Chilpa

By Michele Forto

A few weeks ago I met a couple and conducted an evaluation on their dog.  Victor was very concerned about his beloved german shepherd dog Chilpa.  Chilpa had attacked the neighbors dog unprovoked and even though he swiftly paid the veterinarian bills and the neighbor did not contact animal control, Victor being a long time german shepherd owner, decided that he had better contact a trainer.

As I waited to meet Victor and Chilpa, I was excited to meet another german shepherd owner, I was also concerned about the description of the aggression Victor stated that Chilpa was displaying.  The time of the evaluation came and went and it was now 15 minutes after the appointment was to take place.  I called Victor and asked if he’d like to reschedule, he apologized and mentioned that he had forgotten our appointment and was not able to make it in this day.  We rescheduled our appointment for the weekend.  

To my surprise Victor, his wife Shirley, and Chilpa kept their appointment and showed up on time.  Also to my surprise was Victor and Shirley an elderly couple with a young german shepherd.  The evaluation was performed and it was determined that Chilpa has fear aggression. I developed a training plan for Chilpa and explained to Victor my concerns and strategies to help Chilpa get healthy.

Our first training session was the following Monday.  I got to Victor’s house, he had told me during the evaluation that he is 92 years old, he met me at the door and said, “what’s the plan?”  I explained that I would like to see Chilpa’s environment both inside their home and in their neighborhood.  He proceeded to show me around and took me out back where I saw 9 prairie dogs and the neighbor whose dog was attacked.  I also saw the little poodle who immediately began barking aggressively at Chilpa who paid him no mind.  During the evaluation I had determined by using another dog that Chilpa is fearful to the point of physically shaking when other dogs are around.  She has high defensive fight drives and uses this drive to ward off potential attacks from other dogs.  Victor then suggested he walk with me around the neighborhood.  I tried to be polite and let him know that I could take Chilpa alone, but he insisted.  For 92 I’ve got to say I only hope I’m able to still drive my black Cadillac and walk two or three blocks with my dog!  During our walk I asked Victor if I could bring Chilpa to my training center on Saturdays as the situation here at his home and in his neighborhood was not conducive to the training I needed to do with Chilpa.  He agreed.  He then stopped me and complimented me on my passion and genuine attitude toward him and his dog. He then said, “Michele, I’m 92 years old and I’m not going to live forever, I adopted Chilpa for my wife, her health is not good.  My son cannot take Chilpa when I die and the retirement village won’t let Shirley keep her either.  I need to ask if you would take her and if you would what would you do?” It took me a moment to answer honestly I was floored by what he just asked me to do.  I had only known him for 4 days.  I placed my hand on his shoulder and reminded Chilpa to sit, and told him that I would be proud to take his dog, that I couldn’t guarantee but I would try to train her for service work or I’d keep her myself for the rest of her life.  I promised to always be here to care for her whenever he needed.

Chilpa’s first Saturday of training at the training center started off hectic.  I brought her in and she barked at every camp dog staying with us.  Nicole and I put her in a crate and proceeded to get things done that morning.  We then went back to the van to get Nicole’s dog Qyain. Qyain would be our test dog with Chilpa today.  We always just let Qyain loose in the training center because he gets along with all of the dogs and stays out of the way, for the most part.  He is a 2 year old german shepherd so staying out of the way is relative!  Of course, he found Chilpa in a crate in the office and he immediately went up to the crate and tried licking her face.  Chilpa went off barking and lunging.  I went and sat next her and called Qyain back over, this time she barked and growled but stopped when I told her to sit.  Nicole then put a leash on Qyain and I leashed Chilpa and we got to work with them in the same room moving around the floor performing commands.  Chilpa was shaking but as we went along she got calmer.  Eventually she showed interest in Qyain so leaving the leashes on Nicole and I let them greet while we let the leashes go.  Qyain is very balanced he chased her around and smelled her, licked her face, and tried to get her to play.  Chilpa allowed this until Qyain cornered himself and he turned to run away and she attacked him.  Nicole said nothing, and I only said Chilpa leave it.  She stopped and Qyain began playing again with her and all was fine.  They played throughout the day.

The following Monday I brought Qyain to Victor’s house to show him how well Chilpa and him got along.  They did well in his backyard and on their walk.  Victor was very pleased and I explained to him that this was just one dog and he’s an intact male of the same breed.  That I have a lot of work ahead of me with other breeds.  He understood.

