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*21 August 2009 -- Boredom = Stress; Stress Kills! Here I sat one afternoon, bored nearly to tears when it occurred to me: My Hounds May Be Bored! What can that be doing to them, if all the research on humans points to shortened life spans related to stress from boredom? Perhaps I was fortunate to get my Irish Wolfhounds when I was more active and excited about doing things with the hounds (read: younger). Okay, so my kids will be surprised by that statement since it was a challenge for them to get me off my duff to take them to their Band Practice, sporting events, et al. All I can say is that I was working 40 to 60 hour weeks as part of a 2-income family and selfishly I wanted to sit on my duff and zone out. Anyway this leads me to some vital theories about possible correlation between our successful longevity factors and our hounds being kept in athletic fitness. One of the research articles I read highlighted the importance of MENTAL health (read: boredom) to the dog’s PHYSICAL health (read: meaningful activity, i.e. play). Remember, dogs are social animals (for the most part) and need the stimuli from interaction with the family and those outside contacts you can find almost anywhere. In our beginning, we did a great deal of lure coursing—more active than obedience training, which meant I would have to be obedient at well—ain’t happening!—and the phrase “a fine time was had by all” sums it up. The fallout of that activity could be (theoretically) that our hounds were blessed with life spans in excess of 8 years—the then national average being 5 years. So, okay, how does the “normal” family keep their Irish Wolfhound fit without a lot of inconvenience and changes in their “normal” lifestyle. First, do something together that YOU enjoy BESIDES sitting on your duff, of course. How about a nice evening walk to the school, shopping center, or other populated area. Believe me, you’ll meet more people because of your Irish Wolfhound than you expect. Second, teach the hound to chase something—no, not the neighbor’s cat!—like a ball. Oh, sure, he’ll run over and say: “here it is, Mom/Dad” and you’ll have to go pick it up, BUT think about the exercise YOU are also getting…this is a shared thing!! Third, toys… interactive ones. Personally, we find a cardboard box to be challenging and entertaining for them for hours. Yes, it gets torn up in the first 5 minutes, but the pieces become a new “toy” which can be tossed in the air, or mangled with the paws, or even chewed on contentedly. They usually do not swallow the mucky cardboard—just chew it to oblivion!! Another good toy could be considered a “problem solving” one—a KONG with ridges in it where you can put a small amount of a treat (smear of peanut butter, a dab of dog food) that the hound can lick at and play with until the smell and tidbit are all gone. Fourth, ROTATE your toys!! They will become bored with the same-oh/same-oh every day. Since dogs do not understand a day of the week, you can use the same toy every Monday etc, if that helps you remember to change them frequently. Another good part of this interaction gives the hound a sense of security and a knowing of how much s/he is loved. These hints may lead you into other methods of relieving your dog’s stress levels…Hey! I’m not talking about the visits to the vet kind of stress… that’s a whole other issue, but what about while you are at work, or on vacation, or… well, I think you get the basic idea now on how to help your hound achieve that long, healthy life we want for them...and to have them with us as long as possible!
29 July 2009 -- Puppy
Development Timeline. This is quite a long bit
of data and might only be interesting to families about to get an Irish
Wolfhound puppy, therefore I have made a separate data page for the
document. Just click here [ PUPPY DEVELOPMENT
] to read MY interpretation
of how an Irish Wolfhound grows and develops.
6 June 2009 -- What About Coat
Colors? There have been some
folks who insist on a specific color for their Irish Wolfhound. I try to
accommodate but we cannot always predict what two dogs might produce.
Just for fun I looked up a couple of websites about coat colors; one has
very descriptive definitions for various colors--many of them do not
apply to Irish Wolfhounds, but the site is interesting all the same. [
http://caninebreeds.bulldoginformation.com/dog-coat-colors.html ];
another dealing with cats also provides some insight into how a color
might be produced with a colored pair [
http://www.amurusko.co.uk/colour_genetics.html ]. I haven't spent
any time over the past 30 years research coat colors so feel free to
step in and give my YOUR input!. Generally, the Irish Wolfhound comes in
any color except tan/brown. I have used a phrase "self wheaten" to
indicate a wheaten colored dog with ears of the same color; or,
"black-pointed wheaten" to mean a dog with dark ears and muzzle. If you
look really close at the ear color on this one, it is like a sable brown
rather than black--that is after it is plucked and groomed. If you let
the hair hang long, then it will acquire a silver tipping sheen and the
ears will almost seem to disappear into the coat. I do want to say that
if a breeder mentions "blue dilute" to you as if it was a baaaaddd
thing... ignore them. Only in those dog breeds (dachshund and collies,
to name only two) with the Merle Gene are known to have health issues.
