I strive for clarity of mind and willingness to work.
Be that for Obedience, Agility, Therapy, or any other Dog Sport that a Rottweiler can participate and MOST importantly a loving pet.
The last of the A litter has gone to the Rainbow đ bridge today.
Atos was THAT dog that would do it all. Just look at his titles. He would have done more.
He was 12 y 7mth old.
FU cancer!
I miss you already Booboo, TosTos.
I just left my big ox, Ari, at the Rainbow Bridge.
In 24-36 hrs he went from playing & eating to resting in peace. Prostate cancer got him.
Iâm glad it was fast so he didnât have to suffer.
12 yrs and 2mths of a good life.
Never an issue before today.
Love you you big ox.
These boys turn 12 years old on May 24th!!
Happy birthday big guys!
Left to Right: Atos and Ari
Just want to let everyone know that we will not be breeding for the next few years.
I want my focus on the old boys, Ari & Atos (the last two from the âAâ litter)
What are health tests? Not just a check-up at the vet!
Happy Easter from the old boys
Left: Atos
Right: Ari
2011 I saw this with my Rottie, Jaeger. I attended an Obedience class with his littermate brother. The brother was paediatric neutered and the results were the same as these labs.
âThese two boys are from the same parents, boy on the left was paediatric neutered and the other has stayed intact. As you can see, the development the right pup has compared to the left is undeniable, from his skull width, to his chest and shoulders.
This is the development pups will lose out on when desexing before full maturity.â
Credit - Bunny French.
You can view the full article here https://www.facebook.com/100000652508503/posts/4829274297104273/?d=n
Dr Jones' Free Book... http://www.veterinarysecrets.com/newsDr Jones goes through a 16 week regimen of How to Heal your dog's damaged Knee (ACL) ligament inj...
Version 3 of our herbal dosage chart with some new additions! :)
Rodney Habib
The Old Boys. Love them so much!
Left to Right: Atos & Ari
Sportdogs: Rest and regeneration.
As sport dog handlers, our focus is mainly on how and how much our dogs should be active. We think about and discuss with other handlers and trainers how many activities our sport dog needs, how much training, how many walks, fitness sessions etc. While this is necessary and important, I felt like the subject of activity is widely explored, while another key part, which I learned is crucial for human athletes as a physiotherapist, is left out. That other vital part we are missing in our sport dog training program is... rest and regeneration.
Rest however, does not appear to be a fun topic for social media. As I am part of the canine influencer community, discussions mainly center around the more exciting things you do with your dog such as showing, training, competitions, tricks, travel and other fun stuff. And while that's all super important, I wanted to put a spotlight on rest and show how important it is for our dogsâ performance. Letâs start off with how much our dogs need to sleep... and surprisingly, they need A LOT!
According to researchers, dogs sleep between 16 to 20 hours per day! This is mostly because dogs do not enter REM sleep (deep sleep phase) as easily as humans do.
âAll day long, electrical activity is happening in our brain, and random, disorganized data gets stored in various places,â says Dr. Nicholas Dodman, professor emeritus at Tufts University. âWe organize that in our sleep, and dogs do too. Itâs very therapeutic, and if you deny dogs that, theyâll kind of lose it.â
During my 11 years of training dogs in various sports, mainly agility, I was often asked "Have you tried giving your dog a break from this exercise? It might help them to understand what you want later." When I followed this suggestion, I observed many times in all 9 of my own dogs, and in many of my studentâs dogs, that giving a break actually worked! Why? Exactly because of what Dr Dodman said. Data gets stored and organized during sleep so it's" easier to find" by a dog after a rest. Iâve often joked that it "seems my dog had time to re-think that last bit of training and gets it now", is seemingly true!
"Dr. Joan C. Hendricks, VMD, PhD, Dip ACVIM, adds that sleep helps a dogâs brain with development, memory, and learning capacity, as well as their immune system. According to Dr. Hendricks âSleep-deprived animals and people are more prone to infections."
Lack of rest and sleep in sport dogs can cause problems with learning, memorization, lack of motivation, increased risk of injury and illness, which in turn can make their overall performance worse. It's just like when we haven't slept enough. When we're tired or nervous, everything just seems to go wrong and we forget easy things, making us just want to go back to bed, not show how amazing we are. Right?
