Our part of Wisconsin got totally shut down by a huge blizzard that started 12/8 and went through yesterday. All schools and the university were closed, all government offices were closed, the clinic I work at was closed. We were totally stranded due to huge drifts in our driveway until someone could come last night to plow us out.

My a.m. started when I tried to turn the dogs out about 7 a.m. and could not open either of our doors to the outside due to huge drifts (which you will see in the photos). We finally had to take out a pane of glass on the storm door so I could climb through it to the other side, shovel out around the door and let the dogs out. The snow is extremely heavy and wet so I could only get it shoveled out enough to open the door wide enough for us to squeeze through. My husband, Kent, can do NO shoveling as unfortunately Kent had a heart attack last Friday so we aren’t going to be shovelled out for quite some time I’m afraid.

To get to the barn I had to walk on the edge of the fence due to hip deep drifts and since no gates would open had to climb over the fence. Walking through the hip deep drifts was too strenuous for Kent right now so he managed to get into the hay mow (which is level by our driveway) then I lowered the stairs so he could climb down into the barn. We had to kick snow out of the way to slide open one side of the barn door.

Here are some photos from the farm showing the amount of snow we are dealing with.

Now the sky is a magnificent shade of blue today and the winds have started dying down but it is only zero out with wind chills in the minus 20s so winter has hit us hard in a very short period of time.

Halloween is always bitter sweet for me because I remember my heart dog, Reilly, who I will miss the rest of my life, being born on that day now 21 years ago.

However this year I also have the joy of having 4 generations of my bloodline alive and well in my house and today I was able to get a photo of the four girls together.

Ali is now 11 1/2 and the mother of Jazz who will be 7 tomorrow. Next to Jazz is her young daughter, River, age 16 weeks and next to River is Nessie who is Ali’s mom/Jazz’s grandmother/River’s great grandmother.

We had a litter of Labrador Retrievers born on 7/12/09 so they are now 10 weeks old. Today I took one of my Labs to the Retriever Club http://dunnsmarshlabs.com/bbfarmblog/wp-admin/post-new.php#to work on some issues before our next hunt test and also decided to take Jazz and the female pup we are keeping, River. Basically my goal was to introduce River to a new environment in a positive manner. If she went near or into the water, great, but I wasn’t going to force her.

River was very excited to get out and check out this new place and right away went running after her mom. Pretty soon Jazz was back in the water and River was really watching her trying to figure out what her mom was doing. Soon she was testing the water. Of course she had to test it by drinking it. The bank was very slippery clay so she didn’t actually get in and swim today but still it was a good, positive start. We will try a different pond tomorrow since the nice weather is still holding.

We have a litter of Labrador puppies here, born on 7/12/09 so thought I would share a couple of photos of them.

Everybody always talks about the sweet smell of “puppy breath”. If you haven’t smelled it I really have no way to describe it to you but any dog breeder knows what I am talking about. So what causes this delightful (to dog lovers anyways) smell that only lasts a short time? The theories I have found say that vets guess that puppy breath is a result of their healthy, mild diet of mother’s milk and then puppy food, and the enzymes that break the food down.

Since puppies don’t eat “big dog” or table food, they don’t have “big dog” mouth bacteria or the plaque problems older dogs develop so their mouths are clean thus no bad breath.

Can’t you just imagine the puppy breath just looking at these sleeping babies?
More information and photos of our sweet pups can be found on our web site.

Last week at least three very sad and preventable incidents occurred due to people leaving dogs in vans/cars during the very hot (90s) weather.

Last Sunday night a “handler” (a person who shows dogs for other people for a living) got home late at night and according to the news stories decided it was too hot in the garage she kept clients’ dogs in so left them in the van they had traveled in. Supposedly there were fans on the dogs with windows, side doors left open.
7 out of 8 dogs in the van died.

Read the latest article about this tragedy.

Also last week a man decided to take in a movie while leaving his Lab in his car with no windows open.

See this article.
I just wish someone had broken the window out as soon as the dog was noticed — his temperature was 111 at the vet clinic where he died. The owner is being prosecuted.

