Corwyn Pointers

Magic's Adventure

2011-06-21T09:43:00.000-07:00

Jennie came and stole Magic all day yesterday... she went to lunch at an outdoor cafe, got taken shopping all over, and went to visit Elizabeth's cat, Ripley:

Torch X Rowan - Puppies 6 Weeks Video

2011-05-10T11:16:00.000-07:00

Puppies are doing GREAT! Sleeping thru the night, eating 3 meals a day, playing outside as often as possible. They are finding that pottying outside is good and fussing when they cannot get there to do so.

Here is the latest video!

Torch X Rowan - Puppies 4 Weeks Old Video

2011-04-30T15:14:00.000-07:00

Pups are 4 weeks old and haven't had much outside time due to rain and chilly weather. Today was fine so we took them out and gave them one of their meals outdoors.

Rowan X Torch Babies 2 Weeks Old VIDEO

2011-04-15T17:05:00.000-07:00

Rowan and Torch's babies are now 2 weeks old.

Money 6 Months

2010-01-14T10:49:00.000-08:00

Bet you thought we had disappeared!

Been very busy with the holidays and some construction at our house..

Money and the other pups are doing great. Nelson showed last weekend and won his FIRST POINT! Wahoo! GO Nelson1

Money is coming along nicely with her show training... She will now stand perfectly for exam and is learning to bait. Gaiting on the lead is still an adventure in organization but she at least knows what to do if not which foot to do it on!

We will start our formal obedience training soon (weather has been bitterly cold) and I look forward to answering the questions Ms. Money sends us.

My new computer is nearly set up now so anyone who wants to send more photos please do! I will be able to share them here!

Meanwhile, some updates from the others:

Hailey is getting along great with her great-aunt Hannah...
Tebow loves pointing the chickens and playing with his boy.
Banks is learning show training and hanging out with his Ridgeback brother.
Jazz is also learning show training and how to dig craters with her sister, Esme.
Nelson has started showing, as I mentioned, and has now 1 point!
Conagher is an agility star in the making - he loves the tunnel and is now learning to jump 12 inches!

Sorry for the long gap. Will try to keep up!

Money's First Handling Class

2009-10-02T16:55:00.000-07:00

Last night Ms. Money had her first show handling class.

Show handling class is about teaching a dog how to work in the conformation show ring. They must be stacked (have their feet and legs and body manipulated into the correct position), examined (have the judge go over them thoroughly, including teeth and testicles (if they have them), gait around the ring at a trot (this gait is chosen as it best shows the dogs' structure on the move) and bait (this means looking extremely appealing for the judge so he or she will be completely charmed and forget anything he or she saw that might not be perfect). OK, OK, baiting is REALLY so that the judge can evaluate the dogs expression, the shape of his or her ears and eyes and get a feel for his temperament and willingness to interact with strangers. Money however will likely be using her baiting skills for the former, as she is so disgustingly cute...

The MOST important part of taking a baby puppy to handling class is letting them become comfortable around as many people and dogs as you can. Socialization in new situations goes a long way to a well-adjusted, confident puppy that you can take anywhere without worry that he or she will be uncomfortable. Don't wait! The sooner you start, the better!

Anyhow, naturally I did not expect Money, at 3 months of age, to learn all of these skills in one night. What I wanted was for her to go and see the class, hopefully interact positively with some of the people there, and learn a little bit about being stacked on the floor (thus far we've only stacked her on tables) and be gaited a few times.

All of that went fairly well, She was not intimidated by any of the other dogs (not even the two Komondorak, the Dane, the Chow or the Australian Shepherd). She permitted me to stack her several times and even stood still for the instructor to pet her and play with her face a bit as a preface to checking her bite when she's gone to a few more classes. She did gait for me on the lead, altho she had some objections to the show lead, which is not quite as loose or comfortable as her buckle collar.

What she learned best, however, was the handling class involves SNACKS. Lots of YUMMY, SMELLY, EXCELLENT SNACKS. She had cheese, chicken, liver, dried lamb, dried fish, biscuits and some kind of liverwurst that I thought was quite gross. She informed me later that all of it was lovely and we should go back inside and get some more.

Teaching a puppy to learn to stand still and to bait is a bit of a challenge. Especially when said puppy is apparently a CHOW HOUND and still has her pirhana-like puppy teeth. However, we perservered. I worked on having her WAIT for her snacks by hiding them in my hand. Nudging her back whenever she grabbed at my fingers soon had her looking expectantly at my hand, which is the end goal of baiting. When she is fully trained, the idea is for her to walk towards me (and the judge) and stack HERSELF in perfect position with her MOST charming and appealing expression waiting for her treat. So, learning to stand and wait is a good start towards this.

By the way, there is absolutely NO REASON not to have your show puppy also in other classes for obedience, agility or other training. Any dog who can learn both sit and down can also learn to STAND in show handling class. Any dog who has shown that he or she knows it is DINNERTIME just be your behavior can understand the difference between showing in conformation and showing in obedience or rally or agility. Don't give up that valuable time to get obedience training done just because you want to show your dog. EVERY single one of my dogs has had training in show handling AND obedience AND field from infancy and they are NOT confused.

That said, Money heads tomorrow for her first obedience class. Will keep you posted....

Money Goes Camping

2009-10-02T16:13:00.000-07:00

Last week we headed to upstate NY for camping and a 4-day dogshow in Samson State Park, located on the northweast side of Seneca Lake. It's a beautiful park, very well kept with clean showers and lovely camping along the lake.

It took about 5 hours to drive up and I'm not entirely sure how we fit our tent, 2 canopies, 4 dogs, several suitcases, myriads of tarps, our kerosene heater, camping equipment and crates into the minivan, but it DID fit.

Money was angelicly good the entire drive. Upon arrival and after checking in, we let the dogs out of the car so they could stretch their legs and we could unearth the 2 portable expens to contain them while we set up camp. 5 seconds and 10 steps out of the car, Money was already attempting suicide by mushroom. We quickly stuffed her into the expen and removed any more obvious mushrooms. She didn't die, so apparently they weren't poisonous...

While we were setting up our tent and canopies, searching for our tent stakes and tying down all the tarps in case of wind and rain (always expected while camping lakeside) and trying to get everything organized, we put Money & her dad with the other two dogs (Z and Scarlett) into the expens.

As we had arrived on Tuesday and the show didn't start until Thursday AND the park is closed to "non-show" campers for the entire week, we had the park to ourselves. After dark we took the dogs for a long run under the stars in a huge empty field adjacent to our campsite. It was very funny watching Money running thru the grass, which, while mowed, was still up to her neck. Frequently she would trip and roll, head over heels, landing on her back.

Several evenings we had a campfire and a few evenings were chilly enough for our Kerosene heater. Money is a comforts kinda girl so she did get to wear her new coat several mornings when it was cold: BUT what Money absolutely loved best was the SLEEPING BAGS. Our tent is large and has room for our queen-sized air mattress along with several crates. Normally Z sleeps with us camping but there just isn't room for anyone else so they sleep in their crates. The first night, Money woke us about 4am to potty and John brought her into the sleeping bag with us. That was it. She was IN LOVE. She never moved until nearly 7:30AM and then REFUSED to get out until she heard kibble noises.

The rest of the trip she could be seen attempting to re-enter the tent repeatedly, even tho it was zipped, in order to regain the warmth and comfort of the magical SLEEPING BAGS. She would RUN towards the tent and LEAP at the seam for the zipper, having seen us go thru it many times. Knowing it MIGHT be zipped but COULD be opened, she would be bicycling her front legs like mad, hoping that might show the opening. Often the tent was zipped tight to deter the spiders and she would SLIDE DOWN, landing in a heap in front of the tent, only to jump up and try again. Each time she was allowed into the tent alone, she could be found, curled up, sound asleep and very warm, in the middle of the bed.

ONe afternoone we took MOney down to the lakefront to watch the seagulls and see what she thought of the water. Here are some photos of her,

watching seagulls,

chasing seagulls,

and eating seagull feathers...

Other things Money found tasty on this trip, besides the fortunately NOT poisonous mushrooms: sticks, pinecones, a nasty rawhide someone had left from a previous year at the show (EW), walnuts, moss, grass heads (she loved to grab them while running thru the fields, mouth WIDE open), deer poop, rabbit poop, seagull poop. Are we seeing a trend here? Yeah, if it was portable, she ate it. She also likes coffee, cider, and beer, but not wine. She was not impressed with the wine we bought up there, so we drank it ourselves.

One afternoon Rowan's 1/2 sister Lucy came for the show and brought 3 of her pups along with her. As you might remember, they are a day older than Rowan's pups. Money was at first taken aback by her rowdy 1/2 brothers, who are considerably larger than her miniature little self. Next thing she was chivvying them all over the pen, and they were lined up on one of the dog beds, looking innocent while she collected all the dog bones. Soon everyone was playing politely and later they all trooped up to the show grounds for a look around.

All the pups enjoyed the show. They were wide-eyed at strange things like blacktop pavement, generators, flapping flags and tents, the big hairy dogs, the little hair dogs, the chairs and people and cars and trucks and campers, all in a hurry to go SOMEWHERE. The pups did well. Money was a bit reserved with many of the people, but a few took her fancy and she made a few friends. All in all, she had a wonderful time and got a good taste of the great big world she's been waiting to see.

Sunset over Lake Seneca.

Rowan X Duncan Photo Updates

2009-09-29T11:20:00.000-07:00

Just a few new photos from the pups in their new homes. JUst got back from a camping trip to NY with our little Money, her Dad, Duncan, Grammy Scarlett & Great-Grammy Z. More on that later this week!

Here are your photos:

Here's Hailey looking proud of herself in her new pink collar. Wish our grass was still that green!

Her mom reports she is quite the lapdog and gives many kisses. Also she is wearing out her great-great Aunt Hannah (a sister to Great-Grammy Z) as they play together quite a bit.

Here's Banks with Kosana, his new "brother." He has already started on his field training (whistle commands and hand signals) and is learning to sit, down, come and walk on a leash. HIs mom reports his big brother is a bit too enthusiastic OUTSIDE, but that they play together great indoors. Just you wait, Kosana, till Banks grows a bit!

And Tebow with his new brother. Their mom says Tebow and her son are similar in personality and get along great. She also said that he went to visit a sick relative who asked for him to be put onto the bed with him. The puppy, who is a very busy guy, normally, laid quietly there all day and was a perfect angel.

And MOST importantly, Happy, Happy Birthday to Z, who is 10 years old today. This photo was taken in July at the Pointer Associates of New England Specialty Show. Not too shabby for a great-grandmother!

Happy Birthday, too, to Z's brothers and sisters: Leo, Hannah, Zip, Monet, Rosetti and Chrissie. All are still with us and being spoiled rotten by their families! May we all somehow get 10 more wonderful years!

You are the best, Beautiful Z.

Z as a puppy (about the same age as Rowan & Duncan's pups):

Here they are at 8 weeks:

Monet, Hannah, Leo, Zip, Z, Rosetti & Chrissie

Money 10 1/2 Weeks

2009-09-21T05:54:00.001-07:00

It's been an eventful couple of weeks for Ms. Money at our house. One by one, her littermates have gone to their new homes. She lost her buddy Uncle Kelson, and now she is the only puppy remaining here.

She has learned many things in such a short period of time:

She has learned what "Outside" and "Inside" mean.
She has learned about "Going for a Ride"
She has learned to wear a collar.
She has learned to walk on a leash.
She's learned to sleep alone in her crate.
She's learned to EAT alone in her crate.
She's learned a bit about what is HERS and what is OURS.
She's learned that Daddy's lap is a GOOD place.
She's learned that pestering Great--Great Grammy Morgan is NOT a good idea.

Money has learned to go UP the stairs (because the vacuum is VERY scary!) but not down...

She's beginning to learn how to put her feet up to get into her crate (which is stacked ON top of Duncan's crate).

She's learned a little about NOT trampling the gardens.

She's been for runs in the woods and the fields - she particularly likes to grab the grass heads as she bounces by...

We are going camping in upstate NY this week and Money is coming along (as are Duncan, Z and Scarlett). As the weather up there has been VERY cold at night and early in the morning, I made Money a coat to keep her warm. It won't fit long, but she's darn cute wearing it!

At first she told us that it had crippled her and refused to move with it on, but soon she was zooming around, and had learned to run in it AND chew on it at the same time...

The camping trip will be good for her to learn about new places and people and h ave a wonderful time with us. We are really looking forward to having time to spend with her and the other dogs.

A typical morning with Money at home:

Money eats breakfast and goes out to potty.

Money comes in and:

Murders some toys
Chew on some chew hooves
Crawls under the recliner
Pesters Grammy Scarlett, who lets her
Pesters Great-Grammy Z who doesn't
AVOIDS Great-Great-Grammy Morgan who is NOT amused
Rummages thru my crochet basket
Has my turned wooden crochet needles taken away
Finds a sock
Murders the sock
Has the sock taken away
Gets a drink
Takes a flying leap at the sofa and misses
Takes another flying leap at the sofa and bounces off
Takes a flying leap at the big dogbed and lands with a somersault flourish
Sits quietly for about.... 10 seconds
And is off again into something else....

Fortunately she also still sleeps quite a bit...

9 Week Update - Rowan X Duncan

2009-09-12T08:48:00.000-07:00

Puppies are now 9 weeks old. Two more pups flew to their new homes in Florida yesterday and arrived safely (Whew!).

Their new families have shared some photos of them settling in:

Here's Hailey in her new dog bed. Her family says she "loves the kids and is fascinated by the cat."

Banks lounging on his new porch. He's getting along nicely with his housemate, a Rhodesian Ridgeback, and likes to play in the fountain in their yard.

Here's Jazz with her new big sister, Esma, learning how to dig to China.

Tebow just before he left for Florida, peeking out from under the recliner:

And we still have three little ones at home here (two go home next week, leaving us with Ms. Money):

Conagher has conquered the buffalo toy yet again:

Nelson with Uncle Kelson having a nap:

And Money, being naughty, as usual (she's a cute pest, but a pest nonethless!)

Sadly, tolerant and protective Uncle Kelson was put to rest a two days after these photos were taken. I know the babies will miss having him to play with. Kelson was 13 1/2 and a loyal and devoted companion who raised countless puppies with patience and not a small amount of resignation. He will be sorely missed.

Puppy Video: The Pots, The Sprinkler & the Dummy...

2009-09-06T09:52:00.001-07:00

Last video of all the babies together! Pups are now 7 weeks. I set up the sprinkler near their pen and gave them some plastic pots to play with. And we introduced them to a retrieving dummy with pheasant wings attached. You will see some of them pointing! This is only really an indication of their pointing instinct, not their hunting skills or talents. I'm hoping to have some live birds before all the pups go home if possible. The best way to start puppies is on LIVE quail (we choose quail because they are the smallest and seem to have the strongest scent).

Puppy Housebreaking

2009-09-06T09:25:00.000-07:00

Puppies have begun to go to their new homes. Jazz & Banks have headed off on their merry way with their new people, and both are doing well. They are eating well, sleeping quietly in their crates at night and learning how to fit into a new family.

Naturally the first order of business with any new puppy is housebreaking. Part of this is potty training and part is learning house manners.

It's important to remember that your puppy has only a beginning of these rules. We do make an big effort to begin potty training and house manners before your puppy goes home, but puppies spending an hour or two in teh living room with us and most of the day either outside or safely in their puppy pen indoors is very different from all the freedom they have in a new home.

POTTY TRAINING:

Puppies need to go out far more often than adult dogs. Our adults might go out between 3 and 5 times a day. The pups need to go outdoors after nearly every activity. They wake up, they need to go out. They eat, they need to go out. They play hard for 30 minutes, they need to go out. Since at first they don't know or understand the rules, it is YOUR job to help them. Get used to the idea of putting the puppy outdoors whenever the activities change. It's helpful to put the puppy out on a leash at first - go out with them and supervise. Choose the spot in the yard you will MOST wish the puppy to use for elimination, and walk her to that spot. Then just wait - don't try to play with the puppy or interact much - it's not playtime. You might try walking in a small circle to get the puppy moving around. Once the puppy has gone, tell her how great she is and you can either take her back inside or remove the leash and let her play.

For the first several weeks, any accidents the puppy has are really not her fault. It is up to you to keep a close eye on her and get her out BEFORE any accidents. If you missed your chance, and you find the mess but the puppy is not caught in the act, you can only clean up and vow to watch more closely. You CANNOT discipline the puppy unless she is caught still squatting. Even if the puppy is still in the same room or NEAR the mess, YOU CANNOT DISCIPLINE. IF the puppy is not actually still going, she will just think she is being disciplined for say, standing near the mess. Or, being in that room. Or, standing near a lamp.

If I see a puppy starting to have an accident, I will call out "Hey! Not in here!" and scoop the puppy up and get her right outside (at this point I'm saying "Outside! Outside" in a more pleasant tone. Usually they will then go immediately since I've startled them. NOW I can praise for right behavior. Puppies usually get the idea fairly quickly.

DO NOT put your puppy's nose in the mess and discipline them. They are sure to agree it's disgusting, but this message is not going to be clear. It will only be clear and make sense if they are disciplined DURING the act and shown immediately where the correct place is.

Putting your puppy on a schedule at home in which he is being fed, played with, taken outdoors and put to bed at approximately the same time will really go a long way to facilitating the potty training. It will be several months until the puppy has full bodily control of his functions, and the schedule will help him to get the idea before his body is ready to comply with what he is learning.

Each time I take a puppy out the door I will say "Outside!" and each time I take them indoors I will say "Inside!" Some of the pups still here already understand these words. Some of them will already go towards the door when I said "Outside!" The same goes for putting the puppy in to the crate or the puppy kennel. We use the word "Kennel!" for nearly every doorway so they learn that the word "Kennel" means "Go in there."

HOUSE MANNERS

I'm surely nearly every new puppy has a pile of new toys to play with. Make sure these include items puppies like to chew on. Hard bones, nyla bones, chew hooves (the white ones don't smell nearly so bad as the black ones!) and teething toys are great. We strongly recommend you do NOT use any rawhides. The dogs seem to like to soften them up and then try to swallow them whole. This can lead to constipation, indigestion and sometimes obstruction surgery in the intestines.

