Update from the Whelping Box-Week 3

Though I know well that the third week of a pup’s life is marked by huge milestones. It’s like they turn into puppies (as most people think of puppies) overnight.

This litter was born on January 4, 2013! There are adorable, chocolate, fleece-coated, medium-sized Australian Labradoodles. There are 7 puppies in this litter-6 boys and 1 girl. They are all THREE WEEKS OLD NOW!

Here it is, Day 21 or Week 3, and just look at what’s happened:

• Walking has become the preferred method of ambulation (instead of crawling).  Granted, it’s still a drunken-sailor walk, but they’re up on all fours!
• Elimination and voiding is now something they do on their own. Fiona is cleaning less; the humans are cleaning more.
• The pups get up from where they’re sleeping and waddle over to a different part of the whelping box to potty, then waddle back to the puppy pile. They’re instinctively pottying in places other than where they sleep.
• Their vision is becoming usable. When they “see” things now, they react appropriately with sniffs or puzzlement or growls or barks or pounces.
• They recognize each other (oh boy, litter mates!).
• They play with each other. Okay, so it doesn’t last very long, but they do “play” for short stretches.
• They wrassle. :O)
• They’re feeling secure with their humans, not just with Fiona.
• They can pant and lap.
• They have started to grow in (ouch! for Fiona) teeth!  Their baby teeth are just poking through their gums, and just like human babies, this is uncomfortable for them.  They’re beginning to feel the need to chew (look out world!)
• They can voluntarily sit, stand, roll over, scratch, paw, wag their tails, chew, investigate objects they “see” (still blurry, but visible), and are just beginning to climb.
• This morning, I noticed that the puppies might be responding to sound, so I suspect their ears may be starting to unseal.
• We will be giving the puppies their litter names this weeks also!

We are accepting deposits for this litter now!

Here are some pictures of the adorable puppies!

 

Update from the Whelping Box

Here’s the update from the Whelping Box:

We are adorable, chocolate Australian Labradoodles. There are 7 puppies in this litter-6 boys and 1 girl. We’re all ONE WEEK OLD now. You might think we haven’t been doing much for these first seven days of our lives, but we’ve been quite busy. Just look:

• We lost what was left of our umbilical cords (what a nuisance — glad that’s gone!)
• We’ve discovered that we have hind legs that work.
• We’ve all more than doubled our weight, just as we should.
• We have round rumps now (unlike those bony bottoms we had when we popped out)
• We can squiggle like salamanders and we can push with our back legs, too (instead of just pulling ourselves with our front legs like we did before).
• We’ve learned how to find each other now (we sniff and feel our ways to each other).
• We can make a puppy pile!  (Oooooo…so roasty toasty warm!)
• We’re experimenting with making noises. We grunt and sigh and sing and call out for Momma Fiona. We yelp when Momma Fiona steps on us, and we sometimes bark in our sleep (but we don’t know what that is yet).
• We’re all willing to be cuddled regularly, too.
• We sleep 90% of the time now, and we’re mostly happy and content.

Speaking of sleep, that’s enough for now.  *yawn*  We’re tired, and we gotta get back to the hard work of growing. We’ll check in with you next week for another puppy report.

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Puppies!!!

Fiona produced a litter of 7 puppies last night-January 4, 2013! There are 6 boys and 1 girl in this litter! They are all medium-sized, chocolate-colored, fleece-coated Australian Labradoodles! Beautiful dogs that are non-shedding, hypoallergenic, and highly intelligent!

As breeders of these extraordinarily friendly family companions we want to extend to others the joy and companionship these dogs bring into our lives.

The Labradoodles are so popular because:

• Extraordinarily friendly family companions
• Non-shedding
• Social with people and other dogs
• Playful and witty in personality
• Allergy friendly
• Eager to learn and please
• Excellent water dogs and retrievers

As a small family breeder our dogs and puppies enjoy socialization by our family. As part of our family, our doodles not only enjoy our property they also join us at all kinds of extracurricular activities, such as football, and swim team, which also allows us to socialize our dogs in the public too.

Feel free to contact me at the following for more information!

Phone- 1 (307) 413-5891

Email-clancyaussiedoodles@hotmail.com

Clancy Aussie Doodles on Facebook- www.facebook.com/ClancyAussieDoodles

Pinterest- http://pinterest.com/clancydoodles/

Our pictures on Flickr- http://www.flickr.com/photos/clancyaussiedoodles/

Puppies!

