A puppy’s first days – shepherd dogs bred by the Bundeswehr
This is Cassy – a Belgian Shepherd
Together with her four siblings and her mother Nell, she will spend the first eight weeks of her life
in the birth house of the service dog school in Ulmen.
But what Cassy doesn’t realise: it will be a very special life for her.
Once she is big and strong, Cassy will become a service dog in the Bundeswehr.
The puppies are now exactly three weeks old.
And this is Nell’s second litter.
This time she had five puppies,
and the first time she had ten.
In her first few weeks of life, all Cassy does is eat, play and sleep.
At their current age, they still sleep a lot and we take care of them here.
All day long they get petted and cuddled,
then they play a little bit.
So yes, the rest of the time is with their mother who spends the day feeding and cleaning them.
But today Cassy has something very exciting in store. She is going to the vet.
Next we will take a look at you and then you will get your first vaccination.
4.6 kilos.
Let’s look at your eyes and mucosa.
They’re a pretty pink, you’re doing great.
And let’s a take a look in your ears – they look good too.
The incisors are already coming through, the milk teeth.
This is a general clinical examination, the same as with an adult dog.
They will get their first vaccine today,
a kennel cough vaccine, which contains two different virus strains,
and just a general clinical check-up.
What does the belly look like? What do the ears look like?
Have the teeth come through yet? What is the level of development since birth?
How much have they grown? Basically, how they are doing.
We also listen to the heart.
We also have to take a look there – the heart and lungs.
It‘s also very soft. That doesn‘t hurt him either, if I press on it.
All done?
No.
Now it’s time for Cassy‘s first vaccination.
One of many she will receive in the first eight weeks.
Oh, that’s yucky.
Ugh, so cruel, in the nose!
And it probably tastes so bitter. Well, you did great.
Examination over. Thank goodness.
Now it’s back to mum Nell under the warm red light lamp.
Time for a nap. Cassy sleeps a lot. In the first weeks of her life up to 22 hours a day…
