DOG FOOD Part 1 Kibble

I always dread getting into dog food conversations with people because most people pit Vet advice against research.  Our puppy owners always ask for food advice and some have requested a blog talking about different dog foods so here it goes.  I am not going to go into a lengthy blog with statistics and the debates around dog food because I trust all of you will take a look at your food and do your own research.

As most of you know, we feed our dogs and puppies the raw diet, however, we did start with kibble and so in the first part of this blog I will write about kibble.  Just like in our world of food, there are foods that are good for your four footed friend and foods that aren’t.  We do not claim to be food experts what follows is just our experience and what we have found through our own research.  We strongly encourage your own research for dog food, and to learn what’s good, what’s not and how to recognize a higher quality food vs. a lower quality food.

First, our main source of information for our beloved pets is our vet.  Vets are General Practioner like our family doctors and trained in the overall health of our four footed companions.  They are not nutrition specialists and experience only minimal training for it in their schooling.  Don’t fault your vet; they can only suggest what they have been taught and/or learned. There can be a purpose to foods carried in a vet’s office; they offer a solution to a specific problem such gastro intestinal issues but they are not meant for permanent usage.  Also let’s not forget the price tag of food found in a vet’s office, for that amount you can find a great high quality food for you dog rather than a lesser quality food that only provides a temporary solution.  

So, there’s “junk food” and healthy kibble choices out there.  The junk food version, although most times cheaper, requires you to feed your dog a large amount of food (4 – 7 cups/day) because it is full of fillers (such as corn and corn meal).  These fillers are NOT digestible for your dog and therefore get pooped out.   Your dog absorbs all the nutrients it can from a food and the rest comes out it makes total sense.  Higher quality kibbles are more digestible and therefor the output is reduced (less poop people!) \you are also feeding way less, 1/4 the amount sometimes.  So yes you’re paying more, but you’re feeding less, you’re giving your dog a healthier diet and you get to poop scoop less.

The biggest mistake I have seen people make when switching to a higher quality kibble lays in the amount they feed their dog. Many of my very loyal dog owners are wracked with guilt when they have to lower a dog’s intake from 4 cups a day to 11/4 cups per day.  Let me assure you the guilt is unnecessary because there are no fillers and so your dog is just getting the nutrients requiredJ. It is important to follow the guidelines on the dog food bag according to your dog’s weight, overfeeding is just a waste because again, your dog will only poop out what his body doesn’t need.  At the same time the back of the dog food bag is just a guide. For example, we feed less in the winter because our dogs are less active and in the spring and summer we feed more.   Age is also a factor in feeding; puppies require more (because they are busy all the time) than adults and seniors require less.  Know your dog and its ideal body weight and look and adjust the food accordingly.

Please keep in mind that not all foods work for all dogs.  If you try one high quality food and it doesn’t seem to agree with your dog don’t just give up, try another one.  When we were feeding kibble we fed a combination of orijen adult formula as well orijen fish formula. This worked great for 8 out of 10 of our dogs, their coats were phenomenal and poop scooping was once Maybe twice in a day.  The 9^th dog (and the reason we switched to raw originally) had a sensitive tummy and he would be good on a food for 4 – 6 weeks and then back to several poops a day and very soft ones. For the 10^th dog’ this was not the food for him, his stool was often soft to runny and he was pretty lethargic.  We eventually discovered he had allergies to beef, fish, egg, milk and many other things that could be found in the kibble we were feeding.  We put him on a limited ingredient diet kibble (made specifically for dogs with food allergies or intolerances) and he was like an entirely new dog.

We understand that not everyone has the time, money or resources to do a raw diet for their dogs, but if you’re going to feed kibble we want to make sure you know you are giving your dog the best kibble possible for them J

The kibbles we recommend to our Clients:

Orijen, Wellness, Now, Go, and Innova.  Late last year we came across a new kibble called Rotations. We tried the puppy version of this on a litter of puppies and really liked it. It is good because it offers a 3 in 1 nutritional system.  Each box contains 3 individual bags of food with different ingredients and nutrients to give your dog a complete diet.  This is what we recommend but there are many good foods out there.