Let's dig into what sport dog experts in the fields of orthopedics, physiotherapy and neurology, have to say about it!
As a physiotherapist, I learned that for human athleteâs, rest is as important as training and performance. Rest is just as important as adding load to locomotor systems is, by allowing it to regenerate and rebuild. The best regeneration happens when we sleep, and it's the same for our canine athletes, and what's even more surprising, is that it takes almost the same amount of energy to train and perform, as it does to rebuild and regenerate. Which seems to be impossible because hey, our dog is "getting tired" while resting? Kind of. While we watch our dogs sleep after training, their bodies are being regenerated and rebuilt. What we are doing to gain muscle mass in training, is letting our body know that there are activities that are hard for it right now and it needs to adjust to that. Training is a signal to create new nerve paths and build more muscle which improves the ability to perform, and while all that starts happening during training, it continues even during rest! Newly created nerve paths are being saved and the body rebuilds itself to adjust to the latest activity, and step by step, training by training, rest time by rest time, the body gets better adjusted to what the task is. This is why rest time needs to be much longer than the actual activity itself.
"When you are doing an exercise in agility which is taking 30 seconds, your dog will need recovery time of 10 times that amount (300 sec = 5 min at least). In my opinion, this lesson is the most important one for agility handlers and trainers. Besides during training rests, recovery time after training is also very important. An average agility training session will require a recovery time around 36 to 48 hours" says Ronald Mouwen, veterinarian, chiropractor, agility competitor and creator of the FitDogProgram.
Now, imagine if you do more than just agility! Our dogs need long walks, have fitness activities, before activities warm up and cool down sessions, maybe some trick performances too, and then they also have little everyday things like their excitement before eating, or when you come home, following you around house, playing with other dogs, and so on. This makes 16 - 20 hours of sleep seem quite justified!
Okay, so what is regeneration really about? For that we received a perfect explanation by Agnieszka BiaĆy, canine physiotherapist and functional trainer. "Regeneration is a complex process and each organism has itsâ own self-healing potential. Yet only in optimized conditions can that organism regenerate well enough to reach its full function again.â For that we need to meet these conditions.
1) NO EXCESSIVE ENERGY LOSS which includes loss through coping with chronic pain, persistent mental stress (in addition to that which is sometimes given by the owner!), incomplete and inconsistent diet, emaciation or excessive weight, chronic systemic disease, repetitive physical stress (overload), violent physical stress, as well as oxidative stress, incorrect rehabilitation, excessive load on the liver, and not enough exercise.
2) DELIVERY OF ENERGY, VIA APPROPRIATE QUALITY AND QUANTITY of moderate exercise, sunlight, complete and correct diet, manual and physical therapies, adequate sleep length, mental relaxation, targeted supplementation, suitable physical movement and energizing activity.
When all of these energy-depriving and energy-supplying ingredients remain in balance, or are more on the positive side, our dogsâ body will be able to carry out itsâ full regenerative processes. However, when the opposite out of balance, energy-deprived situation occurs, regeneration will be faulty and take much more time to run its course.
Dogs as a species, should be resting 60-80% of the day. Which equates to 15 to 20 hours a day! But what is a âstate of relaxationâ? Is it only sleeping? No, the activities considered to relax the body and mind of our dog include lying on the couch, or their owners lap, stretching, rolling on their back, shaking off, scratching, wandering around their home to rest in another location, drinking water, changing sleeping positions, cleaning their fur and body, cuddles and massages.
Okay, so what is NOT resting or relaxing to a dog? Anything where a dog gets busy and involved such as running around the house with a toy, getting ready for a walk, performing tasks, playing with other dogs, being outside in the garden, barking at the fence, training, walks, sports, eating and bodily functions.
However, it should be noted that while some of these can be relaxing for a dog, we should not consider them as a "physiologically required state of relaxation". There are many factors influencing what physiologically relaxes a dog and what does not, observing your pet will be the most valuable way to spot them.
For active, sports and working dogs, the regeneration process is additionally conditioned by the issue of using them as specific, specialized âtoolsâ. Our awareness, as their handlers, must therefore be even higher, not only for clear overload trauma or violent injury, but also for less obvious symptoms indicating a lack of adequate regeneration time.
