Call name: Timber
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Introducing....
Well, we don't quite have a name yet. If it was up to J, it would be "Red". If it was up to Ed, it would be "Nibbler". And if it was up to me, he would be "Bandit". So we're going to play it by ear and let the puppy choose which one he wants to answer to... so far, Red is winning. He is an 8 week old red merle australian shepherd.
He's been introduced to the rest of the crew one by one.
Kishi growled - she's got to exert her kishi-tude.
Don Juan sniffed and then pretty much ignored him.
Jazz was so excited to see him that the puppy ran and hid behind Ed. She wants someone to play with soooooo bad. But she's still a little big for this little guy. I predict the tables will turn in a month or so. And she'll be the one running for cover.
And Tama surprised us all. Since her litter of puppies over a year ago, she hasn't wanted to be around any puppies. She seems to like this little guy. And I see her maternal side coming out. The puppy warmed right up to her.
He's been introduced to the rest of the crew one by one.
Kishi growled - she's got to exert her kishi-tude.
Don Juan sniffed and then pretty much ignored him.
Jazz was so excited to see him that the puppy ran and hid behind Ed. She wants someone to play with soooooo bad. But she's still a little big for this little guy. I predict the tables will turn in a month or so. And she'll be the one running for cover.
And Tama surprised us all. Since her litter of puppies over a year ago, she hasn't wanted to be around any puppies. She seems to like this little guy. And I see her maternal side coming out. The puppy warmed right up to her.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Kishi Update
I've had people ask me how Kishi was doing. Her skin is doing much better and her hair is growing back. There are no more raw open spots on her body. The yeast smell is definitely not as bad.
It's been almost a year since we started using the Nzymes in her food to combat the yeast problems and I've found if I bathe her in Selsun Blue that she doesn't itch. We removed the carpet in our downstairs where she spends most of her time. I've always had the feeling she was reacting to the chemicals that Stanley Steemer uses to clean the carpets. Her problems started in our last house a couple weeks after having the carpets cleaned for the first time. The allergies got better when we moved into a new house, and worse once I had the carpets cleaned again for the first time in that house. Removing the carpeting was the best thing we could do for all of us.
Although she'll never be rid of her allergies, I am thankful the old dog can have some relief.
It's been almost a year since we started using the Nzymes in her food to combat the yeast problems and I've found if I bathe her in Selsun Blue that she doesn't itch. We removed the carpet in our downstairs where she spends most of her time. I've always had the feeling she was reacting to the chemicals that Stanley Steemer uses to clean the carpets. Her problems started in our last house a couple weeks after having the carpets cleaned for the first time. The allergies got better when we moved into a new house, and worse once I had the carpets cleaned again for the first time in that house. Removing the carpeting was the best thing we could do for all of us.
Although she'll never be rid of her allergies, I am thankful the old dog can have some relief.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Natural Balance Recall
I know many of my friends use Natural Balance. I know, because I have recommended their products for years. We've used many of their dry foods and their rolled food as training treats.
Natural Balance just recently recalled some of their foods due to melamine contaminated rice gluten.
I had been feeding the recalled product, Venison and Rice, on and off, switching it out with the Natural Balance Ultra Premium and Candidae when I couldn't get the Venison and Rice. And I was using it even during the time that we lost Chelsea a couple months ago. Oddly enough, all my dogs got sick immediately after opening a bag of the Natural Balance Venison and Rice. All of them except for one. Kishi, the one who eats a raw meat diet.
The other dogs bounced back after taking them off the food and feeding them homemade rice and chicken for a couple of weeks. Chelsea just got weaker and weaker. We didn't test her for kidney failure. So I guess we'll never know for sure. It was a couple weeks before the Menu Foods recalls began. I sighed with relief when I didn't see Natural Balance on the first list. I really never expected to see them on the list. I felt I was feeding a high quality food that would never let something like this happen.
But it did. The announcement was made a few days ago and these products were on the list.
