Freyja worked her little Icelandic fanny off...

and loved every single second of it..

Hello Folks,

What a wonderful day today is, bright and sunny, and that will mean that my seedlings will grow today, and speaking of growing, my my, little baby Freyja showed just how far she has come yesterday in her private Obedance/Conformation and baby agility training yesterday.. she was wonderful, she did Target(agility and many other uses), Go to bed (put a towel on the ground and she goes and lays down on it), Table (low one for agility), Go out, left and right, Come recalls, sit, downs, watch me's and all the different conformation things, we ran it though like she had three full shows done, half by me as handler and half by kim.. plus a play session with kim's German Sherpard, and then for totally new, we started working on her formal retrieve.. she worked for a steady 3/4 of a hour which at her age.. is really good.

So lots of new information and ideas from Kim on where to head next, and she really impressed Kim on her being able to think it though and on how many reps she will offer, normally my Icelandics will shut down after a certain number of reps, its the " I did it right three times, now can we please move on" but Frejya will do repeats ten, twenty plus time and with speed... wow, that's cool.. Plus I was thrilled to see that her movement is still wonderful when I got to be the judge..

Have a great day, off to brave the cold yet again for more chores..

Barks

Hi Ho Hi Ho its off to town we go...

Well its a in town training day today, we have class this afternoon, so got up bright and early this morning, so have been working in the barn, getting the house chores done, and give all the dogs a very nice run outside in the fields, I am planning on seeing if I can get some of my new photos put on CD, so will look forward to getting some new updated photos available for each new blog entry.

So the classes are for Freyja and Dalla this afternoon, and a little bit of shopping, and back to to the farm before dark for the evening chores.

I can't wait to see if Freyja can have enough focus to show off all her new training in class, I sure hope so..

Quite excited to find out that Myra Savant Harris is having a Canine Reproduction and Whelping seminar in toronto the first weekend of May, I am going to head down to Toronto, Laura and Scott are both planning on going to the seminar as well, and have been kind enough to offer to let me stay at their home on Saturday evening, so I am looking forward to lots of good information and a nice visit as well.

If you would like to learn more about Mrs Harris and what she teaches, here is her website.

http://www.myrasavantharris.com

Barks

Ps, the Icelandic Sheepdogs in the photo are Ch Belglen Runa of Greenstone (far left, Chinchilla Female)Greenstone Ada(pointed)(middle, Red/White Female) and Greenstone Alaxander the Great(pointed)- Black Tri male on the far right..

Training ideas for your Icelandics Sheepdogs

Hello Folks

Wow, I was reading Sharon S of Belglen's Kennels training article in the Canadian Icelandic Sheepdog Clubs newsletter and she had gone to a Sue Ailsby Seminar and is doing a two article write up and its a very good overview of the seminar, but she also included a link to Sue's website for a training program with clicker that she has free for anyone that would like to download, so last night I read though it, and I love it, what a wonderful training tool.. I printed it all off and did lots of extra work sheets for some of my dogs. I love that it understands that you need to have progress and the check off sheet as your dog learns each new step is so! helpful, in the training part, she also addresses some of the most common issues or behaviours that the puppy or dog might do and gives some advice for each one..

I will keep you posted in the future on how well the training sheets and the check off sheets work, but considering that I run a speadsheet on my training, so I can keep track of where everyone is and what has been done, the odds are for me at least, I will quite like it.

Anyway, if you have some time to devote to learning, I highly recommend that you check out Sue's website, and if you are short on time, and lets face it , most of us are, print the lessions out, and start at lession one and work your way thought it,and please let me know how the training goes if you would like, or feel free to send photos and I will post some training photos.

www.dragonflyllama.com

Barks from the greenstone doggy crew, bring on the hotdogs mom!!! and lets get training..

Iceland Dog Litter Coming in Iceland!!

Hello Folks

Greenstone Tobba's half sister Tofra Birta was breed by Hector (Tofra Dalla of Greenstone's father, and CH Greenstone Ajay's grandfather) I am so excited, if you are looking for a amazing puppy and are willing to consider importing a puppy into Canada or the United States, you could consider getting a Icelandic Sheepdog Puppy out of this litter.

I will post litter updates, here is a photo of the mother to be! I have personally meet Grandmother Freyja, a lovely female, she was Veterian of the year in Iceland this year, at the ripe old age of twelve.. I will post a photo of her as well in a coming update.

Barks

Baby Goat Watch, Wobble Table and more

Hello and Good Day to you all.

Well its been a long night, and while its still early in the morning, I have been up for hours already..

So my one goat appears to be getting ready to kid, she started really showing signs last night, and has now lost her plug and has that curve to her back, along with the hollows on either side of her tail, so any time within the next 12 hours, and I am expecting a new little one to enter the world, so I have been setting my alarm every two hours to go check and sit for 10 to 15 min with her..

