As I mentioned before I have done a great deal of research and have decided to switch my dogs from dry kibble to Blue Ridge Beef raw dog food. I have been interested in doing it for a while and after hearing the effects it had on one of my client’s dogs I have decided to give it a run. I purchase my food from Scot Rucker at Rucker Pet and Wild Bird. He has been guiding me through the process of transitioning them over. The Ruckers are a wealth of knowledge on all things dog food. I wouldn’t go anywhere else for my pet food needs. In this article I will give you a short bio on each one of my dogs and discuss my initial thoughts on the transition.

We will start with the dog most of you know, Jackson. He is a 4 ½ year old Belgian Malinois. He weighs around 60lbs and is extremely high energy. I have always had a hard time keeping weight on him. He has eaten a variety of dog foods from Science Diet on the low end to Taste of the Wild on the higher end. If there is something better going on he will pass on food every time. About six months ago Jackson started having seizures. They typically happen in the morning every three to five weeks. Blood testing and physical exams have been conducted with no conclusive evidence as to why he is having them.

The next dog we are feeding is my 9 ½ year old German Shepherd Lab mix, Tucker. Tucker is the opposite of Jackson. He is big, 90lbs, and lazy. I have had Tucker since I was in college and he sparked my passion for dog training. Tucker has always eaten dry food and typically eats whatever the other 2 eat. He likes food but is not crazy about it. He has had dirty ears his entire life. He gets the occasional infection but for the most part it is just a black build up. Tucker has arthritis in his hind quarters and has issues with his back. We have tried a number of supplements and some therapy. He also has “dog breath” and some build up on his molars.

The final dog we are switching is our Chihuahua, Martini. She is 9 years old and weighs 13lbs. Martini is food crazy! When I say crazy I mean CRAZY. She will often bark at meal time to get Jackson to investigate, leaving his food unattended. Her 2lbs of excess weight are a result of her antics. I know that does not sound like much, but when you should only weigh 11 lbs it really shows. Martini is generally healthy. Her main issue is bad teeth. She has had several pulled and a few others fell out on their own. Of all our dogs she is the most sensitive to food changes. She seems to have a grain allergy and I notice personality changes depending on what she is eating.

As I stated earlier I started feeding the raw food a little over a week ago. Unlike dry food, when you switch to raw you can just start feeding it with no mixing. At the suggestion of Scot we started with Turkey. I chose to purchase a chest freezer to keep in the garage so I would have a place to store the food frozen. This is only necessary when you plan on buying large quantities at a time. The food comes in 2lb frozen rolls. I let the rolls partially thaw, and then I sliced them into portions for my dogs based on their weight. The portions are then put into plastic containers and stored in the fridge. I handle it just as I would any other raw meat product. Proper clean up and sanitation is necessary. It took me about 30 minutes to prepare 4 days worth of meals. I have gotten my prep time down to about 15 minutes now.

The first time I fed them Martini woofed it down like it was the best thing she had ever tasted, Tucker was a little slow to eat it but ate the entire serving, and Jackson refused to eat. This continued for 2 more meals. I then mixed some canned chicken in with Jackson’s food and he ate it all. From then on out he has eaten the raw by itself, and he eats fast!

After the first week I have noticed several changes with the dogs. The most obvious is that the volume and consistency of their waste has changed dramatically. They now produce a much smaller, dryer, and more compact stool. It is also almost odorless. It appears that Tucker and Martini has started to loose a small amount of weight. This can not be confirmed until we get them on a scale. All three dogs’ coats have gotten noticeably softer. My wife and I both agree that Martini seems to be more loving. I know this sounds strange but as I said we see differences in her personality based on what she is eating. There have been no significant changes in Tucker or Jackson’s personalities. Jackson is still high energy and Tucker is still mellow.

I will post another update in 2 weeks.

Sit Means Sit will be hosting a client and dog appreciation
BBQ.  Bring the dogs out for a fun day of dog games, training,
and of course BBQ!

All clients are welcome to attend and are invited to bring a friend and their dog.

When: Sunday December 5, 2010.  Noon – 4:00
Where: Douglasville*

Several clients have expressed a desire to make it a
“Pot Luck” event.  Sit Means Sit will provide BBQ and drinks.
Clients are invited to bring a dish.

*Please RSVP to get directions and let us know how many will be in your party
and what dish (if any) that you would like to bring.