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/

This link gives you information and analysis on numerous dog food. It offers the good, the bad and the ugly and why.

http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=badingredients

This is a link to ingredients to avoid in dog food and there is much more information on this site as well

So there you have it our take on buyer’s beware for dog food and the kibbles we recommend J

Hope this helps everyone and as always you are more than welcome to email us @ info@freespiritlabradors.ca

I will try and get the raw food diet blog up for everyone tomorrow.

Have fun with the food sites

S~~~

The Crate Debate

Crates!!! I don’t know how many times I have heard people say crates are cruel and mean or they don’t believe in crates because they seem cruel.  If a crate is used as a prison it is cruel or as a punishment cruel. If a crate is used properly as your puppy’s/dog’s den or home or safe place to escapes the over zealously loving two foots in its life a crate will be one of your dog’s favourite things.

 It is my first recommendation as a breeder to every single puppy person that takes one of our puppies.

The reasons to use a crate are endless.

Best tool for potty training; safety when travelling; keeps puppy/dog safe when you’re not home – we do not know what they do when we are not there or what they might miraculously get into even though we believe our house to be dog proof … the crate ensures puppy gets nothing it shouldn’t and that you come home to your home and possessions in tact; the vet’s office … if your puppy ever has to spend a night at the vets they won’t love it because it’s a strange environment but if they know the security of a crate they will not experience the extra anxiety of never having been in a crate before, also when crate trained they know you always return to take them out of their crate; it is your dog’s safe place which is important for them to get away from hustle and bustle if they feel overwhelmed, they will often hide out there when  they know they may not have been the very best puppy that day,; they go there because if it is used properly they know nothing touches them or harms them there … it’s their space and theirs alone; it also provides your puppy with predictability which they love and need, dogs want to know what’s expected of them, they need to know, they are much happier knowing what you want from them than being left to their own devices … it always gets them into trouble.

Crates provide the basis for all our training because what they all say is true, dogs are pack animals and need to know their place in your pack and you better hope you’re the alpha.  A crate helps you be the alpha to your puppy because you are making all the decisions, when puppy comes out to play, when puppy comes out to potty, when puppy has quiet or sleep times.

All of our dogs have a crate or their own personal space and they love it and many will just go to their crate and hang out there door wide open. My daughter has a funky little Labrador that is a train wreck without her crate she loves having that space. So don’t approach the crate as wrong, or cruel, or awful, don’t dread the crate because if you have anxiety towards the crate so will your puppy.  Look at the crate like you would your child’s bedroom or your bedroom, a place of retreat and quiet. It’s comfortable and warm and cozy!!!!  I love my room and I make my children’s rooms something they love and I do the same for my puppies and dogs. Our crates have nice cushions or blankets, toys, and often a bone to chew on who wouldn’t want to hang out there it’s doggie nirvana.

So the crate; we recommend wire crates because puppies can still see everything going on, but also because you can buy the size that will fit your puppy when it’s an adult and just use the divider to make it smaller and grow with your dog. If you plan on vacationing with your four footed friend and travel involves a plane you will need an airline approved plastic crate.

How do you make the crate your dog’s den and a friend for both of you instead of the enemy; slowly and making it fun and comfortable.

We introduce our puppies to a crate at 4-5 weeks. The crate does not have a door but it does give them the concept of a crate and curling up in it. Not all breeders do this though so if you’re puppy doesn’t know what a crate is here are some easy steps to get started on your crate training.

So first make sure it’s the right size; the crate area available to your puppy should be big enough for him to stand up and turn around but not big enough for him to roam around.  Set the puppy’s crate up in an area where puppy can still see what’s happening around the house so he doesn’t feel isolated.

 To introduce puppy to his crate toss a treat in there and he will go in and get the treat.  Do this several times until the puppy is used to coming and going in and out of his crate at will. Praise the puppy every time he goes into the crate making a fun and relaxed thing for him. The next step is to close puppy in for short periods of time (60 seconds) when he goes in for the treat. Then open the door and let puppy come out.  Once your puppy figures out this is his domain, his space, he’ll go in on his own give him treats and praise J

When you and your puppy become comfortable with this step, leave the room for short periods of time; when you return open the crate door and let puppy out no fuss no muss just open the door.  Keep doing this gradually increasing the time you spend out of the room. 

There are exceptions to every rule, but if you are consistent and loving most puppies will be fully crate trained in 2 – 3 days.  Then you can leave your puppy alone for an hour at a time (gradually increases it of course) with a toys and some chews.  Nothing can disturb or harm your puppy there, it’s his safe place and he will just nap and play with his toy or chew till you return.

