I spoke with my breeder recently, and the puppy temperament tests will be performed this weekend, and evaluations will soon follow. The temperament tests will be the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Tests, and the Volhard scoring and interpretations will be conducted after all of the tests have been performed. From there, the breeder will be able to combine physical structure and movement evaluations with the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test findings to determine placements with future homes.
Like many responsible breeders, my breeder thoroughly interviews each future puppy home, and makes selections of the puppy that will best suit each homes needs and expectations. This is much better than allowing puppy buyers to pick the puppy themselves, because the breeder knows the personalities of the puppy so well, after being around them for many weeks. It could be disasterous if a family wanted a mellow puppy, and picked the puppy themselves based on which was the most relaxed puppy in the bunch, and ended up with the wildest, who happened to be sleepy that day from lots of activity. Spending just an hour with a puppy is not enough to know the in's and out's to the puppy, and allowing the breeder to select a puppy for you based on your wants and needs and the Volhard findings will result in the best possible match for you and your family.
Because I want a show dog, the aptitude tests combined with the evaluations will show us which puppy the personality needed to succeed in the show ring, and the physical structure that is closest to being an ideal specimen of the breed standard for an optimum show potential puppy. I highly recommend checking out the link for the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Tests and learning about these temperament tests, they are truly fascinating!
I'll keep y'all posted when I learn which puppy will be my Hush! In the meantime, here are some puppy butts to look at. Are they not the cutest little fuzzy bums you've ever seen?!?! These particular butts are from a previous litter this breeder bred.
The weather seems to have gone directly from burning-up, nearly 100 degrees to cold and rainy fall days virtually over night. In a week the temperature has dropped nearly 50 degrees, which has me wondering if another snowpocalypse is just around the corner.
The shift drop in temperature is making my wardrobe selections difficult, but it is making it nice to spend time outside with Milly. I'm perfectly comfortable during the day (when it isn't wet and rainy) in jeans and a fleece, and the chilly air seems to have give Milly a rush of youthfulness that makes it very enjoyable to spend time with her outside on various adventures.
Last year, Milly and Tina and I all went on an apple picking adventure at an Orchard off I-66 in Northern Virginia. If you haven't checked out Love, Tina Marie, I highly recommend you go over to her blog for the latest crafts, recipes and life adventures. In my research, I have found apple orchards to be extremely dog friendly, and Milly loved her time picking apples with us last year.
Apples are great. I love to munch on them, and the act of picking them is quite fun. There is something neat about going back to your roots, in an extremely controlled setting, and paying someone to let you pick your own fruit. It gives you a sense of being somewhat self sufficient, without the added cost and headache of maintaining an apple orchard, which in the DC area probably requires a very large bank account, which I do not have. It's very easy to pick entirely too many apples while at an orchard, but if you ask me, there's no such thing. You can come home and throw them all in a pot and make apple sauce. Don't think you can eat all that apple sauce, toss the apple sauce in the crock pot and with a few simple additions you have apple butter by the time you get home from work!
Enough about the human side of apple picking, what makes it great to do with a dog? Well, first, you will run into other apple pickers, and running into strangers is great socialization for your pooch. Apple orchards are in rural fields, and dogs enjoy getting out of the city just as much as you do. Apples are a healthy treat for your dog, and aid in digestion, just don't over do it. Milly loves to snack on apples, she prefers them sliced, but she has been known to eat the apple whole. I do not allow her to have more than one apple per sitting, though. Apple orchards also have a variety of apples, so you can pick one, take a bite, if you don't like it, maybe your dog will! I know Milly and I have slightly different preferences in apples, and it's fun to each take a bite of an apple and compare notes, or in her case, tail wags. I recommend you bite the apple before your dog, unless you're into dog slobber, in which case, have at it. I am not, however.
So before winter sets in, look up your closest Orchard and go out for some fun picking. Call ahead to make sure they allow dogs, but many do. I only found 2 out of 20+ in my area that did not allow dogs. You also will probably want to pack a water dish and a jug of water, as being outside on a sunny day, even when the temperature is below 60 will make your dog parched, especially if they snack on apples like Milly does! This weather is truly perfect for excursions with your favorite canine companion!
