Puppy Update
Our puppies will be three weeks old on Friday. Elka is a super mommy, but she's a little too old to be having pups.. It's hard for her mammary glands to keep up with the puppies as far as milk production goes. She's getting lots of good supplements, and the puppies are gaining weight at a good pace, so we're letting her continue to feed them naturally.
They look just like little Polar Bears at this age. It's so exciting for us to watch them grow, and wonder how their features will develop. Will they have long muzzles and ears for the more wolf-like Eskie look? Or will they have shorter, sloped muzzles and wide eyes for the "foxy" look? It's too early to tell, but boy are they cute anyway!
All the puppies have homes waiting for them, and they will be leaving us at or after 10 weeks. Elka, our awesome momma, still needs a home to retire to, now that the hard work of motherhood is behind her. She is such a sweet, loving dog. Elka is very friendly, and has done well adapting to her new surroundings. We're sure she'll do wonderful in the right home; maybe yours?
All the puppies have homes waiting for them, and they will be leaving us at or after 10 weeks. Elka, our awesome momma, still needs a home to retire to, now that the hard work of motherhood is behind her. She is such a sweet, loving dog. Elka is very friendly, and has done well adapting to her new surroundings. We're sure she'll do wonderful in the right home; maybe yours?
Good Food: Good Dog
Of course, all this puppy talk makes me think a lot about growing up. When our dogs are growing, we need to do our very best to supply them with nutrition that allows them to develop properly. What is proper development? Strong bones, lean muscle, keen eyes, and glistening fur!
When we talk about proper nutrition, it's important to understand the difference between "surviving" and "thriving"; "living" and "lasting."
Certainly, for decades, our dogs have eaten low-meat, high filler, junk food from the grocery store. That's probably what your grandparents fed their dogs, right? Or table scraps. Or whatever came to mind when the dog came to beg. That's called "Surviving." Dogs are brilliant, resilient creatures. They will take what they can get, when they can get it.
To "Thrive," a dog needs more of some things, and less of others. The canine digestive system is designed to process meat, bone, cartilage, and sinew. This digestive system is super efficient when it comes to processing these foods, and little waste results from a diet high in meat-based protein.
For this reason, I recommend that Eskies be fed a diet of super-premium, grain free kibble, supplemented with whole eggs. Whole egg means a whole egg, shell and all! The shell has essential calcium, and the egg provides good protein and fat for a shiny coat. I use my blender or food processor to break up the shell, and Issabelle chomps it down. Grains are nonessential to the canine diet, and convert to sugar in the body. An excess of sugar leads to weight gain, and Eskies are quite prone to obesity on their own. We need to manage the risk by limiting the grains in their diet.
I say limit, not eliminate, because dogs will be dogs. Treats containing grain are, in my opinion, okay. As long as they are used sparingly, they will not negatively impact your dog's health. It's a little like a person who eats a balanced diet Monday through Saturday treating themselves to a twinkie on Sunday afternoon. It's not good for you, but it's not going to kill you either. When using treats to train your dog, I prefer to see people use chopped, boiled chicken as a motivator, rather than grain treats, since you will use a lot of them.
The food I currently recommend is Innova's EVO. They have three different formulas that come in small and large kibble sizes, so it's quite easy to figure out what your dog likes and dislikes. Issabelle eats the Red Meat, Small Bites formula. I have also begun to recommend Wellness: CORE. CORE is another grain-free, meat filled food.
Will your dog live if he eats a food full of corn, wheat, soy, millet, and oats? Certainly, ruling out the contamination issues that some grocery store variety foods have suffered from. Will your dog live if he eats a food laden with artificial colors, controversial preservatives, and mystery meat? Certainly, for a time. However, for your pal to last, to live beyond your expectations, he needs more. Check out the Training/Care page for more information on how to select a great food for your great dog!
Reminder: Auction for the Animals in August!
We are getting set up for our big fundraiser in August. We've gotten many donations from restaurants, pet food stores, home improvement stores, and lots of private individuals as well. We'll have a ton of Eskie collectibles, along with gift certificates, jewelry, sports memorabilia, handmade winter wear, and tons of other stuff! If you're interested in donating an item or product to be auctioned off, please contact Jim at [email protected]
Keep an eye on our news section for updates about the auction, as well!