Monday, October 31, 2016

Sunday, October 30, 2016

10 Reasons Not to Use a Retractable Leash (sometimes called a Flexi)


10 Reasons Not to Use a Retractable Leash
  1. The length of retractable leashes (name brand: Flexi), some of which can extend up to 26 feet, allows dogs to get far enough away from their humans that a situation can quickly turn dangerous. A dog on a retractable leash is often able to run into the middle of the street, for example, or make uninvited contact with other dogs or people.
  2. In the above scenario, or one in which your pet is being approached by an aggressive dog, it is nearly impossible to get control of the situation if the need arises. It's much easier to regain control of – or protect -- a dog at the end of a six-foot standard flat leash than it is if he's 20 or so feet away at the end of what amounts to a thin string.
  3. The thin cord of a retractable leash can break – especially when a powerful dog is on the other end of it. If a strong, good-sized dog takes off at full speed, the cord can snap. Not only can that put the dog and whatever he may be chasing in danger, but also the cord can snap back and injure the human at the other end.
  4. If a dog walker gets tangled up in the cord of a retractable leash, or grabs it in an attempt to reel in their dog, it can result in burns, cuts, and even amputation. In addition, many people have been pulled right off their feet by a dog that reaches the end of the leash and keeps going. This can result in bruises, "road rash," broken bones, and worse.
  5. Dogs have also received terrible injuries as a result of the sudden jerk on their neck that occurs when they run out the leash, including neck wounds, lacerated tracheas, and injuries to the spine.
  6. Retractable leashes allow dogs more freedom to pull at the end of them, which can look like aggression to another dog who may decide to "fight back."
  7. The handles of retractable leashes are bulky and can be easily pulled out of human hands, resulting in a runaway dog.
  8. Along those same lines, many dogs – especially fearful ones – are terrorized by the sound of a dropped retractable leash handle and may take off running, which is dangerous enough. To make matters worse, the object of the poor dog's fear is then "chasing" her, and if the leash is retracting as she runs, the handle is gaining ground on her – she can't escape it. Even if this scenario ultimately ends without physical harm to the dog (or anyone else), it can create lingering fear in the dog not only of leashes, but also of being walked.
  9. Retractable leashes, like most retractable devices, have a tendency to malfunction over time, either refusing to extend, refusing to retract, or unspooling at will.
  10. Retractable leashes are an especially bad idea for dogs that haven't been trained to walk politely on a regular leash. By their very nature, retractables train dogs to pull while on leash, because they learn that pulling extends the lead.
Full Article: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2014/06/11/retractable-dog-leash.aspx?x_cid=20141014_ranart_petretracableleash_facebookdoc

Puppy Playtime

Flashback to a few days ago when the pups were introduced to the "Puppy Plaything". Please check the Photo Album for MORE photos ;) Link: Seeing Double Litter












Saturday, October 29, 2016

Will Spaying /Neutering Your Dog Increase Its Risk Of Cancer?

Summary of "Evaluation of the risk and age of onset of cancer and behavioral disorders in gonadectomized Vizslas"

Objective:
To investigate associations between age at gonadectomy and estimated risk or age at diagnosis of neoplastic and behavioral disorders in Vizslas.

Design:
Retrospective cohort study. Animals 2,505 Vizslas born between 1992 and 2008.

Procedures: Data on demographics, gonadectomy status, and age at diagnosis of disease or disorder were obtained with an anonymous online survey and analyzed.

Results:
Dogs gonadectomized at ≤ 6 months, between 7 and 12 months, or at > 12 months of age had significantly increased odds of developing mast cell cancer, lymphoma, all other cancers, all cancers combined, and fear of storms, compared with the odds for sexually intact dogs. Females  gonadectomized at ≤ 12 months of age and males and females gonadectomized at > 12 months of age had significantly increased odds of developing hemangiosarcoma, compared with the odds for sexually intact dogs. Dogs gonadectomized at ≤ 6 months of age had significantly increased odds of developing a behavioral disorder. The younger the age at gonadectomy, the earlier the mean age at diagnosis of mast cell cancer, cancers other than mast cell, hemangiosarcoma, lymphoma, all cancers combined, a behavioral disorder, or fear of storms.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance:
Additional studies are needed on the biological effects of removing gonadal hormones and on methods to render dogs infertile that do not involve gonadectomy. Veterinarians should discuss the benefits and possible adverse effects of gonadectomy with clients, giving consideration to the breed of dog, the owner's circumstances, and the anticipated use of the dog.