Saturday training number 2, as I got ready to train Chilpa on leash around other dogs, I took her outside to use the bathroom.  I noticed blood droplets, I checked her out, pads, tongue, nose and couldn’t find where she was bleeding.  Then she lifted her tail and I saw it, she was in heat! But how could that be? Victor rescued her and he told me she was spayed.  No training today, I had to find out what was wrong.

Victor and I decided to have me take Chilpa to my vet and get her checked out.  Today, we found out from the first test that it appears that Chilpa was not spayed.  We have three concerns here; not spayed, spayed partially and infection set in, a few months ago had a biopsy done on her kidney by Banfield and the records are inconclusive as to what they found or why they performed surgery.

We are awaiting additional blood work and Chilpa is off of the training routine until we find out what is going on with her health.

I decided to write this article today to remind everyone out there that taking your dog to a veterinarian and giving them the best possible care you can is the right thing to do.  When you take your pet to a veterinarian no matter if they run their own private practice or you visit them at a big box corporate store, you have the right to get a second opinion if you feel that procedures are being done unnecessarily on your pet. 

Also, when you get your pet spayed or neutered or the procedure was done before you rescued your dog, you need to be aware that the surgery may not have been successful.  Our dog Ineka is a 12 year old male Siberian Husky who came to us neutered.  We later discovered that his neuter was not complete, Ineka made us a great litter of pups for my racing team in 2001.  My vet explained that in females if the vet performing the surgery did her incision high on the chest that they can’t always get deep enough to get the entire uterus out so a piece is left.  Usually its fine, but there can be complications with infection and “false heat cycles”.   

Your veterinarian can perform blood tests and other tests to determine if your spay or neuter is complete.  There is usually no concern, but if you notice especially in your female dog any discharge, bloody, mucous, and/or foul odor get her to the vet immediately.

Chilpa does not appear to have an infection but we will know from her blood work in a few days.  For now she is at home with Victor and Shirley lounging around and loving her life.

Tags: Robert Forto | Michele Forto | Dog Training Denver | Colorado Dog Training |Denver Dog Works |Dog Works Training Centers| Forto | Team Ineka | #dogs #denver #dogtraining

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Michele Forto is the business manager and lead obedience trainer at Denver Dog Works. Michele can be reached through her website at http://www.denverdogworks.com 

Iditarod Musher Hugh Neff

By Robert Forto, PhD

On my recent trip to Anchorage I had the pleasure of spending time with 6-time Iditarod musher, Hugh Neff. Hugh and I have developed a friendship over the past year since I invited him to come to Denver and speak to my daughter’s school about the Iditarod, mushing and living in the North.

Hugh and I spoke at length about my desire to run the Iditarod in 21013 and what it will take to get to that goal. I had the pleasure of handling for him at the ceremonial start in Anchorage and helped send him and his team off to Nome. What a great honor. 

Hugh Neff is not your ordinary musher. He spends a lot of his time speaking to kids all over North America and stresses the importance of education and family values. In this year’s Iditarod, Hugh is doing something special: he is taking part in the National Education Association-Alaska’s first statewide Read Across Alaska celebration. Hugh is helping promote and celebrate the fun of reading. Hugh is carrying the Cat in the Hat book across Alaska in his sled bag. Once Hugh has crossed the finish line in Nome, he will deliver the book to the children of this small village at the edge of the Earth. 

Hugh Neff, 42 was born in Tennessee. He gr up in Illinois and attended Loyola Academy and the University of Illinois. He says he moved to Alaska in 1995 to “run down a dream”. Hugh says, “racing is an excuse to play with our beloved beasts all over the North. 

Hugh lists his occupation as dog musher and public speaker. He is a member of Mush with P.R.I.D.E and is an Eagle Scout and says he enjoys “making other people smile.”

If you would like to find our more about Iditarod musher Hugh Neff please visit his website Laughing Eyes Kennel at http://www.laughingeyeskennel.com and follow his race across alaska this year on http://www.adn.com Hugh is wearing bib number 56.

