Sunday, March 22, 2015

Keller: Speaking up for those who cannot



I met my friend Amanda at an Aussie Meetup out about a year ago.  She had the cutest and happiest dog – Keller.  Keller was oozing with personality.  Still in her puppy phase, I watched her romping around with the other dogs, having a blast, but always circle back to Amanda.  It was clear that Keller was a smart dog.  Our Meetup was at an indoor agility course and there was nothing that Keller could not do – she was literally jumping through hoops and bouncing over bridges, not an ounce of apprehension.

 Keller was as beautiful as she was smart – all white with little pops of color and THE sweetest face.  I was shocked when Amanda told me that Keller was deaf and had limited vision – you never would have guessed by watching her.

Sweet and active Keller is a double merle Aussie – it’s the result of breeding two merles.  Truthfully, it’s the result of ignorance.  Having had Aussies, I was familiar with the term – but it is a term also associated with Boxers, Great Danes, Shelties, any number of breeds. Puppies from merle to merle breeding have a 25% chance of being born deaf and/or blind.

Keller as a puppy, could you resist her?
Our dog Boomer, has unusual markings for an Aussie - he has a white head.  His markings are NOT the result of bad breeding, but I am often asked if he is deaf – he is not.

Amanda already had an Aussie named Kai, when like many of us, she was scrolling through Facebook and saw a picture of what she thought was cutest little puppy.  The puppy was searching for a home. The pup was a double merle.  She had been rescued from the breeder because the breeder who was responsible for her and created her disabilities was going to destroy her.

Unable to get this puppy out of her head – Amanda called and emailed the rescue group and learned that the puppy has deaf and possibly blind.  As nervous as she was, saving this puppy trumped any apprehension.  Soon, she and Kai were in the car making the two hour drive to pick up their newest family member.

Amanda, a vet tech, says owning a dog with "disabilities" is no different than owning her perfectly "normal" dog.   She says she is not sure when or how a stigma came to be around deaf or blind dogs, but they make wonderful pets.

Keller is testament that any dog can make a great pet if you give it love and train it to be what you want. Yes, Keller is deaf, and yes she is vision impaired, but that doesn't stop her from doing a single thing. Keller has completed 4 agility classes and an obedience class.   Keller swims, she hikes, she loves everything that any other dog loves.  Keller just does receives her information a little differently.  Amanda’s commands are all through hand and touch signals – rather than voice. Keller knows, sit, down, stay, come, spin, paw, drop it, crate and stand. She truly is a great example that dogs are capable of anything.

If Keller is the canine example that anything is possible through love and patience, Amanda is the human example that anything is possible through love and determination.

With Keller as her example, Amanda has set out to erase the stigma of deaf and blind dogs AND to educate the dog world on the dangers of merle to merle breeding – and eradicate the practice.

Harnessing the power of social media, Amanda  has a Facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/Kellerthedm  where she can share the normality and some challenges of her double merle darling.  For instance, Keller’s regular eye exams are the source of understandable anxiety, we were all relieved when Keller’s exam yielded good news!  Amanda also recently launched an online campaign to make Keller Modern Dog Magazine’s cover girl  -- she placed in the top 10, a great platform to educate the dog public on double merles.

Amanda also created a website where the owners of double merle dogs can share their beautiful pups and dog lovers can learn more about these special dogs -- http://www.doublemerles.info/what-is-a-double-merle--1.html


 She is asking that the AKC ban the registration of a dog from merle to merle breeding. Arguing that it is an unethical breeding practice and should be banned as it has been in other countries – notably the UK in 2012.

Incredibly, Amanda is frequently attacked by those who choose to ignore science (and middle school biology) for her outspoken advocacy in support of her dog and the countless others who aren’t as lucky as Keller.

If you are moved by Keller’s story and Amanda’s determination, please take a moment to sign the petition and if you’re on Facebook check out Keller’s page.  Finally, if there is room in your home and your heart is open to it – consider adopting a dog as special as Keller.


We herd there would be ribbons! City dogs meet the sheep, and this time it counted!


