Keeptryst Kennels

11/11/2024

It is uncommon to see a show line GSD at a national IGP event.
There has been much written about the differences that have evolved between show and working GSD lines over the last half century. Louis Donald has an excellent book called The Definitive German Shepherd Dog that discusses the differences in detail and a recommended read for any serious GSD enthusiast.

There are show line breeders whose lines remain committed to excelling in working ability. Rebecca Buchman is one such breeder. She had the only showline dog competing at the 2024 United Schutzhund Clubs of America GSD National Championship. Her dog Loki aus Gerstbrei is Breeder-Handler-Owner-Trained and earned a solid protection score with 85 points, which outscored roughly half the field of working line GSDs. I was in the helper tent after their performance and heard both helpers comment on how impressed they were with this dog.

This was not a one-off performance. Rebecca previously competed with Loki's Grandmother at the 2015 GSDCA IGP National Championship.

11/01/2024

DONATE LOCALLY! ❤️🐾🐾

10/21/2024

10/21/2024

This 👇

•Pet your dog, all the time
•Talk to your dog, all the time
•Allow your dog to follow you, all the time
•Allow your dog to be on your lap or laying on your feet, all the time
•Pet, soothe, comfort your dog when it whines or barks for attention...or is simply anxious
•Allow your dog to demand affection/interactions
•Be emotionally dependent on your dog to the point that unhealthy dependency and interactions are no longer noticed
•Allow your dog to do whatever it wants, whenever it wants—aka, provide no structure, rules, or accountability
•Foster an environment of chaos, stress, and anxiety
•Refuse to train and pattern calmness
•Refuse to crate train your dog
•Refuse to correct your dog when inappropriate behavior occurs
•Refuse to train your dog how to be independent/alone by using a “Place” command, “Downstay, and/or “away” time in the crate
•Let your dog out of the crate when it whines or barks
•Avoid training or anything that makes your dog temporarily uncomfortable or unhappy—in other words, cater to your dog’s every desire/need, designing your life around your dog, rather than having your dog fit into yours
•And many, many more...

Basically, baby, soothe, allow, enable, disable, lean on, omit teaching necessary life skills, prioritize what feels good for you rather than what does good for your dog, and through this master plan of leadership-free chaos, and systematic cultivation of creating a toxic dependency between dog and human...you’ll ensure that when you leave, your dog will be a true emotional mess, because you haven’t prepared them to be calm, obedient, strong, resilient, robust, independent, and alone.

09/29/2024

Having been a veterinarian for almost 3 decades, I have seen the tide of how animals are treated change drastically. When I graduated dogs were dogs, now dogs are considered to be higher ranking than people. In our crazy world, people love their dogs more than they love their own families and they treat their dogs better than they treat other humans and I am sorry to say that we are destroying our dogs mental health because of it.

It is increasingly common to go into an exam room and have a dog that is growling at me and trying to bite and the owner is petting it telling it that it is a good dog. It is NOT being a good dog and it should not be rewarded for growling and trying to bite. It is important that we train our dogs properly and we use right language with them. Never is it ok for a dog to growl and try and bite in an exam room where nothing horrible is happening to them and feeding into that behavior does not make it better for your dog, it trains them that their fear is a good thing and it is not.

Mental disorders are exponentially increasing in our dogs and it is us owners fault. Please stop treating your dog like it is some fragile child and start treating it like it is a dog. TRAIN them and teach them commands and correct them when they are wrong and stop thinking you are going to hurt their feelings if you do. Dogs are dogs, not small humans. They need training and proper instructions or it leads to horrible anxiety issues in them and I can assure that that behavior is going to hurt your feelings way more than being an adult and training your dog to be a good dog instead of a spoiled child.

The following are a few copied excerpts from an article that I read this morning from a dog trainer. I feel like there are a good reminder for all of us on exactly what are dogs are and what they need.

"Your dog is a dog, not a human child. Constant unearned affection is a killer and creates an unhealthy addiction for both dog and owner. Your dog will love you unconditionally but will never respect you unless you give it reason to.

The most basic of basics, your dog must learn how to be still in any situation. If your dog can’t be still around any distraction, you will never have control.
Recall
Sit
Down
Walk nicely on leash
Out, meaning release anything in your mouth

You MUST have a language dedicated to your dog that your dog can learn by you being consistent and applying meaning to the words you use. Your dog MUST know what yes means, but also MUST know what NO means. If nothing comes after those words, yes equals reward for good, no equals correction for bad, your dog will never give meaning to either. Your dog’s name is not a command, or correction. NO should not be your dog’s middle name.

The training starts the second you bring the dog home."

07/16/2024

https://www.wusa9.com/article/life/animals/pet-owners-warned-algae-mats-detected-potomac-river/65-b8e0a276-810f-494c-bfd9-0b595332fde6

Locals!!! It’s NOT SAFE right now to take your dogs to the river. There is algae blooms in the river. No not take your dog to the river!! 

Algae blooms can be harmful to animals, so pet owners are advised to keep their furry friends out of the water until further notice.

02/27/2024

From Linda Baird

This Chihuahua is getting the same vaccine dose as my 150 lb Anatolian Shepherd! Dr. Jean Dodds , a world renowned Veterinarian Immunologist, has lectured and is published on the problems of too many vaccines given to small dogs and the sheer amount of the inoculation.

Our 5 lb Cavalier puppies that are given half a dose actually get a higher Titer score than those that get a full dose, and we reduce the risks associated with adverse reactions.

I follow Dr. Jean Dodds and the science with annual Titer testing versus annual inoculations. I also follow doing only core shots, those that kill your dog! Parvo, Distemper, and Rabies. We do not do Leptospirosis (Lepto) or innoculations that contain multiples of vaccines combined into one shot.

Our puppies follow the CAVIDS program with the University of Wisconsin. The day or so after the puppies are born, Mom’s blood is Titer tested and run through a Nomograph, telling us the exact date of the puppy’s first inoculation. The Nomograph measures its natural immunity and when it wanes to be able to recognize the first Distemper/Parvo shot. Then instead of a series, we have the new owner send Blood serum to Univ Wisc CAVIDS, and it is Titer tested. We have about a 95%+ success rate and know exactly what the puppy’s immunity is!

Adult dogs, especially Cavaliers, need to be annually Titer tested versus annual shots due to immune issues and their cardiovascular systems. Titer testing with CAVIDS is $45.

Hope this helps and hope this little Chihuahua is okay!

Over vaccinosis - by Jene Dodds Hemopet Defined as an adverse reaction to a shot, vaccinosis can affect dogs and cats in various ways, from mild to severe. Short term and can have devistating long term consequences.

https://animalwellnessmagazine.com/vaccinosis/

Reduced Vaccines for smaller dogs including Cavaliers.

https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/small-dogs-are-protected-by-half-vaccine-doses/

Dr Jean Dods Hemopet

https://hemopet.org/titer-testing/

University Wisc Titer Testing

https://www.vetmed.wisc.edu/lab/cavids/

Written by Linda Baird

02/26/2024

Looking to get an enclosed trailer, reasonably priced. Hoping maybe someone has one sitting around and has been thinking of selling. Something like this would really come in handy right now.
Contact me, Matthew or KC, Megan or Tommy or Michelle Sullivan if you see or hear of one.

02/01/2024

I don’t have any litters at this time but I would be more than happy to try to connect you with a responsible breeder even if it’s not a German Shepherd. Being in the show world I have contacts with a lot of breeders of other breeds.