Why she was called Underbite Girl

Freja has an underbite. This isn't a health issue for her, but it is a comformation fault and can be passed on to her puppies, so Freja cannot be shown or bred. Here's a picture that shows why Freja was called Underbite Girl when she was very young:


Here she is looking back at the house where Rohan was standing at the back door:


Freja is 10 months old, weighs 77lbs and is 25-26" tall.

Big Dog Bed

Freja is now 8 months old and weighs 68lbs. She is no longer a little puppy, although she is very much a puppy in her behavior. Her current favorite toy is her yellow tennis ball. She can amuse herself for hours with it. She even tries to get Halle in on the game, but Halle just looks at her with disdain and gives her the Elvis lip.

Yesterday I finally decided that it was time to get Freja a big dog bed that she can use in the den and our bedroom. She still sleeps in her crate, but when she's lounging with us she should be comfy:

Teenage Freja Loses Privilege

Tonight Freja was asking to go out while Erik was out walking Halle around the neighborhood. I thought she really had to pee, so I let her out in the yard. I was standing barefoot on the cement stoop and Freja suddenly took off running... right out of the yard into and down the street in the direction Erik walks Halle. I called to her, but she did not come back. She very nearly missed being hit by a car.

Freja has lost the privilege of being out in the yard off leash. She will now be on a training lead outside at all times.

Freja meets more members of the family

Rohan's birthday was this weekend and we had a family party on Saturday afternoon. I brought Freja out on her leash to meet everyone and she was very well behaved. As long as she had her collar and leash on she did well with keeping all four paws on the floor.

Freja now weighs 65.5lbs, so it is important for her not to jump on people as she can easily knock people over.

Freja is now 7 months old

I took this picture tonight, on Freja's 7 month birthday:

Free stacking

Freja may not be a show dog, but she sure looks pretty when she free stacks. She was looking straight forward in the shot just prior to this one, but I didn't have her whole body in the frame.

Freja and the Flowers

Freja loves to sniff flowers.

Trotting

This evening I was out in the yard with Freja and caught her trotting in the yard with my little video camera:




Isn't she lovely?

Puppy Kindergarten

Freja has been attending Puppy Kindergarten and Puppy Social at Paws N Effect for a few weeks now. She is still a little bit shy at first, but she is getting much more comfortable with the other puppies and the people. Tonight I brought my Flip camera with me to class to record Freja during puppy social.





I think Freja is in love with the Corgi. She always wants to play with him.

Herding Bubbles

Erik's parents bought Rohan a bubble machine that makes streams of huge bubbles. Rohan wanted to play with it tonight when he got home from school and I thought Freja might have fun "herding" the bubbles with Rohan, so I brought her and my camera out with Erik and Rohan.

First Erik and Rohan set up the bubble machine on our recycling bin:




Rohan really enjoys this bubble machine:



Pop!


Freja wants to help Rohan herd those bubbles:



Freja studying the bubbles:



That bubble was here a second ago... where'd it go?

Puppy Social

Tonight Freja went to the Puppy Social at Paws N Effect. This was her first Puppy Social and she was a little nervous, but she did have a lot of fun playing with a few of her new friends. She's now one tuckered out Shiloh.

Goofy Clumsy Stage

Freja is now 5 months old. She is now at the goofy, clumsy stage where her agility is not quite in sync with her growing legs. Sometimes she trips over her own big feet. This afternoon I was out in the yard looking at the flowers and she was following me around. At one point she decided to dart out across the yard and just as I was admiring her beautiful movement she tripped and fell, but immediately stood right back up and looked at me with her big Shiloh grin and mile-long tongue as if to say, "I'm OK!" and kept right on running.

She'll pose forever for a Frisbee...

As long as I have the Frisbee in my hand Freja will pose nicely, waiting for me to throw her Frisbee.

I can just hear her thinking, "Are you going to throw that thing or what?"

Beautiful Girl with Azaleas

Our Azalea bush is in bloom, so I thought it would make a nice backdrop for our beautiful girl. To get this shot I just had her sit, told her to stay, and took her Frisbee and held it up over my head while snapping away.

Freja Gets Her DHLPP

Today Freja received her last puppy DHLPP vaccination. DHLPP is a combined vaccine for Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parainfluenza and Parvovirus. In a couple of days it will be more safe for her to visit public places without risk of infection with those diseases. I was particularly concerned about Parvo in part because Freja's first vet here thought she might have it, but also because I have now heard of two different instances of rescue puppies from the Southeastern US being brought to CT with Parvo.