2 year old Cassie proudly displays her two ribbons
One of our Aussie meetup group’s (Alexandria Aussies on meetup.com) favorite outings is sheep herding.  Over the past several months, we have visited two farms in Virginia, each about an hour outside of Washington, D.C. for this adventure. Our first outing was for a member’s “Barkday” party on a freezing Saturday morning about a year ago.  The second was at Dawgwood Farm where we took part in their “Herding Fun Day” last fall.

For our third outing, we headed back to Dawgwood Farm www.dawgwoodfarm.com in Goldvein, VA for a day of herding evaluations and this time – it was going to count, there would be ribbons!
We herd you were coming

Wink Mason, the owner of Dawgwood Farm was also hosting a trial of the American Herding Breed Association (AHBA), so any of our amateur dogs that passed his evaluation would be invited to compete in the first level of the AHBA competition.

Nearly 20 dogs from our meetup group made the trip.  The moment we arrived at the farm, the sheep induced excitement was evident.  Whimpering, barking and nervous energy was quickly diffused with play.   A fenced in area – complete with a pond, became the dogs’ play area, while they waited for their turn in the ring.  The dogs had some much fun running and swimming that they almost forgot about the sheep.

From novice puppies, Divi was the youngest at 12 weeks, to more mature second and third time herders – Boomer was in this group, Wink took each dog (and its owner) into the ring for an evaluation and instruction.  While Wink instructed the owner, he watched as the dog reacted to the owner, the sheep and verbal commands.
Mystic takes the ring

There is something incredibly beautiful and gratifying when watching your dog do what he was bred to do – and enjoy it.  Watching the dogs, you could tell how smart, confident, graceful and athletic they are.  Looking at Boomer listen to Kirk while keeping is full attention on the sheep, his intelligence was evident – he’s a great multi-tasker!  It’s as if he was signaling back – “Yeah, I got it.”

The dogs in our meetup group are primarily suburban or city dogs.  A handful compete in shows and obedience – but the majority are well-loved pets with devoted owners.  Seeing their instincts kick in is nothing short of amazing.
Maci passes the evaluation and receives a ribbon from Wink
 

Dogs that passed Wink’s evaluation were handed a ribbon (YEA) and an invitation to compete at the next level through AHBA.  Olive, Sinbad, Boomer and Cassie chose to compete.  Olive and her owner drew the first spot – giving the other owners the advantage of watching.  Unlike Wink’s evaluation, no leashes were used in this AHBA round – it was all about the owner, the dog and the sheep.

All four dogs passed and racked up their second ribbon of the day.  I was listening to the judges as they were evaluating Boomer’s performance and heard one of them say, “you can’t get better than that”.  It was with incredible pride that I congratulated Boomer and Kirk when they exited the ring!  Not bad for a city dog!  Now, what to do with his ribbons…….

Stryder enjoyed a day of play and herding!



Want to show your love of Aussies?  Purchase this great shirt from PawsGo -- www.pawsgo.com.  Shirts are $20 and half goes directly to Aussie rescue!



 

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Spring Really? When?



Spring is starting to spring here in the Northern Hemisphere. Although the calendar calls the first day of spring March 20, when looking out my window here in Western New York, the amount of snow on the ground coupled with temperatures diving below freezing at night make the impending warmth still feel a bit far away. My family and especially my dog, Juno, are eager for it. It's been a challenging winter to say the least.

 
Our dog loves the snow (and rain, and sun...she's weird like that). But even she had limited tolerance for the sub-zero temps. When it was "warm" (in the 20s), we would walk as usual, all bundled up. But when the wind chill was well into the negative teens and twenties (or, the few times the temperature was physically there), Juno would simply be let out into our small yard for her business. She would enjoy some romps in the snow, but if it was too cold, even she would just go out and run back in. 

 One of the biggest challenges for dogs (and their owners) in winter is protecting them in the cold. Some pet owners use jackets to help keep their dogs warm, although we don't (mostly because it's more of a struggle to get Juno into one). 

 For us, the ice, snow and salt buildup in our dog's pads were the biggest concern. So we have tried a few things this year to help keep her paws from injury: 

 
Musher's Secret (http://amzn.to/1GkzODD) is a paste/lotion that's a bit thicker than vaseline meant for rubbing onto a pet's paws and in between the pads before heading outside. This unfortunately didn't work for Juno simply because she wasn't going to wait for me to apply it before heading out. But it may be for you and your pet.