We have an upcoming litter between our Lady Fiona Clancy and Aussie Doodles’ Canadoodle Sable Kodiak.

We are expecting for the litter to be born in late December/early January. We are accepting deposits for this litter now!

Here are some pictures of the puppies from their previous litter!

Starting Your Day Off Right…

…With an adorable fluffy Australian Labradoodle face!

Australian Labradoodle

The Human-Canine Bond

Photo © mollypop on flickr

Dogs have long been considered “man’s best friend,” and they have certainly earned the title. The bond between humans and canines is unmistakable. Since the domestication of the dog, people have been drawn to them (and they to us). Dogs have helped us in so many ways and expect little in return. They have hunted with us, kept vermin and pests away, served the military and police, assisted the disabled, and faithfully remained our loyal companions. In turn, we care for them and maintain good quality of life. This is more than a fair trade. In fact, it is a downright bargain. How did this bond become so strong? What can we do to preserve and strengthen it?

A Brief History of the Domesticated Dog

The mysterious history of dogs has been revealed primarily thorough archeological research. Evidence of prehistoric dog-like creatures shows us that the evolution of the dogcan actually be traced back millions of years. The transition of some wolves into dogs probably began upwards of 100,000 years ago, but the domesticated dog likely dates back anywhere from 15,000 to 30,000 years. Some believe that humans set out to domesticate dogs by “breeding” for specific traits, though this may not actually be the case. By nature, dogs are scavengers, so one theory suggests that dogs began to follow human hunters for food. Regardless of how it all started, the human-canine bond has blossomed and strengthened over time and will likely continue to grow.

What Dogs Do For Humans

Companionship is perhaps the most universal thing that dogs give us, but this is only the beginning. Scientific evidence has proven that many health benefits come along with pet ownership. Our dogs help us relax, lower our blood pressure, keep us active and more. Dogs happily work for us, too. Service dogscan assist those with mental or physical disabilities, work as search-and-rescue dogs, guard valuable  property and protect us from harm by sniffing out threats and criminal activity. Even our companion dogs can be trained to proudly defend our homes and families.

What’s In It for the Dogs

The domesticated dog has evolved to be quite dependent upon humans. Though dogs can still often survive in the wild, they thrive with the care humans can provide. All we really need to do is look out for our dogs’ best interests. We must be responsible dog owners and we fulfill their basic needs- food, shelter, health care and so on. We train them so they understand their jobs and they find joy in this. It is truly a win-win situation.

Preserving and Strengthening the Human-Canine Bond

The bond you have with your dog begins the moment he comes into your life and never stops growing. However, there are ways to reinforce the bond throughout your dog’s life. Participation in activities with your dog is the best way to do this. It can be as simple as a training session, grooming routine, playtime or exercise. For more structured bonding, you can join an obedience class, start training in dog sports like agility and flyball, or participate in dog shows. One of the kindest ways to bond with your dog and allow your dog to bond with others is to get involved with pet therapy. If your dog is right for therapy, he can visit people in hospitals and nursing homes or help children read and learn. Your dog may be able to help benefit the health and lift the spirits of people in need, all while having the time of his life. No matter how you strengthen and preserve the human-canine bond, remember that it benefits the health and well-being of both you and your dog.

Forever Homes-Norman (Brogan)

This is a letter from one of our clients who received one of the puppies from Canadoodle Sable’s Kodiak and our very own Lady Fiona Clancy’s litter. Norman arrived at their house on June 20, 2012, and they absolutely fell in love with him. Norman currently has a siblings available-Aiden. Check out our “Available Puppies” page for more details. Below the letter are some pictures of Norman from week 1 at our home to week 9 at their home. We are so proud of how well Norman is doing and what a testament he is to this amazing breed. We are so happy to hear about Norman’s speciality training and what an impact he has made.

July 9, 2012

Dear Clancy Family,

 

This is a just a note to let you know how well Norman is adjusting to his new home! If dogs could talk, we are pretty sure he’d tell you hit he the “adoption” jackpot. He gets more attention, has more toys, blankies, and treats than most babies…I am just sure of it!

 

Words really cannot express our sheer joy with Norman. It’s really odd to even hear myself say this because my husband and I are not “dog” people, in fact, we are not “animal” people. For 15 years, we’ve been adamant in telling our children that they could not have a dog. Mainly because my husband has allergies and I am a neat freak about our house. These two major obstacles have become non-issues since we have acquired Norman. He is hypoallergenic and non-shedding! What a bonus!

