly becomes more rounded from around day 35-40. From day 52-55, we can feel kicks and movements of the puppies, and we often spend hours sitting with the dog on the couch or in bed, stroking her belly and feeling delighted when we sense the vigorous movements of the puppies. During this time, we also prepare the whelping box in our bedroom where the dog can sleep and dig. Most female dogs gladly accept this offer but require us to sit with them in the whelping box (which we happily do). From this point on, we should avoid the female dog lying on the bed too much, as she might decide to give birth in our human bed. :) Around day 60-65, we can expect the birth; usually, it occurs 63 days after ovulation. As the estimated due date approaches, we do not allow visitors and try to maintain as much calmness as possible in our daily routine. Naturally, we stay at home and monitor the female dog. No one leaves the house unless absolutely necessary because the dog insists that we stay with her. Once the first contractions begin and the first puppy is born, we send pictures of the newborns to our prospective buyers.

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2nd week to 5th week of life

In this new puppy nursery, the puppies stay until they reach the 5th week of life. Here they learn their first housebreaking training using incontinence pads or a grass toilet. They discover their first adventures with their siblings and plush toy monsters, balls, ropes, wobble boards, proprioception mats, balance boards, and more. They also become familiar with a crate, which is used as a den by everyone, including their mother. Since this nursery is located in the middle of our apartment, the puppies are exposed to all the household noises. They experience everything from the vacuum cleaner, steam cleaner, Thermomix, range hood, and robot vacuum cleaner to the sound of shaking bags, turning on water, and flushing the toilet. They also get introduced to their first chew items and around 3.5 weeks old, they have their first proper meal. This is a special food developed for introducing puppies to solid food until around the 8th week of life, which the puppies can eat even without teeth or with emerging teeth. The focus during this time is primarily on the development of motor skills, spatial awareness, and basic canine communication. Puppies between 3 and 5 weeks old growl a lot and test each other, which is completely normal and part of a puppy's development.

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5th week to 8th week of life

Afterwards, in the 5th week of life, the puppies move to the puppy enclosure with various shelters and surfaces (concrete, gravel, soil, wood, grass). Depending on the weather, they spend more or less time outside and slowly get to know the rest of the pack. They make their first contacts with other dogs, explore different grounds and surfaces, and receive guidance from the adult dogs. Through this upbringing, we have highly social dogs that interact well with both humans and other dogs. During this time, the focus is mainly on learning basic obedience, such as waiting for the food bowl to be released by us, responding to their names, getting accustomed to collars and harnesses, learning to walk on a leash, experiencing car rides, and resource distribution, among other things. They also deepen their understanding of play behavior, boundaries, and communication among dogs through interactions with their siblings and adult dogs.

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8th week until adoption

In the 8th week, the puppies receive their core vaccinations, including Distemper, Contagious Canine Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Leptospirosis, and Kennel Cough (ShppiL), as well as microchipping and the issuance of an EU pet passport. We take them to the veterinarian for these procedures to further acclimate them to car rides. Upon request, we can also provide a health certificate. In the 9th week, an independent breed warden from the DCNH (German Club for Northern Breeds) conducts a litter examination. They assess the puppies for conformation faults, hearing and vision, correct teeth and bite, testicles, dewclaws, and verify the identity of the parents through transponder scanning. They also evaluate the general conditions and environment of the breeding facility. Between vaccination and adoption, we extensively socialize the puppies with car rides, walks, visits to hardware stores and pet shops, and possibly even walks in the city or near train stations, so that the puppies can gather initial environmental impressions. Due to the increased risk of infection without vaccination protection, we start this form of training 2-3 days after vaccination.

From the 10th week onwards, the puppies are well-prepared to move to their new homes.

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