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From Jan
How old do you think Willow is? Most folks who see her, cannot believe that she will be NINE years old in December! Other dog owners, and also my “dog friends” are amazed and impressed with her health and condition. Taking wonderful care of our dogs is key to their mental and physical well-being, and their longevity. Daily exercise is SO vital, and mental stimulation with training and games is essential too. Also, premium quality food and fresh water are necessary (we need to make sure to not allow our dogs to become overweight!) Also, we need to groom our dogs, which includes bathing, teeth cleaning, ear cleaning, toenail clipping, brushing (and trimming if needed.) Routine and preventative vet care is best, and of course having them treated by our vets if they become sick or injured. I am looking forward to many more delightful years with Willow- let’s remember that it is not only the quantity of life that matters, but also the quality!—UKC Best-In-Show and High-In-Trial Champion/Altered Grand Champion Sunstar Willow of OwyheeStar, AKC Canine Good Citizen, AKC Novice Trick Dog, UKC Rally Obedience I, UKC Agility I, Therapy Dog International certified!
Jan Magnuson~SUNSTAR All-Breed Dog Training http://sunstardogtraining.com
Des Moines, WA 98198
Breeder Comment
Thank you, Jan, for the excellent care you give Willow. We never know for sure how long our beloved fur family members will be with us–but for every day they share their life, we hope it is a good one. She is vibrant as well as radiant. Thanks for earning all the titles together and loving her so much. And thank you for the gift of sending me this to share–as always, I am desperate.
From Jan Magnuson
We all need to give our dogs interesting, enriched lives and keep their minds and bodies in shape. We like to say “a tired dog is a good dog”, so lots of daily exercise, in addition to training of course, is very important. Providing entertainment like toys is fun for them too, and there are many types of quality dog toys that we can get for our doggies. Folks sometimes say to me “my dog has SO many toys but seems bored with them”, so here is a simple way to make them fun again: rotate! I have a “jillion” toys for my dogs (no surprise
) so I give them a few each day or two, then put those away and give them a few different ones…it makes me laugh how those toys now seem brand new and novel to my dogs, try it and you will see! Here is Willow with her “new” favorite today, the squeaky pink flamingo!
Jan Magnuson~SUNSTARAll-Breed Dog Traininghttp://sunstardogtraining.com
P.O. Box 98072Des Moines, WA 98198206 241 2908
Breeder Comment
Thanks Jan, for passing along some pointers. We appreciate it. And, we always love hearing about Willow.
Tips for having Fun in the Sun with our Doggies
Note: This article first appeared in the Waterland Blog on Jul 29, 2020 | –used with permission.
Jan’s dog ‘Willow’ keeping cool!
By Jan Magnuson
We all enjoy playing with our pups and taking them for walks and hikes during this sunny time of year! Just like we take into account the potential effects of the direct sunlight, warm temperatures, and humidity on ourselves, we also should consider how our “furry family members” will fare! I adore my three girls “Willow,” “Daisy,” and “Violet,” and want to always make sure they are safe, healthy, and happy!
Before beginning a summer exercise routine with our dogs, it is a great idea to have them examined by our veterinarian to make sure they are able to safely participate. We should ask if our dogs have any health considerations or special needs that should be addressed before we take them out and about with us in the summertime weather.
We need to consider our dogs’ individual challenges to the warm weather like how much coat they have, if they are overweight and out of shape, or if they have a “pug face” (“brachycephalic”, like my Japanese Chin “Violet”) in addition to any specific health issues they may have like prior injuries, strains or arthritis, skin inflammation, etc.
When we are ready to go out with them, it is a good idea to have a small basic first-aid kit, our cell phone (with our vet’s and emergency vet’s phone numbers), and of course fresh water for them and for us. If we are going to take a longer hike, having snacks may be appropriate as well.
Because I am so active with my dogs, I have many different locations I take them for playtime, walks and hikes. So, on days that are hotter than others, I take them to a trail I know has more shade and is cooler and is possibly even near water. I also tend to do “laps” instead of going straight up and then back, as that way if it gets really hot, we can stop anytime mid-lap instead of having to go a long distance back to our truck.
Another consideration is if the walking surface – pavement, concrete, gravel – on a trail or roadway could be too hot. I place my hand flat on the surface and if it feels too hot for me, it is too hot for my dogs’ pads! So, using a trail that is grass and has lots of shade is a better option, or I can walk on the paved trail but make sure my dogs walk on the grass.
