Marshfield Kennel Online Web Log

Two males, one Female available

Todd Chrisman — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 17:31:00 GMT

Excalibur and Eros are available to hunting homes.

Eriu, the female, is available as well. However because we can't repeat this breeding, some special conditions will apply. We'd like her to stay in New England and with someone who can train dogs and who is willing to work out some agreement for us to have breeding rights on some level. There are a lot of different ways to go, so if this sounds interesting to you, please let us know.

RIP Monte

Todd Chrisman — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 01:46:00 GMT

Monte died in a horrible accident tonight. He impaled himself while having an after-dinner run in the yard.

Monte was a shorthair's shorthair. He had every tool in the shed and knew how to use them. I think it's fair to say his mind was like granite. It might have taken a bit more work to chisel the information into his brain, but once there, it was there forever. He was the kind of dog who could repeat a situation he hadn't seen in years. "Oh, I'm supposed to swim across and wait for directions." It didn't matter that there were three states and two hunting seasons in the middle, he just did it.

I met Monte as a wee pup, probably a few weeks old in Vermont. I had a bitter sweet moment a few months later as Craig and I introduced him to birds, right before Craig and Janna headed to Utah. At a few months of age, I could tell he was special. Monte was the result of Craig's philosophies colliding with some of the top breeders in the country. Craig is one of my mentors and maybe the most influential in my breeding program. Monte, I decided, was to be my stud for the next five years.

Monte had it all. He hunted hard. He had exceptional conformation. He could Prize I a NAVHDA Utility Test without rehearsal. He was good to have in the house. He had the noble and stoic disposition that is so desirable in the breed.

We are deeply saddened by Monte's sudden death and wish Craig and Janna our prayers, best wishes and any emotional support we can possibly offer.

I'm sorry, I can't write any more tonight; I'm crying my eyes out. Please pray for Craig, Janna and Monte. The bible promises that everything we need will be provided in heaven. I can't imagine heaven without Monte.

Diva's pups at four weeks

Todd Chrisman — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 19:41:00 GMT

We finally got the camera out and shot some photos.

Excalibur: Mythical weapon of King Arthur

His face is like his mother's

He'll be hot ticked.

He has a white patch on his side, like his cousin Bandit.

Eros:

His face will likely be solid.

He'll be hot ticked and a sharp looking boy.

Ekhart: Leader of the Wild Hunt

Our black roan boy.

Solid face, except for some puppy mush stuck to him.

That black spot will grow as he gets older.

Eriu: Goddess and personification of Ireland

She should also have a solid head.

She'll be hot ticked as well.

Monte continues Invitational Training

Todd Chrisman — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 19:07:00 GMT

Craig, Janna and Monte came for a visit yesterday. We took the chance to get in some training for Monte's upcoming Invitational Test. The set up here is a blind retrieve across about 300 feet of water. The theoretical set up is that a duck is wounded and it runs up the bank, the dog didn't see it. We set this up by circling the lake, and planting a bumper on the far side. So without a shot fired, Craig sends Monte for the far shore.

"Mark"

"Fetch"

"Atta Boy!"

"Give"

It wasn't a perfect run, but given that Monte hadn't done this drill in a couple of years and I think it was good enough to pass the test, it was a pretty good time.

Two weeks old

Amanda — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 23:23:00 GMT

As expected with a litter size of four, the puppies continue to grow at a rapid rate. All have their eyes open and our showing increased mobility. We'll post some more photos soon, but in the meantime here are Todd's brother Sean's two girls with the puppies.

Fwd: Fw: Important Message: P&G Expands Iams/Eukanuba Food Recall

Todd Chrisman — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 01:26:29 GMT

Dear Steven,

We want you to be aware of the following expanded product recall from P&G:

P&G Expands Voluntary Limited Recall of Specialized Dry Pet Foods Due to Possible Health Risk

CINCINNATI, July 30, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ ???

The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) (NYSE: PG) is voluntarily expanding its recall to include veterinary and some specialized dry pet food as a precautionary measure because it has the potential to be contaminated with salmonella. No salmonella-related illnesses have been reported.