 

We decided to give in to children’s request after finding your ClancyAussieDoodle page on Facebook and speaking with you. We loved how you made yourself available to answer all of questions and concerns over the course of several months. We were impressed at how seriously you took your job as a breeder and how many questions you asked us to ensure that Norman would be a good fit with our family.  It is beyond obvious that you love what you do…your passion is evident.

 

You see, we don’t even consider Norman a dog…lol…he has so many human characteristics, it’s uncanny. He loves people…the more he’s around…the happier he is. He doesn’t bark(as long as he is not alone), he is well on his way to being potty trained (at just 10 weeks old) and he’s doing amazing in obedience school. In fact, our trainer, has repeatedly commented on how well-behaved Norman is. He mentioned that he’s never seen a Doodle quite like Norman – he said all the Doodles he’s ever worked with were happy but very hyper and had trouble obeying rules. We find just the opposite with Norman. He adapts well to all environments and clearly understands the word, “no”.

 

He’s so much fun and easy to train! We have taught him how to ring a bell when he needs to potty, how to stand jump up on a platform for a treat, how to stand on his back two legs and hop for a treat, and jump through a hula hoop! We are now working on teaching him how to walk on a balance beam…no joke! He loves being active and has no problems keeping up on our daily family walk of 2-3 miles!

 

Our plans are to continue obedience school for the next 6-12 months so we can get him certified as an AKC  STAR puppy, then on to hopefully earning the AKC Good Canine  Award.  Finally, we hope to get him certified as a therapy dog so we can take him to visit sick kids and the elderly at nursing homes and assisted living facilities! Our trainer says, Norman is well on his way to achieving all these goals!

Thank you from the bottom of our happy hearts! Norman has been such a blessing to our family. He is amazing because you are an amazing breeder. Please do not hesitate to give our name as a referral!

 

Most Sincerely,

Michelle and Joel Tjelmeland

Owners of tjelmeland.com, e-websmart.com and founders of www.ciafonline.org 217-498-1073

 

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Jackson Hole, WY-4th of July Fireworks Cancelled

Jackson Hole Fire/EMS staffers announced Monday that they won’t allow public fireworks displays at Teton Village or Snow King Mountain to celebrate Fourth of July.

Chief Willy Watsabaugh said the fire danger for the area is too high to allow the Independence Day events. He said the fireworks displays likely would divert too many firefighters from other areas of the valley.

“When we look at the risk analysis on this, it makes sense to stop this now,” he said early Monday evening.

He said he didn’t see a good alternative that would allow the displays to proceed.

Watsabaugh delayed his decision for much of Monday, deflecting questions from town and county officials throughout the day until he received additional test results about potential fire activity. Private fireworks are prohibited throughout the county, but the ban on the public events was uncertain.

Watsabaugh received some tests results late Monday afternoon that showed that Snow King is in the 97th percentile when looking at how likely it is for a large fire to spread in the area, he said. The test he cited measures the likelihood of combustion, moisture content and historical data for dead and downed fuels.

“We are in very high fire danger,” he said.

The decision comes as state and local government officials ramp up efforts to prevent fires, issuing new restrictions and trying to set money aside to pay for potential firefighting efforts.

Town and county officials Monday approved a partial fire closure, which carries with it new restrictions. It was set to take effect at 6 a.m. today.

Under the closure, residents are not allowed to:

• Build campfires within 25 feet of any structure or brush or tree-covered area unless it’s in an established campfire grate or ring;

• Operate a chain saw without an approved spark-arresting device, a chemically pressurized fire extinguisher and one round-point shovel at hand;

• Openly burn trash, grass, brush or tree cuttings or construction debris;

• Use a welder or torch or other types of open-flame device unless they are in a cleared area that is at least 10 feet in diameter and a chemically pressurized fire extinguisher is at hand;

• Use explosive devices that require fuse blasting caps, tracer bullets, rockets or model aircraft that use propellant-type engines.

Additionally, residents aren’t allowed to smoke unless they are within a developed recreation site, an enclosed vehicle or building or are in an area at least three feet in diameter that has been cleared of any flammable material.

Watsabaugh said the high fire danger in Teton County is coming earlier in the year than it historically has. County staff estimated that the fire risk is two to three weeks earlier than in years past.