The Irish Wolfhound does not carry the Merle Gene!! Frankly, I love the
light lavender shade that this dilution provides. It does not often
appear, never fear!!
27 May 2009 -- Pet Puppies
Have Faults--NOT! A recent call got me
thinking about a misconception most new puppy buyers may have--that pet
puppies (I call them Companion Puppies) have such a major fault they
could not be shown and are on a level with "throw-away" dogs. This is so
totally UNTRUE. I almost fainted when I heard this description. What is
the REAL difference between the loving hound who is never shown, lives
the life of Riley, and enjoys the comforts of a stress free life and the
Show Puppy? Just
that... a stress free life as opposed to one on the Show Circuit with
chaos around him/her nearly every weekend. Succinctly, the difference is
"attitude"! ONLY attitude. Sometimes the best conformationally correct
puppy in a litter does not want to be a show dog and would slink around
the ring rather than being sprightly and eye-catching. Remember this
breeds should have Commanding Appearance--and that very attitude can
camouflage a minor fault by being a showman! Buying a Companion Puppy
does NOT preclude the show-ability of that hound; its attitude and
desire make the difference.
10 January 2008 -- So You've
Decided to Show, BUT... Have you ever
even been to a dog show? If you have, it may all seem so
daunting. You're proud of your dog and would love to show off a bit. You
might even decide to keep going right on to an AKC Championship. BUT...
you are not as much of a show-man as you are a show-off and that would
really not show-case your "baby" properly. That means you're now looking
for a handler. Not any handler will do either. They need to practically
love your dog as much as you do; they need gentleness tempered with
firmness; they need to know what YOUR breed is all about. You could hire
someone from the PHA (The Professional
Handlers Association)
8
June 2008 -- Height-to-Weight Ratio.
Okay! Okay! So I
mentioned this earlier then didn't give you my "theories" on the
functional, athletic Irish Wolfhound. Here's my take on it. In our
Standard it reads: "The minimum height and weight of dogs should be 32
inches and 120 pounds; of bitches, 30 inches and 105 pounds; these to
apply only to hounds over 18 months of age." If we consider those
figures as the baseline for both males and females--i.e., 2 inches
difference and 15 pounds--then I can estimate the ratios to be 7.5
pounds per additional inch. That would give ME (perhaps not you or
anyone else, hee hee) the following: A hound who is 36 inches tall
should maximum out at 165 pounds (7.5 #/inch times 6"; using 30" at 105#
for the baseline). Have I confused you? Good!! I'm hoping this will help
you do more research on your own Irish Wolfhound for the future. Oh,
and, I guess I should include my "theory" that the older hound, who is
not getting as much exercise as in his youth, could carry an additional
10 pounds without sacrificing health. Again, I must stress that EXERCISE
is one of the most important factors in keeping an Irish Wolfhound
healthy, even moderate for the geriatric hound. |
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June 2008 -- How Tall is Tall?