Good news is that while I might have had a somewhat sleepless night, she waited till today and its alot warmer, so that is a good thing.. I have a kid box with heat lamp for the baby but I have to be there to make sure it gets used and it was cold last night down below -20's, so I was worried about those little baby ears getting dry in time.

So with almost no wind out this morning, I wanted to get the dogs out and having some good morning runs, what a wonderful site, a good cup of hot coffee to take with you and a very colorful group of happy ISD running in the snow (aka Hay Fields).

So we did get to some training yesterday as well.. Going over Basics for most of the dogs, working on the tricks talked about this week, working on the target training but also got out the puppy wobble board, and put it on a really thick blanket, so that it would not move and worked on table and a play bow down on it with Freyja.. who says its been a fun but hard week learning all these new things.

Well, I guess I had better get back to work now.. Just got my copy of the Canadian Icelandic Sheepdog Club newsletter and as always Laura did a great job!! What a wonderful newsletter and just full of something different for everyone.. if you have never looked at one, let me know and I would be happy to send you a free copy, if you own a Icelandic Sheepdog or are wanting learn more about this wonderful breed, the newsletter is worth its weight in gold..

Barks

Icelandic Sheepdogs love their Snow!

Hello Folks,

What a cold brisk morning, and what a way to start off, we were up at five am to get Jason off to the airport and while our truck started just fine, the borrowed car that was to drive Jason to the airport, needed a boost, so that was a fun way to start of the morning :)

The dogs seemed just as happy as me to climb back into the warm bed a couple hours later for some extra shut eye, and the bed was covered with dogs, they love it when Jason or myself are sleeping alone, as it means more doggy room on the bed..

So been up and started the day with warm farm fresh eggs on the the breakfast, as I had taken the dogs outside in mass with me to do the morning chores, and where the rabbits, chickens, ducks and sheep/goats happy to see that warm water coming, Even when they still have cold unfrozen available, in winter they come running for the warm water.. Anyway, the dogs were out with me, and when I came in, I really wanted a big cup of hot tea, and figured the dogs would also love something to warm up their breakfast, which was more like we were all having Brunch after our extra sleep in.. hmmmm eggs so good for you..

well that my update so far, Jason gone to alberta for the weekend and the week in Vancouver, so I will be on my own for the week, so back to the single person routine for the farm.

O and for those gardeners like meself, the green pepper seedlings have started and my tomatoes plants are up to starting their third set of leaves coming.. and my ground cherrys and chives are also up and doing well.

Have a great day and barks to you all..

Comments can be sent to
isdpuppies@hotmail.com

Cold weather equals more Iceland Sheepdog training time

Hello Folks

First a lovely photo of Voodoo Child, thanks for the great update on him from his owner, and glad to hear that he is about to start puppy training class two in Feb, you go guys..

Speaking of training, its cold here!!! yikes, minus 37 today with wind chill, minus 20 without wind chill.. yesterday was not much better so it was a indoor dog training day.. so worked a number of dogs yesterday, first we had a major hide and seek group game, that is when I take dog cookies and put all the dogs into the kitchen area and then spend a few minutes, hiding doggy cookies everywhere I can think of in the living room, and then letting all the dogs into the room and saying, find the cookies, some are really easy, some are somewhat hard to find and some are in very strange places.. Its alot of fun, and my older dogs who have been playing for years are quite good at looking up, down, and inside things.. only word of caution if anyone thinks this would be a good game, and trust me it is fun, is don't ever hide a cookie in or around anything you don't want knocked down..because the dogs remember where they were, and even if its empty this time round because, let say you got a new plant or something you don't want them being by, they will check it out..

For a quick and easy version, dump a pile of pillows in a mound on the floor with treats under and in the pile and then let one dog find them.

So then on to one on one training, Bella worked on tricks, she is learning a new one, stand on back legs and wave in the air, Dalla is working on weave poles, shake a paw as well as bow for a auto-down for agility. Ada is working obedance, and we are working hard on by-me's at this time, Tera is working on proofing left and right at this time, and Freyja well, we did a few min of conformation training, a few min of obedance training and then a whole lot of target training.. So if you want to give the target training a try, first, you need your dog to understand the clicker, and then you need your target, in my case its a flying squrrel dog toy, I like that lays mostly flat, but I can throw it and have it fly at a certain training point.

