Kus Sarkisi Cana Melek & Kus Sarkisi Maximum Litter

Born June 30, 2012 5 girls and 1 boy

Kenyon is sweet and going to be tall

Kizira is going to be a good sized girl, bigger boned than the rest

Kerryna, a lovely Dutch marked girl, pictured at 7 wks

Kateri, fawn w/blk mask girl, pictured at 7 wks

Kenyon, fawn w/blk mask girl, pictured at 7 wks

Sisters: Kerryna on left, Kasen middle, Kizira on right at 9 weeks

Kateri just lounging in the yard

"DEVELOPING HIGH ACHIEVERS"

Originally published as

"Early Neurological Stimulation"

by Dr. Carmen Battaglia

Surprising as it may seem, it isn't capacity that explains the differences that exist between individuals because most seem to have far more capacity than they will ever use. The differences that exist between individuals seem to be related to something else. The ones who achieve and out perform others seem to have within themselves the ability to use hidden resources. In other words, it's what they are able to do with what they have that makes the difference.

In many animal-breeding programs the entire process of selection and management is founded on the belief that performance is inherited. Attempts to analyze the genetics of performance in a systematic way have involved some distinguished names such as Charles Darwin and Francis Galton. But it has only been in recent decades that good estimates of heritability of performance have been based on adequate data. Cunningham (1991) in his study of horses found that only by using Timeform data, and measuring groups of half brothers and half sisters could good estimates of performance be determined. His data shows that performance for speed is about 35% heritable. In other words only about 35% of all the variation that is observed in track performance is controlled by heritable factors, the remaining 65% are attributable to other influences, such as training, management and nutrition. Cunningham's work while limited to horses provides a good basis for understanding how much breeders can attribute to the genetics and the pedigrees.

Researchers have studied this phenomena and have looked for new ways to stimulate individuals in order to improve their natural abilities. Some of the methods discovered have produced life long lasting effects. Today, many of the differences between individuals can now be explained by the use of early stimulation methods.

Introduction

Man for centuries has tried various methods to improve performance. Some of the methods have stood the test of time, others have not. Those who first conducted research on this topic believed that the period of early age was a most important time for stimulation because of its rapid growth and development. Today, we know that early life is a time when the physical immaturity of an organism is susceptible and responsive to a restricted but important class of stimuli. Because of its importance many studies have focused their efforts on the first few months of life.

Newborn pups are uniquely different than adults in several respects. When born their eyes are closed and their digestive system has a limited capacity requiring periodic stimulation by their dam who routinely licks them in order to promote digestion. At this age they are only able to smell, suck, and crawl. Body temperature is maintained by snuggling close to their mother or by crawling into piles with other littermates. During these first few weeks of immobility researchers noted that these immature and under-developed canines are sensitive to a restricted class of stimuli which includes thermal, and tactile stimulation, motion and locomotion.

Other mammals such as mice and rats are also born with limitations and they also have been found to demonstrate a similar sensitivity to the effects of early stimulation. Studies show that removing them from their nest for three minutes each day during the first five to ten days of life causes body temperatures to fall below normal. This mild form of stress is sufficient to stimulate hormonal, adrenal and pituitary systems. When tested later as adults, these same animals were better able to withstand stress than littermates who were not exposed to the same early stress exercises. As adults, they responded to stress in "a graded" fashion, while their non-stressed littermates responded in an "all or nothing way."

Data involving laboratory mice and rats also shows that stress in small amounts can produce adults who respond maximally. On the other hand, the results gathered from non-stressed littermate show that they become easily exhausted and would near death if exposed to intense prolonged stress. When tied down so they were unable to move for twenty-four hours, rats developed severe stomach ulcers, but litter mates exposed to early stress handling were found to be more resistant to stress tests and did not show evidence of ulcers. A secondary affect was also noticed.

Sexual maturity was attained sooner in the littermates given early stress exercises. When tested for differences in health and disease, the stressed animals were found to be more resistant to certain forms of cancer and infectious diseases and could withstand terminal starvation and exposure to cold for longer periods than their non-stressed littermates. Other studies involving early stimulation exercises have been successfully performed on both cats and dogs. In these studies, the Electrical Encephalogram (EEG) was found to be ideal for measuring the electrical activity in the brain because of its extreme sensitivity to changes in excitement, emotional stress, muscle tension, changes in oxygen and breathing. EEG measures show that pups and kittens when given early stimulation exercises mature at faster rates and perform better in certain problem solving tests than non-stimulated mates. In the higher level animals the effect of early stimulation exercises have also been studied. The use of surrogate mothers and familiar objects were tested by both of the Kelloggs' and Dr. Yearkes using young chimpanzees. Their pioneer research shows that the more primates were deprived of stimulation and interaction during early development, the less able they were to cope, adjust and later adapt to situations as adults.

