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by Kari Satterfield
In our family, we have three homeschooled children (Kyle, Keni and Kala), two Yorkshire Terriers, a German Shepherd dog, two Chihuahuas, and fourteen tiny toy and teacup Poodles. My husband and I have wanted a home business, and we are devoted dog-lovers, so this is ideal for us. We have named our business Kit~N~Kaboodle Poodles, as poodles are our main focus, but our children are branching out with their own personal favorites. They now want to have their own home business raising dogs!
My son Keni wants to raise German Shepherds and we bought him Tifa for a birthday present. He is responsible for picking up after her, for keeping her exercised, and he is also obedience-training his young dog. She is a quick learner, and he is proving to be a very good handler. He has learned how to be firm, calm, and assertive with his big dog.
My husband Kirk and I have always appreciated toy poodles for their intelligence, energy, playfulness, and affection. We decided to raise the smaller toy poodles, known as tiny toy and teacup poodles. We also wanted to breed more rare colors, like browns, reds, and the parti-colored dogs. Our children are learning about biology and genetics. They have learned how to research canine pedigrees. We had DNA tests done on several of our dogs and that was a fascinating experience, too. We took cheek cell swabs and sent them in to A.K.C. We received a DNA profile on two males, a female, and four puppies and then compared the puppies’ DNA genotypes with the adults. Kyle, Keni, and Kala could see that each pup received chromosome markers from both the sire and the dam. It was a simple process of elimination to see which sire had or had not contributed to these genes. That was fun.
Our children have learned about animal husbandry and basic health care. We regularly de-worm our dogs. That involves weighing each dog so we know how many cc’s of wormer to give them. Sometimes we need to see a veterinarian and we have been blessed with a vet who allows our children to watch and learn as he works. He has let the kids look under his microscope to see a whipworm, and ear mites. He has let them watch while he operated on a hernia, and they have watched female dogs being spayed. He explains what he is doing and why, and we thank God for such a wonderful man who is willing to share his busy day with them.
We raise all our dogs in our home, not in a puppy-mill environment. When it is near whelping time, I bring a playpen into my room and this will be where our mom dog and her newborn puppies stay for the first four weeks. Whelping is a family affair. I hold the mother dog and keep her calm, administering home remedies if she needs them. If a pup is breech, my husband and I reposition her to help the pup out. Kirk cuts puppy umbilical cords. Kala and Keni tie the cords with dental floss. Kyle dries the pups with a soft towel and helps us weigh each newborn. It’s a lot of fun and very exciting. This has been a very rewarding and very educational experience for our whole family.
About the author:
Kari Satterfield lives in Oklahoma with her husband and three children. Together they are enjoying their homeschooling adventure along with their variety of dogs.
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