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18 March 2008 -- New Breed? Outside Dog? Recently I received an interesting reprint from a friend in Canada. When buyers call me, one of my questions deals with where the dog will be housed, where it will sleep and what the arrangements are if the family is away a good part of the day. Most of us agree (rightly so!) that our dogs are house dogs first and foremost as our companions and 4-legged children. Dr. Fetko put it much better than I can, so read his article. OUTSIDE DOG. 27 February 2008 -- Correcting Structural Faults through Scientific Breeding. Actually, it might be more correct to say "trial and error" breeding as opposed to "scientific". So much is guess work, experience and luck. Years ago, I was told a rule of thumb: "It takes 3 generations to correct bad ears, but it can take 5 generations to correct a bad rear." Today, I am dealing with a high tail set--and my family people really don't care. It may seem logical and easy to look at the dog and bitch and figure on her very feminine head being passed on to her puppies unless you can moderate them with a very heavy or coarse or just large headed male. Like all things in Mother Nature, sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn't. I'm certainly uneducated about genetics, and I don't know any dog breeders personally, who can sit down and diagram a genetic profile that will correct a structural fault (high tail set) in one or two generations...perhaps no one can. We continue our guess work methodology, applying our observations down through the generations and hoping for the best. I like to keep Mother Nature on my side whenever possible, therefore I do not attempt huge changes at one time; just tiny baby steps, till I get what my mind's eye has envisioned. We must be careful--extremely so!--because one correction in an area can throw something else off. I have always heard it said that doing line breedings (see Helpful Terms and Phrases) over several generations will cost your bloodline in height. With such a limited genepool in our breed, it is essential for every breeder to find an unrelated sire or dam at least every 3rd generation. Okay! Now that I have you totally confused... feel free to ask questions (if you really have an interest) and I'll try to clarify. Remember, I'm just rambling here. 11 December 2007 -- Allergies!
An interesting post came across my desk today regarding allergies and
treatments. This modern age is wonderful!! As a kid, I went through the
skin tests--YIKES--and found I was allergic to about 200 things. The
usual stuff and some really way out things; ironically I am still
allergic to dogs, yet I raise some of the biggest, hairy ones of all the
breeds--The Irish Wolfhound. Well, I live with it, but sure wish the
testing in my day (60 years ago) could have been what it is today. http://www.varlallergy.com/index.html
Check out these folks and if you have an allergic dog that your vet
wants you to take to a dermatologist or other specialist, suggest this
blood test first. It seems right as a first step and relatively
reasonable. The post today said it was around $300 and the best bucks
he'd ever spent! Next step, after finding the food allergy, was the
right food (in this case). I have learned that other allergies are
helped by a food change even if the allergy itself is not food related,
afterall nutrients in different combinations create different
absorptions etc. This product is not very expensive, they offer free
shipping and a free box of samples with all the flavors. So check out
this link (which is also ironic--a "wolf" helping an Irish WOLF
hound<L>):
http://timberwolforganics.com/ Do listen to your vet, but remember
to listen to your own intuition. You know your dog better than anyone
else. You do what YOU feel is right. It helps to have input from
breeder, vet and outsiders...but the health of your dog is YOUR
responsibility--bottom line. 1 March 2007 --WOW! It has been a long time. I've been involved in a number of projects, the primary one a total hip replacement last October...which I had put off far too long, of course. I'm back now and have two or 3 little issues to bring up to you all. Diets and Feeding: I have been in a long-standing discussion with proponents of the B.A.R.F. (Bones And Raw Foods) diet plan. They contend that after 3 generations on a balanced raw food diet, there is no longer a need for vaccinations and the basic health of the dog will be better. I argue that if that were true, the ancient dogs of the past would have lived longer than six years--which is the reported average from around 1860. Current life spans are more in the 8 to 12 year range. I find that to be most logically due to better care and veterinary education, high quality and better balanced commercial dietary products, and an understanding by each owner/breeder that a full range of exercise is essential in promoting longevity. You really need to do the research for yourself and make up your own mind regarding the care and maintenance of your own dog. Some BARF breeders require that you feed your new puppy by their outline and give you little to no option about changing that diet. Speaking of requirements by breeders, there have been recent reports that some breeders will not sell a puppy to a Horse-owning home. Horses? My goodness, why not? It seems those breeders fear their puppy will be injured by a horse. Possibly, that's true, but for centuries dogs and horses have coexisted and aided each other in the hunt or for recreation. That should be accurate to say even today. Instead of long walks, what's the problem with trail rides? The hound will pace itself and if the rider will stay aware of possible