Pup Update

OK, here they are at 17 weeks. Getting bigger by the day. Already interested in coursing things, mostly my terriers which I have to get after them about. Pups are already over 40 lbs and it is getting hard to tell them apart from the adult hounds at a first glance.

Deerhound Pups @ 5 Weeks

Here we go. Have moved into the outdoor run and eating me out of house and home. Pups are consuming more than an adult terrier already. Energy to burn and wanting attention around the clock!

American Deerhound Pups @ 3 Weeks

Pups at 2 Weeks

OK. Here are the little monsters at 2 weeks of age. Sitting up, growling at you when you walk in.  Starting to hear more things. Eyes opening and nearly 4 lbs in weight for the males. Females about 3.5 lbs.  All of them looking good

American Deerhound Pups -Kingston x Mace-

Here is the pile of pups. At just a week of age there is not a lot to look at.  I can tell you that the litter is thriving very nicely.  The puppies are all fat and content.  Their coats are in excellent shiney condition. They rest peacefully most of the time but when Mom arrives they are all quite active. Couldn't ask for a better litter.

Do You Remove the Dew?

Well we removed the dew claws on the litter of hound pups when they were just over a day old. There is a large difference of opinion on whether or not to perform this surgical procedure. Some breeders have their puppies dewclaws removed at 3-5 days of age. At this age, the dewclaw is adhered loosely so it is very easy to remove. The veterinarian will clamp at the base of the dewclaw at the joint and this is often enough to allow for manual removal. Surgical glue or sutures are then used to close the wound and prevent bleeding, although there is little bleeding associated with this procedure.  Seems the majority of people that run hounds just do not bother with this. There are the folks that believe that the dew claws help give the hound additional traction when making a hard turn in pursuit of quarry but it has been my experience that after a hard course my hound's dew claws are often torn, broken and bleeding, so I have taken to removing dew claws when they are young pups. With my terriers, I will remove the dew claws when the pups get the tails docked usually at 3 to 5 days of age.  I did this with my last litter of hounds and it proved to be a real ordeal for both my wife and I as well as the pups. The hound pups are much larger as well as stronger than the terrier pups at this age and for some reason they tended to bleed much worse than the terriers did. When we performed this procedure on this litter at 1 day of age to the 9 pups and it went significantly better. Virtually no bleeding and the pups acted like it was merely an inconvenience and were back to nursing and taking a nap within minutes. Whatever your decision, I wish you good luck with your future litters and good hunting.

American Deerhounds

I kind of have to laugh about this as we are in the age of designer dogs.  Well I guess these are designer hounds. Outcrossed to perform a specific type of work.  I guess most every breed started out this way.  Nearly every person that sees these hounds comments that they look just like Deerhounds and my response is "Think of them as American Deerhounds"  and then they just seem fine with it for some reason. The Staghound explanation just seems to confuse people.

Well here they are. 9 all together.  4 males and 5 females.  All seem to be doing well and Mace is the best mother ever. Going to drag her away from them this afternoon to wash the green off her white leg.  Most are a dark brindle color.  I was shocked this morning to see one of them actually standing, although kind of wobbly but standing none the less and then walking around the whelping box.  A few people have asked what the actual mix of this group of hounds is. Mace is 3/4 Staghound and 1/4 NGA Greyhound. Kingston is 100% Scottish Deerhound. Talk about a possible combination that might take down some of these feral hogs that are over running the Southern part of our country. Speed, size and power. At any rate these pups will be a full 1/2 Scottish Deerhound from the Sire, 3/8 Staghound and 1/8 NGA Racing Greyhound. A very interesting pedigree makeup.  A quick comment on the timing of this litter.  The past litter was unplanned as it was in winter. Would have tried it at some point but winter time puppies are difficult.  The current litter is the one that was planned as I would not breed a bitch again normally in just 9 months. Mace is still recovering from a hunting accident where her leg was injured so it just seemed like the right time for this one.

Sadie

This is Sadie. Another resident of Ontario, Canada.  Just over a year old now, has grown up to be a beautiful adult hound. Should be spectacular coursing Snowshoe Hares and the occasional coyote

Moses

This is Moses. An exceptionally nice male pup approximately 6 months old in this photo. Already 28" tall at the withers, he will probably finish at 30" +/-
A wonderful example of a real running machine. He resides in Ontario, Canada fairly close to a half sister, Sadie who is also a fine hound.