Closer to home I got an e-mail Friday evening that made me ill — an agility student e-mailed me to tell me she would no longer be at classes this summer because she forgot she had left her two dogs in the car when she got home and both dogs died of heat stroke. Knowing these dogs, it made me very upset to think about them suffering and dieing in their own driveway. I don’t know exactly what happened and probably won’t but I do know I would have trouble forgiving myself if this happened to any of my dogs.

PLEASE don’t take your dog with you when it is hot outside. Even when it is 70 degrees outside a car sitting in the sun can heat up quickly and soon be over 100 degrees inside. Since dogs wear fur coats and don’t sweat they can only expel heat through panting and a little bit of sweating through their paws. Their body temperature can heat up to over 108 degrees in 5 minutes in those temperatures then they can have seizures and die. These are deaths that all could have been prevented. Say a prayer for those owners that loved their dogs, hug your dogs and leave them home in the air conditioning unless you can take them inside whereever you are going.

The My Dog is Cool Campaign operated by United Animal Nations lets people know that leaving a dog in a car for even “just a few minutes” may be too long.

To order or download educational fliers and posters, or to enter your zip code and find out if it is too hot to bring your dog in the car, visit:

www.MyDogIsCool.com

There is a temperature monitor and alarm you can put in your car, truck or motorhome that will cause the horn to blow if temperature is over or under a certain range. It is made by Safe Home Products. It isn’t cheap but in all of these cases it could have saved the dogs involved.

Written in memory of Kitzel.

Tonight I hosted a clinic for kids in our county’s 4H dog project to introduce them to agility. We had 15 dogs participate with their owners and I think a fun time was had by all. I especially wanted to show the kids how positive training techniques make it easy for the dogs to learn as I don’t think they get a lot of exposure to those techniques. I was fortunate to have my friends Jeff and Michelle helping out so all the kids got plenty of assistance. All the dogs ended up doing great and there isn’t one of them that couldn’t do agility in the future. If you are a dog training instructor please consider offering 4H clinics or classes at discounted rates so kids can get exposure to all the fun they can have with their dogs. Kids are the future of our sport and I love teaching them. I hope to arrange a 4H dog agility class session for later this summer.

Yesterday I had a great opportunity to educate the general public about the fun of dog agility. I was asked to do a demo at a 10th anniversary celebration for Country View Vet Clinic. They had booths, educational talks, vendors and many demos such as dressage, polo, natural horsemanship, sheep herding, canine freestyle and my agility demo. We were given a large round pen to use so it was fenced which pleased my students but a naughty little pug was able to easily slip under it. I ran Buster, my rescued pug, at the very end of the demo when I had finished announcing and said people were welcome to watch me practice with my dogs so they understood he was new to it.

He did the first jump, went off to sniff, did second jump, dog walk and a jump, sniffed, then did the tunnel, then ran under the ring fence to pee, then did a jump, then back to the edge to pee, etc. However this was an improvement since in the past he would have run off to go after other dogs, run after horses, etc. which he didn’t and each time he returned to work he got a bunch of treats. Very humbling but it was a good example to the spectators of how to be positive when your dog does ANYTHING right. My husband, who came to help haul equipment and has never been to a trial, got a lot of laughs out of his behavior……

Of course Jazz was crazy since it was cool out and she had to wait in the car for the very end! The crowd loved her though.

It was a fun thing to do, we had a great crowd and I appreciate all my wonderful students taking time out of their day to run in the demo. And a big thanks to Tracy Jane Photography for sending me these great photos from the demo.

The results are in and it appears that a Portuguese Water Dog will soon be moving into the White House. Apparently the choice of getting a puppy needing re-homing through its breeder rather than a puppy being re-homed through a rescue or shelter has some people upset. However the Obama family needed to make a decision on a new family member based on what dog would fit in best with them and their needs and I applaud them for taking their time and finding the breed and dog that is right for their situation. As I understand it, it would likely be difficult to find a PWD in a shelter as there aren’t that many bred each year and this breed’s breeders do a great job in making sure all puppies are properly placed and in taking responsibility for all dogs they have bred. I wish some of the breeders in my primary breed (Labradors) would be as conscientious!

There is an interview with the breeder of the soon to be First Pet at The Pet Connection Blog if you are curious about where the pup is coming from. Sounds like a good person who loves her breed and wants the best for all her puppies.