Venison and Brown Rice Dry Dog Formula
Venison and Brown Rice Canned Dog Food
Venison & Brown Rice Formula Dog Treats
Venison and Green Pea Dry Cat Formula
Chicken Formula Canned Dog Food
Lamb Formula Canned Dog Food
Beef Formula Canned Dog Food
Ocean Fish Formula Canned Cat Food
If you want more information on the Natural Balance Recall:
Needless to say, my pups are all happily eating a different brand of food- They are on a combo raw and kibble.
Natural Balance just recently recalled some of their foods due to melamine contaminated rice gluten.
I had been feeding the recalled product, Venison and Rice, on and off, switching it out with the Natural Balance Ultra Premium and Candidae when I couldn't get the Venison and Rice. And I was using it even during the time that we lost Chelsea a couple months ago. Oddly enough, all my dogs got sick immediately after opening a bag of the Natural Balance Venison and Rice. All of them except for one. Kishi, the one who eats a raw meat diet.
The other dogs bounced back after taking them off the food and feeding them homemade rice and chicken for a couple of weeks. Chelsea just got weaker and weaker. We didn't test her for kidney failure. So I guess we'll never know for sure. It was a couple weeks before the Menu Foods recalls began. I sighed with relief when I didn't see Natural Balance on the first list. I really never expected to see them on the list. I felt I was feeding a high quality food that would never let something like this happen.
But it did. The announcement was made a few days ago and these products were on the list.
Venison and Brown Rice Dry Dog Formula
Venison and Brown Rice Canned Dog Food
Venison & Brown Rice Formula Dog Treats
Venison and Green Pea Dry Cat Formula
Chicken Formula Canned Dog Food
Lamb Formula Canned Dog Food
Beef Formula Canned Dog Food
Ocean Fish Formula Canned Cat Food
If you want more information on the Natural Balance Recall:
Needless to say, my pups are all happily eating a different brand of food- They are on a combo raw and kibble.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
And one more point for Miss Piggy...
She's up to 10 points now, including one major. There's another show next weekend in California. Keep your fingers crossed.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Tomo the therapy dog
Tomo and his owner Denise passed the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) and the Therapy Dog International (TDI) Tests today. Tomo is going to be a therapy dog!!!
Pictures to come.
Pictures to come.
Sunday, March 04, 2007
And the Pigster racks up two more points
Piggy won WB today at the Cluster shows in Arizona for two more points!
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Chelsea
Our beautiful chow mix, Chelsea, at 15-1/2 years old, left us today to see her buddies Ginger and Farley in canine heaven. She lived a good, long, happy life full of backpacking, hiking, camping, and playing around with the agility equipment. She was the enforcer and the dog that took care of and taught all the others how to behave in our house. She will be missed by all of us very, very much.
Chelsea
July 27, 1991-January 25, 2007
Chelsea
July 27, 1991-January 25, 2007
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Saturday, January 13, 2007
The Pigster wins Breed
Breaking news... One of Tama's puppies, Piggy (who's real name is Shimiko) won breed today at the Saquaro State Kennel Club show in Phoenix. She even beat a special! More to come with a photo eventually.
Mary
Mary
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Red Heads
Now that the herding dogs are gone from our house, we are a pack of redheads. Here are Don Juan and Tomo nose to nose and ready to play. And below that is Don Juan, Jazz and Tomo slip-sliding on the new floor. And yes, I did color coordinate my floor to match my dogs.
Uncomfortable corrections
Whenever I have a dog that I don't want to do something... it doesn't matter what...jumping, nipping, etc.... instead of giving a correction, I make it uncomfortable for them to do it. Dogs won't continue behaviors that aren't comfortable for them. You can apply that to almost any bad behavior.
For example, the over-zealous eater or a puppy that is play biting, I would give them my hand in a fist to bite down on. Which props open their jaw and is uncomfortable. If you hold the food between your thumb and the side of your forefinger then your hand is already in the fist. When they take it too rough, then instead of pulling your hand away (which is human instinct and dogs read that as they are in control), give them more hand than they were expecting. So say I am feeding them kibble, and they take a bite out of my hand or grab a finger while eating. Then you know that they are going to do it again. The first time was just a test. So the next time I'm prepared and when they do it again, as much of my hand that I can fit in their mouth goes in their mouth. I hold it in there while they struggle for a few seconds. Next time when they take the food nicely, I praise them. If they grab my hand again. They get what they wanted - my hand. This works with puppies. I wouldn't try it with a dog with biting or aggression problems. For play biting, I put my thumb on their tongue and hold it down while grabbing the bottom jaw with the rest of my fingers. You kind of have to set them up for it so they nip the right place and your thumb is right there. While it might sound mean the way it's described, it's really not a correction, instead you just let them have exactly what they wanted - a hand to chew on- but they get a little more than they bargained for. It's uncomfortable, so they stop doing it.