It's also important to note that all of the Corwyn puppies, as well as other puppies, are usually raised in a whelping box or pen lined with newspapers. So, it's a good idea to keep newspapers, magazines and other paper items up off the floor where the puppy could get confused.

When puppy proofing our home, we put away important items the puppy might swipe, and make sure all electrical cords are out of reach, if possible. However, it's useful to leave out a FEW nonessential items which are NOT puppy toys in order to be able to show the puppy what IS and IS NOT allowed. I usally have at least one pair of ratty old shoes and a few tissues around on the floor. This way, when the puppy picks up something NOT for the his use, I can take it away and provide something appropriate that IS his. And, if he does go after the shoes or tissue, I've not lost anything important.

Until your puppy begins to understand the rules, it's best to be sure he is supervised at all times. If you must be doing something that distracts you from watching him, put him safely outdoors or into his crate. I don't particularly like having puppies helping me cook, fold laundry or clean the house. It's very difficuilt to do a good job at these tasks AND watch the puppy as well. If I allow him to be loose while I'm distracted, any damages are really my fault as the puppy simply has not yet learned the rules.

It's important that children in the household learn to keep their bedroom & playroom doors closed and keep their possessions off the floor. Anything in reach is going to be interesting to a curious puppy. And puppies all seem to feel that most of these interesting items are much improved by being turned into confetti....

So, those of you still waiting on your new puppy - start looking around for things the puppy might find interesting and put them safely way. Begin thinking about the schedule you will set for your puppy and a quiet place to put his crate. In a few weeks you will be enjoying your new baby and teaching him all the new rules in his new house!

Here's Jazz in her new home meeting one of her "cousins."

And Ms. Money is settling in here quite nicely:

Money and Scarlett Money, Z and Scarlett

Rowan X Duncan 7 Weeks (Plus Video!)

2009-08-30T20:59:00.000-07:00

A lot of people over the years have asked me why pups need to stay at Corwyn until 8 weeks, even after they are weaned. I think now many people understand that 8 weeks is the "minimum" age for pups to go home, but they wonder why?

As you have seen in the videos, the pups are exploring their environment more and more. Their physical development is progressing, but so is their mental development. Every new sight, sound, smell and taste is foreign, and many things are scary or startling. Having one's parents, adult dogs, or one's siblings around when experiencing new things builds confidence. It's not just about having a puppy physically larger or about learning bite inhibition or leadership from other dogs and siblings.

With pups at this age, if something scary happens, they will bunch up and look for some security. If no person or adult dog is nearby, they will group together and weather the scary experience. Often one pup will spook at something new, and others will be more curious. Next thing you see is the spooked pup taking interest with the others, and the fright passes. This time with siblings is very important and can really advance confidence and mental development.

It is a busy time for the breeder, however. The pups are into EVERYTHING. Safety barriers that worked at age 4 and 5 weeks are no longer sufficient. Mom is no longer cleaning up so if pups do not have regular access to the outdoors due to weather or safety concerns, clean-up is arduous. Right now I am doing at least one load of laundry every day, and our pups are spending most of their day outdoors because the weather has been fair.

The pups need people socialization. Luckily we have had lots of nice folks coming to visit the pups and they've learned that everyone they meet is kind and affectionate and tolerant of the little "pirhanas." We have even been able to borrow a few children and for the most part they seem to like them. Money was not too sure about my 15 month old nephew, who is just learning to walk (read: stumble), but fortunately she runs VERY FAST!

The pups have now had 2 baths, and the second bath went much better than the first. A bit of scattered sniveling, but no shrieks of horror.

We've been working on coming when called, which is going pretty well - now nearly everyone comes inside and goes outside as a group. We have also started crate training and, after a few rough nights, everyone is now quiet in their crates from about 10PM until 5-6AM. They are also clean in the crates, altho often while putting the first pups out the ones waiting cannot quite make it out of the crates. But they are getting the idea. We have been bringing them into the living room to play and explore and some of them will go to the back door when they need to potty. Others, not quite there yet!

Meanwhile there is all the boring stuff like making travel arrangements for puppies going out of state, creating puppy contracts, making sure the AKC papers are all in order, putting together puppy packages that will include photos, pedigrees, a daily schedule, worming & vaccination records and other important material we like our puppy folks to have.

And, of course, we must keep up with the videos! Here is the latest!

Duncan X Rowan 6 Weeks

2009-08-30T17:25:00.001-07:00

It's been a busy week and I know I'm dreadfully behind on photos and video... Am still working on the video but here are a few photos to tide you all over until I get that done!

Here are their little sweet faces:

Vanderbilt (Jazz)

Carnegie (Conagher: oops - fell asleep while I was doing photos)

Rothschild (Hailey)

Rockefeller (Nelson)

Lady Astor (Money)

Hopkins (Tebow)

Crocker (Banks)

Duncan X Rowan - 5 1/2 Weeks

2009-08-19T20:32:00.001-07:00

The pups are 6 weeks tomorrow!

Everyone is doing great. They are really enjoying their outside time and coming along nicely with their baby housebreaking routine - they are already mostly pottying outside so long as I can get them out as soon as I hear them waking up from their many naps. Tonight they came in after their supper and were up again whining at 10PM - they wanted to go OUT!

We have also managed to get them to start following us indoors and outdoors, so less carrying than this past week! Much easier on my back and quicker, too!

Puppies will get their first shots soon and will be wormed one more time. They are eating regular food three times a day and now nursing only once or twice a day, when Rowan is feeling uncomfortable. I suspect puppies having teeth is a major contributing factor to Rowan wanting to wean them!

We are trying to expose the pups to as many new things as we can. This week I took a bucket into the puppy yard to water some flowers and they all were fairly sure the bucket was WAY TOO SCARY. Once it was empty I tossed it into their yard and left it for them to investigate. You can see how they did with it in this photo of Banks and in their latest video:

Duncan X Rowan - 4 1/2 Week Video

2009-08-12T19:46:00.000-07:00

New Video!

Four Weeks - Rainy Day Update

2009-08-09T05:43:00.000-07:00

Puppies have been doing very well outdoors. Now that they are getting around better, they are beginnning to enjoy the grass and learning about toys and new smells and how to play together.

They have also started on regular food which we try to feed outdoors so they can potty afterwards OUTDOORS! Yesterday was so nice they spent most of the day outside and there was no pooping indoors at all!

However, this morning was drizzly but still fairly warm. I put the pups outdoors under the eaves of the porch so they could attempt to potty outside before their breakfast. A few brave souls ventured out into the wet grass and drizzle to potty. Soon, of course, they were all huddled under the protective eave and I opened their gate to let them onto the covered porch to eat. One by one they followed me onto the porch and discovered their meal. Soon the bowl was empty and the pups were exploring the porch.

There were many new things to see: a few toys, furniture (ooh! wicker!), a broom, rugs of different textures, a bucket full of scrub brushes and garden tools, the grill... One puppy managed to knock over the broom but nobody seemed to mind. Soon they were all examining the handle and attacking the bristles... Someone found a plastic piece of who-knows-what and proudly carried it off to show the others.

The pups are very curious and every day is a new adventure. However, at this age their stamina is limited and after about 15 minutes they were all huddled under a table, looking cold and sleepy.

One by one, I called them into the laundry room. Each puppy managed to brave the BIG 5" doorjamb into the house. Keeping in mind the pups are only about 6" at the shoulder right now, it was quite the climb! The pups each are learning to respond to my voice and follow my fingers. As each pup made the big climb he or she was scooped up, given a smoosh and put into the box. This apparently was NOT part of their plan! Soon they were all at the front of the box, yelling for their lawyers and wanting BACK OUT!

All is peaceful now. They are piled up under their heat lamp, sleeping off their breakfast and getting warm and dry again.

Five Generations of Pointers at Corwyn

2009-08-07T15:15:00.001-07:00

Left to Right (Generation #)

Ch Corwyn's Cezanne JH CD RN VA "Z" (2)

Taunton Bay in the Spotlight CDX JH "Morgan" (1)

Ch Corwyn's Flame JH CDX VA "Scarlett" (3)

Puppies - Duncan X Rowan - (5)

Ch Corwyn's Mystic JH CD VA (4)

Pointer Puppy Video - 4 Weeks

2009-08-07T13:49:00.000-07:00

They are now 4 weeks old and really beginning to enjoy being outdoors. They are all doing great. They have learned to use the newspapers and keep their blanket clean. They will be starting on soaked kibble and goat's milk this weekend as they are getting so big! Their teeth have come in and Rowan is being very tolerant about it, but it is now time to begin learning to chew kibble and eat without mom. They were wormed again this week - more gagging and smacking of lips over the strange taste! PUps all weigh about 5 lbs now, except the little girl, who is catching up. She now weighs 4 lbs, which is pretty good since for quite some time they were all TWICE her size!

This next video is a bit long - sorry for those folks whose computers are choking on the file, but I wanted to get a little bit of every puppy in this! Hope you enjoy it!

PUppy Video #3

2009-07-30T18:34:00.000-07:00

I cannot promise a video every few days, but I have another for your enjoyment.

First an update. Pups are all doing well, continuing to grow and learning new things every day. They have been outdoors twice now and were somewhat braver on the second trip out. As they are still only awake for 10-15 minutes at a stretch, all adventures dissolve into naptime...

Pups have been wormed once so far, due again next week. It is pretty funny to see them standing and sitting about the box, all coughing and gagging on this new taste. Even the adults seem to gag on the wormer (which apparently tastes like butterscotch). It must be the slightly sticky texture.

As a treat, in preparation for their introduction to real food, I placed a plate in the box today which was smeared with yogurt (just vanilla). I dipped each little nose into the plate, and soon they were all sitting around, licking their lips humming with pleasure. I went to answer the phone, and when I came back 5 minutes later, the plate was licked clean and the pups were working on each other. I let Rowan back in and she finished up the cleaning.

Since I caught several of them standing elbow deep in Rowan's food bowl the yesterday, I think they will be quite pleased when it's time for food. Rowan was a bit annoyed that three little heads and six little feet were taking up most of her bowl, (altho she just growled and pushed in between them to eat) so I've gone back to feeding her OUTSIDE the box. They have also had a few sips from the water bucket clipped inside teh box - so they are learning that not all good things come from Mom. I'm not, however, in a hurry to start them on food so long as they are still gaining steadily and Rowan is maintaining her weight (albeit with about 12+ cups of food per day plus goat's milk and eggs). Once they begin on real food, often the dam is less willing to help keep the box clean and my job gets quite a bit more arduous.

Here they are, after their nap, wide awake and full of vinegar:

Puppies First Outside Adventure...

2009-07-28T13:40:00.000-07:00

This is a video of the pups' first time outside. They are 2 1/2 weeks old. They were a bit sleepy as they had just eaten. Keep watch for Grammy Scarlett, who pretty much hogged the limelight...

Rowan on TV

2009-07-26T18:58:00.000-07:00

Forgot to mention... You can see Rowan in the Sporting Group at the Harrisburg KC Show this past April on Animal Planet this week:

Animal Planet:
7/30/2009 Thursday 12:00m - 3:00am

7/30/2009 Thursday 8:00pm - 11:00pm

8/1/2009 Saturday 2:00pm - 5:00pm

She didn't win in the group, but at least you can see her show! :-)

Rowan's Puppies - 2 weeks Video

2009-07-25T17:50:00.000-07:00

This is my VERY first video ever.... :-)

Rowan's Puppies Day 14

2009-07-23T17:04:00.000-07:00

And, they're up! Puppies are now 2 weeks old. Their eyes are open, they can hear, and they are MOBILE.

They can't see far, but they can see MOM, and when they do, they yell for their supper! Now she has to be VERY careful getting into the box, as they can see her coming and all crowd around her. The look on her face is quite worried, "How will I ever lie down with them mugging me?"

But, by slowly lowering herself with her front feet tucked in, she manages. The pups immediately rush her, scrambling over one another. Then all is quiet for a bit while they are eating. While they are eating, they are bathed and nuzzled. Once they are fed, Rowan quickly makes her getaway.

The pups are left looking around in confusion for her. But now they are aware of one another. They stumble around the box - most are able to take a few steps before toppling over. They paw one another, make tiny high-pitched puppy barks at one another, and do all sorts of big dog things. They shake themselves (which usually results in them flopping over on their side), they yawn, they sneeze:

And the next thing you know, they are asleep again, and all is peaceful.

Duncan is daying for his chance to play with the pups. He is very curious and can often be found peering into the box. I don't believe he knows they are HIS puppies, but he surely is fascinated! Rowan is tolerant, to a point. NO FEET may enter the box. She will immediately chase him out if he tries to climb in with them.

We've been wanting to get the pups outside for a short period now that their eyes are open. They are longing to explore - they stumble off their blanket onto the slippery kitchen floor while I'm cleaning the box and putting in a new blanket, they exlore the box and are beginning to notice the toys Rowan keeps throwing into the box with them. If it would stop RAINING here, we could let them have a real adventure in the yard (under the strict supervision of their mom and two grammies...)

Pups are still gaining at a great rate. The collective group is now gaining over a pound a day, all compliments of Rowan. No wonder she is eating so much!

Puppies Day 10

2009-07-19T13:32:00.000-07:00

First a couple of miscellaneous family photos:

And now, the news for the weekend - THEY ARE WALKING!

The poor boogers still cannot SEE where they are going, but they are GOING and they are attempting to do so on all fours instead of on their bellies. It's really important at this point they have some good traction so they don't slip and slide. The fleecy blankets we use in their box are great for that - very easy to grip with their little toes and soft to fall on!

It's a bit like the movie Bambi where he is trying to stand on the ice... The get their heads off the ground, struggling to balance the weight of their heads and fat little bellies on their unused leg muscles (they are using the CRAWLING muscules, but not the STANDING ones). Then they gather their little rears under them and push up. Then there is a second or two where they balance, teetering, on all fours, and then, inevitably, they lose their balance and either chin or behind hits the blanket. Or, they will proudly balance on all fours, then decide to attempt locomotion... One step and the whole balance is lost and down they go.

It will not be long before they are getting around pretty well. Often the actual success of walking occurs about the time their eyes are open. This should be happening pretty soon. Thus far, you will have noticed their eyes are very tightly closed. The lids are actually sealed shut and all you have been able to see is their fur. Now, as we near the time when their eyes will be unsealed, you can see, particularly on the oranges, a dark line of pigment that is the eyerims. Soon little twinkles of their eyes as the corners begin to open. This week we should have some very cute little shots of their faces...

Puppies' First week

2009-07-16T17:12:00.000-07:00

The puppies first week has gone by.

Nearly all the puppies have doubled in weight during this week. Even the tiny girl puppy has gained weight every day.

They have learned to get excited every time mom steps into the box. They climb all over her, each other, and all around the box. Most of them are still crawling. If a person picks them up to hold them, they immediately begin sniffing like mad for a snack. They will persist with this until they grow sleepy. If they stray from a shirt front upon skin, they will commence to suck immediately, then give up in disgust when they get no result.

They have had their dewclaws removed, and had all their tiny nails trimmed. Their nails are so tiny that they are as fine as a needle. All that is needed is a pair of nail clippers. Keeping the nails trimmed prevents scratches to one another and to mom. Most of them protested quite a bit more about the nail trimming than they did about having their dewclaws removed.

All of their umbilical cords have dried up and fallen off.

Their eyes and ears are still tightly sealed, altho I'm beginning to see a faint dark line across their eyes which means in a few more days they will begin to open.

Rowan is looking good and seems to have plenty of milk. She will become quite engorged with milk, then feed the puppies, meanwhile bathing and nuzzling them. The puppies will start out nursing fiercely and pushing and shoving for position. Once each one has a nipple they will nurse until the quantity of milk seems inadequate to them, then begin casting about for another spot. At first there is a tidy line of pups nursing, little tails in the air, and after a few minutes they are all shuffling about, hoping for more. When Rowan gets out of the box, not a drop of milk can be squeezed from her! The puppies will all have fat round bellies and drop off to sleep.

Next week will be interesting as their eyes begin to open (normally 10-14 days) and they will begin to enter the world...

Rowan Puppies 1 Week

2009-07-16T17:05:00.001-07:00

Who's jonesing for photos?

Need oxygen!

Queen of the Mountain

Da Sistas

This moustache shows up in nearly every litter of puppies at Corwyn....

This is the LIFE!

Talk to the paw...

UGH! I ate too much!

Rowan's pups Day 4

2009-07-13T11:33:00.000-07:00

Just a more specific update and some photos:

As I menioned in the previous post, the pups are all gaining weight and looking great. I can tell they are healthy as they are eating well, moving around the box quite a bit (even when sleeping there is a fair amount of activity). One good way to tell how the pups are doing is to pick them up and handle them. A healthy pup will wriggle quite a bit, often protesting his separation from his littermates. They feel quite heavy for their size - weighted and solid. At this age the skin should be supple and pliable, and the little ribs and hipbones should not be visible. So long as they can get around the box and nurse properly, I personally feel there is no such thing as "too fat" a puppy. The pups are now gaining about 2 ounces a day, which is nearly a 10% weight gain EVERY DAY so far. I have found this amount of weight gain to be fairly normal for my pups. I'm not sure whether it would be appropriate for every breed.

I have been supplementing the pups just a bit with some diluted goat's milk. This is a good-sized (altho not huge) litter and I want to make sure everyone is getting enough. Most particularly the smallest girl who is a good 5-7 ounces smaller than most of the other pups. I don't want her to fall behind. I know she's healthy and strong, and I want her to stay that way, so she gets a smidge extra a few times a day. Commercial puppy formulas are good, too, but I find the pups prefer goat's milk. It works best if diluted by 1/2, as goat's milk is richer than dog's milk and it can cause some constipation of not diluted. It's also a super supplement for the dam, rich in fat and protein. Later the goat's milk makes a great transition to regular food when it's time as the pups become accustomed to the taste and will eagerly lap up a gruel of goat's milk and kibble.

Here is a photo of "the pile" at day 1:

And the little boogers today:

You can clearly see how they've filled out - their little bellies are rounded and they look fuller and more solid.

As they grow their features and bodies will become more defined and they will begin to look more like pups and less like rodents...

Here's Rowan giving baths and feeding pups. The one with his little butt in the air just got his bath and never stopped eating the whole time!

What makes a good dam?

