Colonel Potter Cairn Terrier Rescue

Cairn Terriers are darling little dogs. I first in love with them while watching Toto in Wizard of Oz. My heart was stolen by a Schnauzer, but I still adore Cairn's. My neighbor has 3, plus foster dogs from Colonel Potter Cairn Rescue. They are an amazing group of dedicated champions of the Cairn Terrier. Some of the dogs are surrendered to them, others are rescued from shelters, and many are saved from puppy mills and dog brokers. I am inspired by their work.

No matter what my neighbors foster dogs have endured in their past, they maintain a big heart and spirit. After some time in a healing foster home, they are ready for their forever home. It's a sweet process to watch from over the fence.

10 Most Popular Breeds in USA

Here is a list of the 10 most popular Breeds of dog in the USA in 2007...according to the AKC.

• 10 bulldog

• 9 shih tzu

• 8 poodle

• 7 dachshund

• 6 boxer

• 5 beagle

• 4 golden retriever

• 3 german shepherd

• 2 yorkshire terrier

• 1 labrador retriever

In my area I see a lot of my favorite breed...Mini Schnauzers! But perhaps it's just that I'm looking for them. I almost never see a beagle or bulldog.

My personal list spot list:

• 1 Labs / Retrievers
• 2 Mini Schnauzers
• 3 Australian Shepherds (or what's that other herding dog?)
  
• 4 Shih Tzu
• 5 Cairn Terriers
• 6 Boxers
• 7 Jack Russell Terriers
• 8 Poodles (small ones)
  
• 9 Chihuahua
• 10 Cockapoo

How did Cairn Terriers reach the middle of my list? My neighbor has 3, plus she is involved in Cairn Terrier rescue and has fosters. So I see plenty of Cairns right over my fence. But I also run into quite a few around here when I'm out.

What do you see around your area?

Place to Show the LOVE

I stumbled across the sweet testament to love. People are invited to post a photo of their companion and say why they love them.
Check it out.

Harp Music Soothes Anxious and Suffering Animals

As we have long suspected, music can be a powerful tool for healing. A recent study conducted with Harp music proves there are dramatic benefits, such as reduced anxiety, and lower heart rate and respiration.

“The structure of the harp is considered to be the most healing instruments next to human voice,” said Boone, an Oregonian who plays for ill family pets and produced a CD "Harp Music to Soothe the Savage Beast."

The article includes a poignant story of Cassie the Cow who escaped a slaughter house by defeating a 7 food fence and now lives on Maple Farm Sanctuary. Though now safe in her Sanctuary, she still suffers from anxiety. The Harp music of Alianna Boone took Cassie from a stomping, snorting state of agitation to one of sleep within 20 minutes.

I would like to see a follow-up study on the possible negative effects of music. Are some types of music as damaging to animal health as Harp music is helpful?

In my own experience, my companions tolerate most of my music, enjoy some of it, and show definite discomfort and nervousness with a few selections. However unscientific my findings may be, they are somewhat suggestive to a harmful component to music as well.

Stem Cell Therapy Shows Promise for Pets

I was amazed to see the advances made in the treatment of arthritis in dogs . In this process they take stem cells from the dogs own body fat, do their magic in a lab, and then inject the cells into the dog hip.

“We’re kind of reverting the body back to a younger age or a younger stage when we were more of a regenerative stage,” said Bausman. It is a fairly easy procedure. Hunter was diagnosed with hip dysplasia. The long article I read can be summarized by saying, they CAN treat hip degeneration in dogs successfully, and they do. It is much less expensive than hip replacement surgery, though still pricey for most of us. Hip replacement would have cost $10,000, while stem cell therapy was only $2500 in the case of Hunter the Golden Retriever.

It is a puzzlement that this kind of therapy is available and largely successful for dogs, horses etc, but is not available for humans.

To those who feel dogs and other non-humans are not worthy of such costly treatment, do not post here. Your post will not be added.

Smithfield the Painting Pig Inspires

Smithfield the pig can paint, and whole lot more. He just underwent cancer treatment, and is recovering well. This swine is so fine! What a talent.





Photo Richmond Times Dispatch via AP

Feed and Toss Pet Bowls

A major pet supply company whose products I usually like very much has come out with a line of Feed and Toss Pet Bowls. Each time I see them in the catalog I think of how wasteful it is to use a pet dish once and toss it. It seems to me we are past that luxury in today's world where resources are becoming scarce, and landfills are pushed beyond capacity. In my case, I feed at the least, two dogs, twice a day. That would be a total of 1460 bowls a year in the trash. Is it just me, or does that seem excessive?