I am always on the market for good alternatives to rawhide, as you know, I believe rawhide is far too dangerous to feed. I just tried a new chew treat, and I'm pretty happy with the results. Recently, I bought two different brands of himalayan or churpi dog chews. One, was made by the Himalayan Dog Chew company, and the other was made by Churpi Chews and produced by QT Dog Chews. Both brands contain four simple ingredients: yak milk, cow milk, salt, and lime juice. The treats are all natural, and contain no additives or chemicals, which is nice to find in a dog product. Both brands have the exact same guaranteed analysis, same color, same shape, and same scent.
I decided to give this new chew a try after reading about it in a few articles, and it did not disappoint. These treats come from an ancient recipe that the people of the Nepal Himalayas have been making for generations. These chews are actually made for humans from an ancient recipe that locals can use as a snack that they slowly work in their mouths throughout the day while working in the fields. Of course, knowing the origin of the treat, I had to give it a try myself before I gave it to Milly. And, it didn't taste bad, but I don't think I'll be knawing on one myself again. It has a slight parmesean cheese flavor, and a smokey aroma, that smells nice to me, and tastes like Heaven for Milly.
Milly has tried both brands, and she hasn't even made a dent in them after hours of chewing. This is an incredibly long lasting treat, but I do recommend making sure to get a size appropriate for your dog. I went with the Jumbo size, and it is just right. In order to eat the treat, dogs must slowly work the end of the treat for hours, softening it with their mouths before small parts of it can slowly be scraped off and dissolved. This treat is actually a type of Himalayan cheese, that is long lasting and naturally preserved with lime juice and salt.
Milly seems to really love this treat. The process of which the treat is made, and the use of yak milk, makes it easily digestible for dogs. This said, this treat is extremely high in protein, and if you feed it, especially to an older dog, I would recommend limiting the amount of time your dog can chew on it, and then cutting your dog's next meal back in size to prevent diarrhea. I've found Milly can safely enjoy this chew for about an hour and a half, and then I cut her next meal back by 30% without any diarrhea. However, I am not a veterinarian, and this is simply what works for me and my particular dog.
These chew treats are not all cheap, but in the case of Milly, they last a long time. I paid about $15 for each treat, which to me is quite a bit of money. That said, you probably get 10 times the chew time out of these than you would a bully stick. I purchased one of mine from Best Bully Sticks, and the other from Wylie Wagg in Arlington, VA.
All in all, I give this product 4-stars and 4-paws. This might be Milly's new flavorite treat! Just make sure to supervise your dog with this, like you would any chew, and remember, it is very high in protein and can be overdone, especially with older dogs.
Hamilton is kind enough to share his big bed with Milly, but they don't touch or snuggle! As Annie said, they are like two junior high students at school dance.
As you all know, I am currently between homes, and staying with a variety of friends. These life changing circumstances have made me really grateful for the incredible friends in my life, who have given me so much emotional support, and provided me with warm loving homes to stay in.
I am currently staying with my friend Annie and her husband Frank, and their two fur children (of the basset variety) Hamilton and Rutledge. It has been wonderful staying with them. The one great thing about being homeless is you are able to spend gobs of time with friends that you otherwise might not get to see, and I have loved being able to catch up with them. If you don't already follow Annie's blog, In Case Something Exciting Happens, I highly recommend it. She blogs about a variety of topics, but I love all of the photos she posts of her darling dogs! Basset hounds have so much expression, and I swear they cannot have a bad photo taken of them.
Milly has enjoyed it too. As you all know, Milly is excellent at adapting. She doesn't require much in life - a few squeaky toys, food and water, lots of belly rubs and some play time - to be happy in basically any situation, in any location. She is absolutely milking being a house guest for all it's worth. I think she thinks our current traveling is all for her, and a way for her to be pet and rubbed by as many people as possible, while playing with a variety of dogs.
