Utah Paw

hot summer days......

2011-06-29T21:21:00.000-07:00

Its been over a year since I posted!

wow.

update:

It's hot......really hot.

Summer was late this year so I wont complain. We had an extra long, wet spring. The mountains are still covered in snowpack...worrisome for flooding...but nice.

Sophie is doing well. She is in heat currently.
I write that here so I can keep track.

She was getting really skinng a month back. I was pretty worried, but I mixed some dried with that wet Pedigree stuff and now she seems to be fine.

Sophie does well with our birds...a little rough but she does pretty good.

I had to get a bark collar....neighbors complained, so I had no choice.

arghhhh...maybe until we move to a ranch.

Yee Haw!

Howdy

2010-01-12T15:41:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted for a while....we're still around...just busy.

I can't believe that Sophie will be 2 years old this April.
How time flies.

There isn't a whole lot to report. It's been really cold here in Utah, near zero degrees at night, so I have had Sophie sleep in our adjoining atrium. She seems to like it.
It's definately warmer than being out with the birds.

We have had a few skunk problems over the past few months. A fox has been terrorizing our neighborhood and taking chickens left and right. One neighbor lost 17 chickens this year.
I have never had an issue with my birds....probably because of Sophie and the fact that I
have them all pretty well secured.

I am getting a shipment of New Jersey Giants from MacMurray Hatchery in a few weeks.
They are a larger chicken. (they can get up to 13 pounds)
We'll see how that works soon enough.

I would still like to meet fellow Utahn's who have an anatolian. ANYONE?

Yee Haw!

YEE HAW!

2009-06-29T06:29:00.000-07:00

Summer is always busy around my house. I take Sophie out to the "pit" a couple times a week for a good run. She loves it. (although there are a couple of noisy dogs that pester her from behind a fence.)

Sophie did something amazing the other day. Now, you know ASD's are tough and all powerful. Well, Sophie snapped her tether leash. I couldn't believe it. It literally snapped.
I had to buy a new one. (consider that it is 9 months old leash...so there is a little wear on it).
But, nevertheless, she is one powerful dog!

I am training Sophie with our ducks to be gentle. She hangs out with the ducks all day (in an adjoining kennel) and doesn't seem to mind them, however, she gets a little excited when I put them together and immediatley smothers them. Feathers go flying. My meanest duck is the guinea pig for this experiment. heh heh....she never hurts them....just a little rough tho.

yee haw!

Sophie-lic-ious

2009-05-12T11:21:00.000-07:00

Howdy.

The other night Sophie and I were hanging out. It was around 9 pm and I usually walk her around the house for 15 minutes or so before I lock her up for the night. Well, she saw a cat and took off like a bullet. Unfortunately, I didn't have a tight grip on my 15 foot leash and while she took off, I got a major rope burn.
I couldn't be mad at her, because it was my fault for not having the leash tight around my hand/fist.
I learned that lesson.

Then, last night we were hanging out and she did the same thing toward a roller blader dude. He came out of nowhere.
Luckily, I had her tight, but man, it scared me to think of what she would do if she got loose and took off like that.... (I don't actually think that she would actually hurt someone... she is just doing what she does...and that is gaurd)

Sophie is in heat again. I wasn't expecting her to go into heat until August....but I wonder if this is an every 3 month thing? I will be finding out.

yee haw.

Now that....

2009-05-01T10:08:00.000-07:00

Now that Sophie is a year old, I will stop posting by weeks. I just thought it would be cool to keep a log about her first year and how she has grown.
We definately love her very much.

It has been raining, but otherwise, the weather has been fantastic. Cool 60's by day...and cooler 40's at night. This is my kind of weather.

Sophie continues to dig her little cavern beneath her dog house. I will let her keep it as long as the house is stable. Otherwise, it may need to be filled. I'll be keeping my eye on that.

Sophie has done really well with her new routine. (transitioned to more of an outdoor dog). She seems to bark more since she is now outside...and her bark is so dang loud...it dwarfs any other barking in the neighborhood.