RSVP AlexTutterrow@SitMeansSit.com

Here is a video of Sit Means Sit North Metro’s latest board and train.  Doc is an 8 month old golden retriever.  When he came to us he had no manners and spent a great deal of time in a crate because he was a bit of a wild man.  Throughout his time with us Doc learned how to listen around distractions and had a ton of fun.  My goal with all of my board and train dogs is to make it a good experience for both owners and their pets.  The owners get a phone call from me daily letting them know how their dog is doing.  I also send videos and photos throughout the weeks to show them their dogs progress.  The end result is a dog that is both well trained and happy.

Here  is a short clip from our Atlanta office.  This client demonstrates how to have fun in the sun with your dog.  Don’t be fooled into thinking all dogs naturally know how to swim.  Every year thousands of dogs die in pools because they fall in and don’t know how to swim and get out.  If you are interested in teaching your dog to swim let me know.  It is tons of fun for both dogs and owners and is a great way to beat the summer heat.

Here is a video testimonial from our Peachtree City location. You can find hundreds of testimonials and an array of videos at www.sitmeanssit.com. If your dogs life has been changed by Sit Means Sit Dog Training let us know about it. We would love to post your testimonial.

As temperatures continue to rise please don’t forget about your four legged friends.  If your dog normally stays outside, consider bringing him in the house during the heat of the day.  If he must stay out, make sure he has plenty of shade and fresh water.  I recommend putting at least 2 water bowls out.  Also if you walk you dogs daily (like you should) make sure you bring plenty of water and try to cut your walks short.  I also recommend training your dog inside during the heat of the day.  There are plenty of games you can play with your dog in the house that will be fun for you both.  I like to hide Jackson’s ball around the house and let him find it.  You can also practice extended “place” commands and work on distance sits and downs.  Have fun and stay cool.

“I want my dog to be free”. That is a statement that I hear on a regular basis when I discuss training with people. People have said that my dog looks very serious and obviously lives a very serious and structured life, and probably does not have much freedom.  The reality is quite the contrary. I want my dog to be free as well. FREE from getting hit by cars because he chased a ball into the street, FREE from having animal control called on him because he is a nuisance to the neighbors, FREE from being isolated to the yard because he is tearing up the house, FREE from getting in dog fights because he has bad manners, and FREE from ending up in a shelter because I just cant deal with him. The reality of it is that dogs need structure and boundaries. We also need to learn to communicate with them in a fair and consistent manner so that we both win. Finally we need to give him leadership and security he craves. When this is in place your dog will live a wonderful happy life and have all the freedom he needs. By training our dogs we can give them all this and more. Nothing makes me happier than watching my dogs running across a field off a leash….FREE. On a side note, my serious dog is curled up in my reading chair in my office taking a nap while I type this.  He has it rough!  Happy training.

Here is a link to an article about a British bomb dog that recieved an award for bravery while working in Afghanistan http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article7038561.ece.    Military working dogs are currently serving in both Iraq and Afghanistan.   A good friend of mine spent a great deal of time with a Air Force Military Working dog during his latest tour in Iraq.  Pictured is “Jackson” the Belgian Malinois.  His handler is Tech. Sgt. Harvey Holt, of the 732nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron.  The Pictures were taken in 2007 in Kahn Bani Sahd, Iraq.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to assist with a final lesson with a deaf weimaraner.  This was an extremely rewarding experience because I also helped with the dogs first lesson.  The transformation was incredible.  Prior to training she was never allowed off leash because she would run away and until someone caught her there was no way to get her back.  This lead to her being confined to a leash at all times.  As you can imagine she had quite allot of built up engergy that she needed to get out.  The Sit Means Sit Training system allowed her owners to get her attention without speaking and from there she learned had signals.  At the end of our lesson her owner unhooked the leash for the first time and they literally went running down the golf course together.  His wife said she hadn’t ever seen her husband run like that!  Very few things make me happier than seeing a dog truly enjoying life and the pleasure that it brings its owner.

In this video you see Ashton Fitzgerald and his new puppy Fender and a Sit Means Sit Client on her first day of training. This video demonstrates 2 great benefits of the Sit Means Sit Training system. First, even on the first day dogs can listen around distractions. The clients dog is a great example of that. Second, the Sit Means Sit system works great with young dogs. Ashton demonstrates that by taking a balanced approach to training a young dog can learn boundaries and how to listen around distractions. Don’t let what appears to be a mellow disposition fool you , I hear that Fender has insane drive and is a super strong dog.