Search Results for Basic
Down Stay
Cliff has been working with Patti on a few basic skills. The Down Stay is considered essential.
Lulu is Great
Hello, LuLu is great. She loves to run up in the mountains or go on walks around the neighborhood. She does very well with the gentle leader harness for walks. She does well with basic commands and she was potty trained in just a few short days. She will have formal hunting training later this summer after she turns 6 months in Pocatello. She was easy to crate train and sleeps well through the night.Her best friend to play and wrestle with is a 100 lb German Shepard!
Cheers–Phillip
Breeder Comment
We are beyond happy to hear that Lulu is doing so well. Please keep us posted–we and our audience want to follow her story as it unfolds.
Miranda
Miranda, ( Nov. 2019, Bettee×Manfred #10 pink) is doing great (ALL puppy energy) and is growing up soooo fast. She completed Basic Manners class and was just days away from starting Leash Walking Class but alas, has to shelter-in-place for now. She’s loving staying at home with her humans 24/7! She is such a social butterfly! Fortunately she has her core group of people and dogs that stop by for play dates.
Shadow
~First Snowfall Fun
Our Shadow is now 8.5 months old! He is enjoying his first snow here in SE Idaho! We even got him a sweater just in case he shows signs of getting too cold!
Here is Shadow with his furry bro and sis… this is as close as we could get them without Shadow trying to gnaw on them, and then running away! Shadow’s fur-baby bro & sis play with him sparingly as one of his paws on top of them ends the playing pretty quick! He just finished his basic obedience training course this past month, and he shown how smart and sometimes obstinate he can be!
He is loved by our family with 4 kids to play with, and loves playing keep away with anything he knows isn’t his! He loves to settle down in the evening and cuddles with our youngest (pictured above).
We get tons of compliments every time we take him out on how beautiful and striking he is. We couldn’t be happier with him. Shadow has been healthy and well, we worked with our vet to spread out his shots longer-term, followed your instructions, and he is doing wonderfully!
We are so happy that you entrusted this wonderful personality to us!Sincerely, Amber & Jeff
Breeder Comment
Thank you for thinking of us, and more importantly, for doing everything so correctly with Shadow. We know your life must be insanely busy with the little ones and the three fur family kids. Kudos to you and your Vet for getting the vaccines done and spreading them out.
Behaviors
~Habits Good and Bad Take Hold Quickly
Habits form quickly–once a behavior (good or bad) starts it can soon become habitual. For example, the Weim can become an incessant barking machine. I swear they can bark at a cloud. Maybe it looks like a bird. Incessant by definition means unceasing or Continuing without interruption. Maybe that is an overstatement, but if you have that behavior ingrained, it will not seem an exaggeration.
Barking, digging, territorial behaviors, chewing on everything, and the list goes on–if you allow it in a small dose, it can become a thing. Us humans, often get duped and our efforts undermined.
To prevent that and other unwanted behaviors a person must be vigilant early on. It is not one and done thing either. The childlike tendencies often last past their third birthday with the occasional teenage behavior surfacing from time to time. I laugh at people who want this breed and expect them to be easy to manage. A lot can and should be accomplished in the first three months; however, you are not home free so to speak. At the same time—getting the basics done right up front will save you a lot of trouble.
Also consider that the Weimaraner who wants to rule their world can employ growling and snarling. They can withdraw and sulk. They have all kind of ways to get what they want–some are acceptable, others are not. One thing for sure–do not reward or excuse bad behavior.
Cliff Elaborates on–
The Basics …
Nothing is more important than loose leash heeling. It is imperative it be achieved. I am not talking about using a head halter, gentle leader, front-hooking harness, or a prong collar in order to accomplish the goal.
A regular (or flat) collar
This is what I hope every OwyheeStar Weimlover will accomplish……..
- Loose Leash Heeling (on a regular flat collar)
- Sit-stay
- Down-Stay
- Come; followed by the Sit-stay
We (Shela and I) would like you to focus on achieving these four goals with your OwyheeStar Weimaraner. I am positive when accomplished in the right manner, the outcome will be good. There are various ideas on the appropriate timeline to have mastered these disciplines. I would like to see you have them done by the time the pup reaches 7 months–before the hormones kick in. Puppy classes can get you off to a good start, but the quality of sit-stay, etc. is not finished at 4 months. As the Weimaraner develops, there will be challenges.