I have learned that Sophie has a sensitive stomach when it comes to seasonings. Especially Montreal Steak Seasoning. Every time I give her a piece of meat with this seasoning, she vomits it back up. So I try to save her a cleaner piece.

I worry that Sophie needs a buddy. Okay, so she has the chickens, ducks and pheasants...but I would love to see her with another Anatolian companion.

yee haw.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Sophie!!!!!!!!

2009-04-21T20:22:00.000-07:00

April 20th was Sophie's bday.

We didn't do much. She got a big juicy "fresh" ham bone.
Its so weird to think that we have had her for nearly 1 year now.
Time sure does fly by...

yee haw.

Recent pics April-2009

2009-04-19T17:41:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of Sophie. She has a chubby little friend who is a French Bulldog named, Jasmine. Sophie hates her bath. (as you can see in the pix) I bathe her in a very large horse trough that I bought at IFA for around $65. I am also enclosing pics of the wild ducks that come every year to our yard. They usually hang out for a few weeks then leave.

enjoy!!!!

yee haw

Sophie: 53 Weeks

2009-04-18T09:54:00.000-07:00

Man, time is going by. Sophie is 1 year old in two days!
She has been a great dog. I have really loved having her around.

Yesterday she was a little rambunctious. I was trying to comb her and she was giving me fits.
She wouldn't sit still. I have realized that since she has been outside for the past 2 months, she needs a reintroduction to manners. I know, it's all my fault and I need to be better.

We have some annual ducks that show up and visit us each year. They hang out for a week or two and then disappear until next spring. Sophie is very curious about them and desperately wants to say hello. But they won't have anything to do with her. ha.

Ok. Here is a plug. I went to a pet store and saw a video about a grooming brush called the "Furminator". The images were unreal because they showed a dog sitting next to a pile of hair that was combed out by the Furminator. Almost too good to believe. And I noticed the price tag at $40...so its not cheap. I held off buying one at that price.

I got home and checked around. Most prices were within $30 -40 price range. Then I checked Amazon and found a new large brush for $25....and free shipping. So I bought one to "try". (yes..i was a little skeptical)
I got it in the mail yesterday and tried it out on Sophie. I couldn't believe the amount of hair that came out of her coat. I am serious...the pile astounded me. It is exactly like the images in the brochure and video. I kept wondering if there was a razor in the comb....I was also concerned about it pulling the hair...but I tried and tested it on a few things...including me...and it doesn't hurt....and it doesnt seem to be a razor. The comb has small metal teeth that extract the hair. And it makes mounds of piles of hair. All I can say is wow. It really does work.

yee haw.

Rain

2009-04-14T18:37:00.000-07:00

It has been raining all day. I look at Sophie out in the rain, and she looks miserable.
I cant bring her in cuz she is all muddy. Dang.

I feel bad for her. At least she has her dog house.

yee haw

Sophie: 52 Weeks

2009-04-10T20:09:00.000-07:00

I bought Sophie a huge rawhide yesterday and couldn't believe that she nearly ate the whole thing ina an hour or so. It makes me a little nervous that she can eat that hard stuff. I am sure it wasn't easy going in....and going out could be a near death experience for her. I sure hope not!

I am a little disappointed in her chewing habits. I mean, I know dogs need to chew, but she chews up her blankets, carpet in her kennel, dog house etc. I try to make her beds comfy....but if she wont leave them alone and intact, then she gets to sleep on the cold hard floor. You would hope that a dog would "get it". arghhh.

I have been looking into whether we would ever breed Sophie...but although pups would be a wonderful experience...(oooohhh soooo fun!) I think that we would have a much better dog if we had her spayed.
She is a little too rough with the girls in my house and sometimes, its not cool when she shows her strength when my girls are helping dad out with chores and they get splashed with mud, or clothes get torn up with her strong claws. My daughter was helping me the other day and Sophie jumped up in excitement and clawed her down the face...it wasn't bleeding....but it's still not cool to do that. My wife was really mad and there wasn't much I could do but be grateful that she didn't scratch out an eye.

So, needless to say.....I have seriously been thinking about having her spayed . When Oakley the Golden Retriever stayed with us, I realized why he was so good and well behaved. It was because he was neutered. I think that having a good dog is worth more than having one litter of pups....at least in the long run.

