Amerikennels


Photographing Your Dog
 
 

 

Won't you be my parent?

Tip #1 – Personality

You know your dog. Be patient and watch for those special moments. Don’t try to force or over instruct. Wait for it to happen.

Tip #2 – Light

Look for the best light situations. Natural light allows the details to shine through. The prettiest light happens early or late in the day when the sunlight is warm and soft. So grab the leash and go outside! As an alternative, overcast days or wide open shade create excellent effect.

Tip #3 – Frame your photo

Carefully choose your shot, making sure that your dog is in focus.  It doesn’t have to be centered – just framed.  Get on the same level as your subject ~ sit or lay down ~ shoot up . . . Use the landscape and environment around your dog.  Experiment!  

Tip #4 – Experiment

Set aside time to practice and be creative. Keep things fun and unstructured. Try new locations. If it doesn’t work out, you’ve had a great time with your dog.

Tip #5 – Be patient

Getting a great shot of your dog is about the right place and the right time. Wait . . . play . . . praise. . . and keep shooting. Be on the lookout for special moment and special details. When it comes, you will be rewarded with a great memories and a great shot.



Labrador Retriever Characteristics

LABRADOR RETRIEVERS ~ AVAILABLE 12.5.09

Loyal, loving, affectionate and patient, the Labrador Retriever is one of the most popular breeds in the United States. They are intelligent, good natured, lively and sociable ~ a fabulous family pet, great hunter as well as an excellent service dog.   Versatility is their middle name!  Loving to to play and please, if water is around, they will find it.  They are equipped for this by nature as their webbed feet allow for some superb swimming.  Amazing with children as well as other dogs, their highly intelligent nature and eagerness to please makes them exceedingly trainable ~ best done when they are a puppy.

Height:

  • Males 22-24 inches.  (Some males can grow to 100 pounds or more)
  • Females 21-23 inches

Weight:

  • Male 60-75 pounds
  • Females 55-70 pounds

Life Expectancy:

  • 10 to 12 years

Grooming:

  • Average shedders
  • Smooth short-haired double coat is easily groomed by brushing regularly with a firm bristle brush.  Pay special attention to the undercoat. 
  • Shampoo only when necessary.

Exercise:

  • Eergetic dogs. 
  • Love to work and play hard. 
  • Take them on a daily, brisk walk, jog or allow them to run alongside you when you bike. 
  • Train them to heel so that they see you as dominate ~ the leader or alpha dog. 

Feeding:

  • Labradors tend to gain weight. 
  • Do not over feed.  Check with your breeder or vet for specific instructions. 
  • Best NOT to feed them table scraps. 
  • Proper care and feeding will be rewarded by a long and healthy family member.


DOG-DAY THANKSGIVING
November 26, 2009, 11:34 AM
Filed under: Amerikennels, Labrador Retriever, Pet Care, Renee Badall, Renee Rienas Badall, holiday

On this HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY, we naturally want to embrace all our family members, including the dog . . .

While cooked turkey meat is safe for dogs to eat, but be extremely cautious when discarding items used to cook the turkey:

Skewers used to secure the turkey are the #1 trouble-causing item. 

Also be careful with the string, pop-up timers, and roasting bags. Swallowing such things can cause an intestinal blockage or perforation.

Turkey bones should never be fed to dogs. All poultry bones splinter easily, and, whether splintered or whole, they can lodge inside or perforate a dog’s intestines.

Turkey skin is something dogs love to eat, but consuming fatty food like poultry skin can lead to gastric distress and Pancreatitis, a serious inflammatory condition of the pancreas that causes vomiting and dehydration.

Caution your family and friends who may be tempted to share food with the dog, especially the small children who may find it hard to resist feeding the dog anyway; and, the dog who finds it too easy to steal food from little hands!

If you feel you must share with your dog on Thanksgiving Day:

A sudden change in diet, like a big bowl of full of turkey and all the trimmings could cause an upset stomach and diarrhea.

Add a few pieces of boneless, skinless turkey meat to their regular food.

Make something special ahead of time to give your dog on Thanksgiving Day – like Turkey Dinner Loaf or Turkey Gobbler Treats.

Give your dog a special new chewy, an irresistible new toy, or a treat filled Kong Toy or Buster Cube to keep him occupied during the meal.



PUPPY DEVELOPMENT

11.9.09 Tri-colors on the grass 2

    BEHAVIOR UP TO 3 WEEKS OLD

-A puppy is born blind, deaf and toothless

- During its first week 90% of a puppys time is spent sleeping and 10% eating. They are only able to crawl

- The puppy’s eyes, which are closed at birth, open when it is between one and two weeks old. It then begins to see

- The pups ears should open when it is two to three weeks old

- Puppies whimper when they are cold, hungry or uncomfortable

- Puppys grow while they sleep

- A puppy is reliant on its mother for the first few weeks for food, comfort and to learn basic dog requirements

    BEHAVIOR BETWEEN 3 – 7 WEEKS OLD

- A puppy will be weaned between the ages of 3 and 7 weeks

- During the ages of 3 to 7 weeks its first teeth, or milk teeth will appear

- A puppy is taught basic behaviour disciplines from its mother

- A puppy will continue to develop by socializing with other dogs and animals and people

- Puppies will stand up and start walking

- At the age of 3 weeks a puppy will develop its sense of smell

- At 3 weeks the puppy will begin to bark and show social development such as wagging its tail, growling and baring its teeth