I can see the convenience on a road trip, where washing facilities are hard to find. However, the bowls are not advertised as travel bowls. They are advertised as every day feeding dishes that are thrown way after each use in order to avoid germs etc. Hum. I think I will have to write this company a letter. In so many other ways, they make wonderful products. This is just an ill-advised direction for them, in my opinion.

Let me know if I am just missing something here.

How do I stop my adult dog from mouthing me?

A question came to me today about a wonderful dog named Isaac. He wants to climb in his owners lap and cuddle, but has the habit of mouthing or biting their hands. How can you stop the undesirable behavior of mouthing while not discouraging the desirable behavior of cuddling?

He's something to try. What works on one dog, may not work on another. But this technique has a very high success rate.

There is no punishment used, no commands, or harsh words. In fact, no words at all!

This method is all about knowing what your dog wants, and showing him what leads to his reward, and what does not.

I suggest that when Isaac starts to mouth or bite at the hands, the owner immediately moves away. All attention to Isaac is terminated, for the moment. Each and every time he mouths, turn away, get up, or otherwise break the cycle. It is not necessary to make the break from attention long. Just a moment will do. Then go back to the dog and engage him. Again, if the mouthing starts, turn or move away without a word.

I have seen this method work wonders. Dogs are all about results. As soon as they see that a certain behavior leads directly away from what they want, they will usually avoid that behavior.

TIP:

• Everyone close to Isaac must participate in the method. Consistency speaks to dogs, and in this training method it is a must.
• While in training, consider putting Isaac on a leash when visitors come. This neutralizes the potential for the visitor to unknowingly undo your work. When he starts to mouth them, just pull him away and distract him.
  

Give Isaac a big hug for us!

Earth Angels

Dogs have a missions in life. Some are best buddies and playmates, others are confidants. Some are our protectors, while others comedians, always making us laugh. Some are born royalty and must be served by their dedicated court.

Then there are the Earth Angels. Our boy is an Earth Angel, as it Etta, who visits patients in hospice care. This amazing dog can cut through the dense fog of dementia and bring a smile to faces too long without joy, and cuddle with those in pain and dying. With special skills that cannot be taught, Etta came from an animal shelter to live with her owner. It is a story worth a read.

Our Dog Choked, and the Heimlich saved him.

We have had more than one occasion to need to use the Heimlich Maneuver on a dog. There are several versions out there on how to do this.

This is how we did it.

Sheriff Tom, our schnauzer, came to us, panicked and unable to take a breath. Jax reached under the dogs abdominal area, found the spot behind the last rib that feels like a V, where the ribs stop. She put the other hand on top of Tom's back to brace him, and pulled up forcefully, compressing air hard enough to shoot the object from my dogs throat. She pumped and pushed several times before the turkey liver shot out.

I've done this maneuver in the same way on another dog with the same results. This may not be the official scientific method to Heimlich a dog, but this is what we did and it worked.

If the dog has passed out, I've read you could put her on her side, find the place next to the last rib, and press there, inward and slightly upward to force the air out. If you have a friend handy, they could look in the mouth and try to remove the obstruction.

The dog may need a visit to the vet to see if some damage has been done.

Sheriff Tom was fine and we didn't need the vet visit. He never passed out, and the item that choked him was a very soft turkey liver. So no damage was done to his throat.

In fact, when the liver shot out of his throat, it launched about 4 feet away. Sheriff Tom rushed over before we could get there, swallowed it and choked again. And again the Heimlich maneuver saved him. We beat him to the liver the second time. He is a rascal.

Dog Performs Heimlick---Saves Owner from Choking

This amazing lab named Toby saved his owner from choking to death by using a revised Heimlich maneuver. Dogs continue to amaze me. Dog IS God spelled backwards.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17819432/

How can I stop my dog from jumping on me? Pt 1

I'm often asked about how to stop dogs from jumping up on people. I'll start with a basic strategy in this blog.

When the dog jumps up, spin away. Just turn your body the other direction, and move away, causing the dog to glance off of you. If she comes around to the front and tries again, spin away and turn. Don't give the dog attention of any kind. Even negative attention is attention. What you're trying for here is to show the dog that the jumping behavior simply leads to the opposite of what the dog is trying to achieve. The dog wants your attention. So show the dog through your action that jumping up DOES NOT lead to praise and attention. As soon as the dog stops jumping up, focus on him, perhaps ask for a SIT, and pet and praise.

Be sure to tell your friends and family about this training plan so everyone is on board and consistent.