Another example is when a dog jumps up on you. Human reaction is to back up. If you walk toward them as they start to jump, it breaks their momentum and it's uncomfortable. It doesn't take long for them to figure out that they don't want to do it anymore. Some people raise their knee up, which never works on a shiba since they are so small. So walking toward them is the best method. And don't be shy about it. I always say "oops" when I make something uncomfortable.
For example, the over-zealous eater or a puppy that is play biting, I would give them my hand in a fist to bite down on. Which props open their jaw and is uncomfortable. If you hold the food between your thumb and the side of your forefinger then your hand is already in the fist. When they take it too rough, then instead of pulling your hand away (which is human instinct and dogs read that as they are in control), give them more hand than they were expecting. So say I am feeding them kibble, and they take a bite out of my hand or grab a finger while eating. Then you know that they are going to do it again. The first time was just a test. So the next time I'm prepared and when they do it again, as much of my hand that I can fit in their mouth goes in their mouth. I hold it in there while they struggle for a few seconds. Next time when they take the food nicely, I praise them. If they grab my hand again. They get what they wanted - my hand. This works with puppies. I wouldn't try it with a dog with biting or aggression problems. For play biting, I put my thumb on their tongue and hold it down while grabbing the bottom jaw with the rest of my fingers. You kind of have to set them up for it so they nip the right place and your thumb is right there. While it might sound mean the way it's described, it's really not a correction, instead you just let them have exactly what they wanted - a hand to chew on- but they get a little more than they bargained for. It's uncomfortable, so they stop doing it.
Another example is when a dog jumps up on you. Human reaction is to back up. If you walk toward them as they start to jump, it breaks their momentum and it's uncomfortable. It doesn't take long for them to figure out that they don't want to do it anymore. Some people raise their knee up, which never works on a shiba since they are so small. So walking toward them is the best method. And don't be shy about it. I always say "oops" when I make something uncomfortable.
Friday, December 01, 2006
Hand Feeding
I've had a couple people ask me about hand feeding and why I recommend it so highly.
Hand feeding isn't the answer to all behavioral problems, but it is a way to take a dog that has trust issues and turn them around. So whether your dog has a specific phobia or is shy around people, hand feeding is the first step to changing those behaviors. For people that are training to do competition dog sports, hand feeding is the way to get the dog to bond to you to the point that they never take their eyes off of you. For people that just want an all-around great pet, hand feeding is one of the steps I recommend. It's for any dog, any owner that wants a special bond with their dog.
Pick up all the bowls (except for water). From the time you make the decision to hand feed food only comes from your hand. Meaning not even a kibble of food is eaten out of a bowl. It all is fed to the dog from people's hands. What I do is measure out the amount of kibble that I would normally feed the dog and throughout the day I hand the dog a few kibbles here and there. Sometimes I ask the dog to do something for me - like sit or down, dance or speak. Other times, I'm just a Pez dispenser feeding my dog. When guests come over, then they get to offer the dog food. Kids, friends, everyone.
So in the beginning. Just hand out the kibble here and there without asking the dog to do anything. If the dog naturally comes to you, immediately give the dog some of it's kibble. If it is sitting there staring at you or the place you are storing the kibble, then give them a few pieces. My only pet peeve is that if you give a dog food that is jumping up and misbehaving then you reward that bad behavior, so I ask that the dog is standing or sitting patiently and not being obnoxious before you hand feed them. Once the dog has the routine down, start asking the dog to do things for the food. So in the end, they are working for every kibble they eat. Dogs want a leader, and they want a job. By doing this, you accomplish both.
