17.25 inches tall
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
Friday, April 22, 2016
Adventures in Puppy Food
DH is suddenly all about being involved with the dogs' diets and vet care, after all of these years, due to Leo's passing and thinking the condition we didn't know he had may have been somewhat manageable with diet (and blood work). It isn't that what we had been feeding (Taste of the Wild High Prairie for the past couple of years, after switching him off of Purina One to get away from the corn, a possible trigger for the fatty tumors he developed) was a problem. Possibly he might have had too much fat in his diet since I'd added Missing Link supplements on top of that (Really, he didn't need it. He was only on that for the past year, and it was more for skin/coat issues, than anything else.) and coconut oil for a while.
Not that those things would have affected a red blood cell issue.
Anyway. Taste of the Wild doesn't make a large breed puppy formula, and Purina One is out because we're going grain-free from the start this time.
The folks we got him from had had him on Royal Canin large breed puppy, a suggestion from their vet, even though they feed the corgis they breed Diamond. Royal Canin is just another Science Diet. Corn. Plus, Kal didn't seem all that interested in eating the bag of food in the puppy pack sent home with him. It certainly wasn't doing anything for him nutritionally. His growth was exceeding his diet, and he was walking heavily on his pasterns (a dietary thing), instead of keeping his weight on his toes.
I let DH do the research and make the decisions this time.
He chose Blue Freedom Large Breed Puppy, from Blue Buffalo.
Off we went to the nearby Petsmart to acquire a bag.
Imagine our dismay in finding that the store only stocks (or possibly, the company only makes) the large breed puppy food in the GIANT bags.
We didn't even know if the dog would like/eat it yet (friends have tried and failed to get their own dogs to eat this brand, which is why I never bothered), so we just wanted a small bag.
To make matters more frustrating, the company's sales rep was in the store that day, carrying on a lengthy conversation with some other customers- standing right in front of the food we'd been contemplating, in our way.
I at least took advantage of the opportunity to eavesdrop on what she was saying, so I could learn a thing or three.
DH became increasingly more agitated, so we wandered off to the pet ID tag kiosk, to look into getting Kal a tag for his collar.
Kids in the way, messing around with the machine... so it was back to the dog food aisle, where the same group of people were still standing in the same spot...
We ended up reading/comparing a lot of bag labels on various Blue foods, and deciding that, for now, we'd just buy a small bag of their regular Blue Freedom puppy food, see how he liked it, and then I would order the other stuff from Chewy.com, where I get free shipping, no sales tax, the prices are cheaper than in stores and this brand actually costs about $5 less than Taste of the Wild. So, I'll be saving a bit on dog food... at least for a while...
The small bag lasted through yesterday- almost a week. The large breed puppy food arrived yesterday and the ingredients list looks the same- as does the food.
So far, so good.
No thanks to Petsmart.
We didn't like any of the kiosk tags, so I just came home and ordered my usual stainless steel stamped bone from Tagxpress.com, where I've shopped for about 12 years. The cost was the same, always free shipping, and it arrived yesterday.
After less than a week on a decent food, Kal is also walking normally, and is much less clumsy.
Not that those things would have affected a red blood cell issue.
Anyway. Taste of the Wild doesn't make a large breed puppy formula, and Purina One is out because we're going grain-free from the start this time.
The folks we got him from had had him on Royal Canin large breed puppy, a suggestion from their vet, even though they feed the corgis they breed Diamond. Royal Canin is just another Science Diet. Corn. Plus, Kal didn't seem all that interested in eating the bag of food in the puppy pack sent home with him. It certainly wasn't doing anything for him nutritionally. His growth was exceeding his diet, and he was walking heavily on his pasterns (a dietary thing), instead of keeping his weight on his toes.
I let DH do the research and make the decisions this time.
He chose Blue Freedom Large Breed Puppy, from Blue Buffalo.
Off we went to the nearby Petsmart to acquire a bag.
Imagine our dismay in finding that the store only stocks (or possibly, the company only makes) the large breed puppy food in the GIANT bags.
