Fun Hike.

On the 24th we had a fun hike. We also had another nice hike day or two ago it was 2hours long and we explored a lot.

The Jan 24th walk I took my camera so got few fun pictures. :)

It was cold so Bella had two coats on. I had a long sleeve shirt, and two sweaters to keep warm.

I think it was 12F maybe 7F hard to tell some wind made it bit colder. Woods was not too bad.

 

We had fun walking around we walked the trails six times to warm up then headed into the woods to explore some.

Shiba shake time!

Bella does great on leash though she has her moments still pulls sometimes. She has improved so much since she was a tiny crazy boxer.

She is much better behaved then my neighbor's lab/mastiff mix who wanders, chase cars and doesn't listen to her owners..

Bella knows to not chase neighbor's cars as they pass by. Good Bella. :)

Saya checking out a hole here not sure if it is occupied or not so I make sure she doesn't linger for long.

Saya far off coming when called she is taking her time smelling things as she walks towards me.

This picture hard to see as it is small, but the yellow circle shows where Saya is.. Her orange bandana helps me spot her plus her bells help too.

We then walked around the trail area in the second field then headed for the woods again, but went down the hill.

Saya coarse rushed down to check things out.

I had called Saya once she came then headed back down to check stuff again.

Shiba butt

Saya wandered off a bit. Checking the place out.

Den of the dragon!

When Saya was going ahead of me while me and Bella walked down she was checking this out.. Once I got down I told her to leave it and we wandered off.

Saya checked things out she has sniff anything she thinks needing it. I was down here where the water is well now it's a small frozen water.

The water is mostly dried up few frozen patches

I was heading off and called her she checked the tree a bit then did shiba shake and finally came.

dog prints? or cat? I forgot how big it was..

Saya was in heaven exploring things the place. climbing all over the place.

This little ravine here two tires in the picture.. :(

If I climbed the rocks there is 9 or so more tires, metal barrel, and some other crap.

No pictures of that as I had no time to climb it to get pictures as I needed get home as parent's needed me.

Saya putting her mountain skills to use.. she went up and down with ease.

Another picture of the tires.. A bit above that there is a metal wagon like a rusted radio flyer or whatever.

Saya is off! Wee! Billy goat Saya..

Saya had fun climbing up. Coarse up there just leads to the second field area so it's no where new.

I let Saya have fun a bit and then called her since I had head home bit earlier then plan.

Saya such a speed demon. We headed for home Saya did walk back to the ravine, but I headed to her called her again and she was like oh fine and followed us home. I felt same way, but sometimes gotta call fun walks short..

What is sad my dad didn't really need the money when he got back he gave it back to me. So we could have hiked bit longer.

Ah well. Que sera sera~! :)

I got good pictures of my neighbor's trash.. :( A yellow kids slide.
 

This here is a jacuzzi I'm guessing? Lovely.

I can't believe people would just dump this junk in the woods.

The neighbor's are the ones who have the lab/mastiff mix who is rude and annoying.

Over flow from my pond drains into here. Been cold so it froze.

Little bird nest on the way out of the woods cool.

Saya on the way.

Bella had fun walk she got a bit silly and covered herself up.

Bella you know better that is the nice blanket you don't play with it! Silly boxer.

I told her leave it and she proceeded to rub against the couch.

Silly face.

Bella was being silly and rubbing on a couch and even moved it around while mom was sitting on it! haha
Saya she was tired so she hanged around chilling. She was tired from all the running and climbing. I'm proud of my little country shiba. :)

Saya was off leash the whole time thought this time was more shorter walk. The hike we did day or two ago was two hours and she was off leash then.

We did more stuff too hiking in trails then the woods and then down the hill then we went to the first field and head for the ravine area by where the power lines are. That is where I saw the barrel and 9 or so tires. Crazy what people dump..

I don't know if it was the person who lived here before us or who knows maybe people around the area thought it was OK to dump their crap down the ravine. I mean no one is going to walk down there!

I headed down there and Saya was a bit behind she was lagging a bit from climbing all over in the woods and stuff.

When she caught up she had fun sniffing things. There was evidence of deer, tracks and poop..

I found the arrow my dad got into the ravine on accident so I got that and climbed up from a different way. I saw some den looking things not sure what kind maybe rabbit? coyote? skunk? I don't know. Saya sniffed it a bit and I told her lets go and she kept going and we then walked the first field trails and headed home.

The first hike was nice would been more nicer to get pictures, but I didn't bring it then. I didn't think I'd go to the ravine.

I need get a nice tough small camera. The nice camera takes great pictures, but being nice I worry if I fall or trip I'd break it.

Bella had a fun time messing the room up with toy fluff.. haha

Saya and Bella are such good dogs we are lucky to have the two. Both have taught me a lot.