distress by the hound, they then stop and rest. The hound will not bond with the horse rather than the person (another rumored reason to exclude horses). That's ridiculous. The Irish Wolfhound is the most human-bonded animal I have ever lived with!! Oh, shoot. The stupidity of "man". Which brings me to Climbing Stairs for your Wolfhound--another example of the stupidity of "man".. For years I have heard or been told, "You must not let your puppy ascend or descend stairs. It will hurt his shoulders and hips." Hey! This is another of those "ya gotta' be kidding" statements, in my opinion. Our puppies start at 4 weeks doing a half-step from house to porch. It is a full step down but we add a 2x4 plank to shorten the height for their first encounters. Before long, they are up and down without a stutter. They don't even notice when we remove the 2x4 a few days later. Many years ago, I had a hound who would go DOWN stairs but not up, until I realized that these were open backed stairs and he was cautious of what was behind the stairs. Since then, I have added open backed steps (just a couple) for the puppies to play and practice on. Many of our families live in multi-storied homes, this has become a great benefit for them...and the hounds have more freedom in the household. Three subjects covered today and I'm sure I'll not take nearly so long in the future to jot down my thoughts. Part 2/1 March 2007-- I was ready to close out and get on to other projects when another thought struck me. For the Breeder or Totally Curious of you, I can offer a couple of insights into aiding one's Breeding Program (BP101). A kind of Breeding Program (BP201) Advanced Course. Breeding Program 101 is the cut and dried, do your pedigree and phenotype research, select your best mate and go for it! The Advanced Course includes all of BP101 and adds things like Leasing or breeding to some other Breeder's Female to enhance your genepool--again the pedigree is researched for all the outcrosses possible. (See Helpful Terms); or finding the Stud Dog from another Breeder with outcrosses; or by buying an import either from a world-wide marketplace or locally; and Advertising. Yes, I said "advertising". How else will people know you have the superior dog or bitch? How else will families know you have puppies for sale? In my mentorship plan, I help new breeder families take each step along the way. I give them the tools to prevent them making any mistakes I may have made. This is NOT to say that I am the last word; heaven forbid! I've made my mistakes and will share them anecdotally, but the new breeder makes all the final decisions on who, what, where based on all the data they have. Even with Breeding Program 201 and Advertising, they must make all the final decisions since BOTH can be expensive in time, money and shame or glory. We work together. Today's advertising is much easier and less expensive than 30 years ago. Then, we paid up to $400 for a full page color ad in a Dog Related magazine, sometimes more in a Breed Specific magazine, every time we wanted to brag or announce a litter. Now, we may pay $200 a year for a website and put all the words and pictures--even music and movies!--onto the pages for all to view. We can be as busy and prolific as Mother Nature allows...or as one's own conscience delineates. We are breeding to IMPROVE, not to provide pets to the public, therefore one's website needs to become a forum to educate and inform, rather than an exclusive sales tool. I will be building a new page soon--just for the kids. A Coloring Book of sorts (Ed.Note: Done--go see!), so parents can print out the pictures and the kids can color them. Hey, if you want to send me your best offerings--no, not YOURS, your kid's--I'll try to post them in that special Coloring Book section with first name and age of the colorist. What fun! I'd better get to it!! 23 June 2006 -- Let’s go back to Naming Puppies for a further look at my philosophy. I guess we could call this The Vibrations in Names since I used to instruct in Numerology & First Encounter Vibrations—oh, so many years ago!! [Now, you probably really think I’m a kook! That’s okay; I am!!] I still strongly believe that all of us respond, or “vibrate”, so to speak, to the names given to us. Some of us will respond more positively to a nickname, some more to a legal appellative like MS or MRS so-and-so, and each of us will react according to that vibration. Don’t you act more adult when someone addresses you as Mr or Mrs? I know I do…so there’s part of my philosophy about naming puppies. Yes, I still use a theme but within that theme will be names that reflect a “personality”, an “attitude”, or an “image” to the people around the puppy. As an example, you hear: “Rocky”, and in general, the image you get is a Rottweiler or Pit Bull; you hear “Fi-Fi”, and immediately that fluffy poodle pops in your head. This is 2006 and our new litter was born on Father’s Day. My theme is Famous Fathers and Famous Daughters (of Famous Fathers when possible). A tough selection process to be sure! Some of the selections include: Girls=Sunstag Oona; Sunstag Heming (Nickname: Sally); Sunstag Ali (Nickname: Laila); Sunstag Dionne; Sunstag Serena (Williams); Sunstag Ashley (Judd); Sunstag ZsaZsa; Sunstag Indira. Boys=Sunstag Sideshow Bob [taken!]; Sunstag Fonda (Nickname: Henry); Sunstag Nixon (Nickname: Dickie); Sunstag Ghandi (Nickname: Mo); Sunstag Bridges (Nickname: Jeff); Sunstag Presley (Elvis); Sunstag O’Neil (Eugene); Sunstag Bergan (Charlie): Sunstag Chaplin (Nickname: Charlie); Sunstag Richie …with more coming in every day. Okay, take Sunstag Serena—in your mind perhaps you see the strong athletic, tennis player, which is my intention; however, some