For the Love of the Dogs

Some people think we’re crazy.  

I’m not sure I’d disagree! After all, we have FIVE German Shepherds.  

We started with one dog, like most dog people.  And she was wonderful red sable German Shepherd we named Sasha.  She was regal and noble–clearly the queen of the house.  She and my husband had a special bond and he used to joke that she was the alpha female of the house.  

Sasha with her red ball and Marta close by.

We planned to get a buddy for Sasha and we did when Sasha was two.  Enter Marta.   

Marta, would not be mistaken for a regal queen.  She was a little anxious and a bit flighty and completely loveable.  She submitted fully to Sasha and there was no question who was the alpha–Sasha all the way.  Marta was always my girl.  She followed me everywhere and waited up for me at night.  Every morning she greeted me with a crazy dance and a barrage of kisses.  It was her way.  Just a bundle of anxious love.  

In 2006 Sasha, died of liver cancer just two weeks before her 10th birthday.  It was  hard blow for us–she was our first dog, the big girl, the queen.  If you’ve ever had a dog you described as “the best dog ever,” then you know what I mean.  

And Marta, who had always followed Sasha’s lead, was suddenly alone.  And Marta changed.  Sasha had stayed over night at the animal hospital the night before she died and Marta greeted me the next morning with her same crazy morning dance.  And then we came home the next day without Sash, because she had died.  That next morning, Marta greeted me quietly. No more crazy dance.  It was as if she had grown up overnight.  As if she knew Sasha was gone.  

We had planned to look into adding a new puppy before Sasha died, but her death took us off guard.  We weren’t ready.  We had no plans of running out to get a puppy to replace our Sasha–but Marta was just lost.  She seemed so blue and we were worried about her.   

And that’s when we found Eva.  Eva is our all black German Shepherd and she’s amazing.  She was a feisty little pup and a bit much for Marta at times.  We learned the art of the daily morning two-mile walk in order to take the edge off Eva’s energy and that helped a lot.  Soon they were a good twosome and our little nervous Marta somehow became the alpha female at age 8.  

Eva’s breeder wanted a breeding agreement on Eva for a litter of puppies and we agreed.  So in 2008, Eva gave birth to a litter of five pups:  three males and two females.  

Eva and her puppies.

Having puppies is a special experience and we just loved it.  We watched Eva give birth and we watched the pups go from squirming blind little things to rambunctious self-sufficient pups.  

And this is where things get interesting.  We planned to keep a puppy, of course.  How could we not?!  

The question was, “Which puppy?”  My husband wanted the big male, and there was no question who that was!  The big man, Maximus.   But both my husband and my son started talking about keeping two puppies.  TWO!?  On top of our two full-grown German Shepherds?  

Max trying to cause trouble with his mom, Eva.

And that was it, I said, because “only a crazy person would have FOUR German Shepherds.”  Very funny.  

Then there was an accident.  I accidentally stepped on one of the female pups while wearing heels and broke her little elbow.  We had no idea if her leg would grow or function or have to be removed, and I felt horribly, horribly guilty—and determined to heal her.  So, that’s where my husband and son got their wish–we kept both Max, the big alpha male pup, and Nastia, the dainty girl with the broken elbow.  Four German Shepherds.  

Nastia at six weeks in her cast.

It became my mission in life to heal Nastia.  We used tons of natural anti-inflammatories from Shaklee (http://LifeSpring.MyShaklee.com) and our vet was impressed with how quickly the little pup was healing.  We anxiously waited to see if her growth plates had been damaged–and the good news was that both legs were growing at the same rate.  Now, at nearly two years old, Nastia is healthy and barely has a limp.  And, she’s madly in love with my son.  

It would seem, wouldn’t it, that we had a full house?  Four German Shepherds, one with allergies (that’s old Marta) and one with a leg injury . . . but my husband is a sucker for an underdog, literally.  

Lilija at this point was 6 months old and we’d watched her grow up.  Every week during dog training , she played with our pups and charmed us, too.  She belonged to our trainer/breeder and he was trying to find a home for her–preferably one open to a breeding agreement, and hopefully, since her dad is a former police dog, someone  interested in advanced training.  