Staghound Pups out of Mace

Well here are the 2 remaining puppies from the Mace x Strike litter.  The pup with the white face is the male we call Blaze and the all brindle tiger stripe one is the female that Darlene named Bonus as she showed up in the morning as an additional puppy when we thought Mace was finished with delivering all her pups.  At 11 weeks of age in this photo, Blaze is weighing in at 25 lbs. I think he is going to be a fairly large hound if his feet and bone are any indication of his adult size since his feet are almost the size of his parents. Could end up in the 90 to 100 lb size and 30" at the withers.  Bonus is weighing in at 19 lbs and will likely be about her mother's size when grown.

Staghound Pups out of Mace

Well they are here. Born September 19.  Had 7 total with 3 males and 4 females. All are a brindle color like their sire, Strike.  You can see both parents on earlier posts of this blog.  4 to 5 of these pups are already spoken for so if you have an interest in a good hunting hound, call soon.

Grace

For you real running hound fanatics, this photo should make your pulse quicken. This is a hound that belonged to Scott Rios in Idaho.  Grace is one of the most picture perfect hounds that I have seen and this photo of her sitting next to a coyote that she dispatched in the wide open running grounds of Idaho is what all of us sighthound fans dream of. Sadly, Grace passed away at a much too early age of only 3.  Fortunately, Scott has some of her pups to carry this beautiful line on.

He says that he has more photos of her hunting everything from bunnies to bears and everything in between.

I will share those stories as I get them.

Morning Exercise

Well, I'm not sure about the rest of the country but the weather is substantially cooler here in the Rockies and it is past time to get those hounds legged up for a hunt.  Was out running them this morning getting some flat out chasing exercise in and stopped for a moment to look towards our windmill as the sun was about 10 minutes from peaking over the hills to the east of me.  A good moment for reflection and thinking of the hunts to come in the months ahead.

Loomis, Nebraska Trade-N-Days and Races

I had someone email me and ask where they could get more information on this event so here you are:

Contacts:

Raye Johnston:  308 876-2551
Butch Johnston: 308 876-2463
JJ Johnston:       308 876-2110

Promises to be a great event and if you were ever interested in getting your hands on a good coyote hound, this would be the place to begin looking

Loomis, Nebraska

OK, so it is actually in Holdrege but a lot of people knew this as the Loomis, NE Trade-N-Days and Dog Races.
It is actually in Holdrege which is only about 6 or 7 miles Southeast of Loomis. This all takes place October 2nd and 3rd 2009. This is Friday and Saturday for those of you that do not go by a calander. Gates open at 7:30

FYI: I have been getting a lot of grief for not putting more articles on this blog. I have no valid excuse except you just get in a brain freeze sometime. I will try to be better about it.

All kidding aside. If you are in to sight hound coursing sports and hunting, you owe it to yourself to get to Central Nebraska that first weekend of October and attend this event. You will never regret it. There are some good people involved in this sport and it is a great chance to network with some of them.

New Website

Yes, we finally gave in and are building a website.


Take a look when you have a chance. I will continue to post most stories on this location as it is easier to get stories out and have an archive of them to refer to.

http://www.ranchofiasco.com/

Daughter of H

Before Scorch had passed away, I had planned at some time to breed her to a friend of mines hound named H. Yep, just H. He is a well put together coyote hound. Nothing exceptionally exciting to look at except when he is coursing a coyote. Even at nearly 12 years old, he is an amazing hound to watch. I had the privilege of a hunt with both Scorch and H last winter when my friends from Missouri were out for a visit. That convinced me that H needed to be the sire of a litter of pups with Scorch. Unfortunately, that never happened. In talking to my friend Jon Ware, who owns H, he mentioned that he had a litter of pups by him. There is an ash blue colored bitch in that litter that no one wanted but Jon said she was his pick of the litter of the bitchs. Well, if I couldn't have a pup from Scorch, this seemed like the next best thing. Jon said nobody wanted her because of her color. They took all the males right off and then the brindle colored and black bitches. Jon was amazed that she was left. Now I trust Jon's eye much more than mine and he was convinced that she was going to be a terrific coyote hound. Well, we talked a good deal and worked out what we needed and I made the trip to Wyoming to get this little gal. She is growing like a week and is a pleasure to be around. Still trying to come up with a name for her but I am real pleased with what I see so far. She is nicely put together. Great feet and bone and if she is half of what her father is, I will be a fortunate man to have her.