Here are a few links to articles about the diseases DHLPP vaccinates against:

Distemper

Infectious Canine Hepatitis

Leptospirosis

Canine Parainfluenza, which is one of the most common causes of viral Kennel Cough

Canine Parvovirus

Freja and the real, live bunny

I often let Freja out the back door at night to go potty before bed and only step out onto the back steps myself. Freja is so good about staying in the yard and coming back when called that I haven't been putting her leash on her, but I have now learned that it would probably be smarter if I did.

Freja met her first real, live bunny the other night. It was 11pm and I opened the back door, stepped out and Freja followed me and then went down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs she stood, stacked staring ahead and I looked to see what had gotten her attention and saw the flash of a cottontail's fluffy tail as it leaped through the grass towards our neighbor's yard. Like a flash Freja was chasing the bunny, tail wagging and despite my attempts to call her back she could not resist the chase. I don't think Freja wanted to hurt the bunny. I think she wanted to play with it.

I had to trudge through the damp grass barefoot and wearing my pajamas to retrieve her from the neighbor's back yard. In any case, Freja will now be on her training lead when she goes out at night.

Frisbee Freja Pictures

This afternoon Rohan, Freja and I went out for some Frisbee fun out in the yard. I brought my camera, of course.

Freja fetching her hot pink Frisbee:



Freja in motion:



Freja's face mid-scratch:



Freja and Rohan:

Ex-Pen Escapee

This morning we had to go to the Mall, so after playing Frisbee in the back yard I gave Freja a few ice cubes and her Buster cube and put her in her exercise pen in the kitchen. Well... apparently I did not make sure that the bottom two hooks were clipped around both sides of the opening, because when we got home the first thing I noticed was a stick of wood on the den floor. I said to my husband, "What is that?!" And then Freja came bounding up to us and I said, "Oh no! How did she get out?!"

Freja and Halle appear to have been chasing each other around the house as things were knocked over and strewn about. Freja also chewed on a number of Rohan's toys that were left within her reach.

By the way, the stick of wood came from the fireplace hearth. She pulled it out of the hearth basket in the living room.

Freja is losing her baby teeth

Yesterday morning while I was grooming Freja I noticed that one of her top front teeth looked strange, like it was bent forward. I touched the tooth and was surprised to find it was wiggly! As I looked at her other teeth I noticed that one other tooth was already gone and a third one was loose too. By the end of the day both wiggly teeth were also gone. Freja is losing her baby teeth.

Possible Natural Remedies for Localized Demodicosis

Here is a list of possible natural remedies for localized demodicosis:

1) Lemon Lotion (thanks to Sheila Masse at Rising Star Shilohs for sharing this with me):

Squeeze the seeds and flesh from a dozen halved lemons
Soak in a gallon of warm water over night
Refrigerate
Add water as it gets lower
Replace lemon peels with fresh peels as they get moldy

Apply lemon lotion to affected areas of skin avoiding contact with the eyes.

2) Neem oil: oil pressed from the fruits and seeds of an evergreen plant native to India. Neem oil has pesticide properties. This was suggested by the homeopathic vet my vet consulted with, but my vet thought it might be difficult to find Neem oil in Connecticut. I haven't tried to find it yet.

3) Borax & Peroxide bath solution: http://www.earthclinic.com/Pets/dog_mange_cure.html

This isn't really a remedy, but it was the recommendation of my vet and the homeopathic vet with whom she consulted: give your dog the best chance to fight off the Demodex mites on his or her own by helping his or her immune system. Feed your dog a high quality diet and use supplements that help the immune system, including probiotics. Bovine colostrum is a good choice as well. My vet said to visit the natural health food store and look for immune building products designed for people, bearing in mind that there are some plants, fruits and vegetables that dogs should not ingest (such as grapes).

Last Lesson of the day: Canine Demodicosis

We humans, and our pets, carry around with us a large number of little organisms that are normal, and sometimes even healthy for us. For example, in our intestines we carry around a variety of "friendly" bacteria and when the balance of those good bacteria is thrown off, such as when we take broad spectrum antibiotics that kill them off, we can suffer ill effects such as intestinal upsets due to overgrowth of certain other bacteria or fungal species.

