Puppy Fun!

I am amazed at what these two girls can do.  It's been a fun summer watching them develop and starting their foundation trianing. Now, they are beginning to put some things together. This morning I worked Keegan and Karma and got lazy about re-setting everything.  I was working those 2 on Serpentines, 270's and tunnel discriminations.  I left the obstacles out but tweaked the serpentine to make them a bit easier for the girls.  They were pretty impressive kids!

http://www.youtube.com/user/dustcloudcanine?feature=mhum#p/u/0/GG1J_Dg4tKg

Here is the map of what we worked on.  Serpentines and 270's are being taught as independent obstacles and in obstacle focus. The difference for them will come with threadles when those will be handled as handler focus.  I'll keep working these lines slowly until I have the serpentine totally in line. I'm pretty pleased with these 2.  Leia is easier to train and takes everything in stride.  She is more food motivated.  Shadow, while more challening, I anticipate will be an enormous amount of fun down the road. She's more toy motivated.

Yes, I did cry - but only once!

For all of you that get frustrated with agility, your dog, your timing, your lack of speed, skill...whatever...I do feel your pain.  On Saturday afternoon of training with Stuart and Pati, I did dissolve to tears.  We were working an exercise they call "Triple Threat Drills", and the name alone should make one want to cry.

The sequence started with #1, but then we got to #8 and from there we had to pick up any of the 4 obstacles that were not part of the sequence and get back to #1 and do the course again. After the 2nd run through, we had to pick up another of the 4 obstacles, just not one we had already done and then run it again...as you can tell, that wound up being a 26 obstacle course. I ended up taking the A-frame first time around, followed by the #4 jump on the second go round...that is NOT what made me cry. 

As we started the exercise, I made the mistake of handling that #4-#7 sequence very conservatively...let me remind you that I was training with Stuart and Pati Mah as they prepped for the USDAA Nationals.  Pati immediately stopped me and wanted me to get 2 back to back front crosses in...one between #4 - #5 and the other between #6 - #7...take a look again at the line from #1 to #4 and let's think a second about who I was running...oh yes...I kid you not.  After the 4th failed attempt, I dissolved.  Pati quietly came out and reminded me they fully intended to "push" me beyond my limits all weekend.  She told me I could make it happen but had to give Karma her "shhhh" as she went between #3 and #4...even though I was needing to get there...so...on the 5th attempt, we finally got it.  It was just one more example when they proved to me that our dogs indeed need and use all of our cues...not just the motion alone.  That was the first and last time I cried that weekend...when all else fails...give your dog more information!

Playing on the beach of Jekyl Island before training all weekend in Jacksonville with Stuart and Pati Mah.

Energy Flow

So, after 2 days of training with Pati and Stuart Mah, one of my biggest "take-home" messages was all about Energy Flow...when we run agility, the course has sequences where the energy has to be high and big, and then other parts where the energy has to come down and relax.  "Relax into it" was a phrase I heard a lot and it took me a while to get the feel of that.  How do you relax on an agility course when you run a dog that is 50 x faster than you?  It all sunk in when we played around with "Gamblers" courses using a "time gamble" rather than a distance gamble.  During the first 30 seconds, we built up as many points by making up our own course...then the buzzer sounded and we had 15 seconds to get the gamble and get out. 

We worked two different set ups. The first was a box of jumps and the gamble was to get in the box and do a 270 turn with a straight line through the box.  Essentially, you could go straight through the box, then do a 270 or you could enter the box and start with a 270 followed by a straight line through. 

Since I don't get to play USDAA, and I was a bit unfamiliar with the game, Pati spent a good deal of time talking me through it.  When you rush to get all the points in during the opening sequence the energy is obviously very big and high, in order to get the gamble points, you must be able to settle back down and calm the energy or you won't be able to blast a fast dog in the box and correctly get the 270's and straight lines.  If don't calm down, they'll come in too fast, miss the straight lines, etc... 

What a perfect game to play in order to build the energy and then have to bring it back down rapidly.  I didn't get to walk it since I was trying to understand the rules better, but this was the sequence that Karma and I successfully ran at the end of the weekend...without walking it...how cool is that?  NICE!!!! We finally got the energy flow to work perfectly. 

