Off-line for a day or so

Please be aware that I will be offline for a little bit, I have cracked a tooth, and all that goes with.. if you are waiting for a reply, please be aware that I focusing all my energy on getting better and keeping the farm working.. all extra's including answering emails will have to wait a day or two.. I will be back in the game shortly.. when the meds start working and the pain level comes down.

Earthquake News 5.1

Hi Folks

As a number of folks know, we had the largest Earthquake in our area in over a hundred years yesterday afternoon, it was very! clearly felt and shook the house, knocking down rocks in display cases, and rattling windows, pictures and causing my metal roof to pop up and down with a huge very scary bang.. We have a small hairline crack in two ends of one of our buildings but overall, we got off very easy compared to many others.

Hubby was evacated out of his work building, which appears to have a few parts shook off of it..

The dogs were excited before (perhaps the knew something was up) but when it happened.. everyone was dancing and barking including the puppies.. and then all followed me from place to place as I checked the house.. A few times last night, for no reason we could feel.. all the dogs would jump up and bark.. Aftershocks?

Anyway these are some well rounded storm puppies, we have had windstorms, multiply Thunderstorms and now a Earthquake.

We had rain last night and most of today and the puppies were just mucky little puppies, so we did a marathon bath, all pups in the tub, one wetting and one scrubbing and then taking turns rinsing.. It was so funny.. we put down huge towels on the floor and they all had puppy wet bath zoomies all over them.. but wow the humidity was already at 98 percent, so took the floors forever to dry out.. thankfully we have lots of fans to turn on across the house to get that air moving..

They say we are going to have sunshine this weekend, so expect a ton of new photos to come up shortly there after.

Top dog Stats are out! for 2009- Top Icelandic Sheepdogs in Canada

Iceland Sheepdog (12) 2010

#1 Greenstone Blackmore Knight BB 6 G4 1 Pts 26
#2 Ch Solhunder Elska Ljosstjarna BB 9 Pts 11
#3 Ch Cira's Valhalla BB 3 Pts 8
#3 Belglen Undri Ari BB 6 Pts 8
#4 Ch Greenstone Rudolph Valentino BB 6 Pts 6
#5 Heimskauts Eydis CGN BB 5 Pts 4
#5 Kersins Midas Touch BB 1 Pts 4

What a Thrill to see Greenstone Dogs in the Top Five Dogs Canada, we are so proud that we have had at least one or more Greenstone Dog in the Top Five Dogs in Canada since the breed moved over in 2006...Looking forward to what the future brings in both CKC and AKC Rings in Conformation, and Working Dog Sports.

Canadian Icelandic Sheepdog Club

http://canadianicelandicsheepdogclub.blogspot.com/

The Canadian Icelandic Sheepdog Club has been a National club in Canada since 2001. We help promote the Icelandic Sheepdog in all ways. We are a network of breeders and fellow ISD owners, if you are looking to learn more about the Icelandic Sheepdog and/or referrals to club breeders please contact the club for more information

Are you looking for a Icelandic Sheepdog puppy, please consider supporting the Canadian Icelandic Sheepdog Club breeder members, Members list their planned, coming and available litters from across Canada and the United States on the club site.

Want to learn more about the breed overall, check out the club website, there are hundreds! of pages, articles, and stories as well as hundreds of pictures of the history of the Icelandic Sheepdog in Canada since the club started in 2001.

Greenstone Blackmore Knight CD

This weekend has been crazy busy.. Greenstone Grima Gloa was BOB both days at the Kingston Kennel Club shows, Greenstone Blackmore Knight owned by Vari attended two obedience trials and earned her CD title, she was the top ISD in conformation last year and now will move forward in her obediance training. Meant to have the Herding tests done on the oldest litter but thankfully its not timing related the same way as the temperment tests or structure evals, so have some give on the timing and will do soon this coming week.. worn new shoes and while they looked great, they have given me multiple blisters that have broken open and so my heals are raw at the moment.. so will be taking sunday evening easy..

Dream Litter Temperment Tests Results

http://www.volhard.com/pages/pat.php


DreamBoat - 4, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 3, 3, 3

Dreamcoat - 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 1, 3, 3

DayDreamer - 4, 3, 5, 4, 3, 4, 1, 3, 3

Fire - 3, 2, 3, 4, 4, 3, 2, 3, 2,

Cal - 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 1, 4, 3

Dare - 4, 3, 3, 5, 4, 4, 2, 4, 3

Follow - 3, 3, 5, 4, 3, 3, 1, 3, 3

Baer Test Information.