I think it would be really good to get Sophie a companion. Especially after seeing her love being with Oakley and having so much fun with him. I have heard that a male/ female mix is much better than a female/ female mix. I guess we will have to see.

yee haw....

2009-04-07T19:44:00.001-07:00

Sophie: 50 and 51 weeks

2009-04-07T19:17:00.000-07:00

Sophie has been a handful lately. She has decided to dig a hole under her doghouse. (it sits on a pallet) Its pretty deep. I keep wondering how deep she will want to go. She can currently fits nearly her whole body in it.
She had a friend over for the weekend. He is a Golden Retriever named Oakley. (he is neutered) They had a blast together, I love it when she gets to socialize with other dogs.
She loves it too.

We have had snow the past couple of weeks, but today was like 75 degrees. We are also getting alot of rain. Spring is still here, i think.

yee haw,

Sophie: 48 and 49 Weeks

2009-03-28T19:08:00.000-07:00

Spring is here and it is so beautiful.
It has been fun to watch Sophie running around in the fields. She is such a powerful dog.
You can just see the muscle and strength in her stride. She is amazing.

I am looking for more Utah Anatolian owners to correspond with. I don't know many here that own an Anatolian....and the vets rarely see this kind of breed. (as they have said to me)

Sophie is registered with the AKC and has a great blood line. The only thing I have left to do is get her xrays on her hips. Then we will know if she will be good to breed down the road....however, we will wait another year at least. (and see what is happening in our CRAZY economy...I am teaching Sophie to hate politics and ALL politicians..ha!)

Our ducks have loved eating Sophies puppy ch0w and won't stay out of it....and she is just too nice to let them help themselves.

We will probably start seeing our golden pheasants lay some eggs in the coming weeks. We are hoping to get more than last years hatch.

see ya,
yee haw,

Sophie: 47 Weeks

2009-03-17T10:50:00.000-07:00

Sophie made me laugh last night. I had a big piece of french bread that I stuck in my coat pocket.
I wondered if she would even notice. I took her on her walk and she kept sniffing around...she knew I had something...and she took no time in finding it. It cracked me up.

I am pretty sure we made it through her first "heat" experience. I guess we get to look forward to it again come August...

We should be done with the snow and are welcoming beautiful spring weather.
I am sure Sophie will be anxious to start playing in her favorite large field again now that the snow is gone.

I really enjoyed hanging out with Sophie last night. It was such a cool, peaceful night. We just sat under the stars and I gave her a rubdown. She loved it....
She is such a good dog.
I definately want to breed her in another year or so. We will need to get her hips xray'd to see if she has any problems....I suspect she won't. She is a beautiful dog.
I will have to post some new pics.

yee haw...

BIG Anatolian

2009-03-17T10:48:00.000-07:00

Look at this big dawg.
cool huh?

I found this pic on the web....he looks like he would make a great gaurd dog.

Sophie: 45 and 46 Weeks

2009-03-09T11:26:00.001-07:00

Sophie is still in heat. It's going on 4 weeks. We have worked through this fairly well. Our schedule is working out much better.

I hope to have another fence up by summer. It will give Sophie a larger space to run. I also am planning on a spot for a large garden this year.

Sophie is a beautiful dog. We are very happy with her. She loves hanging out with our ducks. They love to comb through her fur with their bills. Its a fast vibrating feeling and you can tell she likes it.

I haven't seen much difference in her weight or height. She seems to be at her peak...I guess.

Yee Haw.

Sophie: 44 Weeks

2009-02-27T17:09:00.000-08:00

Sophie is still in heat. It has been 2 weeks now. She isn't bleeding as much, so maybe only a few days left.

This experience has actually been good for us. Sophie was getting pretty spoiled and hated going into her crate at all.
I stopped putting her in her crate at night so she could hang out in the kitchen. Sounds like a good plan. But I didn't realize that she would never go back inside. Well, we can't have a spoiled dog because sometimes she really needs to be in there. (being unruly, guests with small children, after a bath, etc) It got to the point that when I put her in her crate, she would whine, yelp, cry, and pant heavily so that slobber was dripping everywhere.

