Whispering Winds Kennel English Springer Spaniels and Beagles

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Helpful Hints

L/W Male
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A previous puppy from Sadie

P.J.
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Rooting around the Hollyhocks !!!!

P.J.
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Queen of the leaf pile

Already using their noses
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8 6 05

Beemer
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Should I jump?

F 2
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Being silly 11 20 05

M 2
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8 8 05

Merecedes & Porche
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Just being lazy

Casey
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My first day home

A Previous Puppy of Ours
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Mikey Retrieving

Kahne
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One of Stewart and Sadies previous puppies

Stewart and one of his gals
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Out rooting around with daddy

Stewart and his babies
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Stewart puppy sitting

Stewart
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Did you want to lay down?

L/W/T male
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Levi 08 05

M 1
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L/W/T previous puppy

Justin & Stewart
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Stewarts Intellectual Look

Stewart
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4 08 04

Important things to know about your new addition to the family!

Your puppies time with us....

Here at Whispering Winds Kennel our puppies are born inside with us. We are always home when our babies are having their babies. They are kept inside with us until they are just over 2 weeks of age. When they begin moving around well we move them out to our puppy nursery, which we have set up for the purpose of a safe, healthy and enjoyable place for our puppies until they leave for their new homes at age 8 weeks of age. Once they are moved out to the nursery, we spend many hours in the nursery socializing and playing with the puppies. Once in the nursery, they are weaned from their mother, at age 4-5 weeks and started on Nutro Max  puppy food.

Questions you should have answered before leaving with your new puppy.

Q. What do you feed them?

~Nutro Max puppy food moistened with warm water, powdered milk.

~Dry Nutro Max puppy food.

~Fresh, clean water. Changed numerous times daily.

Q. How often do you feed them?

~Moistened Nutro Max puppy food with warm water, powdered milk  3x daily.

~Free choice dry Nutro Max puppy food .

~Free choice fresh, clean water all day long.

Q. What vaccinations, etc. will my puppy have had prior to their arrival?

~1st set of shots at age 6 weeks.

~Wormed at age 4 weeks and 6 weeks of age.

Q. What vaccinations, etc. will my puppy need after their arrival?

~2nd of set of booster shots (8-9 weeks of age).

~ Adult and Rabies shots at 13-15 weeks of age.

From our place to yours...

This transition is a very big move for a young puppy. They are leaving their brothers, sisters, mother and the only home they have known. It will take time for them to adjust to their new home. They must be given time to settle in and get used to you, your family (pets as well) and friends. Your puppy should be given plenty of love and attention upon it's arrival. Try not to overwhelm them for the first day or so with too many friends or relatives and their pets. Too much going on could make them feel more afraid until they have begun to settle in.

Here are a few tips that may help to reduce the stress of going to a new home and help to keep you and your puppy healthy and happy.

The first several days...

The first several days will be the most stress full for your new puppy. It is very important that you be prepared for your puppy before bringing him/her home. *Puppy Proofing* your home is a must !!! Elctrical cords, (computor, lamps, tv, appliances) just to name a few should be wrapped and up out of the way.

You should already have some puppy food, bowls, toys, (We do have a small selection of collars and toys here to choose from), and a bed all fixed up for your new puppy.

When you first bring your new puppy home they will be a little nervous and afraid because of the big change. They may not want to eat very much. You should also be prepared for a few SLEEPLESS nights !! They will miss sleeping all huddled up with their brothers and sisters and they may be upset and cry during the night. It is also very important to begin house training as soon as you get them home.

Remember that they are very young and usually need to go at least every couple of hours.

The most important thing to remember about your puppy is that they are babies, so be patient !! They should not be allowed to do whatever they want, but remember that they will mess up from time to time. Every month of their life is equivalent to about 6 months for a person. So your 8 week old puppy is equivalent to a 1 year old child. Though they seem like they are more grown up and can, or feel like they can do as much as a grown dog, they cannot ! Also a new puppy is a big responsibility, and just like any member of your family you have a lifetime commitment to them.