Lilija is such a sweetheart, something my husband always mentioned, and she was being bullied by her kennel mate.  She had a big gouge in the top of her head from a fight and John’s heart just caved in to her.  And, she reminded him a bit of . . . his girl, Sasha.  

But I resisted!  I tried to find Lilija a home, and every week she played with my dogs.  She and Nastia especially seemed to have a bond.  And one day I heard her yelp as her kennel mate bit her in the butt . . . and then I knew she was coming home with us.  

Max, Nastia, and Lilija hanging out on Christmas morning.

It hasn’t been easy–we’ve had a few dog fights between Nastia and Lilija, but they seem to be working through their relationship and 99% of the time, they are absolutely best friends.   I was prepared to like Lilija, but I didn’t think I’d love her as much as I do. She’s  a real momma’s girl, it turns out. 

And that’s how we came to have FIVE German Shepherds.  And I love each and every one of them!  

So what’s your multi-dog story?  Please share!

Triple Dog Dare: Dog Pack Hierarchy, Part 2

February 2010 will go down in our family’s history as the month of the dog wars. 

And God willing, it will get better after this.

If you read my first blog on this subject, The Top of the Bottom of the Pack, then you’ve been introduced to Nastia and Lilija, two of our five German Shepherds, and their first two dog fights.

Well, that was nothing compared to what happened on February 25.

Just to recap:  Nastia and Max ( 1 1/2) are brother and sister and Lilija (10 months) is the newest addition to our family.  Lilija and Nastia were best, best buddies until . . . they decided to find out which of them would reign over the top of the bottom of our dog pack.

Nastia must have forgotten that she's not allowed on the furniture.

At the time of my blog, Top of the Bottom of the Pack, the two girls had gotten into two fights, both while all five of our German Shepherds were outside with my son (15).  It’s important to include that my son, Jake, is Nastia’s person.  She LOVES him.  She sleeps in his room of her own choosing and practically melts every time he walks by. 

And, evidently, Nastia doesn’t want to share her boy . . .

The third fight started like the first two:  Jake was outside with all five dogs going through the morning routine of cleaning up, brushing, and filling the water bowls.  As he walked Lilija into the dog run to brush her Nastia evidently decided they were too close and jumped on Lilija.

Now, Jake had received some very specific instructions about the dogs and was told NOT to walk away with Lilija if Nastia was in the yard, but as kids go, he probably didn’t listen.  And placing blame doesn’t help anyone.

Nastia launched herself at Lilija and Lilija fought back–but what made matters worse was that Max, the alpha male (1 1/2 years old and 95 pounds) decided to get involved.  He pushed Nastia out of the way and went after Lilija.

I was just out of the shower, in a robe with bare feet and wet hair when I heard the commotion.  There’s nothing like the sound of a dog fight to stop your heart.  I looked out the window and saw Jake trying to hit Max with the poop scooper to divert his attention. 

At least he had listened to my instructions NOT to ever get in the middle of a dog fight.  Thank God.

He was hitting, but they weren’t stopping and I knew I had to get out there.

I ran outside into the snow in barefeet and screamed my head off.  I have no idea what I was saying, I just knew I needed to make as much noise as was humanly possible.  They say that it’s nearly impossible to break up a dog fight by shouting, so I must have been a scary sight to behold because all three dogs stopped what they were doing and just looked at me before I was within five feet of them.

We immediately brought the two aggressors into the house to “lay down the law.”  Although I was worried that Lilija was injured, I need to let Max and Nastia know immediately that their behavior was intolerable.  We used firm voices, grabbed them by the sides of their heads and looked them right in they eye as we shouted, “No!” and gave them  scruff shakes.  They got the message and crouched into down stays at our feet.  So we crated the two culprits and went to find Lilija.

She had a large, long cut along her right elbow and a cut on her shoulder–she definitely needed a vet’s attention.  Poor Lilija came home later that day with 11 staples between all her injuries.

We took Lilija into our home because she was being bullied by her kennel mate.  When she came to us, she had three large open sores on the top of her head that have turned into large scars.  We worried that she wasn’t safe.  And, as my husband said, she’s a sweetheart.  We love her to bits–but we have wondered and worried about her place in our dog pack.  Are we doing her a disservice?  Will the girls resolve their pack issues without any more blood shed?  How can we  keep the peace in our family?