will not make the connection and will think of serenity, solitude and a placid temperament. My choice for a family will be the one who mentally connects with the athlete. With Sunstag Ghandi, you may imagine him as the brave, silent, non-confrontational personality, or if you use “Mo”, the nickname, you could think of More (bigger than life!), or Maurice (a bit French?), or the WW2 battleship “Mighty Mo”, or you knew someone called that and you will “image” the puppy in that mold. It is my job to interview to find the family who will react in the way I envision when giving the puppy that name. Truth be told, puppy will tell me what best suits it. Sure, the family has a lot of input on the selection process; I prefer that selection be from a list I have formulated so when they call and tell me the puppy’s name, I can recollect the litter, any pertinent anecdotal references and then can respond to that “vibration” properly. If you are getting a puppy from this litter, be sure to ask for the updated list of “suitable” names. Remember, no matter what name is on puppy’s AKC registration form, you can call him whatever suits you—and puppy. 2 June 2006--Shall we discuss Rude, Arrogant, Exclusionary Breeders? My friends, I do apologize for those times you called or met a breeder who was rude and discourteous to you. It is unfortunate that some can be quite snobbish...usually without much of a reason. I hope you never experience the silent snub or get rude responses when you ask the price of a puppy even before the Breeder knows anything about you. Well, I can tell you that it would put someone off a bit if that was your true criteria for buying an Irish Wolfhound, but if the Breeder doesn't give you a chance to explain, well...there you are. Their loss, I'm sure. You are a nice person. You just don't know how to approach buying from a Breeder. Perhaps your only experiences have been at the Pound, ASPCA or a pet store. That can be daunting, but addressing a professional Breeder can be life changing<L>. I should add to my 14 July 2005 comments below: that a Good Breeder also is willing to listen to you when you are a Prospect; willing to share some resources and experiences and to help you decide if this is the right dog for you and your family. A Good Breeder will be there for you even if you don't buy from him/her; afterall, you are part of the family--you own an Irish Wolfhound! How simple is that?? If you are ever treated to such discourtesy, let me know...I'll broadcast it so no one else is treated that way! 2 June 2006--What is a National Specialty? My goodness, I'm truly Chatty Cathy today! Anyway. A National Specialty is a very super ANNUAL dog show for Irish Wolfhounds only where the breeders and owners have an opportunity to come from all across the country to a central location to exhibit their best and finest hounds to a knowledgeable Judge (usually an Irish Wolfhound breeder as well). It is hosted by a Regional Club under the National Breed Club's aegis. The Host Club provides the venue, the itinerary and the personnel needed to put on an event which could bring in 300 Irish Wolfhounds or more!! Amazing! And, for the opportunity to see that many hounds in one place at one time is incredibly fortunate! I believe that every family who owns and loves their Irish Wolfhound would benefit from the experience and education provided by a National Specialty. You do not have to be a Breeder or an Exhibitor--simply that you love the breed. You can find the schedule for our Specialties on the web: www.IWClubofAmerica.org . Do try to go at least once. The venues rotate around the U.S. so it could be in your area soon. Y'all come, ya hear! 8 March 2006--What is an International Championship? Well, since many of our hounds have been awarded this title, I suppose it is a good idea to explain that there are TWO such titles, which makes things confusing. One title is awarded by Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI) of Belgium and has a membership of 84 countries Worldwide, the other one is awarded by the International All Breed Kennel Club, sanctioned by a German organization. With the former, you are truly an International Champion; with the latter you can only say you are Internationally titled—they cannot award an International Certificate (CACIB) because it is trademarked by the FCI. You might want to know that our hounds have also actually BEEN to places like Peru and Brazil and Canada and Mexico and Japan…we have been fortunate to have awards presented to our hounds in all the countries visited, so they are National Champions, making them Internationally Titled as well as being International Champions by virtue of being awarded the Certificats d'Aptitude au Championnat International de Beauté (CACIB) by an FCI Affiliate country. The only prime countries which do not recognize or participate in this FCI certification, are Canada (CKC) and the United States (AKC). To top it off, the FCI sponsors a World Show every year. At World Shows, a separate and very special title can be bestowed on each breed; that of World Champion. The World Show travels from country-to-country based on the host country of the current President of FCI. Truth be told, these shows make for some of the greatest vacations ever!!! [For more information on the FCI, GOTO http://www.fci.be/aboutus.asp?lang=en&sel=4 ] Or, see my latest (12/2007) article on this issue. GOTO INTERNATIONAL CHAMPION? 14 July 2005--I
once thought I knew how to Identify a Good Breeder, then I read something that
put a few more ideas into my head. I'm sorry to do this to you, but you'll have
to CLICK here and go read the full document for yourself. It is very well
written...I doubt I could do better.
