In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD ( 1872-1918) Canadian Army
I have heard this poem many times when I was in high school. I played in the marching band that would follow the VFW color guard to all the cemeteries where their fallen comrades had been laid to rest. The poem and the tribute did not mean much to me when I was in high school; yeah sure, I got a tear in my tear when I heard the majestic echo of taps from a far by a hidden trumpet player; I was just a ungrateful teen that needed the extra credit for band: I had no idea the sacrifice that was made to keep me free. Now, the tributes ring deep in my soul and wrenches the tears from my heart, because now, I am an Army wife. I understand the sacrifice; the hot tears roll down my face as I write this now thinking of the families of loved ones that paid the ultimate sacrifice. Those soldiers stand on a wall and take arms and say, “I will keep you safe tonight; nothing is going to hurt you on my watch.” They provide the blanket of freedom that I sleep under; I no longer take for granted “Flanders Fields.” The 15 x 10 foot flag that drapes my house is a tribute to all those soldiers that have volunteered to defend my freedom from foreign and domestic threats. I not only have Old Glory enveloping my house but, also the “Lest they be Forgotten” flag designed for the fallen heroes of Operation Iraqi Freedom; the war of my time. I present these flags for all who drive by and, see a blur of red, white, and blue with the utmost pride and admiration for “my” troops and my husband. Sacrifice is not only made in with flesh and blood by our soldiers but, also in irreplaceable time that their families miss; it can never be restored, a babies first steps, a daughters graduation, or the opportunity to say good bye to a sick loved one; all these precious moments in time are given up for my ability to write this, or to laugh, or to own a gun. I am grateful for the ultimate sacrifice the men and women of this country have made for me; they have picked up a gun when few others would to defend my liberty. My country is mine because of them; so, now when I go and see the color guard give tribute on Memorial Day with their 21 gun solute and with a shakey voice reciet “Flanders Field,” I am no longer the naive teenager who stupidly took the moment for granted; I stand proud and tall and realize that some day they will be paying tribute to my husband and his service that he unselfishly gave for me.
O my stars the gnats are horrible. The whole area is having a problem with them biting dogs. The dogs and puppies have gnat bites all over their tummies. The puppies are now able to follow Tim all the way up the stairs and into the house. We have one little girl Southern Belle who likes to explore on the way to the kitchen so, she is usually the last to make it into the crate. Tim is going to start calling and confirming appointments when families are to pick up their puppies. We took Ace to do water retrieves; he did ok, I think he is a little hard of hearing. Miata stayed steady on buoy launches; I am very excited! SoBe retrieved buoys from the launcher as well. She did great; never minding the gnats that were eating us alive.
Ticks & Fleas
There is a few things to keep in mind with the summer months approaching fast when it comes to the care of your favorite poochie. The wood ticks are on the move and, to prevent this from being a problem I would suggest Frontline Plus. I apply Frontline to my dogs once in the spring; this carries me past the wood tick infestation and right into the summer months when it does not seem to be such a big problem. I prefer Frontline over flee and tick collars because, the collar can fall off or the dog can maneuver out of it; not only that but, if a dog decides to snack on it that can cause a big problem from them….those collars have neurotoxins on them…..dog eating it = very sick dog. Frontline is applied between the shoulders where the dog can not lick it so, digestion is not a problem with this application. The only thing to keep in mind with Frontline is that the poochie needs to stay out of water for 48 hours after the application so, it does not wash off.
Parasites & Worms
The next thing to keep in mind with the warming months is that the mosquitoes are waking up and are hungry. Mosquitoes carry and infect dogs with heartworm. It is important that you give your dog heart guard medicine to prevent/ kill heart worms in their blood stream. I use a brand of medicine called Virbac, Iverhart Plus. This is a cheaper brand of Heartgard; it works the same but, is easier on my pocket book (remember I am treating 9 dogs for 6-7 months a year). Iverhart also controls and treats hookworm and ascarid. If you would like more information on ordering the cheaper brand of heartguard send me an email and I will get you to contact information. Another thing to keep in mind is that heartguard is a poison; it kills whatever little larva that are in your dogs blood stream; heartguard ios NOT a preventative. Heart worms take 6 months to grow from larva to adult worms that attack the dogs heart; that is why heartgurad works, it kills the larva. I also encourage with the warming of the weather that you consider deworming your dog after it has a nice juicy treat of dead animal or rolls in it ( the scent of dead carcus is lovely isn’t it?) . I suggest this because, dogs contract intestinal worms from dead animals. If you notice that your beloved poochie is having problem keeping weight on or is losing weight in a noticeable manner I would suggest having them dewormed. This treatment should not cost more than 15 dollars at your vet; if it is send me an email and I will help you get some cheaper medication.
