Kennel Photos

We have sunshine! It may only last for a couple of hours (they’re predicting more snow this week, which means lots of rain and snow sprinkles), so I thought it was my best opportunity to get some photos. Natural light just makes everything look better!

 

These are the 3 kennels. Two are 4′ x 10′ and one is 5′ x 10′. All concrete floors and secured on top by mesh wire to prevent anyone from escaping out the top. All the doors have clips for the gate-savvy dogs that know how to nose a gate open.

A view from the front of the 3 kennels and you can see the door to the outdoor dog yard on the left.

First view when you go outside from the kennel – beautiful little grove of trees that are gorgeous once they actually have leaves! Hard to believe these were overtaken by blackberries just two months ago! The creek is along the right side on the other side of the fence.

Give me a call or email to set up a time to come visit! The dogs love it

Teaching fills my soul

I have never experienced this before.

Just a few months ago, my job was a four-letter word. It stressed me out until I was constantly sick. I found little joy in the day-to-day tasks and received little support. I was out on an island in a big sea, alone with no sunshine.

As I was driving home tonight, it just felt so profound that my four-letter word of a career became a three-letter word.

Joy.

I receive so much joy from watching my students grow with their four-legged friends. Not only do I really like all of my students as people, but I get to watch  and be a part of them learning how to communicate more clearly with their dogs. To see how far everyone has come in a few short months is just so much fun to watch. I know I can get a little giddy about this, but I just needed to shout out to all of my students a big, heartfelt

THANK YOU!

You rock my world, and I am so grateful for it.

I add the “work” in a work party!

These pictures will mostly likely persuade you to never join me on an invitation for a work party. I am so very grateful for my loyal supporters (my family) for spending a Saturday finishing up the dog yard! Here’s a brief timeline of events and some before photos.

May 2007  :: Original foliage (blackberries) in this area. Multiply this times 100 to get the idea of how many blackberries overtook the area in the 3 years since then!

2010 :: Burning brush and after we used a tractor and brush hog to remove all of the 6′ tall blackberry vines!

2010 :: Setting posts to contain the area

2010 :: Looking at two days of grueling labor – removing all the old blackberries, burning the brush, and setting all of the fence posts.

Fast forward to this weekend .. 2011

Due to the insane amounts of blackberries in this area AND the amazing ability blackberries have to grow in this area, it was necessary to lay down something to block them from resprouting. A layer of wood chips or barkdust would just be the perfect nutrients for them to take over my beautiful new dog yard!

In comes the felt. This is a by-product from the fiber mills up in Longview, and is as effective as a thick layer of gravel to deter the blackberries. We layed out rolls and rolls of felt and were able to cover almost all of the open areas.

Bob getting ready to go to lunch after the felt was rolled out.

Rolled out felt

Post-lunch = unloading the bobcat (my mom and I share the same passion for working in pajama pants and muck boots )

 

If you ever wonder how much hog’s fuel is in one dump truck load, this is it. The second pile is by the horse pasture…

You can also see the 4 yards of gravel we got to fill in the area outside of the back sliding door. This created a nice base into the shop to prevent water buildup, since it is about 18″ thick.

Back sliding door into the shop – large gravel base and hog’s fuel leading up to it.

Bob worked the bobcat like a PRO! We learned very quickly that we couldn’t turn on the felt without it creating huge wrinkles and to build up the barkdust from the beginning of the path, as it was easier to drive on the barkdust layer than directly on the felt.

The 2nd pile of hog’s fuel – the perfect spot to fill in the natural muddiness that occurs in this area with the leftover material!

Those were our management chairs

Trimming trees while Bob creates large piles of hog’s fuel…

Trimming up the felt rolls

Unfortunately, you cannot do this project without hand tools and a lot of manual labor! Aspirin, alcohol, icy hot, and heating pads were well-utilized at the end of this day!

Looking through the beautiful forest area to the shop! I can’t wait for all the trees to get leaves to take some official photos!

Due to the slickness of the felt, I had to use just straight hog’s fuel (or barkdust). As time goes on, I will start mixing in wood chips to change the consistency. Straight wood chips would have just slide off and created a big mess

Photos to come of the dogs .. they have all given their full approval and Beamer works hard at enticing the girls to do massive chasing laps around the yard. This equals success!

Burn burn burn!

What do you do after the boarding dogs have gone  home and all is quiet? Burn brush! I am just waiting for the ground to dry up enough to lay down all of the felt and spread out wood chips. Until then, I’m trying to get rid of as many blackberry vines and brush as I can to *hopefully* prevent new blackberries from coming up.

If you look at one of the previous posts, you’ll see that there were large piles of brush in front of these trees…

All the brush got moved to the burn pile. Most of the day it mostly just smoked, as it is very hard to burn wet leaves in January! My dogs Yankee and Beamer were very respectful of the burn pile.

