Well, I'm finally back at school which means I'll be getting back into something of a rhythm as far as training schedules go. While at home, I worked pretty exclusively on the "with me" command, which I've defined as a loose leash walk which requires that the dog stay beside or behind me and not pull on the lead. I don't mind if the dog sniffs around or wanders a little further away from me at times but I want no tension on the lead and no forging ahead. This training has been going well so I'm beginning to ask for the "with me" under increasing distractions and in different environments. So far Keiko can hold the command up and down the street. If she sees a person, she will break the command but yesterday I was able to get her attention back by simply heading in a different direction. She's not quite ready to maintain a "with me" while going head on towards another person but we're working on it. She did very well yesterday coming down the hall to see the officers after our club meeting. I had to stop a couple of times when she pulled on the lead in an attempt to forge ahead but after the second stop, she understood. That didn't stop her body from wriggling with excitement, though.
It took a while for this pup to wear on me...I was constantly worrying about whether or not she would be what I wanted. But every week, every day even I realize how much she is what I wanted and may be even more than I wanted. It seems that during our training sessions or even when just lounging about she does something small that makes me excited to have her. She is also beginning to show me more attention (with age, of course) and has surprised me more than once when I've tried to call her off of a distraction. Yesterday for instance, my roommate was holding her dogs by the collar while I brought Keiko in from the backyard. I expected her to pull and pull towards them. She did go towards them but a simple "eh-eh" followed by the slight direction turn towards my room and a "with me" had her immediately focused on me! She did a similar thing when one of the officers arrived in our driveway for the meeting while we were working the "with me" outside yesterday. It seems that if I communicate to her that I would rather she didn't pay attention to something I know she considers high value (i.e. another person or dog) she is becoming more and more willing to say "okay, whatever you want!" I suppose I am beginning to see the "willingness to please" in the breed which is what I was seeking when I decided I wanted a herding breed dog in the first place. If you can't tell, I'm happy with her! I'll try to get some new photos within the next few weeks or so once things have settled down and I'm completely moved into my house.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
A Sample Dinner
While I don't have any video of Keiko eating dinner, I decided to share a picture of what her meal for tonight looked like.
Pictured is a 1/2 lb chicken leg quarter which has been cut into two. The glob on the right hand side is a teaspoon of veggies. I just bought vitamin C so once her stomach gets used to digesting veggies which are separate from the meat (not mixed in like they are in the premix) I will begin adding it to her food. Vitamin C addition has to be meticulous and slow, as it can very quickly cause a dog to have a loose stool. Within the next month, I plan to have also obtained salmon oil (or some other form of omega 3's) and vitamin E to supplement with.
On another note, the family dog, Rhasta, has been having some digestive issues. A few weeks ago he got into a rotting rabbit carcass. (Note: Rhasta is not raw fed - not to say that even a raw fed dog wouldn't have had a problem with a rotting carcass) His stomach went haywire. It took him a couple of weeks to get right but I really don't think his digestive system has been right since. Amongst the medications he was on was an antibiotic. The Vet prescribed a probiotic that was supposed to replenish the good bacteria in the stomach that is depleted by antibiotics but I just don't think it was enough. Tomorrow I am going to get a different probiotic and get him started on it, and I'm also going to search for a formula for sensitive stomachs to try out with him. I am going to chat with my parents about trying him on The Honest Kitchen's Thrive formula and go from there. I wish I had him with me at school because then I could just start him on a raw diet and be in complete control of everything he was eating. Then I would know precisely what was causing his digestive upsets. In the meantime, I'll skip his morning meal (aside from giving him the probiotic) and then begin working up to his full ration again in painstakingly slow fashion. Poor little dude.
Pictured is a 1/2 lb chicken leg quarter which has been cut into two. The glob on the right hand side is a teaspoon of veggies. I just bought vitamin C so once her stomach gets used to digesting veggies which are separate from the meat (not mixed in like they are in the premix) I will begin adding it to her food. Vitamin C addition has to be meticulous and slow, as it can very quickly cause a dog to have a loose stool. Within the next month, I plan to have also obtained salmon oil (or some other form of omega 3's) and vitamin E to supplement with.
On another note, the family dog, Rhasta, has been having some digestive issues. A few weeks ago he got into a rotting rabbit carcass. (Note: Rhasta is not raw fed - not to say that even a raw fed dog wouldn't have had a problem with a rotting carcass) His stomach went haywire. It took him a couple of weeks to get right but I really don't think his digestive system has been right since. Amongst the medications he was on was an antibiotic. The Vet prescribed a probiotic that was supposed to replenish the good bacteria in the stomach that is depleted by antibiotics but I just don't think it was enough. Tomorrow I am going to get a different probiotic and get him started on it, and I'm also going to search for a formula for sensitive stomachs to try out with him. I am going to chat with my parents about trying him on The Honest Kitchen's Thrive formula and go from there. I wish I had him with me at school because then I could just start him on a raw diet and be in complete control of everything he was eating. Then I would know precisely what was causing his digestive upsets. In the meantime, I'll skip his morning meal (aside from giving him the probiotic) and then begin working up to his full ration again in painstakingly slow fashion. Poor little dude.
Intent
I wanted to take a moment to establish the intent of this blog. It has changed so much in the past few months and it will help me post more regularly and with more direction if I state the purpose (so please bare with me :: grin :: ). My intent in maintaining this blog is to discuss dog related subjects as they come to mind. These subjects are usually brought to mind by whatever I happen to be doing with my new puppy and first working dog, Keiko (an Australian Shepherd). I predict that this most common subjects discussed on this blog will be raw feeding and dog training. I will try and get more pictures and videos posted as I get organized and get started with fall semester. Until the next post, happy living! :)
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
RMBs
Raw Feeding Dictionary
RMB - "raw meaty bone"
Common RMBs:
chicken leg quarters, chicken/turkey necks, chicken backs, and many many more...
Raw meaty bones are commonly referred to as the "dessert" although really they hold the prime nutrition a dog receives when feeding a raw diet. They are referred to as dessert because many dogs will skip all other ingredients (veggies if you feed them, supplements, yogurt/probiotics, etc) in their bowls and only eat the tasty RMBs! Many raw feeders withhold the RMB until the dog has finished the rest of the meal, then place the RMB down for eating.
Keiko has eaten chicken legs, thighs, and turkey necks. The turkey necks have had mixed success for us (I've only tried them twice; once she ate it, the other time she didn't) but I've decided to put them on hold and save them as a "novel" protein - one Keiko has never really had before and something I can fall back on if I ever need to stop feeding protein sources she's had for whatever reason. I've posted a couple of photos below of Keiko eating a ~1/4 lb chicken leg. Sorry for the poor quality, I took them on my cell phone in poor lighting.
At this point in time, I'm beginning to introduce Keiko to beef through a beef premix made by the same woman who made the chicken premix I started her out on. Once her stomach settles on beef, I will be able to add small amounts of hamburger to her meals (of course with bone added) and that will serve as an additional protein source. If I save turkey for emergencies, then I plan on introducing Keiko to fish next and then rabbit. Stay tuned for photos and blog updates!
Disclaimer: At this point in time I am a "newb" to raw feeding. I have been feeding raw for almost three weeks and this is my first raw fed dog/puppy. As such, I should not be a prime source of information for someone looking to begin feeding a raw diet. I also post information as I understand it. I will do my best to be sure that the information I relay is 100% correct, and will also remain diligent in correcting what errors may be posted.
RMB - "raw meaty bone"
chicken leg quarters, chicken/turkey necks, chicken backs, and many many more...
Raw meaty bones are commonly referred to as the "dessert" although really they hold the prime nutrition a dog receives when feeding a raw diet. They are referred to as dessert because many dogs will skip all other ingredients (veggies if you feed them, supplements, yogurt/probiotics, etc) in their bowls and only eat the tasty RMBs! Many raw feeders withhold the RMB until the dog has finished the rest of the meal, then place the RMB down for eating.
Keiko has eaten chicken legs, thighs, and turkey necks. The turkey necks have had mixed success for us (I've only tried them twice; once she ate it, the other time she didn't) but I've decided to put them on hold and save them as a "novel" protein - one Keiko has never really had before and something I can fall back on if I ever need to stop feeding protein sources she's had for whatever reason. I've posted a couple of photos below of Keiko eating a ~1/4 lb chicken leg. Sorry for the poor quality, I took them on my cell phone in poor lighting.
At this point in time, I'm beginning to introduce Keiko to beef through a beef premix made by the same woman who made the chicken premix I started her out on. Once her stomach settles on beef, I will be able to add small amounts of hamburger to her meals (of course with bone added) and that will serve as an additional protein source. If I save turkey for emergencies, then I plan on introducing Keiko to fish next and then rabbit. Stay tuned for photos and blog updates!
