Patience is Key

     We are now a month into raw and Voda is thriving! All of her sores are healed and her joints don't crack like they used to when she would stand up. She loves feeding time so much that it's a treat for myself to feed her every day. I think I get just as excited as she does when I open up the refrigerator!
   

Chicken and beef meal--any more beef than this and you better have your gas mask at hand!

     I have been trying to introduce a new meat(beef) into her diet for the past two weeks. But so far all that I am achieving are farts that CAN and WILL clear and room and runny poops. Not exactly what I had in mind. So it's back to the drawing board. **Lot's of chicken and just a hint of beef** This, in my opinion, is where some new to raw owners would throw in the towel. It can be very hard to figure out what your dog needs. Some dogs need more bone than others. Others may have more of a sensitive stomach. Please people do not give up on your furry buddies. They are only with us for a short while and deserve the best out of life while they are with us.
     Whenever your pup starts showing signs that something is off, i.e. runny poo, cannon butt, low energy....( anything out the the norm)...The best advice I can give you is to start over. This is what baselines are for; start with something simple and that grow from that point.

****If you pup is showing signs of distress please take them to your regular vet or animal clinic. And remember the 4B's for feeding: Beige, Bland, Boneless, Boring. In Layman's terms chicken or fish filets****

Let's Get Dirrrty!

     Today was meal packaging day at the Rennicker house. Voda received a lot of meat this week from people who were gracious enough to give her meat they were going to throw away while cleaning their refrigerators out. We had also been thawing a box of chicken leg quarters. So I got to play in chicken, lamb, and beef parts for an hour or so today. It's not hard work just a bit time consuming. But once you get the hang of weighing and measuring it goes by rather quickly. This was only my second time packaging and it lasted no where near as long as the first time. I should mention that I was a bit overwhelmed the first time and was worrying WAY TOO MUCH about whether or not I was adding the right meat, organs, etc. to each bag. This go round was smooth sailing: weigh, bag, label, freeze!

     There are different ways to package food for your dog. It all just depends on your personal preference. I choose to bag individual meals mostly. Occasionally I stray and feed whole prey, like the turkey Voda is working on at the moment. Just keep in mind, THERE IS NO WRONG WAY TO PACKAGE THEIR MEALS. What is important is the overall percentage of meat(80%), bone(10%), and organs(10%) that you are feeding your dog. The packaging is just for your convenience and pleasure.

Finishing up the weighing and separating!

When I am packaging Voda's food:

I measure out 1.4lbs of RMB *raw meaty bones*, one ounce liver, and then fill the rest up with boneless meat or organs. 

THIS WILL CHANGE ONCE SHE IS ACCUSTOMED TO RAW. I WILL TRY ADDING MORE MEAT TO HER DIET AND LESS BONE. 

At the moment she needs the extra bone for poop control. More bone = less watery stools

My goal is to be able to feed her boneless meals on certain days and bone-in meals on others. *Only time will tell, Voda will let me know what's right for her once to opportunity presents itself*

Left- lamb chop, chicken gizzards, hearts, & liver; Right- chicken leg, gizzards, & heart

I label all her meals so that I can make sure I am not introducing too many meats at one time!

I buy meats from the bargain bins at the grocery store; therefore, I do not have much control over what kind of meat I buy. This is way I label Voda's meals so I don't feed her beef when I'm introducing pork into her diet. *This is just a simple fix for me, but may not work for you.*

Turkey for Everyone this Thanksgiving

     Well Voda is on day 12 of her Raw Diet. She's done very well so far. We had some potty issues the first few days which was to be expected.  But since then it's been smooth sailing *Thus far*. She loves loves LOVES supper time now. I believe she feels that it's her duty to let everyone in Hale Na Koa Village that it is time to eat. Such a diva, always having to bring the attention to her.

     One of the many things that has me singing my praises is the less time I have to spend picking up dog bombs. It really does take some getting use to not seeing your dog poop every day! It silently speak tons about how much crap is in kibble. My back yard used to look like a land mine with the amount of doggy mud pies there was out there, but now I literally have to hunt for them when I'm out wielding my pooper scooper.