On ârest daysâ we need to thoughtfully plan our dogâs schedule so that regeneration activities occupy most of the day and minimalize activities which make our dogs busy.
So now it should be quite clear for us what is resting and relaxing for our dogs, and what isn't! However there are some possible exceptions that were mentioned to me from one of my amazing followers. It can be hard for a dog to rest and relax, and it can even be stressful for some, to have guests visit their home, visit the pet shop or go on errands, visit with someone away from home and other similar activities. While these events often seem simple for us, these activities often make our dog more busy than relaxed and are probably best avoided on ârest daysâ.
Okay, so, we want our dogs rest days to be... boring? Kind of. Though if we consider how much activity and fun our dogs get throughout the week, a boring day seems to be exactly what our dogs need from time to time. So, how to plan a rest day? First, we can't avoid daily stress that affects our dog sometimes and I wouldn't put too much emphasis on that. What I do know from various behaviorists, is that our dogs benefit from time apart from us, of course when they are properly trained to stay home alone. Kennel training is also very important for allowing good regeneration and rest for those dogs which are more active, because sometimes dogs have problems settling. Again, only when properly trained, a kennel helps them to settle, relax and rest, when your dog is otherwise too excited to rest on its own.
It all comes down to taking time to observe your dog to see if they can relax correctly around you, as well as being able to sleep well when you are away (most dogs do!) or realizing they need a kennel to help them settle in either or both cases. Sometimes covering the kennel with a blanket can create that âdenâ feeling, which caters to their instincts, as dogs are descended from animals who felt safest in their dens, which allowed them to get the sleep and relaxation they needed.
Once you know how your dog relaxes best, you can plan your day accordingly. Your dog might need a few hours alone in a kennel, or maybe sleeping at your feet. You can watch Netflix together, cuddle while you read, or you can go out and leave your dog to chill alone. Or a bit of both? We need to know how they relax, as well as we know what motivates them and we need to teach dogs to rest and settle, the same as we teach them to be active and motivated.
Yay! Now we know that our dogs need to relax, as well as why and how... so how do we balance training and rest days, for week or for a year? That varies for each dog and the best plan is to consult with an orthopedist or physiotherapist for your own dog, which we highly recommend. But I also asked specialists what their vision is of a week and a year of active training and competition for a sport dog.
One of the most famous polish vets, when it comes to care for sport dogs, is Dr. Aneta BocheĆska, orthopedist and neurologist, who cares for sport dogs all over Poland. Her advice when it comes to agility dogs, is to keep training to 2-4 times per week, with one day of full rest, in which you can either do a shorter walk (up to 20 min), if the week wasn't too active, or do a full day of rest, going out only for potty, when the dog had a very active week. Other days are for long walks where the dog can move naturally, ideally off leash, but without any forced movement, like playing fetch. We want the dog to walk, sniff, relax and explore. To this schedule we can add fitness workouts 1-3 times per week, based on the orthopedic vet or physiotherapist consultation of what the dog needs to work on.
Sport dogs need at least once every year, a longer break from sports specific training and competing, which should also be based on the consultation results of the individual dog, and for a healthy dog this can be about 4-8 weeks of time off. The dog should still be active during this time, by taking long walks and doing other activities such as swimming or fitness exercises in place of specific sport training.
Another well-known Polish physiotherapist, canine conditioning instructor and sport dog trainer Paula GumiĆska, agrees with this system. In her opinion, one rest day per week is needed which consists of a full day of rest if the week was very intense, or with a 40-60 minute walk if it wasn't that intense. A sport specific training schedule of 2-4 sessions per week is the right amount, as well as a 4-6 week scheduled break per year for a healthy sport dog. She also mentioned that getting back to regular training after a break, should take two weeks if the break was planned, and twice amount of time that was spent on break if the break was caused by an injury.
Another similar approach is suggested by Debora Severo, osteopath, human and dog physiotherapist, and official therapist of the Czech agility team. It's very important in her opinion, to plan the whole week for a working dog and split training sessions, for example for an agility dog we would do 1-2 times running a full course, plus about two sequences or technical trainings per week, ideally with one or two days of fitness training and a day off when the dog only goes for off leash walking. She also pointed out how important it is to take a longer break every year from sports specific training for working dogs. She advised 1-2 months without agility training, although the dog still needs to stay active with more relaxing activities such as long walks, hikes and swimming. What is also crucial is to avoid competition with agility dogs every weekend. It's too much for both the body and mind, so even during competition and training season, weekends without competition events are very important to keep your dogsâ body and mind relaxed.