From: BioPortfolio, http://www.bioportfolio.com/resources/pmarticle/928848/Evaluation-of-the-risk-and-age-of-onset-ofcancer-and-behavioral.html. Study originally published in J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2014 Feb 1;244(3):309-19. doi: 10.2460/javma.244.3.309.

Properly Socializing Your Puppy - Whole Dog Journal Article


Young puppies have an important behavioral “sweet spot” between the ages of 8 and 16 weeks. During this critical period, your dog builds her impressions and attitudes about what is normal and acceptable. At this time more than any other, positive experiences with the world around her build a solid foundation for the rest of your dog’s (we hope) long life.


New Owners: Please consider buying a yearly subscription to the Whole Dog Journal.

Friday, October 28, 2016

Puppy Enrichment Article

Fabulous article and video on how breeders can provide the optimal enrichment environment to puppies. Snippet (and link) below:

The Enrichment Triple Crown

1. Stimulating living area - for example, toys, visual objects, different types of footing,different sounds, and social interaction. Breeders have done a great job with this in recent years, and there are even a number of commercial “play pen” type products available for puppies.

2. Exercise - Including adequate space to move as much as the puppies wish to, “jungle gym” type challenges such as climbing and outdoor exercise, when possible.

3. Problem solving and learning - “Active” training challenges, where the puppy is presented with a problem or training task, and then asked to solve that problem for a reward. This is as opposed to “passive” challenges usually provided by breeders in the form of toys and interactive objects. Interestingly, it appears that the task has to be motivated by positive reinforcement for neural benefits to take place. Apparently, the hormonal effect (cortisol release) caused by corrections or aversives inhibits the growth and survival of brain cells.

Read the entire article:  http://www.puppyculture.com/the-enrichment-effect.html

The importance of leash manners . . .

The same as marijuana is considered a "gateway drug" loose leash can be considered a "gateway behavior".

It is very unusual to see a dog that walks nicely on a leash that has any behavior problems.

If you are struggling with your dog, don't try and train loose leash. Just make it happen. Pulling is forbidden, so don't allow it, ever, past the age of about twelve weeks.

A trainer once said to me "Why would you allow that to happen?" While the comment stung at the time, he could not of been more right. While I did not possess the solution to the problem, I lost all of my presence and belief that I could stop it. My defeat, in turn, made the problem exponentially worse.

Sometimes I need to find my inner little-girl, stomp my feet and say "You will not". As a kid I had much more determination to not allow something I didn't want. Yet as an adult, defeat can sometimes overwhelm us. We all need to find that inner determination, which in turn gives us mental-presence. We need to quit being victims, allowing our dogs to do stuff to us. Rather, we need to be determined leaders, stand tall, and take control of the situation, even when we have no clue how to fix it!

Monique Anstee

Victoria, BC

Monday, October 24, 2016

Puppy Development - Week 3 to 4

The Girl Gang is now 3 Weeks Old! Time flies when you're having fun! 

Puppy Development - Week 3 to 4

At this stage "fear" has not yet developed and this is the age where the puppies need to be exposed to sudden noises like turning on the vacuum, washer/dryer, dishwasher, radio, TV, hair dryer etc. The puppies are now listening to Sound Socialization CD's (you can see examples on the Clean Run website) which have gunshots, sirens, babies crying and the like.

The startle response needs to be experienced and the puppy allowed to return to normal quickly before the fear stage begins. This needs to happen so the puppy knows that when startled throughout the rest of his life, he can return to normal and everything will be ok. A puppy that has not had these experiences during this stage of development will more than likely be a "fearful" dog as a adult (just another reason you want to adopt from a reputable breeder who socializes their litters).

The puppies will begin a loose pecking order at this stage and start "play fighting" with each other. I have already introduced them to pee pads, and later pellets and/or fake grass (the beginning of their house training). During Weeks 3-4 they will also begin to eat food, but still be nursing their mom as well. Their first meal is "gruel" which is ground up/wet kibble/dehydrated raw food.  

As the week goes by Zene will begin to teach them to nurse more gently and when to quit as their teeth have already started to appear (usually by 3 1/2 weeks). This is one of the first lessons in discipline.