Hi Folks

Well, I was aware that the line that Sweet Dreams is out of on his Sire's side had related dogs that had produced mainly (or almost totally white) puppies that have been confirmed either full deaf and or with limited hearing range. It is believed to be linked within our Icelandic Sheepdogs with the Piebald Spotting Gene. Before yesterday, only two breeders had taken their suspected puppies/dogs or litters to be tested.. (Big Thanks to Sharon at Belglen's Kennel in Sask and to Valhalla Kennel in Washington, USA for not only testing but sharing their information with the ISD breeder world-wide)

Folda had never had pied puppies before and I was concerned about 3 of her puppies in the current litter, DayDream Believer (total white head), Dreamboat, Pied, and Technicolor DreamCoat, Pied on one side, and white on the other. The other puppies appear to me to be gene wise Irish Spotted, with is not! known to cause deafness in some cases.

Icelandic Sheepdogs can carry or have the Piebald Spotting Gene (think like a Pinto or Paint horse, large patches of color on the body or if the gene is doubled.. very little patches of white on body)

It is called the Piebald Spotting Gene (S^p - non-symmetrical random white pattern). This pattern does not always cause deafness, it is only a problem when the inner ear is missing pigment

So I hunted down to closest Baer Testing to me, (about a four hour drive in total, not so much because of distance, should have only been three but because of bumper to bumper traffic in montreal both coming and going)

The tests was performed at the CHUV by DMV ACVIM Neurology, and I send a huge Thank you out to both Susy and Dr Parent for fitting me in as she is a full time Prof and does not take many cases at this time.

What is BAER testing?

A BAER test is the only 100% reliable method for determining that a dog is deaf (or for measuring the extent of its hearing loss). BAER (pronounced "bear") stands for "Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response" and is a procedure using computers to record the electrical activity of the brain in response to sound stimulation. This is the same test used to check the hearing of human infants, and measures the same range of hearing. This means that the test does not measure the full range of canine hearing, but it will tell you if your dog has hearing within the normal human range (some dogs will test as "deaf," but will still be able to hear very high pitches).

The test is not painful and can be performed on any dog over six weeks of age. (A puppy's ear canals don't open until they are about two weeks old.) Sedation is usually not necessary, but some dogs (especially puppies) don't like being restrained, or having wires hang from their face, so it can be performed while the dog is sedated. A clicking sound is directed into the ear through a foam insert, earphones, or headphones and the brain's response is recorded. Each ear is tested individually and the test generally lasts for only 10 to 15 minutes.

Since BAER testing is only available at select facilities and can be expensive, many people choose to rely on their own experiences with the dog and the opinion of their veterinarian in making the determination. For their own peace of mind, or because they are breeding a "high-risk" dog (like the Dalmatian), others insist on this testing.

Dreamboat has perfect hearing Bilaternally (both ears), he was a handfull until we let him go down, he need the pee-pee pad and then took his test very well.. The test is repeated twice in each ear for solid proof.

DayDream Believer has Perfert Hearing Bilaternally (Both Ears) she did the test like it was a peice of cake. I don't believe that she is in fact Pied but no one had ever tested a Full white head (controlled by a different gene) and I thought it was good idea to check her.

Technicolor Dreamcoat has perfect earing her in white ear on the right side of her head and very! limited hearing on her colored ear and side of face.. she failed the first seven out of nine tests as deaf and only on test eight and nine (with each test getting louder) did we finally see some respond from her.. You will see the clear diffence in her paperwork when you look at it as well. As she has Perfect hearing on one ear, her limited hearing in the other ear will not effect her ability to function as a normal.

So there you have it folks.. Proof yet again that YES, within the Icelandic Sheepdog that Piebald Gene Puppies or Dogs CAN have proven Limited or Deaf Dogs within our breed caused by this gene.. I HIGHLY recommend that if you are looking for a possable Show/Breeding puppy and its Pied, that you consider having its hearing checked before either buying it or breeding it.

If you do choose to breed piebald Icelandic Sheepdogs and produce puppies with limited body color and lots of white , it might be a good idea to check their hearing before placing them..

Illistrated Standard Drawings -Learn more about the Breed Standard

GENERAL APPEARANCE: The Icelandic Sheepdog is a Nordic herding spitz, slightly under medium sized with prick ears and a curled tail. Seen from the side the dog is rectangular; the length of the body from the point of shoulder to point of buttock is greater than the height at withers. The depth of the chest is equal to the length of the foreleg. The expression is gentle, intelligent and happy. A confident and lively bearing is typical for this dog. There are two types of coat, long and short, both thick and extremely weatherproof. There is a marked difference in appearance between the sexes.