Citation: The Official Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Guide

Tags: Hugh Neff | Iditarod | Team Ineka | Dog Training Denver | Dog Doctor Radio | Denver Dog Works 

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Dr. Robert Forto is a professional musher training for his first Iditarod in 2013 racing under the Team Ineka banner. Dr. Robert Forto can be reached through his website at http://www.teamineka.com 

MIA’S STORY

By Chris Bridge

As I sit here writing Mia’s story, she is lying right at my feet, actually lying on my feet.  I have a 90 pound foot warmer!  She is never far from my side.

Mia was born April 15th, 2004 and came into my husband and my lives on June 10th, 11 months after we had lost our 15 year old Dalmatian to kidney failure.  This little black ball of fuzz came from a litter of 9 puppies and was cute beyond words.  We named her “Mia”, short for “Mon Ami”, which means “My Friend” in French.  I had forgotten what a challenge training a puppy was, BUT it all came back quickly.  I had a puppy that was growing by leaps and bounds, what a bundle of Energy and Joy she was, “Day and Night”.  Our darling girl, at 6 months old, was diagnosed with a heart murmur.  A quick trip to VRCC and a cardiologist for an Echocardiogram indicated a moderate Sub aortic Stenosis.  Her cardiologist at VRCC put her on heart medication and told us that there was hope in her condition, we had caught it early enough, that with treatment, she may have a chance of growing out of the severity of her condition, but she would always have her heart problem.  She sent us home and advised us to try and keep her as calm as possible for the next 6 months and we could only hope for improvements.  She would see us in 6 months for another Echocardiogram.  Now all of us know how hard it is to keep a 6 month old puppy calm….next to impossible, but we gave it our best effort.

I knew in my heart that Mia, our special needs child, had been given to me for a reason, so off to obedience classes we went.  We live in Fairplay, 2 hours from Denver, but every Saturday morning we piled into the car and made the trip downhill to Denver for the classes.  Mia loved the socialization with the other dogs and took to obedience quickly.  At 10 months old, she graduated “Canine Good Citizen.”  The trainer that worked with us encouraged us to research becoming a Therapy Dog Team, as he and his Newfoundland were.  Mia’s had a tremendous ability to delight and sooth whomever she was around, which needed to be shared with as many people as possible. 

At 1 year of age, we went back to VRCC to visit her cardiologist, and had another Echocardiogram.  After the test, Mia’s cardiologist told us she was seeing an improvement from her least exam.  Because of her improvement and the medication, there was a good possibility of her heart condition NOT to progress in severity, but a recheck in 1 year was necessary to make sure. 

My research in wanting to become a Pet Therapy Team led me to Delta Society, which then led me to Denver Pet Partners, which is now American Humane Association.  In October, 2005, I went to the TEAM Training class.  After completion of the class, I knew Mia and I were going in the right direction.  I knew that I had the dedication and commitment, and Mia had the good temperament, skills and true love for people that was needed to make us a GREAT Team.  We truly trusted each other. 

Evaluation day came and I was scared to death, Mia was as calm as she could be, being only 18 months old and having what I call “only child syndrome” when it comes to being around other dogs, she does tend to get JUST a bit excited.  By the grace of God we passed and received our certification on October 29, 2005.  We were now a Registered Therapy Dog Team.  On our way back home to Fairplay that day, I had a 2 hour drive to reflect back on why Mia truly had come into my life, and was recovering from a heart condition that could have taken her from us at a very early age.  I believe that there was a purpose in our lives, and now I truly understand what it meant for Mia and I to be partners.  This was going to be the best life choice that I had ever made.  I couldn’t wait to get started, but Mia and I hadn’t decided whether our work would be in the hospitals and nursing homes or with children.  I knew that Mia would tell me in her own way. 

PLEASE return to read my blog next week for “The Rest of the Story”, Mia had the MOST AMAZING way of letting me know where we needed to volunteer.  It was and still is the most wonderful experience of our volunteer life together. 

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Chris Bridge and Mia are a Registered Therapy Dog Team with the American Humane Association.   Mia is a 5 year old Bernese Mountain Dog. They volunteer weekly in the Denver area. Chris writes a weekly article for our blog at Denver Dog Works. Chris can be reached through our website at http://www.denverdogworks.com 

Learning about Sanitation

By Leah Morse

Sanitation to me is so important so I am going to go into great detail.  

