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24 July 2010 -Just an update on the new diet for our dogs. We have never had so much fun preparing meals and the dogs are in seventh heaven trying out new tastes. We have not had any refusals on any of our 'meals'. The main part of the new regime is meat and we are making up patties for them and freezing them for the week ahead. The patties are meat based, then we add in pulped vegetables and fruit to the mix with a little egg and yoghurt to help it bind together. They also have raw meaty bones, usually chicken wings or meat bones. We add offal occasionally and they love fish especially sardines! If anyone out there reading this hasn't tried this kind of diet I would definitely recommend giving it a go!
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Chicken mince and vegetable puree
ready to be mixed together to make patties
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Pattie all mixed - ready to mix in the eggs
shells included - they provide calcium
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6 July 2010 - After much deliberation we decided a few weeks ago to change our dogs to a more natural diet. We have been delighted with the results as the dogs seem to be happier and more content, there is less poo to pick up (a big bonus with big dogs!) , it is less smelly and more importantly the dogs seem healthier! Their coats are much softer and their eyes are brighter. We really enjoy preparing their 'meals' and the dogs have taken to the new regime like a 'Leo to water!'.
We have also upgraded the gadgets around the house and hope to be able to put videos on our website soon - once we learn how - watch this space!
26 May 2010 - Our website has had a bit of a revamp - please let us know what you think!
All our Leonbergers have had their eyes checked and we are happy to say they are all clear. Bramble has also had her hips scored and we will be making plans to have our first litter from her soon. She is at present recovering from a tail operation - she has happy dog tail - she has wagged it so much and with such force she unfortunately damaged the end - we tried everything but on our vet's advice we had to have the tip removed - all is going well and she has been the best patient. She has been a real hit at the vets and her sound temperament and laid back attitude has made it really easy for them to treat her. She has got really used to having her 'cone' on and helps us put in on and off when necessary. Its such a joy to see how she behaves in reception as she just lies on the floor watching all the other animals come and go with the slightest movement of her eyebrows (similar toRoger Moore) ! She is really on the mend now and I am sure she will miss all the attention she gets at the vets when we stop getting her checks!
5April 2010 - We went along to the club show in Leicestershire to learn more about the breed. It was wonderful to see all the top dogs there and to see the effort that is put in by the top show breeders. We enjoyed chatting to Bramble's breeder Jane from Jantonely and send her our congratulations on the birth of her grandson! We also chatted with a few other people and found out about other events that we would love to attend particularily those involving the fun stuff you can do with Leos such as carting etc. We have been trawling the internet for designs for carts and are looking forward to seeing the dogs pull them for real at the Leo Summer Fayre in June.
We also attended the opening of a new local pet shop and took Bramble along to see what was on offer. She really did us proud by standing really well for all the people who just had to ask what breed she was and stroke her. She really is turning out to be a very placid dog and we are very proud of her.
We also recently went to see Cesar Milan on his UK tour. We understand that there are divided opinions of his training methods but we are of the opinion that his heart is in the right place and he is trying to make life better for the dogs he meets - we like to keep an open mind on all types of training methods and try to take the best from each different method to enable us to do our best for our dogs. We did enjoy Cesar's show and from what we saw he tries to bring a bit of humour and common sense to looking after your dog. He does emphasise that walking your dog is a primary right for any dog and we definitely agree with him on this. We had a great time at the show just as much as we enjoy watching agility and obedience at other shows.
14 March 2010 - We only plan to have a litter every now and then for good temperament ....................
We plan to have a litter later this year from Bramble - if you would like to register your interest in Bramble's puppies please complete the puppy questionaire on our site.
How laid back can a dog be!!!
23 February 2010 - Can't believe it is nearly March - and can't wait for the better weather to come. Love the snow living in the Lakes - its just beautiful but walking large dogs when the gritter only goes to main roads in the area has been interesting to say the least.
They say that female cylces coincide - we had three dogs (bitches) in season at one time so that was fun; the flooring in the lounge had to get covered up - as all Leonberger owners know you can't say no to your Leo being in the same room as you.
I have changed jobs recently so I am at home more for the dogs. I plan to look for a stud for Bramble for her next season which will be around July this year. If anyone knows of a suitable stud please get in touch. This will be our first mating so would be glad to receive any advice from more experienced breeders out there.
We also gained our Accredited Breeder status from the Kennel Club so are very pleased about that. We only intend to breed once in a while for good health and temperament and only if we are sure the puppies will go to good homes.
3rd January 2010 - Its been an eventful month for us with not only Christmas when all the family arrived but our very essential Ford Ranger being written off on the ice. Simon was very lucky to come out of it pretty much unscathed. We have a replacement on the way but it really curtailed our days out with the dogs over the festive season - we can only take one at a time in the other car.
It is also Ilse and Eva's first birthdays and we have added some photos of them taken on the day. They really are a lovely couple of dogs and we are really proud of how they are turning out. Eva started off being the hyperactive one but is now much more obedient than Ilse! Ilse definitely has a bit of a stubbourn streak but just needs a firmer hand than Eva - not easy when you look so good!
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28 November 2009 - Breakfast time is fun in our house with six dogs of varying sizes to feed. One senior portion for Shona, one adult large dog for Bramble, two junior portions for Eva and Ilse and two small dog portions for Darcy and Jess! All the dogs eat well but Bramble the adult Leo and Isle one of the pups like to take their time when eating. Ilse will even wander off in the middle of her meal and come back to it. This morning she did this and when she returned our little black cat Lexie was munching away, Ilse tried to nudge gently in (she does not have an ounce of aggression in her!) but Lexi wasn't having it and hissed at her - Ilse did the sensible thing and stepped back - nothing worse than a cat scratch on the nose! (The cat didn't get much for those of you who are worrying - Lexie is a rescue cat who was born with practically no teeth!) Ilse has such a good temperament we have been thinking about training her as a PAT dog - gone off to do some research on how to go about that - will keep you all posted.
Lexie - butter wouldn't melt!
Mid November 2009- Well! We took Ilse to the ringcraft class - and boy, is she a natural - a little bit of anxiety very quickly disappeared and she took to walking up and down and being handled as if she was born to it. - we are so pleased at how she did we will definitely be trying her in a show next year with Bramble. We would just like to say a big thank you to all at the class for making us feel so welcome and giving us pointers on how to show our dogs.
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November 2009 - We have just been to our first ringcraft class as we thought we might try our hand at showing. We were full of apprehension at what the night would hold but left the class full of information and looking forward to the future. The people at our class were extremely friendly and helpful and were only too pleased to share their knowledge and experiences with us as absolute beginners. We took Bramble along and were really surprised and proud at how well she coped with the new environment although I am not sure she would be allowed to relax so much when going round the ring! Will keep you all posted on our progress with handling - we might take along Ilse and Eva to the next classes. We hope to go along to watch a show in a couple of weeks to get a feel for what goes on.
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