And then we had to create a strategy–obviously the little girls had some issues to work out . . . and Max complicated matters . . . and something about the dogs all being out alone with Jake created the scenario that emboldened Nastia to push the boundaries.

So, we rearranged the laundry room to make sure we always have two crates available.  Set up firm rules that Jake is not to be out alone in the morning, when energy levels are high and all three fights started, with all five dogs at once.  And we started supervising the girls Nastia and Lilija very closely.

Now, exactly one and a half months after the dog fight, the girls are playing together like old times, but a few things have changed.  We’ve had one more small skirmish–again instigated by Nastia.  Their play is rougher than before.  That took some getting used to.   And, when energy is running high, we separate the young girls.

And for now, we seem to have things under control.

There has been an interesting shift, though.  Nastia had a bit of an ear infection before the last skirmish and Lilija bit her sore ear.  For a few days, Nastia held her ear in a funny position and walked around with a started look on her face.   

Will that have an overall impact on the hierarchy battles?  It’s too soon to tell . . . but I’ll tell you when I know more!

Tick Removal

They are here; they are there; they are everywhere . . .

In the Midwest, we’ve barely experienced consistent spring weather, but already the ticks are out and hopping on dogs and humans alike.

As much as I would LOVE to use an all natural method to repel ticks, the thought of our dogs contracting Lyme’s Disease leads us to use a monthly topical tick repellant.

In order to avoid ticks, avoid tick infested areas.  That sounds obvious, right?  The trouble with this is those pesky ticks can jump 5′–so your dog could be on short grass just feet from long grass and still wind up with a tick.

When removing a tick, it’s important NOT to crush the tick’s body because it can release harmful toxins.  This article clearly explains how to remove a tick from your dog–and the removal method is the same for people.  Please take the time to read it so that you don’t inadvertently damage your dog!

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+1588&aid=2383

A Dog and Fish Story: The Importance of Omega 3s in Your Dog’s Diet

Holy mackerel–it seems every aisle in the grocery store is crowded with human foods enhanced with omega 3s.  We know why:  it’s good for the heart, the brain, the skin, the joints . . . so, do the same benefits apply to dogs?  And if so, what’s the best source of omega 3 fatty acids for our furry friends?

One reason it’s so important for humans to consume omega 3s is that they are not produced by the body.  That’s why they are called essential oils.  The same is true of your canine companion.  Your dog gets omega 3s only if he eats them.

Omega 3s have long been given to dogs (and cats for that matter) to improve coat.  Research and practice shows that there are many more benefits for concerns such as:

• arthritis
• brain health
• immune system
• neural development of puppies
• allergies
• skin and coat

You may have noticed that many dog foods contain omega 3 fatty acids.  Here are a couple of things to keep in mind.  The first is that you want to make sure that the omega 3s come from fish and fish oil not vegetable oil.  The vegetable sources don’t convert well and are much less effective.  The other concern is that the balance between omega 3 fatty acids and omega 6 fatty acids should be 2:1.  The ratio in bagged pet food is often the reverse because the kibble is full of grain and cereal.  One easy remedy there is to use grain free foods enhanced with fish oil.  Or, as we have chosen, you can feed your dogs a raw diet.

What if you use a bagged food enhanced with omega 3 fish oil but you still see issues with your dog’s arthritis, allergies, coat or skin?

It’s time for fish or fish oil supplements.

If you choose to feed fish to your dog, please choose your fish wisely. We feed a raw diet and include 6″ long wild caught sardines.  Although we still supplement with fish oil pills, we also like feeding a small, whole, raw fish.  In order to minimize toxins like PCBs and mercury, choose wild caught fish and consult with fish safety lists like this one: http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=17694

A little bit more . . .