Scorch

Seems lately I spend more time writing memorials to my terriers and hounds than I do writing hunting stories. This girl is one of the best dogs I have ever had. She died on Saturday the 12th of July, '08. Apparently suffered a heart attack as a friend was setting up a lure coursing event and she was watching. Much to the horror of 10 people that we had over for a BBQ that watched myself and several other people administer CPR on her for about 20 minutes all to no avail. Scorch passed away suddenly on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Scorch was my buddy and constant companion and was always with me. She had saved me from a pack of problem stray dogs that were bent on chewing me up one time and poured a serious can of whoop ass on several of them just as they were about to reach me. She hit them like a bullet train from Hell out of nowhere and sent them flying. She was an absolute marvel to watch coursing game, whether it was a Coyote or a Jack Rabbit. She brought them all down and loved what she did so well. One time on an organized NOFCA hunt, she managed to slip her collar and raced out and right over the top of the hunt hounds and caught the hare. The Hunt Master was really pissed at me and marched right up to us and informed me she was going to fine me. I paid her the $5 and took her back to the truck. She coursed 2 additional hares on the way back. It was really a great day out hunting. There are so many memories with her that I could write pages of stories but will leave it simply as she was a wonderful hound to have and was really what kindled my interest in running hounds and was the very best hound that I could have hoped for. I miss her more that words can express.

Scorch

May 1, 2002 - July 12, 2008

For if the hound be well remembered, if sometimes she leaps through your dreams, actual as in life, eyes kindling, laughing, begging, it matters not where that hound sleeps. On a hill where the wind is unrebuked and the trees are roaring, or beside a stream she knew in puppyhood, or somewhere in the flatness of a patureland where most exhilarating horses graze. It is one to a hound, and all one to you, and nothing is gained and nothing lost - if memory lives.
But there is one best place to lay a hound to rest...
If you bury her in this place, she will come to you when you call, come to you over the grim, dim frontiers of death, and down the well-remembered path and to your side again. And though you may call a dozen living dogs to heal, they shall not growl at her nor resent her coming, for she belongs there.
People may scoff at you, who see no lightest blade of grass bent by her footfall, who hear no whimper, people who have never really had a hound. Smile at them for you shall know something that is hidden from them.
The one best place to bury a good hound,
is in the heart of her master...

Off Season Conditioning - Watch for Heat Stroke

It is important to note that like any athlete, running sighthounds need to stay in condition all year. It is not practical to just shut them in a kennel at the end of the hunt season and forget they exist until next fall and expect them to come out of isolation and hunt the way you want them to. Early morning, sometimes predawn runs to help keep them fit or early evening when the outside temperatures get below 70 degrees F, are best. If you are in a part of the country where it never gets below 70 or 80 degrees all spring/summer, then you need to keep the runs short and have a water source close at hand so the hounds can cool off sufficiently. I had an occasion where I was coursing some hares on BLM land in Wyoming in the Spring of '06. It was later in the morning and the sun was shining. An absolutely beautiful day actually. The problem was that the temperature had climbed just above 60 degrees F. We were walking back to our trucks and the hounds flushed a hare. My white hound, Mace was all over this hare and it was quite an exciting course. It took them up and over a hill approximately 1/2 mile from me. Mace came back within a few minutes but was looking and acting disoriented. She was panting excessively hard and was having a difficult time standing. I knew at once that she had overheated herself and began looking for a way to cool her down. I took all the remaining water I was carrying and poured it over her mouth and on her belly but there just was not enough. I raced around trying to find a little puddle of water in a fairly arid place. I was fortunate to locate one and carried Mace to it as she was not walking well. I sat her down in the muddy water and within about 20 minutes she seemed to be feeling better. This could have been a much more serious problem with a bad outcome if I had not found a way to cool her off. I have known a number of people to loose good hounds during warm weather to this condition. The following description was written by Dr. Dunn, DVM. My hope is that this article provide a way to avoid this condition or if it should occur, a way to cure this before an avoidable tragic loss of a valuable hound happens.