Chase Me, Chase You Dog Game

Building on the skills we learned in the Find It Dog Game blog entry, my all-time favorite is the Chase Me, Chase You game.

You now have a well trained Find (persons' name) dog. Have someone hold your dog and go hide. Give the Find (your name) command. When you see your dog come around the corner into the darkened room to find you, jump out and make squealy noises, or say gonna get cha get cha get cha, or whatever appeals to you. The idea is to make it sound surprising and fun. As you leap forward your dog will turn and run. Give chase, and just as your dog is making it back into the living room, run back into a different room and hide, before your dog has turned back around. You wanna try to get into some hiding position before being fully seen doing so. Dogs being as fast as they are, you don't want to follow them too far while you're giving chase. Just give them the sense and feel of being pursued. The thrill is all there for them.

Works outside too. But nothing is better than dark bedrooms at night.

It doesn't sound like much on paper, but there is nothing my dog loves more. No food, no brides, no treats involved. Just straight up fun. My friends sit back and laugh too. It's fun for everyone involved.

My dog will come running back down the hall after I've re-hidden, and then creep along, poking his nose into different rooms, wagging and full of anticipation for the moment I come leaping out at him. It is precious.

Enjoy.

Games to Play with Your Dog, Find It

Games are an important part of a healthy pack, plus they're just plain fun. Watching a pack in the wild, it is common to see bursts of romping and playing, mock-fights and mischief. It creates deep bonds, and expresses a sense of well-being and relaxation.

We all know the usual games.

• tug
• fetch
• frizbee

These always good fun, and good exercise. But if you're in the mood for something new, try one of these.

My doggie friends love these games.

• find it
• find "person's name"

How To Teach FIND IT:

1...T0 introduce your pooch to Find It, start by getting an aromatic treat such as baked chicken. Rub your fingers on the chicken to transfer the scent to your hand. Let your buddy sniff the scented hand while the chicken is in the other hand out of sight. Then toss the chicken bit onto the ground as you say Find It. Give the appropriate praise.

2...Next put your dog in a Sit/Stay, or have someone hang onto your dog while you move a short distance away. Place the treat in plain sight, go to your dog, let her sniff the scented hand and say Find It . Some dogs bound straight for the chicken. Others may need you to go point and say Find It.

3...Again go to the Sit/Stay or have someone hold your dog. Move away and place something over the treat, like a towel, while the dog is watching. Offer the scent from your hand and say Find It. Say Good Find when they root it out from under the towel.

4...Now the real fun starts. Have your friend take your dog just out of sight. Or take your dog around a corner and put in Sit/Stay. Hide the chicken. You may chose an out-in-the-open spot because your dog is now out of line of sight. When your dog is brought back around, repeat the hand sniffing and Find It command. By now your pooch should start to hunt. Help out at first if needed. If your dog is not VERY good at Sit/Stay, I recommend you use a friend to hang on him. It takes awhile to hide tasty treats in creative locations, and the temptation to get an early shot at the treats is very powerful. If I'm alone I just leave them in a closed room while I go hiding the tasties.

5...Once your dog gets the hang of this, you can hide multiple pieces of treats before you release your dog to find it. Put them around the house. Or go out and place them on rocks, nestled in dog-safe potted plants, tucked in a heap of grass, under a bush. Use your imagination. Your dog will love you for it. After each piece is found, say Find It again if there are more to be found. Once the last piece is discovered, say Game Over.

How To Teach FIND "person's name"

This is an easy one. Go hide in a room of your house. Have your friend hold your dog while you do. Then your friend says, find (your name). The first few times, be close at hand to make some clicking noises to direct your dog. When they come to you say, Good Find. After a few repetitions, you can quietly hide deep in a closet, have someone say find (your name), and watch the joy on your dogs face as he finds you.

I get just as big a thrill from this game as my dogs do. I sometimes hide so I can peak around a corner, just to see how excited and happy my dog is as he searches me out.

Also a useful tool when you need your dog to help you locate someone, or another of your pets. Who knows, you may have a budding search and rescue dog on your hands.

Have fun!

My dog won't COME when called. Is she deaf?

I met with the person who asked this question to see the problem first hand.

I asked her to call her dog. Come girl, COME, she called. She whistled, she clucked, and sweet-talked. The dog paid no attention. The owner commented that the dog almost seemed deaf. It was noted she could hear the word TREAT rather well.

Our first hurdle to overcome began with the owner. She had stop calling the dog over and over. This teaches the dog that when she is called it is OK NOT to come.

The owner committed to this new practice. IF she gives the COME command once, and the dog does not begin to come, she must walk over and collect the dog.