The 2nd time gamble was a jump with weaves on both sides and we had to take jump-weave sequences...the goal was to get as many of the jump-weave or weave-jump sequences as possible without going over 15 seconds or you lost all the points you built up.

Let go and hit the gas!!

Tonight I sit here thinking about the really great weekend we just had and the prospect of what this week will bring.  Both Keegan and Karma got 2 Double Q's this weekend with their fastest times EVER.  I'm so grateful for the many great instructors we've had along the way.  That said, I am most grateful to the one that has given us the most, Stuart Mah.  We leave on Tuesday to drive to Jacksonville, FL to train with Stuart over the weekend.  Both little girls (6 months) are going to have private lessons on Friday and Saturday nights, while Karma will get most of the work on Saturday and Sunday.  Keegan is going as my security blanket and relief dog when I can no longer feel my legs. 

Why would we do that you ask? Quite simple...Stuart is the reason we play agility in the first place. 

Karma - Photo by Rosemary Strasser

In 2006 I met Stuart at a camp.  Keegan wasn't even competing and I remember being so frustrated and feeling like I'd never be able to play this game...I'd never get my front crosses right, or support the jump, or get my dog to weave, etc... Over the course of 2 days, he and his wife Pati, showed me that agility is a game to be played with your dog, and your dog is the one that has the majority of the responsibility.  All I had to do was train them well and learn how to drive the two "sportscars" that I play the game with...it's really all about when to "tap the brakes" and when to "hit the gas"...when to hang on and when to let go.  It all seems so simple doesn't it? In theory it is...problem is that like so many other things in life...we just like to hang on too much.  We need to learn to let go and hit the gas. 

MACH2 Keegan

Keegan finished MACH2 in Burnsville, MN on August 22, 2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXGinMRjonk&feature=recentlik .  I was pretty frustrated with him that day because he ran so slowly...my husband is fairly convinced that he knew it was the last Double Q we needed; therefore, he ran slow to prevent me from screwing up.  Those of you that know Keegan, know that's likely right...he is definitely that arrogant.  The funny part was that he proceeded the rest of the weekend to run his normal fast self. 

This weekend (September 17, 18, 19, 2010) Keegan ran his fastest times EVER.  A couple months ago I was certain this was his last year competing due to the leg, but thanks to a wonderful vet in town, cold laser therapy, and chiropractic work, he looked and ran spectacular this weekend.  Even when I fell on my rear this morning in JWW, we still managed to recover, qualify, and win the class.  Now I need the chiro work!

5 Months!

Wow. The summer has really flown.  The girls have kept me very busy. This past Saturday they turned 5 months.  Shelby made the long drive back to Indiana with her mother last weekend.  I was pretty sad but happy to find out how pleased the breeder was with her.  She'll be shown primarily in UKC and I look forward to someday having her back to do some agility with. 

Shadow is proving to be a delight to train.  About a month ago I had posted a note on our lists to place her. Then I started training her. Now there is no way she's leaving...how's that for good plans?  She is super fast and delightful to live with. She reminds of Keegan all the time...even looks like him.

Leia has definitely turned into the naughty puppy with her mother's fiery attitude.  Both girls are so fun to train.  While working on typical puppy stuff (sits, downs, stays and self control) they have also been introduced to agility.  They are learning how to be very obstacle focused puppies.  They can drive with nice distance already through tunnels and jumps without bars.  They're comfortable on all boards that wobble and have been run across planks and introduced to contact obstacles low to the ground.  I have to say it's been a great deal of fun and I blame them for my not posting regularly on the blog.

I look forward to a weekend in Minnesota with Keegan, Trinkit and Karma.  Keegan only lacks 1 Double Q from MACH2.