Just as it is normal for us to carry around certain bacteria in our intestines, it is normal for our dogs to carry around small numbers of a tiny mite called Demodex canis on their skin, down in the roots of the hair follicles. This mite is only transferred from mother dogs to their newborn puppies less than 3 days old whose immune systems have not developed. After that Demodex mites cannot be transmitted from one dog to another. Also, Demodex mites are species-specific, which means they only live on dogs.

Demodicosis, sometimes called Demodectic mange or red mange, is a condition that arises when the number of Demodex canis grows unchecked and causes skin irritation. There are two types of Demodicosis, localized demodicosis and general demodicosis. These two types are actually very different conditions with quite different implications.

Localized demodicosis affects dogs younger than two years old, most often puppies between 3 and 6 months of age (note: puppies do not have fully developed immune systems-- this is NORMAL). As the name suggests, localized demodicosis affects only part of a dog's skin, from 1 to 4 or 5 spots typically close together (though it can be on the face/head and the front legs and still be considered localized). The skin can become red and irritated in the area and the hair can fall out. Secondary infections can develop and can contribute to itchiness and discomfort. Localized demodicosis usually happens when a puppy is very stressed or when his or her immune system is affected by illness. It often resolves on its own without any treatment. Treatment can be used to speed up the process of killing off the excess mites, and might involve a topical ointment called Goodwinol, dips like Mitaban, or systemic medications like Ivermectin. There are also natural treatments that can be recommended by a homeopathic veterinarian.

Generalized demodicosis is a much more serious, severe disease. As the name indicates, it is generalized or affects the dog's whole body, and consists of baldness or patchy hair over the whole dog, scaly skin and accompanying skin infections. It has two sub-types, juvenile-onset (in dogs 8 months to 3 years depending on when the breed matures) and adult-onset (in mature dogs). Juvenile-onset generalized demodicosis has a much better prognosis than adult-onset, because a younger dog's immune system is continuing to develop and has a greater chance of being able to combat the mites on its own. Adult-onset demodicosis is usually indicative of an underlying immune problem and has a poorer prognosis. Generalized demodicosis requires treatment and testing to determine if there are the underlying conditions that affect the immune system in a mature dog. Treatment may involve antibiotics, Mitaban dips, Ivermectin, or other drugs.

Generalized demodicosis can be indicative of genetic disease that affects the immune system. Now let me emphasize something: localized demodicosis is NOT a genetic disease. These two conditions ARE NOT the same thing. A puppy who has localized demodicosis can grow up to be a perfectly normal, healthy dog and can be bred without any worry that the puppies will pass on this condition. An adult dog who has generalized demodicosis should be neutered or spayed and not bred, because it will almost always have some other underlying immune disorder.

In regard to Freja, Freja has localized demodicosis that occurred during her severe illness from Giardiasis. Freja had vomiting and diarrhea and became dehydrated. Also she was probably not receiving proper nutrients from her food due to malabsorption caused by an overabundance of Giardia. Adding insult to injury Freja developed Kennel Cough while she was hospitalized for IV fluids with the giardiasis.

Although we started to phase in treatment with Ivermectin she had a reaction to the Ivermectin (it caused her to have diarrhea), so we discontinued it after the second day before we even got up to the treatment dose. Freja's demodicosis is now resolving all on its own with NO specific treatment at all. Her hair is growing back on the bald spots and she has no new spots anywhere. This is a clear sign that Freja has completely recovered from the giardiasis AND the kennel cough and has a healthy immune system.

Another lesson in Veterinary Medicine: Kennel Cough

Infectious Tracheobronchitis, or Kennel Cough, is a contagious disease that affects dogs. According to The Merck Veterinary Manual, "Infectious tracheobronchitis results from inflammation of the upper airways. It is a mild, self-limiting disease but may progress to fatal bronchopneumonia in puppies or to chronic bronchitis in debilitated adult or aged dogs. The illness spreads rapidly among susceptible dogs housed in close confinement (eg, veterinary hospitals or kennels)."

Although it is referred to as if it is one disease it can actually be caused by multiple different viruses or bacteria. The vaccine that is commonly called the Kennel Cough vaccine actually only vaccinates against one of the bacterial causes of Kennel Cough, Bordetella bronchiseptica. Other causes of Kennel Cough include parainfluenza, distemper, and canine adenoviruses, just to name a few.

