Vinegar, Borax, and Pineapple, Oh My!

Someone commented on how beautiful the teeth of our Brittany dogs are and asked us what did we do to keep them that way.  Well, although I have a complete dental hygiene kit designed for dogs, a finger tooth brush, and toothpaste especially made for canines (don't ever use human toothpaste too clean a dogs teeth) I must confess that is not the primary method I rely on to keep our dogs teeth in tip top shape.  We take a more basic approach and it works.  Our dogs benefit by our frequent trips to the local butcher where we can pick up a box full of fresh beef bones for about $5.00. Here's some good guidelines I found to share about dog bones.   http://www.sojos.com/giveyourdogabone.html 

Here's a few other very basic suggestions to consider:

Mixing crushed or chunks of pineapple in with your dogs food will very often cure a case of "Coprophagia" (eating their own stool).  One way to keep it from happening is to immediately pick up after your dog. A real disgusting habit it can also pose health risks to your dog if they should eat the stool of another dog. Another very good reason to be sure vaccinations are up to date.

Apple cider vinegar is such a great natural remedy on so many levels.  Moistening a soft cotton ball with it is a great way to help keep dog's ears clean and odor free, and to help combat yeast infections. 

Got fleas? 

20 Mule Team Borax has been used for years to eradicate them in the house, pet's bedding or other problem areas. 

There are many ways to enhance your dogs health by adding/mixing natural food in with theirs. Popular additions include yogurt, salmon oil, many fruits, berries, and vegetables.  Although MOST are safe for your dog, know which are not. 

ATB UPDATE
Hope you're enjoying this beautiful summer weather; these past few days the humidity has been somewhat lower. Things are going well here.  Even though we are always pretty busy we never miss an opportunity to simply enjoy the ATB crew in some way.  Most activity occurs early in the morning as John heads out to work the dogs and continue his training program with Bullet.  During the day the crew can be found doing one of several things around here; free runs, a dip in the pond and/or hunting for frogs, hanging out inside or outside of the house. 
                 We're mindful of Hemi's need to continue bonding with John and I and it's paying off.  Although he loves to interact with all the big dogs and vice versa he is doing very well with recalls even in the midst of the excitement of the crew.  Basic field training with little britches is something I enjoy pursuing.  We have a friend who makes custom collar/leads in a nearby town. He's crafting them for over 30 years and produces a quality product. As folks who own, hunt with, and competes with Pointers he knows what is needed in the training process. I enjoyed visiting with him and his wife the other day, picking out the exact materials including the puppy weight snaps and width of collar/lead.  It was interesting to see the products completed beginning to end.  Our ATB puppy preparation lists include specific guidelines for purchasing puppy collars and leads. A lot of times you don't think about the weight that is hanging from a pupsters neck in regards to the snaps and buckles. Less is more with the young pups.  Anyway, we also went to Cabela's and purchased a very small bell to put on Hemi's collar.  I want him to get use to the sound and feel of a field collar with bell attached.  The tone and the loudness of a bell is really important. It's good to have several different types to use.  Sometimes the weather can effect the way the sound carries.  Perhaps one of the biggest mistakes that John and I have seen with attaching bells to the dog's collar is when the bell falls too low on the dogs chest.  When the dog is moving out at full speed ahead the last thing that they need is the constant hammering of that bell upon their chest. We really prefer to see if we can fit the bell right on the training collar itself.  Everyone has different ways of doing things, but we feel that where that bell falls/hits on the dog is very important.  We all have our favorite bells but it's a good thing to really consider the logistics of the weight, placement, and sound.  For instance we have a box full of various bells and really didn't need to go out and buy a new one for little britches but I wanted a bell for him to learn with that would work well for his new collar/leash set. As soon as we came home from Cabelas I took Hemi down to the field with a bell on for the first time.  Like most everything else with this little pup he took it in stride and never really showed any reaction to the change. 

Had a really nice visit with the Turner family last night who are enjoying a Maine vacation right on the beach.  John and I were treated to a wonderful meal on their deck overlooking the ocean. It was nice to see them all again and we also enjoyed meeting their dog trainer and his wife.  It's so important to maintain a good relationship with a dog trainer that you trust.  As you probably know one of our requirements that is agreed to when getting a pup from us is that basic puppy kindergarten classes will be attended.  Most people find they want to continue to another level. Even experienced Brittany dog owners or who have trained a pup before need these classes.  I love getting the updates and reports about how well they do and often receive the certificate of completion as they graduate. Sometimes it's so cute because there are actual graduation pictures taken complete with their graduation hats!  Anyway - "Ken" has trained Jersie and Brandi who have tested very well in NAVHDA and will continue to work with them and also Nova.

Speaking of puppy classes, Hemi is no exception and I'm just now trying to decide which classes we will attend. There are several options right now for me to consider.  The prices are all about the same, from $120 - $150 for 6 weeks.  Each location I am considering is about an hour away and I already know the trainers and/or the owners of the facility.  They all have had our pups at one time or another which is so cool.  As Hemi will be shown I'm considering the classes where True's handler teaches.  But I am also considering where Treasure and Pippin both went because it's actually right down the road from where our daughter lives.  There's a couple of more options too.  I have heard from the owners of most of Hemi's littermates about the classes they are or will be involved. 

Hemi's clicker training is coming along so well. I am incorporating whoa training and show posing into one lesson with the use of the clicker. Basically the same behavior is required so why not teach them as one? The clicker has proven to be invaluable to me as I teach him to come.  He is doing so well (for a 11 week old pup) that I do not always have to rely on the clicker or the treat.  Verbal and physical praise work wonders too.  Crate training is going great and he has just started to figure out how to communicate to me that he need to go out to eliminate.  We do have accidents but I am happy he is learning. A 3 month old pup is still way too young to expect to have full control of bladder and bowels.  I do know that Julie (Thistle) and Deb (Maggie) have pups that are learning to ring a bell hanging by the door to indicate they want to go out.
It was cute this morning.  Hemi went to the back door and stood there so I opened it and out he went, unleashed.  I kept an eye on him as he ran around to "his place".  Next thing I know he ran around to the front porch, sat in front of the door and 'woofed'.  Pretty darn cute and smart!

Well, another planet is being heard from so I must answer the call.  Thanks for your interest and as always, God bless you and yours - John, Ann and All Things Brittany