Belglen Riddari- Upcoming litters at Greenstone..

Hello Folks

Wonderful news, Belglen Riddari's formal OFA results have come in, He was OFA-Fair as a prelim, and now is offical adult rates are in.. OFA -Good.

This is wonderful news for the coming litters at Greenstone Kennel, Also Belglen Risna (full-litter mate to Riddari and Runa) also just got her OFA-Good Results back, so that means that the overall family index on HD-Free hips just keeps going up and up on the the stud dog on our current litters.

Greenstone Icelandics had Belglen Riddari out to the Kingston dog Show for three days and he was amazing, a huge congrats out to Sharon for raising such a wonderful dog, and he went best of breed on Saturday for a two point win.. Riddari will continue to be shown in July working towards his Championship and he will be heading to the big Icelandic Sheepdog Calgary Dog show in Alberta and then home to his breeder and owner Sharon.

To see Riddari on the go around in Group Seven click below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpL-f0qT9hc

To see him do the down and back, see the link below, sorry that its a bit blurry but it does show his very easy movement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQhA2LaWCS0

We are planning our first Ultrasound for puppies at the end of June!

Barks

Pet Food Recall- Greenstone Kennel Not Effected by Recalls

Hello Folks

Well, have been busy already this morning and its not even nine.. big yawn.. Wow is my world busy right now, had one mother goat half way reject this one daughter (loves the other one) so still needing to go down X amount of times per day and put the momma in a milking stand to baby's can nurse, and my more recent mother is having some milking issues of her own and needs warm composts put on her six times a day and because she is not milking as much as I would expect, I am also putting her kids for extra on my one old very heavy milking doe..

That old gal produces close to a gallon a day and she only has one kid, so she feeds her own, plus gives extra to the twins that need it, and I am still able to finish her off and get about four cups of milk for the house, and she has the sweetest milk, I don't know what it is about her milk but its the best darn Goats milk I have personally ever had, love it.. Am planning on keeping back her daughter this year and seeing if she gives the same qaulity as her mother..

So needless to say, I have been doing the set the alarm and go to the barn at night, and again at 5 am in the morning etc.. and then running with the dogs, out again with them today in training, but its coming along well.. I am getting tired and I am still fighting whatever flu or cold I had.

Ok, I felt that I should post a link on what is happening with the dog food recalls, I found a link and write up that appears to be about the facts instead of about personal feelings on the issue.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17754681

I highly recommend that you check your dog foods and read your labels very carefully and make sure you are not feeding any of these foods.

As for Greenstone Kennel, we do feed a dry dog food base, but it is not one of the effected dog foods, (Please note that almost all effected Dog foods, are wet food) but if this changes I will update on it.

I have never been so happy as right now, that I make all wet foods for my own dogs, I knew when we moved to the farm, that I really wanted to raise my own meat, eggs and have my own farm fresh milk as well as garden, so that I could help control what we were eating.

When I started my small flock of chickens it was intended for eggs for us, but I quickly saw just how great the extra eggs went over with the dogs and cats, and so I added in more hens for that purpose, and now the dogs get their farm fresh free range Eggs on a regular basis in their diet..

I also make an freeze the Barf Diet, Veggie/Meat Paddies, and I try hard to use all my own naturally reared meat for the patties etc, and locally grown veggies if at all possable.

I had a letter last night about the recall from a puppy owner, and the best advice I can give is, instead of buying wet food, consider making your own, and make a large batch and freeze it into the portion sizes you want in Freezer bags and just pull the bags as needed, If you make a big batch and you only have one dog, and you are feeding a good dry dog food base, then the odds are good that you would have either a week or two weeks extra food per batch you made.