Since she has been in heat, she has been kept outside in her large kennel. I bring her from there into a smaller crate around 9pm at night and will let her back out by 6:15am the following morning. At first she hated the crate. She whined and cried. But after a few nights she has adjusted. Now she is fine. (she still reluctantly goes in after I coax her a couple times.) So, this has been good to reintroduce her to the crate.

The snow is nearly gone and spring is around the corner.

yee haw

Sophie: 43 Weeks

2009-02-17T20:19:00.000-08:00

Howdy.

Well, Sophie is in HEAT. I really wasn't expecting this for another 2 months and to be honest, it caught me a little off guard. I had done some research and knew what to expect, although I have never dealt with a non-spayed female before. This is a very new experience for us all.

I went and bought doggie diapers....but they don't fit. Arghh. They are even Xtra large. I have kept her outside in her kennel during the day, and have her put in an inside kennel at night. She isn't adjusting very well. I feel so bad for her because she loves being around the family. And this has really messed up our routine. Normally she will lounge around in our kitchen and hang out near a warm vent. We all feel safe with her in the house....But since she is bleeding, I have had to keep her outside.

It hasn't been easy on any of us. Hopefully, we only have another week or so to go.

Sophie:41 and 42 weeks

2009-02-09T12:28:00.001-08:00

I better get my groove back on.
I am getting behind in posting again.

Sophie has decided that she needs to chew the corner roof of her doghouse. Man, that is frustrating...especially after making it so nice for her. arghhhhh.
I have heard that bitter apple spray works to keep dogs from chewing....not sure but I'll check into it.

Sophie changed a lot in the past couple of weeks. I have noticed that her diet has changed. She won't eat her 3 cups in the morning and will normally eat it at night. Then when she is finished, I will give her 3-4 cups more and sometimes she will eat, but sometimes not. It has also affected her bathroom habits. She will go # 1 for me at night and in the mornings, but won't go #2 unless it is in the middle of the day. Oh well. As long as I know she is eating.

She has also become more alert. She will bark if someone is outside the back door, and she will bark at things we have no idea of why she is barking. This is new to us because she has been so quiet.

We have taught her lots of new tricks such as jump, lay down, sit, stay, come, up, and my kids taught that when they say bang, she falls to the ground like she is dead. Really. I didn't believe it til I saw it. Its really comical.

Sophie sheds a lot. My wife doesn't like that part of having a dog too much.

She loves the snow and will play for hours in the cold. Sometimes she acts like she doesn't want to come into the house.

I will get some more pics posted.

yee haw

Sophie: 40 Weeks!

2009-01-22T13:07:00.000-08:00

I am way behind in writing.
I need to catch up for 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 weeks....

I will try to catch up.

Sophie seems to be thinning a bit. She hasn't beefed up like I thought she would by now. She is eating once a day, but I leave the food out all day for her to eat at her convenience.
I noticed that a few weeks ago she seemed to be really hungry, so I started feeding her 8 cups a day. But that has tapered a bit.

Sophie wants to be wherever I am. Sometimes, I need my space, which can get irritating cuz Sophie likes to be curled up at my feet. One day I will trip on her and break my neck.

We bought her a big doghouse and painted it "Barn Red". She seems to like it. I even layed carpet for her to keep warm and comfy.

I gave her some de-wormer from IFA the other day. She had a worm in her vomit the other day. How in the world do you get rid of those stinkin worms? Man, its frustrating. I read that some breeders swear by ivermectin capsules that is used for cattle and horses....I am a little skeptical in giving something I am not sure about that might affect my dog. But, I would like to know she is 100% free from those worms. ugh.

That's about all I can remember at the moment. I'll try to keep consistent again.

Yee Haw!

Sophie: 32, 33, and 34 weeks!

2008-12-16T10:13:00.000-08:00

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!

Sophie's favorite spot...

2008-11-25T18:26:00.000-08:00

Some more

2008-11-25T18:23:00.001-08:00

More pics

2008-11-25T18:21:00.001-08:00

Sophie loves hanging out in the grass.
What a cutie!