Stopping often in the shade to allow our dogs to lie down and relax and get a drink of water is helpful too.
Always watching our dogs to make sure they do not overheat is imperative – dogs can get too hot very quickly, so we should always keep an eye on them to make certain they are not showing any symptoms of heat exhaustion, as that can quickly become an emergency.
More info here: https://www.petmd.com/dog/emergency/common-emergencies/e_dg_heat_stroke
Breeder Comment
Thank you, Jan–there are no adequate words to cover all you have done for us and with Willow.
Willow has been a superstar her entire life! She has attained many titles and awards (see above) for Conformation, Obedience and Rally Obedience, Agility, Tricks, and Good Citizen, and include 5 UKC Altered Best-In-Show and 14 Altered Reserve Best-In-Show awards!
All Too Familiar
–Willow on Lookout
I can’t believe Willow is almost 8 years of age, she is still very healthy and strong and smart. We do lots of fun activities together every day, especially now that I am retired from 30 years in Law Enforcement. She has so many show titles I have almost lost count (…not really, LOL!) and best of all, she is a wonderful family pet and certified Therapy Dog, where we do therapeutic visits and she makes everyone smile.
Here she is doing one of her favorite activities- watching the birds and squirrels on the bird feeders! She likes to stare for the longest time, and when she is outside, she will stand and often point, her patience amazes me!
She is the best girl EVER!
Jan MagnusonSUNSTARAll-Breed Dog Training
http://sunstardogtraining.com
Breeder Comment
There is little we can say other than together you have written a fantastic story–what a journey. May she live on, and continue to thrive.
Willow’s Wall
~A picture is worth a thousand words!
UKC Best-In-Show and High-In-Trial Champion Sunstar Willow of OwyheeStar, AKC Canine Good Citizen, AKC Novice Trick Dog, UKC Rally Obedience I, UKC Agility I, Therapy Dog International certified
Breeder Comment
Although it was never our goal to raise or sell the Show Dog–Jan Magnuson has done more than we could have ever imagined with her Willow. What an extraordinary career she has had on every level. Even with Jan’s retirement, she and Willow are out in the community doing service work. We cannot thank Jan enough–and this wall attests to all they have achieved together. (The above photo is not the most recent, but it is Jan and my favorite moment in her career–well, one of the favorite moments.)
~As Jan puts it…
Willow has been a superstar her entire life! She has attained many titles and awards (see above) for Conformation, Obedience and Rally Obedience, Agility, Tricks, and Good Citizen, and include 5 UKC Altered Best-In-Show and 14 Altered Reserve Best-In-Show awards!
Willow is very active as a certified Therapy Dog, and we do visits at retirement, assisted living, and memory care facilities, schools and daycares, and community events. I have served 30 years as a Law Enforcement Officer, and Willow has accompanied me on duty as a Therapy dog on calls and out in the community, and at the police department.
Agility Title
~ Willow 2017
I read that you need blog articles. This photo was from two years ago this weekend, however I wanted to send it again as it was one of my proudest moments of Willow.
We worked SO hard to prepare for this Agility title- daily training with the equipment, lots of variables, and much off-leash distraction proofing (her temperament and biddability are exquisite!)And, on top of all that, Willow strained her shoulder (not her fault- she slipped on the dirt in the practice arena as the jumps were placed too close together), so we needed time to heal and recuperate to get her 100% healthy and ready. On this show weekend, not only did she qualify in all three trials, she attained PERFECT scores on each run and attained her UKC Agility I title! I was, and am, SO proud of her!!!
Jan~
Breeder Comment
It was never our intent to become that breeder who produces Show Weims–but this is not the only OwyheeStar success story. Of course, some of the others earned International Show titles because they sported a blue coat–and the Weimaraner Club of America doesn’t allow the blues to compete in Show–they can compete in every other discipline–such as Agility.
Jan has participated with both AKC and WCA (the American Kennel Club –Weimaraner Club of America), but she prefers the United Kennel Club (UKC) experience. Not that Willow could not have done equally well in the other circle of influence, but rather because the UKC is Owner-Handler only and less political. If you are not on the inside of the competition, it might be hard to understand. We get it.