What this does is increase trust and bonding. It doesn't have to be just one person in the house that is feeding the dog as long as the food is premeasured so you don't over or under feed the dog. Kids do really well with this. And you wouldn't believe the bonding and understanding that kids and dogs have when they have hand fed. This will also help with the recall. A dog that is hand fed will almost always come to your hand if you put it out. You just better not try to trick them too many times by not having food in it or they get wise to this trick.
Have you ever seen the dogs that never take their eyes off their owners? Hand feeding is the way to accomplish that.
Yes, hand feeding can be a pain. And yes, you have to be committed to doing it for months to make it work. But once the routine is established, then it becomes much easier. And you will have a much better dog because of it.
Some people start to hand feed and then after a few days they call me and say, "but my dog isn't eating". I tell them to just continue to do it. When the dog is hungry enough then they will take the food from your hand. Dogs that don't want to eat from your hand are controlling the situation. And they may go several days without eating anything. If you can work through that, offering food without asking for anything, then eventually the dog will take it from you. You have to be more patient than the dog. The dog won't starve itself. If the dog goes a couple days without eating then I cut up small pieces of Natural Balance rolls and I mix that in with the kibble and offer that. But that's the most that I will do to try to encourage a dog to eat. When they realize the bowl isn't going to be back in it's space. They will eat.
By the way, this is an excellent way to start off puppies. If you do this for the first 6 months of a dog's life, you will have a dog that is more bonded to you than you have ever had before. Training will be extremely easy with those dogs. It's just getting people to actually do it. Most people say they just don't have time. But it doesn't take much more time than putting food in a bowl for the dog - especially for a shiba who doesn't eat much during the day. A handful here. A few kibbles there. And you're done.
I have actually seen it change shy or scared dogs to become outgoing and very people friendly dogs. Dogs with trust issue will straighten out. Many times people will tell me their dog is scared of something. Most of the time, that dog has put itself in a leadership position and it can't handle the stress of the position. It doesn't feel like it can look to you for leadership. By hand-feeding you are actually putting yourself in a leadership position and the dog begins to relax. You can work through the phobias by using the hand-feeding near what the dog is afraid of. Start by feeding the dog in a place they feel safe. Slowly move toward what they are afraid of. In one case the dog was afraid of the sound of a running dishwasher. I started handfeeding in a different room and moved closer and closer to the running dishwasher over a period of days. When I finally got to the dishwasher, the dog was aware of it, but no longer afraid of it. Over time, the dog forgot all about the dishwasher.
Hand feeding isn't the answer to all behavioral problems, but it is a way to take a dog that has trust issues and turn them around. So whether your dog has a specific phobia or is shy around people, hand feeding is the first step to changing those behaviors. For people that are training to do competition dog sports, hand feeding is the way to get the dog to bond to you to the point that they never take their eyes off of you. For people that just want an all-around great pet, hand feeding is one of the steps I recommend. It's for any dog, any owner that wants a special bond with their dog.
Pick up all the bowls (except for water). From the time you make the decision to hand feed food only comes from your hand. Meaning not even a kibble of food is eaten out of a bowl. It all is fed to the dog from people's hands. What I do is measure out the amount of kibble that I would normally feed the dog and throughout the day I hand the dog a few kibbles here and there. Sometimes I ask the dog to do something for me - like sit or down, dance or speak. Other times, I'm just a Pez dispenser feeding my dog. When guests come over, then they get to offer the dog food. Kids, friends, everyone.
So in the beginning. Just hand out the kibble here and there without asking the dog to do anything. If the dog naturally comes to you, immediately give the dog some of it's kibble. If it is sitting there staring at you or the place you are storing the kibble, then give them a few pieces. My only pet peeve is that if you give a dog food that is jumping up and misbehaving then you reward that bad behavior, so I ask that the dog is standing or sitting patiently and not being obnoxious before you hand feed them. Once the dog has the routine down, start asking the dog to do things for the food. So in the end, they are working for every kibble they eat. Dogs want a leader, and they want a job. By doing this, you accomplish both.
What this does is increase trust and bonding. It doesn't have to be just one person in the house that is feeding the dog as long as the food is premeasured so you don't over or under feed the dog. Kids do really well with this. And you wouldn't believe the bonding and understanding that kids and dogs have when they have hand fed. This will also help with the recall. A dog that is hand fed will almost always come to your hand if you put it out. You just better not try to trick them too many times by not having food in it or they get wise to this trick.
