Australian Shepherd

By workingdogswin
02
Sep 2010

About the Australian Shepherd

The Australian shepherd is a medium-sized dog full of humor, intelligence and loyalty. Bred as stock dogs, these dogs are tenacious and touch yet beautiful. The Australian Shepherd is easily trainable, family-friendly and extremely, extremely versatile.

Good Australian Shepherd Traits

  • The Australian Shepherd is extremely intelligent and easily to train. The Aussie takes such a joy in working with its handler and gets a happy, all-over body wag upon earning its owner’s praise.
  • The Australian Shepherd is loyal. There is no place an Aussie would rather be than right by your side.
  • The Australian Shepherd is versatile. Want to do weight pulling? Go for it! Agility? The Aussie is a natural! Obedience? Fewer breeds can flow in the obedience dance better. Hiking? The Australian Shepherd was tailor made for it!
  • The Australian Shepherd is clean. The double-coated dog has a thick, wirey outcoat that almost seems to let mud, dust and grime slide off it. A simple and quick brushing once or twice a week will keep your Aussie in prime shape.

Difficult Australian Shepherd Traits

  • The Australian Shepherd needs a ton of exercise. While obtaining enough exercise typically isn’t difficult in working dog homes, pet owners will often struggle to meet the athletic Aussie’s exercise needs. The average Aussie needs at least 3 hours of exercise a day to remain calm, centered and focused.
  • The Australian Shepherd is prone to separation anxiety. Aussies are velcro dogs. They want to be close to their handler as much as they can. If not taught from an early age that being alone is ok, an Aussie can become destructive and panicked when left by itself.
  • The Australian Shepherd sheds. It has a beautiful, long coat that almost seems to take care of itself. Unfortunately, though, the Aussie sheds and sheds a lot. Be prepared for it.
  • The Australian Shepherd can be fearful. Socialize, socialize, socialize. Have a goal to introduce your Aussie puppy to 100 people a week until its 16 weeks old. Go to football games, outdoor coffee shops and the park.

Australian Shepherd Activities

If you wanna do it, your Aussie can. Weight pull. Agility. Sledding. Canicross. Obedience. Hiking. Schutzhund.

Image Copyright Hemlock Aussies

Freestyle. Disc dog. Tricks. Dock Diving. The answer to “Can my Australian Shepherd do this?” is YES.

What are you waiting for?

Get your Aussie up and get him out to work! Make sure he’s vaccinated, socialized and has a rock-solid recall. If he doesn’t, attach a LONG rope to his collar so that you can step on the end if he bolts. Introduce him to any dog sport you think might be fun. Have at it, for the Aussie was bred and made to do it all!

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Tragedy and Triumph

By workingdogswin
31
Aug 2010

I’ve got really good news and I’ve got really bad news.

I’ll start with the really bad news. Cheyla, our happy, wagging, forever loving American Pit Bull Terrier is no longer with us. Far more than the Working Dogs Win test dog extraordinaire, she was my friend and my baby. She was a rescue from a dog fighting ring and she came to me shy, abused, sickly and broken. Over the months, I watched this dog transform into a beautiful, outgoing, sweet dog that everyone loved. She’s slept with kittens and with me. She’s played with some puppies and scrapped with others. She’s weight pulled, done obedience and played at agility. She’s tested more dog products than most dog’s see their entire life. She brought joy and happiness into everyone’s life that crossed her path.

First night -- sickly and skinny

Acute kidney failure due to a toxic overdose of raisins. Raisins are 10 times more lethal than antifreeze. 2 ounces is enough to kill a dog of Cheyla’s size and she horked down 22 ounces. I induced vomiting and rushed her to the vet. We could tell she didn’t feel good but hoped the buckets of charcoal we forced down her throat did something. She wagged her tail the entire time. The vet told me to plan on bringing her back in the morning to be euthanized. She said she hoped that wasn’t what happened but to mentally and emotionally prepare for it. Take her home, love on her and keep a close watch.

That night, she played and romped with the best of them. The next morning, she couldn’t walk. With tears streaming down my face, I carried her out to the car and took her to the vet. She didn’t have any energy but her tail was still thumping. As they put the IV catheter in, she licked the vet tech’s hands and wagged her tail. The techs cried. The vet cried. I sobbed. My 70 pound beautiful girl died in my arms, hopefully knowing she was loved more than life. I have a head and heart full of memories and a plaster paw print. That’s the tragedy.