Turkey Time

     So after a week and a half of eating chicken leg quarters, gizzards, and liver, I have decided to try Voda out on Turkey. I bought an 8.6lb turkey and just let her have her way with it. I did; however, take the bird away when I felt like she had consumed around about the 1.4lbs of meat she should be taking in each day. According to my math, this turkey should last her about six days. 8.6 / 1.4 = 6.14  I enjoyed watching her try to figure out how to sink her teeth into the turkey without using her paws. It's hilarious, I have such a nicey nasty puppy. She refuses to touch the raw meat with her feet. That's like trying to get ribs without using your hands, it's ain't pretty!

~Things to remember with introducing a different meat source~

• There are two ways of introducing new meats. (A.) You can strictly feed that one meat source until your pup's stomach can handle the new meat. (B.) You can slowing transition to the new meat by adding chunks of new meat to the existing meals that you were feeding prior to the new meat source. 
• Expect upset tummies, it's just like switching to a new dog food. Your dog's system has to become accustomed with the new meat. 
• Go slow. 
• Don't get aggravated 
• If one way of introducing new foods doesn't work, use another method. 
• When all else fails. Start over at the beginning and work slower toward your destination. 

Trying Something New

Hey everyone! It's been a very long time since my last post. Ugh life can get so hectic sometimes, what I would not give for a few more hours in a day.

Anyway, I am going to start something new for awhile. I am going to be posting about feeding your dog a raw diet and y'all are going to be able to follow Voda and I through the process of learning the tricks of the trade! I have a few friends who are curious about this kind of diet and I would like to help in any way possible. So consider this Voda's way of giving back by allowing y'all to take the journey along with her! Are you excited maybe a little nervous? Well I know I definitely am!

 
Let me take a moment to explain the raw diet in my opinion and some info on what I have learned thus far. I'll start off with the dog's genealogy, dogs evolved from wolves. They share over 98% DNA. This leaves very little to be different. In my opinion this is where the domestic characteristics come into play; body and brain size, barking, coloring and marking differences, lop ears, etc... Most of these only being superficial. All the insides and their functions remain the same. Thus, allowing the dog to be able to eat like a wolf. Take a minute and look at your dog's teeth. What do you see?  I can guarantee those teeth do not look like like a cow's teeth, so that would rule out herbivore.  How about your teeth? Does you dog's teeth look anything remotely to human teeth? No? So that means dogs aren't omnivores. What a about a wolf's teeth or a tiger's? Do they look like multiple pairs of scissors interlocking with each other? YES, they do!! A dog's teeth were made to tear meat and meat alone. They are not for grinding grass, fruits, veggies, or kibble. Dog's are meat eaters. (I myself believe that wolves are opportunistic omnivores, but this in not an everyday practice among them. If prey is scarce wolves have been known to eat roots, berries, or fruits, but if you were starving I'm sure you wouldn't be too picky about what you ate either.) Why do you think dogs love to chew on sticks and anything else that they can sink their teeth into? It's because those jaws were made to break bones and to tear flesh. What part of a dog's anatomy benefits from kibble? Their jaws do not get a workout, which leads to boredom and frustration, and it also wears their teeth down from having to grind up "dog food" with teeth not built for grinding. And then you have to take in to consideration the allergic reactions that are becoming more and more prominent among kibble fed dogs. What is being put into the "dog food" that is making hundreds, if not thousands, of dogs sick? You will never know. Isn't that scary? This is what has caught my attention and caused me to make a change in what I feed my dog. I was feeding big name brand dog foods and spending a fortune just to have my dog vomit, have diarrhea, and have clumps of hair to fall out. If this was your child wouldn't you change what you are feeding them? In my case Voda is my fur child. And in my opinion feeding her a diet that is closer to her "roots" is best for her. Take same time and consider you dog's well-being, the amount of money you spend on their "food", and the possibility of changing to a more primal way of feeding.

