Crate Training/Housebreaking Icelandic Sheepdog Puppies

Hi Folks

As many of you know having spoken to me in person, you are aware that I am a fan of correctly using a crate for help in housebreaking, if you can't watch the puppy and be there to read cue's having a safe place to put puppy is a awesome thing

Live example of just how EARLY a puppy can show signs of housebreaking, so as you can imagine, I am on extra floor washing duty and I use different cleaners for different things but my main rinse is normally hot water with bleach, and I don't like the pups on the floor when doing so

Adult dogs went into the kitchen (while doing the livingroom floors) and I woke up the oldest litter, let them have their wake up pee's outside and brought them in and crated them in their nap/feed/put away big crate in the living room (they can already climb over the side of whelping box)

Anyway, these little tikes are normally quite good about this but Prevocative in Pearls would not settle down, she was fussy, but I washed the floors and then turned on overhead fans and the big floor drying fan (takes about 15 min or so to dry the whole floor, and she was fussy the whole time.. I said at least three times.. " you know you don't get let out when making that kind of fuss" well the floor was dry and she was in the howl stage of let me out of this crate.. so I am standing there.. three sleeping, one fussing and waiting, for that one second of quiet/good behaviour that I can reward, when final she stops and looks at me with these wide eyes, and I take it, and open the door.. out she runs, two steps out of the crate and she goes #2..

First.. BAD, Bad me for not figuring out that this might have been the issue but WOW baby girl to have held on for close to twenty min and not mess your crate.. you rock little girl! Breeder Mom promises that she will listen to your cues better in the future.

So I stand by the fact that properly used crates are wonderful training tools for many things, and that its up to us to keep our little ones on schedules and to read their cues, and they will do their best to be clean for us, its breed into them to keep their Den and Area clean, its up to us to teach them that means the whole house :)

Snuggle Time Icelandic Sheepdogs

Hi Guys

Was insteading on a good photo shoot this afternoon, big old thunderstorm and rain has moved in.. we could use the water to be truthful and it will take the heat down another notch.

So here are two cute photos of the little ones to tide you over till I can get more soon, don't know how but my battery was low, I guess I do use it alot.. anyway little Follow the Dream posed very sweety for the one photo but my favorite is little dream's grin..

He was playing with me and rolled on his back and I found his little spot, (you know, the one that makes them kick and grin and wiggle with joy all at the same time ) and I snapped this photo, laying down myself and from above, didn't even look to see if it was angled right or not.. anyway not perfect but his joy shines though it for me.

Puppy Owners to be info

Hi Guys

Would you like to read a general overview of the process involved in getting one of our puppies?

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

Well for those that are local and thinking of booking a puppy visiting time, we are opening up the weekends of June 19/20th (Booked Solid as of June 4th) and June 26/27th (still available visiting spots), so if you are interested in booking a time on those days, please email me and we will figure out a good time for a visit.

So Baer testing is being done on June 16th, Cerf for the oldest litter is booked for June 30th, and for the younger litter July 6th. Temperment tests are booked, June 11th for the oldest litter and June 18th for the younger litter. Herding Tests will take place on the weekend of 19th on the oldest litter and on the 26th for the youngest litter. Tattoo's are booked for the puppies at the end of June, and Structural evals are booked for the third and the last week of June for the puppies, I am having them looked at by a panel of three for a well rounded overview.

Puppy pick up dates for the oldest litter can start on July long weekend, and flyout dates the first week of July, Puppy Pickup dates for the youngest litter can start on July 10th and Flyout dates can start from the 12th on.

Please email me to let me know your perferred days and I will do my best to work with you on them.


Note-1 For those that are interested in meeting the breed and the puppies but do not have a reserved puppy out of the current litters, yes you can book an appointment to come out and meet the little guys BUT you still need to provide me with some basic information and have a chat with me about if this breed is a good choice for you and your family, there is no point in both of us taking the time to for a get together if when you get here, you tell me you want a dog that does not bark or that you live in a apartment downtown or want a low-energy dog.

Note 2- NO you can NOT visit another breeder who has puppies of a different breed, the same day as coming to see me, I am respectful of the fact that this is a rare breed and that most peaple have not meet the breed and would like to before they decide to get a puppy.

However, I close my house down for the first six weeks from company for the health of the puppies and only start puppy visits at six weeks and older but I still need to be very careful that the vistors do not bring things in, please help me in this, and only book a visit if you have

a)fully mature healthy adult dogs at home

b) Do not go to dog parks, or play with other litters of puppies or go to other dogs breeders homes on the same day as coming to my farm.

