The Puppies are Coming !

We are proud to announce the birth of the Cartoon Litter on August 3, 2010

6 boys

5 girls

If you would like to follow the pups development check out our Pine Springs Puppy Blog….

Check it out : http://tessrushpupsaugust2010.blogspot.com

Pine Springs Summerwind “Tess” was bred to Ganwales Hey Diddle Diddle ” Patrick”, their litter of 7 puppies was born on July 6, 2009. There are 4 boys and 3 girls and they are gorgeous robust puppies. Both Tess and Patrick are beautiful dogs with sweet temperaments and gorgeous conformation. We expect this litter to be exceptional in every way. Video @ about 3 weeks:

All puppies have been placed…we anticipate another litter in the summer of 2010. If you are interested in purchasing a puppy from this litter please submit a puppy application via email or regular mail.

We prefer homes that are willing to feed a raw diet and follow a minimal vaccination protocol. Check back frequently for updated photos.

[Show as slideshow]

Puppies between 9-16 wks are in their crate more than they are out even if you are home all the time

Each room your puppy visits needs to be puppy proofed

Too much freedom too soon will lead to destructive chewing and slow progression of housebreaking

Puppies last about 30-40 minutes out of their crate before they become overtired and start getting into trouble. If your puppy stops listening and is not easily redirected it’s time to go back in the crate for a nap.

Puppies get hiccups a lot and this is perfectly normal. Most outgrow it by 16 wks.

Puppies get the zoomies, sudden burst of energy at least once a day. During this time they usually run around much faster than normal and are not be able to calm down. This is caused by a release of adrenaline which happens until the puppy is about 20 wks old. It is best to stand clear and let your puppy get it out of his system.

A normal puppy temperature is between 101 and 102.5 degree F. A temperature of 104 or over requires immediate veterinary attention.

Any puppy that has been vomiting or having diarrhea for more than 12-24 hours should be checked by a vet. Goldens tend to eat everything in sight and this tends to present an upset to their intestinal tract. The best thing to do is to not feed your puppy for about 12 hours (giving water in small amounts is fine) and allow his stomach and bowels a chance to settle down. Call your vet and at least make them aware that your puppy is having a problem and ask their advice about if and when to bring your puppy in for a check. If there is vomiting after eating or your puppy seems listless and lethargic by all means take him in sooner to be seen by your vet.

Puppies are cute and impressionable and it is important for you to realize that you must set limits early on and be ready to follow through. It may not bother you that your puppy jumps up to say hello when he is 20 lbs but it will definitely be a different story when your puppy is 60 lbs. Put your foot on the leash whenever your puppy is greeting people so that you can prevent jumping from the get go. Teach your puppy to sit and stay until you release him to go say hello. When he does say hello, keep your foot on the leash to prevent your puppy from rewarding himself for jumping even if the person doesn’t mind.

When greeting other dogs on leash always ask first if the other dog likes puppies. Puppies are annoying to adult dogs and their cute antics and jumping up is not usually tolerated well by most other dogs. Be mindful of this and prevent your puppy from rushing into another dogs space even if the dog seems friendly. Appropriate greeting on leash should be a quick sniff and move on, NOT prolonged contact or playing on leash. The leash prevents both dogs from behaving normally or moving away if they need and we have found this to be the quickest way to develop an on leash aggression problem.

Set your puppy up for success by making sure you control the environment and limit choices. If your puppy isn’t housebroken don’t allow free access to your house. If you put shoes, socks, toys, etc away or behind a baby gate your puppy will not be able to reach them to chew on them. If the trash is covered and unavailable your puppy won’t be able to get into ! You get the idea, prevention and management is more than half of training. The more your puppy practices the right behavior the more of the right behavior you will get.

We believe in raising our puppies and maintaining our adult dogs on a raw diet following the guidelines mapped out by the Bones and Raw Food Diet (aka the Barf diet) intiated by Ian Billinghurst, D.V.M. We believe in a holistic approach to raising dogs and are firm believers of the less is better approach. Our dogs are vaccinated minimally to ensure their continued good health and are titered thereafter to monitor their immunity. Through many years of research we believe this is the best way to ensure a long and healthy life for our dogs. We encourage all of our puppy buyers to follow a similar proticol and will gladly help educate and inform anyone who is interested in learning more. When the puppies are old enough for solid food they are introduced to a raw diet and absolutely thrive on it ! We have found through years of experience that the higher the quality of the diet the healthier and more problem free the dog.