Water
Now that I have covered all the medical aspects of dog care for the warming months, I would like to cover basic care strategies. Here is a no brainer, it is getting warmer even hotter out; your dog will need a more continuous supply of fresh water, fresh being the key word. (Note: the bucket that sits outside and still seems to be full of water needs to be changed; algae can grow in stagnant water and make dogs VERY sick.) In our yard, the dogs have 2 five gallon buckets full of water that are dumped, scrubbed clean, and refilled everyday. They also have a one-foot deep by six-foot diameter pool to jump in and out of at their liesure. The pool is dumped, cleaned, and filled about once a week. We have the advantage of having so many dogs that the pool gets dirty fast and the buckets empty quickly, however you may need to keep an eye on the quality of the water if you don’t go through it that quickly.
Shelter
You might consider giving your poochie a hair cut; it will help with keeping him/ her cool. Shade is important in the summer months as well; if you have a great big yard that your dog spends the day in or just a tiny yard, make sure there is shade for them to escape from the sweltering rays of the sun. Shelter is important not only for shade but, also for protection against mother nature when she is cranky (ie: rain, wind, hail and anything else she throws our way). Some important features for a good shelter are: a sloped roof, insulation, well ventilated, and big enough for the dog to stand and turn around in. Make sure you place the shelter is a shaded area as well, it won’t do them much good to lie in a dog house that is 10-30 degrees hotter then the outside temperature.
Travel
Summer months also bring travel; who does not want to bring Fido on the family vacation….right? I have a concrete rule that I follow no matter where I go or whose dog I have with me; they MUST be in a crate. I would feel horrible if I was distracted while driving and hurt someone else, me, or my dogs because I was paying attention to the dog and not the road. Having your poochie crated means they are out of the way and not a distraction to you or anyone else; never mind that most dogs want to sit in your lap, or prance around on the gear shift, or the ever common blocking the rear view mirror. Another benefit to having your dog crated is that if you were in an accident the dog is more likely to stay in the car/ crate…..it is safer to have them in a crate; think of it like a doggie seat belt ( actual dog seat belts are an option too). Poochie can get more comfortable in a crate anyway; it is flat and they are able to lay down and get comfortable and join the rest of the snoozing passengers in the vehicles. Another good thing about crates is that when you open the car door the dog does not bolt for the nearest interesting object which, I am sad to say, could be across the road; you have more control over a crated dog than a free floating dog. Something to keep in mind if you must have your dog out while driving, don’t let them hang out the window…..they are distracting to other drivers (which the road doesn’t need any more of) and there is a strong possibility that debris could strike them in the eye. Along with debris that could harm your beloved poochie keep in mind that if you have a free range dog in the front seat the air bags could harm them when deployed. I guess my bottom line is: Children belong in seat-belts; Dogs belong in crates! When you leave the vehicle with your ” crated guard dog” make sure that you roll the windows down and so there is good ventilation. Vehicles have a tendency to turn into ovens when sealed up so, don’t cook your dog! Remember it does not have to be 90 degrees out for it to be dangerous for a dog to be sealed up in a vehicle; 50 – 60 degrees and be very dangerous as well, especially if you have a dark vehicle. If you need to leave poochie in the vehicle for a longer length of time park in the shade; this will help with over heating also leave poochie with a travel bowl of water (they are the snap on dishes that come with a crate that I seem to collect by the dozen) and roll down the windows at least 2-4 inches and go check on your dog….(he might need to go potty). Now, if you are like me and are even more paranoid about my dogs overheating in a well ventilated vehicle, with water, in the shade, and after a swim (the dog is soaking wet) you can get crate fans that clip onto the crate dog and cool them down. The ones I have even have thermostats on them. If you want to put Fido free running in the back of a truck………………….DON”T! Talk to any Vet about how many dogs come in with severe injuries from jumping from the back of a moving truck. Torn pads, shattered hips, broken jaws with half of their teeth left on the pavement……and don’t think that tying him in the back of a truck is any better. I have heard more than once of a dog hanging himself from his own lead over the edge of the truck. This is simply incredebly dangerous and is an accident waiting to happen nevermind the increased distraction to others.