2009-07-13T11:11:00.001-07:00

So far, all is going as well as one could wish!

Rowan is being a super mom. She is doing her job as well as can be expected.

What makes a good dam:

1) Firstly it is helpful if she has sufficient milk for the number of puppies produced. It can take a few days for the milk to come in and sometimes the first couple of days, pups can be fussy as they are hungry. You can supplement pups with diluted goat's milk or commerical puppy formula if they seem truly to be lacking, but it's still best to leave them with mom, even if you are helping out - the nursing they do will help bring the milk in. In bitches who've had a c-section the milk can take even longer to come in as the hormones released during delivery help stimulate milk production. Other things that are important to milk production are proper nutrition (mom should be getting good sources of fat & protein) and sufficient water intake. Mom should be drinking a great deal - if she's not, you can add water to her meals to help with that. I tend to make my dam's meals a bit like breakfast cereal with large quantities of water or goat's milk added to the kibble and other supplements (such as cottage cheese, boiled eggs and other protein sources)

2) Secondly, it is her job to keep the puppies clean and to help them eliminate their waste. Dirty puppies are not very desirable and cleanliness is always best for healthy pups. Mom will usually clean up the pups while they are nursing or shortly afterward. Often she will turn them all around with her muzzle, sometimes having them lie on their back or flipping them all around as she licks and nudges them. There is generally a certain amount of protesting about this, but the stimulus is good for them. As they get larger and begin to struggle more, you can often see mom pinning the pups with one paw and cleaning them.

3) It is important that the pups be kept warm. They cannot maintain their body temperature for the first couple of weeks, so between the dam and the breeder the pups must be kept very warm. I find dams who deliver pups in cold weather spend more time in the box, huddled with their pups to keep them warm. The pups will sleep in large piles and cuddle up to keep warm. A heating pad and/or a heat lamp are helpful in colder weather. As these pups have been born in July, and it's not really been hot or humid enough for us to run the air conditioners, these pups have been warm enough with their heat lamp alone, and often can be seen sprawled separately around the box. Clearly they are warm enough.

4) The dam must be CAREFUL. She should be aware enough of her pups not lie or step on them. Puppies are very resilient so an occasional mom foot on their tail or feet isn't likely to injure them, and usually she will jump back as soon as they squeak, but it can be very dangerous for her to lay on them as they can become smothered. This is the purpose of the "pig rail" around the inside of the box - it prevents mom from squashing pups against hte side of the box. Rowan has be quite careful about this and will often collect the pups into a pile in the center of the box and then lie down behind them. She will carefully tuck in her front paws as she does this and sort of slide down, ending up with the pups all between her front legs.

The dam will have other things to do as the pups get bigger - more "mental" mothering jobs, but for now, these are her tasks. Rowan is doing a super job and making my life very easy - I am not particularly concerned for the pups health or welfare at this point, altho I'm monitoring what I can to keep aware of how they are doing.

Rowan's Pups - Day 1

2009-07-10T10:12:00.000-07:00

Whew! It was good to get some sleep last night!

All is well in the whelping box. Rowan is eating, drinking and taking good care of the pups. She will come racing out to find me, ask to go out, potty and RUN back to the door. She then SHOULDERS any other dogs out of her way to head right to the box, where she will stop dead, and then CAREFULLY step into the box and circle around, trying to find a place to lie down where she won't squash any pups. She will tuck her front feet in, and sort of kneel down into a down position.

For the most part, the pups are quiet. Their needs are being met. They are warm, clean and the milk bar is full. They will make little happy puppy squeaks and moans while nursing, and sharp little cries of protest if they wander too far from the pile. Rowan will lean down and touch her nose to the pup, leading him back to his littermates.

Puppies at this age sleep and eat, and not much else. When sleeping, they are never still. They are twitching their ears, their lips, paddling with their feet and occasionally crawling from one place to another. If a puppy is very still, or not with the pile and quiet about it, there is likely something amiss.

Puppies at this age cannot elminate for themselves. Their mother must stimulate them and she will clean it up as soon as they go. This keeps the whelping box very clean and in the wild, would prevent the den from becoming soiled after weeks of occupation by a large number of pups.

Now Rowan is getting about one and a half times her normal ration. By the time the pups are 4-5 weeks old and ready for real food, she will be eating nearly 3X her normal amount in order to provide enough milk for them. As they learn to eat regular food, this amount can be tapered off to help her dry up her milk.

For now there is not much for me to do. I just check on the pups and Rowan, make sure she has plenty of clean water and her meals, and change the blanket when necessary. I weighed the pups this afternoon, and everyone has gained at least some weight. THe bigger pups have gained an entire ounce, which is quite a bit considering most of them weighed less then a pound(16 oz) at birth. It's not unusual for pups to lose a bit of weight the first day, but after that they should be gaining steadily. I will be watching this weight gain carefully, as well as their overall appearance, for at least the first 2 weeks.

Rowan's Puppy Delivery

2009-07-09T10:43:00.000-07:00

As you know, Rowan's temp was down to 99 yesterday, and when I got home from work it was down again to 98 degrees. She was very busy panting, nesting and looking for a safe place for her pups.

Knowing she was going to likely deliver that night, I methodically closed off all the "good spots" she kept choosing in the house for her pups: the bedroom, the study, the dogbed in the living room. Finally there was no place except the whelping box in the kitchen. I coaxed her into the box a few times and finally she settled down to wait in there. She was carrying a toy around in her mouth all night, acting as if it were her baby. She would alternately carry the toy around the house whining that noplace was suitable, and then settle down and clean and nudge the toy as if it was a puppy.

Around 11PM, Rowan was clearly getting uncomfortable, shifting around in the box and panting heavily and then napping. She would get up and dig frantically in the newspaper, then settle down, pant for a while, then fall asleep. Clearly the digging preceded each wave of labor contractions, followed by panting and then a rest. Occasionally she would whine and look around in some confusion. I told her she was doing a great job but mostly left her to her work. She often had a very faraway look in her eyes as she bore the discomfort.

Around 11:30, Rowan let out a low grunting moan and her hard labor began. The contractions came in waves of three and you could see her entire abdomen contract, her tail lifting away from her vulva with each push. She was mostly quiet now, working hard. After a few of these, I began to see a good sized bulge beneath her tail with each push as the puppy's head cleared her pelvis and started down the birth canal. After about 15 minutes, a bubble of clear liquid appeared, the vulva stretched tight around it. I could see a little face thru the abdominal fluid around the puppy. The head was large, and it took her several pushes to clear his head. She let out quite a yell as the puppy came free, and began frantically licking and cleaning the puppy, the sac, and herself. I reached over and tore the sac off the puppy's head and made sure the puppy was breathing, then left her to clean it off. I never saw the placenta, which she likely slurped right down.

The placenta is a large purple and green jelly-like mass which is normally delivered with or shortly after each puppy. It is the go between in teh uterus for nutrition and oxygen from the dam. The dam is often more concerned with taking care of this than her puppy at first. As she always seems so eager to dispose of it, and it likely contains lots of great nutrition, I just let her have it.

The puppy was wet, streaked with fluids and he lay gasping occasionally and waving his little legs. It was an orange or lemon male. It's difficult to tell orange from lemon in newborn pups. Often the inside of the ears will be smudged with gray, or there is a smudge of pigment on the nose - these pups are orange. Very pink pups with no gray inside the ears are usually lemon, but sometimes you cannot tell for several days.

When Rowan began cleaning herself and had left the puppy alone to recover, I quickly scooped him out to weigh him. He was 15 ounces. I took a towel and dried him, giving him a few shakes upside down (gripping him FIRMLY behind his head with the towel) to clear any fluid from his airway. He squeaked loudly in protest and I looked up to see a very outraged face looking at me. I quickly returned the puppy to Rowan who began licking him all over, gnawing and pulling at the umbilical cord. Dams will frequently spend a lot of time chewing and pulling at the cord, dragging the puppy around by it and even lifting them off the ground. They will fuss at the cords until they are chewed down the way they want them. It seems to be good stimulus for the puppy.

It can take a few minutes for each puppy to recover form the delivery. Once they are breathing, there is no need to hurry for them to nurse. They need some time to get used to breathing and take in all the stimuli they are getting in contrast to their warm, wet intrauterine world. For a few minutes, the puppy crawled around the box, heading for mom and nosing at her belly which is the warmest area of the box. After about 15 minutes he began seriously looking for a nipple and soon was nursing, kneading her with his tiny paws. She continued to lick the puppy, herself, and clean up the box.

About 20 minutes after the first puppy was born, Rowan began panting again. Her labor was starting up once more. She didn't do any more digging or nesting, and after a few pups had arrived I took out the newspaper and gave her a clean blanket. Blankets give much better traction than slippery newspaper for the little newborn pups and while they will get wet and smeared with fluids, they can be laundered.

It took about 5 minutes for her to push out the next puppy, a black and white male about 13 ounces. He was a bit easier than the first - she was well lubricated with fluids and he was smaller than the first boy.

I do not remove the pups as each successive puppy is born. Nursing stimulates further contractions and is helpful for keeping the delivery moving along. The dam will even lick herself to stimulate the hormones produced by nursing. I did keep the puppies away from her rear to make room for the next puppy and its fluids, but still, the puppies often crawled thru the fluids and became soiled as each puppy was born. Not to worry - Rowan carefully kept cleaning them off.

The next puppy born was a tiny orange girl - only 9 ounces. She looks very like Rowan did as a newborn. To my surprise this little bug was quite strong and squeaked indignantly thru her first bath and was soon crawling quickly across the box towards mom. She wormed her way between her two bigger brothers and settled down to rest against mom. I took a quick trip to get another cup of coffee and hush the older dogs who were peering interestedly over the gate into the kitchen. When I came back the little girl was nursing and Rowan was resting quietly.

The rest of the pups came without incident. There was a slightly longer interval between the pups as the delivery progressed. Naturally the pups closer to the birth canal come first, so the later pups have a further distance to travel and will take a bit longer to reach the outside. Rowan was very calm now, quiet and working hard. There was less panting between contractions now, and her grunts with each contraction were lower and less noticeable. She was very occupied cleaning and tending to the existing pups, and they recovered quickly from each delivery.

Soon they were alternately sleeping, nursing and pulling themselves with little jerks around the box. Puppies are blind and deaf at birth. Their eyes are tightly closed and their ears are as well. The only senses they have at this point are smell and touch. They can feel pain and cold, and they can smell mom. If the pups got too far from Rowan, they would let out little indignant squeaks of protest. Rowan would lean out and touch them with her nose. You could see them lifting their heads, questing with their noses to find her again.

By 4Am we had our litter. Seven puppies. One orange or lemon boy, three black boys, two orange girls and one black girl. The largest was 16 ounces, the smallest the little orange girl who was 9 ounces. All were VERY active and nursing well. By the time the last puppy was born, the first couple had been nursing enough that their little bellies were taut and rounded.

Having looked at the x-ray, I knew that we should have at least seven pups. I wanted to check whether I could feel another puppy inside, so I took Rowan outside to potty and check her over. I had to put a lead on her and FORCE her out of the box. She was horrified that I might think she should leave them. We went outside and after a few minutes she did finally go to the bathroom. I very gently felt her abdomen and wasn't quite sure if there was another puppy or not. I didn't feel anything hard enough to be a puppy's skull, but at this point her uterus was still quite large and soft so it was difficult to be sure.

Rowan RACED back inside to the box and CAREFULLY stepped over the edge and stood over the pups, who were making puppy grunts and squeaks of outrage that their heater had departed. Rowan seemed at a loss how to settle in without stepping on the pups, so I helped her out and moved them all into a pile to one side and told her to lie down. Once she was down I put the pups beside her and they swarmed up to her, looking for warmth and more breakfast. She carefully checked each puppy and heaved a big sigh of contentment. Soon they were all nursing and she was resting quietly.

By now the sun was up and the other dogs were wanting to go outside. I put them out and gave Rowan some breakfast which she quickly dispatched. Then I let some of the older dogs into the kitchen, a few at a time, so they could see what had gone all all night. Z and Scarlett peered and smelled interestedly at the pups and the box, craning their necks to take in the whole scene. When Scarlett leaned too far over the box, a short, low growl came from Rowan and Scarlett backed off, looking sheepish, and peered from a more respectful distance. I shooed the girls out and let Duncan in.

Those of you who met Duncan know he comes indoors as if he's late for an appointment, tail lashing, excited and ready for anything. My bouncy boy TIP-TOED into the kitchen and peered with interest into the box. Rowan gave him the 100-yard stare and he quickly retreated, and I put him away. His turn to be a parent will come later.

Now that things had settled down I removed the pups to a laundry basket lined with a towel. Rowan gave me a hurt look and jumped out of the box to stand over her pups while I removed the damp, soiled blanket and clean up the box. Once it was clean I put in a new blanket, securely pinned by the box so the pups cannot get beneath it. While I've been writing this, I've checked on Rowan and the pups a few times. All is quiet and peaceful. Mom & pups are resting, the puppies alternately nursing and sleeping. Rowan is still stained on her legs and back from some of the fluids, but the pups are now dry and spotless. There will be plenty of time to clean Rowan up in a few days if she hasn't already done it herself.

For now, all I need to do is keep an eye on Rowan, feed her and be sure she is recovering smoothly. As for the pups, I that is required is to make sure all the pups are gaining weight and nursing well. It won't be long before I will need to be doing more with them, but for now, they are in good paws!

Whelping is Imminent!

2009-07-08T11:34:00.000-07:00

Rowan's temp has been up and down - last evening and this morning it was 99.4. I did go to work today as she was acting fairly normally.

When I arrive home at 2, she had been VERY busy shredding newspaper, throwing the rug in the kitchen around, and balling up her blanket in the whelping box. There are also several toys in the box, and she is studiously carrying them all around the house with her.

When I put her out, she ran to a corner and commenced digging busily. Apparently she plans to have her pups in CHINA...

Right at the moment, she is alternately panting and napping. This part can be quite protracted and we may have a panting, nesting Rowan for quite some time. I think she will likely begin delivering pups tonight, but it could be another few days, as well, altho I doubt it.

Will keep you all posted!

Rowan's Pregnancy X-ray

2009-07-06T16:55:00.000-07:00

We had Rowan's abdomen x-rayed today to get an idea of how many pups to expect.

Some pups are VERY visible, some are very faint. The x-ray machine shoots thru 3 dimensions and squashes the image to 2 dimensions, so you are going to see some that are quite clear and some that are lighter. It's extremely hard to match up the obvious skulls with their respective spines and ribcages. There is always a lively debate between the vet and me about how many we see. He tends to err on the side of conservative, I tend to err the other way, just so I'm ready when the whelping happens.

I scanned in the x-ray and here it is. The x-ray itself (unfortunately my vet does not yet have one of those nifty digital x-ray machines) didn't fit on the scanner bed so it's pasted together. Consequently, you will see some lines thru the images. It's hard to scan an x-ray so some of this is much more clear on the actual x-ray. Below is the same x-ray with the obvious skulls circled so you can see how we have come up with a probable number of 7-8 pups.

With the exception of Puppy #8, all the circled skulls are VERY clear on the actual x-ray, altho they are not so clear on the scan above. Puppy #8 has no visible skull, but there is an "unattached" skeleton in the upper middle next to where I've circled that we suspect goes with a pup whose head was hiding behind some organ or other. There are CLEARLY 7 skulls, and probably eight pups.

New Ch at Corwyn!

2009-07-06T15:22:00.001-07:00

Just a quick brag:

Corwyn Tradewinds Cowboy is now an AKC Champion!

He finished in Maryland at the 4th of July shows under Judge Patti Long Smith. Cooper is not the least big impressed with his new title and spent the rest of the weekend swimming in his co-owner's pool!

Pregnancy - 8 Weeks

2009-07-06T15:02:00.000-07:00

Here is the 8 week photo - overdue I know!

Rowan is due this weekend. She is still fairly active and eating well, so it's likely she will make it nearly to the weekend at least before she delivers. Since dogs are only pregnant for 9 weeks instead of 9 months, they will not be WEEKS early or late, but more days before or after their due date.

We did get her x-rayed today and it looks as if there are definitely 7 pups, possibly 8. Now if we can get them safely from INSIDE to OUTSIDE we will be quite pleased. They are not particularly huge, it seems, from the x-ray, and Rowan is young and fit, so we are hoping for an uneventful delivery.

What we will be doing this week is firstly splitting Rowan's meals into 3 from two. She has been having trouble once in a while keeping her meals down and I suspect she is just too large now for larger meals with all those pups crowding her abdomen. Also we will begin taking her temperature twice a day to see what that is doing.

A dog's normal temperature is 101 degrees. During the last days of pregnancy, the dog's temperature ranges from 100.2 to 100.8, slightly lower than normal. During the first stage of labor, the progesterone levels in the bitch will drop abruptly and this will cause a drop in body temperature to between 99.4 and 98 degrees. When the temp goes down to 98 and stays down over a 12 hour period, you can hopefully expect the first puppy within 24 hours.

Other signs of impending labor are a loss of appetite (some do, some don't, but most of mine will skip their last meal before delivery) nesting behavior (digging in dog beds and blankets, shredding newspaper in their whelping box, collecting toys, hiding), and being particularly clingy,l or particularly reserved. Most of mine fall into the clingy variety. They don't want me far away, they follow me around, they are somewhat anxious about the impending labor. It's likely they are already experiencing some discomfort at this point.

So, we will keep you posted. We will be monitoring Rowan's temperature, feeding her well, continuing to get her accustomed to the whelping box, and likely scrutinizing her every move. The pups are VERY busy now, not so much swimming peacefully as er... breakdancing in there!

Pregnancy 7 1/2 Weeks

2009-07-01T16:18:00.000-07:00

Ok here's yer photos!

Last Wednesday:

And Today:

Puppies are moving quite a lot now, you can lay beside her with one hand on her belly and feel them turning and kicking as if they are swimming inside her. Which, of course, they are!

She's got about 10 more days to go. Still pretty busy, altho resting quite a bit and very snuggly. She got a bath today, as she was VERY dirty from playing outside and I don't know when I will get another chance. Naturally she will be quite oogy after the whelping, but at least she's not so smelly from playing out in the rain!

There will probably NOT be a new photo until Sunday or Monday, as I'm visiting my parents and showing Cooper in MD this weekend (John is preggo sitting) but will update you next week!