Disclaimer: At this point in time I am a "newb" to raw feeding. I have been feeding raw for almost three weeks and this is my first raw fed dog/puppy. As such, I should not be a prime source of information for someone looking to begin feeding a raw diet. I also post information as I understand it. I will do my best to be sure that the information I relay is 100% correct, and will also remain diligent in correcting what errors may be posted.
My decision to go raw
I have been in a constant quest towards improving the quality of care I provide to my animals ever since I first started owning them. I didn't make a real push towards pursuing more natural nutrition for my dogs until about three years ago when it was brought to my attention that certain commercial dog food brands were not the nutritional powerhouses they advertised themselves to be. I did some research and discovered (mostly through this site in the beginning) that the problem with these foods is largely in the excessive use of grains as sources for proteins and other nutrients, along with the preservatives used to give the kibble shelf life.
I have since learned that things such as vaccination protocols and spaying & neutering are also areas of pet care that can be approached from a more natural and healthier standpoint for our pets. But that is for another post.
After doing some research, I switched my dog at the time (a Jack Russell Terrier) over to a holistic, grain-free kibble (EVO). It had higher meat contents, no grains, and overall better quality ingredient content. I observed a change in the brightness of his coloring, his coat was softer, and he produced less stools which broke down quicker than he did on the previous diet he was on. He also had more energy.
I started looking into a raw diet when I joined an online training forum manned by a well-known dog trainer: Ed Frawley. After some online research, purchasing a couple of books, a few conversations with people who fed raw, and a gentle push from a friend I made the leap to raw feeding. I decided to change because I have come to the conclusion that feeding a species-appropriate diet (raw food) provides our dogs with the most readily available nutrients for them, as the nutrients are in their most natural sources. Keiko has been on a raw diet for two and a half weeks now which means the changes often noted when switching from kibble to raw are beginning to show. Previously, Keiko was on Innova Puppy - a high quality low grain (they also have no grain formulas) kibble with specific meat sources and no corn. Also, there are no byproducts!! I want to give things a few more days before I blog about them but a few visible changes have been noted to me by my family: her coat has an even healthier and shinier look to it without the "oily" feeling, her teeth are very clean (although she is a puppy so they shouldn't be very dirty anyway), and she is more excited about meal time than I have ever seen a dog be. This means that breakfast and dinner have become training sessions during which she gets a very high value reward.
I have since learned that things such as vaccination protocols and spaying & neutering are also areas of pet care that can be approached from a more natural and healthier standpoint for our pets. But that is for another post.
After doing some research, I switched my dog at the time (a Jack Russell Terrier) over to a holistic, grain-free kibble (EVO). It had higher meat contents, no grains, and overall better quality ingredient content. I observed a change in the brightness of his coloring, his coat was softer, and he produced less stools which broke down quicker than he did on the previous diet he was on. He also had more energy.
I started looking into a raw diet when I joined an online training forum manned by a well-known dog trainer: Ed Frawley. After some online research, purchasing a couple of books, a few conversations with people who fed raw, and a gentle push from a friend I made the leap to raw feeding. I decided to change because I have come to the conclusion that feeding a species-appropriate diet (raw food) provides our dogs with the most readily available nutrients for them, as the nutrients are in their most natural sources. Keiko has been on a raw diet for two and a half weeks now which means the changes often noted when switching from kibble to raw are beginning to show. Previously, Keiko was on Innova Puppy - a high quality low grain (they also have no grain formulas) kibble with specific meat sources and no corn. Also, there are no byproducts!! I want to give things a few more days before I blog about them but a few visible changes have been noted to me by my family: her coat has an even healthier and shinier look to it without the "oily" feeling, her teeth are very clean (although she is a puppy so they shouldn't be very dirty anyway), and she is more excited about meal time than I have ever seen a dog be. This means that breakfast and dinner have become training sessions during which she gets a very high value reward.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Grr, technology.
Well, I typed a post about raw feeding and my first days doing so with Keiko on the LJ app on my iPhone. Somewhere between typing and pushing "send" (at least I'm 99.9% certain I pushed send) and driving to grab something to eat with my sister, my message disappeared. While a bit upsetting, I will simply retype and post the message only this time I'll try to have some pictures to share.
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