16 Weeks!

Leia - 16 Weeks

Shelby - 16 Weeks

Yes, the girls are already 16 weeks.  Worse, it's been a month since my last post.  It has become a busy time since they are now actively training daily.  Shelby (ShiVK Firing on all Four) is leaving in 2 weeks to go be a show dog in Indiana.  I will continue to co-own her and follow her accomplishments in the breed ring.  She likely will come back to me after she finishes her Championship.  Leia (ShiVK Her Father's Fire) has become the dominant - pushy girl I knew she would be.  She is developing some nice sequencing skills through tunnels and jump standards without bars.  Shadow (ShiVK Small Fiery Inferno), is crazy fast. Everything she does, she does it in squirrel speed.  She's a very interesting puppy...seems a bit shy and aloof until you start training.  She never loses focus, her attention is very natural, and her toy/tug drive is amazing. 

Shadow - 16 Weeks

Instant Karma MX MXJ NF CGC

(Photo by Rosemary Strasser)

With the puppies here, I think I've failed to talk about my brilliant baby border collie.  Karma turned 3 on March 15 and finished her MX title on May 9, 2010 with this run http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evQ3vyclWnM .  This was a course that I didn't think we'd successfully run. I was particularly worried about the line from the table to the right side of the tunnel, knowing I'd have to leave her on the table for a decent lead out.  She read it much better than I thought.  She followed that up by finishing her MXJ the following weekend with the fastest jumpers run of the day with this run http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8D6xBPBLs0.  I was pleased with the run except for being a bit too far behind at the end causing her to almost miss a jump. We did recover in time to fix it though.We repeated that the following day with another great jumpers run, again, the fastest of the day http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4TuMzgkLGA. 

It''s particularly sweet to run Karma as she was a rescue.  Not knowing exactly what I'd adopted, I feel very blessed to have such an amazing dog.  Never did I imagine that I'd be seriously thinking about attending and competing at the AKC National Championship and now, that seems like a reasonable goal. 

Not only is Karma a delight to run, she's wonderful to live with.  She never tries to herd the little dogs and what I can't do with them (canicross, bikjoring and skijoring) I get to do with her. 

The Fun Part!

The girls just turned 9 weeks old on Saturday and have officially (IMO) hit the most fun stage.  They have been doing fabulous on house training and are now completely weaned onto a diet consisting 100% of raw meat (and yes, even a raw meaty bone in the form of chicken wings).  They got their first vaccinations on Saturday and traveled in the car beautifully.  They have changed a lot over the course of the past several weeks and all just shy of 2.5 pounds...they are still small enough to fit through the fence and are superb at finding the holes.  Shelby is still her father's daughter but has turned out to be the prettiest conformationally. 

http://www.youtube.com/user/cdikeman#p/a/u/0/SH7nSKwE_H4  Not only will she be great in the showring but she is a little lover as well.  Shadow is still our naughty puppy only from the standpoint of the fact that she's the first to tackle everyone else.  She loves to explore new things and I hate to admit that while I was playing with the others and turned in horror to see her racing over the dogwalk.  Yes, indeed folks, this one will make an agility pup and she already has a great recall that can be seen on this video http://www.youtube.com/user/cdikeman#p/a/u/1/JR-U7N8WNfQ  Then there is my puppy...Leia.  She is a very elegant little dog and pretty darn fiesty to boot.  While Shadow may start the fights...Leia won't let them end until she's won.  http://www.youtube.com/user/cdikeman#p/a/u/2/9_N3CSI2URs(pictured from top to bottom: Shelby, Shadow, Leia)

The Busy Dustcloud

Hard to believe the last two weeks have just flown by.  We have been a very busy dustcloud indeed! The girls are now 6 weeks old, eating great, miraculously are either pottying on their indoor potty or outside (hard to believe), and have the most adorable personalities.  Shelby is her father. The way she plays, looks at us, and even wanders off on her own, is so characteristic of Keegan.  Shadow is our naughty puppy. She loves Danny, already picks on the other dogs, and loves to get into stuff.  Leia is a very playful, yet laid back, and super sweet puppy...yet loves to tug on pant legs.  They don't seem bothered by anything. They got to meet their first new people this weekend and thought they were fun new obstacles to jump on.