This segment may grow over the next
years... Keep Watching! Neuter = A generic term for surgically
rendering a dog or bitch sterile, but is generally
considered reserved for the Male (see Spay) 3 March 2002--As I sit here pondering
the logistics of
shipping
16 October 2001--We have been hit by a terrorist attack... The aftermath seems grim for our animal friends as well as human ones. Have we all provided information to someone who knows that we have animals needing attention? Like a will, this kind of information sometimes is put off until it is too late. If unable to return home to care for the animals yourself, how long would it take for someone to acknowledge that something needs to be done. There are door and window stickers to let visitors, firemen, policemen know that certain critters are inside--in case of fire (for example) the firemen need to know to look for the family dog as well as the humans. There is no central registry for this kind of data so it is up to us individually to select a friend or family member with the number(s) and specie(s) at your home. This list must be updated and readily available. If you have suggestions, I will post them here. I do advise that you provide for your critters--somehow. 22 December 2000--Y2001 faces us with "power and glory"! We sincerely expect this wonderful trend of good health for all the hounds (and us hu-mans!) to continue, more exciting events, more travel and new puppies (possibly from abroad), and that 2001 will be a blast! We have a few geriatric hounds among our kids and now might be a good time to discuss some of the changes that should be made in diet, exercise, grooming and so on for the Seniors. First, it is always best to have annual check ups for all your hounds, but especially for the older ones. You just might catch some little thing before it becomes hu-mon-gous and life threatening. Diet changes include a lower protein content--they are not as active as they had been so the protein just sorta' "sits there" and isn't burned off as readily. Exercise should be paced to the condition of your hound. Some have been coursing all their lives and need to continue with a more energetic program; others have been couch potatoes for their life so adjust the exercise level accordingly...ASK YOUR VET when you are there for the check-up; get his input for your particular hound. He probably knows the hound's needs almost as well as you do (by now<G>). See also my ramblings about Winterizing. 16 August 2000--I've tried for weeks to get this subject (Names) into my Ramblings. Let me see if I can finish before another project gets priority. How do we name our Sunstag puppies? Long ago I insisted that all our hounds would have Gaelic names. Little did I know that not only would I not be able to correctly pronounce them, I would have to be careful to pick IRISH Gaelic, not WELSH Gaelic, names. This proved to be a major hurdle. I had sworn I'd never do the "alphabet" naming...Litter 1 all starts with the letter "A". I do admit that one time, I chose to name a litter using "A'A" (A'Ausom, A'Albaa), just so my detractors would think that this was my 27th litter. And, it worked for awhile--I was found out! So, I guess you could say I use "themes"; that probably best describes my methodology. Let me try to give you examples. A recent litter was born on the Night of the Academy Awards--first puppy was a bitch and we named her Sunstag American Beauty (what else?<G>). Among those are: Sunstag Topsy Turvy (Maisie); Sunstag Boys Don't Cry; Sunstag Mr. Ripley; Sunstag Cider House Rules and so on...go look at Puppies 2000 for the others. Then the Mayflower Litter followed, I simply had to have Sunstag Mayflower Madame for myself...naturally she's called "Sidney"...get it? Got it! You've already read how our first 4 hounds that we bought were named: Howell, Tien-sin, Gloch, and Moira (if not, read About Dixie)... so I won't go into that Tiens-n (the actual spelling), is Tibetan we believe, for Heavenly Blue Sky; we bred her to Shan, in Tibetan we believe that is Mountain or Blue Mountain... and so it goes. Read our Pedigree listings and ask me how each hound got his/her name. I love to tell ..."the rest of the story"... PS-XXXX is Kisses; OOOO is Hugs, get it? Got it! 29 March 2000-- Whew! This has been a busy year already. We do want to mention something about Insurance for your pet. for your Pet. When we had only 4, 5 or 6 we had full