Product Name	Version	"Best-By" Dates	UPC Code
>Iams Veterinary Dry Formulas	>All dry sizes and varieties	>01Jul10-01Dec11	>All UPC Codes
>Eukanuba Naturally Wild	>All dry sizes and varieties	>01Jul10-01Dec11	>All UPC Codes
>Eukanuba Pure	>All dry sizes and varieties	>01Jul10-01Dec11	>All UPC Codes
>Eukanuba Custom Care Sensitive Skin	>All dry sizes	>01Jul10-01Dec11	>All UPC Codes

Salmonella is a group of bacteria that can cause illness in people and pets. If your pet has eaten the product(s) mentioned above and is experiencing diarrhea, fever, or vomiting, please make an appointment for an exam as soon as possible. If you or one of your family members has handled any of these products and is experiencing any symptoms, please contact your physician immediately.

Remember, washing your hands before and after handling any food products is a great way to reduce your risk of contracting infection.

Sincerely,

Stoneham Animal Hospital

Pics - 9 days old

Amanda — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 21:00:00 GMT

All isgoing well with the little ones. They're not quite so little anymore. The four puppies are growing steadily and appear right on track developmentally. Today, they got a little fresh air and sunshine time. We are still looking for homes for these lovely puppies. So, if you're looking for your next hunting partner, please send us an e-mail.

New pics

Todd Chrisman — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:54:00 GMT

They are all still available.

Here they are!!

Amanda — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 00:13:00 GMT

As promised, here are the first pictures from Marshfield's E litter. Mom and puppies are doing great. Tails and dew claws were done today as they're such strapping little ones. We are still looking for hunting homes for these puppies, so if you're looking for that special dog, please contact us. So, without further delay, we're pleased to present

Eros
Eros

Eriu--and yes, she's a screamer

Excalibur
Excalibur

Ekhart

Diva's Pups Ariived

Todd Chrisman — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 21:08:00 GMT

Diva had four beautiful healthy pups yesterday. We'd counted four skulls on the x-ray, but thought one spine might have run off the "page" for a hoped for fifth.

Pictures to follow, we have mostly solid heads and mostly ticked or roan bodies.

Marshfield's Eros is the Liver Boy (Greek god of Love)
Marshfield's Eriu is the Liver Girl (Irish godess of Ireland)
Marshfield's Excalibur is the Black boy with a spot on his tail (King Arthur's sword)
Marshfield's Ekhart is the black boy with the spot on his side (Leads the Wild Hunt)

We haven't advertised heavily and have no deposits. If you want a pup, the pick of the litter is available. Since there are only four, and it takes four to get a breeder's award, we need to make sure our buyers are going to Natural Ability test these pups next spring.

X-ray today

Amanda — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 23:00:00 GMT

So after weeks of impatiently waiting, today Diva went with me to the office for her x-ray. She has been cruising through pregnancy, though with a decided waddle to her stride. X-ray did of course verify pregnancy. Despite her large size, we are looking at a smallish litter based off of x-ray. No concerns at this point about the puppies being oversized. The x-ray showed consistent size, with normal skull size. They are however looking long. They're actually bigger than the span of my hand going thumb to pinkie. Next weekend should bring the big day.

Nesting

Todd Chrisman — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:10:00 GMT

Before each litter whelps, I start nesting. We whelp our litters in a dedicated building that we call the Whelping Suite. It started life a sauna and we shoved a whelping box in it. The building now has a dog door to an outside kennel run, seasonal running cold water and automatic dog waterer, a whelping box built in, a cushy heating pad with a rheostat to control temperature, an energy star window to keep out the drafts, and three heat sources. Mom and Dad came up over the weekend and Dad and I (well, Dad with me watching and trying to assist) expanded the electrical service. We used to run extension cords under the door (dangerous) and the outlets weren't grounded (yikes) and at night, you had to walk to the building in the dark and through it to plug in a lamp so you could see.

Now, we have a motion activated light on the outside of the building so as you approach, the lights come on automatically. There is a switch inside the door, safe electrical outlets where I need them and everything is grounded. I have an outlet for an air conditioner that might or might not get installed prior to the pups coming. Being too hot is generally not the problem for pups. But we shall see.