So now I have joined the many who feed their dogs a species appropriate diet of raw meat and bones.  I want to make sure that I keep my dogs and my family as safe as possible.  This new diet now means that I will be handling substantially more raw meat and all the potential dangerous germs that can be associated with that.  However, let’s not forget that simple dog food has been found to contain both salmonella and E. coli.  I wanted to make sure that how I handled, prepared and cleaned and sanitized afterwards were very thorough.  As I work for a major health care insurance company, it has been completely ingrained in my brain the dangers of contaminated surfaces, improper meat handling and how germs are so easily transferred.  I think about the commercial that shows how germs transfer so easy from your hands to every surface that you touch.  This was going to be a dilemma as I am not a big fan of using lots of chemicals.  I do care about the environment and how these same chemicals can soak into our skin and fumes be inhaled.   

So I purchased some new spray bottles and filled one with 50% Bleach and 50% Water the other spray bottle I filled with 50% White Vinegar and 50% water.  DO NOT EVER MIX BLEACH AND VINEGAR as it is a dangerous and potentially lethal combination.  I was not happy with the bleach solution as I ruined my clothes and the fumes were something else.  I also did not like spraying the kennels with it as sensitive as a dog’s sense of smell is, the bleach fumes did not seem to dissipate.  I had researched (http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Kitchen-Sanitation/Detail.aspx ) environmentally friendly (and subsequently better for us) sanitizers.  The best mix that I use is 50% White Distilled Vinegar and 50% water with a few drops of aroma therapy peppermint oil.  The peppermint gave the staunch odor of the vinegar a more appealing fresh scent.  Once the vinegar dried the smell seemed to dissipate.  

I also purchased stainless steel bowls, which are better for our pets anyway as they can be run through the dishwasher and don’t harbor bacteria like porous plastic bowls do. After working in a vets office and hearing over and over again to use ceramic crock bowls or stainless steel to help prevent problems like canine and feline acne, it was not hard to transition to stainless steel.

I purchased 6 stainless steel bowls and 4 stainless steel buckets for water (water should be fresh, clean and always in a clean container), enough to be able to have at least 2 sets.  This way I could put them all in the dishwasher to save time and have extra sanitation.  After working in a vets office and hearing over and over again to use ceramic crock bowls or stainless steel to help prevent problems like canine and feline acne, it was not hard to transition to stainless steel.

I also purchased, from a local hardware store two remnant pieces of vinyl (5 foot by 6 foot) to put under their 4 foot by 6 foot kennels for easier clean up.  The galvanized steel chain link was easily sanitized but the cement floor was not.  Having the vinyl floor piece brightened up the kennel area for an added bonus. 

Last but not least, I purchased nitrile disposable gloves to wear while I cleaned or handled the meat.  

My procedure is to put on the gloves and measure out the meat, veggies and supplements for the meal.  Each dog was then fed and allowed to finish.  I always pick up bowls as soon as they are done.  All go outside to lick and clean each other off, enjoy some sunlight and do their business then back inside.  Meanwhile, I am cleaning bowls, cleaning the counter area with vinegar or loading the dishwasher and then quickly cleaning their respective areas with the vinegar solution.  Everyone has a clean kennel to come back to and it literally only takes me a few minutes.   From Preparation to clean up, it really only takes me about 20 minutes with 3 dogs in the morning and at night.  It takes less time if I get it ready the night before.     I am very conscience about what I touch and also making sure all surfaces are cleaned.   I save used ziplock bags to enclose the meat packaging prior to throwing it away to help keep trash odor down.   I also make sure to keep the dog run clean and I frequently am picking up what little my dogs are now leaving.  Again it is substantially less (definitely not nearly the amount they are fed) and also seems to break down and decompose very quickly.   

Next week: Where do I get the ingredients and what ingredients should I start with. 

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Leah Morse is a certified canine trainer and the owner of Rocky Mountain Classic Canine (http://www.rmclassiccanine.com) Leah can also be reached through our website at http://www.denverdogworks.com 

Hug Your Dog Today

By Michele Forto

I know Robert has shared stories about our beloved dog, Ineka, but the other day he did something that filled my heart with joy and I wanted to take a moment and share it with you.

Ineka is approximately twelve years old.  I remember picking him up from DIA ten years ago this very month.  I was excited, oh we had several Siberians that we had rescued and were planning to race, but this was different, this would be the first dog we’d be rescuing sight unseen.  We rescued Ineka from Washington and he was flown to us with a description of being white with blue eyes.  Well he was black and white as it turned out and slightly older than we had been told.  No worries though he quickly proved his worth as a working dog and as a companion.