It took me 10 days before I considered a new puppy. I had a foster puppy dropped off here and it took me 3 days

Transformed into a beautiful, healthy girl

before I could even bring myself to truly play with him and comfort him. He, however, sweet little Koda, showed me what puppy love was again. While he wasn’t the puppy for me, he let me know that somewhere out there, another puppy was waiting for my love . . . . and I for its.

Enter Karma, Australian Shepherd puppy. I didn’t plan on coming home with an Australian Shepherd. I wanted a Border Collie. I was going to pick up a Border Collie. I was introduced to this sweet, good-natured, extremely well-tempered Aussie with a fetch drive that’s out of this world. My Border Collie, the one I came to pick up, was nothing like THIS puppy, this puppy blue merle Aussie with funky eyes. I fell in love with her, loaded her up and brought her home. This, my friends, is the newest member of the Working Dogs Win test team. She’s a beautiful, intelligent, smart poopy, leaky, chewy master of disaster. She can sit, lay down and roll over.

Blue merle Aussie

She’s magnificent with a clicker yet steadfastly refuses to learn her name. She walks like she’s been taught to heel yet still bites at her collar. She is something else and I’m loving learning what that is. We have big plans for this girl here at Working Dogs Win. Primarily, agility and freestyle work. However, she’ll dabble in a bit of everything. We’ve already been invited to herding clinics and a tracking seminar. We’ve got at least 12 years in which to experience everything we can. :-) Welcome, Triumph.

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Provenance Treat Review

By workingdogswin
29
Aug 2010

As stated on Cloud Star’s website, “Provenance” is a noun meaning “a point of origin.” Going back to the basics, the Cloud Star Provenance line of treats begins where nature left off: with an all-natural, grain-free mix of doggie delight.

The Provenance treats come in three flavors: Cheese and Potato, Chicken and Potato, and Whitefish and Potato. Each flavor is COMPLETELY grain free and egg free. The whole grain free part is VERY important for me as a working dog handler. I feed only grain free diets. However, any dog can benefit from a grain free diet. Benefits include decreased stool output, less shedding and far fewer behavioral issues. Vet bills are slashed, that itching and biting that a lot of dogs do doesn’t happen and there’s less “doggy odor.” When switching to a grain free diet, though, many people forget that means treats as well.

Cloud Star makes grain free treats not only easy but fun! These large cookies are star-shaped, making them easy to section into smaller pieces. Unfortunately, these treats only come in one size: big. They’re 30 calories a cookie which means they pack a pretty hefty punch. These cookies don’t come in a resealable pouch, either, meaning that if you don’t put them in a container of some kind, they get stale really fast.

These treats have a very powerful, yummy smell to them. Even as a human, I liked the way they smell. This made them ideal for lure work. As I said, though, they’re very calorie dense. It helped to break each treat into small, itty-bitty chunks.

By far, Cheese and Potato was the Working Dogs Win test dogs’ favorite. The treats were tested by all the regulars including Cheyla, Nazabel and Lacy. In addition, treats were tested by 7 other dogs. While the dogs all liked the Cheese and Potato treats, the other two flavors where hit and miss.

I really liked these treats and I can promise that Cloud Star has a customer for life. Due to the lack of resealable packaging (even though the rustic-looking boxes are really cool) and limited availability of sizes, I’m giving these treats a 3.5 out of 5. They’re wonderful in small doses and when prepared for training sessions before hand. I also used them for “jackpotting” instead of giving a flurry of a bunch of the little treats. You can find your Provenance treats over at Cloud Star. Look ‘em up and grab a box or two! Like Cloud Star says . . . . “Wag more! Bark less!”

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5 Tips to Avoid Issues During the Fear Imprint Stage

By workingdogswin
20
Aug 2010

The fear imprint stage is a stage every single puppy goes through at roughly 8 to 11 weeks of age. A puppy is NOT more timid or fearful during this time . . . . . merely susceptible to fearing for life anything that scares it now. Anything that is traumatic or scary will have a much longer lasting impact than if it happened at any other time in a puppy’s life. While socialization is crucial during this time, you must be extremely careful to avoid scaring, hurting or allowing your puppy to be frightened by any person, object, or sound. Follow these 5 tips.