They aren't afraid to relax around each other! Milly's head is shaved because of a hotspot, in case you were wondering.
She has had a great time with Hamilton and Rutledge, and these boys seem to be very smitten with her too. Rutledge, who is just under a year old, is most obsessed with Milly, and likes to stand outside of our door making basset noises in hopes of winning the blonde older lady over. Milly is more than happy to give him and Hamilton the time of day, and seems to really like watching their boyish rough housing. It's so nice for Milly to have canine companions. We've lived without any other dogs for so long, that sometimes I think she really misses that dog socialization. She seems so happy with these young wild boys!
Little Rutledge is so cute! His personality is very much that of a little brother, "Hey guys! Look at me!" Oh no, "Big kids!... wait for me!"
The Canine Camper has been a life saver with all of our traveling, and Milly has really taken to it. I leave the door, well in this case flap, open at night and let her come in and out of it as she pleases. She has really started to view this crate as her safe haven, and likes to go in it for some alone time.
It sure will be sad to leave these hounds and humans at the end of the week! They have all been such a joy to be around!
As you know, the main motivating factor with signing up for obedience class was to teach Milly a recall. Well, here are a few steps we are working on now, in obtaining a solid recall. At this point, anytime I use the word, “come” she needs to be on a leash, that way, if she does not come when I call, I can pull her in with the leash and praise her when she gets to me. If she is loose in the yard and I call her, I now use “Here Milly!” so that if she decides to blow me off, she is not associating her optional recall with the word “come”.
You’ll first want your dog to have a decent concept of healing (on your left side), sitting, and a sit stay. With your dog on a six foot leash to start, you can move up to a long lead, or use your Flexi lead (only use the Flexi brand) in time, ask your dog to heal, walk to a specific spot, and ask your dog to sit. Don’t worry, if you can’t get a sit, place the leash in your right hand, and immediately press with your left hand on your dog’s hind end. Once seated, ask your dog to stay and step in front of your dog. If your dog has a solid stay, you can walk all the way to the end of the leash, if not, stand as close as you need to for your dog to stay seated. Just make sure that if you decide to go to the end of the leash, you walk straight out, and then turn and do not back up to get to the end of the leash, as this can confuse your dog with contradictory body language.
With both hands on the leash, say your dogs “name + come!” for example, “Milly come!” immediately start running backwards, as you run real the leash in to you so you are eventually holding the leash in the same position you would to walk your dog, and your dog is no longer at the end of the leash. As you are running backwards and reeling in your dog, continue to encourage your dog by saying, “Dog’s name come” in a very excited voice. Once your dog has reached you, ask it to sit, and give tons of praise… “Great come! Good girl, Milly!” I like to say good or great + the command that was accomplished to reiterate what that word means while I praise. You can also give treats when the exercise is complete!
To start, you only need to run backwards for 5-10 feet. As your dog gets the hang of this, you can progress to a longer lead. Should your dog not immediately come, start reeling it in, but continue to encourage this behavior of moving towards you when called.
After a lot of research, I have selected the dog bed I will be getting for Hush. I have always had the traditional dog bed, the ones that are a giant pillow with a slip cover, round or rectangular, that sit on the floor. Milly actually has two of these, and while I like them, I want something that is a bit more sturdy and able to be disinfected.
As you know, Hush will be my first show dog, and once I get her, I would like to get a third Golden Retriever when she is a year old. With this in mind, I want to start buying products that will last a lifetime, so I don’t need to replace them with every new dog. The Kuranda dog beds have an incredible reputation. They are durable and made with furniture grade frames, the elevated beds give your dog orthopedic support and comfort, chew-proof fabrics make them long lasting, the beds can easily be cleaned and disinfected, and are suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. The way the bed is designed provides dogs with a firm, even support, which no pillow-style dog bed could match; this is great for growing puppies and elderly dogs! You can order machine washable slip covers to give them more of the appearance of the traditional dog bed, and there are optional pads available for added comfort.