Okay now here is the toughest part for every puppy owner and crate training, but it’s really important. Do not … okay … do not remove your puppy from his crate when he is crying and whining.  This can be really tough because we all feel just heartbroken for a crying puppy. However, if you remove your puppy when he’s crying he learns he needs to cry to get out. It’s tough I know but let your puppy out when he is quiet and settled. Yes yes I know the next question “what if he has to go potty?” You will quickly learn the difference between a crying puppy and a puppy whining to go potty.  You should still shush the puppy and let him out when he is quiet but our puppies don’t whine in their crates once they are crate trained but they will give us a little bark or whine if they need out to go potty. I don’t see a problem with this although I am sure some experts do.  

So potty training … I don’t know if we know the “right” way to do this but I do know what works for us.  We take our young puppies out every hour, sometimes a few times a n hour and this is why; we take the puppy from his crate outside to potty, if he goes potty he gets tons of praise and a treat, then he gets to come and play with us for a while. If he doesn’t potty after a  bit of time outside we put him back in his crate and then take him outside again in 10 – 15 minutes to potty if goes praise and treats and play if not back in the crate. They do not take long to catch on!!! Typically, dogs do not potty in their den or place they sleep and hang out, but sometimes accidents do happen, their bladders are small and still developing.  If an accident does happen don’t scold your puppy, just clean it he will learn the lesson he won’t like having gone in his crate. You can take the puppy outside to the potty spot and then go and clean the crate so that puppy returns to a clean place.

Choose a name for the crate, whether it’s crate, home, house, place pick the word and have everyone use the same one. When you start crate training with the first step of treats use this word so your puppy learns to associate it with his crate.

When puppy first comes home put the crate, as I said, in a place where puppy can see you and what’s going on in the house, at night if at all possible put the crate in your bedroom so puppy is close to you and feels more secure.  Remember, that the first few nights away from littermates can be stressful for your puppy and he may go through separation anxiety so be patient. A few things we have used to help with the first few nights is a stuffed animal for puppy to cuddle with or a hot water bottle for warmth.  When you are dealing with a breeder, find out if they send your puppy home with something with mom’s and siblings scent on it; if they don’t ask if you can bring a blanket or towel or something from home for your puppy to come home with.  If a puppy is particularly whiney when they go into the crate the first night sometimes we place a blanket over it, it seems to give them some extra security.

Some of my clients who work fulltime have a special area for their puppy during the day and then use the crate at night only. We litter train our puppies, so some of our clients set up an area (laundry room, bathroom, or porch) that they can close off from the rest of the house, put the crate, some water, food, toys and their litter in it so that while they are away at work for extended periods of time the puppy is not confined in his crate. Then in the evening they work on crate training for potty purposes and then puppy sleeps in his crate. This seems to work well for most.

Crates don’t have to be a permanent thing; many of our dogs sleep in their crates but spend their days outside playing outside or in our living room on their cushions. We do not let our dogs have free run of the house when we are away because labs are wonderful at getting in to trouble when there’s more than one and we feel it’s the safest place for them when we aren’t watching them. Our crates are always set up and the doors are always open so any of our dogs can go to them when they want to be away from us. Our older dogs also rotate through our bedroom, sleeping on a cushion on the floor while the rest are tucked safely away in their space. The point is even if you don’t want your dog to be a crated dog as it grows that’s entirely up to you but, it is an important tool for your puppy.

S~~

Something entertaining:)

Since my last post was so heavy and filled with sadness I thought I would take a minute to write something lighter and well mindless :)
We have a white puppy from Tempest and Valor we have kept to place in our breeding program, Her name is FS's Artic Queen (Ari to us). Ari is 8 months old and is still growing and discovering things, well yesterday evening she discovered her shadow. We were playing in the yard practicing fetching and she spotted her shadow on the trees. She stopped and stared at this funny looking black dog on the tress ... ears perked up, totally still, just watching. Well when she moved, the shadow of course moved as well catching her attention again. So then she tried to approach this odd black dog head low very cautious, but that darn dog moved again!!!! Big brave white dog jumped out of her skin, growled then yiped then ran to the step LOL . It was hilarious!!!! Maybe you had to be there to see it to think it hilarious but I giggled for quite sometime. If any of you have any funny tidbits you may want to share about your dogs email them to us @ sonya@freespiritlabradors.ca or post them in the comments.