Sophie: 30 and 31 Weeks!

2008-11-25T18:15:00.000-08:00

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

Demodex Parasite

2008-11-13T18:43:00.000-08:00

I hate this boogers!!!

UTAH is Flea Free.....

2008-11-13T18:33:00.000-08:00

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!

Sophie is 74 pounds

2008-11-08T13:58:00.000-08:00

We weighed her today and she is officially 74 pounds.

Sophie: 29 Weeks

2008-11-08T13:26:00.000-08:00

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

Sophie: 28 Weeks

2008-11-04T18:41:00.000-08:00

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.

Sophie: 27 Weeks

2008-10-27T17:07:00.000-07:00

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.

Sophie: 26 weeks

2008-10-20T10:15:00.000-07:00

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,

Bitten

2008-10-13T10:51:00.000-07:00

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)

Sophie: 24 and 25 weeks

2008-10-11T19:58:00.000-07:00

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.....

2008-10-05T18:16:00.003-07:00

Another

2008-10-05T18:16:00.001-07:00

Isn't she cute????

Pics

2008-10-05T18:14:00.000-07:00

Daily Schedule

2008-10-05T18:01:00.000-07:00

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.

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!

Sophie: 22 weeks and 23 weeks

2008-10-02T09:46:00.000-07:00

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....

Sophie: 21 Weeks

2008-09-17T19:04:00.000-07:00

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........

Sophie: 20 Weeks

2008-09-09T12:46:00.000-07:00

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.

Another pic

2008-09-09T08:26:00.000-07:00

Anatolian artwork

2008-09-05T18:45:00.000-07:00

Here is a drawing I made today. Maybe I will post more sometime.

Sophie: 19 Weeks

2008-09-02T20:33:00.000-07:00

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.

Horses in the field

2008-09-02T20:31:00.000-07:00

Horse roundup in Fort Bridger

2008-09-02T20:29:00.000-07:00

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.

2008-09-02T20:26:00.000-07:00

2008-09-02T20:25:00.000-07:00

Outside by the dirt mound

2008-09-02T20:24:00.001-07:00

Rabies, DHPP, and deworming goo

2008-09-02T20:24:00.000-07:00

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.

Black mask

2008-09-02T20:21:00.000-07:00

A black mask like the Lone Ranger......Hi Ho Sophie!!!!

2008-09-02T20:19:00.000-07:00

Sophie's Glamour Shot

2008-09-02T20:18:00.000-07:00

I like her bangs.

Pretty Profile

2008-09-02T20:17:00.000-07:00

What a pretty profile.

2008-09-02T20:16:00.000-07:00

Sophie

2008-09-02T20:15:00.000-07:00

Attention!

Sophie near the garden

2008-09-02T20:13:00.000-07:00

Sophie is chillen near our garden. Boy did we get a ton of tomatoes!

Sophie: 18 Weeks

2008-08-26T16:28:00.000-07:00

Sophie is 23 inches at the shoulder.

She is truly a magnificent animal. She is growing much too fast.

We got her rabies shot and her other vaccinations. She did very well. You wouldn't have known she had 2 shots. In fact, she didn't even flinch at the vets office when he poked her. She just stood and wagged her tail and was all happy. The vet said that he was glad he didn't make her mad, because she is such a big puppy.

I am starting to consider getting her fixed...not that I want her to be fixed, but in so many ways, it just makes sense. I will chew on this idea for awhile.
I have thought about the good and the frustrating lately with owning an anatolian shepherd. I thought that I would list a few thoughts.....

What I like so far about my anatolian shepherd.....
- she's adorable
- she's beautiful
- she's fun/ playful
- she is tolerant
- she likes people
- she likes other dogs
- she goes poopie at the edge of the yard
- she is alert and on gaurd (getting more so by the day)
- she makes us laugh alot
- she never runs off
- she really has a good temperment...
- she never barks

What I "DON'T" like so far about my anatolian shepherd.....
- she sheds more than I thought she would
- big paws/ sharp claws hurt (even when she doesn't mean to)
- large poopie piles (at least 2 a day)
- nipping
- stubborn as a mule
- if she jumps up, someone usually gets hurt
- pee leaves yellow spots on the lawn
- has been known to whine

I am sure there are more things we love....and I am sure that the rough spots will get better.
Overall, we are very happy.