Huck (we still have the darling foster boy) has turned out to be the sweetest big brother to the girls. He absolutely adores them and his patience with them is truly amazing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bb0ztzB7hXQ

Keegan has picked up 3 more Double Q's, now putting us at 12 toward MACH2.  Pretty spectacular since he's only not double Q'd 3 times out of 15 days of trialing.  He's become such a fun, fast, consistent boy.  Last weekend he had his fastest Standard Run to date which makes me even happier that we are beating our best times.

Karma finished her MX yesterday with a really great Standard Run.  We have some consistency to work on, but for a 3 year old border collie, I'm pretty jazzed! She only lacks one leg to finish her MXJ...maybe that will happen this coming weekend in Omaha.

Little 4-Lb Trinkit was put on the team this weekend and entered in Open Jumpers with Weaves.  I wasn't expecting her to qualify as she's not seen 24-inch weave poles in training to date, nor does she really like running longer courses (after all, why on Earth should a tiny Princess have to work so hard?). She surprised me with 2 perfect scores both days.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCi62B-iEyk

More from the Dustcloud soon! Cheers and Happy Mother's Day to my wonderful Mom, Debby and grandmother, Beau!!!!

First Food at Four Weeks!

The girls are 4 weeks old now and have developed into these amazing little blundles of energy. You can watch them on this video:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ab2KGP-OFFQ

On Friday evening I gave VIP her last evening meal and Leia came bounding over and landed right in the middle of it. She immediately started to eat...so...they have now been getting their first meals from a bowl. I am starting them off on a rotation of high quality canned food, Esbilac, and my raw meat diet in a 1:1:1 ratio by weight. My raw diet may be beef, chicken, venison, or rabbit-based, and has been supplemented with vitamins and minerals (it is not just meat alone).

They have had fabulous solid stools with the inclusion of this mixture to their daily nursing from VIP. I continue to hear misconceptions about the feeding of raw diets to puppies. Like older dogs, the major risks and concerns associated with any raw diet feeding are related to the risks of bacterial contamination to the human handlers, not the canine consumers.  Additionally, some people that make their own raw diets fail to ensure the diets are properly formulated to meet nutrient requirements.  With over 44 nutrients to be concerned with, unless people have done their homework and spend the time and money necessary to properly make a raw diet, I do suggest purchasing a pre-made commercial raw diet instead. 

They are all responding well to Danny and I, and we have been introducing new things for them to explore, touch, and interact with daily.  I have been trimming their tiny nails and turning on the dremmel tool to let them get used to the noise. 

Additionally, I have been loading the sound of the clicker while they are eating and call them over to eat, rather than carry the food bowl to them.  Danny and I let them chase us down the hallway while we call their names.  I will begin to invite friends and neighbors over in the coming weeks to interact with the girls and add to the variety of people they see on a daily basis. 

 

3 Weeks!

I have no idea where the last three weeks went! The girls are growing so fast and changing daily. Just in the last week, they started playing, tackling Mom (or at least giving it a girl-power effort), and started experiencing new things.  I had to remove the box this week, as Leia got out twice (thinking there's an agility pup there!).  With the box gone, they were able to move to the linoleum on their own.  It certainly took them each some time to figure out how to keep their feet underneath, but as of today, they all 3 move back and forth from the blankets to the linoleum at will.  They also have started responding to my voice and looking toward me when I come in the room.  Yesterday they had their fist exposure to the grass and being out in the sunshine.  Shelby has started to exhibit her father's temperment (A LOT!).  She gets a touch frustrated when she can't get where she wants at that very second...honestly, the world should know it revolves around her!  Shadow continues to be the calmest, although she has become very playful. 

Feeding Mom

I think sometimes we manage to complicate feeding regimes.  VIP of course is only having to feed 3 puppies but it has been rather simple.  During her final 2 weeks of gestation she was fed about 1.5 x her normal amount split into 3 meals instead of 2.  Following the first 24 hours after birth, she got 2 x her normal amount split into 4 meals during the day and we've been maintaining that amount.  She's maintaining her weight well and has more than enough milk based on the growth rates of these kids.  We have supplemented her food with additional calcium but I will give her a couple tablespoons of Esbilac a couple times per week (more as a treat than anything else).  She is being fed raw and still gets her fish oil daily along with vitamin E.

One Week and Growing

The little girls are just over a week old and growing like little weeds.  The day they were born, I found out that 2 friends lost their beloved dogs that very day...their names were Shadow and Shelby.  We have been calling the oldest girl "Shadow" and the youngest "Shelby".  The middle child is "Leia".  I have enjoyed them daily and watching them develop.  Each puppy has been challenged with Carmen Battaglia's Early Neurolgical Stimulation exercises and those will continue through day 16. 

Girl Power!

This morning when I came upstairs, it was obvious VIP was in labor.  At 8:10 AM the first little girl, weighing 139 grams,  was born (left puppy in photo).  At 10:03 AM the 2nd little girl arrived, and was nursing by 10:07 AM.  Very shortly after, at 10:25 AM came the 3rd little girl (118 grams).  Mom and girls are all doing great.  We are wishing all our friends in Tulsa at the Agility Nationals the best of luck!

Looks like Four!

This evening VIP had her x-ray that showed what we all counted as 4 little tiny spines.  She is on day 57, so we are expecting the puppies this weekend. It seems like I've been waiting forever yet hard to believe the time is so close.  VIP has been very playful this week, playing with toys, wanting to go for walks...and of course bouncing.  We tell her not to shake the babies but she loves to jump.  I have been feeling the pups for the last week or so, and the one (now we know two) on the right are very active.  They kick around every time I touch her side, but the one on the left is much more quiet.  It will be so fun to see them develop and see how their personalities vary.  I'm very proud and excited for this litter and very anxious for their safe and healthy arrival.

She's growing!

We have made it past day 40 and I am now very certain we will indeed be seeing puppies in another 3 weeks!  Her belly is definitely growing and she is beginning to look a bit sausage like.  How very exciting. 

VIP has definitely decided she needs more food.  Her appetite has been ravenous over the last week.  Her diet is the same, we don't add anything unusual, just her raw meat, fish oil and some Prozyme but have increased the previous amount by 10%.  She does enjoy her Activia and gets a spoonful daily at noon.  We will keep her at this amount through the remainder of her pregnancy and she should be in a GREAT energy balance going into lactation.

Meet Huck!

This darling little guy is "Huck" (AKA: Huckleberry Hound).  Yes, he has as much ticking on his body as a bluetick hound (hence the name). 

He was one of 12 toy fox terriers relinquished from a commercial breeder last month.  They all were extremely shy.  Huck would rather work than be touched but he insists on following me everywhere.

I figured since he was just a puppy, we'd only have him briefly...I was WRONG! 

Sadly, we have not had a single inquiry about him. 

Huck is an amazing little guy...quirky...but amazing...full of fire, attitude, confidence (except men are ogres to him), and an incredible drive to train (we won't talk too much about the tantrums he throws when we are done training). Of course the agility trainer/handler in me is going crazy as I know this little guy has the potential to just smoke Keegan. 

This past week I decided it was in his best interest to get serious about training and I enrolled him in Agility Foundations class.  Huck definitely needs to be in a home that will appreciate his talent, so for now...we will...and hope that his forever home will find him...just hope he hasn't already decided that he's found his forever home!

Energy and Gestation

The waiting continues.  This week we passed day 28 of gestation for Miss VIP and she's doing great.  We've palpated at least two puppies and my excitement is growing.  Up until this week, there have been no adjustments made to her diet, and it won't be until after day 40 that the fetuses will really begin to take off and start draining some of her energy stores.  The recommendation is to increase energy intake after week 4 of gestation by 26 kcal per metabolic body weight. 

Metabolic body weight is an estimation of the body's actively metabolizing tissues rather than total body weight.  It is typically calculated by taking the animal's body weight in Kg and raising it to the 0.75 power.  In research settings and according to the National Research Council's Nutrient Requirements, energy requirements of dogs range from 95 - 200 Kcal x their metabolic body weight.  This is where we all get into trouble by reading the labels of our dog foods.  The labels reflect these values and if I used the values published for "highly active pet border collies" for my border collie, I'd be feeding her 175 Kcal x 6.19 Kg (Karma's metabolic body weight...yes she really only does weigh 25 Lb) or 1,080 Kcal per day.  I can tell you I feed her about 1/2 that amount.  For the majority of dogs, the labels drastically overestimate the energy that dogs really need, hence the serious weight problems we see in most pet dogs. 