S~~

today is a sad day :(

the Dyck family and Freespirit lost a beautiful companion this morning. His name Charlie, only 18 months old. His dad and I have spoken a few times over the past 6 months because Charlie had developed a lump on his neck. I advised to watch it and if it grew or bothered Charlie at all take him to the vet. Well like the wonderful puppy owners that the Dyck family are they did just that. When Charlie's lump continued to grow they took him to a vet, the vet put charlie through a battery of tests including blood work and biopsy only to receive reports back that all was negative. There was no sign of cancer in any of the testing it was simply an abnormal growth of some kind. Relieved with the news Charlie didn't have cancer (and completely trusting the vet which any of us would do) they gladly took their puppy home. The lump didn't seem to hinder Charlie in anyway, he still took his daily walks, played and visited. However, Charlie's lump continued to grow as did the sense that something was wrong with this situation. Charlie's Dad was struggling with the vet report and diagnosis that nothing was wrong. Upon a visit to a different vet the news was very grave indeed, Charlie did in fact have cancer and it had spread to his lungs and there was nothing anyone could do for him except make him comfortable. Charlie's family was devastated as were we, but they diligently gave Charlie some medicine to make him comfortable and spent some extra special time with him until this morning when his dad took him back to the vet and stayed with him while he went to sleep and left all his suffering and pain behind.
Charlie's Dad phoned me to let me know that Charlie was sleeping now and I tried hard not to cry on the phone because well they certainly don't need someone crying to make the pain worse. But Charlie's dad called with more than that he had a message he wanted to share with everyone and we feel it is an important message. Charlie's family wants us all to remember to not mess around with anything unusual in our four footed friends. We know our dogs better than anyone else. We know their temperaments and their bodies and we know when something is not right with that.  Charlie's Dad is even more devastated because he believes if he had dealt with it differently and sooner perhaps his house wouldn't feel so empty right now. We deeply regret not saying go to the vet NOW. So he wants us all to never mess around with anything we know to be unusual to our dog, and if the first vet doesn't give you any answers to explain what's going on go to the next one, DON'T WAIT don't waste time because it's time you may not have.

We are devastated that something so heart wrenching has happened to one of our puppies and one of our wonderful puppy families. Our love and thoughts are with the Dyck family and their inconsolable loss, we grieve with you, but we are happy that they made the choice to not let Charlie suffer any longer.

With Love and Sadness
S~~~

What's eating you?

"Over the teeth, over the gums, look out tummy, here it comes! 

A dog’s teeth, in this domesticated day and age, are really rather outdated. Now obviously, Fido make good use of his teeth while rearranging the pattern of your old knit sweater, modifying the fit of your favorite dress shoes, or processing todays news print, but when eating, the mouth serves mostly as a gateway to the oesophagus, connection the mouth and stomach. 
The dog’s saliva does not contain amylase, like a humans mouth, and his saliva serves only as a lubricant to the food on its way down. If ravaging a large chunk of meat, a dog’s teeth would serve to break the meat into pieces that could fit down the oesophagus, without choking him. Once in the stomach, the food meets hydrochloric acid, which is the dogs first defense against poisoning via bacteria such as e-coli or salmonella. 
This is why your sweet Pooky can ingest a positively rancid piece of meat with  little consequence, aside your scolding and perhaps a cold shoulder for all of a day. With a PH level of only 2, these canine stomachs can virtually dissolve their way through meat, bone, or even crazed strains of bacteria. The gastric juices found here work to reduce protein, breaking them down before they pass to the small intestine. 
The small intestine is really the grand central station, where it receives the chyme from the stomach via the regulatory pylorus valve. Here in the small intestine, food that can be digested will enter the bloodstream. Both the pancreas and the liver secrete enzymes into the small intestine, to reduce fat and protein into absorbable forms of fatty and amino acids. In dogs, the digestion of protein and fat is far superior to the digestion of carbohydrate. In fact, digestion of carbs is so limited that most sources of carbohydrate will pass thought the dog unused, and unchanged.