I hope she is too.

Sophie: 17 weeks

2008-08-16T15:44:00.000-07:00

We have a routine as far as eating, going outside, potty etc that seems to be working.
It's hard when I am at work to keep consistant with her. My kids fill in, but its not the same consistancy.

I have been taking a 15 foot leash and clipping a ball on the end. We go to a large field and Sophie loves to chase the ball. We both get really tired after about 20 minutes,....but it is alot of fun.

Sophie: 16 Weeks

2008-08-16T15:33:00.000-07:00

It looks like I'm a week behind....Well, Sophie is still growing. I measured her at 22.5 inches at the shoulder. She is already due for her rabies shot and dhpp/ bord vac. I have an apt. next Saturday.

She is becoming a great dog. I enjoy her so much. I have noticed that she is becoming much more alert of people, surroundings, noises, etc. I just tell her , "It's okay" if she is curious about something.
One thing I like is that she rarely barks. She is so quiet all the time. I wonder if this will change as she gets older and more alert.

Sophie: 15 Weeks

2008-08-04T12:34:00.000-07:00

I measured Sophie at 21.5 inches at the shoulder this morning. She is near due for her rabies shot.
She is getting better in many ways. She is still a playful pup, but she seems to comprehend when we say "No bite!" or "No paw!" She is really becoming a part of our family.
She shows alertness at various times, but most of the time she seems to accept whatever and whoever comes around. I'm really glad she doesn't show aggression towards people.

I just bought a tether ball tire and Sophie loves to chase the ball. I'm a little afraid when she catches it because I'll have to buy a new ball....but at the moment we're having fun.

Sophie: 14 Weeks

2008-07-27T15:56:00.000-07:00

Sophie is now 14 weeks. She stands at 20.5 inches at the shoulder. I guess this past week she decided to slow down from her normal 1 inch growth a week.
We wieghed her at 40 pounds.

She is doing well in alot of areas. She still seems stubborn in many areas too.
We will continue working with her.

I try to take her around the neighborhood for quick trips/ errands. She seems to like it. When she encounters other dogs, she is either excited or timid depending on the type of dog. Tonight we went to a neighbors house and they have 2 beagles...the wouldn't stop howling and woofing up a a storm. Sophie was timid at first, then just sat down and watched them. A couple of times she jumped up and barked back at them.

Aha! I caught you!

2008-07-24T20:49:00.000-07:00

Busted!

I'm Hungry

2008-07-24T20:48:00.000-07:00

I just want one leg....perhaps a wing?

chicken gaurding....

2008-07-24T20:47:00.000-07:00

or is it more like chicken stew please?

Stop and smell the flowers.....

2008-07-24T20:46:00.000-07:00

and drink stale water from a snow sled.

On Alert

2008-07-24T20:45:00.000-07:00

Watching out for the boogeyman and mysterious joggers.....

Is that a wink?

2008-07-24T20:44:00.000-07:00

wink wink.....

My Sweet Sophie

2008-07-22T21:19:00.001-07:00

Could she be any cuter?

Sticking out her tongue

2008-07-22T21:19:00.000-07:00

nana na na

getting big

2008-07-22T21:18:00.001-07:00

got any food?

2008-07-22T21:18:00.000-07:00

I smell bacon in your pocket.....

My little hyena

2008-07-22T21:17:00.000-07:00

Sophie and her hyena face.

Dove feathers

2008-07-22T21:16:00.000-07:00

Sophie didn't have much sympathy, but got some feathers from that little unfortunate dove.

A hawk on my house!

2008-07-22T21:15:00.000-07:00

One night the chickens were squaking. The pic shows why.