I hope the Obama’s have lots of fun with their new family member.

Unpredictability of Mixed Breed Concerns Longtime Breed Experts

NEW YORK, Jan. 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — In light of the recent announcement by the Obama family that the “labradoodle” is under consideration as the next “first dog,” the Labrador Retriever Club, Inc. (LRC) and the Poodle Club of America (PCA) are voicing their concerns about this trend – one that they feel is detrimental to canine welfare and potential pet owners.

“These crossbreds are a deliberate attempt to mislead the public with the idea that there is an advantage to these designer dogs,” said LRC, Inc. Board Member Frances S. Smith DVM, Ph.D. and Diplomate American College of Theriogenology. “The crossbred dogs are prone to all of the genetic disease of both breeds and offer none of the advantages that owning a purebred dog has to offer.” To read the LRC’s full statement go to: http://www.thelabradorclub.com/subpages/labradoodle.php

“Some breeders breed to improve a breed while others do it for profit,” says Fred Kampo, vice president of the LRC. “‘Doodle’ breeders hype them as the ideal dog, but every dog in a litter of mixed breed pups is different — there is no predictability in size, temperament, energy level, coat type so selling them for thousands of dollars to an unsuspecting public as so-called ‘designer dogs,’ often at prices higher than what a reputable breeder of purebred dogs would charge makes no sense. Our clubs can’t sit back and watch people being misled any longer.”

According to the PCA’s “Report to the Media on Poodle Rescue,” “Labradoodles were first produced in Australia in 1989 through an experimental breeding program sponsored by the Royal Guide Dog Association. The goal of this experiment was to produce a dog more suitable for disabled individuals with allergies than the typical Labrador Retriever. The Association believed that by crossing the steady temperament of the Lab with the Standard Poodle, with its low shedding coat, a solution for this small population of people would be found. Upon analysis of the breeding program however, it was found that fewer than 35% of the labradoodles produced were acceptable as guide dogs and an even lower percentage were found to be ‘hypoallergenic.’ The last labradoodle bred to attempt to become a guide dog was born in 1996 and the Association has no plans to continue the experiment.” Read the complete report at:

http://tinyurl.com/85n4u2

“We aren’t necessarily advocating for the Obamas to get a poodle as we are always concerned about our breed’s profile being raised,” said Jack MacGillivray president of the PCA. “We do not want to encourage disreputable breeding or see more dogs come into our rescue program. However if the choice is between a ‘doodle’ mix and a purebred, we felt we needed to speak out and educate the Obamas and dog lovers everywhere about the difference between a purebred and a mixed breed.”

Should the Obamas decide on the Portuguese Water Dog (PWD) as their choice for first pet, both clubs agree that the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America (www.pwdca.org) is their best resource. As with the LRC and PCA, club members are responsible PWD breeders dedicated to the principles of preserving and protecting the integrity of their beloved breed.

About the organizations:

Poodle Club of America -The Poodle Club of America (PCA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the welfare of the Poodle. For more information visit: www.poodleclubofamerica.org

Labrador Retriever Club, Inc. – The Labrador Retriever Club, Incorporated (LRC) is dedicated to the health and welfare of the Labrador Retriever breed while conserving the original breed function – that of a “working retriever.” For more information visit: www.thelabradorclub.com/

Over the last few years, those of us in the U.S. who enjoy owning dogs as well as competing with them and occasionally having a well thought out litter of purebred puppies have come under attack by the animal rights people.  The HSUS and PETA are both trying to get mandatory spay/neuter laws passed in every community where they can get a foothold and making it a requirement to have an expensive “breeder’s license” if you choose not to spay/neuter your dog.  Because I do show some of my dogs in American Kennel Club conformation shows those dogs cannot be spayed/neutered in order to compete.  The rest of my dogs are spayed/neutered.  We do not have unwanted litters here, only carefully planned ones about every two to three years when we are hoping to keep something from the litter for ourselves in order to keep our blood line going.

Today I received two different posts that I think are more eloquent than what I could write about the attacks on breeders, dog shows, those of us who show/compete in perfomance events, etc. so I am quoting the one with permission and sending a link to the other for you to read for yourself.