Respect and the Relationship
Depth in your relationship is worth achieving; respect is a crucial part of your relationship-development. When you get the loose-lead respect, then you can easily achieve these other goals. It is a bit like a thread that pulls you through a good novel (or movie); without a strong relationship (or the underlying story-line), it is hard to get to end. Distractions come along.
Jan Magnuson –The priorities in my basic obedience/good manners classes are loose leash heeling, sit-stay, down-stay, come and sit-stay, and no bite. I agree, if folks can get these down pat, everything else tends to fall into place. Loose leash walking is imperative, as it is representative of the relationship between dog and handler (if the leash is relaxed, so is your relationship, if the leash is tense and strained, so is your relationship). Dogs that “do better off leash” feel they are in charge and do what pleases them, and if they mind it is because they happen to feel like it at the moment- that is not a trained dog. I like down-stays a lot because it is a subservient posture, the dog should learn to be totally relaxed so we do lots of these- we allow them to lie on one hip or their side and get their head and tummy rubbed, with lots of calm praise.
Get it done; Keep it Fun…
Never forget to have fun. If this becomes a grind, neither you nor the Weimaraner will enjoy it. If it becomes boring, there are always other things you want to do. Once these four things are mastered, you need to keep them sharp. It is not something you achieve and forget about; these are lifelong skills you take with you on the entire journey.
Note: We will discuss collars (and choices) in a later blog. There are many suitable styles of the regular (flat-collar) type. Collar purchases are more a fashion-statement than we like to admit. Hunters are field-fashion conscious. Some prefer a fine leather collar, while others prefer a durable plastic-based collar that resists dirt, odor, and fading. These collars wipe clean. They come in a variety of colors; fluorescent orange, fluorescent green, and fluorescent yellow are popular. Some hunters find the cammo collar a must-have accessory. One of our favorite vet techs saw a purple collar we had on a girl, and asked where we found it. There are other great colors too.
Hello From OwyheeStar
~Cliff, Shela, and the Weimaraners
November 21, 2020
Farmers are still working — most of the crops are harvested, but not everything. There is some preparation, and the loose ends to tie up before equipment can be stored away.
People are putting up outdoor lights in some locations–anything to bring a little joy. Grocery stores are overrun with shoppers preparing for Thanksgiving. People are still arguing about Oregon’s COVID mandate and the limits imposed. Not everyone plans to comply–not sure what that will mean. Cliff and I will be staying home for Thanksgiving–it makes us sad, but we may not join the family for Christmas either.
AT OWYHEESTAR
This week it was the Discovery and Placement Test for Juniper’s current litter. We had to work on the lawn rather than going to the sanctuary. The mud and wetness precluded a trip to our usual location. Nonetheless, we got this accomplished despite the bitter, damp cold weather. The pups shivered along with us.
This Week On the Blog…
We began with the puppy photos on Sunday–I may have to start digging into the archives to keep this up. I should have plenty –that is my hope. We heard from Oscar, which has been silent for quite a while–more than a year or two. I am once again looking for additional blog material. It seems endless, but somehow we manage–thank you for your help.
If you have a story that you will let me share–I need at least three sentences and a decent photo. I prefer to receive it via email. (FYI–we only use stories that feature the OwyheeStar Weimaraner). We are always in need of OwyheeStar stories to share. It helps when I get an email even if you send photos via another mode.
Sunday— Nov. 15 — Sunday Sunshine
Monday–- Nov. 16 — Oscar
Tuesday – Nov. 17 — Soaking Up Sunshine
Wednesday — Nov. 18 —Flo and Dazee
Thursday –- Nov. 19 — Earlier
Friday — Nov. 20 — A Tired Dog is a Good Dog
On a very personal note
Cliff and Jerry went out scouting and took what they needed in case they found some Chukars. They didn’t, but they found fresh air, fellowship, and much-needed time away. Bernie went along. She wasn’t too sure about getting into a stranger’s car–but once they were on the way, all was good.