embedded by Embedded Video
It was 88 degrees in Cyrus so, Tim and I decided to take the puppies out for a swim to cool off. We loaded them all up in the Jeep and headed down to Glacial Lakes State Park, south of Starbuck, were there is a nice sandy shallow beach. Tim took the puppies in for a swim; now to their defense the water was very chilly (according to Tim, I sat on the beach and video taped). They all swam great; they would of wanted to stay and play in the water a little longer if it was not sooooo cold; you can hear their whimpers. As you can see from the video, after their swim Tim walked up to grab the crate with all little 7 puppies eagerly following him (it looked like a momma duck with her ducklings). He then put them in the crate and did some fishing while I watched them all snooze; they were exhausted from their “doggie paddle”.
embedded by Embedded Video
Download Video
As you can see a plastic bottle with coins it will provide lots of fun; no need for expensive puppy toys! They are keeping Tim and I on our toes; it is busy and loud here. Potty training is going ok; we decided to put them into a smaller crate at night and that seems to be doing the trick.
embedded by Embedded Video
Here is some video of the puppies playing with Tim in the kitchen; they are starting to get ruthless. They were just done with a quick bath. They are all on the same page when it comes to transportation, that is toting them in and out in the clothes basket. They all await for the “bus” standing up with waging tails and paws on the edge of the basket. Then the “bus” stops they all jump out and go into their pen. They know the drill; I am so proud. We spend less time chasing renegades these days which is nice. Potty training is coming along; a few accidents here and there, nothing to complain about. Tim can lift the gate to the pen and the puppies flood out with a gush; no one wants to be left behind. They will make the trek from the pen to the door but only a few can conquer all three steps to inside the house. It will only be a matter or days until all of them master racing up the steps. The puppies go in for their 6 week shots tomorrow on Tuesday. I cant believe that they are already that old. Mini was mad at me and lets just say she let me know it. SoBe and Trixie went for a swim; SoBe worked on hunt test retrieves. I worked on steadying drills with Miata; I have to say I am ready to start her out in the field this Wednesday with the group that shows up in Brandon. Mini, SoBe, and Miata are just about done with their heat cycles; thank goodness, the boys will be less crazy and vocal. O my stars, it sounds like a trampead in here; Tim just let in ALL the girls. They have now all found their spots on the couches and are going to watch a movie with us.
Bellini Martini: 4 lb 12 oz
Jagermonster: 4 lb 2 oz
Tornado: 4 lb 6 oz
Southern Belle: 5 lb 5 oz
Mojito: 3 lb 15 oz (she is not that far behind her brothers and sisters)
Georgia Tea: 4 lb 6 oz
Jade: 4 lb 4 oz
As you can see they have grown leaps and bounds and will continue to grow at a steady pace; healthy 
embedded by Embedded Video
Download Video
Here is some video of SoBe, one of my trial dogs retrieving. As you can see it was windy with a drizzle of rain. She is steady; which means she does not go on ANY retrieve (flushed bird or shot dummy) with out being released by her name. Just thought some of you would like to see some of the work I do with my dogs on a consistent basis (yard work….it can be boring, but necessary).
New puppy owners I would like to inform you that there is a great deal on crates at Mills Fleet Farm until May 9th. There is Remington crates on sale for 32.89$ ( 28 ” x 21″ 22 “); this crate will last the remainder of their life; it is the perfect size. Crates are a great tool for potty training and safe haven for them as well.