Icelandic Sheepdog Puppy -Getting lessons in mannors.

This photo cracked me up totally, Aunty Gloworm, Aka Greenstone Grima Gloa, was playing with Greenstone Provocative in Pearls Aka(my nickname) Petunia Applebee :)

Petunia wanted to play so Gloa lays down for her, but she is still to big looking, so then she rolls over giving belly, so Petunia starts playing with her ears and Gloa is still letting her be the dominant, and so they are play a adult/puppy version of foot and mouth, the only catch is that the size difference means that little Petunia's whole head can go in Gloa's mouth and here's the proof.. in case you are wondering part of the lesson is teaching to play with your teeth but not hurting anyone while you do so.. this is a important lession for the adults to teach as it helps greatly on teaching the puppy to be gentle with their mouths and that is important when we transfer those lessions to the fact that humans have very soft hides.

I love how the younger females teach and play babysitter and aunty to the puppies, its such a great thing for the puppies to have more then just mom to teach them, they learn different lessons from the whole pack.

Do Icelandic Sheepdog Like Water?

Why Yes, we do.. here is Greenstone Blackmore Knight (the #1st in CKC for 2009) who has two of her legs towards her first obedance title owned by Vari, who we got to have visit with yesterday afternoon, showing her very wet self after dock driving after sticks! She is related to both current litters, and given that they are already dipping paws in the water bowl and splashing I think its safe to say, they will all love their water time as well.

Icelandic Sheepdog Farm Dog to the Rescue!

On Misty Morning Farm News Today--Chicken Saved due to the efforts of the farm dogs!
Full story below....Reporting by Farm Momma

So last night at 8:30 ish (mom in bed..and asleep) Dad on computer, and Gloa gives a three bark alert woof, as she stands guard watch out the one big window, two second's later a screaming clucking feast starts outside.. We have a lovely red speckled half banty and half dark leg horn hen who can easily fly over our fences and who for the last week has been sure she wants to settle down and go broody in the bush pile by the brown shed.. Bad choice..

So out the door fly's Dad and Odinn with the mighty Staff (aka Walking stick) and the fox who is running with said chicken in mouth, drop's hen with Odinn hot on his heels, and darts straight threw a spot on the fence that I honestly didn't think anything but a cat could get though.. Chicken runs off into the high grass/bush area.. Fence stops Odinn who runs along it, postive if he would just be allowed to follow that he can make that Fox PAY LOL

So in come Dad and Odinn but its dusk and chicken in hiding.. out goes Freyja, taken to general area and told.. Find it.. now if put on a track she is even better but she does not need one.. Just tell her to find it, and she trusts me that something is there, and she starts weaving back and forth like a bird dog and she finds the chicken and does a freeze. nose right into the big clump of tall grass that the bird is playing dead in.. so she gets called off and Jason catches chicken, who is missing a few feathers and has at least one tooth hole from fox.. so into one of my growout rabbit hutches she goes to recoup, because there is a reason that we call the chickens the mini velociraptors, never put a bird that is bleeding back into the flock unless you want trouble.

So there you have it.. hen is up and eating an drinking this morning, took her a handfull of fresh greens and looks to make a full recovery, thanks to Gloa on guard, Odinn on defence, and Freyja on Point :)

Ah life on the farm..

Pearl Litter Growout Photos-Spring is here!

Dream Litter Grow out photos-Icelandic Sheepdog Puppies

Yummy in our Tummy-Breakfast Time for little ones

Half-sister (Same Momma) as the Dream litter at just over a year in Age..

Well the puppies got me up bright and early this morning.. they don't care that its Saturday and I wanted to sleep in.. they loved their mash banana and whole live active culture yogurt mix this morning.. it was gobbled down with great desire but they got it everywhere and so they all needed a wet wipe down of face, chests and paws.. thank goodness for Donut hole puppy feeeding dishes, so that everyone can get their place at the bowl at the same time. Momma dog finished up all leftovers, Freyja has never been very friendly about other dogs coming near her food bowl, but she is so polite to her own puppies, just backs off and lets them eat.. she really has been such a good momma..

Well my kettle is starting to whistle so time for my breakfast and pot of fresh tea and then on to all the extra floor cleaning.. ah one of the not so Joy's of puppies :)

Watch for lots of new photos over the long weekend and have a good one..

Dream litter -Icelandic Sheepdog Puppies learn about "outside"

Just a few of the Dream litter that posed nicely outside while checking out what grass is.. they are a bit little for the outside yet but this week, this will start to really have fun on their outings.

Enjoy the ones I got.. can you tell who is who??