Here is the link to the one and below the quote from the other:

http://endangeredowner.blogspot.com/2009/01/hsus-turn-in-breeder-program.html

Veterinarian speaks out on PETA & Westminister

By Libbye Miller DVM (Permission to crosspost)
“Adorable mixed breeds” get cancer, epilepsy, allergies, heart disease, and orthopedic problems just like purebreds. I see it every day in my veterinary practice but mixed breed dogs aren’t tracked like
the purebreds so they have a reputation as “healthier” that is actually undeserved in many cases.”

It is so sad that a lot of folks, including young veterinarians these days, buy into the “hybrid vigor” baloney. The vet schools have been infiltrated by the Animal Rights Extremists, who are teaching them this junk science in order to push their agenda.

All animals have a certain amount of genetic load, which is to say there is absolutely no animal without some genetic problem of some sort of another. Know anyone who wears glasses? Has allergies? Thyroid
problems? Weak knees? Flat feet? A skin condition? Arthritis? A gap between their front teeth? These are all genetic imperfections.

No human is genetically “clean.” Neither is any individual of any species on earth. So this idea that dogs should not be bred because they might have a genetic problem, and that breeders are somehow “evil”
for breeding them, is ridiculous. Every single individual of every single species has at least a few genetic conditions.

To use PeTA’s logic, all breeding of all kinds (including having human babies) should halt immediately. And to be honest, Ingrid Newkirk (the woman who founded PeTA) does believe exactly that. She thinks that humans should become extinct, along with dogs, cats, etc. This ridiculous scenario is precisely what she would like to see happen.

So folks, if that is what you want…if you agree with Ingrid Newkirk’s whacky views, send your hard earned money to PeTA. They will help to ensure you are not able to own a dog or cat or hamster or any
other pet in the future. They will see to it that you can’t eat meat or fish or eggs or any type of animal-based nutrition. They will work to shut down places like Sea World, the zoos, etc. so you cannot observe
the many wonderful animals on the Earth. Eventually, once they accomplish these things, they may turn their efforts to making it illegal for humans to procreate.

If you don’t agree with their extremist views, wise up and start supporting those who truly do love, care for and enjoy interaction with other species here on our little blue planet.

The fanciers of the breeds, those you see exhibiting their dogs at Westminster and other dog shows, work very hard to eliminate serious genetic conditions. They screen their breeding stock with every
available test. They research pedigrees before breeding into other lines, to check for similar clearances in those animals. They contribute money to research organizations to further the work being
done to track down genetic problems. They contribute blood, cell samples, etc. from their own animals to help with DNA and genome studies. They have made great progress so far, and they continue to
work hard at it.

Are there unethical breeders? Certainly, there are. Just as in any group of humans, you will find the good and the bad. United States VP Elect Joe Biden, for example, managed to find a not so good one when he
got his new German Shepherd puppy. I don’t know who did his research for him, but they obviously didn’t do their homework if they were looking for a responsible breeder. Joe has the right to get his dog
from whomever he wishes, but if he was trying to set an example of purchasing from a responsible hobby breeder he went off the track this time. That’s too bad, but it was his choice.

Unfortunately, breeders like that may be a lot easier to find because of their high volume and high profile. If you are looking for a nice family pet from a breeder who will be there for you forever, you need
to do due diligence. You won’t get that from a pet store. You won’t get that from the guy selling dogs out of his pickup truck in the WalMart parking lot. You won’t get that support from a high-volume breeder,
either. Yes, it takes a little more time and effort to find someone who really cares and does all the work to breed the healthiest, happiest puppies possible and then stands behind those puppies.

This is a living being that will be part of your family, hopefully, for many years. Isn’t it worth a bit of effort to find a breeder who will be there for you and that puppy forever? And guess what? Shows like Westminster are a very valuable resource for finding breeders who do care and who use the best possible
practices, as well as for learning more about the various breeds.
Bravo to USA Network for broadcasting the Westminster Kennel Club show all these years. May they enjoy continued success through the ongoing inclusion of such programs. I will be eagerly watching this year’s
show!”

THANK YOU LIBBYE MILLER, DVM for sharing this post!