Have a wonderful 4th, folks!

The Whelping Box

2009-06-29T15:22:00.001-07:00

Set up Rowan's whelping box today. This will be the sixth generation of Corwyn pointers to be whelping in this box.

The box is 3' x 4' in size. The front is hinged and folds down to allow momdog to get in and out. There is an adhesive aquarium thermometer afixed to the side so I can check that it is warm enough. There is also a hook on the inside for a water bucket to be clipped so it doesn't spill. The box has NO FLOOR. It is set on a tarp to protect my floor and a blanket can be set underneath, extending outside the walls of the box so it doesn't get bunched up and puppies don't get tangled in it. Newspaper will be used later, but at first, a blanket is the best as it gives the pups some traction moving around the box until they are well and truly up on their feet and walking.

Once the puppies arrive, there is a PVC rail that fits down inside the box to keep mom from crushing her pups against the side if they crawl behind her. This only needs to be there for a few weeks until the pups are large enough that it's not a risk. The box can also be expanded later to make more room as the pups grow. Once they are 3 or 4 weeks old, they will need more room so they can have room to sleep and potty separately. Additionally, they will require enough room to play and roughhouse as they grow. They will be spending some time outdoors by that time, but they will still need space to spread out as they get larger. This particular box expands to twice it's size, and can be expanded further if necessary by also using an expen (a folding portable wire fence).

It's important that the box be easy to clean. It will become very soiled from puppies trampling thru their food and their waste. Mine is painted with a high gloss white so it can be easily wiped down. Most of the time, those nice new Chlorox wipes work great.

The box should be large enough that momdog can easily lie down on her side and have room to stretch out. It should not be much more than 2X the size of her lying flat on her side, or pups can wander away from the group and become lost. Nothing upsets momdog more than being busy nursing and hearing a baby complaining that he's lost WAY across the box where she cannot reach him to lead him back to her.

Another benefit of not having a floor in my box is that beneath the blanket, which will be well pinned down by the box itself, I can install a heating pad. The pups will be unable to reach the cord because of the blanket pinned tight by the sides of the box, and there will be a nice warm spot for them to pile up even if mom is not in the box. Puppies cannot maintain their own body heat for the first few weeks, so it's important that they be kept nice and warm. Normally I will also install a heat lamp overhead to keep them warm, but I might not need it this time as the pups are being whelped in summer. The thermometor on the side will help me to know if the box is warm enough.

For now, the box is set up in my kitchen and Rowan will be fed in it. Later she will be made to sleep in it by gating her in the kitchen with the box being the only comfortable place to lie down. Hopefully by the time the pups arrive, she will be accustomed to the box and think of it as her own. She was born in this box, so she is already somewhat familiar with it!

Pregnancy - Puppies are MOVING...

2009-06-26T22:08:00.001-07:00

Tonight was the first night *I* was able to feel the pups moving. Rowan has been able to feel them for at least a week, probably much longer. It's very difficult to feel them moving, particularly this early, as the pups are still smallish and they are encased safely in a fluid-filled sac, and the muscular uterus, plus Rowan's abdomen...

Rowan was lying on her side (with her tennis ball, of course) and I knelt down beside her and placed one hand under her and one on top of her abdomen, and sat quietly, waiting. A minute passed. Rowan turned her head to look at me. "Whatcha doing???"

"Shhhh..." I said. She pressed her forhead to mine, and we waited together. I could feel her breathing. I could smell her warm fur.

And we waited. Another minute went by and then whsst! I felt it.

A silly grin appeared on my face, completely involuntary. A tiny something had just faintly brushed past my fingers. It was no more than a light brush against my hand, as slight as if you took your fingertip to brush away a stray eyelash from a child's face. Then a swift POKE! in the other hand. Like the feel of a pencil eraser bouncing off your palm.

So there are tiny puppies in there, stretching and twisting and swimming in their safe little space, and as you can see from the photos, growing fast!

This is Rowan at birth. She is still wet in this photo. She fit snugly into the palm of my hand, and was already trying to walk the first hour she was born:

Seven Weeks

2009-06-26T17:47:00.000-07:00

Quick photo update - hopefully more later tonight or tomorrow...

Last week's photo:

And today, at seven weeks:

Clearly we are continuing to get larger. She can now feel the pups moving quite often - you will see her turn quickly and nibble at her sides as if they itch. She will sometimes turn and give her abdomen a quizzical look as if to say, "WHAT is going on in there???"

I've begun adding yogurt AND egg to her food now at night and she's now eating the same amount of supper (plus the yogurt & egg) but twice as much breakfast. That adds up to about 20% more food than normal. Which seems to be plenty. YOu can see she has a bit of a roll on her rear but I can still easily feel her ribs. It's not helpful for momdogs to become OBESE before delivery. Once the pups arrive, she will need an enormous amount of food while nursing (depending on the size of the litter) but for now, this is clearly plenty.

About 2 weeks to go now!

Pregnancy 6 1/2 Weeks

2009-06-24T17:24:00.000-07:00

Quickie photo update:

Here is FRIDAY:

And today (Wednesday)

As I was telling a puppy inquirer today, Rowan has entered the "grunt when I lie down" stage of her pregnancy. Soon this will progress to the "moaning and groaning and rolling around trying to get comfortable stage."

It's still too early to feel the puppies move, but you can see, when she lies on her side, a distinctive bulge as the uterus displaces her other organs. Rowan is sleeping more, but still very active outdoors - chasing her ball and birds, and while she's not up for wrestling with the boys, she will still play some.

She has taken to napping for longer periods of time, and I notice that she does shift position quite a bit, trying for a comfortable spot.

2 1/2 weeks to go!

Pregnancy 6 Weeks

2009-06-19T16:19:00.000-07:00

Just an updated photo. Nothing much is new with Rowan. She is enjoying her hardboiled eggs in the morning. Apparently SHE can feel the pups moving occasionally, as she can be seen nibbling at her sides and ribs as if they are itchy. She is still fairly active, playing ball but sleeping more and sleeping more deeply. I can now occasionally sneak past her if she's asleep at my feet in the study.

Here's the FIVE week photo from last week:

And taken today, at SIX weeks:

You can see how she is definitely thicker in the middle - there is a much smaller indentation at the "waistline" and her nipples are quite a bit larger. What is not visible is that the skin above her vulva has begun to relax and sag to make room for puppies to pass thru. Small amounts of milk can be expressed from her breasts.

According to the reproduction book, puppies now have pigmentation to their skin and are about the size of a walnut. (Why is is that food items always make the best descriptive terms for the size and shape of anything to do with the body???) If you think about the size of the pups last week, this means they have tripled in size in just a week.

For the next three weeks (yep, just three weeks to go!) the pups will continue to gain in size and their organs will further develop.

Pointers Talking Back

2009-06-17T17:08:00.000-07:00

I discussed before how dogs listen to us. What I'm sure many of you have also noticed is that they are pretty good at making themselves clear to us, as well. Sometimes with amusing results.

One of the first things dogs learn is housebreaking. Once the message of THOU SHALT NOT DIRTY THE HOUSE is made clear, they are left with the problem of how to tell us when it's time. Many of my dogs are not particularly good at this. We have so many that we simply have them on a schedule. They go out in the morning, spend most of the afternoons outdoors, and out again at night. Anything in between would fall under the category of a "special request." So, many of them have simply never learned how to ask to go out. But, I can usually tell.

There is the pace, pace, pace around and around the room...

There is the banging one's head fruitlessly against the back door.

There is one, who shall remain nameless to protect the guilty, who was particularly difficult to housebreak. This particular pointer would just disappear.... Mysteriously, a mess would appear in my study. Apparently, MY communication of THOU SHALT NOT was interpreted as THOU SHALT NOT BE CAUGHT IN THE ACT. A nice gate into the doorway of the study solved that.... Now this dog does the pace, pace, pace between me and the door.

Our least favorite method is often used by Morgan, who is nearing 15 years of age. At her age, while she goes out before the last of us to head to bed, she often wants to go out during the night, as well. Her method of communication is panting. Nothing wakes a person up better than inadvertently inhaling death-breath while sleeping. I'm sure it's contributed to some of my recent nightmares about corpses rising from the dead. Well, she can't help it....

The next thing dogs learn is how to tell you they are hungry. I'm sure most of us feed our dogs on a pretty regular schedule. While dogs cannot tell time, their bodies can. Promptly at 6:55PM, mine begin the "Dinner dance." This is quite subtle. They know darn well that I'm not simply going to get up and feed them because they demand it, and that too much pestering is NOT going to go over well and might delay dinner altogether.

Rowan, who is NOT so subtle, will stand in the laundry room gazing at her crate and moaning in despair. Because of course, she has missed SO many meals in her life that there is always that risk...

Morgan gives us the plaintive stare. "Wasting away here!" she says, and "I'm sure you would ike me to help polish off YOUR dinner." She also will add some cha-cha with her feet, in case we aren't paying attention. Sometimes she chatters her teeth. Now THAT's a bizarre skill...

Our Z is by far the funniest. She will nudge us a few times, but not TOO many. She just wants us to KNOW she is thinking of supper. Then, to further engage our attention, she will FLING herself onto the nearest toy, bone or chew hoof and begin gnawing away fiercely, demonstrating her great appetite. This usually works pretty well. By the time we have finished laughing at her, it is now 7PM and the "between TV shows commercials" have begun and it's actually TIME to feed dogs.

We are careful to close the door to our laundry room while the dogs are eating. The hoovering and slurping noises often drown out the TV.

Another important piece of information that the pointers like to share with us is "You may pet me NOW." This is accomplished in various ways. First, the ever-popular FOOT ON THE KNEE. Ad-nauseum. Until you want to SCREAM. Z was so bad with this as a puppy that we taught her the command NO FEET.

Next is the also-popular elbow nudge. Usually performed while the intended victim is holding a hot drink. Or, in winter, a very cold drink. I'm not sure why they persist with this, as it rarely accomplishes the goal. Instead it elicits cursing and a quick exit to get some paper towels to mop up.

A more effective method of communicating the dog's desire for physical attention is the famous pointer LEAN. They will sidle up to you, turn sideways and press against your leg. This normally gets the desired result.

Now, many of my pointers are acquainted with a dear friend of mine and her husband. This husband is a huge sucker for dogs and is always good for some pats and scritches. Particularly BUTT-scritches. These are quite desireable. Now, when they greet this sweet man, they present themselves behind first. The message is very clear: "You may massage my posterior NOW."

A lot of my dogs do not really play WITH me. They play amongst themselves, they play with their toys, but they prefer their time spent with me to be either working (hunting, obedience, showing - they all LOVE these activities, not least because it gets them some valuable one-on-one time) or snuggling.

Rowan is the exception. She LOVES to play ball. Ball is best played with a friend. So I'm elected. Naturally, her method of communicating this is to present me with the ball. FOREVER. While I'm talking on the phone. While I'm raking. While I'm cooking. Whatever I'm doing, the ball magically appears and I will look up to see those eager dark eyes just BEGGING me to "Thow it! Throw it! Throw it AGAIN!"

I've been gifted with the ball in my pile of laundry while I'm sorting it. In a hole I've dug to plant flowers. In my shoe while I'm putting on its mate. And, in the bathtub.... No question what is wanted.

Clearly Rowan is one who makes herself quite clear. She's gifted at talking with us and asks a LOT of questions during training. Some have included,"Are you sure you REALLY want me to stay WAY over here?" and "What do you mean ALL THE WAY DOWN?" and "GIVE means show it to you and run away, right?"

Her mother, on the other hand, wishes me to be telepathic. She will plant herself in front of me, and gaze at me with her huge dark eyes, and make me guess. She excels at being inscrutable. I will run thru all the obvious possibilities "Wanna go out?" "Need a drink?" "Cookie?" (ok this one is a throw-away because the answer to THIS is always "Yes!" and then of course the others all chime in "Me too!" with wagging and charging to the cookie jar. ) However, I digress. Once all these options have been eliminated and cookies handed around, I will look down and there is Scarlett, telling me SOMETHING.

"What?!?" I will ask her. Blink, blink, stare. Blink, blink, stare. HA! Maybe she will want me to throw something for her to fetch! So I will toss the nearest thing: a pen, the remote, my cell phone, for her to retrieve. She will promptly return it to me, wagging just a bit, and hand it over. Sometimes this is what she wanted. Sometimes not. Blink, blink, stare. "Did you wanna sit with me?" Eureka! "Yes, thank god you finally figured THAT out," she says with a snort, and I will be severely trampled while she clambers into my recliner with me. Scarlett is NOT good at snuggling.

Most often all the pointers are saying is, "I love you." The feet on the knee, the head to the elbow, the leaning, even the unfathomable stare, it all means the same thing. They love us. They say it ALL the time. It's embarrassing. And sweet. And it makes you think about how lucky you are to share a life with a creature whose main aim in life is to tell you how much they love you. Even if it takes you fifteen minutes to figure it out!

Five and a Half Weeks

2009-06-16T13:53:00.000-07:00

Just a quickie photo - Rowan has definitely developed a bit of a belly in just a few days here, compared to Saturday! See how her underline now goes STRAIGHT across???

According to my dog breeding book, the pups now have toes and toenails, and eyelids. They are about 30 mm in length (maybe the size of the last joint of your thumb) and weigh about 2 grams (maybe the weight of say, ONE grape).

Reference: Canine Reproduction, Phyllis Holst

Pregnancy 5 weeks

2009-06-13T09:01:00.000-07:00

We are past the 1/2 way mark in Rowan's pregnancy now. She is beginning to show some, altho most folks might not quite notice yet. She is distinctly thicker in the middle and her ribs have expanded quite a bit. Also her nipples are enlarged and quite pink, hopefully getting ready to provide milk for her pups.

Rowan has also developed an amusing narcolepsy.... She will be running around the yard, or the house, with her ball, or a toy, and the next moment we look, she is sound asleep, in the middle of the yard. She will wake in a short time, looking around as if to say, "How did THAT happen??"

Rowan is also now back to eating her breakfast. We have not increased her food much, but will probably need to do so soon. Right now she is eating well, but not ravenous, so what she is getting seems to be enough. Next week we will begin adding a hard boiled egg to her meals occasionally to provide extra protein. My dogs all get the NUPRO supplement with their food (a tasty vitamin powder which they quite like and which seems to give them a good healthy coat) and Rowan's "dose" has been doubled during her pregnancy. During the last week or two, the mom has quite a bit of trouble getting any quantity of food to fit in with the pups, so we will need to break up her meals into 3-4 smaller ones. Often I will add powdered goat's milk to their food as it is extremely high in fat and protein and a great supplement. We use it for the pups, as well, so we will be stocking up in preparation!

Here are a couple of photos so you can maybe see some progress. This is LAST week's photo:

And THIS weeks' photo (you can see her waist, the indentation just past the ribs, is slightly less):

Here is one of her moving last summer, with one of her moving today:

Clearly her posture is a bit different, but you can see how much thicker in the body she has become.

So, more waiting. There are some things to come - we must keep Rowan fit and healthy. We are still showing Rowan's brother, Cooper; we are trying to get his championship finished before the pups come, if we can. He did win at the shows today, picking up one more point. He now just needs 2 more. We will need to clear out our kitchen to make room for the whelping box. More on setting up for puppies soon!

Pregancy - The First half

2009-06-08T13:36:00.001-07:00

In speaking with a lot of you waiting on puppies, I've heard a lot of questions about what it's like, how different it is from humans, and general curiosity.

Dogs tend to take their pregnancies in stride. They do much of their normal routine. Some change in personality is normal. Often they become more affectionate and quieter, particularly in the early part of the pregnancy as they are adjusting to the changes in their body.

Rowan spent the first couple of weeks being completely normal. Still a busy, busy girl, playing ball and wrestling with the boys. Then, right around week 3, when the puppies begin to implant in the uterus, she suddenly slowed WAY down.

She won't jump up into her crate anymore. (Hers is on the top level - my crates are stacked in the laundry room to save space.) She will put her front feet up and look back over her shoulder at me for a boost. :-)

She began picking at her breakfast. Perhaps she is a bit nauseous in the morning. She still eats her supper like a starved thing, which is pretty normal for her. Often she is complaining the whole time I'm filling the bowls, as if she'd EVER missed a meal in her life....

She now (we're in week 4 of her pregnancy) grabs her ball, circles the living room twice, and just lays down. Definitely NOT Rowan behavior.

The other night, I was standing at the stove cooking chicken for Tucker, one of my older dogs who is sick and not eating well. Rowan is pretty good about getting up on the counters and learned the hard way about my flattop range. All of the sudden, I feel two little feet tucked into my belt, and see a little black face peering under my elbow. "Is that for ME????" Thump, thump, thump goes her tail against the microwave cabinet behind us...

Other than sleeping more and skipping breakfast, she is just like she has always been. I don't see a lot of physical changes in her except that now, when you look at her from above, there is no waist - she just goes straight back. Soon she will lose her tuck-up (the line that goes up from the ribcage to the hips) and begin to have a bit of a belly. I'll post a photo next week when hopefully you can see how she's beginning to fill out.

Questions are welcome. You can email me directly at JTACorwyn@aol.com. I will answer privately and post any particularly interesting questions here on the blog.

Also, anyone who is still interested in a puppy can email me as well. I have begun to take deposits for this litter from approved homes.

Puppies are Coming!

2009-06-07T09:15:00.000-07:00

It's official - Rowan is definitely expecting!

There have been some indirect signs - she's been quieter. She will run and get her ball, then circle the room once and suddenly need nap. She's skipped breakfast a few times (definitely a notable event!).

And I've palpated her abdomen and found numerous superball-typed locules floating about there - those would be puppies!

She's due July 11, and should deliver, if all goes well, within 2 days either side of that date.

Right now she is on her normal diet, but that will gradually increase over the next few weeks, as will her size.

We will keep you posted on her progress.

Here is a photo taken of her a few weeks before she was bred:

And this one was taken yesterday:

There isn't much change that you can see - perhaps her underline (underneath from the ribcage back) is a bit lower. What you can see in person is that she's quite wide thru the loin - no more hourglass figure if you look from above. This makes sense as the uterus sits high in the body - above the intestines and other abdominal organs.

Look for more photos and news as we go thru the next five weeks!