 

Dealing with a Crying Puppy at Night


Dealing with a crying puppy is often the first problem a new puppy owner must face. During the first night a puppy is separated from the rest of the litter he will often whine and fuss. This behavior is a very natural survival skill learned early in life. Whether its in the whelping box or in the wild, a puppy learns very quickly that when separated from the pack, calls for help will allow other members of the pack to quickly locate him/her, thus reuniting them with their peers. To that extent, many animal behaviorists recommend allowing a new puppy to sleep in the same room with you to reduce this separation anxiety.

Moving a crate into your bedroom accomplishes two things. First, as stated above, it reduces separation anxiety for the puppy. Second, it allows you to monitor your puppy’s housebreaking routine. Before putting your puppy up for the night, make sure he has had a chance to go outside and eliminate. Inevitably, you will find that as you close the door to the crate he will begin to whine and fuss. At this point you will want to begin introducing a "NO NOISE" command and tap your hand on the top of the crate. If the puppy continues to whine, just ignore him. The last thing you want to do is reward this behavior with opening the crate door and comforting him. If you do, he will soon begin to learn that if he cries, the door will open, not the association you want to establish.

Try placing an undergarment or blanket with your scent on it in the crate with the puppy. Additionally, placing a ticking alarm clock outside the kennel can be comforting to your new puppy for the first few nights away from his litter mates. Other things to try are a night lamp, radio, tv. Your new puppy while with us has been used to a light, and tv or radio on at all times of the day or night. Weather we are with them or not. It gives them some comfort.  

During the night, if your puppy seems to be stirring, get up and take him/her outside immediately. With puppies, you WILL have to carry them outside to avoid accidents. Once he/she has had a chance to relieve himself, bring him straight back inside to his crate. If he begins to fuss again, issue the "NO NOISE" command once again.

After a few nights of dealing with the whining and carrying on, your puppy should begin to make it through the night with minimal fussing.

Points to remember:
Have a vigorous play session prior to going to bed.
Allow your dog to eliminate completely prior to being put up for the night.
Never open the crate door when the puppy is crying.
An undergarment or a ticking alarm clock can comfort a new puppy during his first few nights away from his litter mates

Things To Remember:

Feeding

~ Continue to feed your puppy several times a day, at least until you are sure that they are eating well. A "Little" powdered milk will encourage them to eat better.

~If you want to change their food, do it slowly over time so they can become better accustomed to the new food. We will also go over this with you when you pick your puppy up.

~It is a good idea to leave dry food out for them unless you are gone for a long period of time and are worried about them needing to go out.

~Always leave fresh water out for them.

Sleeping

~Give them something soft and warm to sleep on.

~A small blanket, towel or stuffed animal of some kind will help them to feel more like they are sleeping in a pile with their brothers and sisters.

~ A clock that ticks, or a radio playing softly will help them to sleep better also.

~If it is an option, putting their bed or crate in the room that you sleep in will help them to feel less alone, at least for the first few nights.

House Breaking

~They MUST go out every few hours !!!

~Always take them out after drinking, eating and waking up from a nap.

~Watch for tell tail signs like sniffing around, walking in circles, or acting as though they are getting ready to squat down.

~Crate training your puppy will help reduce the number of accidents. They will feel that is their home, if they are crate trained correctly, and will not want to mess it up.

They should be able to move around comfortably inside the crate. Be sure that it  isn't big enough that they feel there is room to sleep in one place and go' in another.

~Praising them when they go outside will encourage them.

~ Give them plenty of time when you take them out, they are easily distracted and it could take several minutes.

Diligence and watchfulness are the keys to a well house broken puppy. If  you have to ask yourself if they need to go out, then the answer is YES !!!!

 

Crate Training

~ Be sure that their crate is roomy enough for them to stand up, lie down, and turn around in comfortably.

~The crate should be in a place that they like to be, *their own little area*.

~Praise them when you put them in their crate so that they feel that it is a good thing.

~Never use crating as a punishment or they will hate it.

~Though we recommend crate training your puppy, NO PUPPY/DOG should be left in a crate for more than a few hours at a time. It is not good for the dog mentally or physically to be confined all of the time and will result in an animal that is very hyper and hard to manage when let out.