 Therefore, in a diet os meat and cereal mixer (carbohydrates), the meat will provide protein, digested primarily in the stomach and small intestine, while the majority of the cereal mixer will simply pass through, unchanged. In herbivores, a greater process occurs in the large intestine, or colon, where they digestion of carbohydrate takes place. In carnivores, the colon functions primarily to extract water and compact the remaining wastage, making the absorption of carbohydrate near-impossible.

Say what? 
Yes! It is true...dogs can not digest carbohydrate! Shall I say it again...

                                                                      dogs can not digest carbohydrate!

So why add the carbohydrate into the diet? For good reason, carbohydrate is added to many kibble diet as filler, simultaneously serving to firm up the stool of your pet. Lets face it, most of us must pick up after our personal lap warmers! However, in a natural diet, the raw bone in a wolf's diet will serve to to the same thing as the carbohydrate in the commercial diet. Yes, by all means, compensate a loose stool with the addition of raw bone into the diet and watch your pooch turn into a sidewalk chalk producer! The veterinarian community has often eluded to the presence of loose stool to be a obvious sign of an ill dog. Although this can be true, more often a loose stool simply means a high protein diet has been ingested. What to do? Throw your dog a bone!

So the loaded question is, "what is the ideal diet for my dog?" 

The truth, is simple. You are feeding an animal, a carnivore, and an Canid that still shares 98% of its mitochondrial DNA with a wolf. A closer relation than between the same wolf and a coyote. 

What does a wolf eat?
Not kibble."

Courtesy of
Valina & Carelton Pope
Starstruck Labradors

Natural Alternatives for fertilizing, weeds and pests

Natural Alternatives for your lawn, garden and pests

Hello again J

Well today we are a PC majority government, my wonderful little black Lab Boadicea has two points towards her championship, and the weather although not  bright and beautiful this morning, has graduated (FINALLY) from winter to spring.  Two Footed and four footed companions everywhere are doing their happy dance at being able to thoroughly enjoy the outdoors again.

Unfortunately, along with melted snow comes the backyard clean up.  We have spent two weekends on our 20 acres with that job.  UGH!!!! But everything is looking beautiful  again and ready for the sun and rain to make it grow.

So with spring and summer coming we have lawns and gardens to take care of, and we always have to consider what’s safe for our four footed friends because their noses and mouths are a little too curious for their own good.

So lawn perfectionists that are lamenting lack of chemical products to create the perfect lawn. Fear not I live with a lawn perfectionist and watch him faithfully pour hours into our lawn care and over the years and through some research we have learned some things.

First, there are some pet safe products out there but one can never be sure so please make sure you research a product before you buy it to ensure it is safe for your furry friend.

Alternatively:

Lawn Care – soil compaction is definite problem for dog owners especially if you have larger dogs.  In high traffic areas or in our four foots favourite sun bathing spot the soil becomes compacted and cannot breathe and chokes the roots, starving them. Aerating your lawn opens compacted soil and allows water and nutrients to seep in to allow the soil and roots to receive all that love to grow healthier and stronger.

For those really OCD lawn care dog owners testing your soil’s PH level can help you figure out the whether the soil is healthy enough to promote a beautiful healthy lawn.

MOWING-  lawns that are only 1 – 2 “ high allow budding weeds to seek out all that beautiful sunshine and grow. Through our research we have learned a bit of a longer lawn (2.5 – 3 “) hides them from the sunshine as does keeping your lawn thick. Experts recommend over seeding on what lawn you already have, the thicker and healthy your lawn the more it naturally chokes out your weeds. Don’t get weed crazy a lawn that has only 10- 20% weeds doesn’t look like it has weeds at all. Also don’t rake up all that cut grass it provides natural food for your lawn.

Watering – our lawns do not need nearly as much water as we all think!!! Here our lawn was constantly under the sprinkler if it wasn’t raining. However, those people with beautifully lush lawns often just trust Mother Nature to take care of it unless we are having an extended dry spell. Many landscaping companies recommend only 1” of water per week to maintain a healthy lawn. If the water is floating around on top of the ground you are wasting water because either you have a soil impact problem or your lawn just isn’t thirsty anymore.

Fertilizing- kelp and seaweed are high in nutrients that make lawns flourish and you can use them monthly.  Composted (completely broken down) plants and foods provide great fertilization for lawns. You do have to take care to not use compost with any plants or food toxic to your canine companion.