HEAD: Strongly built with close fitting skin. Skull slightly longer than muzzle. Triangular when seen from above or the side. CRANIAL REGION: Skull: Somewhat domed. Stop: Clearly defined though neither steep nor high. FACIAL REGION:Nose: Black, dark brown in chocolate brown and some cream dogs. Muzzle: Well-developed, nasal bridge straight. Muzzle slightly shorter than skull. Tapering evenly towards the nose to form a blunt triangle when seen from both above and from the side.Lips: Black, close fitting, dark brown in chocolate brown and some cream dogs.Bite: Scissor bite. Complete dentition.Cheeks: Flat

Eyes: Of medium size and almond shaped. Dark brown. Slightly lighter in chocolate brown and some cream dogs. The eye-rims are black. Dark brown in chocolate brown and some cream dogs

Ears: Erect and of medium size. Triangular with firm edges and slightly rounded tips. Very mobile, reacting sensitively to sound and showing the dog’s mood.
Dew claws: Well-developed double dewclaws are desirable

TAIL: High set, curled over and touching the back.

FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.: A solid black mantle or saddle on any of the various tan coloured dogs.

SERIOUS FAULTS: : Lack of dewclaws.: Yellow eyes: Round protruding eyes.

Coat Types on the Icelandic Sheepdog Litters

Example of a Ideal Mature Male Short Coated Icelandic Sheepdog

I have given my own little nicknames for the longer formal names, but I am sure that everyone will be able to easily figure out who is who. Both litters had one Short coat parent, and one Long Coat Parent.

The Pearls

Keeper- Short Coat

Pearl-Long Coat

Minnie-Long Coat

Provocative-Long Coat

The Dreamers

Follow the Dream -Short Coat

Dare to Dream-Long Coat

Tec-Coat-Long Coat

Fire-Short Coat

Cal-Long Coat

Dreamboat-Short Coat

DayDreamer-Short Coat

Example of a Fully mature Long Coated Male Icelandic Sheepdog

Icelandic Sheepdogs are herding dogs..

So I would recommend that you consider reading this great write up on the other end of the leash.

http://www.theotherendoftheleash.com/chase-this-not-that

What a just wonderful write up on advice on how to work with drives that can lead to chasing behaviours.. I would encourage my puppy owners to read it and even print it off and put it into their training files.....

Just love this writer, she has active working herding/farm dogs!

Now for some puppy cuteness...

Herding Temperment Test of Icelandic Sheepdog Puppies

Herding Temperment Test for Icelandic Sheepdog Puppies!
By Valerie Sharp First Published in the 2007 in CISC Fall Issue Newsletter.

When I got my Icelandic Sheepdogs I was very excited that they were a herding breed, my grandfather on my mothers side had breed, raised, trained and used Collies on his farm for year, and his dogs were most sought after. I can still remember Grandpa explaining what made a good dog, and I have to admit that I to this day still look for those very same things in my own dogs.

On my father's side of the family, they owned a huge thousand head of sheep farm in southern Alberta and Border Collies were the dogs of choice, so I was familar with both the more upright style of herding that a Collie will use and the more traditional Border style of working sheep but the first question I asked was "what does a Icelandic Sheepdog Herd like?"

In keeping with this I called Iceland and different owners of dogs that lived and worked the dogs on both sheep/horses, I also called and visited with Icelandic Breeders and owners in both Canada, and the US, that had both Icelandic Sheep and Icelandic Sheepdogs on their farms, and was surprised to no end, when in a nut shell, I was informed by both in Iceland and across North America that the dogs didn't really herd.

The first thing that surprised me was how little time is spent herding or even driving sheep in Iceland with the dogs, this is because the sheep are a) low flocking, and b) turned out into the mountains to graze etc, in fact it became clear that they were used more on the horse thoughtout the year then they were used on the sheep at this time in the breeds history.

But what did come out clearly was this a) they are natural herders, they are not normally trained per say in Iceland, b) they had for hundred of years been used as natural boundry tenders, as fences have only appears in the last while in Iceland and so the dogs were used to keep the hay meadows clear of the sheep and horses etc and would drive them back up in to the hills. c) that they are a natural driving breed, and are what is in North America called a loose eyed, upright barking breed.