coverage through a firm called Veterinary Pet Insurance. We knew one of the original developers of the plan, and with my husband Dick's background in the insurance field, we felt comfortable with this new company. It is now almost nationwide--good for them! But with (almost always) 15 to 20 hounds in residence, it became prohibitive. You, on the other hand, with 1 or 2, should find Pet Insurance quite beneficial. It covers mostly the expensive stuff--emergency medical, surgeries, and truly catastrophic incidents--up to a given figure. Years ago they covered about $4000 on one of our girls... total came to over $5000, so you can see it was well worth the couple of hundred a year we were spending on the limited number of hounds we had then. You can find these guys in the white pages and possibly on-line, I haven't checked recently. And, I've heard that PetCo is offering a limited insurance policy. One or two more may be advertised in the dog magazines on the grocery newsstands... or the Library is a good resource. Do give some consideration to protecting your wallet along with your pet. Sometimes the difference in expensive care for an ailing hound can be this Insurance. 21 December 1999-- With the Millennium upon us, it is rather nice to reflect on the past 1000 years-- I'm laughing here since I only feel like I'm 1000 years old occasionally! We can see many improvements and other areas where we want to make a few adjustments--nothing major just touches here and there. Since I am traveling more to judging assignments and New York for AKC stuff, I find I prefer to leave the breeding to others (for the most part). Yes, Sunstag will have puppies in Y2000, but most are already reserved. I have one breeding that I'm waiting for (Dezi x A'Albaa)-- a repeat, and a rarity for us. The first one is so wonderful (to me) that I'd like a bit more of that gene pool for the future. So, Happy Christmas and Merry New Year-- may the road rise up to meet ye! [2002 Update--We were unable to repeat this breeding. Our A'Albaa developed cancer and we lost her a few months later.] 21 September 1999-- Summer is ending and now is a good time to rid yourself of the last of the fleas. A good bathing with Lemon Joy and a Frontline topical should see your hound through the winter in style! With the kids back in school, don't forget that your hound will need a tiny bit of extra consideration--an extended playtime after you get home from work, for instance. Our hounds can put on the "bulk" during winter's lower activity level and less exercise. Be sure you monitor the hound's weight and adjust his/her food intake to prevent stress and strain on the internal organs (like the heart!)--like with humans, being overweight is simply NOT GOOD for them. 20 June 1999-- An Irish Wolfhound as Wolf Hunter? Not on your life!!! On my life, maybe, but... How shall I impart my feelings on this? Yes, I believe the modern-day Irish Wolfhound could function in the great northwestern wilds as a wolf- killer, but I'd rather one of mine didn't have to prove itself. As a personal protector, I'd bank my life on my hound; as a deterrent to a night stalker, burglar or petty thief--probably, if I was in close proximity. I have found the hounds to use passive resistance to alter situations which, to the hound, appear threatening or not to their liking. For instance, if rising from the ground is sufficient to alter that situation, then, that's all ya gets, baby! If that doesn't do the trick, lowering the head and woofing lightly is the next step. After that...well, I know I'd be safe no matter what. BUT--I would not count on the hound to protect my "herd" (of whatever) if I was not also threatened. This is NOT a "personal protection" dog like the Rottweiler, who is reactive and protects just for the sake of protecting...the Irish Wolfhound THINKS, then acts--again, as passively as the situation warrants. Get a Llama for sheep or cattle, but please don't ask me for an Irish Wolfhound to guard your stock--that implies that the hound will be kept outside, away from the family. That is untenable to me! ALL our hounds (17 today <G>) are house hounds...and all should be. Don't you think so, too? 21 May 1999-- Nope! Nothing special. I've just been playing around with some of the refinements on my software--you know the ones that let you take an image and do little things with it. Just for my own pleasure, I've put together a clutter of kidlettes