Freja probably contracted a viral form of Kennel Cough while she was in the Veterinary Hospital receiving treatment for dehydration due to the diarrhea and vomiting caused by Giardiasis. Since secondary bacterial infections are common with Kennel Cough Freja was treated with antibiotics (Clavamox), and she was given some cough syrup (Vick's Formula 44D) for the coughing.

A little lesson in Veterinary Medicine: Giardiasis

I thought I'd take this opportunity to share some information with folks out there about the health conditions that have affected Freja in the time she has been with our family. First, let's talk about Giardiasis.

Giardiasis is a protozoal infection that can affect people, dogs, cats, birds and many other species. What is a protozoal infection you ask? A protozoal infection is infection with single-celled organisms called protozoans. The protozoan that causes Giardiasis is called Giardia. There are multiple species of Giardia, but Giardia in dogs is often referred to as Giardia canis. These little critters can only be seen under a microscope. Here is a link to a photo of what Giardia looks like under the microscope: http://plantphys.info/organismal/lechtml/images/giardia.jpg. As you can see, Giardia is a flagellate, which means it has a tail or tails that it uses to propel itself around.

So, you may be wondering, how does your pet become infected with Giardia? By ingesting the Giardia cysts. Protozoan species go through a series of life stages, one of which is the cyst stage. Protozoan cysts are very tough and can survive for along time exposed to the environment, especially if the conditions are right for them (i.e. high humidity is good for Giardia cysts). How do cysts get into the environment? Simple: feces. They are shed from the intestines of infected animals or people and then contaminate water or surfaces that come into contact with feces. Think about all of the places bird feces touch and you will see how easy it is for these microscopic hitchhikers to spread around. This is why it is important not to drink surface water that's not purified and not to let your pets drink from puddles.

What happens to your dog (or cat or YOU) when Giardia runs amok in the intestines? It builds up on the inside of the intestines, prevents absorption of nutrients and causes diarrhea, and sometimes also nausea and vomiting. If your dog (or cat or YOU) are not getting proper nutrient absorption overall health can be impacted. It can certainly affect your dog's (or cat's or YOUR) immune system and make your dog (or cat or YOU) more susceptible to other infections. While there is some scientific evidence indicating that some animals (and people) can carry Giardia in their systems with no ill effects to themselves (and therefore act as vectors or agents to spread the cysts around), for most dogs, cats and people Giardia causes illness.

So, how is Giardia treated? By medications that kill protozoans such as Metronidazole (also called Flagyl). When Freja had Giardiasis she was treated with Metronidazole. It is a very strong drug that has its own share of side effects, but it is very effective at killing protozoans.

For more information about Giardiasis in pets please see the relevant article in The Merck Veterinary Manual.

Vet Check-Up

Wednesday afternoon Freja had a check-up at the Vet's office. She has completely recovered from Kennel Cough. She also gained a couple of pounds and is now 28lbs.

The demodicosis, however, has gotten worse instead of better with just the Goodwinol treatment. The vet did several skin scrapings and showed me the mites under the microscope. Freja has many mites when usually a healthy dog has so few that they can't be found with one skin scraping. So, Freja started a 30 day Ivermectin treatment today. This will treat the demodicosis systemically instead of topically.

Relaxing after a long, busy day...

Freja's Kennel Cough is almost completely better. She only coughed once this morning and didn't cough at all this afternoon when she romped around the yard with Rohan. She had a very busy day spending most of the day outside with us while we did yard work and planted Asiatic lily bulbs. For part of the afternoon I had her leash tied to one of my jeans belt loops, part of the time she was loose running with Rohan, and the rest of the time she was in her ex-pen in the shade under one of the huge pines in our back. The ex-pen was only about 6 feet away from where I was kneeling on the ground planting bulbs, so she could see us the whole time.

She's a very tired out girl after such an exciting day. Here's a picture of her relaxing with her favorite toy the un-stuffed fox:

Kennel Cough

Just when Freja's health issues were a thing of the past she started coughing Tuesday night. We saw a new vet yesterday and Freja has tracheobronchitis (i.e. Kennel Cough). She also had a tick on her! She's being treated for the kennel cough with Clavamox, which will also treat Lyme disease in case she happens to get that from the tick. She's also had a little bit of Vicks Formula 44D (yes, the human cough syrup).

The good news is after just two doses of Clavamox she already seems to be feeling better. I think the Vicks helped her to not cough all night, so she was able to sleep too.

Evening play time...