Ineka quickly earned his place in our home.  You see racing kennels rarely allow their dogs to come inside, mostly because they are not house trained.  Ineka however, was very respectful of the house. 

He has a ritual in the morning, come to my side of the bed and rub his nose and face on my shoulder.  Some mornings that nose is way too cold!  This was how he would wake me up to start the day.  The two of us would then go get the kids up and get them ready for the day.  Once Kyle and Tyler were off to school, Nicole, Ineka and I would head out to the kennel to start our day of cleaning, grooming, and training.  Ineka would prance around full plume tail talking to the other dogs as I opened their kennels one by one letting all thirty dogs out to play.  Ineka would stick to Nicole’s side and ward off the younger dogs who liked to jump on her.  Ineka quickly earned a nickname; Sergeant!  I truly had the best co-worker, nanny, and best friend in the world.

Ineka was retired from racing in 2002.  He has had an active retirement teaching puppies boundaries and bouncing around our training school.  About a year ago he stopped waking me up and no longer showed interest in “going to work”.  He is in his autumn.  He can barely get around the house now although there are days when he will try to chase down our dog Qyain and then gallop up the stairs and then gallop down just to jump from the sixth step! He’s a spunky old guy.  The other morning he woke me up the way he used to giving me a hug and not letting go.  I was lucky that morning because I was able to sit still and enjoy this moment that my old friend was sharing with me.

Yesterday I came home to gather up some supplies for work, Ineka was at the top of the stairs where he always is greeting us when we come home.  I said hello to him and left the front door open so he could go out to our courtyard.  I went about my business and then headed into the kitchen to grab a drink, I heard Ineka jump off the stairs and head out the front door. I got sidetracked and didn’t immediately follow him out.  About three minutes later I walked into our office and noticed the gate was open!  My heart sunk.  I immediately ran outside thinking “he’s next door marking the bush” nope!  Oh God! Robert is leaving and after 10 years I’ve lost the dog!  I ran down the street a neighbor was outside I asked if he saw my black dog he said no.  I ran back to the house to jump in my van and realized my keys were inside.  I run inside into the kitchen but as I’m running past I catch a glimpse of Ineka at the top of the stairs looking down at me like I’ve lost my mind.  I scolded him like I did my kids when they ran out into the street.  Gave him a hug and a piece of cheese and said don’t ever scare me like that again; we aren’t ready for you to go yet. I still need my best friend.

I have had many dogs in my lifetime and I’m sure I will have many more. Each has held a special place in my heart.  But as I’m sure you can relate, there’s always one that came into your life and helped you through triumphs and tribulations.  Who came over and let you hold them until all the tears were cried out.  Who encouraged you to get your butt off the couch.  Who helped you remember how to be a kid. It’s that dog that makes you a better person.  Hug your dog today, whisper in their ear and thank them for taking care of you.

Tags: Denver Dog Works | Dog Training Denver | Ineka | Michele Forto | Robert Forto | Colorado Dog Trainer | Dog Doctor Radio

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Michele Forto is the business manager for Denver Dog Works. Michele can be reached through her website at http://www.denverdogworks.com 

Give a Dog a Bone, Just Don't Take it Away!

By Robert Forto, PhD

As a canine behvaiorist at Denver Dog Works I see a lot of dog problems. I deal primarly with canine aggression and nothing can be more frietning than a dog that is possessive. I was had a client whose dog was so aggressive if disrupted their entire family's lifetstyle.

The client approached me about two years ago and to this day I will never in my life forget this case: The family consisted of Two Adult Females, two pre-teen girls and two Shiba Inus. One of the Shibas was great but the other was Cujo from You-Know-Where. This Shiba, lets call him Max was so food aggressive that the family litterally had to run upstairs and close the door while he ate. When feeding time came around the family set in motion one of the most elaborate and scary displays I have ever seen. 

First they would lock the dogs in the laundry room and one of the adults would prepare the food while Max became more agitated and began to bite and attack the other dog. Once the food was prepared the lady would open the laundry room door with a string attached to the handle and hold a broom to ward off Max. Max would run at the lady full blast with its teeth barring while she fought off the dog with the broom as she fled upsrairs with the rest of the family.