Now on to same basic feeding rules and information that I am slowly becoming familiar with while learning how to feed raw.

#1. Take your dog's ideal adult weight...You want to feed 2-3% of that weight. This is just a guideline and may have to be adjusted according to your dog and it's activity level. The more energy burned equals the more food needing to be fed. Some dogs especially mothers can be feed up to 5% of their ideal body weight.
 
#2. The guideline is 80% muscle meat, 10% bone, 10% organ**half of the organ should be liver, as it contains many essential vitamins**.

#3.  You usually want to start off with chicken because chicken is bland making it easy to digest and it's bones are very pliable. After your dogs has successfully adjusted to eating chicken slowly add new meats into their diets. Whether by adding chunks of new meat and subtracting the amount of chicken you are feeding or by introducing half of one day's meal as new meat and the other half as chicken, so as not to shock the body.

#4. Raw meals contain more water so do not be alarmed if your dog does not drink as much water as he/she did while eating kibble.

#5. Bowel movements will not be be as plentiful in number or size. ** A good rule of thumb to remember- Whitish or fossil-ish looking poos = too much bone, need to add more meat. Running poos = not enough bone/ too much meat.**

#6. Raw feeding is not expensive. There are so many different routes of getting meat cheaper than what you would expect. Go to butcher shops, meat processing plants, make friends with hunter, check out sales at the grocery store. I was spending $60-$80 for a 30lb bag of "dog food" now I pay maybe $1/lb.

There is plenty more to learn which means so much more that I will get to share with y'all. I hope you continue to read and follow along as Voda and I learn the ins and outs of Raw Feeding!

DAY 1 OF RAW EATING

On the menu: Chicken leg 1/4, chicken hearts, and chicken gizzards

Forever In Our Thoughts and Always In Our Hearts

 

For one of the greatest dogs in the world...

T          A          N          K

                  TUFF                    AS                     NAILS                     KID

You will be loved forever!

It's been awhile...

     Sorry for the lapse in time yall. I started classes to become a dog trainer and so school has consumed a lot of my free time. I haven't forgotten to write, but squeezing time to write between working, exercising, training Voda, cooking, and studying is kinda hard. But I'm here now!
     Voda is doing great! I have found that she loves canned chicken! So *haha* I have a secret weapon in helping socializing my baby girl. We are still having a issues, but I finally made a chink in the excitement issue. She has learned that if she "leaves it", aka the dog or stranger, she gets chicken and it's working beautifully! Some days are harder than others, but there are days that we just walk by a dog with no problem! What's that? Do I hear angels singing? Yes I do!
     I love my girl, but I breaks my heart to think of the life she had before she came to my house. Please people, do your homework before getting a dog. Make sure that the breed you are looking into getting fits your lifestyle. If you don't exercise and aren't welling to change do not get a working breed, such as shepherds, terriers, or herding dogs. If you can't be home much, don't get a dog that's dependent on their owner being home with them, like Italian Greyhounds or Chihuahuas. And most importantly, if you end up getting a dog that is too much for you to handle seek the advice and help needed. Go to an obedience trainer, get books, and enlist friends or dog walkers to help.
     I believe no family is whole without the love of a dog, but just like a family who is going to have a baby, you need to take the necessary steps to prepare for your dog and to gather info throughout you and your dog's life so that yall can live happily and harmoniously together.  

The importance of socialization!