This evening Rohan, Freja and I went out in the back yard to play while Erik was bringing Halle for her evening walk. Freja and Rohan both stopped playing to watch Erik and Halle come back up the street:



Rohan said, "Daddy and Halle are coming!"

Freja was a very good girl and did not leave the yard. She waited until Halle was back in our yard to give her many puppy kisses:



Halle is slightly more tolerant of Freja's exuberance, and Freja is learning to tone it down with Halle.

After many kisses Freja decided it was time for a quick sprint around the yard:



Not to be outdone by a 15 week old puppy, Halle prepares for take-off:



After much racing around Halle needed a drink, so Erik and Halle went into the house. Freja, Rohan and I stayed out for a little while longer. Here's a boy and his Shiloh:



After we came back into the house Halle was in one of her "zooming" moods, so Freja and Halle raced around the downstairs. It was so nice to see them playing together.

Good Girl

Tonight we went out for another walk around the block. I took a few pictures in the yard before we left and this is my favorite of Freja sitting nicely and waiting to go walking. She has such a feminine look. You can see that her saddle is really darkening as some of the puppy fluff has been coming out with brushing.

Stairs

Freja will go up the stairs to our second floor with no problem, but she will not come down the stairs. She goes down the outside back steps just fine now, but there are only a few steps. Last night I spent about 45 minutes working with Freja on coming down steps.

First I coaxed her to come up 5 steps, enticing her with a Wellness Puppy Treat. Once she was on step 5 I gave her the treat and then showed her a second one and went down to the bottom of the stairs. She came down.

So, I went up a few more stairs and enticed her up, but instead of stopping where I was she kept going all the to the top. Here are some photos of the next steps:


The treat looks enticing...


Maybe I can stretch my nose out far enough to get the treat without touching the stairs....

Alas... that doesn't work.

Just around this time Halle, the beagle, returned from her walk with my husband. Halle also had a hard time with stairs when she first came to live here even though she was 5-8 years old. I worked with Halle on walking the stairs and now she runs up and down the stairs often. Halle was very excited by the prospect of any activity that involved treats, so she ran up the stairs to join us. I proceeded to go down the stairs and Halle followed, then up the stairs, Halle followed... Freja observed all of this activity. The third time Halle and I went up and down Freja followed! I told her she was a VERY good girl.

The bad news is this morning she refused to come down the stairs again. I envision carrying an 80lb Shiloh Shepherd down the stairs every day... LOL

She's Home!

Freja came home from the vet hospital last night. She tested negative for Parvo. She is on several medications for about a week, and prescription food for a couple of days, but otherwise she is much, much better.

Freja has a Giardia infection. Giardia is a protozoa that can cause diarrhea in puppies and dogs. There are actually several species of Giardia. The one that affects dogs is called Giardia canis. While scientists are uncertain they believe that Giardia canis does not affect humans. Giardia lamblia is the species that affects humans. In any case, it is spread by fecal-oral contact, so... enough said.

She's doing much better!

Vet Hospital

Our sweet little Freja spent the night last night at the Vet hospital. She was vomiting and had diarrhea yesterday and when we took her to the vet she was dehydrated. They are running some tests, but treating her for Parvo just in case. She also has Giardia, so they're treating that too while she is there.

Freja is vaccinated for Parvo, along with Distemper, Parainfluenza, Hepatitis (a form that affects dogs), and Leptospirosis, but apparently with young puppies vaccination isn't always 100% effective. Parvo is 80-95% survivable now, so we hope that if it is Parvo that we caught it early enough.

I spent the night mopping the tiles in the kitchen and bathroom with bleach solution and spraying down all of the family's shoes with Lysol disinfectant.

Our first warm Saturday of 2008...

The weather was so nice today that it finally feels like spring. This evening we went out for a walk and I brought my camera.

Here is Freja, the pretty Shiloh sitting nicely for her portrait:




Here she is sniffing around the yard:



Here is an angle that shows Freja's little underbite:



And here is Freja with her "I don't really want to go for a walk around the block" expression:

Riding in the car...

This morning we took a test ride from our house to the pet supply store. We had to get Halle's food and a few odds and ends for Freja, so we decided to bring her along. Instead of putting her in the travel crate I put her on my lap in the back seat of the car. She did very well.