While experiments have not yet produced specific information about the optimal amounts of stress needed to make young animals psychologically or physiologically superior, researches agree that stress has value. What also is known is that a certain amount of stress for one may be too intense for another, and that too much stress can retard development. The results show that early stimulation exercises can have positive results but must be used with caution. In other words, too much stress can cause pathological adversities rather than physical or psychological superiority.

Kus Sarkisi Maksimum (Maxx)

Maxx is a large, handsome, sweet boy who has awesome structure and character, and loves his livestock. He is fawn with Dutch markings and is OFA'd Good.

Maxx was bred to our Champion Kus Sarkisi Cana Melek before he was shipped out to Big Lake Ranch, BC, Canada to live with his new family. He will be joining his mate, Kus Sarkisi Iya, and be registered to show in Canada along side of her. Iya is currently showing and winning!

Above on left is Maxx's sibling sister, Kus Sarkisi Keno Keskin. Maxx in center. On far right, laying down, is his sibling brother, Gunnarr.

Above is Maxx from a side view. He's just outstanding in his structure, size and character, and should pass this on to his offspring.

Canine Heartworms and Inexpensive Prevention

I'm posting this on my Blog as I get so many new owners asking about what to do for heartworm.

from: http://www.k911.biz/Petsafety/HeartwormTreatment.htm

The information below was obtained from http://www.beaglesunlimited.com/health/canine-heartworms-and-inexpensive-prevention.

But ultimately you must decide what you'll use. I'm just sayin' this works for us...Abundant health be with you and your beloved canines.

This article will discuss the canine heartworms and how you can keep them from infecting your Beagle (works for Anatolians as well) at the absolute lowest cost.

If you live in the United States, you have heartworms (Dirofilaria immitis) in your area. This parasite is present in all fifty states, but most common in the more temperate parts of the country. The heartworm larva (Dirofilaria immitis microfilariae) is spread from dog to dog by mosquitoes. When an infected mosquito feeds off a dog, it passes the infection into the bloodstream. The larva or microfilariae stay in the bloodstream for a period of time and then attach themselves to the inside of the heart and can also be found in the blood vessels of the lungs. When they mature in the heart they add their own microfilariae to the blood stream. The adult worms cause debilitating disease, reduce performance, and may cause death. Click on the hyper linked text and view a picture of "The Life Cycle of Heartworms". The dog can usually be cured if the heartworm infestation is diagnosed early enough. The cost of this cure can vary from a minimum of $175 to as much as $350 or more. After treatment, the dog must be laid up for a minimum of 30 days -- that is the bad news.

The good news is that heartworms can be prevented for less than one cent per day for a 20 pound dog (Beagle size). Yes, I said less than one cent per day (30 cents monthly). Myself and other Beaglers have used a prevention (that I will describe in this article) since the early 1980's, with no heartworm infestations. Once again, I want to remind everyone that I am not a Veterinarian, but rather a long time Beagle kennel owner. I'll tell you what I use and do, you can use your own judgment whether you want to follow in my footsteps. This article is presented only as a documentation of how I prevent heartworms in my Beagles at a fraction of the cost that a Veterinarian will charge for the Merck Heartgard ™ (Ivermectin), chewable tablets. Also, the law restricts Heartgard to use by or on the order of a licensed Veterinarian; therefore, if you use the prescription tablets you will be paying $15 - $45 for a box of 6 tablets (six month supply) plus the cost of an occasional office visit.

I use the same chemical that is in those expensive (prescription only) pills at a fraction of the cost. The prevention that I use is given once every 30 days (monthly) the same as the pills. In parts of the country during the coldest times of the year when no mosquitoes could survive, the prevention can even be suspended until the weather starts warming up again. If you suspect a dog may already have heartworms, before putting a dog on the following prevention it should be checked by a Vet to be sure it has no heartworms. The cost of this exam is generally between $5 - $15. It is a lot cheaper to have the exam to make sure your dog is not already infected, than it is to have a Vet save an infected dog during the advanced stages of heartworm infestation. This prevention (describe below) is only good to prevent an infection from ever occurring, once a dog is already infected then it must be given the very expensive treatment described in the first paragraph of this page.

The exam consists of a vet drawing a small amount of blood, putting a smear of it on a slide and looking at it through a microscope. The microfilariae look like tiny wiggler fishing worms. This prevention is not to be given to collies or part collies. What I use is Ivermectin. It is a 1% injectible cattle wormer with the trade name of Ivomec ™ . You can purchase it (without a prescription) for $40 - $50 at your Veterinarian Supply Store or through a catalog from a Vaccine Wholesale Supplier. The bottle comes in a 50cc size. I give it orally which means by the mouth. I use 1/10th of 1cc for each 10 pounds of body weight. The syringes I use are 3cc and are marked off in tenths of 1cc.