So, little Miss VIP was actually getting 100 Kcal x her metabolic body weight (2.12 Kg) or 212 Kcal per day to maintain a good body condition.  I increased that by 26 Kcal so she's now at 126 Kcal x 2.12 Kg or 267 Kcal per day.  I actually won't bother with this amount much unless her body condition tells me otherwise.  She's getting her regular raw dog food daily, along with a tablespoon of Activia yogurt, and her fishoil.  Additionally, twice a week, she gets a raw chicken wing or pork rib (previously frozen) in lieu of her evening meal. 

The waiting continues.

Should I increase her diet now?

Well, today we are at day 14 (assuming my math is accurate).  As she's curled up here on my lap, I wonder how many little pups might be developing.  Right now at this stage, there isn't a huge drain on her energy stores.  It won't be until after the 4th week of gestation that the little guys will really begin to grow and develop and drain some of her energy.  That is when I'll increase VIP's energy intake in order to accomodate the weight gain and development of fetal tissues.  But, for now, she's still getting the same amount of food as before.  She is in super shape, great body condition, eats good, and seems very comfortable.  I had increased her diet a couple weeks prior to breeding as I felt she should have a couple more ounces on her.  I tend to like to see my dogs very lean so figured I'd let her go into this a tiny bit heavier than where I would normally keep her.

Feeding the gut bugs

My career is less than glamorous when you consider that much of the knowledge from nutritional sciences comes from poop...yes, I said it.  While I always consider my dogs body condition when feeding, I also consider their "poop-condition".  I will specifically alter their diets based on what their poop is doing.

Why?

Well, our large intestines are loaded with bacteria. Some are good and some are not so good.  In my field, we call this environment the microbiota or microflora of the gut.  Keeping this micoflora "happy" and balanced is a key to maintaining digestive processes, immunity, and overall health.  Bet you never thought that all those bugs in your gut contribute to your immunity.  When the delicate balance gets shifted, the result is often an obvious disturbance in fecal consistency. 

There are a few ways to keep those gut bugs happy.  One is with probiotics.  These are actually live organisms, typically inclusive of  bifidobacteria. These are considered the good guys.  The idea is that these bacteria will be consumed and help repopulate the large intestine.  Great idea in concept except they have to survive some harsh environmental challenges such as extremely acidic juices in the stomach, not to mention the digestive enzymes in the small intestine.  That said, some indeed survive to the other side.

Another concept is to find food items that the good guys really like, providing a much more stable environment; therefore, allowing them to grow faster and outcompete the bad guys (such as clostridia). This is how prebiotics work.  The most well studied one for pets and humans is called inulin.  It is actually a long chain sugar in the family of carbohydrates called FOS (fructooligosaccharides).  Inulin is found in large concentrations in chicory root.  I have seen more and more petfoods include chicory root in their formulations.  This is also one of the active ingredients in the popular yogurt product, Activia. 

I don't frequently give my dogs probiotics unless they have been treated with antibiotics.  Antibiotics not only destroy and kill targeted infectious bacteria, they often wreck havoc on the gut microflora as well.  I reserve probiotic products for those instances.  The remainder of the time, my dogs do enjoy their daily Activia right along with me.

The waiting begins!

A very dear friend of mine warned me that breeding was all about "waiting".  I didn't quite get it until now.  Keegan and VIP had a very lovely breeding week, and for the most part, it was quite uneventful and not even too scarey for me.  The love week ended rather abruptly yesterday morning with a growl and a snarl from VIP.  Keegan glanced at me, grabbed a toy, and tore off down the hall.  I giggled at the honesty of their exchange...how we humans can muck up our relationships because we don't say what we mean when we mean it...dogs on the other hand, are quite the experts. We can learn from that I think.  