Feeding A Raw Diet

• A raw diet is ideal for dogs because it meets all the requirements in a whole, fresh form
• Raw fed dogs have less skin and coat problems , less allergies, ear infections, intestinal upsets
• Your puppy comes from a long line of raw fed dogs who are enjoying good health and vitality with strong immune systems and longevity.
• Feeding raw will not make your dog sick because the dogs stomach acid and tolerance for bacteria is much higher than ours is
• Whole fresh foods are more easily assimilated and processed with less waste and ill side effects than processed commercial food
• Feeding raw will mean a healthier dog and less overall problems and veterinary trips
• Dogs were designed to survive on raw meaty bones and fresh whole food. Not prcessed grain and other carbohydrates. These are most likely the cause of many of the skin, ear and health problems found in dogs
• Your Veterinarian, is usually not able to help much with this decision. Most vet schools have one short course sponsored by Science Diet dog food representatives.
• If you choose to feed raw you must educate yourself so that you can make the best possible choices. The Ultimate Diet by Kymythy Schultz is a very good basic book to start with or The BARF Diet by Ian Billinghurst, DVM.
• We are here to help coach you and guide you if at any point you need help, have questions or have concerns about feeding supplements, etc.
• If you decide that feeding a raw diet is not for you we will help educate you about dog food and help you make an informed decision about the second best way to feed your dog. Choosing a superior kibble is essential if you decide to feed a commercial kibble based diet.

Feeding Information and Resources — Websites
Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (Ian Bilinghurst)
Bravo! Raw Food
Oma’s Pride Raw Food

Making good choices about what we feed our dogs is essential to their longevity and sustained good health. The puppies have been raised on a raw food diet. The very best way to insure their good health is to keep them on it. Dry dog food and other processed foods lose much of their nutritional value during the cooking process. Processed food cannot be less than 47% grain and is often as much as 80%. Dogs do not do well eating carbohydrates since their systems are geared toward a meat and bone based diet. Their digestive systems were designed to eat whole raw food, not processed mostly grain based food. Most protein sources in dog food are not even meat based. If you read the side of the bag most commercial foods’ protein source is non-meat, usually corn or soy. In the lesser quality foods if meat is used as the protein source it is often a meat by-product instead of a whole meat source. The smaller the fraction, by-product vs. whole meat the less the nutrition is available.

The puppies are 5th generation raw fed. We are looking for homes that will keep them on a 100% raw, whole food diet. This will require some reading and research to correctly execute a homemade diet. The best books available on raw feeding are : Give Your Dog A Bone by Ian Bilinghurst and Ultimate Diet: Natural Nutrition For Dogs And Cats by Kymythy Schultze and Raw Meaty Bones by Tom Lonsdale.
These are the easiest and most straightforward to read.

When feeding a raw food diet you can either make it yourself or purchase it frozen from several different sources. In the last few years several manufacturers have come up with complete raw food diets that are available commercially. They are simple and convenient to feed with a great nutritional advantage over processed dog food. These choices are for busy people who want to feed a higher quality diet but don’t have the time to make it themselves.

Sources:
Bravo Raw Diet Pet Foods (860)693-0632. Click on the store locater to find a store near you. I use Bravo myself and either order it online Waggintails.com or Gemini Dog. Gemini is a dog training facility in Littleton, Massachusetts which gets monthly shipments that can be ordered online and picked up directly at their training center.

Other sources: Oma’s Pride Raw Food (800)678-6627. Go to the store locator to find a source near you.

Your Pet’s Butcher, which is a raw food supplier run by my husband Paul Bielakiewicz. Twice monthly “meat meets” offered at our training center located in Malden, Ma. To place an order www.bonedepot.com

How Much Do I Feed My Puppy ?
From now until your puppy turns 5 months old feed your puppy three times per day. After that your puppy should eat twice a day for his lifetime.

Amounts: Do NOT Overfeed Your Puppy ! Golden Retrievers will literally eat themselves to death ! Puppies especially will tend to eat everything you put in front of them whether they need it or not. It is important to measure out or weigh the food you feed. Keep tract of your dog’s growth and how fit he is. If he seems to be gaining too much cut back on what you are feeding, if he seems too lean increase what you are feeding by 1/4 cup and evaluate your dog in a month. Right now the puppies are eating 3/4 to 1 lb of raw food per day split into three meals.

What About Treats ?
Treats: Treats should be used for training and should be cut in very small pieces. If you have a big training session (like puppy class) you should skip your puppy’s evening meal. Avoid giving dog cookies as treats as they are very caloric. Think of dog cookies as equivalent to eating a snack size candy bar. They should be a rare treat!

How Can I Tell If My Puppy Is the Right Weight ?
Checking weight : Ribs should be easily felt without probing but not seen. When looking down at your puppy’s back, you should see a waist below the ribcage (it should indent).

Keep your puppy lean throughout it’s life. The leaner your puppy is especially during it’s growth stages the healthier it will be and less chance it will have for growth problems. Remember that even dogs with less than ideal conformation or borderline hip dysplasia can live their whole lives without ever showing a sign they have a problem if they remain lean and fit. However, even dogs with fantastic conformation and perfect hips and joint conformation can breakdown and develop problems if they are allowed to carry more weight than they should. Be smart and give your puppy a great start in life by making sure that his weight stays in the ideal range !!

Feeding Information and Resources — Websites
Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (Ian Bilinghurst)
Bravo! Raw Food
Oma’s Pride Raw Food
Your Pet’s Butcher, www.bonedepot.com

Feeding Information and Resources — Food/supplements
Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (Ian Bilinghurst)
Bravo! Raw Food
Oma’s Pride Raw Food

The Honest Kitchen (dehydrated raw pet food products)
Nupro(micronutrient supplement)