     The amount of time that it is taking to socialization Voda makes me realize how vital it is to start introducing your puppy to other dogs and people at an early age. Poor Voda never really had a puppyhood so I get to deal with a 60+plus lb dog that thinks she's a puppy. It's so embarrassing when we are at the dog beach and she's lunging at every moving thing. She is improving but it's a very slow process.
     Voda is just one example of poor socialization skills in a dog, other dogs are either aggressive or cowardly. Either of the two are very dangerous seeing as how the aggressive one is very likely to bite and the scared dog could possibly bite out of fear. And when I mention biting I'm not just talking of vet bills there's a very high likelihood of doctor bills as well. Just because a dog is aggressive toward another dog doesn't mean that your dog will let out his/her frustration out on said dog. There are many incidents of dogs biting their handlers out of frustration because they cannot get to the dog they are focused on.
      Many people give all kinds of excuses for not socializing their dog. The lack of dog parks or dog beaches, it's too much effort to try and get their dog to listen, or the owner doesn't like to get out of the house or perhaps they have too many hours devoted to work. Any of these or other excuses are not good enough when you actually consider your dog a member or the family; would you allow your child to act up in front other people or would you take the time to teach them how to interact correctly with others?
      So please people socialize your dog. It makes them a healthy well rounded pet and it makes life so much easier for you.
**Do not forget to make sure your dog has had all their immunizations especially puppies, parvo is a very serious illness and can be fatal to puppies**

Playing catch up...

 
   So Friday a storm was rolling in over the beach; instead of balking on Voda's socialization session at the dog beach, I thought what the heck I'm going to get wet anyway. Who cares what direction the water comes from? Apparently I was the only one thinking that, because we had the WHOLE beach to ourselves! It was so nice to just breath and not have to hope that she wasn't going to act up if a dog walked up. We ran, played fetch, went exploring, and ran some more! It was so fun and we both got some great exercise time in. It was like going on a vacation without leaving base.

 

     Yesterday we had a UFC party at our house and it went pretty smoothly with Voda. We still have a LOT of work ahead of us, but she only would get super excited when someone new would first come in and it would only last for 5-10 minutes. I think socializing her is a great excuse to have more parties...hehe! 

     Today was yet another trip to the dog beach. It wasn't the most fun we have ever had; it was more like a boot camp. Every time she would go into one of her fits when she saw a dog we would head straight out into the water and swim for a few yards and then head back in. In and out, in and out. That was our day for a good 2-3 hours. It's amazing how much energy this dog has, she still would go into one of those stupid horrible sounding hissy fits but I could actually distract her and hold her attention with a treat. Hopefully a few more swim meets and she will actually put 2 and 2 together and realize that she gets a treat when she's quiet around new dogs. Everyone keep your fingers crossed.

AHHHH....

     Ahhh, today was so much better than yesterday. I tried something I haven't done in awhile with her. I loaded her backpack with about 6lbs of stuff (water bottles and canned soup) and we went for a walk. It was like night and day. She listened so much better today! She did great with loose leash walking. She was doing so good that I decided to try "heeling" for the first time. Perfection!!! I think I had to correct her twice and we walked for an hour! Every day is improving, even if it's baby steps! She did so good I let her play on the jungle gym after our walk; she loves the jungle gym. Her favorite is the tunnels and jumping from the ground up onto the highest part of the gym she can reach.

     

One step forward two steps back...

     Well today was a test of my patience. Our trip to the dog beach had a very rough start, just one dog on the beach today but you'd think that there were millions of dogs running all over the place. Voda pulled, she tugged, and she whined. Oh my gosh did she whine :-( We did have a very nice break, the dog and his family left and Voda actually calmed down enough that I could remove her lead. We ran and ran and ran splashing water everywhere. It was so much fun. I've never seen her smile so big! But then the cutest Black Lab puppy and his owner showed up and bring on the whining and barking yet again. I wanted to pull my hair out! I do have to get her some credit; we got about 5 feet away before she became too excited to handle. I have never met such a persistent dog before, she whined, cried, and made the most horrible sounds imaginable for 30 minutes straight. Thankfully the Black Labs momma was nice enough to allow us to work on our obedience while she and her baby, Bear, played. Unfortunately, they left before Voda could actually meet the puppy. But every bit of practice pays off.