Saya is my best bud.

Groundhog1 prepped..

Remember I posted this? blog post groundhog captured.

On the 15th I prepped the first groundhog. I had it frozen for 6months.. I didn't gut it before freezing because it was warm and flies would been a issue also wasps too. Certain wasps love meat. I find them on coyote left overs a lot.

Even though the weather was cold I worked hard and was successful on prepping the animal to be safe for Saya to eat..

I was able to get the stomach and intestines out no problem. I also skinned it I was going to keep the skin on and just cut it into managable pieces as Saya has eaten rabbits with fur and quail with feathers.

Then I thought I'd attempt to tan the hide since the fur is very nice. I'll probably use it for scent tracking training and flirt pole toy I dunno.

The groundhog's face reminds me of Peter Pettigrew. hehe The eyes and buck teeth..

I've caught another groundhog besides this one it's still in the freezer. Right now it's too cold to do any long time outside stuff. It's 7F right now high it is supposed to get during the day is 26F.

I don't remember the temperature on the 15th of January I know it was cold and windy, but not as cold as 7F..

I think it was at least 36F or maybe 40F hard to tell, but it was windy so dealing with the wind and prepping stuff outside was a lot of work.. I could have done it in the garage, but It was better outside since I had more light to see.

Picture above shows it still frozen with my hand for size reference it was kinda curled up to fit in the bag. Luckily I keep big plastic bags I get from when I buy a lot of organ meats from the farmer's market because normal big zip locks wouldn't be big enough even with guts taken out.

I weighed all the individual parts after portioning it and they weigh 7lbs. I didn't weigh the hide and fur plus with the stomach and intestines out I think it's final weight would been at least 8 or 9lbs maybe even 10lbs. I kinda wished I weighed before ah well.

Yes I had Saya with me while I prepped it. She behaved and hanged by, but not too close she'd sometimes wander by the bird feeder to look for mice or moles.

She wore collar, bell and bandana too just in case.

The big clear plastic lid I used during when I took the stomach and intestines out Luckily I got it all out without the stuff leaking or anything. I also got the bladder out too.

I put the guts in the orange bucket. Then used the white lid in middle to work on skinning it.

The white lid one the left of the picture I put the legs, arms and stuff on so I had room while working on it.

Once I got everything off I took the meat inside and washed it really good just with water.. And placed in zip lock bags. I made it so the two legs and arms froze individually and bagged the ribcage, back end in separate zip lock bags.

all items frozen and ready to be put into big freezer.

Bag on left is the arms and legs, next to that back end and next to that chest and then next to that the organs(liver, kidney and stuff).

During prepping Saya got a bit of meat and fat she seemed to like it and when I went to get different knife for skinning and portioning things.

I let Saya drink up the blood in it. I also gave her tiny bit of the liver. She also got a egg too for her meal of the day.

January 17th I fed one of the groundhog leg.It weighed about 6oz.

She ate a bit of the bone and  small bit of meat and skin then she didn't want it.

January 18th I offered it again she only ate 1oz of it. So I put back in the fridge to try again before bed and she didn't want it so I put it back.

Jaunuary 19th I offered again this time put fish oil to see if it would help she just licked it and ate some of the skin.

I then went cook tiny bit of the meat on both sides. Just enough to cook it a little, but not enough to fully cook it or cook the bone.

After that she ate 1oz or so of it. I gave her some caned dog food after that for some extra.

I then put the 4 or 3oz of leg back in the freezer for next week.

Saya acted same way with chicken drumsticks and thighs when she was new to raw I had to hold the food for her and even then she sometimes just ate tine bit of it or just licked it.

She acted same way when she got her first whole quail I gotten from hare today. After eating the first quail she was hooked and ate without me holding it.

She again acted same way with rabbit she would prod it, bite and push on it like she is trying to figure out if it's food or not..

First rabbit I had to take some skin off for her to figure that out.

I'm hoping it'll be the same way.

She did seem more into it by the end of the third meal of the same groundhog leg.

I plan to feed the legs and arms first as they're easier to thaw and smaller.

I might portion the back end again to make it smaller. The back end has the femur and some of the spine plus the meat and fat covering it.

The groundhog meat is a red coloring not white like the rabbits at the butcher. I never really noticed the coloring of Saya's wild rabbits when I feed them to her. I have three whole rabbits left so I'll have to check next time I feed it.

I'd head groundhog is very fatty animal and yeah it goes seem to have a lot of fat especially on the back, but it is easily trimmed I think.

I don't bother trimming the fat as a little fat is good plus she isn't eating pure fat, but a mix of meat and fat..

Shows what the fat looks like.. Yes there is still bits of fur that didn't get washed off when I washed it before bagging it, but I don't think Saya minds.. Coyotes swallow fur sometimes even feathers and they poop it out fine.