  1. Don’t coddle your puppy! If something scares him the worst thing you can do is rush to his side to reassure him that everything is ok. Use your most matter-of-fact tone and ask him what’s wrong. Sit down in the floor next to the offending object and let your puppy come back to investigate.
  2. Use food. If something scares your puppy, immediately associate it with something pleasant. Sprinkle treats around it for your puppy to pick up and munch.
  3. 10 new people a week. Your puppy needs to meet as many different types of people a he can. Introduce him to everyone that you can. Make sure people are gentle and friendly with your puppy, especially during the fear imprint stage. Give them treats to offer the puppy.
  4. Take your puppy for rides in the car to get him used to the smells, sights, sounds and motion. Withhold food and water for 3 to 4 hours before taking him on a ride so that he doesn’t get sick which could be traumatic. Bring small treats or a spoonful of peanut butter for him to lick or eat while riding.
  5. Let your puppy play with other puppies. Your puppy needs to learn to interact with a variety of other dogs. Make sure that the dogs he plays with are vaccinated and friendly.
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A Dog’s Dictionary and Guide

By workingdogswin
18
Aug 2010

Leash: A strap that attaches to your collar, enabling you to lead your owner where you want him or her to go. Make sure that you are waiting patiently with leash in mouth when your owner comes home from work. This immediatly makes your owner feel guilty and the walk is lengthened by a good 10 minutes.

Dog Bed: Any soft, clean surface, such as a white bedspread, newly upholstered couch or the dry cleaning that was just picked up.

Drool: What you do when your owners have food and you don’t.To do this properly, sit as close as you can, look sad and let the drool fall to the floor or better yet on their laps.

Sniff: A social custom to use when you greet other dogs or those people that sometimes smell like dogs.

Garbage Can: A container your neighbors put out weekly to test your ingenuity.Stand on your hind legs and push the lid off with your nose. If you do it right, you are rewarded with food wrappers to shred, beef bones to consume, moldy crusts of bread and sometimes even an old Nike.

Bicycles: Two-wheeled exercise machines, invented for dogs to control body fat. To get maximum aerobic benefit, you must hide behind a bush and dash out, bark loudly and run alongside for a few yards. The rider swerves and falls into the bushes, and you prance away.

Thunder: A signal the world is coming to an end. Humans remain amazingly calm during thunderstorms, so it is necessary to warn them of the danger by trembling, panting, rolling your eyes wildly and following at their heels.

Wastebasket: A dog toy filled with paper, envelopes and old candy wrappers. When you get bored, turn over the basket and strew the papers all over the house. This is particularly fun to do when there are guests for dinner and you prance around with the contents of that very special bathroom wastepaper basket!

Sofas: Are to dogs like napkins are to people. After eating it is polite to run up and down the front of the sofa and wipe your whiskers clean. If there are people sitting on the couch just include them as a handy wipe.

Bath: A process owners use to clean you, drench the floor, walls and themselves. You can help by shaking vigorously and frequently.

Lean: Every good dog’s response to the command “sit,” especially if your owner is dressed for an evening out. Incredibly effective before black-tie events.

Love: A feeling of intense affection, given freely and without restriction, shared by you and your owner. Show it by wagging your tail

Originally found at Traveling Dogs.

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Doberman Pinscher

By workingdogswin
16
Aug 2010

The Doberman Pinscher is a powerhouse of loyalty, strength, alertness and potential. Cited as a breed who can “truly do it all,” the Dobie has come a long way from the vicious, intense, hard-to-handle breed it used to be. Now suitable for everything from service dog work to police work, the Doberman Pinscher is a one of the most popular breeds in America.

The Dobe was originally bred as a guard dog. As such, they’re medium sized, dark and exceptionally powerful. Typically 60 to 90 pounds of solid muscle, a Doberman Pinscher is physically capable of besting a full-grown man. Dobies stand 24 to 28 inches high at the withers with females smaller than males. The breed possesses exceptional endurance, speed and intelligence.

