Introducing Abbi

Suedobie, thanks for posting the pics. What smashing dogs & great photo's. Jake looks a bit 'wolfish' to me, do you know what i mean.

look at him looking up at you in the last photo, aw. Kira looks great, is she still in training if you can't let her off the lead yet? She's only young still. I can only let Joyce off in a field, or piece of ground - if i did it on the road (path) she'd be off anywhere, not running away just running around!

You're certainly dressed well if you're going to go out in that weather, i should get some gear like that.

Look forward to more pics & news.

cheers

 

Sue another great photo. It looks like you have a lovely time with your dogs.

Very interested about the diet you are implementing. You guessed right that my first major EEK was the raw chicken bone content. I have looked up BARF on the internet and their website makes interesting reading.

You have obviously researched the bone question yourself, but I would just say that there is a very small chance of raw bones carrying salmonella - and that is a consideration if the dogs are ever unwell with a gastrointestinal upset - always mention their diet to the vet as salmonella is something which can be passed from pets to humans.
Also, there is a chance that bones can splinter and cause nasty gastrointestinal problems or act as Foreign Bodies and get blocked in the gut. I tend to think this is more common in smaller breed dogs - just from my experience - but it is always a possibility with any dog fed on bones.

However, I cannot dispute the fact that this diet certainly produces the desired effect - they are very fit, healthy looking dogs and obviously have bags of energy to do those walks with you every day. It seems also a very balanced diet with vitamins and mineral content well taken care of. The veg also give some much needed carb content and the bio yoghurt is an excellent addition - many dogs do well with a couple of spoons of that a day.

I always tend to favour a complete manufactured proprietary dog food, but I am impressed with the shine on your dogs coats and their lean musculature. I genuinely hope you never have any problems with the bones because it is obviously agreeing with them in every other way. Maybe you could take the route of the whole minced chicken carcass with all the bones ground up. This will give you the mineral benefits of the bones without the concern of the 'whole' bone issues - although it would not negate a salmonella issue.

Have you found it is good for keeping their teeth clean?

Sorry to blab on, I am genuinely interested and like to hear people's experiences with different diet, different management of their pet etc etc. Tell me to shut up when I get too nosey!

PS SUE - What diet do you eat to look so good and do 4 mile walks every day. I could certainly use some of that!

 

Hi Marley, no can't wait to see her only pics so far as young pups get very anxious when handled so young, going to see her weekend after next, there were 10 pups and only one black bitch so she is mine, they were born on my birthday so it must be fate that I'm getting her (thats what I keep telling my other halt).

Borrowers, Jake is the perfect dog, just so obedient, he is part GS and part Greyhound so he can run very fast, Kira is getting there on the training front, she is only on the lead because we were on a country lane, she stays near me most of the time except when she gets the sniff of Deer and then she off, we are in beginners 3 training class so not too bad. I do agility with both of them, Jake is a plodder but Kira, if I can ever control her will be like grease lighting, she just loves it but looks at me all the time so knows down fences and weaves so a lot more training needed!!!!!

Kath, Their teeth are plaque free, Jake had quite a build up before this diet but it soon fell off.

I know what you mean about splinters and that does worry me, of course the option is to pulverise it before feeding, as for the Salmonella, never given it any thought, I treat their food as I would our own, defrost it daily and keep veg in the fridge, thankfully no probs so far.

 

CM, interesting points. i (not being a vet or anything) too thought the bones were a no no, although i didn't think of salmanella only the splintering.

Obviously sue is doing something right and i'm sure those walks are doing everyone a power of good. If sue feeds her dogs like that, imagine what she must be eating! flipping heck i'd settle for the dogs diet any day :D

sorry sue, come on what's your secret?

cheers

 

Ha Ha Guys, no secrets, I really love food especialy bread, thankfully I'm no a great chocolate person, also I'm very active, there always seems to be something to do either in the house or garden or running errands, I also work part time so never seem to have time to sit down, only doin so tonight because other halt is in Sweden on business, keep asking him if I can give up work and be a kept woman, goes on deaf ears i'm afraid!!! still have a few year before I can retire, keep dreaming about it.

Must say I do not have as much stamina as I used to, I find I can't do as much as I used to, very frustrating, not what I thought life would be like at this time of my life, not that I'm complaining of course.

 

That's the secret sue, exercise. It's good that you do so much with your dogs. I would have done alot more with Joyce when she was younger but i was working, o/h wasn't so there was always someone home.

I have been at home for a few years now & Joyce still likes playing - hide & seek and a little bit of crufts obedience :D

Don't know how you do it all, but you're obviously all thriving so keep it up.

cheers

 

We went to see our new "Baby Abbi" today, she is 5 weeks old and sooooooooo sweet I could eat her



Love the Tail

 

Oh, sue, you know I'm a cat lady but I'll have that one any day ... what a poppet. I can see why you're so proud ... and you both look good, I'm jealous ...

 

Aw - she looks all sleepy and your big grin speaks a thousand words!

What a tail!!!!! YAY!

When's the big day she comes home???

Bootiful!

 

Hi suedobie, I didn't catch this thread when it first appeared, just catching up on it now. That is one lucky puppy to be going to such a fantastic home. Well done that lady.

 

Thanks for the compliments Lol, Realistically Abbi will be my last BIG dog before I get too old to handle something so strong, always fancied a Cavalier, have to ask Linda for some tips!!!

CM, I collect her in two weeks time, will be great to see her little tail waggling.

Terrier, I have just looked at your thread, seems you have your work cut out yourself, are you going to keep one?

Don't new puppies smell wonderful, wish you could bottle it.

 

She has arrived



Got me up at 5.00 this morning the little darling

 

Hey Hey Hey - how lovely is she!!!????

Sue - you must be 10/10ths chuffed!

 

Hi CM, Yes i'm smiling from ear to ear, wish you could bottle the smell of new pups you would make a fortune.

Kira has taken to Abbi quite well, only problem she wants to play but is very rough, if Abbi is sitting down, Kira give her a big bash with her paw to try to get her to play............result....squashed Abby!!!

She has had a couple of growls, one when Abbi walked under her feeding bowl (quite understanable) second when she picked up one of Kira's toys, things have moved on a bit and they actually played ball together yesterday...........very early days only been home 24 hrs.....but I must keep a very close eye on them....don't want any accidents.