Have you ever seen the dogs that never take their eyes off their owners? Hand feeding is the way to accomplish that.
Yes, hand feeding can be a pain. And yes, you have to be committed to doing it for months to make it work. But once the routine is established, then it becomes much easier. And you will have a much better dog because of it.
Some people start to hand feed and then after a few days they call me and say, "but my dog isn't eating". I tell them to just continue to do it. When the dog is hungry enough then they will take the food from your hand. Dogs that don't want to eat from your hand are controlling the situation. And they may go several days without eating anything. If you can work through that, offering food without asking for anything, then eventually the dog will take it from you. You have to be more patient than the dog. The dog won't starve itself. If the dog goes a couple days without eating then I cut up small pieces of Natural Balance rolls and I mix that in with the kibble and offer that. But that's the most that I will do to try to encourage a dog to eat. When they realize the bowl isn't going to be back in it's space. They will eat.
By the way, this is an excellent way to start off puppies. If you do this for the first 6 months of a dog's life, you will have a dog that is more bonded to you than you have ever had before. Training will be extremely easy with those dogs. It's just getting people to actually do it. Most people say they just don't have time. But it doesn't take much more time than putting food in a bowl for the dog - especially for a shiba who doesn't eat much during the day. A handful here. A few kibbles there. And you're done.
I have actually seen it change shy or scared dogs to become outgoing and very people friendly dogs. Dogs with trust issue will straighten out. Many times people will tell me their dog is scared of something. Most of the time, that dog has put itself in a leadership position and it can't handle the stress of the position. It doesn't feel like it can look to you for leadership. By hand-feeding you are actually putting yourself in a leadership position and the dog begins to relax. You can work through the phobias by using the hand-feeding near what the dog is afraid of. Start by feeding the dog in a place they feel safe. Slowly move toward what they are afraid of. In one case the dog was afraid of the sound of a running dishwasher. I started handfeeding in a different room and moved closer and closer to the running dishwasher over a period of days. When I finally got to the dishwasher, the dog was aware of it, but no longer afraid of it. Over time, the dog forgot all about the dishwasher.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Saying goodbye to a dear friend...
Farley
November 5, 1996 - November 20, 2006
We will miss you forever.
The sky was a wonderful blue, grey, black color as I drove home from work. It was the color of Farley's fur. I knew it was a sign from him that he is pain free and playing frisbee in the sky.
November 5, 1996 - November 20, 2006
We will miss you forever.
The sky was a wonderful blue, grey, black color as I drove home from work. It was the color of Farley's fur. I knew it was a sign from him that he is pain free and playing frisbee in the sky.
The most amazing sound...
The howl. Farley's howl. It used to throw the whole household in a tizzy yelling "Farley, "NO" It was his annoying voice that let us know that he was separated from the ones he loved and was dedicated to. Whether it was getting himself locked in the bathroom, or in a crate at a dog show, at the groomer or the vet. If he was alone, and he thought someone was within earshot, he'd let out this "HOWWWWWLLLL" It was pretty much a mix of a coyote meets a firetruck. And it was annoying as heck.
But I woke up this morning to his howl. Long and low. His cry for company. And it sent a sense of comfort through my body. He's still alive. He's still with us. I found him trapped between the treadmill and the wall. His back legs aren't strong enough to hoist his body up and over the treadmill. And he couldn't get turned around.
The howl. It's amazing how perception changes. What once used to annoy me is such a comfort to me right now. My Farley is still here. And he still needs me.
But I woke up this morning to his howl. Long and low. His cry for company. And it sent a sense of comfort through my body. He's still alive. He's still with us. I found him trapped between the treadmill and the wall. His back legs aren't strong enough to hoist his body up and over the treadmill. And he couldn't get turned around.
The howl. It's amazing how perception changes. What once used to annoy me is such a comfort to me right now. My Farley is still here. And he still needs me.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
A VERY SAD DAY...