Max did not return to the bowl to eat, instead he would run around the house like the Tasmanian Devil and proceed to tear up anything he could; couch pillows, shoes, chair legs, everything, within minutes.

Max eventually went over to his bowl and ate his food and would calm down. This whole ritual would take about a half an hour. I observed the incident from the deck through the sliding glass doors. I can honestly say that I have never seen a dog more dangerous in my life. Before the feeding exercise Max appeared to be the perfect family pet laying at our feet while we talked and complied a history for the evaluation. 

I never heard back from that family and I attempted calling them back several times to no avail. 

Possessiveness

Proetecting valued assets is an important part of survival in the wild. While I agree that Canis Familiaris (the family dog) is far from being a "wild" animal they are still intrinsically wired that way deep inside their brains. In the wild, a dog that does not protect its valued assets is more likely to starve to death than one that does. Since possessiveness is normal behavior the owner should not punish the dog for it, instead we need to train the dog to think that good things happen when they give their valuables to us humans. 

Some simple exercises to work on possessiveness are (not to be used with the example with a dog like Max, but maybe a dog that wont give up his ball, or looks at you "funny" when you take his bone, etc.): 

1. Alow the dog to greet guests only when he is sitting. This is one of the tests in the AKC CGC Test, Accepting a Friendly Stranger.

2. Teach the dog "Give it or Drop it" and "Take it."

3. Teach food bowl exercies (except with a dog like Max, of course) where you can take up the food bowl while your dog sits, you can put your hand in the bowl while he eats, etc.

If you have any questions on canine training or behavior, please give us a call at Denver Dog Works at 303-578-9881.

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Dr. Robert Forto is a canine behvaiorist and the training director of Denver Dog Works. Dr. Forto can be reached through his website at http://www.denverdogworks.com 

Go Big or Go Home:

The Trials and Tribulations of a Citizen Journalists’ First Assignment

By Robert Forto, PhD

After a full day of nefarious name calling and black-balling I have removed the story that was on this page. It is amazing how many people love to wallow in other peoples misfortune. 

To set the record straight: I might be a rookie citizen journalist but I am proud to say that my first job is being a dad.

If you would like to contact me for any interviews please call 303-578-9881 anytime. 

Tags: #denver #broncos #citizen journalism, robert forto, denver broncos, citizen journalist, denver dog works, dog training denver. your brand plan, 

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Dr. Robert Forto is a citizen journalist for Twine Group Media. Dr. Forto is also the training director of Denver Dog Works and the host of a weekly radio show, The Dog Doctor Radio Show. Dr. Forto can be reached through email at mediahound@twinegroup.com 

Learning to Feed Bones and Raw Food to Boxers

By Leah Morse

This will be the first of a series of blogs that I want to share my experience with learning to feed raw diet to my dogs.  It is a controversial way of providing nutrition for your dogs.  I am not suggesting that anyone follow these guidelines that I have chosen to do for my own dogs.  I am just simply sharing the information that I have found and where I found it.   I have seen some amazing changes in the health of my dogs but this is, by any means, a simple way to feed your dog.  It takes planning and work.  The days that you are tired and don’t feel like preparing an extra meal, or paying for it, for that matter, you still have to do it.  Your dogs can’t feed themselves.   I have gotten creative at saving on the cost but again this creates more work.   I am thankful to own a Vita-mix blender (http://www.vitamix.com) which saves me time and blends down the veggies, raw eggs and shells to liquid if needed.   I am simply sharing my experiences.  I am not a veterinarian; I am also not a health care professional.  This theory of feeding raw species appropriate diet can have serious health risks associated with incorrect handling, preparing and feeding.  NEVER EVER FEED COOKED BONES!  Cooking bones changes the molecular structure, they become brittle and may splinter which would injure or kill your dog!  Do not feed bones that are frozen either, as they can and will ruin your pet’s teeth.  All bones must be thoroughly thawed before feeding.  Mixing raw meat with cooked meat can cause digestive problems.  If feeding raw diet is your goal read as many books and literature as possible.  Find people who are already feeding and have experience to have as mentors.  Use your own good judgment, when in doubt, don’t do it.   The ideas and opinions in this blog are my own and come from feeding my dogs this way since 2008, unless otherwise credited.  I am by no means an expert, just sharing my own acquisition of information and observations from my own dogs.  Take any ideas that I present here at your own risk and discretion.   I, for one, have found it worth it.

