Its been 3 weeks since I posted.
Not a whole lot to report.
Sophie is still growing a little. Mostly in weight. I would guess she is near 90 pounds.
Dang, it's cold lately. This arctic air is chilling to the bone.
Sophie has loved the snow. She acts like a little kid. It's pretty funny to watch her.
I picked up a dog-house for Sophie up in Clearfield last Friday evening. It measues approx 4 feet X 4 feet. It has a large entrance and should be perfect for Sophie. I will paint it and put some carpet in it sometime this week if it stops snowing. I will also use a wood sealer to make it last longer. I paid $60 for it and its never been used. I felt like it was a bargain.
It looks like the dry patchy areas have cleared up. I hope so. I never did use the other 2 treatments of ProMeris. I just didn't want to take the chance after reading all the horror stories on the internet.
Sophie did a "naughty naughty" the other day. We made steak fajitas for supper. My daughter was coming home from college for her Christmas (yes, I said, "CHRISTmas" ) break and we saved her a plate on the table. Well, it must have been too tempting for Sophie because she decided to help herself to the steak. I scolded her and sent her to her crate and locked it.
She decided to get me back by releasing a large doo doo pile in her crate...so I guess she got the last laugh.
yee haw...
p.s. It isn't much fun to clean out a large mess in a large crate...too much reaching....watch where you place your hands....don't lose your balance....yeaaach.......yes, I bet it was a funny sight to see.
Bad dog!
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- yetipaw
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Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Sophie: 30 and 31 Weeks!
Wow...Has it really been 31 weeks since Sophie came to our home from Alabama?
Yup.
I don't have much to report. Her dry spots are still there....not sure when they will go away. I didn't go a second round on the ProMeris. Frankly, the stuff sorta concerns me.
It's time to post some pics...... As you can see, the dry spot on her nose is from that demodex parasite. What a nasty booger.
Sophie likes her blankets as you can see in the pic.
yee haw
Thursday, November 13, 2008
UTAH is Flea Free.....
I love the fact that we don't have a climate here in Utah that fleas like. I grew up in California and because we had cats, we had fleas. When I was a kid, sometimes, I would wake up with 30 flippen flea bites on my body. The were really hard to catch, and really hard to kill. You have to smash them between your fingernails to really kill them. I don't miss them one bit. (I don't miss cockroaches either!) My kids don't even know what a flea is! The only fleas they know are the fleas in the movie, "Bugs Life". haha.
Like I said, I'm glad that fleas don't like Utah.
We do see ticks when we are up in the mountains, but it is rare to see a tick around the valley.
That's one more thing to love about Utah.
Yee Haw!
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Sophie: 29 Weeks
Well, I took Sophie to the Vet. It cost me $93 buckaroos.
Here's what we found out...
- The dry patchy spots on her nose/snout and head:
The vet scraped the dry spots and put the flakes on a glass slide. We looked at it under a microscope and sure enough....found a parasite. It was a weird little creature and was moving around under the microscope.
They are called....Demodex mites.
You can see the little skin-biters here...
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_demodectic_mange.html
The vet said that the parasite wasn't known to harm some breeds. He supposes that Sophie/ Anatolians are sensitive to it.
He gave me a new flea/tick medication that you pour between the shoulder blades and is eventually absorbed into the body. He said it was a new drug so he wasn't even sure if it would work for parasites. I have to apply 2 more applications over a period of 6 weeks. It is called ProMeris for dogs.
If her hair grows back in those dry areas, she is receptive to the treatment...HOWEVER, I have read some horror stories about ProMeris. I didn't have huge issues with Sophie...but be diligent and do your homework!
(Sophie did seem lucid after the treatment....and her appetite has been inconsistant. It was also the first time I saw her tail uncurled.)
- The bump on her bum/hindquarters:
The bump on her rump was unidentified. The vet wondered if she sat on something and it punctured her skin. It was infected a little and he shaved the hair and squeezed out some puss. It was gross. But he wasn't sure what it was. He gave her an antibiotic called Cephalexin just in case. I will start her on 2 pills a day tomorrow.