I’ve spoken with many people who exclusively use Kuranda beds, and the word on the street is these beds will last for years, and the life of the bed will easily outlive the life of the dog. These are great for houses or kennel situations, and provide plenty of support for the dogs. I know Hush will probably go through a jaws phase, and I want a durable bed that she won’t chew! This is perfect.
Now, to pick a color and fabric for the bed, and which slip cover! They all look so nice! Of course, I’ll be getting mine monogrammed! Here are a few of my favorite slip covers, I love the stripes and knots the best. But, the traditional cinnamon would be nice and neutral in any room. Which is your favorite?
These beds are not the cheapest on the market, but also not the most expensive by any stretch of the imagination. They start at $36.95 and go up to $159.95, with slip covers and optional pads costing extra. But, for a bed that will last me 20 years or more, this is a worthwhile investment, and shipping on all orders is just $5!!!
The company is a fantastic company that gives back to shelters. Don’t have a dog? Just go on the Kuranda website, and you can order a bed for your local shelter! How great is that? I would love to get a group of people together to go in on some beds for a couple of shelters, especially those with low budgets.
I’ve been spending a lot of time in Washington, DC lately. I live in Northern Virginia, or I did, but now I’ve been staying in DC. I have been amazed at how dog friendly the city is, I guess I never quite realized it. In the past week, I have been to many restaurants and bars with outdoor seating, where Milly was allowed.
Last weekend, I met up with a friend for drinks at Elephant and Castle. If you’ve never been there, it’s located on 12th and Pennsylvania Avenue, and has wonderful outdoor seating. While dogs are not technically allowed inside the outdoor seating, they are allowed outside of the fence on the sidewalk. The servers are very accommodating and will arrange for you to sit along the railing so your dog can be beside you. They even brought Milly a bowl of water!
I really want to go to a restaurant called Art and Soul, where they offer a dog menu, complete with Bowser Beer and Marrow Bones. I better act fast though, because I think the dog menu is only available while the weather is nice. It’s been a neat experience to see what DC has to offer, I’ve never really spent much time there. Milly seems to love the squirrels of DC, too! I took her to the National Mall, and she eagerly wagged her tail at hundreds of them. We ended up having so much fun that we walked around for hours! She also has experienced riding in a taxi cab for the first time. A good tip about dogs and taxis, just let the taxi company know you will be traveling with a dog when you call them, and they will send a dog friendly taxi!
Milly has also toured many of the monuments. It's so much fun to tour the nations capitol with my four legged friend!
“He might be cute and he might be furry, but he’s still property.” — Trial judge in a New Jersey divorce case
With around half of all marriages ending in divorce, and half of those involving pets, what happens to the dog (or other pets) becomes a major issue when couples split. Legally speaking, animals are property, and the division of assets includes dogs. This is usually pretty easy to determine, especially if the dog was acquired before the marriage, but if the dog is legally marital property than things get trickier. Remember, dogs are not humans, but these days, many pet owners view their pet ownership as custody. This article published by the National Legal Research Group does a great job of explaining the legalities of divorce when pets are involved. Many Americans are marrying later in life now, than they were a generation before, and those that are marrying are statistically having children later in life, too. Dog ownership is on the rise, and the pet industry is booming, as companies realize dog owners want to spoil their pets. Before entering a marriage, you can even have your pet written into a prenuptial agreement. With this in mind, when break-ups happen, dogs are affected.
While I have never been married, I went through a break-up with my boyfriend of over three years a few months ago. In those three years, we really shared Milly as our dog. Yes, legally, she is my dog, but emotionally, she became our dog. We lived together, we shared the responsibilities of caring for her, and we enjoyed spending time with her and taking her on a variety of adventures from wine tasting to hiking to trips to the lake and Chesapeake Bay. As many people know, the Washington, DC area is a mixing bowl of sorts, very few people are actually originally from the area, and on the holidays many people leave the city to go stay with family out-of-state. Because of this, the city gets quite lonely, should you happen to be from here originally. On holidays when I would leave to go see my family, I almost always left Milly with my boyfriend so he would have a companion. Milly adored him, and he adored her.