I let her walk around in the pet supply store. I was going to carry her around, but the store just opened and the floors were still shining clean. Actually it's always very clean in there. Anyhow, Freja particularly enjoyed watching the salt water fish. We got Halle's food, a crate pad bed for Freja, a Merrick Bully stick, a Nylabone, and a dog puzzle toy.

On the way home Freja sat next to me in the middle seat in the back seat with her head on my lap. She didn't bark, jump, or otherwise make a fuss at all. In fact, she was starting to fall asleep by the time we got home.

I know that she won't be able to ride in my lap for long, so I am going to look into getting her a seatbelt harness.

Housetraining Woes

After her initial accident in the house the first night she was here Freja had no accidents in the house until last night, but she had an accident at the same time tonight about 20 minutes after she was outside and went potty.

She just turned 14 weeks today and according to one of the puppy books I bought we can't expect her to be able to reliably let us know she has to go until she's 16 weeks old. All things considered she is doing very well despite these two accidents.

At least she didn't "go" on the Mongolian wool rug ;) .

Sleepy puppy

Yesterday was Freja's first day at home while we were all at work or school. I came home during my lunch hour to feed her and walk her in the back yard. She did pretty well with the exception of flipping her water dish (twice!).

I was at work late, so I didn't get home until just after 6pm. Freja was very happy to see all of us. She was also had a lot of energy to burn, so while Erik was giving Rohan his bath I took Freja out for a walk around the block. She did quite well on the leash this time.

Her behavior with the cats is also improving. Erik spent some time showing her the less frightened of the two cats, Sam, who will now allow Freja to sniff her. She didn't bark at Sam at all last night!

By 10pm Freja was wiped out and fell asleep by my feet against my rocking chair with her teddy bear. Her favorite stuffed animal is actually her bunny, but she gave bunny a swim in her water bowl yesterday, so he's drying out...

Freja Met Rohan's Grandma & Opa

This afternoon my husband's parents came to visit and meet Freja. Freja was napping in the kitchen when they arrived, but she perked right up when Opa gave her a squeaky toy that they brought for her. Freja did not bark at them.

She does, however, bark at the cats. I am working on convincing her that the cats are part of the pack and should be respected.

Ears Up

Here's a shot of those ears standing all the way up. Our neighbor who came into the yard to see her has GSD's and she commented about Freja's ears being up already.

Playing with Rohan

This morning we went in the back yard so Rohan could play ball with Freja. Freja was more interested in Rohan than the ball.

The ball is behind her and she's running towards Rohan. Notice that her ears, while held back are not collie-style this morning. She has been holding them up more and more.

We invited one of our neighbors into the yard to meet Freja this morning. Freja was her usual charming, friendly self and flopped herself over for a belly rub.

Freja & Her Bunny

Freja's favorite soft toy is her large squeaky bunny. The bunny has high pitched squeakers in its feet, a low pitched squawker in its body, and crinkly stuff in its ears. She likes to chew on it and use it as a pillow.

Rainy day...

I stayed home with Freja and Halle again today. I have allowed them a little more supervised time together, and did a "sit" training session in the kitchen with both of them. Of course, Halle already knows how to sit, but I thought it would be a good exercise for her anyway. It was also an opportunity to teach both of them "leave it" when each tried to take the other's treats.

We also worked on going up the stairs for about a half an hour. Freja will now follow me without much hesitation up the stairs. Down the stairs is a different story. She still won't come down. Well, one step at a time, right? ;) Halle assisted in the going up stairs activity and was surprisingly not grumpy towards Freja while we were going up the stairs. She even allowed Freja to puppy lick her mouth without snarling or baring her teeth, which is what she usually does when Freja tries to puppy lick her.

It's raining out today and Freja doesn't seem to like the rain much. I have taken her out several times and she quickly does her business and then looks at me as if to say, "Are we done now? Can we go back in the house?"

The picture above is from yesterday. I'm not taking my camera out in the rain ;) .

Isn't she lovely?

Freja is a pet quality Shiloh Shepherd. She cannot be a show dog and she cannot be bred. She has an underbite, which is a recessive genetic trait that should not be perpetuated. Her underbite does not bother her and she can eat and drink and play just fine.

Despite this flaw I think Freja is an absolutely beautiful girl. Her coloring and markings are very pretty and her ears are almost all the way up already.

Even better: she's an absolute sweetheart. She loves belly rubs and snuggles. She is very smart too. This afternoon I spent about a half an hour with her and Halle in the kitchen teaching Freja how to sit. I think she is getting it pretty well. I am going to try asking her to sit for her dinner the way we ask Halle to sit for her dinner.

