Tin Star Kennels

12/24/2025

It is a beautiful, sparkly morning with one of my favorite boys 🖤🖤🖤

12/20/2025

Snuggling fluffy chickens today!

12/20/2025

We spent the last couple of days processing some of the turkeys for Christmas feasts. Little Hexie was VERY curious about the amazing mystery bundles on the counter 😂

12/18/2025

Whose dog is this??? Not leashed, not drugged, not performing for a treat, just loose in the house, following me around while I tidy up, using her ears for their intended purposes instead of accessories, settling down on her own, it’s all very confusing to me…

Someone stole the real Hexie, and left this interesting creature behind…

12/15/2025

We kept the girls in this morning because it was just too cold to open up the doors and let them get frozen air blown on them. They have food and water in their coops, so they’re fine. But imagine my surprise when I got home from a long work day and find 3 of my LEAST cold hardy pullets just hanging out in the snow, completely unbothered… 😵‍💫🤦🏼‍♀️

12/09/2025

Follow up to yesterday’s post…

Both shepherds have been bathed and *mostly* de-shedded. I’m pretty sure there’s no such thing as a totally finished deshedding groom on one of these monsters, but we got a good start on it.

Goliath’s hair is shorter, but much thicker and more dense than Summer’s, so his takes a lot longer to wash and blow dry. And once it’s been dried, that’s when the bulk of the deshedding work begins. The dead undercoat won’t blow out if it’s stuck to wet guard hair.

Summer’s hair is longer than Goliath’s, but not as dense, so she’s muuuuch easier to deshed. Note I said “easier,” not “easy.” You can see how it’s almost like a clear line of demarcation with the dryer as I move it back and forth, pushing the dead undercoat out.

I am by no means a professional groomer, but two well maintained shepherds that just got a bath and blowout, no nails or shaping or anything else, took me over two hours. My dog shower is DESTROYED. My back is screaming. I itch all over. And all of that is made more exciting with the knowledge that I will most likely have to do this another couple of times on both dogs just to complete the job…

Consider this your gentle reminder that there is still time to pick up a bottle of booze for your favorite groomer for the holidays…

12/09/2025

So the shepherds started blowing coat tonight…

Remember last spring when Summer blew her coat so fast I thought she was sick because she went almost bald overnight? (Not really-but she literally lost the entire undercoat in about 24-48 hours so she looked misshapen and dull, and i did think she was sick for a minute). Yeah, well she’s decided that TONIGHT she is going to grow her winter coat overnight… both of those hairballs are SOLID. Not fluffy, whispy tufts, but heavy, thick undercoat. So I guess they’re both getting a full groom tomorrow afternoon. We need to speed this along, because I don’t think Dan’s allergies can keep up with both of them doing it at the same time 😬😬😬

12/04/2025

Good morning TSK pack! I hope everyone is enjoying this winter wonderland before it returns to mud season next week 😂

We still have FOUR turkeys available for purchase for the Christmas holiday! They are pasture raised right here on our small homestead. These birds are loved, and live wonderful lives with us while they’re here.

Asking price is $4/lb hanging weight. Birds will be weighed again next weekend, but we expect weights to be in the 15-20lb range. I will post an updated weight range later. Birds will be processed, plucked, and shrink wrapped prior to pickup for easy transport and storage.

11/13/2025

TSK Pack,

I'm reaching out to everyone with a big ask. We have a client whose life circumstances have changed rapidly and she needs to rehome her dog. This dog is truly special. If I wasn't already at max capacity with my own pack, he would be coming home with me. I implore everyone to look into their hearts and see if you have room for one more smiling face this holiday season. I will provide transportation, training and acclimation assistance, and ongoing support for the life of the dog. If your situation changes and he can't stay, he can come back to me. This dog is special.

Let me introduce you to Winston, (FKA Denver). Winston is a little over a year old, neutered, soft on a leash, friendly with people, (unknown on other animals but has not shown overt aggression), and healthy. Winston is a classic, American German Shepherd, sporting the classic black saddle and beautiful golden body. Winston is a big boy, weighing in around 80lbs right now. He is fit, friendly, playful, smart, and eager to please.

Winston is a typical German Shepherd puppy, who is sometimes too smart for his own good, but excels with clear communication, structure, and a fair pack dynamic. Winston learns quickly and loves training. He settles in the house nicely, loves playing in the yard, and spending time with his people.

Winston has a medium+ drive, so he has potential to engage in lower level sports like agility, barnhunt, OB, dock diving, etc, but is also happy to sit on the couch and watch a movie with you. Winston is a special dog, and is special to me.

You can reach out to me directly and I will put you in contact with his owner.

Thank you all.

-RNBG

11/13/2025

11/12/2025

Today, (and every day), we give thanks to our veterans-those that signed up to keep this great nation safe, and to those who didn’t, but served anyway.

Take a moment to reflect on this poem below, scratched on a now empty kennel wall, by former Navy Seal James Hatch, as he mourned the horrific death of one of his K9’s, Spike. Out of his grief, Spike’s K9 Fund was born, and through their mission, dogs and their handlers daround the world have been gifted lifesaving medical care, equipment, education, and second chances.

To all our two and four-legged veterans, today, we salute you.

https://spikesk9fund.org/pages/about-us

-TSK

11/12/2025