So start with lots of little tiny treats, I use hotdog, put down your target, (lots of folks use a mouse pad), and take your dog by the collar and show them you putting the treat on the target, from about three feet away, then hopefully, while they are leaning forward, (wanting to go to the treat) let go and when they get to the target, click in time with them getting their reward ( at first, I really don't speak, I let the clicker do all the talking for me, once they really understand, I can and will bring in verbal, but not at first, I want them thinking it though, not listening to me), so repeat three to five time, until the dog or puppy is running for the target and treats, then start to move the target futher away, until you are able to go from one end of the room to the other. Only at that point should you consider working on the next step, which is to bring the target back up close to you, and start working with your puppy two or three feet away again, do one or two treats on the target to get the dog up and happy and then on the third time, do not put a treat on the target, and then wait.. now its not uncommen to get the puppy giving your behaviours, (examples, watching you, sits, downs, etc) but wait it out, because at some point they will go over the target and the moment their nose touchs it, click and then have them come back to you for the reward. Mix up the amount of rewards at this point, lots of little jackpots mixed in.

Once you have got it solid for a couple feet away, for every three to five correct, go to target, click and rewards, I take one step back, so that puppy is going longer and longer between the target and myself.. until you are back to being from one end of the room to the other.

You can also inlist the help of your children or hubbies, in either holding the puppy back while you "load" the target in training, and then click when the puppy gets to the treat on the target, (just make sure the other person also has a clicker and food rewards for the come recall) and there you are training two things at once.. never a bad thing.. just remember, you are teaching a chain of events that the dog or puppy needs to do, and lots of rewards and praise for each step of the way, and if you are struggling, always back up to a good finish, always let the dog finish with a win, keep your training short, sweet and often for the best results!

Have fun, I was quite pleased to show Jason last night all the new things the dogs are learning.. he was quite impressed with Freyja's speed and focus for the target..

Barks

Greenstone Black Pearl a Icelandic Sheepdog Puppy

Frayja, or nickmane Fraa Fraa. I was asked, who is Freyja and so my answer is, lets see, she is daughter to Tofra Tobba, AKA, Oppa, or Oppawoppa and Pineridge Vaskur, Aka, VaskerWasker :) LOL

She is a lovely long Hair Black Tri female puppy, she was the best in structure, type and temperment in her litter and so she has stayed, as her mother is now spayed and removed from the breeding program, her main job now, snuggle on the bed, main trick, wag her tail and give kisses.. Point in fact Oppa appear to be loving being spayed, she is like a little pup again, all happy and running all over the place, I have never seen her this trim, she looks great, other then being naked of coat at this time, between having her litter and the drugs needed for her surgery and teeth cleaning, she still needs to get her coat back in.

So here is a cute photo of Freyja on the grooming table at twelve weeks, I will get more recent one up soon.

Barks Valerie

Iceland Sheepdogs go to class

Hello Folks

Well, it was a great day yesterday, Got a lovley update on Sharp Dressed Man, will post one of his photos with this entry, it was a bright sunny day, so took Ada/Dalla out for a 1.2 km training walk, and then took the other dogs out in groups for runs and we worked on retreiving and off-leash come recalls for the puppy Freyja, it was a very nice way to spend two plus hours with the dogs, other then that with this strange weather, alot of my dogs are shedding like crazy, so lots of grooming to do, but I have figured out the best way to do this, I groom everynight in my living room when I watch tv, and the dogs just line up..

The other fun thing this week is working on teaching Freyja to have her teeth brushed, her adults are coming in and I want to start brushing, so am using flavored water and brush away.. she is already quite good, I think because I have spent so much time treating for lifting lips and putting fingers in her mouth :)

So really looking forward to my day time training classes, and hauled out a couple years worth of Clean Run to read though and to figure out my home training agility plans for the month.. Will update as we start the training.

More soon

Barks

Icelandic Sheepdog Puppies thoughts and plans

Hello Folks

As the new year turns, the thoughts start on what Iceland Dog, should I consider mating this year for puppies.

I have so many wonderful Icelandic Sheepdog females, and most of them are in agility or conformation showing or training, and so I need to start to think and dream! about what female to what male, and when, should I have a spring breeding, or should I have a fall litter..

Should I have one litter this year or two??

Lots to think about that is for sure, and always I have a waiting list for puppies and so I leave you with a very cute photo of one of my Icelandic Sheepdog Puppies meeting a sheep for the first time at the age of six weeks..

Barks

Happy New Year to all Icelandic Sheepdog Lovers

Hello Folks

Wow, its been awhile since I posted on my blog but not having a computer will do that to you, I am also redoing my website, so watch for that in the future.

The Icelandic Sheepdogs are doing great, the Icelandic Puppies were amazing, and I am posting a lovely photo of Pineridge Vaskur of Greenstone Kennel out on the Tundra on one of his exploration trips with Jason, he was above Thunder Bay, just down a couple hours from Rankin, Nunavut..

Will Post updates and news on the some of the puppies..

Barks Val