I had to smile a bit at one of the seminar's I went to once, the very well known and respected judge was talking about dog food, and that you needed to buy only certain kinds so that you got "the best ingredients" now the reason that I had to smile (after she slammed my dry dog food choice, left, right and sideways) is because I used to live in Innisfail Alberta, and they have one of the largest Purina Dog Food plants, and my older brother worked there in high school, and while the formula's do change depending on what dog food they are making, the basic stuff (as this recall is showing, the wheat) does not, and so therefor, 30 dollars a bag or 60 dollars a bag, the overall basics are the same, its normally the protein and the advertizing that makes the price.

So if you want total control of your dogs food, buying a higher prices bag of food is really not the answer, the answer is to make it yourself, BUT if you are considering doing this, you need to go and buy a few good dog Menu books and follow them, so that your dogs are getting balanced diets.

Or in the case of Greenstone, we buy a good quality dry dog food and then we raise the quality of the dogs diet though fresh eggs, fresh goats milk, Fresh Veggie patties etc.

Ok, I had better get on with my day.. Have a good one folks

Barks

Greenstone Icelandics-Always on a learning Curve

Hello Folks

As a Dog owner/Breeder we are always learning, and on a wide number of subjects, a good breeder is always working on learning about Dogs in general, how they think, how they react, how to breed and or train for for and with their natural temperment.

We need to spend hours learning about Canine health, Canine Structure, and as a breeder, we need to learn how to whelp and raise puppies, breed to improve Temperments, Health and maintain/improve breed Type.

Then if you add in doggy sports (which we do) in Conformation, there is conditioning in all ways, a good show dog needs to be good in so many ways, and you as the owners need to help work toward it as a team, you need to learn grooming (and there is much more to it, then bathing and brushing the dog once a week) on average, my show dogs are groomed daily, and my regular grooming is once a week.

As you can see on the blog last year, I was able to attend two Pat Hastings Seminars, one in the spring, no Icelandics there, just able to sit back and learn, and one in the fall, where I was a fair amount busier as I had a litter of Icelandics at the seminar as guest puppies for evaulation.

While I will be attending a number of training seminars and camps this year, the first of the year will be a Myra Harris Two day seminar, Myra is famous for Canine Reproduction & Whelping and Puppy Intensive Care.

She has two books on the subject and I am looking forward to learning more, I have been so far, knock on wood, very lucky in how few issues and problems I have had with my litters, my mothers have been wonderful, mostly easy births with very healthy puppies, but better to learn when you get the chance, then to wish you did later.

If you would like to learn more, her website is listed below..

Barks

http://www.myrasavantharris.com/

Icelandic Sheepdogs and Vaccines

Hello Folks

I was asked a question the other day about why some breeders where recommending that their puppies only get their Vaccine shots in singles or different Vaccines be "split" between visits to their vets, and they wanted to know what I did with my own puppies.

In general, I make sure my mothers are up to date on their Boosters, with my last few litters I did the first vet check and set of vaccines (4 in 1) at six weeks, and again at ten weeks (4-1) at 14-16 weeks, third set plus rabies, and then again at one year of age.

Now, I personally have also in the past done one vet check at seven to eight weeks with first booster (4-1), as in that case, the mothers had their vaccines boosters about a month before the breeding, and also because at that time, we didn't have any active outbreaks of disease in our area.

I do pay more to use the PureVax Vaccines, I have never (knock on wood) had a reaction to this vaccine. The studies have shown that its often not the Vaccine that was the issue in reaction but more so what the Vaccine is based in, and that is the difference with PureVax.

Ok, so this is where I am going to get myself in hot water,

First Case: Breeder X has a lovely litter of puppies and everything is well until you go to get the puppies first Vaccines, and suddenly they are having reactions, in this case, the breeder was not expecting this, and now must in fact deal with a litter or a puppy or two that is reacting to their vaccine, in this case, I would expect and be proud of any breeder that explains this issue to their possable new homes and works with them to make sure that the litter or effect puppy (s) in dealing with this immune system problems.