Exercise and Play

~It is important for your puppy to have structure in their life and should always have a routine so that they can settle in.

~Puppies are always into stuff, so playtime should be supervised, especially inside or where they could get injured.

~NEVER leave them alone with small children, for the safety of the child and puppy.

~DO NOT allow nipping, biting, or attacking you, even in play. This could become more aggressive behavior as they get older.

~Give them certain toys and things that they are allowed to chew and play with.

~Remember, any behavior that you allow as a puppy, though it may be cute now, will continue as they grow. For example, if you don't want a 50 LB dog jumping on you or the couch in several months, don't let the puppy do it now.

~Remember that your puppy is very young and still growing. They should not be allowed to jump onto or off of high places, run up and down stairs, or slide on slick floors. They should also not be taken on long walks on a leash, "More than about 30 minutes" until they are at least 6-8 months old. These activities could lead to serious problems now and later on in life by injuring growing joints.

Establishing an Effective Pattern in Hunting Dogs

by George Hickox

The two hunters were working their way through a CRP field, following a black Lab that was covering ground by running straight out and back again. Suddenly, a cackling rooster flushed to the side and behind them, setting its wings and sailing straight away into the wind. The pair spun around at the sound, but were so surprised that neither could get a shot off. Both knew the dog had a great nose; they'd seen him smoke birds from 20 yards on other hunts. But it wasn't until they'd stood for a minute with the breeze in their face that they realized their mistake: Improper patterning and ineffective use of the wind had been the culprits in this case.
Proper patterning and proper use of the wind are necessary for the maximum number of bird finds whether hunting over a flushing or pointing dog. You may have heard the phrase "hunting objectives." This is a term used mostly by dogmen in wide-open country. The hedgerow 500 yards away across a plowed field may be the only place where birds would be. The pointing dog should strike "to the objective" because hunting the bare ground in between would be futile. Once the dog reaches the hedgerow, the bird must be upwind in order for the dog to smell it. If the wind is blowing from the dog to the bird, the dog will likely bump the bird before it can smell it. A dog's ability to use wind properly comes through experience and training.
There are three distinct wind conditions hunters will experience: upwind, crosswind and downwind. Correct patterning by the dog is different for each.

 

By far the most productive condition is upwind, because when the wind is blowing from the bird to the dog, the dog is able to smell body scent. Obviously, we'd prefer to hunt into the wind the majority of the time, so it only makes sense to train dogs to effectively pattern for upwind situations. A dog with the wind in its nose that covers the ground to the left and right of the hunter's path has considerably more opportunities to produce birds than one that hunts in a straight line down the field.

In order to train a close-working dog to quarter (in a windshield-wiper pattern) into the wind, you need to start early. Beginning with the first puppy walks in the field; walk into the wind in a zigzag fashion. When you change direction give two short beeps on your
whistle. In no time the pup will learn to change direction upon hearing the two beeps.

For more structured training, use planted birds and a groomed field to create the habit of ground coverage you desire. If the prevailing wind in your training field is from the north, cut rows east-and-west, alternating high rows (knee to waist high) and low rows (about six inches) down the length of the field.

You can jumpstart the pup's quartering training by using two helpers, or teasers. Have one set up about 25 yards to your left and the other 25 yards to your right. All three of you should then move downfield into the wind. The helper on the right should animatedly call the pup's name, clap his hands and encourage the pup to run to him. When the pup reaches him, give two beeps on the whistle. The lefthand teaser should now enthusiastically entice the pup to his side. For flushing and retrieving breeds, the teaser can use a Velcro-wing pigeon (a strip of Velcro around a live bird's wings will prevent the bird from flying) to pitch for the pup. The game should be fun and upbeat.