This tree is perfect for the dogs to pose in – Dixie did manage to get some racing stripes earlier in the day after walking under a board I was painting to build an A-frame. No worries – I only let me dogs around the painting projects

Dixie trying to figure out where the heck I want her for this photo! Good dog!

Bodhi – day 2

Bodhi and Yankee got to play some more in the sunshine before he had to go home. They even got in some racing laps! We had fun having Bodhi here – can’t wait to see him next visit!

The Dog Yard :: continuing improvements

When I made decision to build this dog yard, my family was very generous in signing up under the free-labor-for-meals act. We all sweated, got drenched in the pouring rain, and crawled inside with aching muscles. Today, in a very unpretentious ceremony, Bodhi was my first boarding dog to get to run laps inside this yard.

If this week is as sunny as the weatherman predicts, the mud may dry out enough to get the tractor in. Next goal is to spread out all of the “underlayment” of felt. The felt is necessary, as before we fenced, this area held 5-6′ tall blackberry brambles that had been there for years! The felt is my big effort to not give them access to their needed nutrient of light, and giving me half a chance at keeping them away. After the felt is down, we will spread lots of wood chips on it. 2-3 dump truck loads in fact! Until then, the dogs are still getting to enjoy the space as the mud isn’t sticking to their paws!

Here are some photos.

New lattice work under the “pot” house (not really a pot house, but was affectionately named that due to previous tenants of this property) to keep dogs from crawling under and away

Gates installed with the felt laying behind it ready to be rolled out .. if only I had the muscle power!

Before photo of the dead blackberry vines surrounding the base of these trees

After photo of all the brambles removed and ready to be burned! Hopefully the ferns will quickly fill in!

Bodhi

Bodhi is here to play for just one night while his Mom celebrates her and her son’s birthdays together. He is a little intimated by Beamer’s playing style (rough and fast!), so I sent him out to the dog yard with Yankee. They were fast friends, and Bodhi was even squealing as he tried to catch her. Very very cute!

Yankee trying to get Bodhi to chase her:

It was hard to take pictures of Bodhi, because he loved to stand between my legs and wiggle

Great Wall Street Journal article on the move to farming

It is one of those nights where I am restless in bed day [night] – dreaming about large pieces of land and how to convince future neighbors and the county to let me fulfill my dreams. I know I will be a good steward of the land. It is just convincing everyone else of that!

Anyways, enjoy this article titled “Green Acres is the Place to Be” from the Wall Street Journal. It doesn’t go into a lot of details, but it is interesting. I think the progress of the internet, information sharing, blogging, online retail, etc has really provided a lot of resources for people like me trying to move back to their roots.

~Naomi

“Only he can understand what a farm is, what a country is, who shall have sacrificed part of himself to his farm or country, fought to save it, struggled to make it beautiful. Only then will the love of farm or country fill his heart.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Dog Food Ratings, part 2

After my first dog food rating post, I was curious to how much of a disparity in price there was between the various brands. I went to local grocery stores, pet supply stores, and high end retail. I didn’t get a lot of prices on the “Ol Roy” side of the workbook, but I did get a good comparison of the scores of 80 and above. I’ve sorted it based on the score. These prices are based in Eugene, OR without any coupons or deals.

Score | Cost/Lb | Brand of Food

123 | $1.55 | Solid Gold Bison
122 | $1.71 | Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Ultra Premium
117 | $1.80 | Wellness Super 5 Mix Chicken
114 | $1.86 | Innova Dog
114 | $2.27 | Innova Evo
110 | $0.60 | Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables
106 | $1.77 | Dick Van Patten’s Duck and Potato
103 | $1.48 | Pro Plan Natural Turkey & Barley
97 | $1.64 | Solid Gold Wolfking Adult Dog (bison)
93 | $1.51 | Solid Gold Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb)
85 | $1.31 | Nutro Natural choice Lamb and Rice
83 | $0.80| Iams Large Breed
83 | $1.63 | Eukanuba Large Breed Adult
74 | $0.80 | Iams Lamb Meal and Rice
68 | $1.07 | Science Diet Large Breed
68 | $1.36 | Pro Plan All Breed
17 | $0.87 | Purina Beniful

I really  am amazed at how overpriced some of the low-quality foods are! I expect the organics with duck and bison to be up there, but Eukanuba? I think in the next year I’ll start looking at supplementing the dogs diets with eggs (after I get chickens) and maybe a quarter raw (like some chicken necks once a day or something). We’ll see. For now, I’ll feel comfortable continuing with our Kirkland diet and know that the savings in diet can allow me to afford agility, which is a great benefit to their overall health and fitness!