The Rules According To Dogs

2009-05-30T15:21:00.000-07:00

One of the key tenets of all dog training is to be completely clear at all times. Dogs only learn what we teach them. They invented "literal interpretation." So, sometimes their idea of doing what we say we want tends to incorporate a LOT of leeway into er... what THEY want.

For example, at our house, just like at YOUR house, dogs are not permitted to countersurf. Verbal reprimands such as "Hey!" and "OFF!" to "Are you insane?" and "What do you think YOU ARE DOING?" naturally end up becoming mild to intermediate physical reprimands like collar-grabbing and toe-smacking. Rowan, naturally, was one who required the more intermediate response of having her little toes whacked a few times for trying to help me cook... She got the message. I later observed her in the reflection of the french door from my chair in the living room. She was VERY CAREFULLY counter-surfing. She was on her hind legs, front feet carefully tucked in, reaching for whatever was closest. However, her toes were NOT touching my counters. Apparently, the message she got was "No feet on the counters" instead of "No dogs stealing in the kitchen." Hmmm

Her other misinterpretation involves the rule of "If you MUST beg, do so POLITELY from a distance that does not permit your DROOL to touch my lap." When we eat at the table, the dogs know NEVER to come into the room until we give them an "OK." However, we normally eat in the living room, because naturally one would not want to miss a SECOND of those Law & Order reruns. After all, we've only seen them 150 times apiece. There's probably a world record in the offing somewhere.... So, there is begging. However, the proximity rule applies.

The other night, Rowan observed that my husband had a lovely plate of fried chicken and mashed potatoes. Soon her little face was peering over his elbow beside his chair, pink tongue flicking towards his nice chicken. Up went his elbow, back went the dog. "NO!" A few minutes later, a little black face appears on the OTHER side... Nope, that wasn't clear, either.

We've had many discussions about the magical household item referred to as a TRASH CAN. I believe the dogs refer to it amongst themselves as "The Recepticle of Joy." It is a temptation that often defies all efforts. Finally we gave up and bought a metal kitchen trash can that has a step-lid and a top which is flush to the can, so the noses cannot flip it up. The day we installed our new dog-proof can, Bad Solo strolled up to it and looked it up and down. Down came the paw, up went the lid. "Cool!" she said, "It has a handle!" SIGH

Z learned her lesson about robbing the bathroom trash when I purchased a small plastic trash can with one of those lids that SPIN to allow the trash to be put in, and then settle back over the can to hide the contents. I arrived home from work one day to find used tissues strewn all over the living room. I hear Z coming down the stairs, and nearly fall down laughing. She is WEARING the trash can lid around her neck. Likely has been for some time, given her nonchalance...

Pointers are bedhogs. There is no cure. Scarlett firmly believes she should have the exact center of the bed, no matter what. Imprecations to "Get off!" or "Don't even think about it" are patently ignored. Pushing or shoving result in her taking on mass to become roughly the weight of a red giant. We got all excited one night when, finally, our demands for her to "MOVE!" resulted in her getting up. At last! Scarlett stood up, stretched, turned around 3 times and plopped back down in the same spot.

Vegas demonstrates bedhogging...

Well, she did MOVE...

Sometimes having commands that dogs misinterpret can be useful. All my dogs know the command "Kennel." This, roughly translated, means "Go thru that door." However, sometimes one gets an interesting result. Years ago we had a beagle living with us and our pointers. She had her own crate in with the others. One night, I had put the dogs out for a last potty after a long evening away from home. It was dark. It was late. I brought them in and called to the herd of pointers milling in my small laundry room, "Kennel!" And began closing doors after them as they obediently leapt into bed in their crates. One pointer remained, still milling excitedly around the room, being a goofy boy dog. "KENNEL!" I yelled, thinking only of MY bed, and the nice Sunday morning sleep-in I had to look forward to... Silly boy pointer frantically casts about for an open door (I had forgotten that I closed HIS crate because he still hadn't finished his supper). Unable to comply, he crammed his head and shoulders into the open beagle crate. With the beagle. Complaints were heard. The pointer retreated. Oops... My bad...

All in all, human to dog communcation can be tricky. One needs to try and look at it from the dog's point of view to be as clear as possible. Teaching your pointer to give hugs can result in in appropriate greetings when your grandmother comes to visit. Allowing your dog to play with an old sock can leave your hamper full of well-chewed footwear. And telling your dog to "get in the car" before you actually opened the hatch can result in him heading home with the guy parked next to you at dogshow...

Oops. My bad...

Signs of Pregnancy

2009-05-18T13:58:00.000-07:00

As we're ALL waiting to find out if Rowan is pregnant, I thought it might be good to share what it is we are looking for!

As of right now, she is between 7 and 10 days pregnant, if all is going as planned. Any fertilized ova are now between two and 32 cells and still in the oviducts (not yet in the uterus).

By 20-21 days (three weeks) into her pregnancy, the embryos will finally reach the uterus and begin to implant in its walls. Around this time, and during the week after, the first real signs of pregnancy will be notable.

The kinds of hormone tests that humans use to determined human pregnancies are not applicable to dogs. We cannot test for progesterone levels, as these remain high in dogs after a heat whether or not they are pregnant. Gonadotrophins, which humans can also measure to determined pregnancy, are not present in high enough levels to be measured. Dogs do produce a hormone called relaxin, which can be detected after about 21-28 days, but by this time, other signs can be used to determine pregnancy.

So? What ARE we looking for? What can we do to determined pregnancy for sure? There are a few ways.

One is palpation - the embryos can be felt using one's fingers VERY gently, if you know what you are looking for, around 21-28 days post-breeding. If you know what it is that you are looking for, the feel of grape to walnut sized around, firm, slighty springy round lumps that can be slipped, one by one, thru the fingers. The uterus is "Y" shaped, and there will normally be puppies in both "horns" of the "Y." So, usually one can only feel one side at a time. It is difficult to get any kind of accurate count using this method, particularly as it is always possible that not all the "lumps" will develop completely into pupies, but you can at least determine whether or not she IS, in fact, pregnant. After about 4 1/2 week post-breeding, the lumps are less defined and the uterus feels more like the rest of the abdomenal organs, so palpation is not possible.

Ultrasound can also be used at this time (3-4 weeks postbreeding), and any time thereafter, to view embryos and heartbeats can be seen at this time. I've also seen very late-stage ultrasounds and skeletons and movement can be seen later, which is pretty neat to watch. It is also difficult to count pups using ultrasound technology, as it is a 2 dimensionl picture of a 3 dimensional space.

Fetal movement can be seen and felt around the last 10-14 days of the pregnancy. If you haven't found out by then, you surely can feel it at that point! It feels as if the pups are moving under a pile of blankets - just nudging your hands as you lay them gently over the momdogs abdomen. Often the bitches can feel it far sooner - you can sometimes see them nibbling at their sides or turning in surprise to stare at their growing bellies as the pups turn and kick within them.

Fetal heartbeats can be detected using a stethoscope after about 6 weeks post-breeding. I have one and do use it, but it is for entertainment only, as by this time normally we know we are expecting puppies. It is fun to hear the little heartbeats when you can locate them. THey sound like the very fast ticking of a clock.

X-rays are another sure sign of pregnancy. X-rays can be taken anytime after 45 days post-breeding (7 weeks). Anytime before this you cannot see any skeletons as they have not been mineralized. They are not 100% reliable, but can give a good idea of how many pups you can be expecting. We normally do x-ray during the last week of pregnancy to be sure what to expect during delivery. This picture is a partial x-ray of Z pregnant with Duncan's litter. The whole x-ray would not fit on the screen. Many veterinarians now have access to digital x-ray machines, which make transportation of x-rays much easier! It is also possible to do more editing and make the images more clear.

There are some secondard signs to look for which are also found with false pregnancies. Alone they don't determine pregnancy, but they help confirm it.

Around 5 week post-breeding, the abdomen will begin to look more full and continue to enlarge, depending on the size of the litter, until the last week (not much increase in size is usually seen in the last week). As you saw in teh previous photos, often momdogs can look more like beach whales than anything else!

Often the coat and skin are far shinier and more luxiourious during pregnancy. This is of course far more obvious in a coated breed than in pointers.

Usually after a heat, the bitch's vulva will return to a slightly smaller size. During pregnancy, usually the vulva will remain somewhat larger, and more elastic. Nearly always, around 4-5 weeks post-breeding, a clear, odorless mucus discharge can be seen during pregnancy. This is not always seen as many bitches keep themselves scrupulously clean, but it is a pretty sure sign that something small and cute is cooking in the uterus... (if the discharge is creamy, green yellowish, pus-like and/or has a bad odor - there is likely an infection and the bitch should be seen immediately by a vet).

Often increased or severely decreased appetite can be present during pregnancy. Rowan is a great eater, so any increase probably will not be noticeable, howeve,r a decrease will be. Both her mother & grandmother had mild bouts of genuine nausea during early pregnancy (vomiting bile once or twice a day) that passed later in the pregnancy. This did not seem to affect their appetite. Any sign of nausea in Rowan would of course be taken as a good sign! :-)

There will also be mammary development and milk production as the pregnancy progresses, but as Rowan also always has a false pregnancy even if not bred, this will not be a sure sign, altho certainy it's good to know she will be able to produce milk!

So these are the signs we are looking for. Right now Rowan is behaving perfectly normally, naughty as ever, hogging all teh toys and playing ball at every opportunity. In another couple of weeks, I will be palpating her to see what I can find. Meanwhile, feel free to email with any questions that I can answer either privately or on this blog.

SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS:

7-10 days post-breeding Embryos are 2-32 cells in size, located in oviduct
19-21 days post-breeding Implantation begins. Embryos about 2 mm in diameter
23-25 days post-breeding Limb buds form - embryos are 5-10 mm in length
28 days post-breeding Facial features form. Embryos are 14-15 mm in length
30-32 days post-breeding Features definitely dog-like. Embryos 22 mm in length
35-40 days post-breeding Embryos are 45 mm in length

REFERENCE: Canine Reproduction by Phyllis Holst

Breeding Update

2009-05-13T14:45:00.000-07:00

Rowan is now officially "Bred" and now we are waiting to see if she is pregnant or not.

We should have a pretty good idea in about 4 weeks. Normally I can palpate (gently feel her abdomen) for puppies around this time and know that she IS pregnant. If I can't find anything, I will do an ultrasound to be sure.

Palpation is not an exact science and I can't get an accurate count at that time, just an estimate. One can usually feel very springy, ROUND, balls in the uterus - much like a string of walnut-sized beads. Around this time, too, the abdomen will begin to look fuller and the tuck-up less defined.

Subsequent weeks usually show a gradual increase in size until, if the litter is quite large, the mother looks more like a beached whale than a pointer. Here are photos of Duncan's and Rowan's moms, both hugely pregnant with puppies (both are a few days from delivery)

During the last week, we normally do an x-ray to determine the number of pups to expect. This is a fairly accurate count of how many pups are "cooking." This helps us to know when to worry if delivery is going slowly. If the dam has delivered 4 pups and is not doing much and we KNOW there are 4-5 more pups, we might think about some veterinary intervention. If she's delivered 4 and we know there is only one or two more, we might give her some more time, knowing that the last pups have furthest to travel and often take a bit longer. It's always nice to know what you are expecting before delivery.

Keep an eye out for more updates! Meanwhile, Ms. Rowan is still quarantined from the boys (just in case - altho Duncan says she is about done with her breedings) for another week or so, and busy getting into trouble for counter-surfing!

Show News

2009-05-13T14:41:00.000-07:00

Just an update to share our most recent weekend of showing!

Saturday Mr. Cooper (quite out of his mind with Rowan being in season) didn't really do much - he behaved but his head was er... let's just say NOT IN THE GAME. Rowan showed nicely and won Best of Breed and got to compete in the group.

Sunday Cooper was a bit more engaged and showed well, winning his second major for another 3 points. He now has 10 points towards his show championship, including both of his majors. He just needs 5 single points to finish. Rowan also won the breed again, and showed exceptionally well in the Sporting Group. Still didn't win anything, but BOY did she look pretty!

All in all was a very nice Mother's Day weekend at dogshow!

Breeding Update

2009-05-03T08:11:00.001-07:00

No news yet! Just checking in...

So far it's too early for a breeding and Rowan just does her Rowan giggle and walks away while Duncan is busily trying to prove how manly he is by peeing on stuff, flirting, wagging furiously, and whispering in her ear. Oh, well, yeah, and sniffing her behind....

Usually the bitch will not permit the dog to breed her until just before she ovulates, or sometimes after. It takes 2 days for the eggs to mature and be ready to be fertilized. Normally breeding is permitted a few days beforehand. The sperm travels fairly quickly, so it's useful for it to be ready and waiting when the eggs are ready. The sperm can be viable for up to a week, so there can be a good amount of overlap from the time the dogs permit a breeding until the eggs are released, mature, and are fertilized.

All we know at this point is that Duncan has happy "wriggles" as my friend Helayne calls them, and Rowan is not quite ready for him!

About time!

2009-04-27T16:18:00.000-07:00

Rowan is FINALLY in season! Hooray!

So, hopefully we will be doing some breeding next week and hopefully expecting puppies sometime in early July.

Will keep everyone posted on the updates!

Here's Rowan at about 10 weeks with her Lamby. Who was subsequently eviscerated in true puppy style! We call the "de-stuffed" toys "road kills."

Corwyn Tradwinds Cowboy "Cooper" BOB Photo

2009-04-27T16:16:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to post the photo for those who want to see it! This is from Cooper's Best of Breed win last weekend. He got reserve this weekend to a major and then did pick up the single point on Sunday. He now has 7 points and a major!

Corwyn Stain Glass Spring Sale!

2009-04-23T15:12:00.001-07:00

Just a note to let you know that the Corwyn Stained Glass stock materials are now on sale for 20% off. These prices are good through May 31, 2009. Not sure what to do with your tax rebate? Just a suggestion....

www.corwynpointers.com/stainedglass.html

Photos from Harrisburg Kennel Club Show - April 2009

2009-04-23T15:05:00.000-07:00

Here are the photos from the Harrisburg Kennel Club Show two weeks ago. As mentioned earlier, Corwyn Tradewinds Wild Indian, best known as Carter, finished his show championship, and Ch Corwyn's Mystic JH CD VA (aka Rowan the Devildog) won Best of Breed over several other nice champion entries. The Groups from Harrisburg Kennel Club will be televised on Animal Planet July 25. I'm not sure how much footage Rowan will have, but hopefully you will get a glimpse!

Rowan:

Carter:

Dog Days of Summer

2009-04-20T12:56:00.000-07:00

It's a bit early yet, but not too early to begin thinking about summer! I don't know about where you are, but here Spring has been a bit delayed and winter seems slow to give it up! We've had a lot of cool days and quite a bit of rain.

However, I wanted to give a few suggestions for folks managing their pointers in the hot weather. Pointers in general tend to be fairly heat tolerant, but there are some things to be aware of as the weather warms up.

Anytime your pointer is left outdoors in summer he should have plenty of available shade a lots of cool water. Some pointers enjoy playing in their water, so it's a good idea to check it a few times during the day to be sure there is still plenty left in the bucket.

Once the hot weather really sets in, it's best to exercise your dog early in the morning or later in the evening when the temperatures are cooler. We have also found a couple of nearby parks that have a streams, and the dogs enjoy running thru the water with less risk of overheating. Many pointers enjoy swimming and this is a great way to get some exercise when it's too warm to do much of anything else. Be aware; however, that even in water, dogs can become overheated if they overexert themselves, particularly in the sun.

Never leave your dog in a car without plenty of water, ventilation and preferably in shade. If you are concerned about leaving your windows open too much in case the dog escapes, put him in a crate so you can leave your sunroof, windows and van or truck hatch open. There are also portable, battery powered fans available (Petedge.com and Cherrybrook.com carry them) and these are great for summer shows or spring hunting competitions. Some models even come with ice packs that can be attached to provide what amounts to air conditioning!

I always leave my vehicle unlocked so someone can remove my dog in case of an emergency. Any items I feel are too valuable to be left in the vehicle I keep on my person. It's also not a bad idea to keep your dog's lead handy near his crate (or even clipped to the door) so anyone needing to remove your dog has a lead handy to do so. (This is a good idea at any show, as a friend reminded me this past winter, when she attended a show that had a fire scare - folks were helpful about removing any and all dogs who were crated near them, but many had no leads adjacent.)

It's also a good idea to always carry a cooler full of ice with you when you travel during summer, even if you are just driving from one air conditioned location to another. You never know if your car might break down, or the air conditioner might fail; you and the dog might both be grateful for a cool drink on the side of the road.

Exercising your pointers and working in the field during hotter months present a few challenges. It's a good idea, if your dog has been a couch potato all winter, to start gradually with the exercise just as you would for yourself if you'd had a long period of sluggishness! Take water with you, even if you've found water at that location before. Many times a stream we remember seeing the year before has dried up or been redirected. If you are planning to run your dog hard (particularly for hunting when the dog is intent on his task and perhaps distracted from his own well-being) be sure to wet down the dog before and after his run to keep him cool. He might not enjoy being hosed down before and after a run, but it can go a long way to preventing him from overheating.

Heat stroke or Heat Exhaustion can occur when a dog's temperature rises so greatly that his body cannot cool down. We are not vets, but we will attempt to give some information regarding this problem so you will know what to watch for. If you have any questions or concerns, contact your vet immediately.

Signs of heat stroke can include:

heavy panting
hyperventilation (deep breathing)
excessive drooling
dry gums (as the condition progresses)
weakness, confusion or inattention
vomiting or diarrhea, sometimes bloody
pale or grey gums
difficulty or ceasing of breathing
Seizures, coma and death (after prolonged exposure)

If you see any of these extreme signs, get your dog to a vet immediately. If time permits, attempt to cool the dog by applying cool water (wet towels work great) to the belly, neck, and groin. Ice packs and a fan applied to these areas can also help. It's important to have your dog seen by a vet even if these measures seem to help, as complications from heat stroke can cause death or permanent damage even if the dog seems to be recovering. The dog may need overnight monitoring to ensure all body systems have recovered completely.

Dogs will often figure out for themselves when temperatures are too high for their comfort. Usually they will exert themselves less, lie sprawled in the shade, take refuge indoors on tile or cement floors, dig a shallow depression to reach cooler earth, and drink plenty of water.