We also supplement with fish oil pills because we notice a lot of health improvements with just a little bit more fish oil.  We especially see this in increased pliability of our old girl’s joints and increased sheen in all the dogs’ coats.  Just as fish is often contaminated, fish oil supplements are often contaminated as well.  This list analyzes the safety of fish oil supplements http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=16536 HOWEVER, they recommend several that have recently been sued because of PCB contamination.  So please, do your due diligence and cross-reference your supplement choices.  To read more about the fish oils mentioned in the March 3, 2010 lawsuit, follow this link: http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=363337

Guaranteed Purity

If, like me, you just want a supplement you know you can trust . . . from a company that guarantees purity, then I recommend Shaklee’s Omegaguard.  Shaklee guarantees purity and goes above and beyond to do so.  Experts recommend fish oil that is molecularly distilled.  Shaklee’s goes through triple molecular distillation.  Experts also recommend fish oil made from small fish with short life spans.  Shaklee’s is made from small, deep cold water fish with short life spans (they are less likely to absorb toxins).  And Shaklee is a 54 year old leader in the natural nutrition industry and known for its integrity in science.

Just one serving (three softgels) of Omegaguard delivers 1000 mg of fish oil:  545 mg of EPA and 360 mg of DHA. My dogs love them so much that they come running every time I open my vitamin chest!  They eat them whole and pop them with their teeth, getting a yummy mouthful of pure fish oil.  I guess you have to be a dog to appreciate that.

Omegaguard is available at http://lifespring.myshaklee.com/us/en/products.php?sku=20244

Whatever source you choose, as long as it’s a pure, contaminant-free fish oil, your pooch will thank you!

The Top of the Bottom of the Pack

Our two little girls negotiate status in the pack as we humans establish boundaries–but, I’m getting ahead of myself.  Let’s go back to the beginning.

We don’t have dogs; we have a dog pack.

My husband, 15-year-old son, and I share our home with five, yes five, German Shepherds.

Our pack matriarch, Marta, will turn 12 this April.  Marta is a small black and tan German Shepherd who has always been more concerned about a belly rub than being dominant.  Yet, there she is, at the top of the dog pack by default.

Old Marta with her stick.

 

Then there’s Eva.  Eva doesn’t want to be at the top of the pack.  And Eva doesn’t want to be at the bottom of the pack.  She wants, for the most part, to be left alone.  Eva (Ay-vuh) is our 3 year-old solid black German Shepherd with an even temperament and a strong drive.  She’s a neat dog and striking looking, too.  She submits to Marta because Marta was tough with her when she was a pup.  And Eva remembers.

Nastia looks on as Max stands over their mom, Eva

 

Max and Nastia are Eva’s 1 1/2-year-old black and tan pups.  Max is the alpha male, although he does show deference to Marta.  Max, also known as Maximus vom Haus Nicholas, likes to be in charge. And at 95 pounds and still growing, it’s easy for him to literally throw his weight around.  In fact, since Eva, his mom, never completely put him in his place when he was a feisty pup, he tries to dominate her by chewing on her legs and mouthing the back of her neck.  This is where the humans step in because no one likes a punky kid.  Eva, after all, just wants to be left to herself.  You can almost hear her thinking, “These kids are driving me crazy!”

Nastia is Max’s little sister.  She’s a slim, slender, dainty looking German Shepherd with tiny feet and big cow eyes.  She’s crazy in love with my son.  Nastia is one of those slightly anxious girls, always looking around, sidling up to a guest to sneak a sniff when no one’s looking.  She and Max play rough together, and, although Max is definitely the big man, Nastia holds her own and Max doesn’t push things with her.  That’s the way it usually is with friction between a male and female dog, the male typically gives up.

And now there’s Lilija.  Lilija is a sweet, sweet 9 month old sable German Shepherd who joined our pack four months ago.  Her daddy is a police dog and she certainly has his drive, though she’s very submissive around other dogs. 

Lilija chooses a vantage point at the front window

 

And here’s where the fun begins!

No one was happier than Nastia when Lilija came to live with us.  For the first two months Nastia acted like she had her BFF over for a sleep over and they could play all day and night!  Then Lilija came into her first heat cycle and Nastia started to play rough.  She postured around Lilija and started to mount her.  Lilija just wriggled out of Nastia’s hold, but she suddenly wasn’t enthusiastic about playing outside with her best buddy any more.

Then came their first fight.