~Naomi

“Good health and good sense are two of life’s greatest blessings.” – Publilius Syrus

Dog Food Ratings

I received this forwarded email a long time ago, so I am not sure who to credit the information to. If you know, please send me a note so I can update my blog! I love this information regarding dog food. I am not at a place yet where I am able to feed my dogs a raw diet. It is on the to-do list so to speak, but until then, I need a financially-feasible alternative. Owning larger dogs also prevents me from buying the high-end organic foods. This list helped me get away from the Iams of dog food. Although kibble like Iams “works” (as macaroni and cheese in a box will also sustain you), I was hoping for a more nutritious alternative. I am not a veterinarian, so if you have any concerns, questions, or special situations, please consult your vet. I liked this as a starting point!

DOG FOOD RATINGS
It’s hard to know what the best food for your pup is. There are a lot of factors involved — ingredients, your dog’s age, your dog’s general health and weight, and what you can afford! Below is a method to grade your dog food that was posted on one of the online dog communities. It seems like a lot of effort, but it yields some interesting results.

How to grade your dog’s food:
Start with a grade of 100:
94-100+ = A
86-93 = B
78-85 = C
70-77 = D
69 = F

1) -10 pts: For every listing of “by-product”
2) -10 pts: For every non-specific animal source (“meat” or “poultry”, meat, meal or fat) reference
3) -10 pts: If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin
4) -5 pts: For every grain “mill run” or non-specific grain source
5) -5 pts: If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five ingredients (i.e. “ground brown rice”, “brewer’s rice”, “rice flour” are all the same grain)
6) -3 pts: If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 meats in the top 3 ingredients
7) -3 pts: If it contains any artificial colorants
8 ) -3 pts: If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn
9) -2 pts: If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients
10) -2 pts: If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil
11) -2 pts: If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic to other protein sources)
12) -2 pts: If it contains soy or soybeans
13) -2 pts: If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog isn’t allergic to wheat)
14) -1 pt: If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog isn’t allergic to beef)
15) -1 pt: If it contains salt

Extra Credit:

1) +5 pts: If any of the meat sources are organic
2) +5 pts: If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or nutritionist
3) +5 pts: If the food is baked not extruded
4) +3 pts: If the food contains probiotics
5) +3 pts: If the food contains fruit
6) +3 pts: If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains)
7) +2 pts: If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free
8 ) +2 pts: If the food contains barley
9) +2 pts: If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds)
10) +1 pt: If the food contains oats or oatmeal
11) +1 pt: If the food contains sunflower oil
12) +1 pt: For every different specific animal protein source (other than the first one; count “chicken” and “chicken meal” as only one protein source, but “chicken” and “” as 2 different sources)
13) +1 pt: If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin
14) +1 pt: If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are pesticide-free

Here are some foods that have already been scored:

Authority Harvest Baked / Score 116 A+
Bil-Jac Select / Score 68
Canidae-119 points A+
Chicken Soup Senior / Score 115 A+
Chicken soup-113 points A+
Diamond Maintenance / Score 64 F
Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice / Score 92 B
Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula / Score 99 A
Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+
Dick Van Patten’s Duck and Potato / Score 106 A+
Eagle Pack Holistic Chicken-114 points A+
Eagle Pack Holistic: 119
Eagle Pack Large and Giant Breed Puppy: 94
Eagle Pack Natural: 94
Eukanuba Large Breed Adult: 83
Eukanuba Natural Lamb and Rice-87 points B
Flint River Ranch: 92 (non-specific fat source)
Foundations / Score 106 A+
Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold / Score 93 A
Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium / Score 73
Iams Lamb Meal and Rice-74 points
Iams Large Breed: 83
Innova Dog / Score 114 A+
Innova Evo / Score 114 A+
Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables / Score 110 A+
Natural Balance Duck and Potato-114 points A+
Nutrisource Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy / Score 87 B
Nutro Natural choice Lamb and Rice-85 points
Nutro Chicken, Rice, & Oatmeal: 85 (non-specific fat source)
Ol Roy-9 points
Pedigree Adult Complete-14 points
Pedigree Complete Nutrition: 42 points
Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice / Score 23
Pro Plan All Breed: 68 points
Pro Plan Natural Turkey & Barley / Score 103 A+
Purina Beniful / Score 17
Purina Dog / Score 62
Purina Come-n-Get It / Score 16
Royal Canin Bulldog / Score 100 A+
Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult / Score 106 A+
Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice / Score 97 A
Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ / Score 63
Science Diet chicken adult maintainance-45 points
Science Diet Large Breed: 68 points
Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies / Score 69
Solid Gold Bison-123 points A+
Timberwolf Organics Lamb and Venison-136 points A+
Wellness Super 5 Mix Chicken: 117 points A+
Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold / Score 97 A

~Naomi

“If you think dogs can’t count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then giving Fido only two of them.” ~Phil Pastoret