In Belgium, sport dog training plans are created by Ellen Martens Het Waterhof, physiotherapist and sport dog trainer from Het Waterhof Animal Rehabilitation Center. She states that "rest is equally as important as training." She also advises to keep training goals different during the week, with at least one or two days when the dog only does off leash walks, without any training or tasks. She also made a point, that after the main competition season is over, her clientâs dogs are set to a lower activity time, mostly consisting of a few weeks without sport specific training, yet still kept active with long walks, fitness training and swimming.
Veterinary doctor, physiotherapist, canine conditioning instructor and agility trainer and competitor Beata Luchowska, places a great deal of importance on rest by writing "There's no progress without regeneration." She prefers active rest, which is off leash walks, as a dogsâ body is well prepared to walk miles without much effort. When it comes to longer and intense agility training, such as during seminars, rest time can take up to three days without any sprinting, turns, jumping and other sports-specific activities. Beata also pointed out that when it comes to rest, it's important to not only plan it for a week or a year, but also during each training session. After each intense session a dog should have ten to fifteen minutes of free movement (trotting or galloping) and if a leash is unavoidable, use a long line. She also noted that once a year, sport dogs need a longer break from training and competing, for dogs up to 3 years old it should be 3-4 weeks since they usually have quick regeneration, for older dogs it's good to take a longer break of 5-6 weeks. During the break, you don't do sport specific training or any movements that can mimic that - so for agility dogs this means no sprinting, turns and jumping. However, dogs should stay active by taking long walks and trying new activities.
Summing up all of these approaches, developed by multiple experienced specialists who take care of numerous sport dogs around the world, we can see how important it is to integrate rest and regeneration into the daily life of our canine athletes. In fact, all these specialists agree that we should pay as much attention to our dogâs rest and relaxation time, as we put into training time. Without balance between action and rest, we risk injuries, behavioral problems, lack of progress, poor memorization and much more! Our dogs give us their best when it comes to training and performing by our side and I believe we should give them our best too, not only on the field, but in every aspect of their life. That's why I've put so much effort into this article, along with all of these great specialists, who have agreed to take part in it. I hope, their valuable insight will make many dogsâ lives happier, as well as their handlers.
For taking part in creating this article and sharing their knowledge thanks to:
Agnieszka BiaĆy - canine physiotherapist and functional trainer.
dr Aneta BocheĆska - veterinarian, neurologist, canine physiotherapist and orthopedist
Paula GumiĆska - canine and human physiotherapist, canine conditioning instructor and dog trainer, dogfrisbee and agility competitor
Ellen Martens Het Waterhof - canine physiotherapist and sportdog trainer
dr Roland Mouwen - veterinarian, chiropractor and agility competitor
dr Beata Luchowska - veterinarian, canine physiotherapist, canine conditioning instructor, agility trainer and competitor
Debora Severo - human and animal osteopath and physiotherapist and official therapist of Czech Agility Team
Main author
Krystyna Cisak - human physiotherapist, agility trainer and competitor.
Correction and help in translation
Celeste Pongracz
Sources:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27732667/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7347364/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29740040/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1558787812000068
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28165489/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32664232/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27732667/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1558787812000068
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21601747/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1389945713018534
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4689288/
Itâs often assumed that to socialize your puppy means that they must interact with a variety of people and other dogs. Unfortunately, the wrong experience can greatly shape how your dog handles these interactions in the future. Instead, proper socialization should consist of exposure to many different sounds, sights, places, things, people and animals with an emphasis put on your puppyâs ability to relax around these stimuli. The act of actually interacting with people or other dogs should be reserved for those who you know will handle your puppy correctly.
Do you have a new puppy? Check out our puppy training and field trip classes here: https://www.goodasgoldtraining.ca/puppy-training/
WANT TO HELP YOUR DOGđ¶ LIVE LONGER? ADD BROCCOLIđ„Š TO THEIR DIET!
Several studies show the sulforaphane found in broccoli destroys cancer cells and/or damaged cells in dogs. This process alone will help extend their lives!