A good rule of thumb is that if it's too hot and uncomfortable for YOU, it's likely too hot for your dog. This is particularly true if there is no shade or your dog (obviously not your pointer!) has a heavy coat, or if your pointer is dark in color.

When showing your dog on hot days, aside from the precautions about your car and bringing ice, it's helpful to keep a bucket of water with you at ringside, a spray bottle to mist the dog's belly and groin area (mine hate this but do stay cool with regular application of water) and it can also be helpful to throw one of the new shammy cloths, wet down with cool or ice water, over the dog. Keep your dog in the shade as much as you can. If no shade is available at ringside, shade the dog with your own body. If the dog seems to be overheating, get immediate help. There have been days when I simply didn't show my dog because the heat was too great. Once I arrived on the show grounds, discovered no parking in the shade, and just went home.

We did have one person ask a question about sunbleaching for the black and liver coats in the summer. Prolonged exposure to the sun can bleach liver or black coats and cause a reddish or rusty tinge. You can apply sunscreen (the spray kind seem easiest) to the coat to help prevent this. We've also found that Chris Christensons's Black on Black shampoo (Cherrybrook.com carries this) really helps turn the coat dark again and erases a lot of the bleaching that can occur from the sun. It also darkens up the liver coats several shades. (The White on White shampoo is nice, too. )

So, now that you are forearmed, enjoy the warmer months and we hope to see some of you at shows this summer!

Corwyn Champion #15

2009-04-12T18:54:00.000-07:00

This weekend, at Harrisburg Kennel Club dog show, Corwyn's Wild Indian (best known as Carter the WILDMAN!) finished his show championship with a 4-point major! There was some stiff competition and he worked pretty hard to earn his points.

Carter started showing last Memorial Day Weekend and has now finished his show championship, earning his 15 points and 2 majors. Some shows he won, some shows he almost won, some shows he lost; sometimes he behaved, sometimes he lived up to his name. He enjoyed every show and every new person he met.

Thanks to Carter's owners, Nick & Annik Smith & their son Elliott, for spoiling him rotten, doing the work to prepare him for showing (they took him to handling and obedience classes faithfully, kept him in perfect physical condition and did anything I asked to help him look his best!), for letting me borrow him a few times a month to go to shows, and for giving him such a super home life. No breeder could ask for a better home. Whatever happened at the shows, they were always happy to see him and cheered him on faithfully.

Carter's big sister Rowan won Best of Breed at that same show and got to compete in the Sporting Group, which will be televised on Animal Planet (sorry - don't know when yet). This is her first TV appearance (haha) and she performed like a pro.

It's great fun to show when you win, and still a good time when you lose. I got to see some of my friends I've not seen for a while, got to see some nice new puppies folks are showing, and got to watch some really great dogs compete in the ring. A couple of good friends also won majors this weekend, and I was happy to be at ringside to congratulate them. Supporting one another, win or lose, is what makes this fun. It's important to be a good sport and remember that whatever happens, it's just one judge's opinion. Everyone thinks their dog is beautiful, and no dog is perfect.

Thanks to all my friends for their warm and sincere congratulations. It means a lot to have folks there to share it with! Besides, they all know the truth - now that Carter is finished, they won't have to compete against him again! :-)

This photo has been posted of Carter before - I'll post the photo from this weekend when it arrives. The second photo is one his dad took at a show in NJ this winter (he's the black dog, obviously!).

Living with Older Pointers

2009-03-27T19:09:00.001-07:00

Pointers are a relatively healthy breed. The average lifespan is 12 years, and 13, 14, 15, and even 16 and older are quite common. We don't really believe in referring to our dogs as elderly until they have reached 12...

Right now at Corwyn we have Morgan who is nearing 15 in July, and Kelson who just turned 13.

As dogs age, their bodies begin to break down just like humans. They might have limited eyesight, begin to lose their hearing, have less mobility and even other health issues.

An important factor in keeping older pointers healthy is having proper vet care. Not just routine vaccinations and heartworm preventative, but also monitoring their bodies and making changes that help compensate for the deterioration of some of their systems.

It's a good idea to have some routine baseline bloodwork done starting around age 8 to 10. Have your vet take a look and see what is going on with their liver, kidneys and digestion. Just because the dog is slowing down and aging does not mean there is nothing to be done.

Some examples of older dog issues that might have solutions:

1) Some older spayed females will have intermittent incontinence problems. There are medications for this that help tremendously.

2) As dogs age, their resistance to infection is lessened. Some older dogs have incontinence problems due to UTIs and bladder infections. These are treatable. If you notice incontinence in an older dog, don't assume it's just "old age." Get it checked by a veterinarian.

3) As dogs age their heart, kidneys and liver do not function as well as they did in the dog's prime. Having the routine bloodwork can pinpoint issues, some of which can be treated with medication and dietary changes. Reduced kidney function can sometimes be helped by a change of diet or with medication. Reduced liver function can be treated holistically with herbal supplements. (Morgan had been losing weight and having intermittent diahrrea. Bloodwork showed some loss of liver enzyme function. At our vet's suggestion, we began supplementing her with some holistic vitamins, and she's gained 7 lbs and begun having normal stools again. She is more alert and more active even than she was 2 years ago!) Heart problems often can be treated with medication.

4) As dogs age, their dietary needs can change. Some require less, some more food. Some require a lower protein diet, some a higher. We prefer to keep our older dogs slightly on the heavier side without allowing them to become obese. This gives them a little extra in case they do fall ill.

5) Older dogs, while they will slow down, sleep more, and are overall less active, still enjoy and should get exercise. Forced exercise such as biking or hard running might be a bit much, and you want to avoid exposure to extreme temperatures (hot or cold) but exercise keeps them healthy, as well.

6) Older dogs may require a bit more maintenance for things like nail trimming and teeth cleaning, as their lessened activity can cause nails to grow faster (wear down less) and their teeth to be less clean. Keeping an eye on these things can help a lot with their overall comfort. Long nails can mean more slipping on tile or wood floors. Dirty teeth can lead to gum disease and tooth loss.

7) Older dogs can get a lot of interesting lumps, bumps and warts. These can be quite common but it's a good idea to have your vet look at these when they appear. Often they are nothing more than small fatty tumors or warts, but sometimes they should be removed. Any lumps in the breast, testicles or on the face or front legs should be looked immediately. Any lumps that have any kind of discharge or sudden growth or color change should be looked immediately.

8)Deafness and limitations in eyesight are common in older dogs. Morgan now will not come up the stairs without a light on. She is nearly 100% deaf and often is difficult to wake up. Sometimes all that will wake her is a smear of peanut butter on my finger... At least her nose still works! She knows a lot of hand signals, so we communicate just fine. If your older dog is showing signs of deafness or loss of eyesight, use your common sense when taking them out in public. Morgan is no longer comfortable in busy venues with a lot of dogs - she feels nervous because she cannot always be aware of her surroundings. She does love company at the house, however!

9)Many older dogs suffer from aches, pains, and arthritis. There are quite a few pain medications, steroids and anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as various dietary supplements like glucosamine and chondroitin that can help with these kinds of issues. Kelson has suffered quite a bit of spinal degeneration. He can no longer do stairs and has a very awkward gait when he moves. He can still come running for his dinner, tho! He has had to learn not to try and go upstairs, not to try and be first out the door, and to be careful on our kitchen floor. He has to be helped into the car.

10) Older dogs often have little patience with puppies or adolescents. Kelson was our puppy nanny for years. Now that he has gotten a bit infirm, he no longer enjoys puppies (he runs!) and cannot defend himself in games against he younger boys. He doesn't get put out with the younger dogs to play anymore. The younger dogs have all been taught not to bully him and Duncan is my new puppy nanny.

We also believe in a variety of alternative treatments in addition to regular veterinary care. Many of our dogs have been seen by a veterinary chiropractor which has been very beneficial. We've also heard good things from other folks who've used holistic vets and acupunture. In conjunction with regular veterinary treatment, all these things can be helpful in maintaining the quality of life for your older pointers.

Some suggestions for living with older pointers:

1) Get routine bloodwork done

2) Work with your vet regarding dietary needs and pain control for dogs who need it

3) Keep an eye out for sudden weight loss - this usually means a trip to the vet is in order

4) Keep an eye out for sudden appetite changes or behavior changes - a vet visit might be needed

5) Have any suspicious lumps, bumps or warts checked by your vet

6) Be aware of changes in urination and stools. Often these signal a health concern that might be treatable.

6) Keep an eye out with the younger dogs - they are often impolite and too exhuberant with our older dogs

7) Older dogs might enjoy a more indoor life in extreme temperatures. An extra blanket, a heating pad set on low or a warm supper might be welcome in winter. Air conditioning, fresh ice water or a particularly shady corner outdoors will be appreciated in hot weather.

8) Older dogs might enjoy more luxurious bedding. Some extra padding can be nice when they age and begin to feel those aches and pains. If you are having issues with intermittent incontience, we suggest removing the stuffing from your dogbeds and wrapping the stuffing in a trashbag. Replace the stuffing and then, if an accident occurs, you can simply wash the outer covering and replace the trash bag without having to wash the entire bed.

9) Keeping your older dog's teeth clean can be an important factor in his overall health. Bad teeth can lead to infections, lack of appetite and overall poor health. Keeping an eye on tartar and possibly having a veterinary teeth cleaning is a good idea.

10) Don't assume that just because the dog is aging that his ailments cannot be treated. Many times improvements can be made in the quality of your dog's life. Work with your vet to make the most of your pointer's "golden years."

Despite these suggestions, there does come a time when nothing more can be done to improve the life of our elderly companions. One of the hardest decisions to make is when to allow our pets to go. It is a gift we can give to them - to take their pain and make it ours, instead. No one wants to have to make such a choice, but sometimes it is best to help them on their way when their quality of life is no longer acceptable. Only your family can know what is best for your dog. We know the difficulty of making these decisions, and hope this article gives you some hope that if you've done all that you can, that final decision is the right one when the time comes.

Some of the best things about having older dogs is how easy they can be. They know the rules. They are rarely destructive. They make super companions and seem to know not to get in the way. They keep the younger dogs in line. Best of all, they have spent their life devoted to being our friend. They are never here long enough!

Still Waiting...

2009-03-27T18:49:00.000-07:00

For those of you waiting for puppy news, we sympathize! We, too, are anxious for Rowan to come into season so we can have puppies! Many dogs, like many people, are not completely regular in their ovulation cycles, and Rowan, true to her devilish self, is one of those. However, she has been in season several times, so we know it's just a matter of waiting for the time to be right. Her mother was a bit irregular too, and gave us two nice litters of pups.

She is blissfully unaware of our anxiety - just being Rowan - playing with her ball, tormenting the boys, playing with her grammy Z, helping me rake and dig in the garden...

We did attend the NJ Pointer Specialty last weekend. Carter won the Bred-By Class, Z won her 4th Veteran Sweepstakes, and Rowan showed well in Best of Breed. She has gotten very good in the ring - very sparkly and charismatic. She is extremely sound-moving and beginning to be very reliable about doing what is expected of her. She shows just as she does everything - 110%.

So, we are joining Duncan in heaving a BIG SIGH of impatience!

Here's Rowan & her brother (orange) & sister. Rowan is on the right. They are about 3 weeks in this photo.

We are glad for your patience - I know it will be great to have so many nice homes for Rowan & Duncan's puppies. We look forward to being able to post YOUR photos on this blog once the pups have gone home. If you look on the home website at www.CorwynPointers.com, you can see a page called Family Photos that has many photos send by past puppy folks. Some of them are HILARIOUS! I'm thinking of having a photo contest in the fall once the pups have gone home. Perhaps we will have 3 categories: Field, Home and Holiday...

Pointers and Toxic Plants

2009-03-24T12:45:00.000-07:00

We have had a request for more specifics on "What to plant and what not to plant."

So, we did some research online and came up with a list of poisonous plants (below). Most will just make your dog(s) sick, but some are quite dangerous. One solution if you enjoy certain varieties of toxic plants is how we have OUR gardens arranged - we put up inexpensive "wrought iron" fencing which we bought at Lowe's. This fencing comes with separate fencing pieces, posts and gates. With a rubber mallet, they literally can be erected in minutes - I've installed all of ours myself. Conveniently, they can also easily be moved and rearranged.

You can also consider putting up a small kennel on your property for times when you'd like your pointer(s) to be outdoors but cannot supervise. We also like the idea that none of the dogs can trample, dig or potty in our gardens - this particular garden pictured is our herb & vegetable garden, and we really don't want ANY canine participation in it's maintenance... Somehow the dogs seem to feel everything is best if it's been peed upon, dug up, or broken into smaller bits.

We found quite a few websites with information, and we thought it would be useful to provide links, rather than reproducing the lists here. We are not vets, and these may not be complete lists.

http://www.cybercanine.com/toxicplants.htm

http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/owners-corner/toxic-plant-listing/toxic-plants-to-dogs/

http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/dogs/index.html

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/plants/

Mushrooms of any kind are always a good thing to remove from your yard, as are any stone fruits like cherries or apricots. Dogs should be kept from anything which might be edible with toxic parts. Additionally, many holiday plants such as mistletoe, poinsettia and Easter Lilies are also toxic.

Now, before you go and dig up everything in your yard, study this information and use your head. In our own yard, we have English Ivy, Aconite, Rhododendron, Azalea, Clematis, Daffodils, Rhubarb, Peony, Morning Glory, Tomatoes, etc. We are careful to keep the dogs from chewing on or ingesting any of these plants, but fortunately, they really don't seem inclined to poison themselves and leave the plants largely alone. The fencing is for their safety from some of the more toxic plants, but it's mainly to keep them from helping with the landscaping. While we don't recommend you include these on or around any dog-exclusive areas like your kennel or dogyard, with care and vigilance, you can probably still enjoy these plants.

Anytime you find your dog in distress, particularly with dangerous symptoms such as staggering, convulsions, frothing, drooling or collapse, you should get your dog to a vet immediately for care. You can check later to see what, if anything, the dog might have ingested (unless you find him with mushrooms or plant parts hanging from his mouth, in which case it might be helpful to bring them along to the vet.)

Introducing Puppies to the Gun (oops)

2009-03-19T19:25:00.000-07:00

This post published out of order since I wrote it earlier this week. Scroll down to see it! :-)

Think Spring!

2009-03-17T18:42:00.001-07:00

Spring is coming (really it is!) and it's the time of year to begin thinking about warmer weather and our pointers!

Now is often the time that we need to update any shots our pointers are due for, get a heartworm check if they are not on year-round preventative, and also think about flea & tick preventative if you are using it. (We have used Frontline for years.)

It's also a good time to dust off the boots and get your dogs out for some romps in the nice weather. Be sure to check for burrs, cuts, and many-legged visitors when you return from a run.

It's also the time of year things begin growing again. Be aware of toxic plants in your yard and running areas. Most pointers are not big into eating inedible items, but some will chew on plants and many can cause stomach upset and (rarely) poisoning. Keep an eye out for mushrooms, many of which are toxic, as well.

We always find spring is a good time to do a good fencing check and also do any minor repairs to our outdoor doggy facilities. This year we are replacing some of our gravel in the dogyard and we will be refurbishing our "puppy kennel" before our upcoming litter. We'll also be bleaching and scrubbing our outdoor buckets and clean-up equipment.

The older dogs now seem to be wanting to be outdoors more, and Morgan (who will be 15 in July) even longed out in the yard in the sunshine with me while I was raking up some of the gardens this afternoon. Rowan, of course, was all about her tennis ball, and I could hear the boys wrestling in the dogyard. Scarlett and I had a firm discussion about depopulating the pond (she loves the fish!) and I will be replacing the gate around the pond as Rowan has figured out how to open it (Rowan likes fish too...)

Enjoy the warm weather as it comes. Hopefully we will all be looking forward to puppies soon!

Here's little Lucy at 8 weeks, thinking about fish, too! She is now Ch Corwyn's Five Cent Advice JH and lives in NY with Desiree Brock.

Dogshow ABC's Part II

2009-03-12T08:32:00.001-07:00

So! You've entered a show and are eager to go and see how you will do! You have butterflies in your stomach but the dog is enjoying this game of running and baiting and you're pretty excited.

One thing not covered so far is the various classes which you might enter at a show. All dogs are divided by sex - in the classes all dogs compete against only dogs of their own sex - dogs against dogs and bitches against bitches.

Dog Show Classes:

1) Puppy classes. These are divided by age: 6-9 months, 9-12 months, and some clubs offer a 12-18 months class.

2) Novice class - this is a class for dogs who have never earned a first place ribbon. Normally this class is for dogs who are too old for puppy classes but perhaps not mature enough for the Open class.

3) American bred - this class is for dogs who were born in the United States. Again, normally this class is only used for dogs who are too old for puppy or not ready for Open. It's also a class used sometimes at Specialty shows when folks wish to enter more than one dog from a litter, but can't show them both in the same class.

4) Bred-By Exhibitor - this is a class for dogs bred and owned by the person showing them. It's a class breeders use to showcase their stock by showing the dog themselves.

5) Open - a class for dogs of all ages. Usually this class is for adults who have not yet finished their show championships.

6) Best of Breed - this class is for dogs who already have their AKC Championship. No points are awarded for this class, but the Best of Breed dog will go on to compete in the Group against dogs from other breeds.

If your dog qualifies for the puppy classes, it's useful to put them into the puppy classes. Judges will expect a fair amount of silliness from puppies and forgive it in those classes more readily than in classes which also have adults entered. Also, if your puppy is somewhat immature (as puppies often are!) this will help the judge to know why.

Getting ready for the show:

Naturally you will want to make sure your puppy is trained to stack (stand squarely to be examined), to be examined and to move cleanly on the lead.

Your puppy should have a bath and have his nails trimmed. Many people remove the whiskers from the face of their showdogs. We do not personally do this as we feel they use their whiskers in the field. Also we like them! We've never had a judge tell us that if only we had removed the whiskers they would have chosen our dog. However, it is your choice.