When the youngster is accustomed to running back and forth to the guns (teasers), plant Velcro-wing pigeons in the high rows at the outside edge of desired range, alternating sides of the field in every sec- ond row. With the birds in the high rows, the pup will be encouraged to use its nose, not its eyes. Regular repetition of this exercise will create a dog that habitually quarters to the sides at whatever distance you desire. Another trick in training is to always give your dog a plant on the first cast. If right out of the box the dog always finds a bird to the side, it will be less likely to pour straight down the field when initially let loose. When the pup is on its first hunting season, carry a live pigeon, chukar or quail in your vest. If the young dog gets way out, toss the
velcro-wing bird out in front and to the side of you. When the pup comes back, it will find a bird near you and think, Gee, I'd better stay closer. That's where the birds are.
If you don't have helpers, groomed rows will prove even more useful because the pup will naturally work right and left in the low rows, taking the course of least resistance. If you don't have access to a field you can groom, improvise. An old logging road will suffice. Plant birds in the woods to the left and right of the road, giving the pup a reason to get off the trail. Help the pup in the beginning oftlineby walking into the woods, encouraging the young dog to quest for birds.

Teasers and groomed rows are useful for training pointing breeds also, with a few modifications in technique. Because you don't want pointing breeds to catch birds, plant flyers or use
release traps with live birds instead of planting Velcro-wing birds. Again, place the traps or flyers at the outside edge of desired range. Each helper will alternately tease the pointer to his side, where the dog will find birds. Don't plant birds in the middle of the field, as that will only encourage the dog to run straight ahead instead of quartering.

Once again, helpers are beneficial but certainly not mandatory. By running the dog on a
30-foot check cord, you can steer it left and right by giving two short beeps on the whistle then twitching the cord. Shortly, the dog will start changing direction after the beeps but before the twitch. Logging roads can also be used for this training.

One problem hunters often encounter once a dog has experience is the dog's desire to get downfield in a hurry. This is particularly true for gundogs that spend a lot of time at hunt clubs. The dogs soon come to know the birds are "out there." A dog running straight out in front and not quartering leaves holes in its pattern-holes in which a wise rooster may be hunkered down.

Of course the hunter doesn't always have the luxury of hunting into the wind. But by always being cognizant of wind direction and making sure your dog is trained to run efficient upwind patterns, the odds of success will most certainly shift in your favor.

Why Own A Dog?

Why own a dog? There's a danger you know, you can't own just one, for the craving will grow.
There's no doubt they're addictive, wherein lies the danger.
While living with lots, you'll grow poorer and stranger.

One dog is no trouble, and two are so funny.
The third one is easy, the fourth one's a honey.
The fifth one delightful, the sixth one's a breeze,
You find you can live with a house full with ease.

So how 'bout another? Would you really dare?
They're really quite easy but oh, Lord the hair!
With dogs on the sofa and dogs on the bed,
And crates in the kitchen, it's no bother you've said.

They're really no trouble, their manners are great.
What's just one more dog and just one more crate?
The sofa is hairy, the windows are crusty,
The floor is all footprints, the furniture dusty.

The housekeeping suffers, but what do you care?
Who minds a few nose prints and a little more hair?
So let's keep a puppy, you can always find room,
And a little more time for the dust cloth and broom.

There's hardly a limit to the dogs you can add,
The thought of a cutback sure makes you sad.
Each one is so special, so useful, so funny.
The vet, the food bill grows larger, you owe money.

Your folks never visit, few friends come to stay,
Except other dog folks, who all live the same way.
Your lawn has now died, and your shrubs are dead too,
But your weekends are busy, you're off with your crew.

There's dog food and vitamins, training and shots.
And entries and travel and motels which cost lots.
Is it worth it, you wonder? Are you caught in a trap?
Then that favorite dog comes and climbs in your lap.

His look says you're special and you know that you will
Keep all of the critters in spite of the bill.
Some just for showing and some just to breed.
And some just for loving, they all fill a need.

But winter's a hassle, the dogs hate it too.
But they must have their walks though they're numb and
you're blue.
Late evening is awful, you scream and you shout
At the dogs on the sofa who refuse to go out.

The dogs and the dog shows, the travel, the thrills,
The work and the worry, the pressure, the bills.
The whole thing seems worth it, the dogs are your life.
They're charming and funny and offset the strife.

Your life-style has changed. Things won't be the same.
Yes, those dogs are addictive and so is the dog game!!

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