After suffering through the agonizing cancer and liver disease deaths of my late great boxers Bohdi and Leelu, I vowed to dedicate myself to being part of finding a solution rather than just a victim of diseases that plague boxers and many other breeds for that matter.  I have tried  many different top brand highly nutritious dog foods only to be somewhat satisfied. I have gone to many dog food nutrition seminars put on by Iams, NutroMax, Science Diet and others.   I experimented with adding supplements and veggies to these great foods.   Then the great dog food recall of 2007 happened and Melamine (http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/petfoodrecall/) seemed to be the main problem.  In my opinion it seemed that outsourcing their manufacturing to other countries (or at least procuring ingredients from them), quality control is not the same as in the United States to save on their bottom line.   I spent thousands of dollars on drugs and medications for a variety of ailments.   Though there are many theories out there I, for one, believe that environment and nutrition quality play a huge role in keeping our furry children happy and healthy.   I know that when my husband and I started eating healthier and incorporating more fresh nutritious choices into our everyday meals, we began to feel much better and we did not have trouble with as many ailments. 

So I made my decision and decided to experiment with raw diet, B.A.R.F diet (Bones and Raw Foods) with my dogs.  I was terrified at first.  After being a veterinary assistant for 10 years, 20 years in pet retail and now as a professional dog trainer, where I preached to never feed people food, I was going to go against everything I had once believed.  Although the bird nutrition classes have always pushed to feed fresh as it was the best.  Still grieving from the loss of Leelu (just shy of 10 years when we lost her to the horror of hemangiosarcoma) I wanted to do everything that I could for the eight year old rescued boxer and the eight month old boxer puppy that we had left.  I had noticed that Bohdi’s health was starting to go downhill.  So I did due diligence and scoured the internet, I ordered books (Dr. Billinghurst’s book “Give Your Dog a Bone” and “Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats the Ultimate Diet” by Kymythy R. Schultze C.C.N., A.H.I.   I joined B.A.R.F chat networks and groups on Facebook.  I found these to be quite informative. 

I had read that I should keep track of the health of my dogs.  In the beginning, both had moderately shiny coats.  Bohdi’s energy level seemed to be declining and Story had a normal puppy energy level.  Bohdi was on a thyroid maintenance prescription drug, a Glucosamine supplement, pepcid (prescribed for his daily struggle with a sour stomach) and a daily pain relief prescription drug.  Both dogs, as many boxers do, suffered us with their flatulence.  Bohdi had stained teeth but had just had a dental cleaning done.  Much to my surprise the puppy started to show signs of a small amount of tarter building up on her Carnasal molars.  I was feeding Blue Buffalo brand food to both, one of the better and more expensive processed dog foods.  One of the things that really bothered me about feeding such expensive processed food was that I seemed to feed the same amount that I was picking up afterward in the dog run.  I thought that feeding premium foods was supposed to give you less to pick up.  I seemed to feed 40lbs of dog food and then I seemed to pick up the same 40lbs in stool.  

I finally broke down and purchased chicken wings with the purpose of feeding them to my dogs.    I had found that non wait bearing bones were the best and that chicken wings backs and necks had just about the right ratio of bone to meat.  I split the dogs up and gave them each a raw chicken wing.  It was a strange experience to feel both the excited anticipation of healthier dogs and also the pit in my stomach that said “What did I just do?”  I intently watched as the older dog, Bohdi, cautiously sniffed the wing picked it up and gave it a little shake only to drop it again.  He then picked it back up and started to chomp through it.  A couple of cracks and smacks and the chicken wing disappeared down his throat as he licked his lips.  Bohdi looked at me as if to say “Is that it?”  I wasn’t comfortable with giving more until I saw how he handled it.   Meanwhile, out in the dog run, Story, the puppy, was shaking and licking her chicken wing.  It took her much longer to figure out that it was something she could touch and then that it was more than just a toy but she finally got the job done.  I kept my eye on both of them the rest of the evening and as gross as it may seem I kept a close eye on their bathroom habits.  The morning after my initial feeding of the chicken wings I was anxious to see what the end result would be.  I was terrified and had a rough night of sleep, envisioning a quick trip to the local veterinary hospital to extract the bones from my poor dogs.  On the contrary, both dogs were fine and had normal stool, yet smaller amounts and much to my surprise I could actually see the digested bone.  White dog stool that literally disintegrated as you tried to shovel it up.  Another added bonus was that it did not smell nearly as bad.  Third bonus was that Bohdi, who usually has an easily upset stomach, was having no digestive issues that I could see, at all.  Last but not least, our dogs did not seem to have foul smelling gas.  Day one of feeding Raw Diet appeared to go well.  Their next meal would, again, be chicken wings with the addition of pureed celery.  Now I would start planning meals and start keeping track of the cost.  Research where to get the ingredients cost effectively.  I wanted to come up with a system that lowered my risk of contamination in the kitchen and that would be the most sanitary for our dogs.  I was also going to really educate myself about supplementation.   My experiences will follow in future blogs. 