Jan and Willow have earned a lot of titles–we could not be more thrilled or appreciate their efforts anymore. It is no small thing. Consider all these accomplishments–UKC Best-In-Show and High-In-Trial Champion Sunstar Willow of OwyheeStar, AKC Canine Good Citizen, AKC Novice Trick Dog, UKC Rally Obedience I, UKC Agility I, Therapy Dog International certified. What more can we say? Jan says this moment of earning the Agility Title along with the perfect scores is one of her fondest achievements. Congratulations once again for all the two of you have done together, Jan.
Keep This in Mind
Jan Magnuson
SUNSTARAll-Breed Dog Training
http://sunstardogtraining.com
You can find Jan and her Dog Training on Facebook–with more than 45 years experience with the Weimaraner we recommend you check her out. By all means if possible–plan to train with her.
From Jan
Hi Shela and Cliff- just a quick note to say, again, how much I love, love, love Willow! And not just because of her multitude of accomplishments- UKC Best-In-Show and High-In-Trial Champion Sunstar Willow of OwyheeStar, AKC Canine Good Citizen, AKC Novice Trick Dog, UKC Rally Obedience I, UKC Agility I, Therapy Dog International certified.
She is such a wonderful dog in all respects- sweet temperamented, active yet calm, outgoing yet polite, she likes people and other animals, is highly intelligent and biddable, and has such a nice outlook on life in general. She is strong and healthy, and everywhere we go people marvel at how beautiful she is.
I could not ask for a more perfect Weimaraner! I cannot believe she is almost seven years of age (a “veteran” in dog show circles), it seems like just yesterday I picked her up from you!
Just a note of Thanks for my dear Willow, I love her to bits! Hugs, Jan~
We all Know her
But Do We Really?
~Can We Comprehend the work she does? Probably not!
Jan and Willow we know them. Willow’s official Name: UKC Best-In-Show and High-In-Trial Champion Sunstar Willow of OwyheeStar, AKC Canine Good Citizen, AKC Novice Trick Dog, UKC Rally Obedience I, UKC Agility I, Therapy Dog International certified!
When Jan isn’t showing Willow, she can be found out and about the community where she works for Des Moines Police Department as an Animal Control Officer. In her spare time, she teaches obedience classes, visits her mother at a care facility, and volunteers. We are honored to know her and to call her a good friend. Our Weim business has factored into our relationship. We have joint-ventured on a couple of things. All of this might be of interest to you, but did you know she is a local town hero? I am sure she would blush at that description–forgive us Jan. The only bigger hero here is Rex, the German Shepherd. What a heartwarming story. Thank you, Jan, for your service. We are all blessed indeed to share the love of the Weimaraner with you.
Q13Fox News Reports
Hero dog Rex reunited with officer who saved his life
SEATTLE — Rex, the German Shepherd who was beaten and shot three times while defending his teen owner, was honored Tuesday at a ceremony in Seattle.
PETA presented Rex with a Heroic Dog Award and a get-well care package, “for going above and beyond — at great personal risk — to protect his family from armed robbers.”
“In risking his life to protect his young guardian, this brave dog demonstrated how intelligent and sensitive animals are,” says PETA Vice President Colleen O’Brien. “PETA encourages anyone with the time and resources to care for an animal to adopt one from a shelter and reminds everyone to treat dogs like the loving family members they are.”
Rex was reunited with Des Moines Police Department Animal Control Officer Jan Magnuson, who saved Rex’s life by rushing the critically injured dog to a veterinary clinic.
Click here to read the whole story.
Growing Like a Weed
And More
~ Cute Faces
Cypress weighs 40 pounds now, she is growing like a weed! She and Willow and Daisy play and play, they get along great. I have been taking Cypress to my dog obedience classes and she is already doing well as a demo dog! I will take her to puppy classes in January at my friend Kathy’s dog training center, as I will enjoy being a “student” and socializing Cypress. She is very healthy and beautiful, I get tons of comments on her. She is still quite shy but we are working on that, and I socialize her daily, I think she will come around as she gets older. She is very bonded with me and doesn’t wander at all, she likes to stay near me which is great.
I hope you are having a wonderful week, take care, Jan~
Jan Magnuson
SUNSTAR All-Breed Dog TrainingP.O. Box 98072, Des Moines, WA 98198 (206) 241-2908-Home of “Willow”- UKC Best-In-Show and High-In-TrialChampion Sunstar Willow of OwyheeStar, CGC, TKN, URO1, UAG1, TDI
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