Every year on our little farm , I use the dogs for boundry tending, , I walk with my Icelandic and show her the line, and then we sit and write or read a book or in Jason's case, he will often take his laptop out, and we just hang out while the sheep graze, until someone gets to close to the "line" and my ISD will look at me, and I say, Go push them back and they up like a flash and drive the herd back into the center of the hay pasture and then back to me to lay down in the shade of the chair, until needed again.

I think the second thing I use them for most is very close work in the barn, moving the sheep from pen to pen, moving them past the gate that they know has the grain feed in it, and also to help split the flock up, in case I need to check or work with one of the sheep. It is such a pleasure to be able to open the front door and say to my dog or dogs, Sheep, Barn, and by the time I have walked to the barn from the house, the dogs will have gone to the field, got the sheep, and driven them into the barn and into their back pens and will be waiting for me to close the gates.


I can see why a good sheepdog was worth its weight in gold, I have heard from many folks in Iceland that the dogs can be used to find lost sheep under snow, I believe this totally, as they often help me find but not hurt my new chicks in the barn, they will also let me know if anything is new in the barn by finding and trailing the scent, I know that some folks say that a Icelandic would not hurt anything small. I can't agree, my dogs learn what is part of the farm, and leave it alone, but mice, moles, rats, and wild birds are fair game, and the dogs will hunt the hay fields like a fox would, I have spoke to other breeders in Iceland and they confirm that their Icelandic also hunt the barns for mice, so I believe that this is something that is likely to be seen in our dogs here in N.A.

In keeping with this, if you go to a training center, if and when asked what they herd like, I have learned to say, they are most Austrian Shepards in terms of what breed they herd like.

While I had brought in Icelandic's directly imported from Iceland who had working parents, I really wanted to work my own dogs and I also wanted to make sure that I kept the breed natural herding drive and ability alive in my kennel, so from my very first litter, I have done herding tests on the puppies with the ducks, I still remember introducing Greenstone Ada to the ducks at ten weeks old and being amazed to watch her show off her natural ablitites, since then I have created a much more formal test to my kennels records.

I would never recommend that you test six to ten week old puppies on anything other then ducks, I have heard that one lady did bring a well dog broke mini goat to the breeders home in the US to see which of the puppies had the most natural drive. You need to be careful and make sure that those first intro's are done in a safe and controlled manner.

So I have a round pen that is 20 feet across, and here is the test that I do

Puppy Herding Test. Tester ______________________________ Date__________
Name of Puppy ____________________________ Age of Puppy _____________________
Parents of the Puppy ________________________________________________________
Round pen is ________ feet, Ground is flat and ducks are well dog Broke
Number of Ducks used __________

Test One
Put the puppy in the pen with duck, Puppy comes into the ring on leash
a) Does the Puppy Notice Ducks Yes______ or No _________
b) Does Puppy Move forward towards the ducks Yes ________ or No __________
Test Two, Puppy is let off-leash
Ducks move away from Puppy (either the puppy moves them ______ or human does______)
a)Does Puppy Give Chase Yes______ or No ________
b) Does Puppy Give up? Yes ______ or No _________ How long? _________________
c) Does Puppy Split ducks? Yes _____ or No ________
d) Does Puppy Bunch ducks? Yes _________ or No ________
e) Does Puppy Bark at ducks? Yes ________ or No _______
f) Does Puppy find balance to ducks? Yes ______ or No _______
g) Does Puppy circle ducks? Yes ______ or No ______
h) Does Puppy bit a duck? Yes _____ or No _______ Why? __________________________
i) Does Puppy respond to human in ring? Yes________ or No ___________

Test Three- Puppy is called back to person
Come when called. Yes _________ or No _________

Please Check out more info on the Herding Page on the Main Website at

http://www.icelandicsheepdogs1.com/IcelandicSheepdogHerdinginformation.html

Pearls Temperment Test Results

http://www.volhard.com/pages/pat.php

Learn more about the test on the above website.

Puppy Aptitude Test- The Pearl Litter

Keeper
3, 2, 2, 3, 4, 2, 1, 3, 2

Pearl
4, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 1,3, 3

Isa
3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 1, 4, 1

Minnie
4, 4, 5, 4, 3, 4, 2, 4, 3,

Pasture Pups -Round Three

Pasture Play-Round Two

Pasture Play Time Round One

The Pearls at seven weeks

Icelandic Sheepdog Puppies enjoy sunshine in the Pasture