- The WORMS:
Disgusting, scum sucking, slimy worms. Man, how I hate those little boogers. The vet didn't think that Sophie's current issues are related to the worms. I have another dose to give her starting Wednesday. I hate knowing that she has those stinkin' blood sucking worms inside of her. I read a breeder (not asd) used a horse/ cow worm medication for his dogs. He swore by it and said that it is much more effective and kills ALL forms of worms. (costs $100 a bottle). I will check into this more.
"Ivermectin" is a drug that is commonly used... DISCLAIMER...i would do my homewrok before using any unknown drugs!
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_ivermectin.html
http://www.espomagazine.com/vet/apr96.htm
- Sophie's EYES:
I also had her eyes checked. They seem glossy to me. Maybe I am paranoid...but I had him check her anyway. He said they looked fine.
- Bladder Infection:
This is an unknown too. She was only whining for two nights. After that she was fine. I'm not really sure she had a bladder infection. The vet didn't think that she had one....So, this issue is still a mystery.
Well, thats that. I will be watching her closely.
The vet flubbed up today and gave her a vaccination by mistake. It was clear on the paperwork that I wasn't there for a shot. (Sophie is all caught up til next year) As soon as the vet walked in, he grabbed her neck and gave her a shot. I said that I was sure she was already caught up on all her shots. (it was a distemper combo) He realized he made a mistake. I was a little irritated that he didn't tell me what he was doing before he stuck her. I didn't have to pay for the shot, but I was worried what effect it would have on Sophie. He said that he was sure she would be fine....but I wonder........hmmmm.
It makes me wonder if I am going to a credible vet...hmmmmm.....
Like I said, I will watch Sophie closely, and hopefully she will overcome all these issues.
later'
Yee Haw
Here's what we found out...
- The dry patchy spots on her nose/snout and head:
The vet scraped the dry spots and put the flakes on a glass slide. We looked at it under a microscope and sure enough....found a parasite. It was a weird little creature and was moving around under the microscope.
They are called....Demodex mites.
You can see the little skin-biters here...
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_demodectic_mange.html
The vet said that the parasite wasn't known to harm some breeds. He supposes that Sophie/ Anatolians are sensitive to it.
He gave me a new flea/tick medication that you pour between the shoulder blades and is eventually absorbed into the body. He said it was a new drug so he wasn't even sure if it would work for parasites. I have to apply 2 more applications over a period of 6 weeks. It is called ProMeris for dogs.
If her hair grows back in those dry areas, she is receptive to the treatment...HOWEVER, I have read some horror stories about ProMeris. I didn't have huge issues with Sophie...but be diligent and do your homework!
(Sophie did seem lucid after the treatment....and her appetite has been inconsistant. It was also the first time I saw her tail uncurled.)
- The bump on her bum/hindquarters:
The bump on her rump was unidentified. The vet wondered if she sat on something and it punctured her skin. It was infected a little and he shaved the hair and squeezed out some puss. It was gross. But he wasn't sure what it was. He gave her an antibiotic called Cephalexin just in case. I will start her on 2 pills a day tomorrow.
- The WORMS:
Disgusting, scum sucking, slimy worms. Man, how I hate those little boogers. The vet didn't think that Sophie's current issues are related to the worms. I have another dose to give her starting Wednesday. I hate knowing that she has those stinkin' blood sucking worms inside of her. I read a breeder (not asd) used a horse/ cow worm medication for his dogs. He swore by it and said that it is much more effective and kills ALL forms of worms. (costs $100 a bottle). I will check into this more.
"Ivermectin" is a drug that is commonly used... DISCLAIMER...i would do my homewrok before using any unknown drugs!
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_ivermectin.html
http://www.espomagazine.com/vet/apr96.htm
- Sophie's EYES:
I also had her eyes checked. They seem glossy to me. Maybe I am paranoid...but I had him check her anyway. He said they looked fine.
- Bladder Infection:
This is an unknown too. She was only whining for two nights. After that she was fine. I'm not really sure she had a bladder infection. The vet didn't think that she had one....So, this issue is still a mystery.