However, if I was a puppy buyer, I would personally never want to buy a puppy out of the same breeding or a directly related line breeding (as the odds are good that the same problem would come up again within the same full littermates from a different litter)

Second Case: Breeder Y has a lovely litter of puppies and everything goes perfect, no issues with first set of Vaccines and is a lovely healthy puppy, that at the age of one year, that dog has a reaction to his vaccines and the vet had to treat the dog to help it recover. The rest of the dogs from the litter are fine. I would hope that this dog would be removed from the breeding pool, and loved and looked after as a beloved pet. As a breeder, I would hope that that they would consider not breeding those two dogs again, but keeping close records and being open enough with the issue to talk to other breeders and dog owners to find out if there is any kind of pattern to that line in fact having a issue or is it a one off.. only gathering of information over a number of years will allow the breeder or breeders of those lines to be able to make a educted judgement on the issue.

Third Case: Breeder Z has a line that is closely related to each other and they have a litter of puppies with reactions, they continue to breed from the parent dogs, and related dogs, their breeder puppies have litters and within those litters is one or two puppies that also have reactions either as puppies or as adults.. The answer that the breeder has come to, is to break the vaccines down, warn the owners that the dogs might have a reaction? and therefor to watch for it..

Now on one hand, good for the breeder for being honest and keeping the information flowing, but on the other hand, once anyone has proof that they are having immune issues within their lines, why are they still breeding from the dogs? Why would you as a owner want to take on those issues? Why would you as a fellow breeder want to look at a stud dog out of a effected litter(has a littermate or two that is effected?)

Most of the time if a dog has vaccines reactions, it is felt that they have a immune system issue, and this also means more likehood of allergies and other related health issues that with a weaker immune system.

Its up to breeders to breed for a overall healthy dog, and given the world we live in, and that we are required by law to have Rabies, and if we want to be able to have a normal life with our dogs, taking them to classes(Vaccines required) Conformation (Vaccines required) travel with your dogs (Vaccines required to go on planes, across state lines etc) and I am sure you can think of many more reasons.

Having a dog, and line that is strong enough in its overall health to be able to have a normal vaccines schedule given thoughtout its puppyhood and as a adult to me is a important part of having a normal breeding kennel..

So if you are looking at buying a puppy and the breeder wants to split Vaccines, ask why, and talk to your vet, other breeders of different breeds to get different view points, and think really hard about if you are comfortable in the answers given, and what it could mean for the future.

Hope that helps, and a great question..

Barks

Exercise is important for your Iceland Sheepdog

Hello Folks

I often have folks ask me how much exercise the Icelandic Sheepdog need? I normally reply that they need at least 30 min of some kind of Exercise twice a day.. this can include walks, playing ball in the back yard, going to the dog park to run with other dogs, swimming in the pool, lake or river depending (a article coming on Icelandics and water soon).

For my own dogs, I try and take them out for at least two "free" runs daily in the fields, and then they get about an hour or two playing at will in the dog yards, and or in the living room, up and down on the sofa, and lots of foot and mouth play.

It is important for the health of your puppy that you do not force any excerise on them, they should have lots of free play time, but try hard not to take them on long walks or hikes where they "have" to walk back.. if the puppy is truly tired better to pack him or her out then force a tired pup to do that walk back, which is why I recommend free play time in the yard, have puppy parties with friends with other dogs, or a local dog park etc.

Once they are older, they still sometimes don't understand how long you are planning on hiking or walking etc, so in that case, I normally recommend they start out on leash, and then once they understand we are going for the day or afternoon, I will let them off leash, and they will then pace themselves.

Its a good idea to pack water for your dogs and makes sure they get lots of chances to have a drink on the walk, in the summer its worth keep a close eye on their overall condition and body temp, you certainly don't want them to get overheated and with those lovely double coats, it can happen, In the summer I tend to do most of my runs early morning or later evening, the dogs as always are willing to do with you anytime, so its up to your as the pack leader to inforce the rules :)

A new photo of Greenstone Born in a Storm and Pineridge Vaskur hanging out with me on a run this week..