We didn't even know if the dog would like/eat it yet (friends have tried and failed to get their own dogs to eat this brand, which is why I never bothered), so we just wanted a small bag.
To make matters more frustrating, the company's sales rep was in the store that day, carrying on a lengthy conversation with some other customers- standing right in front of the food we'd been contemplating, in our way.
I at least took advantage of the opportunity to eavesdrop on what she was saying, so I could learn a thing or three.
DH became increasingly more agitated, so we wandered off to the pet ID tag kiosk, to look into getting Kal a tag for his collar.
Kids in the way, messing around with the machine... so it was back to the dog food aisle, where the same group of people were still standing in the same spot...
We ended up reading/comparing a lot of bag labels on various Blue foods, and deciding that, for now, we'd just buy a small bag of their regular Blue Freedom puppy food, see how he liked it, and then I would order the other stuff from Chewy.com, where I get free shipping, no sales tax, the prices are cheaper than in stores and this brand actually costs about $5 less than Taste of the Wild. So, I'll be saving a bit on dog food... at least for a while...
The small bag lasted through yesterday- almost a week. The large breed puppy food arrived yesterday and the ingredients list looks the same- as does the food.
So far, so good.
No thanks to Petsmart.
We didn't like any of the kiosk tags, so I just came home and ordered my usual stainless steel stamped bone from Tagxpress.com, where I've shopped for about 12 years. The cost was the same, always free shipping, and it arrived yesterday.
After less than a week on a decent food, Kal is also walking normally, and is much less clumsy.
Thursday, April 21, 2016
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
First Days
It never fails that, the day after we take in a new puppy, it rains.
And keeps raining.
Thus, Kalo had a crash course in going potty outside in the rain- every. single. time. All. weekend. long.
He didn't like it, and soon began wailing in protest whenever we would pick him up and carry him out (because he wasn't going out on his own).
After the first few (alternately) successful potty breaks, or mad dashes back inside and whining in his crate because he really needed to go but refused to cooperate, I hit upon carrying him all the way to the very back of the yard, instead of to what had become the "potty spot". That way, he had to at least stop long enough to sniff and pee while hurrying back to the dry indoors. It worked. Plus, it forces him to walk/run a bit and wear himself out every time.
The only difference in the routine was Sunday morning, when both of the other dogs dashed right out into the rain to do their business and he, in his excitement at seeing his new pals again after a long night, ran right out after them.
He quickly realized his error, turned around and raced back to the back door.
Ha.
He's also learned, as of yesterday, that he can travel the length of the house, under the eaves, and stay relatively dry.
Not to mention, he's figured out the "driest" route to/from the yard, avoiding the low spots near the patio that have become puddles. It has been quite amusing. He won't just follow you straight out off the patio. He goes as far across the patio as possible, to the right where the yard slopes downward and is more dry because the run-off is away from the house, and then navigates his way to higher ground.
He's learning "leave it" and "sit" fairly well- and can now be warned away from our growing plants without leaving any damage. Today we started "off", and he's getting better about quieting down in his crate, instead of throwing dramatic fits. I'd forgotten what drama queens they are.
He's waking up every 3 hours, with the exception of waking at 5am after going out at 3am. He's catching on that we're just going to ignore him at 6am when Daddy gets up for work and Mommy stays in bed- especially if he just went out at 5am. He can wait til 7:00 when I get up just fine.
10-minute walks in the morning have helped with his insane energy level.
He's getting along ok with his new sisters.
And keeps raining.
Thus, Kalo had a crash course in going potty outside in the rain- every. single. time. All. weekend. long.
He didn't like it, and soon began wailing in protest whenever we would pick him up and carry him out (because he wasn't going out on his own).
After the first few (alternately) successful potty breaks, or mad dashes back inside and whining in his crate because he really needed to go but refused to cooperate, I hit upon carrying him all the way to the very back of the yard, instead of to what had become the "potty spot". That way, he had to at least stop long enough to sniff and pee while hurrying back to the dry indoors. It worked. Plus, it forces him to walk/run a bit and wear himself out every time.
The only difference in the routine was Sunday morning, when both of the other dogs dashed right out into the rain to do their business and he, in his excitement at seeing his new pals again after a long night, ran right out after them.