Well, thats that. I will be watching her closely.
The vet flubbed up today and gave her a vaccination by mistake. It was clear on the paperwork that I wasn't there for a shot. (Sophie is all caught up til next year) As soon as the vet walked in, he grabbed her neck and gave her a shot. I said that I was sure she was already caught up on all her shots. (it was a distemper combo) He realized he made a mistake. I was a little irritated that he didn't tell me what he was doing before he stuck her. I didn't have to pay for the shot, but I was worried what effect it would have on Sophie. He said that he was sure she would be fine....but I wonder........hmmmm.
It makes me wonder if I am going to a credible vet...hmmmmm.....
Like I said, I will watch Sophie closely, and hopefully she will overcome all these issues.
later'
Yee Haw
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Sophie: 28 Weeks
Well, I have a lot to report on Sophie......
First, about a few weeks ago, I noticed a small dry patch on Sophie's snout. I looked up stuff on the internet and couldn't find any info to help me identify a problem. I put some anti-bacterial cream on it...which seemed to help a little bit....but its still there and seems to be getting a little bigger.
Second, this week, I noticed a small bump on Sophie's left bum cheek. I wasn't too worried at first, but now it has gotten bigger (the size of a grape) and it bleeds. I'm not sure what it is and I can't seem to find info on the web to help. It makes me wanna puke.
Third, speaking of puke, Sophie vomited the other night. I noticed two 3-inch worms in her vomit. It reminded me of the movie, Alien. I guess they are roundworms? I saved them in a baggie and took them to the vet. He gave us some medication. I gave her the first round of medication. (a syringe full of a yellow liquid) I gave her 4 cc's a day over a 3 day period. I will repeat this in 10 days.
I am wondering if all these things happening are related to the worms? I don't know.
And finally, for the last 2 nights Sophie has been whining in her kennel. We do our usual routine where she goes outside at approx 8:30 for 20 minutes to do her potty thing. I bring her in, put her in her kennel by 9pm and say goodnight. I will let her out again at 6:15 am. This has been our routine for the past 6 months...and hardly ever a whine.
For the past 2 nights she whines like crazy as soon as I put her in her crate. She eventually settles down. At 4am on both mornings she wakes up whining and I find that she has peed in her kennel. Yeah, go figure.
I have no idea why she is doing this now. Is it the worm medication? I can't think of any other screwy issue (besides daylight savings) that might be affecting her. Diet is the same, routine is the same.....hmmmmm....... I am at a loss here.
I guess that I will have to call a vet and make another apt.
ughh....hopefully she will let us sleep tonight.
First, about a few weeks ago, I noticed a small dry patch on Sophie's snout. I looked up stuff on the internet and couldn't find any info to help me identify a problem. I put some anti-bacterial cream on it...which seemed to help a little bit....but its still there and seems to be getting a little bigger.
Second, this week, I noticed a small bump on Sophie's left bum cheek. I wasn't too worried at first, but now it has gotten bigger (the size of a grape) and it bleeds. I'm not sure what it is and I can't seem to find info on the web to help. It makes me wanna puke.
Third, speaking of puke, Sophie vomited the other night. I noticed two 3-inch worms in her vomit. It reminded me of the movie, Alien. I guess they are roundworms? I saved them in a baggie and took them to the vet. He gave us some medication. I gave her the first round of medication. (a syringe full of a yellow liquid) I gave her 4 cc's a day over a 3 day period. I will repeat this in 10 days.
I am wondering if all these things happening are related to the worms? I don't know.
And finally, for the last 2 nights Sophie has been whining in her kennel. We do our usual routine where she goes outside at approx 8:30 for 20 minutes to do her potty thing. I bring her in, put her in her kennel by 9pm and say goodnight. I will let her out again at 6:15 am. This has been our routine for the past 6 months...and hardly ever a whine.
For the past 2 nights she whines like crazy as soon as I put her in her crate. She eventually settles down. At 4am on both mornings she wakes up whining and I find that she has peed in her kennel. Yeah, go figure.