WHAT IS HEAT STROKE

Living cells have temperature tolerance limits. Go beyond those limits and the cell breaks down, looses functional capacity, releases chemicals within itself that cause more adverse reactions, and eventually ceases to function and dies. Tolerance to higher than optimum temperatures for mammals breaks down at about 107 degrees. And the death of the cell (that state where the traumatized cell cannot recover from the heat injury) occurs when time and temperature factors combine to terminate the cell's integrity. The longer the cell is above the 107 degree level the less chance there is for the cell to recover. The higher the temperature becomes above 107 degrees the faster the cell death occurs. In pets confined to a space where the ambient (surrounding) temperature and humidity are above tolerable levels the animal's body will begin to acquire heat from the environment faster than it can dissipate that heat. In overheated humans we begin to sweat, which evaporates (unless the humidity is 100 percent), and cools the skin surface and assists in dissipating that heat buildup. In fur covered dogs and cats that have very few sweat glands to begin with the only means of dissipating excess body heat is via panting. This movement of air over the moist tongue and airway surfaces increases evaporative cooling (again, unless the ambient humidity is 100 percent). Unfortunately, panting is a rather inefficient means of dissipating body heat and actually generates some heat due to the muscle activity involved. Keep in mind that as an animal is confined to a closed space the expired air, which is at 100 percent humidity and 102 degrees, will eventually increase the ambient humidity and temperature of the animal's space. Plus, especially with larger animals such as Great Danes and St. Bernards, their body heat will increase the ambient temperature in the vehicle. It should be readily obvious that leaving an animal in an enclosed space, even if the vehicle is in the shade and even if the outside temperature is only in the seventies, will cause a buildup of temperature and humidity in that vehicle. Time and temperature and humidity are critical factors in the development of heat stroke in pets. And once the animal's cells reach 107 degrees it is crucial for any chance of recovery to lower that temperature as fast as possible. Otherwise death will result no matter what you do to try to save the animal.

SIGNS OF HEAT STROKE

Signs of heat stroke are intense, rapid panting, wide eyes, salivating, staggering and weakness. Advanced heat stroke victims will collapse and become unconscious. The gums will appear pale and dry. If heat stroke is suspected and you can take the animal's temperature rectally, any temperature above 106 degrees is dangerous. The longer the temperature remains at or above 106 degrees the more serious the situation. If you return to your car or the area in which the animal was confined and find your pet seems to be highly agitated, wide-eyed and panting uncontrollably... start for the nearest animal hospital right away with the air conditioning at full blast. Otherwise get the dog to a cool area and begin the treatment for heat stroke.

TREATMENT FOR HEAT STROKE

Take the pet's temperature rectally if possible. A body temperature of about 105 degrees or higher is probable evidence for heat stroke. Place your pet in a tub of cool running water or spray with a hose being sure the cool water contacts the skin and doesn't simply run off the coat. Thoroughly wet the belly and inside the legs. Run the cool water over the tongue and mouth. Take a rectal temperature if possible to know when to stop cooling. A safe temperature is about 103 degrees. A small dog will cool down much faster than a large dog. Once the temperature gets to 103 or 104 degrees do not cool the pet any further because the cooling effects will continue to bring the temperature down even further. Seek veterinary attention as soon as possible.
If you are near an animal hospital, go there right away. At the animal hospital they may administer oxygen, cortisone and dextrose to help protect the traumatized cells. The staff can provide proper cooling measures and monitor the dog's temperature, heart rate and provide oxygen which some evidence indicates may help protect stressed body cells. Providing intravenous fluids and anticoagulants may be utilized as well.

WHAT DOES HEAT STROKE DO?

In severe cases, the elevated body temperature triggers chemical reactions in the cells of the body... highly active cells such as brain, intestinal and liver cells are at greatest risk for heat trauma. The metabolic disturbances brought on by excessive heat instigate the release of chemicals within the cells that cause the ultimate destruction a breakage of the cell. Most heat stroke victims are dehydrates, as well, and their blood thickens to the point that the heart has severe stresses placed on it in trying to pump the abnormally viscous blood through the blood vessels. The result is stagnation of blood, blood clotting and eventual death of tissues due to what is termed ischemic necrosis. Wherever a clot forms, the tissues nourished by that clogged vessel die from metabolic starvation. The dying cells give off chemicals that further damage surrounding tissues and a point is reached beyond which no recovery is possible. In some unfortunate situations where the heat stroke victim has experienced a dangerously high body temperature for a length of time such that too many brain and other body cells have been damaged, no matter what life saving measures are employed and bioprotective medications are administered, death will result.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This is a serious condition which you need to be aware of not only while hunting your hounds but there are a lot of people that participate in other forms of recreation with their running hounds like lure coursing or even playing in a dog park. Traveling with your hound, even on short trips where you make a quick stop for coffee or a drink. Be aware of the temperatures your hounds will be subjected to. Become familiar with the symptoms of Heat Stroke and get treatment to help a dog in distress very quickly. Their lives will depend on it and on you to help them.