ROCK-A-BYE PUPPY: DOG NURSERY PREPARES PUPPIES FOR NEW HOMES

Walking Weiner Kennel in Perryville offers a special approach to the selection of a puppy. Cliff and Jo LaFentres have built a puppy nursery where dogs are bred and whelped and puppies are cared for until time to go to new homes.

The little yellow nursery resembles a play house. "I tell people this is the doll house Jo didn't have as a child," said Cliff.

The LaFentres raise dachshunds for show and for pets. Their nursery first began as a room with cages and a cleaning station. "I told Cliff I needed some place to greet clients, so we added on," said Jo.

Cliff works as office manager for a veterinarian. He applies the knowledge gained on the job and handles much of the dogs' physical care himself.

"Sometimes the whelping doesn't go well, and you really need to stay with the dog," said Cliff. There wasn't room for a cot or comfortable chair, so the puppy nursery received another addition.

Prospective owners can sit and rock their pets in the nursery's newest room. The decor is much like you'd find in any home where a new baby has arrived: a rocking chair, stuffed animals and Humpty-Dumpty wallpaper.

The main difference is the sound. Instead of the crying of a newborn, there's a lot of yipping and yapping going on.

The LaFentres take a lot of pride in their new nursery, but they take more pride in their dogs. They believe in treating their puppies with the love and care shown to any newborn.

"We begin playing with the new puppies at about three weeks and leave a television playing at night to keep them company," said Cliff. This gets them used to being around people and the television seems to keep them calmer.

The LaFentres have several house dogs in addition to ones that are kept outside in the kennels. When it gets really cold, the dogs come inside the house or nursery. Cliff admits not a lot of sleeping goes on with 10 to 15 dogs on the bed.

When the LaFentres go to town, so do some of the dogs. "We usually have five or six in the van with us," said Jo. The dogs find their own space so they can look out the window.

Virginia Crowell-Book does the grooming for Walking Weiner Kennels and also shows some of the dogs. She brought Lexi, a wirehaired dachshund, and Charlotte Marie, a champion smooth-hair, for a visit. Charlotte Marie is co-owned by Jo LaFentres and Judy Stephinson.

Dogs that are being shown usually spend a lot of time with their handlers so they each can adjust to the other's personality. Although Crowell-Book's pet, Lexi, is all business when show-time comes.

"A friend died and when I dressed for the funeral, Lexi knew I had on a suit I wear for the shows," said Crowell-Book. "She was really disappointed when she didn't get to leave with us."

Besides raising dogs, the LaFentres do a lot of rescue work. "When the dog catcher calls and they are ready to put a dog down, we take it, make sure it has its shots and is healthy," said Jo. Then they place it for adoption.

Walking Weiner Kennel is located in the middle of a cornfield off Route C in Perry County. When water reached the roof of the home in the '93 flood, a decision had to be made.

"We decided to rebuild here because of the dogs," said Jo. "Dogs bark, and even though people may like dogs, it gets old after awhile."

The LaFentres also believe that pets and owners should match as well as possible. They won't sell a dog to someone if they don't feel the chemistry is right. Their goal is to send happy health puppies to happy loving homes.