What if My pup’s Bottom canines are hitting top gum line? If you notice on a pup around 8 wks old the bottom canine teeth hitting the top gum line, no need to worry. This is very common in giants. The canines on top and bottom curve outward as they grow out from the gum line, and giants grow so quickly that on occasion you get a few pups that teeth emergence is so fast that the tooth needs a few extra weeks to curve enough to miss the top gum line. While the bottom teeth are hitting the top gum line you may notice they are actually poking through the top gum line and you may see some red irritation from this. The only time you need a vet intervention is if there is an infection, which no one has ever said has happened. Generally you just give pup nylon chews to help the teeth emerge quicker and curve outward more and in a few weeks the teeth set perfectly alongside the gum line. The worst case scenario would be your vet would need to file down the bottom baby canines a tiny bit to take the sharp point off the tip. The adult teeth should not have the same problem because they tend to curve much quicker than the first puppy teeth. Giants grow so fast at this age that a pup that looks like it has perfect teeth can end up with an imperfect bite, as well as a pup with a perfect bite at 8 wks May end up with a bite that is not perfect…. Of coarse I am always here for you if you have any concerns on your puppy’s teeth. Don’t hesitate to call with any questions. A Giant can still compete and win titles in conformation trials if the teeth are not perfect, but are still close. Thank you, Tina

What if my male pup has an undescended testicle? Since puppy’s grow very quickly sometimes you will get a puppy that has both testicles but one maybe higher and need a while longer to come down. I always have the vet check to see if he/she can feel both testicles and if she can not find a testicle I would let the puppy buyer know. I have not ever had the vet not be able to locate both testicles, even if one is higher up he/she tends to find it just fine. We do not guarantee testicles to both come down into the sack on any puppy but as of the date I wrote this article we have not of yet had a person say their pup with a high testicle ended up not eventually descending…. However I’m sure it will happen one day and in that event the fix is to Neuter your dog if it has not dropped by 10 months of age. There is nothing wrong with neutering your dog at 12 months of age as the dog is very close to full grown at that age bone and joint wise. There is little to no added cancer risk if you would like to wait even a few more months until your pup is a year old to get neutered. A dog that has a current undesended testicle or has been neutered is not eligible for AKC conformation shows. The judge often feels the area to make sure both testicles are in the sac and will dismiss a dog that does not have both down. By the time you are showing your dog both testicles would have dropped, even if you had a higher one earlier on. If not then you are the owner of a pet quality and not a show quality dog. We try to double check and make sure a pup that is bought for conformation or showing and paid extra for because of this has both testicles, but if our vet missed something please let us know and we will try to be fair and work with you. If you do not tell us you want the dog for conformation and breeding and do not pay extra for it then your dog is only pet quality and this would not be guaranteed. If our vet missed something you must let us know at or before your first vet visit within the first 3 days of receiving your puppy. (Please see health guarantee page.)… Many vets do not check high up on a younger puppy for testicles. They just grab the sac and if nothing found they say it is undescended… but many puppies at 8 wks of age only have maybe one testicle in the sac if there is even a sac at that point. Here is a video I made on how to feel for puppy testicles. If your vet says undescended then try to palpate and look for yourself. Or take the pup and video to another  vet for a second opinion. After using video and getting a second opinion you can return your puppy that is a (top quality price) for a future puppy within that very first week you have him. After that point it is not covered. Puppy must be returned within first week you have him if returned and with all paperwork you received including AKC application. Here is web address to video: https://youtu.be/ceduZqqVd1A        … There is also a homeopathic spray that is to help the testicles drop quickly if you would like to give that a try. Here is web address to that: https://www.homeoanimal.com/products/testicles-undescended-natural-remedy

What is a hernia and do I need to have it fixed? First I would like to explain small hernias you see in young puppies is nothing to worry about. It will not cause your puppy to be hurt, sick, or die. Once the tiny inner whole is fixed either naturally on it’s own, or by a couple inner sutures, then it is like the pup never had a hernia at all. There are no long term effects of having a hernia as a young puppy. If our vet says the hernia needs a surgical fix we will do it before puppy leaves us and will always tell the buyer about it. Again, once it is fixed it is like it was never there to begin with. There are several types of hernias.  As of today, I have never had a Giant pup with a hernia of any kind but have seen it in smaller breeds before. The most common Is the umbilical hernia: which in many cases does not need a fix at all but will naturally fix itself as the dog grows. If it does not close up on it’s own a simple surgery is preformed to put in a couple stitches to close the inner whole. This type of hernia is most often caused by the mother dog being to vigorous and pulling to hard on the umbilicus soon after birth. It is not considered genetic. It does not cause a puppy to be of any less quality and is not considered a fault in AKC conformation. Yes you can show a dog with a umbilical hernia and it will not harm his chances at all. You can even breed a dog that had a umbilical hernia as a young pup with no worries. Inguinal Hernias: Now even though I have never had a giant with an inguinal hernia before, I do know that type of hernia is possibly genetic if it happens more than once or twice from a pair of breeding dogs. This type of hernia gets the same quick suture surgical fix and if we notice one that needs surgery to fix it, we would get it fixed before the puppy leaves us. This pup would still be a good pet but not be breeding quality. Again, once the hernia is fixed it is like the pet never had one.  If you notice anything wrong with your puppy that our vet missed at it’s exam before it left us please let us know ASAP at or before your first vet visit that will be within first 3 days of receiving your puppy.