The way I do it is to draw out 2cc of Ivomec. Then I inject what is needed into an empty syringe (without a needle) with the plunger pulled down on the 1cc mark. I dribble it into the empty one until I have the proper amount. I will have a few ounces of soft drink or orange juice in an open container. I will draw in 1½ - 2cc of the juice to mix with the Ivomec. I put my finger over the end of the syringe and shake up the mixture. The reason for this is to give me more volume to work with and to make it taste better for the dog. I put my hand across the dog's nose with my thumb on one side and my fingers on the other side. Then I put pressure on my thumb and fingers to force open the dog's mouth. I then tip its head up and squirt the contents of the syringe in the roof of its mouth. Finally, I then close the mouth and hold it closed until the dog swallows. This is the only correct way to orally administer all types of liquid medications to dogs so that you do not accidentally squirt the liquid into the dog's windpipe and/or lungs.

I do this treatment to each and every Beagle once every 30 days. The Ivomec kills all those little microfilariae (larva) in the bloodstream so they never have a chance to mature into heartworms. Microfilariae will circulate in the blood for more than 30 days before attaching to the heart, so if you give this prevention on schedule there is "NO POSSIBLE WAY" for your dog to get heartworms. Even if a drug is labeled as safe for pregnant and/or lactating bitches. Personally, I don't recommend you give any kind of medications to a pregnant bitch unless the life of the bitch is in grave danger; however, I will give medications to lactating bitches. The difference is the pups are already born and not in their developing and forming stages in the womb.

The cost is very minimal for each dog. If the 50cc bottle of Ivomec costs you $40.00, this is 80 cents per cc. Given 12 months in a row, a 20 lb. dog will take 2½cc per year. That is a cost of $2.00 for a one year prevention. The shelf life for the Ivomec is about 3 years if kept refrigerated. Therefore, this method is feasible to use even if you only have one Beagle (dog), and it is by far the cheapest and most effective prevention against heartworms. If you have two or more dogs this can save you hundreds of dollars per year.

Our Puppies!

On the left is Belcim, Dutch girl. Next is Kivanç, a very Pinto boy. Lovely thick coat on him. Sitting up at the rear is Burak, Dutch boy. On the far right our girl, Feliz, darker Dutch girl.

Murat, a handsome tall Pinto boy

Our boy, Atesh, one of our Pinto boys

One of our Dutch boys, Yashaw

On the left is Belcim, Dutch girl. In the center, our girl, Feliz, darker Dutch girl. On the right is Kivanç, very handsome Pinto

To the left is Burak, Dutch boy. Front is Murat, our handsome tall Pinto boy. Another of Atesh, back right

Yashaw, relaxing on a lovely spring day, one of our handsome Dutch boys

Our Border, Val with Beren, dark fawn w/black mask, very sweet girl

Another of Beren

Atesh being a goof, just hangin' out

Beren in action...She got into the cedar and got a rear end full of sap

Our Current Litter DOB: FEB. 7, 2012

Our six boys, three are Pinto, two are Dutch, one is Fawn w/black mask



Our five girls, three are Dutch, two Fawn w/Black mask



All eleven of them taken at one day old....the journey begins

Bottle Feeding Recipe for Puppies

Bottle Feeding Recipe

10 oz. of canned evaporated milk OR whole goat's milk (mary:fresh goat's milk is my first choice when it's available), (not pasteurized cow's milk - this will cause scowers - dogs cannot drink normal cow's milk. Dogs cannot drink 1%, 2%, Skim, or Whole milk.) Whole goat's milk is by far the best to use. Walmart sells both evaporated milk, whole goat's milk and evaporated goats milk. Make sure you are using EITHER evaporated milk OR whole goat's milk. Do NOT use sweetened condensed milk!

3 oz. sterilized water (baby water OR boiled water that is then cooled).
This is NOT needed if using whole goat's milk.
1 raw egg yolk.
1 cup of plain yogurt (avoid skim or fat free if at all possible).
1/2 Tsp Karo Syrup or Corn Syrup (mary: I prefer Blackstrap Molasses)(NOT HONEY!)
****If you cannot find Karo or Corn syrup where you live, you can do a Google search for “substitute for Karo syrup” and get some options.****

When you Google “substitute for Karo syrup" here is what you may came up with- 1 c Karo can be subbed with 1 c white sugar and 1/4 c hot water (cook it to dissolve in the water best you can get it to. Depending on the recipe, if you need the sugar to be completely dissolved you might need to add a bit more water).


Place ingredients in a blender and blend or use a wire whisk. Be careful to not over blend and create a milk shake full of bubbles and then tube bubbles into the puppy.

Keep cool and discard leftovers after 7 days.

Warm formula to body temperature (dogs are around 101 degrees). Discard any un-used formula. This is a thick mixture - use a stomach tube to tube feed or enlarge the hole in the nipple for easy access for the pup

Kus Sarkisi Keno Keskin, daughter of Dillara & Dillon

KENO_________________at 22 months of age


She is outstanding in her structure as well as being a true hearted LGD and good loving and sweet girl