Running around the yard...

I went back to the pet supply shop this morning to buy a 30' training lead. We don't have a fenced yard and it makes me really nervous to let Freja run around free. She almost always comes when I clap my hands, but I don't want to risk it. While I was gone to the store I left Freja in her ex-pen in the kitchen. She managed to tip over her water bowl while I was out. I guess I will have to get a tip-proof water bowl.

I took her out in the back yard for a romp and some photos when I got back.

Freja is home!

I drove up to the airport to pick her up last night. The plane landed a few minutes early, but she wasn't brought over to the Cargo pickup place until 9:55pm. I cleaned her up a little bit and then we headed home.

Freja was very good in her crate in the car. She only whined a few times then settled in for the rest of the ride.

Above is a picture of Freja in our kitchen after her first bath.

Tomorrow Night!

Freja will be flying into Bradley International Airport (BDL) tomorrow night at 9:32pm!

Wednesday!

Freja should be here on Wednesday.

I have one more thing to pick up at Choice Pet Supply: Nupro All Natural Dog Supplement.

We can't wait!

Shopping

I can't say enough good things about Choice Pet Supply in North Haven. The staff are all knowledgeable and friendly, especially the manager and the night manager, and they have a wide selection of excellent quality pet foods, toys, beds, and other supplies. Yesterday we went shopping there to prepare for Freja's arrival and I was able to get almost everything that was on my shopping list right there.

Freja will be eating Eagle Pack Holistic Select Large & Giant Breed Puppy formula food with some additions & supplements per the recommendation of her breeder. Large and giant breed puppies have special nutritional requirements in order to prevent orthopedic problems.

Freja's Picture on NZS web site...

We don't have any pictures of Freja of our own yet, but here is Freja on her breeder's web site:

http://www.newzionshilohs.org/dual.jpg

Freja is a black & silver dual colored Shiloh. Doesn't she have the sweetest face?

While we wait...

Our to do list:

1) Puppy proof the house.

2) Teach 3.5 year old son NOT to leave his toys laying around in any rooms other than his bedroom. (I'm thinking this lesson will not be learned until Freja chews on something.)

3) Make puppy shopping list.

4) Sign up for puppy kindergarten.

5) Remember to charge camera batteries.

Freja's Blog

Hello, and welcome to the My Friend Freja (ISSR Shiloh Shepherd) blog. I hope to use this blog to provide pictures and updates of Freja and share information about her breed, the Shiloh Shepherd.

Freja is a 12 week old plush coat, dual-colored Shiloh Shepherd puppy who will become part of our family next week sometime. Her parents are Val and Acer at New Zion Shilohs (http://www.newzionshilohs.org). The breeder is the Shiloh Shepherd breed founder, Tina Barber.

The Shiloh Shepherd is a developing breed founded by Ms. Barber. Ms. Barber's family has a long history with the German Shepherd Dog breed from which the Shiloh Shepherd breed was developed. You can read about the history of the Original Shiloh Shepherd breed at the Shiloh Shepherds web site at http://www.shilohshepherds.org/.

I discovered the Shiloh Shepherd breed quite by accident one day when I was reading listings for German Shepherd dogs on Petfinder. One of the listings showed a picture of a very large male GSD-looking dog and the description said, "possibly part Shiloh." I had never heard of the Shiloh Shepherd and out of curiosity I did a Google search for "Shiloh Shepherd" and lo and behold I found the Shiloh Shepherds web site and the associated Shiloh Shepherd Forums. The dog pictured on the first page of the forum at the time bore a remarkable likeness to an "old style" German Shepherd Dog my family had had when I was a very young child. That image alone struck a chord, and with further reading by all descriptions the Shiloh Shepherd was also in many other ways very much like that particular dog, Max, and I was intrigued and wanted to learn more.

After reading a lot of information, chatting with the numerous Shiloh owners, breeders and admirers on the forums, and attending two pet events where I was able to meet a Shiloh Shepherd breeder, Sheila Masse of Rising Star Shilohs, and several real Shiloh Shepherds (Manny, Joy, Sezar, and Timber) in person I knew that the next canine member of our family would be a Shiloh.

Our family consists of myself, my husband, our 3.5 year old son, a 10-13 year old beagle and two cats. The humans at least are excited to welcome our new addition soon!