who don't appear on the Family Tree (the big one), let's just say this is Falling Leafs (Link) . Yes, I spelled it wrong, but you'll see why when...er, IF, you go take a peek. The document could take several seconds to load--if you get bored, I did offer a way OUT! Have fun... Oh, and for those who really want all this in-depth stuff, I link from that page to the Pedigrees Cross Reference Index...By the way, my thanks to "granddaughter", Angela, for helping me to find a midi file for the Glenn Miller rendition of "Autumn Leaves". I definitely appreciate it. Thanks. AND, Harry's "Hot Stuff" midi! It's wonderful! So appropriate! Still looking for "Macho Man"...anyone got it? 13 May 1999-- In just a couple of months I've learned another new and important lesson...know who to call in an emergency--no matter where in the States you are! Guess what? It's "9-1-1"! Here's the story. Recently, my handler was on a circuit with one of our girls when the hound showed signs and sounds of bloat. They are in a strange city; it was 1:30 in the morning; 9-1-1 was there and ready to help. They contacted an Animal Control Officer who appeared (as if by magic) at the fairgrounds, en route he had alerted a local veterinarian, he then led my handler (Barbara) to the clinic--where the vet was WAITING! An hour later the torsion surgery was done, the hound resting quietly, Barbara and vets exhausted, but all went well...Thank you, Canine Gods! Before I go into the "lesson", let me just assure you that the hound is alive, well and keeping everyone in line! The "lesson" is to always be prepared for emergencies especially when on the road and in a strange city. Additionally, when there is an accident and the tow truck won't take the dog(s), what do you do? Be sure to have the name and telephone number for Rescue (any breed!) for that area. In some states, if your dog is impounded due to an accident, they are required by law to neuter before releasing it! With just a few precautions, Traveling With Bowser can be rewarding. Be a good Scout: Be Prepared! 17 March 1999-- Well, sure has been awhile! I've found myself all over the world since last June! You know the feeling: Moving so fast you meet yourself coming and going... I think I can now address one or two things for you. I recently read an article on "What is a Breeder" (Also see Links--sorry, no longer functional-6/20/99, I'll write one soon.) and it left me rather undecided about it's in-depth value. Sure, it is a good starting point, just remember that you and your Breeder will be involved (should be, anyway) in the lifetime of your puppy. You'll want to feel comfortable with that person; you'll want to feel that your puppy is still under the protection of the Breeder, that you can go back anytime for advice, for resource material and just plain chit-chat. I don't say you have to become bosom buddies, just that you can trust the value of the information given you, that you can have faith that this person will be fair and caring, that this person has the same level of ethics as you do... Ah! Hah! Now we get to an interesting point. That description should also fit the buyer (you) and it sometimes doesn't. We all make mistakes in judgment, but if you do your research with lots of referrals, your decision to use this Breeder will be as good as you can get. Be sure you ask LOTS of questions! 11 June 1998-- Q: ...What does
your Training
Program consist of? 11 February 1998--Well! Just a month
apart...
Q: ...What is a Mentor?
Q: ...Shall I get another Irish
Wolfhound? 11 January 1998--Happy New Year!
[Look out!
I'm really loaded with "ramblings" today!]
Q: ...What is the Potato Chip Syndrome?
This question has been asked of me: Q:
...Where is your price list on your website?
24 December 1997--Merry Christmas! Q:... To breed
or not to breed? --that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler to do
it for oneself or let the "professional" take the
issue. Hummm.
18 December 1997. Q:...
How do you count a dog's age in human years? 28 October 1997. An interesting
situation has crossed my computer recently regarding breeder after-sale advice
to the new buyer--Q: ...is it fact, fiction,
or guesswork? Q:...How can a breeder
select a Show Puppy? Q:...How can I be sure I have chosen a reputable breeder? Q:...It is said that 85% of a
puppy comes from the mother. Who contributes what
to the puppies? |
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