Weeds (UGH!) – nasty little buggers just sprout up wherever they want !!!!  If you’re really ambitious you can manually remove these hoodlums with tools you can find at home and garden centres that help you get it out root and all, then grass seed those areas. Some of us would need the entire spring to get rid of our weeds especially if you find yourself on a new property where lawn care may not have been a big deal. There are some natural products you can use to get rid of weeds; 1 gallon of boiling water and a ½ gallon of vinegar with a few drops of lemon oil works (apply using a spray bottle) great on weeds especially if applied on a warm sunny day; a mixture of lemon juice and water for weeds along your walkways etc. works really well; Corn Gluten meal applied to your lawn once in the spring and once in the fall makes for a great weed deterrent.

Bugs – Diatomaceous Earth both kill and deters; boric acid; or 6 tbsps. of dish washing liquid (without a degreaser) in a gallon of boiling water work well.  Citric acid works well as a sharp shooter for pests J

The Infamous Female Dog Lawn disease

In actuality, there is no difference in the urine of a male dog and a female dog or their stools and the potential damage to your lawn.  The difference lies in the fact that after about 1 yr. of age most males no longer squat peeing on your beautiful lawn, instead they search for things to pee on.  Male dogs also have this wonderful habit of marking (their territory HA!) so they are spreading their urine around therefore there’s no concentration in one spot.   Dog pooh can also cause damage but most of us are really diligent about picking up these solid nasty logs (right?). Female dogs squat, that’s it that’s all so all that nitrogen filled urine gets to one pretty little spot over zealously fertilizing to the point of killing that spot in your lawn.  So if you would prefer your lawn to not look like a bad plaid blanket of green and brown there are some things you can do. For the very diligent dog owner you can make a potty area in your yard training your dog to go to the same spot all the time.  You can water the spot your dog urinates diluting the concentration of pee spreading it out. If you have one dog that may work wonderfully well, I would need a hose attached to my hand at all times. There are supplements that you can add to your dogs food or water or give as treats that eliminate this problem for you.  Hydration for your four footed friend  also helps so for those of you feeding dry dog food mixing a little water in with their meals helps a little. Skim milk powder mixed in with their food, whether you’re feeding a dry, wet, or raw diet kicks the butt of the spotted lawn dilemma.  I have heard that a little bit of ketchup mixed in with your dog’s food also helps but I don’t know about that one. Finally, there is an Albertan Company called Purewest Environmental Solutions that offer a variety of natural product solutions for your lawn, garden and pests that are pet friendly.

Fleas – nasty buggers, and for some animals that are allergic can cause lots of damage.  There are natural products to deter and deal with fleas, but if your dog has an infestation please use advantage or something similar from your vet, and once the problem is eliminated return to natural flea repellents. Grooming is vitally important for your four footed companion to keep you aware of any changes in their skin condition and whether or not they’re carrying around any extra critters. So brush your dog at least once a week (especially in the warmer months) it provides great bonding time, most of them love it and you will notice any change in them whether it’s a bump, a sore, a tick or fleas. Fleas lay eggs like crazy and they simply look like dandruff on your pet. Also fleas have a really hard outer shell and are hard to kill and jump around, so if you find one on your dog. One of the easiest solutions is to put them into a bowl or glass of rubbing alcohol (this is true for ticks as well) then flush it down the toilet.

Natural Flea and Tick (and mosquito) Repellents – cut up a lemon (peel and all) boil it in a pint of water and then allow it to steep overnight and sponge onto your dog’s coat Then put the remainder in a spray bottle(strain out the lemon) for frequent applications.  There is a powder you can make by combining equal parts of powdered eucalyptus, rosemary, lavender,  fennel, and penny royal into a shaker jar (like a spice or salt shaker). To apply back comb your dog’s fur, sparingly shake out the powder at the base of the fur concentrating on the neck and tummy areas. Then put your dog outside because fleas do not like this powder and will vacate the premises. A combination of the following oils also works; pine needle, peppermint, tea tree, rosemary, sage and eucalyptus.

There are also many companies out there that make combinations of these things in liquid and powder forms so if you are not comfortable making your own do some research and find a company that makes it.