Every time we whelp out a litter, we think of ways to do it better next time. The easier you can make it for yourself to feed, water, sanitize and socialize the pups, the better the job you do. Now if I can just find a scrap or two of vinyl flooring...

My Dreams

Todd Chrisman — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:23:00 GMT

I had a dream a while back that I was breeding a Morgan mare to top notch German Riding Pony via frozen, and getting nice ponies for eventing and dressage. It's an idea I can't shake. You can get your hands on Morgan mares for little to no money. And you can get your hands on "Papa-cicles" for about the price of a dog's stud fee. In my dream, the get comes out really nice. Well, horse folks, tell me your opinion of this little girl:

She's the cross of a (probably pretty nice) Mogan mare to a top shelf German Riding Pony. She's 14.2 hands.

I have to get something going and I think I'd enjoy horse breeding as much as I do dog breeding. So maybe, just maybe, this dream of mine isn't so crazy after all.

Diva getting big

Todd Chrisman — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 13:45:00 GMT

Diva wonders, "Do these puppies make my butt look big?"

Diva is quite knocked up. I'd just like to reiterate that we don't sell GSP's to non-hunters. I'm sure you'd make a fabulous home for my pups, but it's not what we do here. There are a pile of GSP's in rescue. Most aren't "advertised." So fill out the forms and ask for what you want. They have standards too so don't get snippy with Celeste if you don't qualify.

I've had a question about coat color. Black is a dominant gene "B". And liver is a recessive gene "b". Diva is "Bb" which means she carries the recessive gene for liver. Monte is liver so he's "bb" double recessive. So we would expect from this litter half the pups to be black "Bb" and the other half to be liver "bb". Since Monte can only offer the recessive gene, color determination comes from Diva.

In addition to coat color there are three other genes that influence the overall look of the coat. One controls the ratio of colored to white. It really works like the brightness dial on your TV. Another controls how much those hairs are mixed up on the coat. It's a lot like the contrast dial. A third controls the size of the large solid sports. I don't think any TV has ever had that before.

I'd say diva is pretty close to 50/50. Color to white. Maybe 55/45. I'd say Monte is around 60/40 color to white. That said, I've seen pups lighter and darker than their parents.

Diva is "hot ticked" meaning she has a lot of contrast in her ticking pattern. Monte is "roan" meaning he has white and liver hairs almost one to one to one to one... From a distance, he almost looks like a brown dog. If someone can tell me what patterns we expect, I'd be thrilled.

Diva has very few solid spots, so a lot of her ticking shows through. Her head is almost solid and she has one solid spot on her back the size of a DVD. Monte has more solid spots, but not a lot more. His solid-like appearance is due to his roan. Generally, the offspring have less in solid than their parents. I have never heard of a solid dog that didn't have a solid parent.

So other than saying half should be male and half female, and half black and half liver and some should be ticked and some roan, I don't really know what the patterns will be.

E Litter Pedigree

Todd Chrisman — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 11:17:00 GMT

Here is the pedigree for the 2010 E litter. We've decided to use Monty. I've had my eye on him since he was born.

It's kind of a humbling experience to fill in the photographs because I can take no credit for the wonderful dogs in the pedigree. As a newer breeder, every litter I produce is based on the work of others. I stand on the shoulders of giants.