By next weekend the puppies will be moving out of the whelping box to the PUPPY PARTY PALACE and be exposed to the PUPPY PLAYTHING and teeter totters, boxes, toys and various objects . . . STAY TUNED!

Dog Parks and Puppies -- JUST SAY NO!

Perfect example why I'd rather to go the dentist, than a dog park.  Read: "Well Socialized? No, Well traumatized."  http://www.whenhoundsfly.com/well-socialized-well-traumatized/

In the opinion of many other dog behaviorists "dog park" is a four letter word as far as puppies are concerned.  I share these sentiments.

More reading "Welcome to the Frat Party a/k/a I'm not Socializing my Puppy that Way so Go Away" by The Dog Snob blog (https://thedogsnobs.com/2013/08/13/welcome-to-the-frat-party-a-k-a-im-not-socializing-my-puppy-that-way-so-go-away/). Excerpt below:

"Regardless of how you feel about adult dogs at dog parks, I think there is one thing we can all agree on. Puppies do NOT belong at dog parks. Period. End of story. Why, you ask? Let us count the ways. Illness. Injury. Stress and fear responses. The list goes on and on. Dog parks are like frat parties. They are full of loud, rude, clueless, and overstimulated individuals who only get worse when part of a large group. Plus, farting and humping is not only allowed, but encouraged. "

Please find alternative ways to both exercise and socialize your puppy, and please ask me if you have any questions.

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Photo Album -- The Seeing Double Litter

Link to the Seeing Litter photo album on Smugmug:

https://karenlake.smugmug.com/Moonlight-Vizslas/2016-Beckett-x-Zene-Litter/Seeing-Double-Litter/

Our first dremel nail session!


Mommy Zene and pup paws

Zene and puppy paws

Notice the tips are filed (using a grinder, i.e Dremel)

Around here, Sunday is NAIL DAY...without fail!  The Girl Gang will be three weeks tomorrow, Monday, October 24th.  This weekend I started them on the dremel for their nails, for me it is easier because I don't have to be so "precise" as I do with human nail clippers.  

More on the "why" nail care is critical to canine health from the AKC Canine Health Foundation. 

Friday, October 21, 2016

Capturing Calmness - "How to train calmness in dogs"


Teaching your Vizsla to be "calm" or settle can seem overwhelming for this busy breed, but it really is necessary. Great instructional video.  

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Happy 6th Birthday Zene 🎂


🎂 Happy 6th Birthday to beautiful Zene -- Mommy to the Seeing Double Litter! 🎂

Zene is my do-it-all girl who keeps me smiling with her silly antics and lizard hunting! I love you ZeneBikini 👙 

Photos: Zene's 1st Christmas 2010, Zene age 3, six week old Zene, Baby Zene with her mom, Csilla

---

If you want to check out more photos of Zene and her littermates, visit our 2010 Litter Blog - The Rockstar Litter http://rockyxcsillarockstars.blogspot.com

Yummy, bone broth!



A captive audience while I prepare the weekly batch of homemade "Bone Broth" which is freshly made in a Crock Pot with a roasted chicken, turmeric, veggies, apple cider vinegar and the occasional garlic clove.  Everyone loves the extra flavor their kibble, especially Zene!  

Vaccinations : Less is better


My dogs / puppies follow Dr. Jean Dodds vaccination protocol where minimal vaccinations are desirable.  I generally give the first puppy shot as close to 8 weeks as possible (vs. 9-10 weeks).  

2016 DODDS VACCINATION PROTOCOL FOR DOGS

New Puppy Owners: Please speak to me if you wish to modify this schedule (i.e. you'll do shot after puppy comes home). 

Additional reading...

Dogs Naturally Magazine 
"The Purdue Vaccination Studies and Auto-antibodies" http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/purdue-vaccination-studies/

Dogs’ and cats’ immune systems mature fully at six months. If modified live-virus vaccine is giver after six months of age, it produces immunity, which is good for the life of the pet. If another MLV vaccine is given a year later, the antibodies from the first vaccine neutralise the antigens of the second vaccine and there is little or no effect. The litre is no “boosted”, nor are more memory cells induced.

Not only are annual boosters unnecessary, but they subject the pet to potential risks such as allergic reactions and immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia.