If you have any questions for Leah or would like to learn more about feeding a raw diet to your dogs from someone that has first hand experience, please give us a call at Denver Dog Works  at  303-578-9881.

Tags: Denver Dog Works, Dog Training Denver, Colorado Dog Trainers, Leah Morse, Canine Nutrition, Raw Diet for Dogs, Robert Forto, Dog Works Training Centers, Rocky Mountain Classic Canine, Your Brand Plan

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Leah Morse is a canine trainer and the owner of Rocky Mountain Classic Canine in Colorado. Leah also is a contract trainer for Denver Dog Works and a former student. Leah can be reached through Denver Dog Works at http://www.denevrdogworks.com 

Denver Dog Works Dog of the Week: Gina

By Michele Forto

Gina came into my life as a potential service dog candidate.  She was chosen by my husband and had many possibilities for a two and a half year old female German Shepherd dog.  When Robert brought her to our kennel we immediately introduced her to our dog Qyain.  Gina and Qyain were fast friends.  But we quickly realized that Gina did not like other female dogs.  Sadly we had to keep her separated from the other female Boudica.  

One day I arrived at work to find that the kennel technician had placed Gina in a kennel right next Boudica.  They were fence fighting uncontrollably.  I moved Boudica quickly and returned to calm Gina down a bit to discover that she had managed to catch her eye on the kennel.  I knew I had to act quickly or this could result in disaster for Gina.

`I utilized my Canine First Aid training by quickly assessing the situation and remaining calm.  Gina wasn’t moving but as I moved closer to her she would start pulling and since her skin was caught she couldn’t free herself.  I told her to sit and then to stay.  She did exactly what I told her to do.  She was crying very loudly and breathing hard.  As I moved in closer I was able to touch her head and she immediately got still.  While talking to her calmly I put my arms around her and gently lifted her up and was able to release her eyelid where it was stuck on the kennel latch.  I then carried her inside where I laid her down placed a blanket over her since I knew she was in shock and then proceeded to flush her eye with luke warm water making sure there was no debris inside.  I was also able to see that her eye was fine, bloodshot and bruised but not cut or punctured in anyway.  Her third eyelid was very bruised and swelling was beginning.  I placed an ice pack over her eye and carried her to my truck and the two of us proceeded to the vet’s office where it was determined that she would be just fine.  The vet said I had done a great job and wanted to know how I did everything.  I told him that I have been working with animals and dogs in particular for over 20 years and that I had taken several canine first aid and CPR courses over the years and that my husband and I teach a certification workshop. 

Gina did not need antibiotics and healed nicely in about a week.  She gave birth to two sweet females about nine months later.  Gina know competes in Schutzhund  and is living out her life with her pups in the mountains near Colorado Springs.

I share this story with you because I feel it is very important that every pet owner take a course in canine first aid and CPR. Just as I feel every parent should take the same course to save their child.  If you are active with your pet in any fashion or your pet just likes lying around the house, knowing first aid and canine CPR could save your pet’s life in an emergency situation.

If you would like to learn how to take my Canine CPR/First Aid course please contact me via my website at www.denverdogworks.com or become a fan of Denver Dog Works on Facebook and check out the events page for upcoming workshops.  The next Canine CPR/First Aid class is scheduled on  March 21, 2010 and is an all day event.

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Michele Forto is the business manager for Denver Dog Works and the co-host of the Dog Doctor Radio Show. Michele can be reached through her website at http://www.denverdogworks.com