TIPS:

• Know your competition. If your dog is chasing a cat, don't try the COME command. If your dog is at your fence full-on barking at the neighbors dog, don't use the COME command. The competition is too great for a dog in training. Just go get your companion this time.
  
• Make sure when you are training, that you are the most interesting of choices for the dog.
• Be prepared to look silly. To be the most enticing choice for your dog, call in a high, excited, friendly voice, open your arms wide, jump up and down if it helps. Look like a great experience waiting to happen. Squeak a toy in your pocket.
  
• While your dog is en route to you, you may then say the COME command multiple times, to reinforce the word in your dogs mind. Pet and say GOOD COME. Offer a treat after petting.

Giving the command only once puts an end to the cycle of ignoring the come commands.

There can never be punishment for not coming, or anything negative associated WITH coming.

Often times when the dog finally comes, the frustrated owner acts upset and sometimes rebukes the dog for taking so long. NEVER make it anything but pleasant for your dog when her or she comes to you. Even when you ARE frustrated or angry, do not let it show in your voice.

Sometimes we need to go back to extreme basics to reeducate the dog. In this dogs case, we put her on a lead, stayed very close in front of her, got out a nice tasty training treat, let her smell it, stepped back and said COME after she was already in route to get the treat. We did this repeatedly in an enclosed area with no other distractions. We gradually put a little more distance between ourselves and the dog.

She quickly came well when called within the enclosure. You might use any small room or to create a quite training space.

Next we went outdoors, put a long, 50 foot lead on the dog, and let her roam and sniff around The Posse Pals training area.We prefer to make our leads from lightweight ski type rope that does not wrap or knot easily. NEVER leave your dog unattended with the training lead attached. She soon forgot she was dragging our lead. We remained fairly close at first, about 6 to 10 feet from the dog. When we called her name, went down on a knee, waved our arms to look appealing, said COME in our best funny voice, gave a quick flick to the rope to get her attention. She came, and was praised, then treated.

We increased our distance from her with equal success. After successful repetitions we tried her off the line, and she came to us on the first call. Her owner will need to be consistent, and do a bit of retraining if she starts to slip out of the pattern of coming when called.

TIPS

• Learn to flick or pulse your leash very quickly, as a fast telegraph signal to your dog. Never pull, or otherwise drag your dog to you with the lead.

• It is also important to practice the COME skills when you are SURE of success. If the dog is already en route to you, even in the house, say COME as they come up to you, and give praise. It is an easy reinforcement opportunity to keep the basic skill sharp. Other dogs need different training and retraining techniques. These will be discussed on an individual basis as questions come in.

Good Luck from the Trail Boss at Posse Pals

Funniest Blog Entry I've Seen #1

I was wondering if I could still laugh out loud. It had been along time since I had a side-splitting roar. Then a friend send me this blog entry. I'm still laughing!

Can I feed ground meat to my dog?

Yes, you can, with some qualifiers.

You must grind the entire piece of meat including the bones, tendons, skin etc. If you have a whole chicken, add in the neck, and organ meats. Think wild, think what a wolf would consume. They would eat the whole bird.

It is impossible to find ground meat in the market with all the aforementioned parts ground into it. So to accomplish your goal you must buy a meat grinders. Not all meat grinders are created equal, and many are not up to the unusual task of grinding the bones along with the meat.

In fact, some grinders are designed to break a plastic gear if they encounter a bone. This is done to save the motor from burning up if the shaft is held still by a bone. Once such grinder is the Maverick grinder.

But the Maverick is such a powerful little grinder that it eats right through chicken bones if you have whacked the chicken pieces with a cleaver to break up the knobby ends and really hard pieces. It can also munch through a rabbit with the same preparation. I ground with a Maverick for years and never had the little plastic gear break from bone grinding. This is not to say it could not happen. However, it is a good idea to purchase a spare plastic gear, just in case.

Because I now grind for more than one dog, and also sell my ground dog mince, I moved up to a faster, more powerful grinder from Cabela. Though I purchased the smaller of their commercial grade grinders, it is more than powerful enough to grind chicken parts without first pounding them a cleaver. This saves me much time and energy. The Cabela grinder is also fast, which allows me to be able to make more mince for more clients. It really streamlined my grinding process.

Of course with the extra power and speed comes extra expense. If you want a good little grinder for around a hundred bucks, the Maverick is still a good bet. I noticed Cabela's has a smaller non-commercial grade grinder. Anyone out there tried that one for bone grinding dog food?