Barks

Health Checks for your Iceland Sheepdogs are Important..

Good Morning

A Very cute Photos of Greenstone BoogieMan of Belglen, playing with Greenstone Born in a Storm, Foot and mouth is a much loved Icelandic puppy Game.. Its always so sweet to see the adults get so gentle and figure out ways to play with the puppies so that everyone feels safe.

It is also just as interesting to see how different the males vs the females play with the puppies as they grow, I swear at first the mothers let the puppies get away with anything, then slowly as they develop the mother starts to teach them manners , and then as they get old, bigger and stronger, the mother will watch while the puppies play with some of the other dogs, and the mother picks and chooses, who they get to play with at what age, and she still will come to the pups rescue if she thinks its required on the other hand, if she thinks its a lesson that was needed, she will just turn a blind eye.. when I keep a puppy, for the first four to six months, the dogs let them get away with so much, but around six months, the rules slowly start to change and more and more the puppy is treated as an adult in the group, and that means learning and minding the house rules..

So Tofra Dalla HI went to the vets yesterday for her yearly, and she was given a clean bill of health, was boosted and I was very pleased to hear that my teeth brushing means that her teeth are in great shape, and no cleaning needed, and she is almost four, part of that would be diet, part genitics, and part tooth brush helping.. The vet was very pleased that she has been at the same adult weight for a couple years now, she sits at 28-29 pds every time we go in, which for her is an ideal body weight, not to thin, not heavy and very healthy..

so otherwise, yesterday was a bit of shopping day, Got in supplies for the next few weeks, and the dog thought supper was amazing, I got five rubs of puppy joy, and I didn't have the heart to tell them that it was not that hard to mix up some new fresh banana's with whole organic yogurt, and put a heaping spoon on top of each doggy bowl and mix.. the dogs, where like...yes...but as they also got it in their face fur, you could tell who is the other dogs favorite as they groomed each others faces :)

I had to laugh at Jason, he came in after running the dogs, looking for a tape measure, so I helped him find one, how is it that we have five of them, and yet they are never in the right drawer.. well sometimes I find them and put them in, and then there are couple in there.. but slowly over time one ends up in the barn, upstairs etc.. anyway, out he went, and I have to admit I thought him, what does he want that for.. So he comes back in and after settling in the house, informs he that when the dogs are running, and playing out in the hay fields, do you know that Bjorn and Vaskur can have up to seven feet distance between their stride from front to back.. I had to chuckle, and my very smart reply was.. " and that would be because in the standard, it call for brick, free and effortless covering of the ground!" to which he snorted at me, and said, they are amazing to watch play and run..

I would have to agree, to see the pack at play, is poetry in motion!! They are so amazing in their movements and the speed has never failed to impress.

Well, guess, I had better get on with my day, have a good one..

Barks

CERF Results

Hello Folks,

Well off to see the CERF vet this afternoon, picked up Jason after lunch and off we went to the vets.. its was a minor rodeo to get all the drops in eyes, and paperwork filled out and dogs in and out :)

So once again, was very pleased to see that my breeding dogs, both now and up and coming all have CERF normals.

Born in a storm, had a note on his eight Week CERF and we were not sure what it meant at the time, so even though he is altered, and not in a breeding program, I still felt it was very important to get his CERF done to see if anything was still there or not. Results is listed below. Both of Bjorns parents have CERF normals, in the case of his mother, four CERF normals.


Tofra Tobba Traustadottir- Normal
Pineridge Vaskur- Normal
Tofra Dalla Hektorsdottir-Normal
Folda-Normal
Greenstone Ajay-Normal
Greenstone Ada-Normal
Greenstone Alaxander the Great-Normal
Greenstone Born in a Storm- Normal right eye, Left eye Retinal dysplasia/retinopathy-geographic
Belglen Runa of Greenstone-Normal

Barks