He quickly realized his error, turned around and raced back to the back door.
Ha.
He's also learned, as of yesterday, that he can travel the length of the house, under the eaves, and stay relatively dry.
Not to mention, he's figured out the "driest" route to/from the yard, avoiding the low spots near the patio that have become puddles. It has been quite amusing. He won't just follow you straight out off the patio. He goes as far across the patio as possible, to the right where the yard slopes downward and is more dry because the run-off is away from the house, and then navigates his way to higher ground.
He's learning "leave it" and "sit" fairly well- and can now be warned away from our growing plants without leaving any damage. Today we started "off", and he's getting better about quieting down in his crate, instead of throwing dramatic fits. I'd forgotten what drama queens they are.
He's waking up every 3 hours, with the exception of waking at 5am after going out at 3am. He's catching on that we're just going to ignore him at 6am when Daddy gets up for work and Mommy stays in bed- especially if he just went out at 5am. He can wait til 7:00 when I get up just fine.
10-minute walks in the morning have helped with his insane energy level.
He's getting along ok with his new sisters.
Monday, April 18, 2016
Round Two
Ten days after the passing of our beloved Leo, who shared our lives from 6.5 weeks old to just a few weeks shy of his tenth birthday, we added another Rhodesian Ridgeback pup to our family. I really didn't feel I was ready, but I guess I've fostered enough puppies to realize that "ready" is relative. Still, I'm exhausted, and not yet emotionally, physically or mentally recovered from our recent (and sudden) loss. I feel like a piece of my heart is out there, somewhere, wandering around outside of my body...
The desperate feeling, those first few days, of the need to have another Ridgeback in the house. The shocking absence of that calm, steady, 90lb presence...
I always thought I (we) would adopt our next one, an adult already raised through the puppy process by someone else.
Not to be...
This is "Kal" ("Kalo", "Kalomo"). Kalomo is a city in Zambia, adjacent to what was formerly Rhodesia (Rhodesian Ridgeback), now Zimbabwe. We had a hard time picking a name, and this is one DH suggested, pointing out that "Kal" contains the initials of our other dogs, Kansas, Airlie, Leo. A piece of each of them. It's fitting. Plus, he seemed to answer to it (I know most people say things like this, but I've never had it happen), picking up his head and excitedly bumping both of us in the face with his snout when DH said it aloud.
He was 10.5 weeks old on Saturday when we got him (getting up at 6am to be on the road by 6:30, driving 3 hours to meet him in Tallequah, and not arriving back home til after 2pm). He's 11 weeks old tomorrow, weighs 23.4 lbs (a gain of 2.4 lbs since Saturday), and is 15 inches tall, at this time.
He's also a royal pain and is reminding me of all of the things I'd forgotten about raising Leo back in the day... I'll chronicle those misadventures here, when I have the time!
The desperate feeling, those first few days, of the need to have another Ridgeback in the house. The shocking absence of that calm, steady, 90lb presence...
I always thought I (we) would adopt our next one, an adult already raised through the puppy process by someone else.
Not to be...
This is "Kal" ("Kalo", "Kalomo"). Kalomo is a city in Zambia, adjacent to what was formerly Rhodesia (Rhodesian Ridgeback), now Zimbabwe. We had a hard time picking a name, and this is one DH suggested, pointing out that "Kal" contains the initials of our other dogs, Kansas, Airlie, Leo. A piece of each of them. It's fitting. Plus, he seemed to answer to it (I know most people say things like this, but I've never had it happen), picking up his head and excitedly bumping both of us in the face with his snout when DH said it aloud.
He was 10.5 weeks old on Saturday when we got him (getting up at 6am to be on the road by 6:30, driving 3 hours to meet him in Tallequah, and not arriving back home til after 2pm). He's 11 weeks old tomorrow, weighs 23.4 lbs (a gain of 2.4 lbs since Saturday), and is 15 inches tall, at this time.
He's also a royal pain and is reminding me of all of the things I'd forgotten about raising Leo back in the day... I'll chronicle those misadventures here, when I have the time!
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