My son, Jake was outside with the dogs cleaning up the dog run.  The pack was gathered near him and Nastia went after Lilija, pinning her to the ground and popping a shallow puncture hole into her front right leg.  Dog fights sound horrible!  Fortunately, it sounded worse than it was.  From that moment, Nastia, emboldened by her victory, took on increased dominant posturing. 

But Lilija didn’t like it.  She started lifting her lip and growling at Nastia.  Hair raised along both of their backs.

We, of course, as the real alphas of the pack, put an end to every instance of aggression and established ourselves as rulers of the pack.  Yet dogs are opportunists and, until they have matters settled in their own minds, they look for a chance to re-engage.

And so it was.

The second fight started again with my son and the dogs in the dog yard (something that no longer happens–too many dogs in a tight space crowding around their boy!) and Nastia mounted Lilija.  Lilija said, “Get off!”  And she did this by fighting back with a vengeance.  My son, a black belt in karate, is actively involved in our weekly Schutzhund, knows how to handle the dogs, but it’s not easy to break up a dog fight by yourself. I heard the commotion and came running and we got everyone settled down and checked for damage.

Lilija, now emboldened from her strong defense, adopted a dominant posture around Nastia.  And Nastia looked confused.  We knew it was time for heightened control–we were not going to let the girls settle this on their own.  We started watching their every move, supervising their interactions, and keeping them on a short leash.  We stopped every instance of aggression and braced ourselves for a long process.

And then something interesting happened.  I took Nastia and Lilija outside alone.  Nastia tried to engage a hesitant Lilija in play.  When she realized Lilija wasn’t willing, she took a submissive play posture.  She tapped Lili on the shoulder and bounded away a few steps, “Chase me!  I’m it!”  From Lilija, “Um, no thanks.”

She tried again, throwing herself on the ground at Lilija’s feet, “C’mon, youngster, tackle me!”  Then Lilija took a hesitant step forward and play began.

For the past four days we’ve witnessed the same behavior.  And now the two of them are playing like best buddies again and really enjoying each other!

Still, Nastia postures a bit and Lilija complains a bit–but the humans are here to establish healthy pack hierarchy.  Someone has to be at the bottom of the pack–it’s the dog way.  The question is who’s at the top of the bottom of the pack.  For now, the answer is Nastia.

Drooling for Peanut Butter

It’s 8:40 p.m. and my teenage son is hungry again. He quietly walks into the kitchen, past our five sleeping German Shepherds, and grabs a plate. The dogs continue dozing. 

All is quiet until . . . he opens the peanut butter jar. 

At the first sound of the lid twisting off the jar, the dogs, one by one, rouse and walk into the kitchen.  Soon all five dogs sit in a semicircle around my son. 

And they begin to drool. 

How did we arrive at this place, where we attempt stealth tactics in order to make a pb and j without dog drool on the kitchen floor? 

If you are like us, it started with a medication we needed to give a dog for a several days after spaying. And then it took on a life of its own! 

We realize we could stop the drool flow by denying them a little dab of peanut butter. With a little training we could extinguish this learned behavior, we know.  After all, the humans here are the alphas . . . but the dogs just look so CUTE it’s hard to say no!  And there’s the fun of watching them slurp away when the peanut butter gets stuck to the roof of their mouth. 

Many dog owners might wonder, “Is peanut butter healthy for my dog?” 

The answer is, it depends.  It depends on how much peanut butter you feed and what type of peanut butter you feed. 

We’ve opted for Smucker’s Natural Peanut Butter because it has less sugar than some other brands and no trans fats.  We also like Trader Joe’s Organic Peanut Butter and other natural nut butters.  

Quite a yummy peanut butter. Make sure you stir in the oil while it's at room temperature and then refrigerate!

Peanut butter is considered a healthy food for humans, despite the fat content.  In fact, a natural peanut butter typically contains additional nutrients and most of the fats are the “good” fats that actually help raise the “good cholesterol in the body.  

If you, or your dog, are obese, then you will want to limit peanut butter consumption due to the fat content, but for my pack of lean, working dogs, we’re far from worrying about obesity. 

And so the peanut butter maneuvers will continue at my house–what about yours?

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