For me–it was a week focused on my work. With the Discovery and Placement Test (as I mentioned above), it meant a lot of extra work to compile our findings and getting that information out to our clients. On a week such as this, I am often left scrambling to keep up with the basics. On the day I worked the longest, Cliff graciously brought home takeout. We have been doing that more lately–for months, we didn’t even consider it, but at some point, even I need relief in the kitchen. (Haha)
On the horizon, and I positive Cliff will shudder when he reads this, we have more shelving issues. The greenhouse needs work–soon. Ambrosia is on rest for a few hours–starting her back up today. And Cliff has his jerky making to manage, too. So–we have the usual things that keep us busy with the extras tucked in as possible. It is always pretty much the same. All is well, and we are happy to have the beautiful sunshine despite the bitter cold temperatures.
Asher
~and Our Friend, Michelle
When Michelle shared this video with us, I immediately wanted to share it with the OwyheeStar community. Isn’t it about the cutest thing ever?
Here is where I want to mention that Michelle did attend Jan Magnuson’s basic training. I highly recommend that class to anyone who lives close enough to take advantage of training with her–she has 45-plus years with the Weimaraner. We all know her and Willow–all they have done and shared with us over the last few years is much appreciated.
Asher has his AKC trick dog title – novice…this video is for a group called Do more with your dog….we are going to try for his next AKC one next.
Breeder Note–I could not get Michelle’s video to imbed properly so you will have to click the this video link. It is worth the view.
Franny
~ Our Frightening Event
I love seeing all the happy Owyheestar dogs on the blog, and I go their first if I have a basic health question and Cliff and Shela have covered so many topics! Wealth of information. But sometimes things happen to our pups and it can be cray scary. So, my sweet 10 month old Franny had a truly frightening pain event a couple weeks ago. We ended up at the emergency vet (and this is not a failure on their part, they can’t be expected to be specialists in all things) but they suggested her x-rays showed a specific syndrome indicating a scary, progressive back concern.
My regular vet, (Cornelius) and (after talking to Cliff, he asked their vet to look at the film too – thank you so much!) the Owyheestar vet also saw the xrays, but they saw something different. All recommended an expert review.
VCA is the closest site in Oregon with a neurologist, and from my research there are only a couple hundred vets in the country that do this specific work. I was pretty worried about how this was all going to shake out.
After their exam, it was clear that Franny does have a transitional vertebra (my vet and Owyheestar’s vet both agreed!). However, this vet thinks that wasn’t likely the cause of her pain. She said she thinks my little athlete likely had a bout of intense psoas pain. She had taken her first weekend at the beach and then spent the very next weekend in Central Oregon where she got to run leash free the entire time, doubling her normal daily activity, and then – the long car ride home where she was still for 4 hours.
Runners (as a former marathon runner, I can vouch from personal experience) know that not moving after a long run can tighten everything up and cause pain. Kind of makes sense now that I think it through. Also makes sense that the anti-inflammatory meds helped even more than pain meds.
Barring any additional events, specialty vet said keep her playing, stop any meds and just use anti-inflammatories as needed, and all should be fine.
She didn’t even recommend more imaging. She thinks the vertebrae issue is a red herring, not a current concern, and said unless things dramatically change, no surgery (the emergency vet thought she might have to have surgery) in fact, she said she wouldn’t perform any surgery outside of repairing trauma on a dog this young as she is still growing.
The neuro vet was personable, warned me her staff wanted to keep Franny (shout out to #owyheestar, they said she was one of the most beautiful pups they have ever seen), and I am so very grateful that they weren’t about upselling tests or treatments that aren’t needed.
Miss Franny is full on back to normal. I am so grateful to Cliff and Shela for being there for us not just for the cute pictures but for their support during the scary times too. I included part of Franny’s play group at night with their light up collars, a gorgeous shot of her in Central Oregon, and of course the one I cll “legs for days” – she is so tall and lanky.
Breeder Comment
Thank you for taking care of this lovely girl. Any number of things can happen with our beloved fur children–it can be overwhelming. Vets don’t always have the answer–and sometimes we have to talk to more than one to figure things out. The process can be exhausting, gut-wrenching, and scary. Thank you–for doing everything possible for this beautiful girl.
Pet Food (revisited)
~ In The News
Breeder Comment–We posted this article last June. Recently, we have been getting a lot of people writing us asking about food. We thought this was a good time to share this information with you.
We are positive you have heard the news. Grain-free food is out. “Grain-free” (defined as having no corn, soy, wheat, rice, barley or other grains) is linked to Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). It is a type of canine heart disease that affects the heart muscle. Food for your fur family members is always a hot topic. Raising a concern such as this is the type of thing that makes a lot of good pet owners think twice about what they are feeding.