Saya has eaten whole rabbits and quail with fur and feathers.

I've been feeding raw since she was 8months old and so far she has done great on it.

Feeding whole prey like quail, rabbits and so on is a different level compared to normal raw feeding.

I mean feeding a whole rabbit makes this look more appealing to a dog owner who feeds kibble..

3.32oz of cornish hen quarter and 2.86oz of beef heart.

I do enjoy feeding her whole prey items as she does enjoy the meals and I do feel it is pretty complete as far as nutrition goes.. I mean the whole animal has it all, meat, bones, and all the organs and even blood.

I've coarse have run out of whole quail long time ago which I plan to order more and some of their whole rabbits too.

The whole rabbits I feed Saya is babies or older juveniles that Saya has caught.

I just need room in the freezer. I still have the pig head to feed plus the groundhogs once I get rid of those items I should have room for a hare today order. I plan to get decent amount so the quail and rabbits will last me for awhile. I try to feed whole prey once a month if I have it sometimes two times a month.

I know some may not like what I did and probably thinking I should have just relocated the groundhogs.. There is a lot of farmland in my area not enough wild lands where they could have lived without disturbing one or so person.

I figure what if I relocate them somewhere I thought was remote enough, but the two goes finds a land with garden and set up home. The home owner might poison the groundhog or worse set a trap. Not a live trap kind.. I don't know if those traps kills the critter humanely or quickly. I know traps for coyotes seem pretty much like torture.

I'm not fond of things that cause prolong pain or longer time to death. Even coyotes deserve a quick humane death not leg caught in a snare or trap.

Or a farm dog finding the two groundhogs and killing them or something.

While I prefer to live in harmony with animals I don't have enough money to be buying pepper spray or heavy duty fencing to prevent damage to veggies.

Pepper spray did not work for the groundhog.

I have coyotes, raccoons, opossums, badger and even weasel on my land none have bothered me enough to warrant getting rid of.  I've been lucky Never had issue with opossum or raccoon probably since I keep the trash locked and no food is ever left outside.

I did have juvenile raccoons eating my pears, but Saya chasing them up the pear tree was enough they stayed far away after that. I even checked at night.

I enjoy wild life and love learning about it and looking at tracks and finding out it's a skunk or badger it's fun thing.

I'm lucky coyotes are very cautious where I live and have never bothered me. Though at night they have come close to the house I seen evidence of a coyote kill as there is rabbit fur laying by the bush or by the flower garden.

For night potty breaks I always bring a flash light and stick just in case.

Stick is probably not enough to protect myself, but seems like a pain to bring a gun with me every night..

Coarse we never hang outside at night for long unless we are at the camp site roasting marshmellows and hot dogs.  We have both Bella and Saya with us and it's usually me and mom or me, mom and dad. When my brother was up here he'd join in too.

Coyotes are vocal canines and I do think Saya knows to stay the F away from them as she sticks very close at night time and she has a concerned look to her when she hears them yodeling, howling and yipping.

The night I gutted the groundhog I cleaned all my stuff in the garage and Saya hanged out with me she wandered around a bit and then she wandered back by my side and stayed near while I finished up. I then heard coyotes howling in the distance sounded like they were in the crop field which was pretty far from my house. Coarse coyotes can run pretty fast.

I had her on long leash so Saya couldn't leave the garage, but she had fun exploring the garage and checking the wood pile for mice.

I do know coyotes are dangerous and can do very much harm to humans and dogs. I never let Saya off the leash at night.

I do feel country coyotes are more cautious of humans then their city counterparts. Every time I have encountered one they would stop a bit look then hightail it away. Most times they'd be running off before I saw them.

I still yell at them as they run I figure it would help enforce that humans sound scary..

One hand I probably should have relocated the groundhog another I'm fine with it.

I mean one groundhog provides enough food to feed for a long time two even longer.

I'm sure it's good nutritionally too. Wolves or coyotes would eat groundhog if they could.

Nothing went to waste either the skin will be tanned once I prepped the second ground hog and everything except the stomach and intestinal tract will be eaten by Saya.

Saya digging in the dirt

Snow is on the mind!

It snowed day before Yesterday. :D

Saya is happy. Coarse it's sunny here so it's melting away. :\

Saya and Bella loved it of coarse.

Her recall is still good in the snow and when distracted by following rabbit scents.

I did a lot of practice with her on recall on and off.

Used fish fudge yummy.

I had mom pick up some raw smelt while she was at the butcher as I've been out and they make yummy small meals or snacks for the dogs.

We had a nice walk in the woods after we were done in the yard. The winds we had blew our trash cans all over luckily no trash in those. One was in the front yard other back.

Saya had a bit of off leash time in the trails. did some recall training and stuff and then we continued walk on leash.