I snapped the pic of a hawk eating a dove. Poor little dove.
We'll see if Sophie can scare them away in a few months!

she loves grass

2008-07-22T21:13:00.000-07:00

munchin on the grass

someone is coming

2008-07-22T21:12:00.000-07:00

Hark, I mean Bark, .......who goes there?

eating grass

2008-07-22T21:11:00.000-07:00

yum

Sophie and water

2008-07-22T21:10:00.001-07:00

Sophie likes to play in the water.

Look up, Sophie!

2008-07-22T21:10:00.000-07:00

Stop eating those snails!

Sophie, come here

2008-07-22T21:09:00.000-07:00

Good girl.

Sophie and the chickens

2008-07-22T21:08:00.000-07:00

Sophie likes the chickens....ALOT!

Sophie: 13 Weeks

2008-07-22T06:53:00.000-07:00

Sophie is now 13 weeks. She stands 20 inches at the shoulder. She is still very soft, but she is losing her soft puppy fur along her spine and growing in a more course hair. We are really trying to work with her during these 16 weeks with dog socialization, livestock socialization and human socialization. She is coming along pretty well.

Some of our obstacles......digging, nipping, and being plain stubborn.

Some of the highlights..... she is beautiful, we can play with her/ pull her ears/ play pattycake/ etc and she allows us, nearly 100% potty trained without a whole lot of effort, friendly with everyone, smart, gentle, playful, and more....

The other night I came home from a date and noticed that Sophie was in her outside kennel. I decided to bring her in. As we walked in my kitchen, I was startled to see a large plastic tote with a guinea pig staring up at me. (my kids offered to babysit a neighbors guinea pig)
I was startled because I had no idea where this rodent came from, then was startled because Sophie came over and I thought she was going to kill it.

Nope.

Sophie walked over, sniffed it, and sat down.

cool huh.

Shepherds of old and their trusted gaurdian

2008-07-18T10:47:00.000-07:00

This is a very interesting picture. What an amazing gaurdian dog.

Now that's what I call a "PAW"!

2008-07-18T10:29:00.000-07:00

That is enormous. I doubt our Sophie will compare to this paw.....thank goodness!

Sophie

2008-07-18T10:03:00.000-07:00

I guess its time to post some new pics. I have a bunch, but have to sift through them.
(also resizing is a bit time consuming) I will post some this weekend.

I have noticed that the anatolian shepherds/ kangals that come from Turkey have many different looks, fur coats to them etc. (konyas, akit/yoruks, karabas, kaba, kirik, capar etc)
check this out..... (look at all the pics)
http://www.anatoliandog.org/isik-001.htm

I am not sure about all the hooplah surrounding anatolian shepherds vs. the kangal dog. It seems like it could be a heated debate. All I know is, both dogs are beautiful.

I think it would be cool to have either.

Sophie is 19 inches at the shoulder

2008-07-17T06:10:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how fast she is growing. 19 inches now! (to her shoulder)

She is still doing great with her daily training.

She hasn't had much of an appetite last night or this morning.

Anatolian Shepherds are hypnotizing

2008-07-16T11:13:00.000-07:00

Training

2008-07-16T10:37:00.000-07:00

I was really impressed with the lady that came over this past weekend. She had a great knowledge of anatolian shepherds. Not only that, but you could tell she knew her stuff by how she interacted with our dog. She mentioned that some of the things we hear on the ASDI forum, and published books, etc. are not fully true and accurate. It mostly depends upon the dogs personality and the training he/she receives. She stressed that with the large breeds, we needed to display dominance of our puppy as soon as possible.

She suggested that we buy a dog choker chain. .........So we did.

The employee at Petco wasn't happy about our choker purchase. His chiding suggested that the choker was "old school" training. He said there are more humane training methods. I basically mumbled something like, ....... "get out of my way you freaking tree hugger........this is an anatolian shepherd, you dimwit!".
He probably thought that Anatolian Shepherd meant a "herdsman village in Hungary" or something. - Don't you have an owl to save...somewhere?
(maybe I'll bring Sophie in to meet him in a few months when she is a hundred pounds heavier and her fangs are 4 inches long!)