I have no idea why she is doing this now. Is it the worm medication? I can't think of any other screwy issue (besides daylight savings) that might be affecting her. Diet is the same, routine is the same.....hmmmmm....... I am at a loss here.
I guess that I will have to call a vet and make another apt.
ughh....hopefully she will let us sleep tonight.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Sophie: 27 Weeks
Well, Here we are at 27 weeks.
I was looking at Sophies fangs the other day. I bet they are 2 inches long. She must be preparing for Halloween because she is either going to make a good vampire or a dripping blood fanged werewolf.
She hasn't grown much since last week. I have been giving her 7 cups of Purina Puppy chow instead of 6 because she still acted like she was hungry.
She has a little dry patch on her muzzle. Not sure what that is, but I'm watching it. It seems to be getting bigger in the past 2 weeks or so.
It has been 70 plus degrees for the past few weeks. This is really warm weather compared to what we normally get on Halloween. (snow and freeeezing cold weather) I actually mowed today. I felt weird to have the lawnmower still running at this time of year.
yee haw.
I was looking at Sophies fangs the other day. I bet they are 2 inches long. She must be preparing for Halloween because she is either going to make a good vampire or a dripping blood fanged werewolf.
She hasn't grown much since last week. I have been giving her 7 cups of Purina Puppy chow instead of 6 because she still acted like she was hungry.
She has a little dry patch on her muzzle. Not sure what that is, but I'm watching it. It seems to be getting bigger in the past 2 weeks or so.
It has been 70 plus degrees for the past few weeks. This is really warm weather compared to what we normally get on Halloween. (snow and freeeezing cold weather) I actually mowed today. I felt weird to have the lawnmower still running at this time of year.
yee haw.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Sophie: 26 weeks
Sophie is so awesome. She measures at almost 28 inches at the shoulder. Her hiney is even higher at 29 inches.
Last night I took her outside for a potty break. It was about 9pm, so it was pretty dark. I'm not sure what, or who was outside in the shadows, but Sophie suddenly switched on her full alert system and began sniffing out whoever/whatever was out in the darkness. She is so fearless. It was awesome. I felt like I was in safe company and sure appreciated having her in our home.
Sophie got another bath this weekend. I bought a huge 70 gallon poly water trough from IFA (intermountain farmers association) and it cost me about $65.00. I will use it to store hay/straw, use as a dog bathtub, and use it as a place to keep baby chicks when they hatch. It has so many uses.
I also bought one of those horshoe type brushes. It looks like a bent piece of steel bent in a semi circle with a handle. One side of the steel has jagged teeth to grasp hair. This brush works great! So much better than my other crappy brush that just combs the hair rather than seperate sand grabs ahold of the loose hair.
I introduced Sophie to one of my chicken victims. (one of my nastiest egg eaters is doomed to be Sophie's test candidate) Basically, I have decided that Sophie isn't ready to co-exist along side chickens yet. She likes to chase and nip at them too much. So, I put my chicken in a cage along side Sophie's kennel to get them more accustomed to each other. Then in a week or two I will try again. I did read that anatolians should be a year old before they take on chickens....not sure if thats true or not ....I will have to do more research.
see ya,
Last night I took her outside for a potty break. It was about 9pm, so it was pretty dark. I'm not sure what, or who was outside in the shadows, but Sophie suddenly switched on her full alert system and began sniffing out whoever/whatever was out in the darkness. She is so fearless. It was awesome. I felt like I was in safe company and sure appreciated having her in our home.
Sophie got another bath this weekend. I bought a huge 70 gallon poly water trough from IFA (intermountain farmers association) and it cost me about $65.00. I will use it to store hay/straw, use as a dog bathtub, and use it as a place to keep baby chicks when they hatch. It has so many uses.
I also bought one of those horshoe type brushes. It looks like a bent piece of steel bent in a semi circle with a handle. One side of the steel has jagged teeth to grasp hair. This brush works great! So much better than my other crappy brush that just combs the hair rather than seperate sand grabs ahold of the loose hair.
