The Rule of Sevens

A friend of mine recently shared an article from The Whole Dog Journel, Proper Puppy Prep, The Science and Art of Optimizing baby canine brains. In this interesting article, are some good tips to help you maximize your puppy's learning experience.

I love this idea. As breeders, we already do most of the things on this list. I just never really thought about them as a list, to accomplish every day with my puppies. But now, I will.
The idea is, to expose your puppies to as many different situations as possible. It teaches them to think, how to solve problems, and how to accomplish tasks. It helps them to have more confidence when they are out in the world.

Puppies should be exposed to different kinds of experiences, to help prepare them for their new home, new family, and new stomping grounds. Here's the list of Sevens, that every puppy should experience.

The Rule of Sevens

Seven different types of surfaces:
carpet, concrete, wood, vinyl, grass, dirt, gravel, wood chips.

Seven different types of play objects:
big balls, small balls, soft fabric toys, fuzzy toys, squeaky toys, paper or cardboard items, metal items, sticks, or hose pieces.

NOTE: If you give your puppies paper or cardboard, it should be with supervision only. Sometimes puppies will swallow paper, and really shouldn't.

Seven different locations:
front yard, backyard, basement, kitchen, car, garage, laundry room, bathroom, woods.

Seven new people: 
children and older adults, a person with a cane, someone in a wheelchair, someone with a walker.

Seven challenges:
Climb a box, climb off a box, go through a tunnel, climb steps, go down steps, climb obstacles, play hide and seek, go in and out of a doorway, run around a fence.

Seven different food containers:
Metal, plastic, cardboard, paper, china, pie plate, frying pan.

Seven different eating locations:
Crate, yard, kitchen, basement, laundry room, living room, and bathroom.

Of course, you have probably figured out by now, that Seven isn't a magic number, it's just a suggestion, a starting place. But you get the idea....to expose your litter of puppies to as many obstacles, challenges, problems, and solutions, as possible. This sort of handling and training should start around 3 weeks old. It can be used with any litter, any dog type. You can even personalize it, to your breed.

I would add, when our puppies are about 3 - 4 weeks old, we start taking them into the woods. Easy walks at first, just to get them used to sticks and rocks, and learning how to climb over logs. Even tall grass in the face of a puppy can be frightening until they push through it. Once they do, they have accomplished something and they feel very proud.  Sometimes a blue jay or squirrel will run by or land near by. This is all good experience for a young puppy, but especially with hunting breeds. A hunting dog should have the confidence to go out ahead of his hunter, to find the birds. All of this prep work will help him do that.

The Rule of Sevens comes from Pat Schaap, A Shetland Sheepdog breeder in Clarksville, Maryland.

Gordon Setter Stud - Looking to Breed

Grimm Storli and his Gordon Setter, "Trouble"

I was recently contacted by Grimm Storli, from Kalispell, Montana. He and his family run the Blue And White Motel, there in Kalispell.

Grimm has a beautiful male Gordon Setter, named Trouble. He's very proud of Trouble and would like to breed him to a qualified female, possibly in exchange for a puppy.

This is what Grimm wrote:

I have a beautiful hunting Gordon Setter. He is 7 years old and has a wonderful personality.  I was hoping to breed him.  I am willing to work with you as far as fee's go.  If you need a new dose of genetics, or if you know of a Gordon that is looking to get bred, please keep me in mind.

My dog Trouble is a very good hunter.  He stays pretty close, maybe to close for field trialing, but perfect for a person who is not hunting on horseback.  I have been around Gordons my whole life and Trouble is one of the nicest "people dogs", I have ever seen. He is sure everyone loves him.

I have trained him, but since he loves hunting so much, and I thought I might be able to field trial him, I had a professional finish his training.  Penny Jo Wagner, out of Spokane, would be happy to comment on Trouble's abilities, and is also trying to find a breedable bitch for him. I would love to get another puppy for the breeding fee.

"Trouble" is AKC Registered.......

 "Trouble's" Petdigree.........

If you are interested in breeding your female Gordon Stetter with "Trouble", or would like to know more about "Trouble", please contact Grimm Storli at :

mailto:grimmstorli@yahoo.com

OR Call : 406-261-1394

Our Good-Bye

Karen & Leroy

 
Leroy is gone now.  He was here about 2 weeks longer than the rest. He had a little accident while he was here (another post) and he had to spend 4 days at the Vets.  It was a little traumatic for the little guy. When I picked him up to come home, he made little whiny sounds and cuddled up to me licking my face. I think he was happy I came back! When he came home, we had to watch him, play with him, baby him basically, and we had to put him on a special diet. When I take care of a puppy almost every hour of the day, oh yea, I get attached. I tried my best not to. I really did. Just look at that face!