Pedigree for Marshfield's E Litter
German Shorthaired Pointers

Sire INT CH Scarecrow's Winooski River UT I ("Monte") Vermont/Utah	Sire INT CH & VC Sharp Shooter's Hot Rod "Rev" Wisconsin	Sire INT CH & VC Sharp Shooter's Prairie Dancer "Tango" Wisconsin	Sire KS Orson vom Pottsiepen
			Dam Sharp Shooter's Corkpine Bid
		Dam INT CH & VC Nobelle's Holly Terra New Jersey/Wisconsin	Sire VC Shooting Starr's Sharp Shooter MH Wisconsin
			Dam Hawkeye's West Fork B&B
	Dam VC Sharp Shooter's Megun v Lacy Wisconsin/Utah	Sire INT CH & VC Sharp Shooter's Prairie Dancer "Tango"	Sire KS Orson vom Pottsiepen Germany/Chigago
			Dam Sharp Shooter's Corkpine Bid
		Dam VC Lacy vom Briemoor MH	Sire CH & KS Graf von Vehrner Moore MH
			Dam Brie vom Seugenof MH
Dam Marshfield's Aoide "Diva" Massachusetts/Maine	Sire INT CH & VC Sharp Shooter's Prairie Dancer "Tango"	Sire KS Orson vom Pottsiepen Germany/Chicago	Sire Kristan vom Pottsiepen Germany/Chicago
			Dam Ilka vom Pottsiepen
		Dam Sharp Shooter's Corkpine Bid Wisconsin	Sire VC Shooting Starr's Sharp Shooter MH Wisconsin
			Dam VC Tess von Klana Spirit Wisconsin
	Dam Dove vom Bergsteiger West Virginia/Maine	Sire KS & WS Ariel vom Hege-Haus Germany/West Virginia	Sire Mondlicht vom Hege-Haus
			Dam Proud vom Hege-Haus
		Dam Anja vom Bergsteiger West Virginia	Sire KS & WS Janos vom Hege-Haus
			Dam KS Revue vom Hinschen-Hof

GSP Litter Due July 24, 2010

Todd Chrisman — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 05:56:00 GMT

It finally happened, Diva is pregnant with Monte's pups. Monte is a calm, people focused and trainable dog who also happens to be a hunting machine. Diva is a hunting machine. We expect a litter of pups that a devoted beginner can turn into a wonderful hunting dog, and with enough dedication anyone should be able to take these pups to the VC level.

Click here for Pedigree

Click here for everything I've written about this mating.

Click here for Monte's home page.

Click here for Diva's page.

We expect these pups to go home at the end of September.

She's now Sandwynn's Storm Treasure RA NA

Amanda — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 17:12:00 GMT

Iris and I have been hard at work the last several months with regular agility training. Iris took to it with flying colors. We had to pull from her originally scheduled debut when she came into heat. On June 6, I travelled to Westford, MA for the NEMA trial. Many thanks to the nice folks at the exit who reminded me to put Iris's leash on. I mishandled the last jump leading to a single refusal, but we made time for a score of 95 and her first leg.

This set us up to attend the Mayflower Corgi specialty on June 14 and 15. Monday was a little rough. Iris had too much speed onto the table and flew off the other side. I got her back up on it readily, but she was too keyed up to do a proper down stay right away. I think there was one refusal. But, a lot of dogs had trouble with the course and her 93 was good enough for her first blue ribbon. Knowing that she might finish, I dragged Todd along to watch. The mid-section of the course was a "wheel" configuration and I actually got dizzy navigating it. But, Iris covered for my errors. She finished with our first ever clean run. Clear on course and time. This was again rewarded with a first place ribbon. Now time for Jumpers with weaves. We're off for a few weeks, but will likely bump Iris up to Open Agility at her next trial.

Agility Training

Amanda — Sun, 09 May 2010 18:41:00 GMT

With Poppy, I got hooked on agility. We refer to Poppy as our agility school dropout. She does the jumps and most of the contact obstacles, but isn't a fan of the teeter or weave poles. She just didn't love it, so I channeled Poppy into other things. I added Iris to the household (Sandwynn's Storm Treasure RA) with the intent of ultimately competing in agility. I worked her in Rally while I waited for her to grow up enough to train in agility. I did object familiarization at home. The work in Rally paid off though. Once we resumed training after Iris's maternity leave, iris took right too it. We've spent the past several months training regularly at Diane's. Iris will make her Agility debut in June. In addition to attending classes, I try to work with her in short sessions at home a few times a week.

Looking to me for her cue

Starting to show some speed through the weave poles

Flexing her body through the poles

RIP Colt

Todd Chrisman — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 22:15:00 GMT

Engelhardt’s Rampant Colt, UT II

When I bought Colt little did I know I was getting a “lifestyle” in addition to a hunting dog.