He said he couldn’t recall ever having to ban fireworks displays because of fire danger.

Bridger-Teton National Forest and Grand Teton National Park officials already approved partial fire closures. On Monday, Gov. Matt Mead issued a statement urging residents across the state not to use fireworks and open fires.

Mead sent letters to every county in the state, asking that they impose fire restrictions.

The Fire/EMS department currently has four firefighters in Big Piney. They drove an engine to the area last week and have been helping battle the Fontenelle Fire.

Two firefighters have been at the site since last week. Other firefighters from Jackson have rotated in to help out.

“We’re just trying to keep a watchful eye here,” Watsabaugh said. “We don’t want to have a lot of our resources away from the area.”

For information about fire restrictions, residents can call 866-221-6441 or visit www.tetonwyo.org/fire.

For more articles and information about the Jackson Hole area check out this link to the Jackson Hole News & Guide http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/

The Dog Days of Summer

If you think these past few days have been unbearably hot as you spent a minute or two outside your air-conditioned home or office, think what it would feel like to be cooped up inside a car parked in the sun.

While you’re wearing a fur coat.

With the windows most of the way up.

With no water to drink or even a hint of a breeze.

And no way out.

After just 10 minutes in a car on a 95-degree day, the interior temperature reaches 114 degrees, according to a San Francisco State University researcher. After just 20 minutes, it’s 124 degrees in there.

“If you have to go somewhere, taking them (your dog) with you is not a good idea,” said Jason King, chief animal control officer at the Humane Society of Henderson County. “You can come back to a dead animal if they’re in there too long.”

Even if you’re just running to a store or to somebody’s house on what you think will be a quick errand, leave the dog at home. “It’s dangerous out there,” King said.

So far this summer, local animal control officers haven’t had too many heat-related complaints, King said Tuesday, just a day before the afternoon temperatures started their climb into the 90s and eventually to this weekend’s triple digits.

To keep these types of incidents to a minimum, shelter operations director Josh Cromer encourages people to not only look out for their own pets and to bring them indoors whenever possible, but also to keep an eye on their neighbors’ outdoor animals as well.

“If you know your neighbors have outside dogs and you’re home during the day, go over and check on them,” Cromer said. “Go give them water and make sure they have access to shade.

“That’s the responsible thing to do,” he added.

By law, an animal’s owner is required to provide a regular supply of fresh drinking water and a place for the animal to go to get out of the sun.

But that’s just the minimum that should be done.

Taking the pet into an air-conditioned home or a cool basement is the ideal solution, but if that is absolutely impossible, “be diligent on checking their water constantly,” King said. “You are going to have to fill it up more.”

Shady spots are more important than ever during extreme heat.

“You wouldn’t want to be out all day in the direct sun with no water,” King said.

“These living, breathing creatures get hot, too,” he said. “They need a way to get cooled off.”

And while people are encouraged to help their neighbors’ pets, if the situation is an ongoing problem, there may be no choice but to report the offenders to authorities.

Not providing water and shade for pets “is a crime. It falls under cruelty to animals,” King said. “If you are not doing this, you will get a visit from us.”

While the dogs and cats living at the Humane Society of Henderson County are kept in air-conditioned areas, the dogs also need a break from their kennels and a chance to get some exercise in the shelter’s fenced-in yards.

If you’d like to give the pups a fun way to cool off, the shelter is accepting donations of small kiddie pools in which the dogs can play and splash during hot summer days.

Cromer said that at the Franklin County shelter where he previously worked, the facility had numerous small plastic pools for the dogs to enjoy.

In addition to the wading pools, the Henderson shelter could also use donations of large stainless steel buckets to fill with water for the dogs to drink when they’re outside.

Temperatures are expected to continue to be in the upper 90s this week, with overnight lows in the mid-70s, so while you may enjoy attending the Fourth of July fireworks in downtown Henderson, it would probably be wise to leave your dog at home.

Many dogs don’t like the loud noises that fireworks make.

“If you know you have a skittish dog, it’s probably best to put it inside (your house) and let it feel a little more secure” than outside with a crowd as the loud booming fireworks light up the sky, Cromer said.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals web site agrees that home is the best place for dogs during fireworks shows.

“Please resist the urge to take them to Independence Day festivities,” says a news release on the ASPCA site. “Instead, keep your little guys safe from the noise in a quiet, sheltered and escape-proof area at home.”

The is the High Temperature Forecast for July 2, 2012.