I now look at VIP, curled up under my desk, and think of the amazement and wonder of life. A truly amazing and beautiful thing.  And so, the waiting begins... 

Omega 3 Fatty Acids

As a nutritionist, my husband would tell you that I am beyond obsessive when it comes to the diets of my dogs.  As we sit at the edge of VIP's conception, I am compelled to talk about the importance of Omega 3 fatty acids.  There are 3 dietary omega 3 fatty acids that include alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)...and you only thought I was going to say "fish oil".  It is actually both EPA and DHA that are found in marine fish oils. 

The benefits of consuming fish oils containing high levels of EPA and DHA are well studied and cited.  These fatty acids are capable of modifying the immune and inflammatory responses in dogs and cats.  In addition, recent research has documented linear responses in puppy trainability when their mother's were supplemented with EPA and DHA (I'm certain Keegan x VIP puppies will be brilliant, but, I will give them all the help I can).  During the last trimester of development, neural tissues in the eye and brain are accumulating DHA at very rapid rates.  This accumulation is necessary for both visual and psychomotor development. 

I am often asked if the omega 3 fatty acid in flaxseed is the same and the answer is, No.  The fatty acid in flaxseed is ALA (yes, it is still an important omega 3); however, flax contains little to no DHA.  Marine fish oils are the best supply of both EPA and DHA.  So, how much do you give your dog?  I prefer to dose fish oil based on body weights and go with the following:

20 mg per pound (dog's weight in pounds) of EPA and 15 mg per pound of DHA.  Most of the over the counter 1,000 mg fish oil capsules contain approximately 30% (300 mg) combined EPA and DHA (yes, you will need to look at the labels).  Some product labels will separate EPA and DHA; however, others will list a combined amount. The EPA will always be slightly higher and likely in the 180 mg range, while DHA will be approximately 120 mg. So, for my toy fox terriers that weigh about 6 Lb, they should ideally consume 120 mg of EPA and 90 mg of DHA daily; therefore, 1/2 of a 1,000 mg fishoil capsule in the AM and 1/2 in the PM would be just about perfect.

Decisions and patience

Deciding to breed Keegan has been a long and thoughtful decision that didn't come without heartache and struggle.   Danny and I have fostered and loved 8 foster dogs in the last year.  Half of them were toy fox terriers.  Currently we have three, and they all came from a commercial breeder.  It's hard to watch our fiesty, jovial little breed suffer from anxiety, stress, and poor socialization.  Fortunately, they have been coming along great and 2 have been adopted and are awaiting transport to their forever home.  Living with, training, and loving Keegan, makes me appreciate everything this breed stands for, and indeed makes me want to conserve those very traits that not only make him the perfect companion and performance dog, but the outstanding Toy Fox Terrier breed. 

They should be lively, fiercly loyal and have the incredible ability to anticipate their owners mood and state.  As descendants of the Smooth Fox Terrier, they continue to have intense hunting drive, yet adapt to every situation that arises.  When it's time to train - they train, when it's time to compete - they compete, when it's time to chill, they do just that.  Nothing is better than being sick with a Toy Fox Terrier as a companion...they will never leave your side.  I have this very dog in Keegan.

The gorgeous girl that Dr. Marsha Shively selected to mate with Keegan is Ch Shively's DJPTC Angel's Miss VIP.  I have enjoyed living with her since last September and admire the very same traits in her that I do in Keegan.  I have been patiently awaiting the perfect timing but we are still a couple days away yet.  It will be a painful couple months for someone that is as impatient as I am. 

Overcoming Obstacles to Earn a MACH!