While our relationship did not work out in the long term, we have decided to remain friends, and I have been very careful to make this as easy as possible on Milly. For starters, he and I lived together, but I am now staying with friends. Milly is a great traveler, and having a schedule, has made this much easier on her. You might remember my post, "How Much Do You Trust Your Dog,"where I discussed things like crating and feeding on a strict routine. I am so glad now that I don't free feed, because when staying with friends as a house guest, this could really complicate situations, especially with friends with other dogs. This said, she seems confused not being at home. To help her have some familiarity in her life, I let her spend four nights with my former flame, and he and I are planning on meeting at parks over the next couple of months so he can see her.
If you end a relationship, and you can remain civil, there are things to consider when it comes to the dogs. First, don’t stay in the relationship for the dog’s sake, if it isn’t working out. Dogs can sense stress and tension, and they will know if you are unhappy in the relationship. Relationships are teamwork, and responsibilities in life tend to be shared when two people become a couple. Many times, a couple will acquire dogs that together, they can care for, but neither person could care for on their own. This happened to a friend of mine a few months ago. Together, he and his significant other were able to open their home to three pugs, two of which were rescues, and gave these dogs incredible lives. But, when they broke up, neither of them was able to care for three dogs with time and financial constraints of being single. As a result, my friend kept one dog, and his ex was forced to rehome the other two. In deciding which dog to keep, he chose the one who was least attached to the other two, and would adjust to bachelor life the best. He and his ex carefully selected a forever home, from a pug owner they had boarded with in the past. The decision was not made lightly, but they did do the best they could to provide the best possible home for their beloved dogs. Even celebrities have to decide what to do with their dog when they break-up!
Should you break up, please try to be civil with your former significant other or husband, if not for your sake, than for your pets. The transition can be difficult for dogs, but maintaining a positive outlook on life will help your pet ease into the changes. In fact, according to vets at the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), dogs whose owners have split up have even been known to self harm under stress. Keep an eye out for unwanted or different behavior in your dog – things like digging, excessive barking, tail chasing, or excessive licking are all signs displayed under stress. Think about things like if your dog is suitable for an apartment, if you are moving to an apartment, perhaps the other person should keep the dog. Is your dog old, and will you be living somewhere where the dog is required to climb stairs? This may be difficult for a dog should you move.
Financial obligations of pet ownership – vet bills, toys, food, training, etc. are all expensive, and you need to make sure you are capable of providing for your pet alone. If your dog has trouble adjusting to new situations, perhaps a family member could keep your dog until you adjust to a new home life. Do you have children? If so, remember these are your kids pets, and your pets are attached to your children. Arrange visitations, or better yet, leave the dog with the parent with primary custody of the kids, if they are capable of caring for the pet. Separation anxiety in dogs occurs when there is a disruption in the life of your family dog, so please be aware of this. You may need to hire a dog walker, or start taking your dog to doggie daycare, if you are unable to provide midday walks that your partner used to be responsible for. If the dog is more attached to one partner, that is probably the partner the dog should go to, provided that person can properly care for the dog. In my case, while Milly loved my former boyfriend, she clearly views herself as my dog, and is very attached to me.
Most importantly, wherever the dog moves, make sure the vaccinations and medical records go with the dog. This will help the dog stay healthy and current on all shots. The responsibility of keeping medical needs up-to-date should lie with the person who can best do that. If you do move, make sure to update your dog’s ID tags, licensing, and microchip information. Should you move out of state, look into any dog-ownership laws you may be unfamiliar with, and remember, medical records are required legally for a dog to cross state lines.