For those of you who have been touched by Farley, my australian shepherd, please say a prayer for him. Last Thursday, we had two lumps removed from him. Yesterday I noticed a new one forming. And today we got the results back from the vet on the first two lumps. They are Hemangiosarcoma. It is the type of cancer that starts in the spleen. The vet is not expecting him to live more than a month or so. He started limping on his back leg a couple weeks ago. It is because there is a tumor in the leg as well.
But as I write this, he is happily chewing on a tennis ball. He greeted me at the door with his aussie stub of a tail wagging. He wanders around looking for someone who will just throw the ball one more time. None of us will. He turned 10 years old just a couple weeks ago. Not much of a birthday present for any of us.
He is one incredible dog. I have been lucky to have him in my life. I have been blessed to have him as my agility and obedience partner. I can't imagine life without his furry face, his obnoxious howl, and his spirit and energy that kept me on my toes. I have many great memories of times we shared together and all his crazy antics, and that is what will keep me going. Looking at him, if the staples weren't shining from his incisions, and he didn't have that stupid cone on his head, it would just be any other day. He doesn't look or act any different from normal. I guess that is what is such a surprise to all of us.
Please pray that he won't suffer. And that we will know when the time is right to let him go.
But as I write this, he is happily chewing on a tennis ball. He greeted me at the door with his aussie stub of a tail wagging. He wanders around looking for someone who will just throw the ball one more time. None of us will. He turned 10 years old just a couple weeks ago. Not much of a birthday present for any of us.
He is one incredible dog. I have been lucky to have him in my life. I have been blessed to have him as my agility and obedience partner. I can't imagine life without his furry face, his obnoxious howl, and his spirit and energy that kept me on my toes. I have many great memories of times we shared together and all his crazy antics, and that is what will keep me going. Looking at him, if the staples weren't shining from his incisions, and he didn't have that stupid cone on his head, it would just be any other day. He doesn't look or act any different from normal. I guess that is what is such a surprise to all of us.
Please pray that he won't suffer. And that we will know when the time is right to let him go.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Take a walk...
Sometimes you just have to get outside and commune with nature even if it has rained constantly for 2 weeks. Here's Jazz in the fall leaves...
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Lumps and the leg
Poor Farley. He just turned 10 years old on Monday, and as a Happy Birthday gift to him, he got to celebrate at the vet office with surgery to remove two lumps, one on his side and one on his shoulder. And they x-rayed the leg that he hasn't wanted to put any weight on for the past couple weeks. It looks like there is a problem with his knee. They have him in Rimadyl while we are waiting on the results of the x-rays.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Halloween
It wasn't tough to decide who gets to go downtown trick or treating this year...
Chelsea's too old.
Farley is not walking on his back leg
Kishi's still a mess (although doing better than last spring).
The crowds downtown would be Don Juan's nightmare.
Jazz went last year (and made the front page of the newspaper)
our buddy, Tomo, went with us on 4th of July.
Guess that leaves Tama. It's her turn. So very last minute I went through my costumes and found one of my old favorites - A bomber jacket given to me by my friend Tamberlyn. It's at least 7 years old and I used to love to dress Kishi up in it when she was doing her skateboard trick. That and a pair of sunglasses used to make everyone laugh.
So, I dressed Tama up in it. The jacket is falling apart. The faux leather started flaking off. By the end of the night, there wasn't much left. So, I'm afraid this is the end for the bomber jacket. It has had it's final strut down the catwalk.
Chelsea's too old.
Farley is not walking on his back leg
Kishi's still a mess (although doing better than last spring).
The crowds downtown would be Don Juan's nightmare.
Jazz went last year (and made the front page of the newspaper)
our buddy, Tomo, went with us on 4th of July.
Guess that leaves Tama. It's her turn. So very last minute I went through my costumes and found one of my old favorites - A bomber jacket given to me by my friend Tamberlyn. It's at least 7 years old and I used to love to dress Kishi up in it when she was doing her skateboard trick. That and a pair of sunglasses used to make everyone laugh.
So, I dressed Tama up in it. The jacket is falling apart. The faux leather started flaking off. By the end of the night, there wasn't much left. So, I'm afraid this is the end for the bomber jacket. It has had it's final strut down the catwalk.
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