I introduced Sophie to one of my chicken victims. (one of my nastiest egg eaters is doomed to be Sophie's test candidate) Basically, I have decided that Sophie isn't ready to co-exist along side chickens yet. She likes to chase and nip at them too much. So, I put my chicken in a cage along side Sophie's kennel to get them more accustomed to each other. Then in a week or two I will try again. I did read that anatolians should be a year old before they take on chickens....not sure if thats true or not ....I will have to do more research.
see ya,
Monday, October 13, 2008
Bitten
Yesterday was strange.
We were just about to sit down and eat supper. We usually tell Sophie to go and lay down where she will watch us eat from the back of the kitchen. Last night, instead of letting her watch us, I took her to the porch (mud room) that has a sliding door. It is just off our kitchen. I didn't use force, and I was just kinda nudging Sophie to go into the room so I could slide the door shut. As I was sliding the door shut, she bit me.
I was shocked at first, ...then really mad.
I grabbed her by the collar and yelled at her and put her in her crate.
The bite didn't hurt me at all. She didn't puncture skin and I didn't bleed...It wasn't a harsh bite, and I almost wouldn't consider that is was a mean attempt at a bite..... but the fact that she bit down on my hand was a little startling, especially considering that there are small kids around all the time and she is supposed to be a protector, not a pirahna.
I'm not even sure what she was trying to tell me. Was she saying that she didn't want to be cut off from the family? Was she saying that she wasn't about to leave the aroma of baked pork and was afraid she wouldn't get a smidge if I shut her out? Was she sick of being in the mud room? I'm not sure.
I do know this ...1) she was just fed 3 cups of purina puppy chow, 2) she had been inside all day because of the snow, 3) she was locked in her crate (which is in that back mud room) for a few hours prior so we could go to church, and she had just been outside on a potty break.
She isn't a mean dog by any means. She is a little overly excited, and can play rough....and we have had nipping issues with her....but this was an intentional bite....and you don't bite anyone especially the apha male who feeds and supports you!
p.s. I have had a pug that went "meat-crazy" whenever he was around cooked meat. (especially rotissere chicken) If anyone stood between him and the meat, you were immediately considered a threat and he was sure to let you know it. I definately try to stay away from feeding Sophie table scraps. I occasionally give her some meat scraps, but I don't want her to be as aggressive as our pug was......I could see that getting very dangerous with an LGD breed. (large gaurdian dog)
We were just about to sit down and eat supper. We usually tell Sophie to go and lay down where she will watch us eat from the back of the kitchen. Last night, instead of letting her watch us, I took her to the porch (mud room) that has a sliding door. It is just off our kitchen. I didn't use force, and I was just kinda nudging Sophie to go into the room so I could slide the door shut. As I was sliding the door shut, she bit me.
I was shocked at first, ...then really mad.
I grabbed her by the collar and yelled at her and put her in her crate.
The bite didn't hurt me at all. She didn't puncture skin and I didn't bleed...It wasn't a harsh bite, and I almost wouldn't consider that is was a mean attempt at a bite..... but the fact that she bit down on my hand was a little startling, especially considering that there are small kids around all the time and she is supposed to be a protector, not a pirahna.
I'm not even sure what she was trying to tell me. Was she saying that she didn't want to be cut off from the family? Was she saying that she wasn't about to leave the aroma of baked pork and was afraid she wouldn't get a smidge if I shut her out? Was she sick of being in the mud room? I'm not sure.
I do know this ...1) she was just fed 3 cups of purina puppy chow, 2) she had been inside all day because of the snow, 3) she was locked in her crate (which is in that back mud room) for a few hours prior so we could go to church, and she had just been outside on a potty break.
She isn't a mean dog by any means. She is a little overly excited, and can play rough....and we have had nipping issues with her....but this was an intentional bite....and you don't bite anyone especially the apha male who feeds and supports you!
p.s. I have had a pug that went "meat-crazy" whenever he was around cooked meat. (especially rotissere chicken) If anyone stood between him and the meat, you were immediately considered a threat and he was sure to let you know it. I definately try to stay away from feeding Sophie table scraps. I occasionally give her some meat scraps, but I don't want her to be as aggressive as our pug was......I could see that getting very dangerous with an LGD breed. (large gaurdian dog)
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Sophie: 24 and 25 weeks
These weeks are flying fast.