Notes on using the Maverick, or any smaller grinder: You must cut up the chicken, then pound the knuckles so you break them open. Also bust up any larger bones. You don't have to remove the meat, just smack the bones and crack them so the grinder can handle them as they go through the right angle in the grinding neck. Make strips out of the back and breast etc so it will fit down the throat of the grinder. Be sure to include the neck and organ meats with the mix. If the chicken does not come with organ meats, buy them separately and add them. They are a vital part of a complete diet.

Whole Food or Ground Food, Which is better?

You're face to face with your tiny 4 pound Yorkie. You've heard the Species Appropriate Diet is just what natured ordered. You hack a wing off the raw chicken and look down at the sweet face at your feet. You try to drop the raw wing to the plate, but you hesitate. They say it may add years to your little Yorkie's life. But the fear may take years off of yours! Maybe you've read of other tiny dogs ripping through a nice raw piece of chicken, bones and all. Yet still your hand will not drop that wing. You hear the voice of your grandmother saying dogs choke on chicken bones and die.

Perhaps you are a candidate for food grinding.

---------------------------------------------

You have a pug. He's 14 years old. You read that a diet of Raw bones and meat may revitalize him, help with the stiff joints, and put a glow back in his fur, and prevent future visits for dental work. At his age the anesthesia is not a good idea, but his teeth are important. You pick up a pack of chicken legs at the market, making sure you purchase fresh, organic meat. Your pug watches with keen interest as you let him sniff the package. His breathing becomes louder, he snorts a couple of times and smiles. You ram a fork into the drumstick. You don't want to touch it with your hand. Damn all those people who say a splinter will break off in his throat and kill him, he's going to get this drumstick. You recall the day he choked on a tiny piece of dry cat food at your sisters house. You wonder if the Raw Feeders considered pugs when they said this was good for dogs. After all, pugs are not normal dogs. They're noses, their throats, they're not shaped the same as other dogs. He spins and snorts as if to say, pass the drumstick. You notice your hand is trembling and return the drumstick to the tray.

Perhaps you are a candidate for food grinding.

When I recommend grinding raw food, it is often more for the human than for the dog. Occasionally I feel it is better for the dog as well, but usually it's the human. Whatever it takes to get truly wholesome food into the meal plan is good with me.

Some say the dental advantage to raw bones absent if the food is ground. I don't see that as fully accurate. The absence of decay-causing grains is a major benefit to dental health. Plus the mouths of dogs on ground food are fresh and clean smelling, as sure sign of dental health.

Then there is Sheriff Tom. He eats most of his raw food ground. This is because of two things. First, he once had a throat abscess that left his throat scarred and somewhat sensitive. Second, he often pants at night when he's had whole chicken pieces. When he pants like that, I know he is working extra hard on digestion. He doesn't pant when the food is ground because part of the digestive process has been done for him by the grinder. He's our special boy and we don't mind grinding for him.

When you grind, you must grind the entire piece of meat including bones, tendons, skin and all. Look for my blog entry on grinding meat.

For the record, I know of many tiny dogs who eat unground, raw diets who do just fine on smaller boned meat sources such as rabbits and chicken wings. Their owners say they thoroughly enjoy the chewing and crunching process.

Just do what you feel is best for you dog. And you know your dog better than anyone.

Species Appropriate Diet and Alternatives

What is a Species Appropriate Diet for dogs? First, let's look take a short trip into the past. Not that long ago our darling little speckled, spotted, shaggy, waggy, fluff-muffins were wolves. In the long course of time on this earth, our dogs were wolves a few seconds ago. And basically, as far as digestion and nutritional needs go, they still are.

With that in mind, it becomes easier to see through the maze of choices and information to the truth. A simple diet, based on the diet of wolves is probably best.

To achieve this, some people are purists. They feed what they feel wolves WOULD eat almost exclusively, if they could always get it: Raw Meat on the Bone, along with the organs, tendons, etc. This, they feel, is the perfect meal as intended by nature. I can't find much fault with that.

Then again there are those who adhere to the basic principle of Raw Meat and Bones but add some other nutritious items in the mix. Yeah, wolves probably would have a non-fat yogurt with their rabbit if it were available. Adding some vegetables, fruits and other non-grain food sources seems to work well for many dogs, and their people.

Along with these foods, there are now some convenient offerings from dog food manufacturers that complement the raw diet. These are for those folks who don't want to handle and dismember raw chickens, rabbits, tripe, and other raw foods 14 times a week. Maybe they are just too busy. Perhaps they travel, and want to be able to crank open a can and call it dinner for their companion.

A few short years ago, I would have said, sorry, that's not a good idea. But we recently found a few makers of dog food who do understand the concept of Species Appropriate Food, and make their food specifically to complement those needs. Thank goodness for that!