Please be especially careful when dealing with ticks; wear rubber gloves, use tweezers, pull the tick straight up and out ; avoid moving the tick back and forth; if you are unsure whether or not you have gotten the entire tick removed watch the spot for irritation and if there is any take your dog to the vet. Ledum is supposed to be a great homeopathic solution for ticks for both prevention and treatment. Here in Alberta I haven’t had to deal with ticks so I haven’t tried it but it is recommended by Homeopathic vets.

Ants – if you use a line of cream of tartar along the entrances where ants are entering your house the ants will not cross it.

Moths – many people use mothballs but as a dog owner that is not an option so as an alternative use a lavender sachet in closets, drawers, and packed away clothing.

Essentially there are always safe and natural alternatives to any situation to keep your four footed family members safe and healthy and you’re doing your part to make Mother \nature Happy at the same time.

S~~

Hello all; food for thought?

I guess for my first blog I want to thank all of you for taking the time to get to know us, our dogs and our puppies as well as letting us help you complete your family and making ours bigger to include all of you. This has been such an amazing experience for us. There have been some ups and downs and harsh learning curves but it has all lead us to this place with all of you where we match puppies to their best suited family and vice versa.
 
I always chuckle when I hear people talk about breeding and money. You know those people that say “ oh she has 4 females so 3 – 4 litters a year @ 8 puppy average for 800 / puppy  so that 25,600.00/year … It entertains me because if they only knew … luckily there are good breeders out there who do this because they have a deep love of a breed, improving that breed, competing in one facet or another, and those breeders are lucky enough to find loving dog owners who understand the difference between that kind of breeder and a puppy mill. I am not saying we make no money, but we certainly don’t make the blanket amount everyone assumes by adding dogs, + average # of puppies, = what we make from breeding. I will tell you that a good reputable breeder needs to pay health clearances, vet bills, registrations, membership fees to CKC and whatever other kennel clubs they may belong to, conformation, obedience, rally show fees plus a handler for the dogs if you are unable yourself, nutrition which can be expensive if it is of good quality, maintaining kennels and buildings, not to mention none of these expenses really change when you have a dog you have raised for 2 years that for whatever reason isn’t breed able  your program, when a mama dog needs an emergency c section and she may or may not make and may or may not have any live pups.  A reputable breeder is self-employed and is no different than any other self-employed business, if you do it well and with pride and take care to do it right and constantly improving and growing you can have a good year or you may have a really crappy year . That’s the risk in operating your own business whatever the business. As in any area of business there are breeders who may follow all the rules, but aren’t great breeders and some who don’t follow any and luck out and breed great dogs.
On this subject, please get to know your breeder, if it seems like they have no time for you or your questions (I don’t mean if they don’t get back to immediately because sometimes it can take us a few days ) and you’re not comfortable with that find another one.  Finding out about your family and what kind of puppy you think you’re looking for is very important to us because if we can match the right owner and puppy it is an easy transition for everyone. There are times when people think they know what they want, and after we get to know them a little we may think they need a different temperament so we will introduce them to the puppy with the temperament they were looking for and the one we think suits them better from their description.  We are usually right if you have been honest with us about your lifestyleJ There are magazines and web sites that tell you what makes a good breeder and a bad breeder … THE RED FLAGS… You have to trust your own instincts and judgement.
They talk about shunning breeders that do not allow you to visit the property. I understand why this could be a red flag but it is not always a red flag!!!! There are breeders that do not allow people on their property to protect their puppies.  People can carry parasites and diseases into a kennel without ever being aware. Some of them are highly contagious and can easily run through an entire kennel and can be deadly to puppies.  Yes there are precautions we can take. For example we like to ask people if they have other dogs or around other dogs regularly, if they frequent pet stores or off leash parks, and if in their search for a puppy they have visited any other breeders at their kennel.   There are other things you can do, but this is what we find out and then we proceed with further precautions from thereJ A few years ago we had a lady visit us, we asked her all these questions (she lied) and came to visit and meet our puppies. We had just brought home our new white stud 2 weeks prior (Valor) and he was 11 weeks old so had his first vaccination only. Well long story short (and very thankfully with a happy ending) he ended up contracting parvo and we were devastated and fought a very devastating disease that kills many puppies and won.  So my point is; don’t judge a breeder solely on whether or not they let you visit their property. I considered not letting anyone on my property for some time afterwards. The questions you find to know a good breeder are simply a guide line, trust your instincts if you feel comfortable with them good if you don’t move on. We have instincts for a reasonJ. Research the breed. There are different types and colors and temperaments of Labradors these days, so know them and what you are looking for and make sure you’re completely honest with your breeder about what you want.
Thanks for reading; I promise not to step onto the soap box too often.  Most of my blogs will be for you and your puppy/dog to make you laugh, or help or teach J
 
I hope you are all enjoying the warmer weather with your four footed companions and shaking off the cabin fever that comes at the end of winter (especially this extra  long winter).
 