In plain language, veterinary schools in America, plus the American Veterinary Medical Association, have looked at studies to show how long vaccines last and they have concluded and announced that annual vaccination is unnecessary.

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

What do you do when your puppy nips and bites you?

An all-to-familiar post on some of the Facebook Vizsla groups I belong to (this is NOT one of my owners):
"Need some advice. My sweet 15 week old gets into his zoomies mode and runs around me and jumps up to bite my leg. He only does this for up to a minute. But it hurts like no other. Any ideas on what to do when this happens or how to prevent it?"
Whenever a puppy becomes hyper stimulated, out of control and is nipping and biting the first thing to look at is how much structure and boundaries are in place. Have you ensured that he has stimulating appropriate activities when he is out of the crate? Is he getting enough crate time? 

Often too much unsupervised freedom is the root cause of an overly rangy, nipping biting pup.


Please prepare yourself for a Vizsla puppy by reading the entire Ultimate Puppy website, you won't be sorry!

Friday, October 14, 2016

Some of my favorite photos from this week ☺️

Life is good at the milk bar 🍼

Lots of interesting sleeping positions starting already! I've seen the frog dog legs on Scout many times before with the 2013 Beckett/Zene Litter

Snuggling in with mom's paw

Monday, October 10, 2016

Week One Portraits

Scout (was White/Multi) - now LIME

Skye (was White/Pink Dots) now ORANGE

Sutton - PURPLE

Sawyer - PINK

Sandie - YELLOW

They're chunky monkeys!

The Girl Gang is right on target as far as weight gain for Week 1.  Collectively the litter averaged 13.9 oz at birth and they are at 26.3 oz today (Day 7). The goal is to double their weight in the first week and they are right on target. 


Keep in mind weight at this age has little to do with adult size, instead I keep track to ensure the pups are growing normally at this stage. 


Sunday, October 9, 2016

Puppy Development: Neo-Natel (Day 1 to 2 weeks)

As you will soon see on the "Live Puppy Cam" most of the time the pups simply "eat-n-sleep".  Puppy Cam will be setup this week (October 10th~!)

Puppy Development: Neo-Natel (Day 1 to 2 weeks)
  • Newborn puppies cannot regulate their body temperature and must be kept warm. If allowed to chill they can develop infections, pneumonia and digestive issues. The temp in the room is set to 76-80F degrees. Puppies were born and spend the first three weeks of their life in a temperature controlled nursery (i.e. my spare bedroom). 
  • Their eyes and ears are not open, and they depend upon smell and body temperature to find their mothers to nurse. 
  • They sleep 90% of the time and when awake crawl in a circle, moving their heads from side to side to find their mothers. 
  • It is paramount at this stage that the mother is not stressed so she can focus on the needs of her puppies. As you've seen from the photos (and soon from puppy cam) Zene is a fabulous and experienced mom. She knows it's okay to take a break from the pups to come visit the rest of us (and I encourage that) or take a quick spin outside to burn off some energy/go potty. 
  • Newborn puppies can not relieve themselves on their own. Their mothers have to lick their bottoms to stimulate them to go potty (#1 and #2).

Bio Sensor Program

The puppies have started the early neurological stimulation exercises for the "Bio Sensor" a/k/a "Super Dog Program".  This program was developed by research showing puppies exposed to a variety stimuli at a young age are better equipped for life in the "real world".   This process begins with early neurological stimulation and socialization, and as they grow exposure to a variety of enrichment experiences.

On Day 3 (through 16) the puppies go through the following series of five (5) exercises:

1. Tactical stimulation (between toes)
2. Head held erect
3. Head pointed down
4. Supine position
5. Thermal stimulation

Here is an example of exercise 2:



Feel free to read the full article (pdf) by Dr. Carmen L. Battaglia here:
http://www.breedingbetterdogs.com/article/early-neurological-stimulation *

* Link updated 10/10/16 

Saturday, October 8, 2016

Our first pawticure 💅🏼

Vizslas are a relatively easy (wash and wear) breed, and the only regular grooming needed is nails and teeth. NAILS SHOULD BE DONE WEEKLY.

Puppy toenails are first trimmed at a few days old (with child's nail clippers), and every 3 days thereafter. You would not believe how long the nails get and if left untrimmed they can scratch one another in the eye or tear up mom's nipples and teats.