It's good in cold and hot weather
 

Booties. As ridiculous as Juno acted after first having her Ultra Paws (http://amzn.to/1NBoybm) put on, she actually seemed to enjoy having them. She was quick to adjust to the booties, and although we would occasionally need to put them back on mid-walk or re-adjust them on her feet, they did the trick for us to keep the salt from between her pads.
 
The super-cold weather this winter also meant we needed to find ways to keep our girl active with shortened walks. For us, it meant taking Juno to doggie day care more often (http://dogdaysofbuffalo.com/) for some extra canine interaction. She is not a very active dog, but having a chance to hang out and play with other dogs in the depths of winter was a great release (and help prevented a grumpy dog begging us for more attention every few minutes).
 
Finally, as Juno is also an aspiring therapy dog, so we enrolled in classes this winter (also at Dog Days) to have another set of "tasks" to practice as well as having a place to go one evening a week. Juno really enjoyed the interaction with people other than us, and the chance to get out reliably was a benefit for us, too!

 As we gain more warmth in the coming weeks, the challenge will turn from salt and ice to mud and muck, so now we will focus on the best ways to keep Juno’s muddy paws from tracking all over the house with an arsenal of washcloths, towels and quick clean ups of the floor!

 What do you use to protect your pet’s paws during harsh conditions? We’d love to hear it in the comments!  Send them through our comments, our through our Facebook page!

MJ Courchesne is a freelance publishing consultant, writer, and part-time personal trainer with a passion for gardening, walking, wine, and travel. She lives in a restored 1890s Victorian home situated in the heart of Buffalo, NY with her husband and lab mix, Juno. Her new blog can be found at http://nickelcityboomerang.blogspot.com/.

Sunday, March 1, 2015

PawsGo Baking Healthy Treats for Your Dog



The holidays are upon us, so don't forget your best friend!  What better way to treat your dog than with homemade treats?  And what a thoughtful gift for the dogs of your friends, co-workers and neighbors!  Making your own dog treats is easy, inexpensive and fun!  Do it on your own, or make it a party like we did!

My dogs love treats, and truthfully, I give them more than I should.  Treats are rewards, treats are expected, and treats can quickly diffuse an annoying situation.  Treats are a part of our day.  But are treats healthy?  Maybe, but probably not in the volume that my dogs coerce me into giving them. And, they get expensive.

So, PawsGo set out to create healthy treats that we could make at home.  With the help of Kari Faherty, of True Health and Wholeness
http://true-hw.com/ in Arlington, Virginia, we hosted a dog treat cooking class (party). The idea was to create treats to share with dogs and their friends.

Kari developed two very easy recipes.  One with peanut butter, the other with parsley (because who can't use a little breath freshener).  All ingredients were found at our local grocery story and cost $11.73 -- what a deal!  The end result can be consumed by both humans and dogs.  All ingredients and steps are outlined below -- thank you Kari!  (and yes, we served wine)


 
 
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

 



Breath Freshener

 

Ingredients:

õ  1 Banana

õ  3 tablespoons peanut butter

õ  1 egg

õ  1 cup oat flour

õ  2/3 cup rolled oats

õ  1 - 1½ cup chopped fresh parsley and/or mint

 

Recipe:

1.     In a large bowl, mash the banana

2.     Add the peanut butter and egg.

3.     Add the oat flour and rolled oats.  Allow the dough to sit.

4.     While the dough is sitting, finely chop the parsley.

 

Peanut Butter Flax

 

Ingredients:

õ  1 Banana

õ  3-5 tablespoons peanut butter

õ  1 egg

õ  1 cup oat flour

õ  2/3 cup rolled oats

õ  ½ cup flax meal (plus more, if needed)

 

 

Recipe:

1.     In a large bowl, mash the banana

2.     Add the peanut butter and egg.

3.     Add the oat flour and rolled oats.  Allow the dough to sit.

4.     Add the flax, enough to make the dough moldable.

peanut butter base
 
 

grinding oats for oat flour


chopping parsley




5.     Divide the dough into 24 balls, then press them flat into disks.

6.     Lay the disks on the baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes, depending on the desired texture.

 


Notes on Baking and Storage:

 

õ  If your dog prefers soft treats, bake the treats a shorter time.  For crisp treats, bake the treats longer.