If you cannot manage the raw homemade diet, there are now some good alternatives. If you can handle the raw diet part of the time, you can complete your meal plans with one of these excellent foods. I know the raw purists will say never, never, never. But not everyone is in a position to go fully into Raw, for whatever their personal reasons.

To those people I say, that's fine. Do you best. And with the help of some dedicated food makers, you can come so much closer than you ever did before to the perfect diet.

Again I say this diet should be Grain Free. Even the treats should be largely Grain Free. Your dog will not miss the grain, and the benefits to their health and longevity are well worth the effort.

What do we feed at Posse Pals?

We chose Evo Grain Free Dog food as a compliment to our Raw Feeding at Posse Pals. in our We did not make this choice without serious study, and slow introduction to Sheriff Tom and our other doggie deputies. Tom has been eating Evo for over a year now, and none of his life-altering allergies have cropped up. He still enjoys Raw Food as a large portion of his diet. However, I do love the convenience of a ready-made food and treats as well.

If you need suggestions of other brands of good Grain Free food that we have knowledge of or experience with, please email us and we will send you a list. Just tell us a bit about your dogs history and we'll try to tailor something to suit your needs.

Also, if you have some suggestions to share, post them here. Thanks
The Posse

A closer Look at the BARF Diet Part 1

Much has been debated on the BARF Diet for Dogs. Even among those who feel this is the perfect canine diet, there are vast differences of opinion as to portion size, frequency of feeding, and ingredients.

This makes perfect sense to me because there are no two dogs alike. What works perfectly for one dog may not work for another. A close relationship to your companion helps a great deal when sorting out the options. If you know your dog, you will be able to see which foods work best and which cause problems.

Central to this diet is the concept of food rotation. This is the practice of moving various foods in and out of the diet, so that no food makes a constant appearance in the diet.

Often the Protein Source is rotated to avoid overexposure to one protein, such as chicken. Some people feel this lessens the likelihood of an allergy developing to that protein.
The additional ingredients, the plant based foods are also rotated for the same reasons of allergy avoidance. However they also rotate in order to include the widest variety of vitamins and minerals offered by a diverse diet.

As mentioned, there is no solid rule regarding how much of what and when. That said, I will offer an example of what I feel is commonly accepted as a healthy ratio of foods.

• Raw Meaty Bones (RMB) about 65-75% of diet
• Vegetables, fruit, plant matter 15-25% of diet
• Offal (organ meats) about 10%

Meat and Bones: Use whole bones with meat when possible, such as chicken legs, wings etc. NEVER COOK BONES.

Plant Edibles: All vegetables, and fruits must be ground, pulped, or otherwise finely grated or minced. If you use a juicer, return the pulp to the mix before feeding. It adds fiber. Use more vegetables and less fruits. Overripe fruit is best.

Offal: Include a variety of organ meats. Remember that hearts are actually muscle. Use livers, gizzards, kidneys etc to make up offal mix. Keep it rotating.

The diet does not have to be balanced every day. The goal is to provide a balanced diet overall. For example, some people achieve 10% offal in the diet by feeding a day of ONLY Offal every 10 days, and putting zero offal in on the other 9 days.

Chose meaty raw bones that fit the size of your canine companion. All dogs seem to do well with chicken, however small does are unable to crunch through beef bones. So for the smaller ones, stay with appropriate bone sizes.

Some people say supplements are a must. Others say they are not needed. The verdict is out for me.

Raw Bones, Cooked Bones, or No Bones for Pets?

If you do a search for information on these topics you will find a raging debate. The camps often divide up as follows:

• The Purists who feed ONLY raw bones with the meat and organs, nothing else.
  

• Dry and Canned feeders who warn against RAW feeding practices and only trust their companions diet to the dog food manufacturers who they feel have made a study and profession of creating nutritional meals.

• The Tweens are those who feel commercial dog food is nutritionally worthwhile, but also feel some raw food is a good idea, so they divide the meals between raw and processed foods.
  
• The BARF crowd feeds raw meats with the bones and organ meats, PLUS they include some combintion of any or all of the following: vegetables, fruits, herbs, nuts, legumes, and grains. (I caution against the use of any grain.)
  

COOKING bones makes them brittle and dangerous to consume. Raw bones are softer, clean the teeth, and rarely cause problems in the diet. These would all be smaller bones, such as chicken, rabbit, or game hens. The big bones are too large to chew and consume, and are mostly used as toys or treats. Feeding raw meat on a large bone where the bone cannot be consumed also interferes with the necessary balance between Calcium and Phosphorous that is provided in perfect ratio by nature. When meat is taken off the bone, this natural ratio is broken resulting in a diet that is not out of balance.