We found some deer tracks and where they had lay down too. :D

Only wild life I saw was a rabbit which ran off.

I'm glad we got a nice snow I enjoyed it. :)

Bella coarse needed a dog coat since it was chilly she looks like a neapolitan ice cream..
This video is pretty cute and how that is a lot of snow! Saya would disappear in that.

got another Vibram

November 25th I ordered these they're treksports.

I've been wearing them and they fit great luckily the size 40 fits fine just like spyridons.

I got a pair of socks too more thinner then the wool ones I have so nice for when Spring comes.

I'm slowly getting used to them I need transition to them as they can take some getting used to muscle wise and all that.

I did have some soreness wearing them first time after a bit, but now they feel fine.

I got these from vibramfivefingers.com. Shipping came pretty quick.

They do look silly, but I do like them so far.

Merrick Before Grain

Saya loves hanging on back of the couch.

Local pet store had Merrick Before Grain salmon on sale so we picked it up to try.

Ingredients looks pretty good so we'll see how Bella does on it.

Ingredients:
Salmon (Deboned), Chicken Meal, Potato (Dehydrated), Turkey Meal, Canola Oil, Sweet Potato (Dehydrated), Dried Egg, (preserved with mixed tocopherols – a source of Natural Vitamin E and Ascorbic Acid, a source of Vitamin C), Yeast Culture, Natural Dried Chicken Liver, Dicalcium Phosphate, Lysine, Guar Gum, Sea Salt, Alfalfa, Salmon Oil, Choline Chloride, Acai Berry (Dried), Blueberry (Dried), Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Venison Broth, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Chondroitin Sulfate, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Natural Venison Flavor, Chicory Root, Marigold Extract, Rosemary Extract, Lactobacillus Plantarum, Enterococcus Faecium, Lactobacillus Casei, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Natural Celery Flavor, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Vitamin E Supplement, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Natural Color (Turmeric), Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Copper Amino Acid Complex, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin D3, Niacin, Lecithin, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Cobalt Amino Acid Complex, Folic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate, Sodium Selenite

3586 kcal/kg (calculated)
One pound provides 1625 kcal of metabolizable energy (calculated)
One cup (100 grams) provides 383 calories
*Caloric content calculated using Modified Atwater Method

Guaranteed AnalysisCrude Protein (min) 32.0%
Crude Fat (min) 15.0%
Crude Fiber (max) 3.0%
Moisture (max) 11.0%

From looks of things Merrick is coming out with new line of kibble so it's bit different.

I think they only have chicken, buffalo, duck, and pork formula now no salmon formula. It's still grain free.

From looks of it ingredients are a bit different no chicken liver in the chicken formula. Not the end of the world or anything..

Ingredients in the new stuff looks good.



Merrick before grain dog food chicken guaranteed analysis
Guaranteed AnalysisCrude Protein (min) 32.0%
Crude Fat (min) 15.0%
Crude Fiber (max) 3.0%
Moisture (max) 11.0%

Merrick grain free dog food chicken formula guaranteed analysis
Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude protein (min) 38.00%
Crude fat (min) 17.00%
Crude fiber (max) 3.50%
Moisture (max) 11.00%

Protein is a bit higher in the new brand.

I never fed Merrick food before so we'll see how Bella does with it.

Saya is about out of her fromm beef kibble. I'll have to get a small bag of something I'm going to try different brand.

She eats raw diet, but I do use kibble for low value treat. I like fromm grain free as they're tiny so she isn't getting a bunch of big pieces.

Not sure what I'll get once I'm out I'll check the pet store for something different.

I'm thinking of getting a bag of ziwipeak for training treats too I ran out of the samples I gotten so some new ones would be nice. It's pricey as heck, but should last a while if I use it as a training treat.

Oh yeah I've gone insane.. haha I got a pair of Spyridon  vibram fivefingers. Only one store in my area. Indy has more stores, but I don't want to go driving all over the place.

Luckily they were having a sale going on so got a decent discount on them. Also got toe socks since winter is here.. I was hoping to try the lontras as they're supposed to be winter versions of the five fingers they only have men at the moment.

They feel fine so far I'm gradually wearing them each day to get used to them.

Without the toe socks they're not to bad outside, but with them they're more comfortable.

My brother has KSO kind he seemed to like them since he wore them a lot out and about walking and when we were in Arkansas he wore them during our kayak trip.

I've been reading up on them and when I saw them at the store I tried them on then went to a party. Next day I tried some other pairs and I liked the spyridon. It fits fine without socks and the socks do make it a bit more snug, but not too horrible. I'm going to start walking the dogs with them to see how they feel.

Last night was our first snow fall that stuck to the ground coarse it melted the next day. 

Winter is on it's way!