- Up to the age of 4 weeks the mother will be with the puppy almost constantly

- The puppy has good use of its legs and is able to chase

    BETWEEN 4 and 5 WEEKS, THE MOTHER WILL GRADUALLY SPEND TIME AWAY FROM HER PUPPIES

-Rapid growth and development rate at this stage

-Interaction with litter mates leading to Order of Dominance

-After weaning puppies need to receive a series of vaccines in order to develop immunity on their own. Vaccinations for puppies generally include distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parainfluenza, parvovirus, rabies, and sometimes bordetella



K-9 VETERAN’S DAY
November 11, 2009, 5:46 PM
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , ,

military_dogs“He latched onto my hand. He gave me a friendly nip on the hand and looked at me. Wolf absolutely would not let me go by him. I looked straight ahead and not more than two feet was a tripwire. And I would have died right there with him if he wouldn’t have found that wire.” – Charlie Cargo, Vietnam dog handler
. . .
“There’d be a lot more than 50,000 names on the Vietnam Wall without these dogs, and I don’t think the average American even knows the role they played.” – Dr. John Kubisz, a veterinarian serving with the 764th Veterinary detachment in Vietnam.
. . .
“Bruiser was the hero that day. I was just a guy who was fortunate enough to be on the other end of the leash.” – John Flannelly, Vietnam dog handler. . .

Dogs have been used in the military since the Revolutionary War. Their keen sense of smell and hearing makes for duties of patrolling, searching for mines, following blood trails and sniffing out explosives. Currently, there are close to 600 dog teams deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
There is no group of veterans prouder than the dog. Thirty-five or forty years after being in combat with their closest buddy they will shoot out their dog’s Preston Brand number (serial number) without missing a beat
After thousands of highly trained dogs were left behind in Vietnam – 4300 served, hundreds were killed, barely 200 came out, and the rest were euthanized or turned over to the South Vietnamese army. Who can doubt that they became somebody’s meal?
In recognition of these 4-legged soldiers several positive actions were taken:
- The U.S. Military K-9 Corps was officially established on March 19, 1942.
- In November, 2000, President Clinton signed off on the military canine retirement program which allows retired military dogs to be put up for adoption rather than euthanized.
- During his tenure, President George W. Bush signed a Defense Appropriations Bill that allows military working dogs who retire early due to injury, to be adopted by their handlers.
So, today as you honor the memory of all soldiers who defended our country, take a moment to thank all the military dogs who gave their lives in defense of the United States. It’s the least they deserve!
NJ-War-Dog-Memorial



PUPPIES FOR THE HOLIDAYS, ANYONE?

White male puppy EYES 11.1.09

Hello world!

ON OCTOBER 17, 2009 eleven healthy and beautiful Labrador Retriever puppies arrived (5 yellows, 4 blacks, 2 chocolates) compliments of our wonderful black Lab, Tilly. We didn’t know she was pregnant until 2 weeks before the birth . . . it seems that she was messing around with Murphy, our neighbor’s pure-bred yellow Lab who couldn’t control himself as he pushed through the screen of our living room window. They greeted my husband as he walked up the sidewalk from his car. . . Today we have eleven 2-week old puppies whose eyes are opening, ears are nearly developed and legs display a wobbly stand.



Summer Safety Tips for our 4-legged Friends
September 6, 2009, 9:00 AM
Filed under: Amerikennels, Pet Care, Renee Badall, Renee Rienas Badall, Training

5.19.09 146 As we enjoy the last summer holiday with our pets — Labor Day — it is important that we keep in mind (as always), the safety of our pets. Here is a link that will take you directly to the ASPCA’s pet safety tips: http://bit.ly/PetSafetyTips



VIZSLA PUPPIES – ONLY 2 LEFT!
July 14, 2009, 1:10 PM
Filed under: AKC, Amerikennels, Breeding, Hunting, Puppies, Renee Badall, Renee Rienas Badall

734-754-0456
jewell in yellow chair close
jewell face
assistant gardener close up
puppy profile with face



DOGS and THE ANN ARBOR ART FAIRS

small dog in crowd

I’m a dog lover.

There’s absolutely no doubt about it. I own more dogs than I will admit to my business associates and sane friends; however, the Ann Arbor Art Fairs — or any art fair — is no place for a dog.

~ It’s hot, and when it’s hot, it’s cruel to your 4-legged friend.

~ It’s crowded. When your leash goes one way, your dog the other, it’s irritating to the crowd & harmful to the dog.

~ They need regular water and when they drink, they need a place to go to the bathroom — in private, where other fair goers won’t have to walk in it or smell it.

~ They poop! Yes, poop . . . and nobody wants to see you carrying around a bag of the hot stuff, either!

So, leave your dog at home this year — in the air conditioning, in front of a fan, with plenty of water and treats — and enjoy the Ann Arbor Art Fairs — all of them. You can buy them something . . . and they’ll be oh so happy upon your return!

Oh, and speaking of owning more dogs than I know what to do with . . .

    we still have 3 Vizsla puppies for sale

at a GREAT price to a GOOD home. call me em comp



Vizsla Puppies for $600!

the peanut gallery These VIZSLA PUPPIES are waiting for a home. They are AKC registered, affectionate, intelligent, playful, great companions and excellent hunting dogs. Their hair is short, so minimal shedding and they are extremely clean — no odor. We travel / we deliver!