I 'm not too good at keeping this blog updated, am I?
So, now Sophie-licious is now 25 weeks. It seems like a week ago when I picked her up from the airport. She has come a loooong way since then.
She is 27 inches at the shoulder. I am starting to wonder how big she will get. In some ways, I am expecting her to be done growing height-wise. I see her filling out a little...don't get me wrong, she is still lanky and skinny, but I see more muscle mass and she is bulkier in some areas.
Today my wife gave her a much needed bath. The big plastic orange tote/thingy we use won't hold her anymore so my wife decided to bathe her in our outside atrium inside a wheelbarrow. It was 40 degrees all day with some snow flurries, but inside the atrium it is much warmer...especially when the wheelbarrow was filled with nice warm water. Anyway, Sophie was smelling pretty bad...not to mention she is shedding like a bigfoot in the desert so my wife decided to tackle the issue. (much to my delight since I was finishing up yardwork before winter really kicks in.)
My wife looked online for some scent recipes for a really stinky dog and found that if you wash in vinegar and soap, (we used hand soap in equal parts) it would work good.....soooooo, after my wife was done, Sophie came out smelling like a champ, not to mention her coat was so dang soft and shiny. I couldn't believe it....It was a night and day difference. Before, her coat was feeling hard and course (I haven't been the best at keeping up on brushing cause my brush really sucks).....but now,...ooooohhhh so- oh- ophie!!! She looks so much better, shinier, and although she has a hint of vinegar smell...it is so much better. I guess I owe my wife big time.....
I am using a dremel on her nails. I like it better because I get so nervous clipping when she is so wrigley. I am afraid I will snip too close to the tender part. I also use the dremel to file down my chickens beaks. The younger ones keep eating all our eggs, so we square them off at the tips so they aren't so sharp which makes it harder to crack open eggs. You almost can't even tell unless you are up close. Hopefully those little buggers will stop. I guess we shall see.
see ya.....
I 'm not too good at keeping this blog updated, am I?
So, now Sophie-licious is now 25 weeks. It seems like a week ago when I picked her up from the airport. She has come a loooong way since then.
She is 27 inches at the shoulder. I am starting to wonder how big she will get. In some ways, I am expecting her to be done growing height-wise. I see her filling out a little...don't get me wrong, she is still lanky and skinny, but I see more muscle mass and she is bulkier in some areas.
Today my wife gave her a much needed bath. The big plastic orange tote/thingy we use won't hold her anymore so my wife decided to bathe her in our outside atrium inside a wheelbarrow. It was 40 degrees all day with some snow flurries, but inside the atrium it is much warmer...especially when the wheelbarrow was filled with nice warm water. Anyway, Sophie was smelling pretty bad...not to mention she is shedding like a bigfoot in the desert so my wife decided to tackle the issue. (much to my delight since I was finishing up yardwork before winter really kicks in.)
My wife looked online for some scent recipes for a really stinky dog and found that if you wash in vinegar and soap, (we used hand soap in equal parts) it would work good.....soooooo, after my wife was done, Sophie came out smelling like a champ, not to mention her coat was so dang soft and shiny. I couldn't believe it....It was a night and day difference. Before, her coat was feeling hard and course (I haven't been the best at keeping up on brushing cause my brush really sucks).....but now,...ooooohhhh so- oh- ophie!!! She looks so much better, shinier, and although she has a hint of vinegar smell...it is so much better. I guess I owe my wife big time.....
I am using a dremel on her nails. I like it better because I get so nervous clipping when she is so wrigley. I am afraid I will snip too close to the tender part. I also use the dremel to file down my chickens beaks. The younger ones keep eating all our eggs, so we square them off at the tips so they aren't so sharp which makes it harder to crack open eggs. You almost can't even tell unless you are up close. Hopefully those little buggers will stop. I guess we shall see.
see ya.....
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Daily Schedule
For the most part, this is our daily dog schedule. Sometimes it varies.