I miss Leroy. He's such a likable little dog. He is very smart and always attentive. When you talk to him, he listens and tries to understand. Cocks his head from side to side. If you make a noise, he watches to see what you're doing. We taught him "Sit" in about 4 or 5 tries, in 2 days. He caught on very quickly. He was almost house trained when he left. As a matter of fact, when I took him outside, I could say, "go pee" and he did.

I brought him in the house a couple of times a day, to start some house manners. In between we played in his outside kennel. He would lay on the floor by me and have a chew bone. I miss that. Especially at night.

We raise Gordon Setters because we love this breed so much. Having puppies is a wonderful experience for the whole family. The experience I have gained and the things I have learned have been invaluable. Having a great hunting dog that will put up birds when other dogs can't, that's pretty special too.

It's difficult to not get attached to our puppies. We plan these puppies, watch them be born, and sometimes assist with the birth, sometimes  assist with feedings, and watch them grow into little dogs with so much potential. We care for them 4 to 5 times a day, playing, talking, kissing, cuddling them to get them socialized to people. And at about 7 to 9 weeks, we send them out the door with a client and sometimes never hear from them again. It's hard to let go.

Selective Breeding Problems

Selective breeding is not what you might think. It is NOT carefully selecting certain dogs for perfection, for breeding a healthy litter of puppies capable of doing what they are meant to do.

It IS, selecting a dog for a certain feature or characteristic that you choose to enhance from breeding to another dog who has the same feature or characteristic.  Enhance is the key word there.

People have done this so much, that many of the breeds have been changed forever, for the worse. It's really sad that people have done this for their own sense of what they want such as the prettiest, fastest, strongest, biggest, smallest. Aesthetically pleasing is just not a good reason or excuse. The following is a small sample of some of the side effects of these tailored breeding practices.

In blood hounds, it is more desirable to have the most droopy eyes.
The down side? Lots of eye infections.
English Setters  have high incidents of hereditary hearing loss.
Larger and larger dogs, have trouble with joint and bone issues and blindness.
The tiny little breeds often have heart problems and suffer from dislocating knee caps
And the poor little bull dog - well, some of them can't even give birth because of the huge head and narrow hips. That's just wrong.

There are dogs that go blind, can't breath properly, or have some sort of neurological  problem that makes them obsess about chasing their own tail. It's really sad.

I have a real problem with this. Changing the basic make up of any animal is just wrong. They have manipulated genes to the point of disaster and it's shameful.
The same can be said for accidental breeding's where the result is a mutt.  The same health problems can arise. Another excellent point for spaying and neutering.

I found a good site that lists a whole host of problems with almost every breed affected. This was originally a tv program on PBS. If you have dogs, you have to see this.

Just click below:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/dogs-that-changed-the-world/selective-breeding-problems/1281/

Breeding Dogs, In An Already Over Populated World

Cash at 8 wks./6-15-10

I have, on occasion, felt guilty for intentionally bringing more puppies into this already over populated with mutts, world. I know there are lots of dogs and cats that get put down every day, because some human was irresponsible and allowed their animal to roam and add to the population.  I truly hate that. I feel terrible for these poor unloved animals. But, ya know, I can not change that. If I could, I would.  It certainly is not of my doing, and I can not take responsibility for what others are so careless about. I try to help. I promote adoption, in the right circumstances, and I donate to shelters.  But I won't stop breeding these beautiful, hard working, loving, Gordon Setters, because there are too many mutts in the world.

The puppies we bring into the world, are almost always wanted, and spoken for, before they are born. There are people in the world who want certain breeds, like working dogs or bird dogs,  like our Gordon Setters. I love my Gordon Setters so it's very easy to understand why people seek them out. Those are the people we breed Gordon Setters for. They, are the one's we plan our litters for. They are the people who promise to love our puppies, care for them, and help them live up to their potential. Gordon Setter owners are very special, just like Gordon Setters.

I'd like you to meet a few of them here. This is why we bring these puppies into the world.

This is Molly and Dolly......now Reba. How could I feel guilty about that little princess smile?!

And what little boy, doesn't need a puppy?

Kelly, their Mom,  and Reba. Reba will live on a ranch in Montana, with her kids and horses and lots of people. What a great life for a Gordon Setter!

Mark and his kids, Bailey and Luke,  with Hank, who is now, "Sure Thing Hammering Hank". What a great name for a bird dog!

Ahhh......Puppy Kisses are the best!