On Sunday, January 17, 2010 Keegan earned his 20th Double Q, finishing his Master Agility Championship.  It was a very surreal run for us. I'm sure I will remember that course for the rest of my life.  As we ran it, I think I recalled every training issue we'd encountered along our journey.  The 3rd obstacle was the teeter.  I spent over 6 months trying to figure out why Keegan stopped doing the teeter, soon after he earned his AX title.  Come to find out, he hated me in front of him so as long as I stayed behind him or parallel to him, he never refused it again.  Then #5 was the A-frame.  Most of his Novice and Open career we ran around the A-frame and heaven forbid it was ever wet.  As we entered the weave poles at #10, I watched every bounce he made, recalling how he struggled with the bouncing as he got faster...then we hit #11...the dreaded table.  For the last year and half, Keegan had become very defiant about the table.  We tried everything (or so we thought) only to have a special trainer tell me to stop focusing on it so much. Treat it like part of the course and not a separate obstacle.  Slowly but surely, we started to work through it.  I don't think Keegan will ever like the table, but he will do it.  As he reluctantly sat on the table I realized we were so very close...now could I just remember the rest of the course.  The tire was #12 and I can't even remember how many times the little guy ran under tires on courses. We hit the dogwalk at #14 and he flew over it.  As we turned for our final stretch, we hit the chute at #18.  The chute was the obstacle that NQ'd us at the Invitational in 2008 in Round #2.  He made the final 2 jumps quite effortlessly in his typical fashion and I nearly fainted...we'd done it...with well over 1,600 points, the equivalent of an MXJ5, and 20 double Q's.  I think we flew all the way home from Minnesota and I thanked God for giving me such a special dog that taught me how to train and overcome obstacles.

The whole world should have a Sparky

Sparky's mother was a pregnant rescue that came to live with us.  He was one of four darling Rat Terrier puppies and when I took him back to college with me (intending to find him a home), he decided he'd already found his home.  Sparky is the dog that I wish I could share with the World.  I don't think there is a soul on the planet as kind and gentle as him.  When it came to training, there was nothing he wouldn't do for me.  He even played "Toto" in a highschool version of The Wizard of Oz.  Sparky has learned so much with me...therapy work, obedience, rally obedience, agility, even flyball.  Although he is mostly retired, Sparky loves children and on the occasion that I give a child an agility lesson, he is quick to step up and run course after course after course...he won't run them for me anymore...but a child...he's all about that.

Minnie

Although I grew up with dogs, they were typical outdoor farm dogs. My Dad didn't want dogs in the house. I'd always wanted a small dog, and was surrounded by Jack Russell Terriers as it seemed many of our horse showing friends had them. I had started to research the breed and breeders. One of my favorite passtimes was to walk through the mall and look at the puppies in the window of the petstore. Although I always looked, I was so careful never to go in...after all, I did know where those puppies came from and it broke my heart. That day was different though...as I walked by, a tiny little black and white Rat Terrier puppy was pounding at the glass to play with me. I couldn't help but stop and meet her. As I did, I realized she had a cough but it just didn't seem to slow her down any. I knew I couldn't take that puppy home but as I turned to walk out of the store, I heard that pathetic cough and I just couldn't bear to leave her. I had done the thing I swore I'd never do...I bought a petstore puppy. She rapidly acquired the name "Minnie" and it seemed like months before she compltely recovered from her horrible case of kennel cough. Minnie became my best friend. She moved from New Mexico to Iowa, then to Illinois, Nebraska, and finally, back across the river to Iowa as she followed me all the way through college, graduate school and into my new career. She was also the dog that inspired me to start training. I never thought Minnie could be trained...she was shy, dog aggressive, and let's just say she was a little ball of stress. Thanks to some incredible friends and great trainers at the Dog Training Club of Champaign-Urbana, Minnie passed her Canine Good Citizen and even began some rally obedience and agility training and competitions. In 2007, Minnie lost her left eye to a luxated lens. In early 2009 she lost her right eye and was 100% blind. Slowly her emotional and mental health degraded and in September, I had to make the most difficult decision ever...and say good-bye to my beloved little rat terrier. She was 13, and I miss her everyday.

Why Dustcloud?

Think back to watching Charlie Brown...remember that loveable character "Pigpen" and his relentless cloud of dust...it followed him everywhere? My dustcloud comes in the form of some delightful four-legged characters that you will soon meet. They follow me from room to room, fluffing around like dust only to settle on my lap as soon as I sit in my chair. However, if I dare say "let's go train", a weather disturbance erupts like a duststorm in the Southwest. We love to train, we love to compete, and we love to win...leaving the rest in our dust...so there you have it...DUSTCLOUD.