It seems to work, and we rarely have potty accidents if we stay on schedule.
It seems to work, and we rarely have potty accidents if we stay on schedule.
6am - open crate/ feed 3 cups of dry puppy chow / take out on choker for potty break (she will usually go #1 and #2) She watches me feed our birds.
6:30 am - 8:am - she hangs out with the family.
8:am - 11:am or so - Go to outside kennel. ( 6 feet high, 12 feet wide, 24 feet long)
Noon-ish - she comes into the house (sometimes she goes into her kennel if there are errands to run for an hour or two.)
3:00pm : - potty break/ then hang out with the family.
5:30 - 6:00pm - Feed her 3 cups / potty break / hang out.
7:30 - 8:pm - We take her to the field across the street and let her run around. I take her 15 foot leash, take off the choker, and clip a rope tied to a small checkered ball on the end. She will chase that thing like it was a rabbit. We have alot of fun. This is usually no more than 30 minutes because Sophie tires out. One thing I love about Sophie is that she never runs from us (as have my other dogs in the past). She always stays close around.
9:pm - I take her out for her last potty break of the night (usually #1 and #2). She goes into her crate and knows it it bedtime. I have seen her go to her crate on her own by 9pm if I am behind schedule...so I am sure she understands the routine.
Any advice? input?
Feedback welcomed!
Any advice? input?
Feedback welcomed!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Sophie: 22 weeks and 23 weeks
I am slacking. Sophie is now 2 weeks older!
She stand at 26.5 at the shoulder. It seems like she is slowing down on height, however, she is filling in on weight. I am always amazed at her power and strength. She is one big dog!
I don't have much to say....
We tried some Kirkland brand puppy chow and mixed it with her Purina puppy chow. Although, Sophie liked it, she had ninihara (swahhili for diarrhea) for a week or two. Not bad, but it was evident. We switched her back to Purina and seem to be back on track. She likes it, so we may as well keep her on what she is used to from her breeder. I also compared prices and found that WalMart has the best pricing that I have found so far.
I have noticed Sophie being more alert. She definately makes you feel at ease if you are walking down a dark street. I have had a few close calls with roaming dogs. It amazes me that people either allow their dogs to roam, or walk them without a leash. What dummies.
see ya....
She stand at 26.5 at the shoulder. It seems like she is slowing down on height, however, she is filling in on weight. I am always amazed at her power and strength. She is one big dog!
I don't have much to say....
We tried some Kirkland brand puppy chow and mixed it with her Purina puppy chow. Although, Sophie liked it, she had ninihara (swahhili for diarrhea) for a week or two. Not bad, but it was evident. We switched her back to Purina and seem to be back on track. She likes it, so we may as well keep her on what she is used to from her breeder. I also compared prices and found that WalMart has the best pricing that I have found so far.
I have noticed Sophie being more alert. She definately makes you feel at ease if you are walking down a dark street. I have had a few close calls with roaming dogs. It amazes me that people either allow their dogs to roam, or walk them without a leash. What dummies.
see ya....
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Sophie: 21 Weeks
Man, It didn't take long, but ALL of Sophie's canines are in. It only took matter of days. I can't believe it. Now those are some sharp teeth!!!
She is now 26 inches at the shoulder. She is a large dog. I would bet she is 70 pounds or more.
I took her over to meet some neighbors dogs last night. (both are rescued golden retrievers) One of the dogs attacked Sophie. I don't think Sophie understood what was going on, because as soon as one of the dogs jumped through the fence and jumped on top of her, I grabbed it by the neck with one arm (I am a pretty strong dude and wasn't sure how to manage both dogs)....and let go of Sophie. I held the dog by the collar while it barked like crazy and tried to bite me. Sophie just sat there wagging her tail. I told my daughter to grab her leash and hold her til I could get the golden mange back behind the fence. Sophie didn't even bark. She seemed excited to see another dog.
Wierd.
I'm just glad no one got bit or mangled. If I had to, I could have handled the retriever myself....but if Sophie would have decided to attack....it would have been a disaster.