The various feeding methods will be discussed in more detail in upcoming blogs.

What is the BARF diet?

BARF stands for "Biologically Appropriate Raw Foods", or "Bones And Raw Foods". It's not a pretty word, and has been replaced by some with phrases such as:

• species appropriate diet
• raw diet
• raw feeding
• all natural diet
• ancestral diet

Even the "Species Appropriate Diet" does not lend itself to a pleasant acronym, becoming SAD. We at Sheriff Tom and Posse Pals tend to prefer the term "ancestral diet".

When people speak of the BARF diet, ancestral diet, or any of it's forms, they are almost always speaking of a RAW diet.

Grain Free Diets, Are they best?

Hi, and welcome back.

Through my observations and research I feel GRAIN FREE diets are a MUST for cats. They are the true carnivore. To be technical, cats are obligate carnivores. By definition these are animals that subsist only on meats, and lack the ability to digest plant matter. So to you cat companions I say, grain free is the only way to go. Those who have made the switch rarely go back, and often have remarkable results from going grain-free. More later on how to achieve this.

Now for dogs. In recent years much has been written for and against raw feeding. Not being a veterinarian, nor a scientist, I can only give you my opinion based on experience and study. That said, stay away from grains with dogs! It is NO doubt in my mind grain nearly killed my dog.

Do wild dogs eat grain? Not usually. They may come across a minor bit in the intestines of their prey , but they do not pick grains, eat corn, boil oats, or otherwise ingest grain. They are, of course, opportunists when scavenging for food, and if hungry enough they nibble rotted fruit and any number of other plant materials. However, the bulk of their nutrition comes from meat, bones, cartilage, and organ meats. This is what they were built to consume. It has been stated by those who are scientists that when a dog eats grain from the intestines of their prey, the digestion has been done by the rabbit, deer, etc. The digestive enzymes were provided not by the dog or wolf.

I was surprised to discover that vegetables and plant matter tends to go right through my dogs undigested. By that I mean it shows up in the poop looking remarkably like it did when it went in the other end. After some research I discovered the reason. Dogs lack the ability to break down the cell wall of plant matter. So if feeding them plants, I need to grind and pulverize the material for them, as though I were the deer or rabbit chewing it. Only then can my little canines access the nutrition.

For the most part, I feel that grains are bad for dogs. Some dogs can tolerate grains, others, like my Sheriff Tom, have no tolerance for them. At best, is it a good idea to feed your companion something they can "tolerate"? I suggest a much wiser approach is to feed only what is optimum. If plant matter is consumed, let it be a very small part of their treats. And then use caution.

At www.sherifftom.com we have some great suggestions for grain free treats and food. Stop by sometime.

Happy Trails, Posse Pals!

Food Allergies, One Dogs Story

When Sheriff Tom, our Miniature Schnauzer came to live with us, we had no idea how much he would change our lives. His little spirit was an inspiration from the moment he arrived. Curious, funny, energetic, loving, and full of life, he made us laugh every day. It broke our hearts when food allergies began to rob him of his vitality and joy when only a few months old. (Don't worry, it has a happy ending : )

The source of his problems were a mystery to us, so we began what turned into YEARS of vet visits, medications, tests, injections, and products. Our medicine cabinet had a staggering collection of medicated shampoos and itch relief products. No matter what we tried, prescription or otherwise, he grew worse and worse.

As a puppy, it began with what I can best describe as colitis. Many a night were spent following the poor lad around the backyard as he strained to poo, only to have a small amount of unpleasantness to show for it. He suffered from gas, and tummy pains. Then his eyes became murky and itchy.

My first instincts about this condition proved out to be right in the end, but it was a rough and miserable road we traveled before I came to this realization. My first instinct what that it was a food issue. Something in Tom's food was causing it. I thought so because it was so central, at that time, to his digestive system. So we began a LONG haul through the best and most promising of dog foods we could find. And still his condition worsened. It became cause for celebration in our home when Sheriff Tom produced a solid, normal log. LOL. I know those of you who have experienced this problem can relate.

Next went his skin. A skin issue may sound minor compared to a full fledged digestive illness, but I assure you the skin issue was the worst. He developed lesions all over his body. Not one part of his little body was spared. The lesions developed secondary infections, yeast infections, and bacterial infections. He itched so badly I am almost in tears writing this, even though he is now well and happy.