What was most spectacular about him was how he forgave me for all the mistakes I made training him. Colt actually ran in the woods last fall at the age of 11.

July 31, 1998 – April 22, 2010

He developed primary lung cancer and was given days, maybe hours to live on December 1^st2009. He was too stupid to know he was sick and too stubborn to die. Colt lived his whole life that way and I will forever be grateful.

We’re incredibly grateful for the support everyone has given.

Ask Dr. Amanda – Sports Nutrition

Todd Chrisman — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 22:12:00 GMT

Craig asks:

“A couple of months ago I read about getting the most out of your dog in the field, and one comment was to not feed your dog for twelve hours before going afield, there were other factors as well, conditioning etc. but this jumped out at me as odd. I would agree that you would not feed them, and go right out and run them full tilt for two miles. The claim included a dog will run better on an empty colon. What am I missing?”

Much of this type of advice seems to be in regards to avoiding gastric dilatation - volvulus (bloat). Bloat is often studied and remains a near complete mystery. For reasons still unknown, a dog's empty or full stomach seals up and traps gas. Once that happens, the expanding stomach and the dog's internal geometry combine to twist the stomach which reinforces the seal and shuts off blood-flow to the stomach. With proper care the tissue damage can kill up to 30% of the dogs. Without proper care the stomach ruptures. It's no wonder folks will do almost anything to avoid GDV.

I took a look at the most recent studies which didn't turn up much. GDV is more common in Giant breeds than smaller and most common in Large breeds. It is more common in dogs who are fed once a day than the rest, but not exclusive to them. Bloat occurs slightly more often in dogs that eat a food that has a fat or oil in the first four ingredients. One study in military dogs found that half the cases occurred in November, December and January, but they only had 48 cases to look at. The weather has been studied as a factor, and eliminated. There is no apparent breed correlation. They have not studied the effects of Patriots Football, but don't laugh, a study trying to correlate the Pats with emergency room visits got published (and there appears to be none).

Sports nutrition is advancing at a rapid pace in humans and I try to draw from that information. Those who say dogs shouldn't eat before exercise today are as misguided as those who said athletes shouldn't have water at practice. We now know that they don't just need hydration during practice, but they need to pre-load their systems, starting the day before. An athlete who starts drinking when he is thirsty is already behind and trying to catch up.

The same is true for calories. Specifically the kind of calories our body can store and use short-term. Marathoners have been "carbo-loading" for years. Dogs don't use carbs the same way people do, but they need them.

Unfortunately my experience is anecdotal, but I run my Corgis in agility. I noticed that despite being "fitter" than the other dogs in class, they wore down earlier. They keep up with GSP's every day. I feed a 40% protein 20% fat dog food, so I assumed I was doing everything right, nutritionally. I started feeding a small portion of high protein, high fat and calorie dense food (usually her normal kibble) a few hours prior to agility. The difference has been night and day. I would never run my dogs on a completely empty stomach in any strenuous activity. I would also recommend feeding small, calorie-dense snacks whenever possible.

I think if everyone (bipeds and quadrupeds) consumes a reasonable and nutritious breakfast, they are off to a good day afield. Consuming high-quality, calorie-dense food and good hydration before, during, and after hunting will help keep energy levels high all day.

Purina had a (now defunct) product based on the need to replace glycogen in a dog during exercise. The Pro Plan Performance Bar was to be fed prior to hunting, at each 45 minute interval, and immediately following hunting. Its main ingredient was Maltodextrin, which metabolizes to glucose in the bloodstream which converts to glycogen in the muscles.

Wakshlag JJ, Sneddon K, Otis AM, et al. The effects of post-exercise supplements on skeletal muscle glycogen repletion. A manuscript submitted to the American Journal of Veterinary Research, 2003.

Dr. Rizner is a veterinarian and animal chiropractor who practices at York County Animal Hospital in Arundel Maine. She has special interests in pain management, canine reproduction and geriatric and performance animals. You may submit a general interest question to:

amanda@marshfieldkennel.com