What’s Good for your Kokobo…Altering our puppy/owner dynamics –Let’s try trust…and release the control
Written by Pam on October 15, 2014
Recently I had the pleasure of talking with a woman who called inquiring about one of Koko’s puppies. After we talked for a while, I knew that whatever puppy she brings home will have a life filled with athleticism, excitement and love. To me, the perfect placement. Our conversation covered broad topics of genetics, health clearances, pedigrees to those more common like temperament and training. Then we talked about longevity of the Labrador. A topic, that, as a breeder, I have always given much thought to whenever I perform a genetic test on one of our dogs or when we do a review of longevity by parentage. So captivated by her concern, regarding how we try to do our very best for our dogs but yet their longevity always seems to be cut short, I longed to hear more. She told me about a book that she read and how it impacted her thinking and she wanted me to pick up a copy. The name of the book is Pukka’s Promise by Ted Kerasote.
After reading Pukka’s Promise and re-reading sections from Kerasote’s sequel, Merle’s Door, I feel the need to share with all my KokoBo owners and friends the certain dynamics that should be examined more thoroughly when owning a puppy – possibly to deviate a little from the norm, keep an open mind, try to instill trust vs. control and change the way we do things to preserve and increase the longevity of our dogs…to embrace rather than suppress the puppies natural instincts and most importantly to me is to reduce possible stressors and to fill their lives with supervised freedom!
I thought I would cover the topic of Nutrition first. Kerasote explains in his writings that you should rotate your dog’s food on a monthly basis. Puppies should get the very best nutrition at the very best price. I also believe that the puppy should get vegetable supplements of string beans, baby carrots and cored apple slices. Although when I read about a rotation of diet, I was surprisingly intrigued. When you think about it we do not eat the same things weekly or monthly, so why should we feed our dogs the same food every day. The concern I have though is with a puppy. Their digestive system is developing and with changing out the food monthly would cause an upset stomach. Although as an adult, to change the food frequently to give your dog the variety could possibly be a good idea. Start thinking about a smorgasbord of vegetables that you can give your puppy as a healthy snack…although NEVER – NEVER give them: onions, garlic, raisins or grapes!
Kerasote discusses Prevention. When you notice something different about your dog or simply by running your hand over your dog’s coat every day and feel something that leaves a question in your mind – was that a lump? Do react and get to the vet immediately. Don’t just wait and watch the lump, have it biopsied as soon as possible. If this is a cancer, it can metastasize to other organs and again the dog’s life is cut short. Or think first before spraying the lawn with herbicides or pesticides. These chemicals make your yard beautiful but they will cause harm to your dog that spends time running and rolling in it or possibly eating a blade or two! Also keep in mind that our dogs love to groom themselves – so the simple act of licking the paw that has herbicides on it – can lead to other more serious concerns. Oh, and those pages and pages of do’s and don’ts with vaccinations. I truly am on Kerasote’s side of the bench when it comes to administering – what I like to call the…the ‘core’ vaccinations and those that are state regulated vaccines. But certainly not to overdo it with the non-core vaccinations – . One needs to understand what each vaccine tries to prevent and how long each of those vaccines should last. I was intrigued by the fact of proposed options like that of vaccinating and then yearly getting a titer test to ensure that the dog has built up the immunity to that particular disease so that the future vaccinations may not be necessary. These are things that you need to discuss with your veterinarian and make sure you are comfortable with these core vs non-core vaccination schedules, tests and possible outcomes.
To me, the most important element of his discussion is the topic that I truly hold close to my heart is that of Spaying and Neutering. Being a breeder, I feel that I need to talk out of both sides of my mouth on this topic at times. I agree with the fact that the puppy needs to be fully grown 1 – 1.5 years old before anyone should consider altering the puppy. Reason being that the pup is still growing and has not matured to his/her fullest potential until such time. But by the same token, I feel that if there is an alternative to major surgery that could preserve years for your dog, then one needs to explore these options. In Kerasote’s book he talks about considering a vasectomy or tubal ligation, which will prevent offspring, will be less invasive and most importantly will retain the beneficial effects of the dog’s sex hormones still allowing it to grow, prosper and possibly live longer.
I would love for all of you to pick up a copy of Kerasote’s book – I guarantee that you will treasure this book as I do and the thoughts that Kerasote leaves you with will be a constant reminder of that tail-wagging enthusiasm that our dogs give to us always! Please leave comments and let me know what you think. Enjoy, Pam