You want to bring a few things along with you to the show:

Food for baiting the dog (whatever your dog likes - many people used cooked liver)
Your show lead
A chair - many shows do not provide chairs ringside so if you plan to sit and watch, you will need to bring one
A rag and something to clean your dog should she become dirty
A crate for your dog - you might want to leave the dog to eat lunch or watch another ring
Water & Ice - many summer shows can be very hot and it's a good idea to bring along water and some ice so the dog doesn't become overheated. Always have a crate in your car so that you can leave the dog in the car with the windows wide open and the dog will not become overheated. Never leave your dog in the car on a hot day without everything open to the air. Be sure to check on your dog frequently to make sure she is not too hot and that she has plenty of water.
You may wish to bring lunch with you - some of the shows have limited vendors and you might only be able to get a hot dog or rather nasty foods at some shows. Others have great vendors with wonderful snacs and meals. You just never know!
Your judging schedule and entry that were sent from the Show Superintendent.

Arriving at the Show:
Once you've arrive, you want to be sure you have all your equipment, and possibly your lunch. You've taken a look at the judging schedule and brought along your paperwork in case it's needed.

You want to park with the exhibitor parking (if it's summer try to find a shady spot, even if you have a ways to walk). Many clubs will charge a few dollars for parking. Show venues are hard to find and often the parking fees are what makes the difference between a club being able to afford the site or not.

Check which ring you are in and take a look at the schedule. A typical ring schedule might look like this:

Ring 2

8:00 Am

Setters (English) 4-5(1-2)

Setters (Gordon) 3-1(1-3)

Pointers - 3-5 (1-1)

What this means is that there are 4 males, 5 females, then 1 male champion (in the parentheses) and 2 female champions (parentheses) for English Setters - for a total of 12 English Setters to be judged, then another 8 Gordon Setters before Pointers will be judged. If you figure about 2 minutes per dog for judging, it's likely Pointers will not be judged before 8:30 or 8:45. Because some dogs might be absent, it's a good idea not to wait too long before heading to the ring, but this is a rule of thumb to help you figure out when you will be showing.

Getting back to Pointers, you can see from the entry that there will be 3 males, then 5 females judged in the classes. The dogs numbered in the parentheses are the champion dogs competing for Best of Breed. These dogs do not compete for Championship points because they already have the necessary number and are already AKC Champions.

Arriving at Ringside:

When you arrive ringside, you will see two people in the ring; the judge and the ring steward. The steward gives out the numbers, helps the judge to keep the records and calls each class into the ring when it's time for them to be judged. You will want to get your number from the Steward. The number is listed on your entry return which came with your judging program in the mail, but it will also be listed in the show catalog, which the steward will also have ringside.

The steward might be busy giving out ribbons to the judge or recording the results of a previous class, so you might have to wait a few minutes to get your number. It's important that the result be recorded accurately, so be patient! Once you have your number, you can attach it to your arm using the rubber bands provided. It's customary to put the number on your left arm.

Competing In the Ring:

Now you will wait until the steward calls your class into the ring. Watching beforehand can help you see where the judge would like you to stack your dog, and how he or she is moving the dogs. When you are called into the ring, normally you will be placed in "catalog order" according to the numbers you have been assigned. Leave space if there is to be a dog in front of you, then stack your dog, taking your time. Rushing and acting particularly nervous will make your dog worry and she's less likely to stand quietly and more likely to fidget. Normally, the judge will take a moment to look at all the dogs stacked together as a group, then send everyone around the ring together. The first dog in line will then be examined. If your dog is fidgeting, and you are not first, it might be helpful to practice stacking the dog until it is your turn. When it is your turn to have your dog examined, stack her, taking your time. Try to move out of the judge's way as he is examining your dog, but also try to keep your dog still. If she moves, calmly put her back as she belongs. Next the judge will move your dog by herself, usually expecting the dog to free-stack (stand on her own) using bait or a toy so he can see how she looks on her own, and evaluate her expression. Then the judge will send you around the ring to the end of the line.

Once all the dogs have been examined, the judge will assign the placements. There are up to 4 placements for any given class. Whichever dog is first in her class will need to be ready to go back into the ring again.

Winning a class gains you a blue ribbon. No points are assigned for class wins. Once all the different classes are judged for a particular sex (dogs or bitches) the first place dogs from those classes will go back into the ring for what is called the Winners Class. From these first place dogs, the judge will choose his Winner for the day (Winners Dog and Winners Bitch). The "Winners" will be given championship points. How many points are given depends on how many dogs are entered. A win of 3, 4 or 5 points is considered a "Major."

In order to attain an AKC Championship, you need to earn 15 championship points, including two "Major" wins of 3, 4 or 5 points. You must earn these points under 3 different judges.

Once the Winners are chosen, that dog will leave the ring. The second place dog from the class that the Winner was in will enter the ring. From those dogs left (the other first place dogs and the second place dog from the class in which the Winner was entered) the judge will choose a Reserve Winner. No points are awarded for Reserve Winner, but in case the Winner is disqualified for any reason (entered in the wrong class, a paperwork issue, etc.) the Reserve dog will be awarded the points instead. This happens only rarely.

If you are lucky enough to be chosen as Winners Dog or Winners Bitch, you will be heading into the ring AGAIN for the Best of Breed Class. Only the "winners" will be eligible to compete in Best of Breed against the Champion dogs.

Best of Breed:

The Best of Breed class is used to determine the best pointer entered on that day. Usually this title is given to one of the dogs entered that is already a Champion, however, both the Winners Dog and the Winners Bitch are eligible for this award. No points are given for Best of Breed. In this class, the judge will also assign a Best of Opposite Sex award. This is for the dog who is best of his sex that was NOT chosen as the Best of Breed. For example, if Champion Pointer X is chosen as Best of Breed and she is female, Best of Opposite sex will be a male.

Also chosen is an award for Best of Winners. This title is awarded EITHER to Winners Dog or Winners Bitch. The purpose of this award is to give points to an outstanding animal in the case that there is a discrepancy between the points. For example, if there were a large number of bitches entered, there might be say, 3 points available to the Winners Bitch. If only 1 or 2 dogs were entered, there might only be 1 point available to Winners Dog. If the judge feels that the Winners Dog is superior to the Winners Bitch (and he may not!) he can assign Best of Winners to the dog, who then will also be awarded 3 points. The Winners Bitch does not lose her points. She will still have 3 points.

Calculating points can be confusing, and knowing when to head back into the ring can be confusing. Listen for your number and hopefully some of the other exhibitors will help you.

If you like, you can have a photograph taken with the judge at the show. Most people only get photos taken if they have won points on that day, but it is your choice. Normally you will need to wait for a break in judging and ask for the judge to pose for photos with you. A photographer will be called and you can have the photo taken at that time. You can check with the steward to see when the judge will be taking a break.

Now what?

If you've won - congratulations! Go home, tell all your friends and your breeder and have a celebratory dinner!

If not, don't despair. Learning the ropes can take time. Judge's opinions of what makes a correct pointer vary. Some judges will not choose puppies for championship points. Some judges prefer one color over another (even tho they are not supposed to!). Sometimes your dog misbehaves - they are not robots. There is always another show.

If you find that you are losing consistently, it might be helpful to talk with your breeder or other show folks to see what they think. You might need some more training. Your dog might need to put on or take off some weight. Or, your dog may have a fault that is preventing him from winning. It's a good idea to get a second opinion or two if you feel you aren't winning when you should. You might get some good advice and be able to improve your results.

Most important is that you enjoy the time with your dog. An AKC Championship is a nice title to earn and your breeder will be grateful for the help this gives their record as a breeder. However, in the end, it is still only dogshow. What matters most is that you enjoy living with your dog and spending time with her.

Introducing Puppies to the Gun

2009-03-12T07:52:00.000-07:00

It's important that your puppy learn about the sound of the gun in the most positive way possible. Many a good birddog has been ruined by improper gun training.

There are many dogs who will simply ignore the loud noise without much fuss and require very little in the way of introduction to the gun. Others need to have this introduced slowly and carefully so as not to spook them and put them off their birds. Remember you are working with a puppy, not an adult dog, so no matter how outstanding their temperament is, you don't want to give the puppy a poor first experience.

You will want your puppy to have seen birds a few times, and be very interested in the birds and eager to hunt and find them. If your puppy has not reached this point, it is not yet time for gun training.

Some important DON'Ts:

1) Do NOT fire the gun while the puppy is eating

2) Do NOT fire the gun directly over the puppy for the first time

3) Do NOT take your puppy to a firing range (unless you can have playtime at a sufficient distance that he can be hearing the noise without it frightening him.)

If possible, it can be helpful to have a trained adult dog with your puppy the first time the gun is fired around him. Puppies learn a lot by example, and seeing the adult react in a postive way or not at all to the gunfire can help prevent him from becoming concerned about it.

It's useful to have a low-calibur blank pistol to begin with. A .22 is perfect. We have also used a .32 blank pistol. Both are available from dog supply catalogs and online.

You will also need some birds - the more the better. It's also useful to have a second person to fire the gun so you can work near the puppy and the other person can fire the gun on your signal (a raised arm usually works).

What you want to do is plant a few birds for your puppy. Allow him to hunt and find them (you might want a checkcord on your puppy so you can control him). Have your gunner ready at a good distance away (20 yards is not a bad distance, further if you will be using a shotgun or larger calibur gun) and make sure that person knows when to fire.

Once the puppy is pointing, you may go in and flush the bird (make it fly). Or, if the puppy has jumped the gun and flushed his own bird, this is the time to fire. The gun should be fired shortly after the bird has taken off. Have the gunner point the gun away from you and the puppy, and fire once. Hopefully, the puppy will have no reaction, or simply look around in surprise. Whatever his reaction, DO NOT SAY ANYTHING and DO NOT become concerned if the puppy spooks. Just pick up the checkcord and move on to the next bird. If the puppy has had little or no reaction, it's fine to fire again on the next bird, as it is flying. If the puppy has had an extreme reaction such as bolting or cringing, do not fire the gun this time. SImply allow the puppy to find his next bird and watch it fly away. You might do this a few more times until you are sure the puppy is again enjoying his birds. IF he is not up and going quickly, tail up, ready to hunt, leave off the gunfire for this day. Let him have the positive experience of the birds in his mind when you quit for the day.

If his reaction has been mostly positive and unconcerned, you can continue firing the gun as each bird flushes while the puppy continues to hunt. Let the puppy begin to connect the birds with the gunfire without becoming worried about the noise. There is NO RUSH to work your way right up to the puppy on this first introduction to the gun. Plan on 3-4 experiences combining the gun and the birds before reaching a point where the gunner is close enough to have actually shot down the flushed bird. It's useful to work your way up to the puppy with the blank pistol before moving on to the shotgun. We normally progress to using a .410 before going on to a larger calibur shotgun. It's important when moving "up" in calibur (and therefore noise level) to have your gunner begin again at a distance to the puppy with the louder gun, working his way closer so long as the puppy continues to work without concern. Don't be afraid to stop firing and allow the puppy some birds without the noise if he begins to worry even after some progress has been made. Make sure always to put the puppy away after a positive experience.

Sometimes you might have a reaction you were not expecting and have to dispense with the gunfire for the day after several positive sessions without incident. Don't react - just use your head and make sure that day ends on a good note. Usually on the next session, working at a greater distance will bring the puppy back around. Often a few days to reflect on a training session will lessen a negative experience and you can move forward.

One of our early dogs was gunshy. She spooked and cowered at the sound of the gun and we had to work very hard to repair the damage we had done by rushing her gun training. It took about 2 months of weekly sessions, birds and blank pistol at a distance, to bring her around. A good deal of patience and time were required but she finally understood that the noise was not going to hurt her. Gunshyness can be fixed with many dogs, but it is time consuming and doesn't always succeed. It is best to avoid having to correct a problem. Do not be in a rush due to upcoming hunting season or upcoming field trials or hunt tests. The time you spend in the beginning will be far less than you might have to spend if you rush too fast for your puppy and ruin his desire to work.

Ideally no pointer should be gunshy, but the reality is that individuals vary and puppies can go through periods of less confidence as they are learning. You want to take your time and be sure your dog progresses with confidence and always enjoys his work. Remember never to react to your puppies fears by coddling or being upset. Ignore his worries and think carefully about each next move so as to build his confidence, not burden him with your concerns.

Happy hunting!

Dogshow ABC's - Part I

2009-03-11T20:06:00.000-07:00

Quite a few of our puppy people have expressed interest in dog showing, but some confusion about what is involved. We thought it might be good to give a VERY basic introduction to dogshows and what is involved.

What is a dogshow?

A dog show is an event which you enter with your dog, to be judged (by a licensed AKC Judge) regarding how well your dog meets the AKC standard compared to the other dogs entered on that day. The AKC breed standard is a description of the breed and its traits, written by the national breed parent club (For example, the Pointer Standard was written by the American Pointer Club) and approved by AKC.

What is the purpose of a dogshow?

Dog shows are intended to evaluate breeding stock. Having an AKC championship means that you have acquired 15 AKC Championship points (more on this) and have been evaluate by at least 3 AKC licensed judges and deemed to be better than a number of other dogs of your same breed. A championship doesn't necessarily mean you should run out and breed your dog, but it does go a long way to proving your dog has the qualities asked for by the breed standard and that your dog has something to contribute in a positive way towards the gene pool of your particular breed.

Dogshow is also a fun activity for you and your dog, can be a nice social outing, and a good experience for your children. It can also be political, frustrating and time-consuming. But mostly it's fun!

How do I find out about Dogshows in my area?

It's a good idea to contact a local all-breed club in your area to learn more about shows around you. An all-breed club is a dog club that has members from many different breeds. These people work together in their community to educate people about dogs, often host training classes in both conformation (showing) and obedience and host and run dog shows.

Another source for shows in your area is the various Show Superintendents. These are organizations that supply equipment for shows (tents, rings, tables, ribbons, etc.) and manage the paperwork involved (keeping records and providing them to the AKC to keep track of the results at a given show.) Getting in contact with show superintendents can help you be put on their mailing list for upcoming shows.

What does my dog have to do during a show?

For conformation (the "beauty pageant" part that you see often on TV such as Westminster Kennel Club's annual show) your dog must stand squarely for the judge to look at him. He must stand quietly while he is examined all over - head, ears, body, tail, testicles for males, sometimes even his feet and legs are touched. Also the judge will need to pull back his lips and look at his teeth, so he must tolerate this. Next the judge will ask you to move your dog around the ring so he can evaluate how he moves and uses his body. Moving the dog is done at a trotting pace - this gives the judge the best view of how the dog is using himself. The judge will want to see your dog moving away from him, towards him and from the side. He might send you in various directions to be able to see this: normally away and back in a diagonal line across the ring, and then around the perimeter of the ring so he can watch the dog move from the side. Often after the dog has moved away and back to the judge, your dog will need to stop and stand squarely on his own (you can use food to teach him how to do this - it's called "baiting") so the judge can see how he stands on his own without you placing his legs and also so the judge can see his face and expression.

Your dog will need to be accustomed to moving thru a crowd, being around other dogs, hearing and seeing strange noises and sights, and being touched.

How does my dog learn all this?

Much of this can be practiced at home. YOu can teach your dog to stand, to have his mouth and head and body examined, and to move on the leash in your own house and yard. However, it's helpful to attend a "show handling" class (many all-breed clubs hold these classes) and to get out and about in general to become socialized to new people and places.

I'm interested! My dog and I know what to do, now what?

If you've trained your dog and taken some classes and have a good idea of what you will need to do in the ring, you will want to enter some "match shows." These are practice shows, run very much like a regular dogshow, except that there are no points awarded (as they are not "official AKC" shows) and the judges are often learning just like you and your dog. They help you see how your dog is doing with his show education, and help you to get some experience working with your dog in a "show" environment. Ribbons are awarded and it can be fun to see how your dog stacks up against his competition, even if it is practice!

Once you've entered a few matches, you might be ready for a show! First, your dog must be 6 months of age to enter a show. (Often matches allow puppies as young as 3 months to enter.) He should have a bath and have his nails trimmed and in general be in good condition and tidy all over. (Pointers don't require a lot of grooming so you're off the hook for a lot of the work required by other breeds like Poodles, shih tzus and other coated breeds). Since the judge will be looking at the dog, you will want a slightly lightweight show lead so as not to distract the judge from your dog. Most people dress up a bit for dogshows - business casual or slightly nicer is the rule of thumb - but it's ok to wear comfortable, safe shoes so you don't fall in the ring!

So? How do you enter? Once you've contacted some all-breed clubs or show superintendents, you should be able to get your hands on what is called a "Show Premium." This is a pamphlet that lists an upcoming show, the date, location, and who the judges will be for each breed. At the back of this pamphlet will be an entry form. You must fill out ALL of the information to enter the show, and send this form with the fee (listed on that page) to the show superintendent in charge of teh show BEFORE THE CLOSING date of the show. THis closing date is usually 2-3 weeks before the actual date of the show. The entries are needed well in advance so that the judging scheduled can be planned based on how many dogs of each breed are entered.

Usually the week before the show, you will receive in the mail a Judging Schedule which will tell you in what Ring you will be showing, what time, how many dogs are entered for each breed, and what your Show number is. The judge is not permitted to know the names of the dogs entered, so you will be given a number to put on your arm while showing your dog. You will want to be sure you have the correct number so when the results are recorded, you get credit for whatever your dog has done at the show that day.

Coming up: Part II - Attending the Show and What are all those Ribbons For???

Introducing Puppies to Birds

2009-03-05T10:30:00.000-08:00

For those of you interesting in hunting, and for those of you interested in pursuing a Junior Hunter or field trial title with your pointer, one of the most important things you do is introducing your puppy to birds.

The first questions is, at what age is it appropriate to begin putting birds in front of your puppy? We feel that no dog is really too old, having done some beginning training with rescue pointers as old as six years, but if you have a puppy, you'll want to put birds in front of him as soon as possible. We try to at least do a few brief introductions while the pups are still with their dam - starting between 6 and 7 weeks. You may wish to wait until the pup has had most of his puppy shots before venturing anywhere that might have ticks, rodents or other germ-carrying critters. Basic introductions, however, can happen in your own backyard.

The next question is, what kind of birds? Tweety birds (robins, bluejays, chickadees and other common yard birds) do not have the same type of scent as gamebirds. Gamebirds include: quail, grouse, chukar (these look like largish pigeons) pigeons and pheasant. All of these (altho pigeons are not normally hunted, they work well for training a pointing dog) are the types of birds for which we'd like our dogs to be looking.