Dobermans have two genes for coat color. There is a gene for a black coat and then a diluted coat. Depending on how these genes are combined, four different colors of Dobes are possible. There are black, fawn, blue and red Dobermans. Every variety of Doberman is required to have clean-cut, sharp tan accent markings. In the international breed ring, fawn and blue Dobermans are not allowed to be shown and can be disqualified as breeding stock. While there are white Dobermans, such dogs aren’t allowed in the show ring and are forbidden by the breed standard. White Dobermans often have extensive health and temperament issues due to in-breeding. Many breeders will cull a white puppy at birth or will provide the puppy with limited or no registration and a spay/neuter contract.

Doberman Pinscher puppies are commonly “cropped and docked” at birth. The breed standard states that the tail should be docked at the second joint. There are two different types of cropped ears, a shorter military crop and a longer show crop. With both types of cropped ears, aftercare is extensive and can take months.

Dobies possess an alert, calm and loyal temperament. Dobes are often called “velcro” dogs because they bond very tightly with their handler. As such, a Doberman puppy must be carefully and extensively socialized so that it can discern threats from mere day-to-day life. The Doberman Pinscher ranks among one of the most highly trainable breeds and it possesses an innate joy of working with and for its handler. Dobermans excel at obedience, tracking, Schutzhund and agility. On a parting note, here’s a video of a Doberman Pinscher besting what is supposedly the “world’s best agility breed,” a Border Collie, at its own game!

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MazzyCo Collar Review

By workingdogswin
15
Aug 2010

The MazzyCo Collars are a real gem. Coming in a variety of sizes, shapes and patterns, MazzyCo produces a collar for every dog, human and season.

MazzyCo starts their collars with a strip of nylon and a heavy-duty plastic buckle. They then select a strip of ribbon which is sewn to the nylon. This gives the collar a life and energy of its own! MazzyCo has hundreds of patterns and is willing to search for *your* perfect pattern. If you have even a vague, hazy idea of what you’d like your collar to look like, MazzyCo can help!

Nazabel and Lacy were the test dogs for this review. Both loved their collars and both collars performed wonderfully. At the end of 8 weeks, the collars still look brand new, even after daily wear.

While I wouldn’t recommend this collar for daily use by a bully or larger working dog due to the plastic hardware, they’re great for an ID holder or for adding a bit of personality to your dog. The accents are wonderful and we’ve received many, many complements on our collars.

The collars are also very economical for a handmade, designer collar. Ranging in cost from $12.00-$14.00 based on size, everyone could use a couple of themed or holiday collars! MazzyCo also makes leashes to match any of their collar patterns.

You can find your MazzyCo collar here. I rate this high-quality, extremely cute and customizable product at a 4 out of 5. If an option with metal buckles were offered, I would have given it a full 5 out of 5 stars.

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Health Alert: Raisins and Dogs

By workingdogswin
14
Aug 2010

While it’s becoming more widely known that raisins and grapes are highly toxic to dogs, it’s still not widely known enough. Even many veterinarians don’t know what to do with a dog comes in after eating raisins or grapes. The ASPCA poison center reports that grapes and raisins are highly toxic to dogs. The toxicity varies drastically but they are universally toxic. According to a Louisville vet, raisins can be toxic to a healthy, 70-pound dog in a dose as small as 2 ounces. Raisins are far more concentrated than grapes and as such are far more dangerous.

The signs that your dog has eaten raisins or grapes are the same as if he’d eaten rat poison. Vomiting and diarrhea appear. Within the fecal matter or vomit there are whole or partially digested raisins or grapes. Your dog will lose his appetite and will become lethargic. As kidney failure beings, urine output will decrease and then cease. When that happens, death will occur.

If your dog eats grapes or raisins, induce vomiting as soon as possible. Call your vet in order to find out the best method to do this. A mixture of PowerAid and hydrogen peroxide is a good way to go. The PowerAid is sweet enough that your dog will lap it up. Ensure it’s not PowerAid zero; artificial sweetners are toxic to dogs as well. Take your dog to the vet as soon as possible in order to secure treatment.