Click Here to Read the Report–and for your convenience here are the foods on their:
- Acana (67 reports)
- Zignature (64 reports)
- Taste of the Wild (53 reports)
- 4Health (32 reports)
- Earthborn Holistic (32 reports)
- Blue Buffalo (31 reports)
- Nature’s Domain (29 reports)
- Fromm (24 reports)
- Merrick (16 reports)
- California Natural (15 reports)
- Natural Balance (15 reports)
- Orijen (12 reports)
- Nature’s Variety (10 reports)
- Nutrisource (10 reports)
- Nutro (10 reports)
- Rachael Ray Nutrish (10 reports)
We believe all our Weim-loving folks are buying what they believe is in the best interest of their fur family member. You might wonder about our recommendation or what we are using. We like the two options we list below for our adults. Which one of these foods a particular Weimaraner eats depends upon their dietary need, age, etc.—Cliff makes that calls. They are not considered Grain-free, because they contain rice. The allergens that seem to cause the most issues in our beloved Weimaraner are beef, corn, barley, and wheat. Along with the food we use for the adults, we are also listing the puppy food we use as well.
- Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete (5 stars) [M]
- Diamond Naturals All Life Stages Chicken and Rice [A]
- Diamond Naturals Large Breed Puppy Lamb (4.5 stars) [A]
Not Just Grain-Free
~Let’s Not Forget Recalls
While we are all in an uproar about the grain-free diet potentially causing health issue, let’s not forget all the recalls. Click Here to check out the list. Honestly, we don’t know if there is a company that has avoided a recall, but we believe the last time Diamond had a problem was in 2012. When you look at this list of recalls, it will put that into perspective. It was a minimal recall which didn’t affect the Pacific NW if I recall correctly.
Everyone is going to have to make up their mind about what to do. Keep in mind though–each company makes a variety of food–under various labels. Their less expensive food is often something you want to avoid–of course, But a more costly food doesn’t always mean it is the best choice for you fur family member. For example, the highly touted Diamond made Taste of the Wild is identified with a serious implications.
Just Putting This Out There
Nestle owns Purina–say what? Click Here to view the 15 companies making most of the pet food. For a quick reference, look below.
Mars –Altogether Mars Petcare owns 41 brands including Pedigree, Iams, Whiskas, Royal Canin and Banfield Pet Hospitals. Of course there are other foods made under different labels or brands: California Naturals, Catson, Cesar, Chappi, Dreamies, Eukanuba, Sheba and Temptations.
Nestle –it might shock you to learn that the second largest pet food producer is another candy company. Nestlé Purina PetCare brands include recognizable names such as: Alpo, Bakers, Chef Michael’s Canine Creations, Dog Chow, Fancy Feast, Felix, Gourmet, Kit & Kaboodle, Purina and Purina ONE.
Hills — Science Diet, Prescription Diet, Ideal Balance and Healthy Advantage.
Diamond — Diamond, Diamond Naturals, Diamond Naturals Grain-Free, Nutra-Gold, Nutra-Gold Grain-Free, Nutra Nuggets Global, Nutra Nuggets US, Premium Edge, Professional and Taste of the Wild.
Blue Buffalo — BLUE, Basics, Wilderness, Freedom, Life Protection Formula, Naturally Fresh and LifeSource Bits.
Well Pet — Sojos, Wellness Natural Pet Food, Holistic Select, Old Mother Hubbard Natural Dog Snacks and Eagle Pack Natural Pet Food.
Merrick –Backcountry, Backcountry Raw, Before Grain, Classic, Good Buddy, Grain Free, Lil’ Plates, Limited Ingredient Diet, Natural Ultramix, Organix, Purrfect Bistro, Treats and Whole Earth Farms.
Ainsworth — Dad’s, Rachel Ray Nutrish, Better Than and Kibble Select Complete.
Dear friend, if you to write us about what to do, you will get a link to this Blog. We have gotten several Emails from concerned Weimlovers. We understand. Honestly–there is a lot to consider when selecting any pet food. We are not Licensed Veterinarians, or Licensed Vet Techs, or Canine Food Scientists. The only thing we have to share is what we read and our experience. If you have been feeding a Grain-free diet, you might want to rethink your food situation. I believe you are going to see a huge shift away from grain-free pet foods.
Owyheestar Weimaraner's News 