Pawprint to Pawprint
S

Yay! Denver!

So, if you're following us on Facebook you already know we've had quite a few dogs available this fall/winter. Between the return of Jasper, taking in eight rescues, and one unexpected litter (and then a realllyyy unexpected one from one of the rescues.) We've had quite the mess here. Especially since the move and such haven't allowed us to do much building for dog kennels. Anyways! One of the last four puppies, Denver, from those little surprises found her place today. Always nice to see. She fell in love instantly. She knew before they did. She just rolled into their laps and was more than ready to leave minutes after they had arrived! It was super.

Almost every phone call or email we get has some sort of compliment on our website. I know, I know. Super right? Mother worked long and hard with our designer to get that right and we love to hear the postive feedback! Thank you everyone and especially Steve for his excellent work!

I think this blogging stuff is going to be fun! Though I do believe I should explain that most of these posts are made by Toria, as in me. And not mom. -Gasp!- I know. Why is the breeder not blogging?! Well people, it is because she is a business woman, and unfortunately for all of you, that means your stuck with the wild ramblings of her eldest daughter. But hey. You get the news, that's what counts right?

How many of you are actually following anyways!? I hope someone is...

Oh and jee, the silly printer is out of black ink. In the middle of nowhere, which is where we are, it's hard to get out and get more. Sad really. When you're trying to get some forms for the dogs' annual CERF...

Silly technology.

Until next time!

Creams and Yellows expected this Fall!

Odin and Phantom are expected to breed in July for a litter due in September. We expect gorgeous English puppies in various shades of light yellow. You can see Odin and Phantom on the website. We are taking a small amount of deposits and a waiting list for this litter!

Litter of Whites and Creams expected this Summer!

Valor and Tempest have been bred for a litter due May 4, 2011. The puppies will be readythe end of June/beginning of July. This is a repeat breeding. Puppies out of these two are beautiful, intelligent and excellent companions for both families and hunters alike. We are full on female
deposit spots but still have room for males. We are also taking a waiting list for this litter. You can see Valor & Tempest on our website, but I've posted some of their previous puppies below:


Kuula -- Female







Hudson -- Male



Shaela -- Female



Valor JR.  -- Male



New Champion!

CH. Freespirit's Justus Kuma!

Our lovely man finished his conformation championship in ten days of shows.
He's taken Winners Dog, Best of Winners, Best of Breed, Best of Opposite and
he's gotten a good look at group too! We're very proud of Justus.

Justus started showing in February, doing two shows that month, and finished
the last weekend in March. He finished before his first year birthday!

Justus is expected to breed with Tempest in the summer/fall of 2012; Pending
his clearances are good & clear.

Welcome!

Alright people, yet another place where you can follow our little adventures with our Lab companions. We've been breeding for a few years now, we're still learning almost everyday. There are signifigant advantages to having such a large family of Lab-loving people, but we still like to keep the operation fairly small. This allows optimal time for our dogs, and the puppies we produce. We have three adult males. Listed from oldest to youngest: Odin, Valor & Justus. They are all yellow in various shades. Valor and Justus are a much lighter shade often referred to as cream or white, and Odin is a light yellow. And we have two adult females. Phantom and Tempest. They are sisters; though from different litters; They two are the lighter shade of yellow. As well as two young cream/white females and one black female; they were all born in the fall of 2010 and are hopefully going to be part of our breeding program in 2012. So, in total there are eight labradors in our breeding program, and another two pet labs with in the family. They all live in the house; Rotating through our bedrooms, sleeping on dog pillows or the bed.  Our labs are all treated as house pets. We feel that this is vital since most of them will be retired to a new loving family when the time comes. Any dog we breed is generally retired between 3 & 4 years of age. Some stay within the family to live out their lives. We hope to bring you closer to us and our fur-family with this blog; We will update as often as possible! Thank-you!