This hasn’t been easy for Milly or I, but we’re adjusting, slowly but surely. Since I am currently not living at my house, I have put an ID tag with my parents address on her collar. This way, she still has the address for my house, I know should my boyfriend be contacted about her he would immediately call me, and she also has contact info for my parents, who would also contact me. I’ve been buying lots of fun treats and a few toys for Milly, to help keep her happy. I also brought her favorite toys with me, so she has things that are familiar to her. I know that by maintaining a friendship with my ex, and allowing him to spend time with Milly, this will be so much easier on both the dog, and us humans.
This video is truly inspiring! Of course, you know I love Golden Retrievers, but this takes my admiration to a whole new level! Watch how this dog is so dedicated to doing exactly what is asked, and is so focused! Even with distractions, this dog performs absolutely perfectly. This dog, Spirits GMOTCh, Am OTCh Zim Zam Zoom, is shown competing at the Utility level in obedience, which is the third and highest level of competition. For those that don't realize, when the dog goes to retrieve the barbell, the dog must select the barbell that the owner held from the pile. This is called scent discrimination, and shows the dog's ability to select the owner's scent from a variety of articles.
The jumping, known as directed jumping, is where the dog must go away from the handler, turn and sit. Then, the dog must clear whichever jump its handler indicates, and then promptly return to the handler.
Other exercises included in Utility obedience are signal exercises, directed retrieve, and moving stand and examination.
I hope you are as inspired by this performance as I was!
Milly has always been absolutely perfectly behaved, mind you, not perfectly trained, but perfectly behaved. Since the day I adopted her, she will quietly sit under a table or desk while I work. She has always been a gentle doll with children and other dogs. She is house trained, she knows not to get on furniture, she is relaxed, and happy. Basically, she’s amazing.
With such a well behaved dog, it was very easy for me to overlook her obedience training. She knew the basics: sit, down, and stay (usually). Though, her recall leaves much to be desired. I decided to enroll in a basic obedience class a few weeks ago.
I researched all of the classes in the area, and settled on the Mt. Vernon Dog Training Club for many reasons. First, they are the cheapest class in the area. The course is eight weeks long, and each class is an hour, at just $10 a class you can’t beat the price. Second, the classes are taught by volunteers, all of whom are passionate about obedience, and compete in AKC obedience competitions. Third, the classes use a combination of praise and light corrections in their training, which I like.
Many classes these days are purely positive training, which can be good, but I believe it is important for dog owners and dogs to know how to safely use a training collar (commonly called a choke chain). Corrections can be very useful, and Milly seems to respond very well to gentle corrections when combined with tons of praise.
On the first day of class, I was a bit cocky. I knew Milly already knew sit, down, stay, and thought we would be the best in the group. Really, to me, I viewed the classes as a way to gain socialization, and practice what we already knew with some distractions. Boy was I wrong! While Milly does know the basics, I taught them to her facing her. Therefore, she does not sit beside me, in the heal position. The first class was devoted to sit and heal. Since then, we have mastered sit, heal, about turn, come front (the foundation to training a recall), sit stay, and are working on down stay. We are working on sit stay while someone comes up and pats her on the head, too.
She’s gotten really good at healing and walking on a loose leash. She is so much better with distractions, and is grasping the idea of sitting beside me (in the heal position) whenever I stop, and before we cross the street. Hopefully by the end of the class we’ll pass our Canine Good Citizen with flying colors, and then I’d like to move on to the next level of classes, which is the first step towards basic obedience competitions.
If you are in the Northern Virginia area, and looking to train your dog, I cannot recommend this training club enough. Not only are they half the price of the rest of the training classes, but they also truly know obedience and are passionate about dogs. Whenever I have a problem or question that comes up between classes I email my trainer, and she is more than happy to respond with tips right away.
If you don’t live in the Northern Virginia area, I recommend looking on the AKC website for their obedience club affiliates. Working with a dog training club tends to provide top notch training, and is also a fraction of the cost of most “obedience schools”. It really is the most economical way to have a well trained pet, and if you catch the obedience class bug after your first series of classes, you can usually become a club member for even better discounts on your training. Most training clubs do not pay their trainers, and the cost of the classes only goes to pay for the training facility, so costs are able to stay very low.
.JPG)