So,.....we are making really good progress. Remember how I mentioned before that Sophie would plop down on her rear when you tried to walk her as if she was saying, "Not today ,bub.". Well that is nearly resolved. Not to mention we feel like we have more control of her....and at this stage it is very important for her to know that. (the crucial 16 weeks period)

I take her out each evening for her choke......, I mean, .....walking lesson. She does really well. We practice for 15 - 20 minutes. I try not to overdue it. Sometimes we only go 10 minutes, then she gets a brush.

fun times I tell ya.

Sophie: 12 weeks

2008-07-14T11:30:00.000-07:00

Sophie is growing so much. He front legs look so long. I measured her at 18 1/2 inches. I suspect she weighs 30 pounds or more.

This weekend she got her 12 week shots. She did very well. She also got her chip implant. (between the shoulders) I felt bad for her, but she really was a champ.

We are trying to socialize her with people/ dogs/ pets etc. She does extremely well. At the vet she was friendly with everyone and their pets. She was also friendly in Petco.

I noticed that she is starting to shed a little. I am not excited about that. We once had a pug that shed like crazy. Hair was everywhere. In the cars, bedrooms, garage etc.....and we brushed and vaccuemed every single day. He was only allowed in our kitchen and hair managed to get all over. yuck.

We met a lady that has owned 3 anatolian shepherds. (she currently has one). She came over to see Sophie on Saturday. She was wonderful! We were so impressed with her...not only as a great dog owner, but as a wonderful person. She gave us so much advice and told us about her experiences with her dogs. She even clipped Sophies nails and gave us some dog training lessons. We thought so much of her. I hope we see her in the future.

more pics to come!

Sophie update

2008-07-10T10:28:00.000-07:00

My wife received a call from the lady listed on the Wasatch Anatolian Shepherd club. She lives fairly close and has raised 3 anatolians. She might come over to visit this weekend. We'll see.

I measured Sophie last night because I noticed that her collar was getting a little tight around her neck. She has grown an 1/2 inch in just 4 days. She now stands at the shoulder at 18 inches.

We are trying to really work with her between these crucial 16 weeks. We are trying to train her, curb the nips, leash train etc.....I might enroll her in a training class if it will help.
I'm looking into it.

Wasatch Anatolian Shepherd Club, Utah

2008-07-07T11:36:00.000-07:00

I found this site...

http://www.anatoliandog.org/regn-wac.htm

... but it seems to be outdated. I have tried to contact the names listed but have yet to receive a response.
No one on the anatolain shepherd list/ forum (asdi) seems to have any information. hmmmmmm......

I guess I could get something going..... I'll check into it.

Sophie: 11 weeks

2008-07-05T15:32:00.000-07:00

Sophie turns eleven weeks this weekend. She has grown 1/2 - 3/4 at the shoulder in a week. (at the moment, she won't hold still so I can measure her) She looks to be 17 inches at the shoulder...maybe 17 1/2? We are feeding her a little more of her Purina puppy chow because she seems hungry. We are playing it by ear. I doubt she will eat overeat herself......

She loves chasing her tail. She will spend an hour outside chasing herself.

I bought a used kennel last week. It measures about 25 feet long, 12 feet wide, and 6 feet tall.
She doesnt seem to mind being in there for an hour or two a day.

The nipping is getting better. I don't have the problem with her nipping at me, but my wife and kids are getting sick of it. It is getting a little better though.

Sophie relaxing

2008-07-05T15:29:00.001-07:00

After a hard day of play.

Wanted: more dirt clods

2008-07-05T15:29:00.000-07:00

Done chewing on dirt clods

2008-07-05T15:28:00.001-07:00

20 yards of MORE dirt

2008-07-05T15:28:00.000-07:00

I just had 20 yards of dirt filled in the backyard. It now covers a pond. We were just tired of all the hill slopes, so we covered it up and leveled the yard. Next week we will have more dirt leveled, then we will plant grass. Sophie will be sad to see the dirt go away, but I am sure she will love the grass. (the fence area behind her is the chickens and pheasants cages.)

...and more dirt.....

2008-07-05T15:25:00.000-07:00

dirt up her nose.....

More dirt

2008-07-05T15:24:00.001-07:00

Sophie likes the dirt

2008-07-05T15:24:00.000-07:00

ohhhhh......