I'm glad she has a good disposition.
Whew........
She is now 26 inches at the shoulder. She is a large dog. I would bet she is 70 pounds or more.
I took her over to meet some neighbors dogs last night. (both are rescued golden retrievers) One of the dogs attacked Sophie. I don't think Sophie understood what was going on, because as soon as one of the dogs jumped through the fence and jumped on top of her, I grabbed it by the neck with one arm (I am a pretty strong dude and wasn't sure how to manage both dogs)....and let go of Sophie. I held the dog by the collar while it barked like crazy and tried to bite me. Sophie just sat there wagging her tail. I told my daughter to grab her leash and hold her til I could get the golden mange back behind the fence. Sophie didn't even bark. She seemed excited to see another dog.
Wierd.
I'm just glad no one got bit or mangled. If I had to, I could have handled the retriever myself....but if Sophie would have decided to attack....it would have been a disaster.
I'm glad she has a good disposition.
Whew........
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Sophie: 20 Weeks
Sophie is over 25 inches at the shoulder. I can see the power and mobility in her frame that is truly amazing. She doesn't have any canines at the moment. (baby teeth fell out) I'm not looking forward to bigger and sharper teeth in her mouth.
We had so much fun last night in the field across the street. She loves chasing the ropeball tied to the end of my 15 foot leash. She is so agile, focused and determined as she chases that ball. I am amazed at some of the stunts she performs or her smarts in outwitting me to get that ball. I mostly love that when she is off the leash, she never runs off. She is always near us. I love that about her. She is one awesome dog.
We gave her a bath the other day. It is so weird to think that she once fit in our big round orange plastuc tub. Now she can barely fit. She just sits down in the water (must be warm) and we wash her with shampoo. My girls make sure she gets conditioner too. (is that going too far?) After all is said and done....Sophie is squeeky clean....to me, she smells like a wet dog.
I feed her twice a day. 3 cups in the morning and 3 cups at night. I hope 6 cups is enough for a dog her size. Sometimes she seems hungry.
Since Sophie is mostly an indoor doggie, I've thought about posting our daily schedule/ routine so I can compare it to other anatolian owners. It seems that there is alot we could learn from each other. Maybe I will do that later.
We had so much fun last night in the field across the street. She loves chasing the ropeball tied to the end of my 15 foot leash. She is so agile, focused and determined as she chases that ball. I am amazed at some of the stunts she performs or her smarts in outwitting me to get that ball. I mostly love that when she is off the leash, she never runs off. She is always near us. I love that about her. She is one awesome dog.
We gave her a bath the other day. It is so weird to think that she once fit in our big round orange plastuc tub. Now she can barely fit. She just sits down in the water (must be warm) and we wash her with shampoo. My girls make sure she gets conditioner too. (is that going too far?) After all is said and done....Sophie is squeeky clean....to me, she smells like a wet dog.
I feed her twice a day. 3 cups in the morning and 3 cups at night. I hope 6 cups is enough for a dog her size. Sometimes she seems hungry.
Since Sophie is mostly an indoor doggie, I've thought about posting our daily schedule/ routine so I can compare it to other anatolian owners. It seems that there is alot we could learn from each other. Maybe I will do that later.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Sophie: 19 Weeks
I measured Sophie at the shoulder the other day at 24.5 inches.
Forgive me for not getting the pics in order. I noticed that she looks older and younger all at the same time because I jumbled the pics. (3-4 weeks worth)....so sorry.
Forgive me for not getting the pics in order. I noticed that she looks older and younger all at the same time because I jumbled the pics. (3-4 weeks worth)....so sorry.
Horse roundup in Fort Bridger
We went to visit some cousins in Fort Bridger, Wyo over the weekend. The kids had a blast. They had to corral the horses from the field to the barn so they could choose their ride for the day.
Rabies, DHPP, and deworming goo
Sophie was soooo good at the vet. She didn't flinch for her shots. I was proud of her. The vet was really glad that she had a nice temperment considering her size.....heh heh...wait another couple months and she will be even bigger.....muuuaaggghhhhhh.
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