Treatment for the ingestion of raisins or grapes must be quick and aggressive. Prevention of kidney failure is paramount. Your vet will induce vomiting, give activated charcoal, run blood tests and begin giving fluids. Your dog will have to be hospitalized during the course of treatment. Treatment is intense and expensive and there still is a chance your dog won’t survive.

The best course of action is to ensure your dog NEVER gets ahold of grapes or raisins. Put them up. Don’t leave them sitting out on the counter. Don’t use them as treats. Don’t leave a child’s lunchbox on the floor. Prevent all access to both raisins and grapes and your dog will thank you for it.

Category: Healthy Working Dogs  Tags: , , , , , , ,  Leave a Comment

Bordatella and Kennel Cough

By workingdogswin
12
Aug 2010

Bordatella (Kennel Cough) is a very real health hazard for any competitive working dog. Kennel cough is extremely contagious and the most prevalent upper respiratory problem in dogs in America. Bordatella can be found in every part of the world and will infect a large percentage of dogs throughout their lifetime, especially dogs that commonly come in contact with others.

There are a variety of viruses that can cause kennel cough. The severity and length of the illness are based upon which virus infects your working dog. The most common virus is Bordetella bronchiseptica and it will cause symptoms for 10 to 14 days. However, your working dog can continue to be contagious for up to 14 weeks after the illness has appeared to clear up. This strain of kennel cough is protected against by the common intranasal vaccine.

A working dog most often presents with symptoms after visiting another kennel, attending a large show or staying with another family for a few days. Contact with other dogs always precedes your dog coming down with the illness. The most noticeable sign is that of a dry, hacking cough. Some people describe it has “whooping” or “honking.” Your working dog may sound like he’s trying to vomit or cough up a proverbial hairball. Most dogs continue to eat and act normal although in more severe cases, kennel cough may cause a lingering fever and general malaise.

If your working dog present with bordatella, a rough of antibacterials and cough suppressants will be necessary. Your dog should wear a harness while coughing since pressure on his throat by a collar could make the coughing worse.

For working dogs who commonly come in contact with a variety of other dogs, the bordatella vaccination is a must have. It takes two doses to completely immunize your dog and the immunization takes two weeks to completely solidify.

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Dolgi Donut Bed Review

By workingdogswin
08
Aug 2010

The Dolgi Super-Soft Donut Bed review was hosted by Clean Run, an agility centered and focused entity based in Massachusetts. This product was tested by Cheyla, a working princess with a love of all things comfortable and Echo, a very small Siberian Husky puppy. The Dolgi Donut Bed is a super-soft, plush bed that is aptly named. The interior lining fur is incredibly soft and blush, almost like a blend of microfiber and velvet. The exterior of the bed is a deep chocolate brown canvas-like material that has proven to be extremely durable. The soft, creamy interior is extremely high quality and doesn’t shed, shift or come out in chunks. Cheyla is a big dog, a bigger dog than would typically fit in a Dolgi Donut bed. She loves to curl up in a tight little ball, though, and as such, the Dolgi bed was perfect for her. Echo, though, in all of her 10-pound glory, is dwarfed by the bed. She loves to snuggle up to the soft, cushioned sides. The Dolgi Donut bed comes in two sized, a 24″ and a 30″ circle. The 24″ circle is suitable for our smaller working dogs whereas the 30″ comfortably fits a medium sized dog or a tight-curling larger dog. (For instance, Cheyla is 70 pounds and fills every inch of her Dolgi Donut bed.) This bed is extremely durable. Cheyla will routinely pick it up and move it where she wants it and then settle back down. It’s survived several washings and always comes out looking brand-new.  That’s yet another perk . . . . the entire bed in machine washable. Unfortunately, it does have a tendency to “settle.” I highly doubt it would lose its actual shape if a dog that actually fit in the bed used it, but the interior padding of the bed *does* settle a good bit with continuous use. After a good washing, though, it fluffs back up. While not a necessary piece of equipment for a working dog handler, the Dolgi Donut bed is a wonderful addition to any working dog home. It gives a soft, warm, inviting place for your working dog to come back to at the end of the day, it’s durable and it’s downright cute. It’s also extremely affordably priced at $38.95 for the smaller bed and $48.95 for the larger one. For the quality of the bed and its durability, it’s well worth the price. I rate this product at a 4 out of 5.

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