Left paw - BEFORE, Right paw - AFTER. 
(Note: For dew claw removal, in a few weeks/months 
you won't even be able to tell it was taken off)

You can see how sharp/long they are only after a few days old - wow!

At two weeks old the puppies are started on the dremel (on low speed). It is so much faster and easier than clipping! I use a cordless version for pups and adults, $40+ on amazon.com, link to buy:


Pups will be acclimated to the dremel by the time they go home and the owner is required on puppy "Go Home Day" to demonstrate their ability to trim the nails (and bring their dremel!).  This is a weekly requirement for each Moonlight Vizsla Puppy owner. 

Three year old "Cordie" and her "perfect pedi"

NOTE:  If you can hear your dog's nails on the floor, they are already too long!

Friday, October 7, 2016

Puppy Photos -- Week One

Tuesday 10/4 (before tails/dews)

Tuesday 10/4 (before tails/dews)

Wednesday 10/5 (after tails/dews)

 Wednesday 10/5 (after tails/dews)

Thursday, October 6, 2016

We've had a busy week -- tails/dews

First things, first . . . FIVE GIRLS? For those that didn't know, Zene whelped FIVE BOYS in 2014 (click for link: True Love Litter Blog).  Mother Nature certainly has a sense of humor 💁🏼

Regardless of the sex of the pups, I am pleased to say that everyone is doing very well. The Girls are gaining weight at their twice daily weigh in's; and Dr. Williams at Yorba Regional Animal Hospital had nothing but wonderful things to say about the pups -- they are thriving.

On Wednesday, 10/5 (at 2 days old) the Girls made the 3+ hour trek to Anaheim Hills for their tail docking and dew claw removal procedure. One of our whelper-helpers (Katie) made the long car ride and helped Zene to stay organized in the soft crate while riding with her five babies. The puppies need to nurse before/after the procedure but generally are separated for car rides (in truth, it is much safer). 

 Tails are docked 1/3rd off (should reach the stifle/bend of leg). Experienced vet, Dr. Beckie Williams  DVM, then adds a single stitch to close them.

Puppy butts 😉


Monday, October 3, 2016

They're here . . . FIVE GORGEOUS GIRLS!



We've got a GIRL GANG! The Seeing Double Litter arrived today ~ FIVE GORGEOUS GIRLS! In birth order:

Scout 14.2 oz - Multi Polka Dot 
Sandie 14.1 oz - Yellow
Skye 13.2 oz - White/Pink Dots
Sawyer 14.3 - Pink/White Dots
Sutton 13.9 - Purple 


Thank you whelper-helpers: Katie and first-timer Carol. Once Zene got down to business she whelped the babies between 10AM-1PM. Well done, Zene-Bikini.

Momma and babies are doing well, will post more updates/photos after we get some rest. 

Sunday, October 2, 2016

Zene "then and now"

Thought it might be fun to share some "then and now" photos:



Zene ~ not pregnant



Zene ~ Day 60 of her pregnancy

Video of Zene's babies


(You'll need Flash to see the video, so view on computer vs. phone)





X-Ray . . . please take a peek at the Seeing Double babies!

Ok, everyone . . . I did my best to improve the quality of this x-ray. Take a peek:


P.S. Under advisement from several other breeders, no more x-rays

Week Nine

Zene is in Week Nine (Days 58-65) of her pregnancy, here's what to expect:

Development of the Puppies
  • Growth and Development continues
Changes in the Dam
  • Nesting behavior may be seen
  • Bitch may become distressed (panting, pacing, acting uncomfortable)
  • Temperature should be around 100.2-100.8 degrees Fahrenheit
  • When temperature drops to around 98-99.4 degrees Fahrenheit, puppies should be born within 24 hours
  • Appetite may disappear as whelping approaches

To Do List
  • Notify vet or emergency clinic when temperature drops so that they will be ready if you have any problems
  • Keep detailed records on temperature and behavior of bitch
  • Double check that whelping supplies are ready

Changes and Care Required in the Momma Dog
  • Start taking temperature three times a day

So far, Zene's temperature has dropped to 98.6 F (Sunday 10/2) and her energy level is slowing down, as is her appetite.  We "could" expect puppies on Monday but as they say, "a watched pot never boils!"

Updates to follow . . .