Guardyan Kennels "J" Litter
To each of our new puppy owners, we wish you all the best with your performance endeavors.
We hope that you will love and enjoy your pups as much as we do.
Please know that we are always available for assistance.
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Sunday, August 28th Jalapeno went to his new home in Utah. We look forward to seeing this guy in obedience, agility, and schutzhund. :-)  |
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Tuesday, August 16th Jude went to his new home where he will be working in obedience, tracking, and might even do a little German conformation. :-)  (You can click for a larger version.) |
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Friday, August 12th Jeremiah went to his new home today. We look forward to seeing this guy in agility and obedience. :-)  (You can click for a larger version.) |
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Thursday, August 11th We've been working on foundation obedience: follow the hand, tuck sit, and folding down. We use treats, verbal markers, and lots of praise in the initial phases of training.
Jeremiah  (You can click for a larger version.) |
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Wednesday, August 10th Playing "keep away"  (You can click for a larger version.) |
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Tuesday, August 9th Jalapeno  Jeremiah
Jude
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Monday August 8th  (You can click for a larger version.) |
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Sunday, August 7th We haz earz! - Jalapeno and Jeremiah
Jalapeno
Jeremiah
Jude
Playing on a baby gate on a slick floor
Playing with a "kibble box"
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Saturday, August 6th Here is a link to free Michael Ellis videos: http://www.michaelellisschool.com/videos.htm This training philosophy makes the most sense to me . . . its effective and balanced. Enjoy!
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Friday, August 5th The puppies were temperament tested today. There were consistencies across the litter. All of the puppies were uniform in lack of sight or sound sensitivity. (They all went to investigate the noisy pan and umbrella). They were all interested in following and social interaction. There were slight differences in touch sensitivity, dominance (of course), and reaction to restraint.  Checking out the cool new addition to the puppy playground! |
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Thursday, August 4th The pups had their first big outing last night. We carried them around at our local obedience classes and they met a bunch of people and saw lots of other dogs. (Jeremiah thought the big white borzois were fascinating!) And . . . as of this morning, Jude has ear!!!  (You can click for a larger version.) |
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Wednesday, August 3rd Jeremiah  (You can click for a larger version.) |
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Tuesday, August 2nd Our trip to grammy's to meet the chickens and horses didn't pan out. So, the pups had dinner on the dog walk.
And . . . Hal has ear!!!
Thanks Austin for the great photos!!! |
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Monday, August 1st
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Sunday, July 31st A huge "thank you" to my friend Jo Deurbrouck for the following photos!
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Saturday, July 30th
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Friday, July 29th The pups had their first car ride today . . . they handled it like champs!
Jude, Jalapeno, Jeremiah
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Thursday, July 28th Took the pups for a walk in our old training field today . . . they had a great time exploring and chasing each other through the tall grass.
Jeremiah
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Wednesday, July 27th Jalapeno  (You can click for a larger version.) |
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Tuesday, July 26th Playing rough with mom . . .
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Monday, July 25th Trying out the agility chute . . .
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Sunday, July 24th This evening, we added some kibble to an empty plastic bottle and gave it to the pups. They went bonkers, chasing the bottle and scattering kibble all over the patio. (This is my favorite way to accustom pups to loud noises.) Then, after all of the excitement, the pups went for their first "swim".
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Saturday, July 23rd Just wanted to share a few of my favorite books related to canines. For new puppy owners, I always recommend the "Keep it Simple Series: Guide to Raising a Puppy". This guide is packed full of practical information organized in a very user-friendly way. I absolutely adore Bobbie Anderson's "Building Blocks for Performance: Give Your Puppy a Head Start for Competition." Anderson covers topics like motivation, drive, foundation skills, and building a good working relationship with your dog. I highly recommend this text for anyone interested in future performance endeavors like agility or obedience. Here are a few more favorites:
Behavior "On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals" Turid Rugaas "The Other End of the Leash" by Patricia McConnell "The Dog's Mind" by Bruce Fogle "Through a Dog's Eyes" by Jennifer Arnold
Health "Complete Holistic Dog Book" by Allegretti & Sommers
Obedience "Steppin' up to Success" series by Terri Arnold
Online Resources http://www.dogstardaily.com/free-downloads
Schutzhund "Training the Behavior" by Patterson (includes a thorough tracking section)
Tracking "Tracking Dog: Theory & Methods" by Johnson
And now for the fun stuff! The boys got some new toys - they are all little toy fiends just like Zen. :-)
Jalapeno
Jeremiah
Jude
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Friday, July 22nd A big thanks to my friend Jo Deurbrouck for the following photos!