And this is Ann,  a first grade teacher. Patsy....now Dixie,  went home with Ann to live in  Wyoming.  I bet Dixie will be the super star of Show and Tell Day!

 This is Rose Marie and Mary Anne, with Emmy....now Grendal. Sisters from Great Falls, who are going to spoil her rotten! What more could I ask for??

This is Mark,  Kathleen, and Ann, who is taking June to Spokane. Obviously, June is very happy about that!!

This is Mark and Judy with Cash.....now Flash. Mark works for the Federal Fish and Wildlife Service. Cash is going to have lots of adventures tagging along with Mark.   

 

So you see, our puppies are very wanted and well loved. They are all where they should be.  I'm going to bed now.  And I'm going to sleep very well.

Gordon Setters One of Original Breeds in Beginning of AKC

 

Photo's From AKC.COM

Pictured in the AKC "Meet The Breeds".

Gordon Setters were in the first group of dogs to be registered when the American Kennel Club, (AKC), was first formed in 1884. They are in the Sporting Group as a gun dog. 

The Gordon Setter Club, (GSC), was formed 7 years later in 1891.

 For More Information on Gordon Setters or the AKC, link below.

http://www.akc.org/breeds/gordon_setter/

Computer Crash........I Need Your Info!

I am still trying to replace emails, phone numbers, and addresses, of clients and friends in the business. If you have contacted me for a puppy, and have not been in contact with me in the last 2 months, please, please, call me, write, or email with your information.

If you are on a "puppy list", please send me an email to make sure I still have your information.


Our computer crashed a little while back and I do not have the original list. I am doing my best to recover all lost info, but it is not happening. 

If you want to make sure you are on the puppy list,  please call or email.  

............I DO NOT HAVE A BACKUP..............

An Allegiance For The Gordon Setter

"Although the Gordon Setter, along with other bird-hunting dogs, cannot be considered to have any great future so far as its basic function is concerned, though there is no need to despair of a breed which has commanded so much past allegiance.....

Since the time of its great vogue, which may well be put in the latter half of the nineteenth century, is has claimed fervent partisan supporters in every country to which it has spread. The ability to incite such enthusiasm is the best possible guarantee for this wonderful dogs future."

Cited from Wikipedia/Gordon Setter

Puppies From 2008 Litter

Puppies from our last litter.
4 - 5 wks. old
JJ X Blackie
2008




Photo's By Karen Thomason

One Hunt - Three Generations Afield

Photo's By Karen Thomason





Gracie - top

Jack - middle

Blackie - bottom












A few days ago I went to a creek bed upstream from here a little ways. I took three dogs along that afternoon. Gracie, who will be 11 yrs. old this spring. Her son, Blackie, will be 5 yrs. old about the same time. Blackie's son, Jack, was 1 yr. old last week. I was hunting with three generations. It was fun to watch the similarities, and differences between them. Grace and Blackie are heavily built while Jack is more like his Grandsire, Freedom. Jack handles like his sire Blackie, but is much more elegant in his approach compared to Blackie's bull of the woods attitude. Grace is a veteran, Blackie has just come into his own and Jack looks like a great bird dog in the making. It was very exciting. I'm looking forward to hunting with the next generation. DWT

Could YOU give YOUR DOG the Heimlich Maneuver or CPR??

Photo By: Karen Thomason




For those of you who may not receive the AKC Newsletter, take a look at their web site. They always have new and interesting articles. In my online issue this month, there is a link to a website called, Dogged Health. The article is on "How to give your dog CPR & The Heimlich Maneuver". I'd recommend to everyone that they read this. Even if you think you already know how, a refresher course is not a bad idea. I've included a LINK to DOGGED HEALTH* in the sidebar. Just run a search on CPR.

There is also a section called Healthy Dog In-Depth, Veterinary Breakthroughs. This is a MUST for all dog owners. New medicines and techniques for treating cancer. New pills, from helping ease the aging process, to motion sickness. Did you know what H3N8 is? The DOG FLU! One pharmaceutical company just got a license for their new vaccine. You can find all of this and more, plus links to more in depth information.


*NO AFFILIATION

Breeding Your Gordon Setter - Best of the Best

Breeding your Gordon Setter is something that requires a bit of research. We always want to breed Gordons with the best of traits, disposition, and hunting ability. Breed the best with the best. Never breed a so so dog to another so so dog, and expect to get a champion hunter. You'll end up with a so so litter of puppies. There are plenty of "muts" to be had in the world. My philosophy is, if you are going to bring a litter of puppies into the world, on purpose, they should be something special. Not something so so.

posted by Karen Thomason on Jun 26 12:50 AM