The best birds to introduce to puppies are quail. They are small, don't fly as far as other gamebirds, and not particularly scary or dangerous for a puppy. They also have a very good scent which is easy for a puppy to find. Pigeons and chukar would be a second choice for a puppy, being slightly larger than quail. Grouse are hard to find and very flighty, not an easy choice for puppies. Pheasant is not a good choice for a puppy as often they are bigger than the puppies and might scare them as they take off to fly away - they can be quite loud.

We always try to introduce puppies to birds along with a trained adult. Puppies spend a lot of time learning from their adult family members and housemates. The interest, enthusiasm, behavior and security of a trained adult can all contribute in a positive way to your puppies first experience. Generally, if we have an adult available, we will plant a bird (more on this) put the puppy on a leash nearby, and then bring out the adult. The adult will quickly find and point his or her bird, which we then flush (make fly). All this in view of the puppy who sees: dog using its nose, dog getting excited, dog pointing, and WAHOO! birdy fireworks as the bird flies away. If enough birds are available, it's useful to have the adult put up two or three birds to really spark his interest. At this point, we bring the puppy, still on lead, over to where the bird was, and let him investigate, encouraging him as he smells the area. If he saw the bird fly, if he smelled it before or afterward, he's already got a pretty good idea of what his little nose is telling him. Let him rummage around until he begins to lose interest.

Now, if you haven't an adult nearby who can "demonstrate" the fun and excitement of birds, you want to work a bit more carefully. It's important not to startle the pup. What we generally do is take a quail in our hands, pinning the wings, and, with the puppy on a lead, show it to him and allow him to check it out thoroughly. Often there will be some grabbing, which you may wish to gently prevent so your bird is still intact. Sometimes the puppy will show minimal interest in this fuzzy thing in your hand, after all, it's not particularly palatable and he's never seen it before. Don't worry about it. Next, at some distance from the puppy, we will tie the bird to a string, or tie the bird to an empty 2-liter soda bottle (this is just to weigh down the bird so it cannot fly far - saves on quail) and bring the puppy into an open area where the bird is. Generally the bird will run or fly at sight of your and the pup approaching. Hopefully, the puppy will give chase and show great interest. Again, if the pup shows little interest, keep trying.

Now, many pups will begin pointing at first sight or smell of any gamebird. This is not uncommon, and of course is desirable, altho we've had many dogs who chased their first few birds before ever pointing and grew to become nice hunting dogs. If the puppy is pointing from the very beginning, this is great. You can VERY QUIETLY encourage the puppy. Do not walk between the puppy and the bird. Normally the puppy will eventually break his point and head in to pounce on his quarry. (Again, you may want to prevent the puppy from doing too much damage to the bird, but there is nothing better than a proud pointer puppy, strutting about with his first bird in his mouth.) We will allow this for the first few times to build his enthusiasm.

If the pup is steadily pointing, you can slowly move towards the bird until it flushes. You may have to kick the bird, or even pick it up and toss it into the air. At this point, nearly all pups break and chase. Again, let him go for now. Let him have his fun.

Now, once you've shown the pup what a bird looks and smells like, and established his interest, it's time to begin allowing him the chance to find the birds on his own. Again, controlling the situation as we've done already will go a long way to building his enthusiasm. Making sure that he sees plenty of birds as a baby will ensure that he knows what his job is as an older pup and adult when he's turned out to hunt. Dogs who see few or no birds as pups can take much longer to build interest and will spend more time running then actively HUNTING. If you learned as a child that gold nuggets were to be found under mailboxes, you'd spend a good amount of time as an adult checking under mailboxes. If you had never heard of finding gold under mailboxes, you'd just walk right past them without a look. You might once in a great while find a nugget by chance, but you wouldn't be actively hunting for them.

So, what comes next is planting a bird or two for the puppy to find. Planting means placing the bird in some kind of cover: grass, bushes, a depression in the ground with leaves covering, whatever you can do to conceal the bird. Giving the bird a good shaking, tucking his head under his wing, all these help to settle the bird so he stays put. It's helpful to place the bird several minutes before you bring the puppy into the area. This gives the scent of the bird time to waft out from the bird itself to some of the surrounding area and help give the puppy something to follow. Dogs hunting regular gamelands with wild birds will have a trail to follow, and there is often a good deal more scent, so leaving the bird a few minutes can help the puppy have more to find.

Bring the puppy (again, on a lead - the purpose of the lead is to control where the puppy goes, not so much to prevent his freedom) into the area where the bird is planted and allow him to investigate. He may not even notice the bird or its scent. Give him some time to figure it out for himself. If he's gotten very interested in field mice, digging or playing with something he finds in the brush, you can walk him in a circle around where the bird is planted (careful of flushing the bird yourself) until he notices it is there. Usually he will pass it, pause, and go back to investigate. As a last resort, you can crouch down, bringing the pup with you, and rustle the grass near the bird, even expose the bird for the pup if necessary.

Following these steps a few times for your pup as soon as you can possibly do so will usually give him a good start for hunting. He will know what a bird is, what it smells like (most game birds have a similiar scent and most dogs will easily translate what they learn on quail or chukar to any game bird including pheasant) and will be beginning to learn how to follow his nose and locate game.

You will notice that AT NO TIME was there any mention of gunfire. This is not the time for gun training. Gun training comes after the dog's interest is solidly established. This topic will be covered at a later date.

Good luck and happy hunting!

(Photos: Scarlett, Ch Corwyn's Flame JH CDX VA at 3 months pointing probably her 2nd or 3rd bird and, later, Scarlett's first litter: Corwyn's Wizard, Corwyn's Illusion and Corwyn's Mystic at 7 weeks - two pointing, one pouncing - on their first bird. This scenario in our own yard. Notice the bird is on a string)

Our First Showdog

2009-02-25T19:04:00.000-08:00

So, we wanted a pointer. We found a nice breeder in Massachusetts (Taunton Bay Pointers) and they casually mention that she is show quality.

We really have no idea what this means. We just know that Morgan's pretty, we love her, and Tammy wants to spend as much time with her dog as possible.

So, we do what all new people should do:

We register her with AKC
We contact our local all-breed club (there are lists of these on the AKC website)
We sign up for show handling classes

This goes pretty well, except we don't really understand what "socializing" means. Our dog loves us and our family, and is really not happy with people she DOESN'T know. Fortunately, our handling instructor is a genius. She encourages us. She sends us to obedience classes to build confidence. Our dog begins to learn about the world and about showing. She becomes outgoing and learns how to work on the lead, and how to stand for examination. She learns to let people touch her, hold her head and look at her teeth. She learns to free-stack. She is VERY good at this. She will move all her feet to the right places and put up her cute little ears and look perfect.

By now she is about 18 months old. So, we go to a match. A practice show. She is the only pointer, so she gets a first place and a "Best of Breed" ribbon. Then she wins the sporting group! She beats all the other sporting dogs there. We are on our way, we think!

So we enter some shows. Some of the people are friendly and helpful (Thanks, Pam & John Mohr, for being kind to a newbie!) Some are reserved, and some are just rude. We ignore the rude people and have fun with our dog. We get a lot of reserve wins. We're still awkward and learning.

But finally, at a small show in New Jersey, we win! A whole two points! That's it, we are now officially hooked!

The good, the bad and the ugly...

2009-02-24T15:37:00.000-08:00

It's always a good idea to know what you are getting into when a new puppy joins your family.

Pointers are one of the better kept secrets among family dogs. They have few faults, as a breed, and generally adapt well to nearly any lifestyle that permits them a lot of time with their families.

The Good:

They are good watchdogs, altho not much in the way of GUARD dogs
They are not destructive if given enough activities
Pointers are great at a lot of doggy activities: Showing, hunting, obedience, agility, therapy, some even work as service or Search and Rescue dogs
They don't shed as much as other popular sporting breeds such as Labrador & Golden retrievers
Pointers are good with children
Pointers are a relatively healthy breed
Pointers are long-lived - average lifespan is over 12, and many live over 15 years
They are extremely athletic
They are intelligent and easy to train
Pointers get along well with other dogs and other breeds
They are extremely clean housedogs (easy to housebreak!)
They are exceptionally good at reading your mood and sympathetic when you need it
They can be trained to be obedience off-lead

They do have some faults, sad to admit:

They prefer a good amount of exercise
Pointers require a bit more effort to be kept in apartments or small yards
Pointers LOVE to dig
Many pointers prefer their stuffed toys in pieces
They can eat a lot for their size, sometimes twice what other similar sporting breeds might consume
They can take themselves and you very seriously - they read your mood very well
They have a lot of drive to run and hunt and need to be trained in obedience to channel this energy (some basic obedience is the key here!)

Pointers make exceptional family dogs. What is required is some basic obedience training, a bit of patience, an understanding of their exercise needs, and lots of love (this part is easy!). One of the best things about pointers is they are happy to be with whoever is home - mom, dad, kids or other relatives - they are not picky. They are great bed dogs and make wonderful companions. Pointers prefer to participate in ALL family activities. They like hiking, camping, hunting, going for car rides, visiting relatives, watching TV, gardening (watch it with this one!), and are especially good at supervising the cooking of meals. The more you do with your pointer, the more you include him in your life, the better your relationship will be. Soon you will have no idea how you ever lived without them.

Adults with Puppies

2009-02-22T11:21:00.000-08:00

At Corwyn, we like to let our adults help with puppy raising.

For the first few weeks, only momdog is permitted near the pups - the adults are always kept segregated unless we are home to supervise. The dam will normally protect her pups like a lioness, warning the curious away from her babies in no uncertain terms.

As they get older, the adults are permitted more and more leeway with regard to the babies. Usually the females are permitted more access than the males. In a few weeks, the girls may be allowed to step a toe or even all four into the box to smell and interact with the pups, but often the boys are only permitted a nose over the edge of the box. It's funny to watch the pups surge eagerly towards any large dog they see, then back up when they smell that it's not mom. In time, they greet everyone with enthusiasm, but at first, all they are interested in is FOOD. It's also funny to watch as the boys peer over the box, then back away in horror as the horde of curious puppies stumble towards.

Once the pups are old enough for brief outdoors excursions, we put them out (supervised) with various adults besides their mother. The adults keep watch over them, lead them back to the group when they get lost, and discipline them for rudeness (who can resist gnawing on dangling tails or attempting to get a snack from any convenient body part?). The big dogs also serve as a deterrent for hawks, because altho we live in a suburban neighborhood, baby puppies are a nice snack for a passing predator.

This interaction with the adults gives them a good foundation for interacting with strange dogs when they enter the world on their own. They learn to be polite, submit when asked, and that full frontal assaults are generally frowned upon. Sometimes my momdogs feel their pups can do no wrong, and fail to discipline them for infractions such as biting, yanking on their ears, clambering all over them, and barking at them. Some of the moms just lie there, grinning benignly, saying "Oh, the perfect little dears..." Others maintain discipline like a military squad.

With her largest litter of 10 pups, Z separated them into two groups for eating and bathing. Nobody was permitted to stray out of their appointed group, and resisters during bathing were firmly pinned with a paw. This worked well so that all the pups got an equal turn at the milk bar, and was pretty funny to watch. A pup would begin sneaking and wriggling its way from the pile it was in towards the slurping pile at mom's side, only to be rolled directly back the way it came by mom's nose, squawking in protest.

It's possible interaction with pups not their own contributes some to the innate mothering instinct. This is the only reason that seems to make sense for why the females might be permitted to interfere with the pups before they are weaned. It's hard to know - most dams seem to deliver and care for the pups without an instruction manual.

Here is a photo of Z outdoors with some of her grandpups

(this is Rowan, at about 3 weeks).

2009-02-18T16:43:00.001-08:00

Finally got the book done! Here it is!

This is an excerpt from the FOREWARD:

"In the many years I've been breeding and living with pointers, I've spent many hours talking with folks interested in Pointers. I've answered thousands of questions, and heard so many times, 'Aside from training books, there just isn't much out there about Pointers.' It's true. There are books on training Pointers. There are books on training dogs. There are books on Pointer pedigrees and Pointer history. This book is about living with Pointers and what makes Pointers a unique breed."

Want a copy?

You can find it here: Pointers on Pointers

More Welcome

2009-02-17T11:35:00.001-08:00

Hi, guys and welcome again. I know some of you are trickling in as you deal with my incomprehensible emails and with the google groups thing. Just wanted to touch base and see how my new plan works for everyone. What you should get from now on is just what you got: an email from the group with a link to this blog.

Of course right now I'm all gung-ho and posting quite a bit but it will die down and be more like a few times a week or once a week.

Pointer plans for today are to take my nap with Z (she was quite put out to have missed yesterday as I spent all afternoon on the computer!) and do a sperm check on Duncan. I just got a new microscope for Christmas and I'm looking forward to trying it out. I'm not adding photos (can't take any of microscopic stuff) but just picture Duncan with a stupid grin on his face. Here he is with his daughter from another litter.

Rowan Boinging

2009-02-16T14:01:00.001-08:00

This is a test post to see if my email notification is working. Anyone who recently joined and sees this, it would be great if you'd comment or email that it's working!

Here is Ms. Rowan, boinging for her ball. Nut!

Planning for Puppies Part 2

2009-02-16T12:14:00.000-08:00

So, we've chosen our parents and are waiting for Rowan to come into season so we can breed her and hope for a litter!

One thing that's important when planning to breed your dog is that you have a relationship with the dam so you can work as a team when whelping and rearing the puppies. It's important that you've established a relationship that involves trust and leadership (on YOUR part!) so that you can help her if necessary, and so that she will permit a vet to do so, just in case.

Rowan is accustomed to being touched all over, having her ears and teeth cleaned, and having her nails done. I can pick her up, move her about, and check her all over for parasites or injuries after a hunting trip. This means that when we are delivering puppies, hopefully she will be comfortable with me being able to examine her or assist her if necessary.

Being the leader in our relationship, I expect her to allow me to handle the puppies and examine them, as well. It's important (very!) to allow momdog to do her job with the pups. The more she does on her own, the less YOU have to do, and the better mother she will be - nature has given her the skills, the breeder must step back and let her use them. However, it's also necessary to weigh the pups, clip their tiny toenails and check them over every day, so I need her to allow me to do this.

Some of this relationship is built based on how Rowan was raised and how she is treated at the house. She is part of the family and used to being handled and to spending time with us. But the big help will be obedience training. It will be interesting to see how this comes in handy in the months to come.

Rowan is about 5 weeks old in this photo. She was born at Corwyn and still spends a LOT of time hanging over my shoulder....

Waiting for Puppies

2009-02-15T10:37:00.000-08:00

One of the reasons we started this blog is to help folks who are waiting for puppies. Waiting is so hard, particularly when you've DECIDED you want a puppy and from whom you'd like to get one. So, we thought this might help pass the time and keep in touch. It might also help folks by sparking questions and ideas about your upcoming addition to the family!

We will be posting updates on Rowan & Duncan and also what is going on with the other Corwyn Pointer kids. We will send out photos during pregnancy and OF COURSE puppy photos when those come!

This one is of Scarlett pregnant with Rowan's litter.

Planning for Puppies

2009-02-15T10:16:00.001-08:00

We are planning for a litter of puppies this spring. There is quite a bit that goes into planning a litter and getting ready to have the pups.

First, you want to choose the parents. For this litter, we've chosen to breed our dam to one of our own stud dogs. Ch Corwyn's Mystic JH CD VA (these titles means she's got her AKC Show championship, her Junior Hunter title, and her Companion Dog in obedience, plus the Versatility Award title from the American Pointer club) who call call Rowan (or "The Devil!") is to be bred to Ch Corwyn's Charisma JH CDX VA "Duncan". The dogs should be chosen to complement one another in the various doggy aspects:

Type - they should look like a pointer and hopefully contribute positively to one another in areas where one is better - example: Duncan has more bone than Rowan - we're hoping to get some of that in the pups. Rowan has a beautiful head and dark eye and we're hoping to get that.

Temperament - They should be solid tempered, outgoing, friendly and easy to train. We at Corwyn do not breed dogs who are shy, aggressive, extremely stubborn or difficult to train.
Health - both dogs are over 2 years old and have had the appropriate health checks that apply to our breed. Pointers are pretty healthy, but we do use OFA to check their hips - both of these dogs are OFA Good. They do not have any seizure disorders, nor do any of their relatives, and have shown no skin problems.
Field Ability - No dog at Corwyn is bred without demonstrating field ability. After all, a pointer should be able to do his job! Both these dogs have a basic hunting title (Junior Hunter) and have been hunted over in the field by us. Rowan is a natural retriever and Duncan has been trained to retrieve as well. Rowan has a particularly good nose and both have good range but are manageable when working at a distance. We think the pups will be very birdy and not hard to train.

Now that we've made a decision about the parents, it's just a waiting game for Rowan to come into season so we can breed her... She loves puppies (that's her in the photo with her 1/2 brothers & sisters) and we hope she will be a great mom!

Lazy Sunday

2009-02-15T10:03:00.000-08:00

So, it's the day after Valentine's Day, and we are all just lounging around on the sofa watching TV and working on the computer. Had a great dinner party last night with some friends (snotty Hors D'Ouevres including Stilton & pears on endive, Gouda & proscuitto sandwiches followed by Cornish hens with wild rice and then, tiramisu and chocolate covered strawberries). The youngsters are out bouncing around the dogyard enjoying the windy day. I think I will take a nice nap later with my Z.

Carter goes BOB

2009-02-15T09:53:00.000-08:00

We finally got Carter's Best of Breed photo from some shows in October. I think he looks great. He's a nice typey boy and he SURE loves to show! Maybe a bit too much... Carter now needs just a major and a single to finish his CH! Carter is a son of Ch Corwyn's Flame JH CDX VA (Scarlett) and Ch Marsh Run Tradewinds Tartan (Tartan). He lives in NJ with a supernice family and his boy, Elliott.

Welcome Pointer Lovers

2009-02-15T09:44:00.000-08:00

Welcome to What's Happening at Corwyn Pointers! We wanted to share with you everything going on at Corwyn to keep you up to date on our news. Keep an eye out for upcoming litters, puppy photos, field photos, hunting trips, show news, stories about our hunting trips, training tips, and stories about life at Corwyn. We look forward to sharing our pointer stories with you!