Whether you chop it raw, ferment it, steam it or boil it, start by adding a 1/4 teaspoonđ„ per 10lbs of body weight mixed in their bowl.
Feed your carnivoresđ some broccoli, my fellow pet parents, and hereâs to your petâs health!
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/vco.12212/full
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21793331
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16013542
- Rodney Habib
Tired of seeing infographs of foods your dog can't eat?
Here is a nifty printable infograph of some awesome foods found in your refrigerator that they CAN eat! :D
Created by Rodney Habib
What would happen if you fed your dogđ¶ 245 cloves of garlicđ§ in a week??
21 years ago an experiment was conducted by Japanese scientistsđŻđ” who wanted to know what would happen if dogs were fed lots of Garlic Extractđ§đŠ for 7 days straight.
At the end of the trial, NO dogs died.đ
In fact, none of the dogs even showed any symptoms, but the scientists found microscopicđŹ changes in some red blood cellsđ©ž, leading to the conclusion that garlic may be toxicâ ïž to dogs.
How much garlic extract was fed to these dogs in the study, you ask? Well it would be the equivalent of feeding a 70lb golden retrieverđ 245 cloves of garlic for one week (2.46lbs of raw garlic).
Since then, the ASPCA, American Kennel Club, HSUS and most online pet resources continue to say âgarlic is toxic to pets," but garlic is listed as a safe pet food ingredient by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). Confused? So are most pet lovers around the world.
Tune in to our Forever Dog Food Myth Busters Facebook live tomorrow at 10am ET on The Forever Dog page.
We cover garlic confusion and many other urban legend food fears in our upcoming book, The Forever Dog, available now for pre-order.
www.ForeverDog.com
Pets benefit from using prebiotic-rich foods as treats and meal toppers! Learn more about prebiotic foods, and when NOT to use prebiotic supplements in todayâs blogpost. (Link in comments)
Next up on the fresh food treat list to try with your pup: fresh pineapple! đ
Pineapple is a good source of vitamin C and beta-carotene that can benefit your dogâs body, especially as they age, but itâs the anti-inflammatory enzymes (Bromelain) that makes this fruit a fantastic snack for the body. Have you tried offering a bite of pineapple to your dog?! đđŒđđŒ?
Looking for other fresh food snacks you can share with your dog?
foreverdog.com is taking pre-orders now đ¶
So you want to know why the price of the puppy is what it is!!!!!
There is a reason our dogs are so expensive, these are not dogs that just sit in our yard, eat ol'roy and when the females in heat she magically becomes pregnant while we are off living our life.
63 days later, we don't come home to a pile of cash born in the dirt and cold outside. Where we wait 8 weeks doing the bare minimum and send them off into the world to cash in.
We, along with other reputable breeders, spend tens of thousands each year to care for our dogs, quality food, care, and vet bills and supplies. Not to mention health testing, and thousands in stud fees.
When we have puppies, we are with them 24/7. They don't leave our sight for the first 4 weeks, and we continue to be extra vigilant about their care and health the entire 8 weeks they are with us.
We monitor weights and feeding (every 2-3 hours for 28 days) we bottle feed, we tube feed, sometimes having to go the extra mile with antibiotics, fluids, and other medications on a puppy who is not doing the best (and no most vets have no idea how to properly care for or help us with neonates!)
We routinely put our needs aside to ensure the safety of the puppies, sometimes to the point of complete exhaustion and sickness for ourselves. We cancel our lives: vacations, events, weddings, anniversaries, and birthdays. Everything is on hold when we have puppies.
We are there 24/7 for our adopters for life. We are family once you choose our puppies. We endure losses and hardships , happiness, and success behind the scenes of these perfect babies. Breeding is no joke. It's a lifestyle. A passion. A dream to better the breed.
When we don't have puppies, we still have daily upkeep and care of our dogs, family, and home. We also utilize this time for training and further educating ourselves so we can be the best we possibly can be.
It's not an easy job, mentally or physically, but we love what we do and we do it to ensure healthy, stable and well adjusted puppies are going to their new families who have waited and dreamed about them.
*Borrowed from another breeder!
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Furyan Rottweiler Kennel posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Send a message to Furyan Rottweiler Kennel:
Want your business to be the top-listed Pet Store/pet Service?