õ  If your dog is small, make smaller disks.  Smaller disk will need less baking time.

õ  Softer treats will spoil faster than crisp treats.  To extend the shelf life of the treats, no matter how they are prepared, keep them in an airtight container.  Keeping the treats in the fridge will extend the shelf life even longer.

õ  If your dog eats treats quickly, you can make a whole batch and store the treats in an airtight container at room temperature.  

õ  If your dog eats treats slowly, you can make a half batch, or freeze the treats after baking.  Just make sure they are thawed before giving them to your dog.
 
The finished product
 
Even the cat liked them!


Our final product, ready for gift giving.  We'll be ready for next Christmas!
 

 
 

PawsGo Baking Healthy Treats for Your Dog



The holidays are upon us, so don't forget your best friend!  What better way to treat your dog than with homemade treats?  And what a thoughtful gift for the dogs of your friends, co-workers and neighbors!  Making your own dog treats is easy, inexpensive and fun!  Do it on your own, or make it a party like we did!

My dogs love treats, and truthfully, I give them more than I should.  Treats are rewards, treats are expected, and treats can quickly diffuse an annoying situation.  Treats are a part of our day.  But are treats healthy?  Maybe, but probably not in the volume that my dogs coerce me into giving them. And, they get expensive.

So, PawsGo set out to create healthy treats that we could make at home.  With the help of Kari Faherty, of True Health and Wholeness
http://true-hw.com/ in Arlington, Virginia, we hosted a dog treat cooking class (party). The idea was to create treats to share with dogs and their friends.

Kari developed two very easy recipes.  One with peanut butter, the other with parsley (because who can't use a little breath freshener).  All ingredients were found at our local grocery story and cost $11.73 -- what a deal!  The end result can be consumed by both humans and dogs.  All ingredients and steps are outlined below -- thank you Kari!  (and yes, we served wine)


 
 
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

 



Breath Freshener

 

Ingredients:

õ  1 Banana

õ  3 tablespoons peanut butter

õ  1 egg

õ  1 cup oat flour

õ  2/3 cup rolled oats

õ  1 - 1½ cup chopped fresh parsley and/or mint

 

Recipe:

1.     In a large bowl, mash the banana

2.     Add the peanut butter and egg.

3.     Add the oat flour and rolled oats.  Allow the dough to sit.

4.     While the dough is sitting, finely chop the parsley.

 

Peanut Butter Flax

 

Ingredients:

õ  1 Banana

õ  3-5 tablespoons peanut butter

õ  1 egg

õ  1 cup oat flour

õ  2/3 cup rolled oats

õ  ½ cup flax meal (plus more, if needed)

 

 

Recipe:

1.     In a large bowl, mash the banana

2.     Add the peanut butter and egg.

3.     Add the oat flour and rolled oats.  Allow the dough to sit.

4.     Add the flax, enough to make the dough moldable.

peanut butter base
 
 

grinding oats for oat flour


chopping parsley




5.     Divide the dough into 24 balls, then press them flat into disks.

6.     Lay the disks on the baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes, depending on the desired texture.

 


Notes on Baking and Storage:

 

õ  If your dog prefers soft treats, bake the treats a shorter time.  For crisp treats, bake the treats longer.

õ  If your dog is small, make smaller disks.  Smaller disk will need less baking time.

õ  Softer treats will spoil faster than crisp treats.  To extend the shelf life of the treats, no matter how they are prepared, keep them in an airtight container.  Keeping the treats in the fridge will extend the shelf life even longer.

õ  If your dog eats treats quickly, you can make a whole batch and store the treats in an airtight container at room temperature.  

õ  If your dog eats treats slowly, you can make a half batch, or freeze the treats after baking.  Just make sure they are thawed before giving them to your dog.
 
The finished product
 
Even the cat liked them!


Our final product, ready for gift giving.  We'll be ready for next Christmas!