To combat the itching and secondary infections, he was on a cocktail of medications from antihistamines to antibiotics to drugs to combat yeast. Over the course of time we treated his skin topically with every suggested product our veterinarian or pet supply store. Every day we fought for this boy. Every day we fought for some quality of life for him. What kept us going was his spirit, his love of life, love of us, and ours for him. He clearly wanted to fight too, so we fought on.

Though the medications could at times back off certain symptoms, they often caused other symptoms that were equal or worse than what they were intended to cure. Antibiotics, for example, did back off the infections on the skin, but caused their own itching and swelling, and allowed the yeast to grow. It was a seemingly endless cycle of ups and downs, with Tommy caught right in the middle.

As our journey through the dog foods continued, I sometimes noticed improvements in him, but they were often short-lived. When trying new foods, new proteins etc, you must stay with the program for weeks if not months to see if the new diet will help. If the food seemed to be promising I would do this, but often the result of the new food was so devastating to him, I had to pull him right off.

During this time the vets were telling us that only a small amount of dogs are actually allergic to food. Most of our problems, they said, were contact or inhaled allergies. They said he must always be treated with one of the major brand topic flea protections. Of course, I applied them as directed, yet I often noticed his sores worsened when I did.

As more and more meds, treatments, ointments and other products entered his world, I became increasingly at a loss as to what was of help, and what was not. I spent hours a day scouring the internet for any information, any shred of hope that we could end the cycle of suffering and give our boy his life back.

I should point out at this time that Tommy still had a wonderful life. He hiked, played, ran, charmed, and otherwise moved through life like our little Sheriff. He itched like a maniac and had tummy troubles, but was still able to a lot of fun.

But one birthday something changed. I always take photos of him on his birthday for his photo album. When I looked at the photos of the year eveything changed, I saw a different look on his face. He looked tired, he looked sad, he looked pitiful. That's when I said.... enough!

I pulled him off every single pill, ointment, spray, powder, flea product, and dog food we had. I began to make his food myself. We bathed and conditioned his skin with only one shampoo we found that we all agreed had at least not HURT him.

I began to study the eating habits of wolves, and dogs in the wild. A new world opened up to me, the world of species appropriate diets. At the time I could find little on the subject. Most were not written for lay persons, so I poured through texts meant for scientists and absorbed what I could from them. I watched nature programs to see the way packs ate.

Somehow I was able to break away from the belief that large dog food manufacturers knew what my dog should eat. In fact, I discovered that their first interest was profit, and not the health of my dog. I was appalled at what I found in the ingredients list, and the degree to which many of those ingredients were bad for my Tom.

I recalled some elders I knew telling me that "back in their day", dogs never got sick like that. I began asking the elders what they fed their dog who lived so long and was never sick a day. They were often feeding raw foods, scrap foods, but foods that more closely mimicked what wild dog packs and wolves eat.

The first time I gave raw food to my dog, bones included, I was filled with apprehension. He'll puncture his intestines, he'll choke, he'll slice his throat, he'll get food poisoning. I was filled with fear, yet I followed my instinct and fed him what I felt nature intended.

I had so much to learn, and even more to UNlearn. But this time, every step I took showed up in my boys improved health. Gone were his days of getting worse! As the species appropriate diet evolved in our home, and my skill grew, his skin lesions disappeared, he finally attained normal digestive funtion, and his youthful glow and energy returned.

As my instinct had suggested when he was under one year of age, it WAS the food! He had developed some environmental sensitivities as well, but when the diet was brought into balance, all the other sensitivities became either very minor, or absent.

I believe allergies are like a stack of dominoes. If one goes over, they touch the one next to them. Finally the entire stack goes down. If your dog has food sensitivity that is left untreated, it touches off other immune factors and sooner or later you have a catastrophe on your hands. Once the dominoes start to go, you are playing catch-up.

Today Sheriff Tom is a happy, healthy boy, and the proud owner of his own company, Sheriff Tom for Pets. We are dedicated to providing the products to others that gave Sheriff Tom his health.

www.sherifftom.com

Have a great day, Posse Pals!

Welcome to Posse Pals Round Up

Welcome to Posse Pals Round-Up. In our business of Pet Care and Pet Supplies, a great deal of information passes our way. Many questions are asked of us from questions on diet, to behavioral issues and everything in between. We hope this will be the place where we "Round Up" this information and put it into the hands of those who love their pets, and want the best for them.

In nature, if you are a dog, "it takes a pack" to survive successfully. I don't think this is too far from the truth for us humans as well. So join our online Pack and share your thoughts, insights, wisdom, and questions. Together we can be better, smarter, and healthier.