(You can click for a larger version.) |
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Thursday, July 21st Jude
Jalapeno
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Wednesday, July 20th Having some fun on the agility pause table . . .
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Tuesday, July 19th Breakfast time!!! Charge!!!
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Monday, July 18th Hal and his new favorite toy
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Sunday, July 17th Jalapeno!!!
Jeremiah and Jude
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Saturday, July 16th The pups are eating mush a few times a day. We start all of our puppies on Wellness puppy formula. We recommend that you purchase one bag of this formula, then gradually switch to an adult formula. I only like to keep pups on puppy formula for the first few months. Puppies seem to have much more balanced growth if they are maintained on an adult formula. Here is a link to an excellent dog food rating website: http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/ Jeremiah and Jalapeno  (You can click for a larger version.) |
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Friday, July 15th "Jude Paw"  (You can click for a larger version.) |
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Thursday, July 14th The puppies' first mush . . .  (You can click for a larger version.) |
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Wednesday, July 13th The pups had some fun exploring the big yard today.
Jalapeno
Jeremiah (L) & Jude (R)
(You can click for a larger version.) |
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Tuesday, July 12th "Jude Paw" kept doing puppy stacks today . . . what a handsome guy!
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Monday, July 11th "Jeremiah" is going to be a toy addict like his mom. :-)
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Sunday, July 10th Jalapeno!!!
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Saturday, July 9th The pups spent a few hours outside in their x-pen. They are becoming accustomed to the sights and smells of the outdoors. We try to socialize our puppies as much as possible before they go to their new homes. We introduce them to a wide variety of surfaces, novel objects, household noises, agility equipment, etc. It's very important that new owners continue this process of socialization. Here is a great article about puppy socialization.
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Friday, July 8th The pups got to try out their giant x-pen for the first time. :-)
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Thursday, July 7th
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Wednesday, July 6th
The pups are starting to notice and interact with toys. Photo by Austin aka #1 Puppy Socializer. |
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Tuesday, July 5th
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Monday, July 4th Happy Fourth of July!!! We took the pups out on the patio this morning. They each had a snuggle with a human, had brunch with mom and took a nap in the shade.
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Sunday, July 3rd Last day of ENS today . . . took a quick video of the dark boy and "Hal" playing. :-)
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Saturday, July 2nd Okay, future puppy parents, here are a few tasks you can be doing in order to prepare for your new arrival. Have you found a regular vet and an emergency vet? Do you have their contact information readily available? I like to have vet info posted on my fridge, as well as listed in my cell phone. Have you looked into training clubs and/or puppy kindergarten classes in your area? German Shepherds need regular training and socialization to remain well balanced. Have you scheduled some time off for your puppy's arrival? Have you started 'puppy proofing' your yard and home? Remember: puppies will chew and swallow just about anything. Check your yard carefully for poisonous plants. If you would like to read more about preparing for your new arrival or just about anything to do with puppies, we highly recommend that you pick up a copy of the "Keep it Simple Series: Guide to Raising a Puppy". Or, feel free to contact us if you would like any additional information.
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Friday, July 1st Happy July everyone!!!
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Thursday, June 30th Zen and the pups are doing well. I've been trying to video them walking with no luck. Every time I dash out to the dog room with my video camera, they plop down and take a nap. We're still doing ENS and I handle the pups gently throughout the day. The biggest boy has been a real wild man today; initiating lots of puppy wrestling matches with his brothers. The following photo is the smallest male, Austin has nicknamed him "Hal" the Jalapeno.
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