     On a lighter note, my husband and I met up with a gentlemen who handles dogs and offered us even more help with our obedience. He has the most beautiful Belgium Malinois (example shown above) and he is so well trained. If I could have that much control over Voda I'd be giddy as a school girl! One of these days we will be as good of team as him and his dog! I am already excited that I randomly had this man ask me and my husband if we would be interested in working obedience and possibly more with our dog just because he had one look at her and fell in love. *I mean who could resist? She is the sweetest baby.* He is so excited about her though, he keeps talking about how intelligent she looks when they make eye contact and how he really thinks she could go far in training and gaming. I am stoked! It's so nice to run into fellow dog enthusiast.

Ouch!

    So this was day 3 of trips to the dog beach for Voda. She is doing so good! We still have a long way to go, but much less barking and whining today! And the ride in the car...much less hectic, I only had to tell her to lay down 4 times there and 4 times back! Compared to yesterday that is monumental! The only down side is that my feet are not used to the rough beach sand here. Ouch! I feel over exfoliated! But as in all things *no PAIN no GAIN*

1st day at the beach

     So yesterday was Voda's first day at the dog beach. Oh my gosh what a crazy day! Poor thing needs more socialization than what she has been getting, today was filled with so much whining, barking, and a lot of correction on my part. Just means more trips to the beach...darn!

Almost a year earlier...

Almost a year earlier...May 30th to be exact...my husband and I brought home a skinny, scared, urine soaked German Shepheard. This dog was a sad sight to see. This is the beginning of her story. 

     While pcs'ing to Hawaii with my husband my father, who at the time was watching my Chocolate Lab during his quarantine, feel in love. After agreeing that my father could keep Buck, I decided it was time to go looking for another member to the family. Knowing that there are plenty of dogs needing a home without going to a breeder, I began looking into shelters. None of which had a dog that really spoke to me. After that I began taking alternate routes to find the one. Craigslist, Petfinder.com, and places like that. After a few days of searching tirelessly, I found a post on Craigslist for a German Shepherd. The listing asked for serious inquiries only and experienced owners. Having grown up with dogs all my life and many people comment on my nack for teaching them, I decided to contact the owner. After many back and forth emails via my android cell phone we finally met up with the owners. Me a jumble of nerves riding with my husband in a borrowed truck, we found their house. The owners were so nice and very concerned about the well being of their baby. They were having to get rid of her because their children were crazy allergic to pet dander and the doctor bills were piling up. They explained that they were keeping her in the garage so that the kids were not being exposed to the pet hair. Nothing too crazy about that right? I didn't think so either until they went into their garage to get her so that we could meet. There in the middle of their garage sat a medium sized wire kennel trying it's damnedest to contain a LARGE fully grown German Shepherd. This is when the first yellow flag was thrown.They opened the kennel and out exploded a huge furry and peeing hair ball. *Second yellow flag* After catching the crazed dog they locked her in a tiny back yard only a yard or two wide, they told me that this is where their "beloved" dog was kept when not shunned to the garage. We continued talking to the family reassuring them that she would have a forever home and be treated like a member of the family. After twenty or so minutes we were loading up our new baby, reluctantly cramming her back into her tiny pin(as crazy as she had acted in the garage I was afraid she'd jump out of the truck and hurt herself). When we finally made it back home, I immediately put a collar and leash on her and we walked for a good two-three hours. This was a double edged sword, Voda *her new name* learned to trust and respect me on our walk; however, every one of her pads split open from being urine soaked. *Yellow flag number three!!* Poor poor Voda. We struggled with walks for days after that bandage covered paws and all. I had bought plenty of toys and a kennel the correct size for her the day we brought her home; the sad thing was the poor dog had no clue how to play with her toys. I'd give her a tug rope or a treat filled kong and she would just stare at it. WHAT?! What kind of family pet does not know how to play?

     That was almost 12 months ago. Today Voda is well on her way to becoming a well rounded dog.
She still has her issues. She gets overly excited around dogs and most people, but I am very proud of the amount of obstacles we have overcome. No more submissive or excited pee. No more split paws. We actually are up to running 3.5 miles now! And best of all she knows how to play!!! Of all the jewelry my husband has ever given me, Voda is my most prized possession. MY DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH!