Normally Dean writes the blog posts, but today it’s Patty. I want to tell you a story about a female that was inside the house waiting to have her puppies!

Her name is Heidelberg’s Winter Xandrac. I let her out to go potty before leaving for a doctor’s appointment. Dean was out hunting, so he couldn’t help me. I am home with her and GCh. Ch. Kodi, CGC in the house with me all morning.

I am ready to leave, so I go outside and call them. Of course, GCh. Ch. Kodi, CGC comes right away. But in training him, I failed to train him to find another dog (especially a pregnant one)! I walk all around the house, calling her name. Nothing. I go back to the house and sit down to see if she will come to the door. Nothing.

I am getting a little worried, so I check all the kennels. I want to make sure one wasn’t empty and she is nesting in a dog house. No sign of Winter. I start walking around the house checking under things, as my circle gets larger I am nearly to the outside fence line and nothing. I call my friend Pam in Sand Springs for moral support. She offers to come to help me, but I won’t let her.

Now, I have to do the dreaded thing. Call Dean to tell him I’ve lost Winter. I don’t want to tell him that!! So I call him and tell him, he tells me to do all the things I have already done. I have walked back to the front porch and sat down, so sad and worried.

Then, I hear a strange noise, sounds like it is coming from under the porch, but how? I walk around the front of the porch and see her walking back and forth. So I try to figure out how she got under there and how to get her out. Then I find a hole that she dug in the corner, so I try to entice her out, but she won’t come out. I get a bowl of food, she loves to eat, and try to get her to come out. She won’t come back to the hole and then I notice a piece of lattice that seems to be broken. I pulled on it and she came out!!!

I didn’t know that the boys cleaning kennels kept filling in the holes with more dirt. When Dean came home later that day, he had them fill it with big rocks. Boy that was so difficult every time she went out until the hole was filled in with rocks!

Imagine being a full-grown pregnant dog getting in this hole! Amazing!!

On October 17, 2010   our Grand Champion Champion (GCh Ch) Heidelberg’s Oklahoma Natashac (Kay) won Best in Show (BIS) at the Enid, Oklahoma Dog Show.  Last month was the anniversary of that win and nine years later Kay is still the number one GCh Ch German Shepherd Dog in Oklahoma.  Last month we were back at the Enid dog show with Kay’s Grandson, Heidelberg’s Remington v Windy.  Remington didn’t win BIS, but for a beautiful puppy that just turned one-year-old, he did well and we are proud of him.  He ended up with Reserve Winners Dog on Saturday.

Kay was absolutely the perfect dog both in beauty and temperament.  And, she loved being shown by Andrea Hesser, DVM.  Kay had charisma and she enjoyed displaying that in the show ring.  She knew she was all that and more.  I remember when Kay and her sister were about five-weeks-old, I would take them on the back patio and watch them explore the world.  Even at that age Kay stood out.  Kay actually finished her Championship in two weekends.  One of the top professional handlers in the country, Brian Livingston saw me showing Kay for the first time in Grove, OK.  I was doing a terrible job because she just wanted play and jump all over me as we ran around the show ring.  (She was only 12-months-old).  After I won Kay’s class, Brian came up and asked if he could show Kay for free for the rest of the weekend.  He did so and won Group 1 and Group 2 on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Reflecting on this while showing Remington this last month in Enid brought back a lot of fond memories for us.  Remington is not quite the show dog Kay was, but he’s young and we at Keystone German Shepherds are hopeful.  Remington will be a Grand Champion Champion after he grows up.

Please visit our web page at keystonegermanshepherds.com.  Help us to continue to purposefully breed these wonderful Heidelberg’s by visiting our web page, rating us, and leaving comments on Facebook, forwarding our web page, or, better yet, please come buy our puppies.  In addition, consider trying our supplements from our online store.  Our dog show wins are in part due to our Pure Total Vitamins and cod liver oil supplement which allows our dogs to grow the most lavish, plush-coats.  These supplements work and are needed to keep your current dogs healthy and away from the veterinarian.  If you try our supplements especially in concert with a healthy diet, you will see amazing changes to the overall health and vitality of your dog within a month.  For a healthy diet please see our web page.

Currently, we have four female puppies that are Kay’s grandchildren.  Do you need a show dog that will win or a family companion that will be loyal and a pleasure to call your best friend.  These puppies are priced at $2,000.00.  Please help us keep this Heidelberg line going.  Call me or Patty at (918) 261-4729.

Sincerely,

Dean Heckathorn

Our Heidelberg puppies have all their shots and worming’s are completed. These puppies are ready to go to their new forever homes.

Two of the puppies are long coats, so if you are interested in a long coat, now is the time to come get one or two!  The parents are all currently being shown and have points towards their Championships.  The parents of these puppies are going to be shown in Claremore, Oklahoma at the All-Breed show, so please plan to come see them at the show March 27-31, 2019 at the Claremore Expo.  Watch our Show Info page on our website and Facebook for more details on the upcoming show.

They are loving and fun puppies.  We are taking deposits on them and you can come pick them up!  If you are interested in seeing them, please call or text Dean at 918-261-4729.

They were raised in a home with a teenager and an eight year old, so you know they have been played with a lot.  They are used to other dogs and kids.  We have sold one of the girls in this litter, but there is one more girl and two more boys.

The 8 week old puppies already have one girl sold and a deposit on one of the boys.  That leaves one girl and four boys to pick from.  These puppies were raised by Gayle Boatner of “German Shepherd Dedicated Owners”.  Gayle has some video and pictures on the Facebook Group, German Shepherd Dedicated Owners and tons of pictures of the parents!

Deposits are $300 and puppies are $2,000.  We also sell dog food, supplements, crates, and toys.  You will receive full registration and a 4 generation pedigree showing all the Champions and Grand Champions in your puppies line.  If you are needing supplements, they can be ordered from our website and we will ship it straight to you.

www.keystonegermanshepherds.com

Hopefully you have room for one more resolution! We have a few  new toys in the training yard for the dogs, thanks to Don Crean! We have a new teeter-totter and a ramp. Dean built us a jump and a table a while back, so we have several things to work on!

This year, if you’re not attending our free Saturday morning trainings, think about coming. It could be a great resolution for 2018. We have class, weather permitting, on Saturday mornings starting at 10:00 am here at Keystone German Shepherds & Kennel. We work on basic obedience, manners, socializing all of the dogs, and show practice as needed.

When we are getting ready for upcoming shows, we work on helping the dogs remember what they need to do. But our main goal is to prepare you and your puppy for the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test. We usually have the test in May.

What is the CGC test? It is an official American Kennel Club (AKC) title. Once your dog passes the test and all of the paperwork and the fee is sent to AKC, your dog will have CGC at the end of their official AKC name.

The great thing is, you don’t have to come to every class. You can come a couple of times a month and practice at home. Then when it is time, you will probably be able to pass the test.

When class is over, it’s a great time to pick up supplies or have your dog’s nails clipped. We do not limit it to only German Shepherd Dogs, so please join us when the weather is nicer for a fun morning!

To see if we are having class, check our website and Facebook at Keystone German Shepherds & Kennel.

Obedience and Canine Good Citizen Class at Keystone German Shepherds & Kennels  Playing Leap Dog!

Exploring the vast prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge

The first and most important training command you can teach your dog is to come to you when called. Even if you live in a subdivision and your dog is either secured in the backyard or on a leash there will be a time when your dog or puppy slips the lead or escapes the backyard. By correctly training your dog to come when called can save its life or save you from an expensive vet bill. For example, you are walking your dog on a leash and a cat runs out in front of you into traffic. You are relaxed and not expecting your dog to bolt, thus the leash slips out of your hand and your dog is after the cat heading into traffic. Unless the dog is well trained to come there is nothing you can do except pray.

A Two-Year-Old Patriot playing in Pine Bluff, AR at Dog Show in February 2013

You can and should start training your new puppy to come to you when called as soon as it comes home with you. Do this at home and often, have tiny treats that your puppy cannot resist, and frequently say your puppy’s name followed by the word “come”. Every time the puppy comes to you give it a treat and love on the puppy then spend a couple minutes playing. The command to come should always be a positive experience for the puppy and never punish your puppy or dog for not coming. If they don’t come be patient and just try again in a few minutes. The idea is to make the come command enticing and irresistible from the dogs’ point of view and this takes time and patience. Making the come command enticing to your new puppy is done by treats they love, affection, and play. If you do this exercise four to five times a day while your puppy is young by the time you actually start formal training with a leash your puppy will be coming to you directly with great enthusiasm.

Heidelberg’s William v Carlie (Jury)

Nothing makes a dog owner more proud than when their dog or puppy comes to them during training class with great enthusiasm. Once the dog starts formal training you will first teach your puppy or dog to stay and once that is mastered you can start training using the come command on leash using the three enticements of irresistible treats, love and praise, and play. If your adult will not come when you call it, even if your dog is old, you can train it come with practice and using the three positive enticements. Next time, I’ll show you how to train your dog to stay and to stay for hours if necessary.

Well socialized male Heidelberg’s German Shepherd Dogs

Please continue to check out our web page as we post updates on available litters: https://kgsd.inventivehorizons.com/PuppiesForSale.htm. We have several wonderful puppies that that are ready to go home.   Also, please see our web page: https://kgsd.inventivehorizons.com/
Sincerely,
KeystoneGermanShepherds

Exploring the vast prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge

Hi Everyone, Today, I’m posting an article by Amber Kingsley, a journalist and social media manager based in S. California.  Amber is a lifelong pet lover and owner and writes helpful pet articles while traveling around the world:

As both animal and pet lovers, we’re often stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to expensive veterinary bills. Just like our two-legged children, we still need to keep our four-legged friends happy and healthy, which includes regular and sometimes costly visits to the veterinarian’s office.

According to the ASPCA, when it comes to our pet care, often the highest costs associated with animal ownership are regular trips to the vet’s office. These figures don’t even reflect some often unexpected and expensive unplanned trips that can come out of the blue due to an accident or unforeseen illness.

But what’s a pet lover to do? Plenty actually, while we all know it’s best to shop around for the best deals, especially online, there’s many other ways we can reduce these medical expenses for our beloved animals. Check out these top three ways to take a bite out of our veterinary budget for our best friends:

Newman and Nelson Noah Puppies

#1 – The Right Fit

Just like our personal physician, our own primary medical care provider, finding the right veterinarian could mean the difference between a big bill and more affordable options. From my personal file of pet stories, I had a dog that accidentally ingested a tennis ball sized batch of carpet fibers that caused her to become dehydrated and lethargic. My vet told me that expensive surgery may be necessary, but wanted to try a less expensive alternative first, pumpkin.

Canned pure-pack pumpkin, the kind used in making pie, is also used as a digestive aid that can be used to help pets pass unwanted items from their digestive tract. Sure enough, my vet called later and told me to come and pick up my precious pooch who had passed the fibers without the need of a scalpel. This kind of insight is not only affordable, but sometimes difficult to locate. Be sure that you have a loving, caring and responsible veterinarian that isn’t just out for a quick buck.

#2 – Medication Malady

Speaking of a quick buck, most veterinarians charge enormous markups on their medications, averaging around 100% and could go as high as 275% in some cases. That can be a red flag or clue when trying to find the right vet as mentioned previously. If they have a problem with you purchasing your pet’s prescriptions elsewhere, this could be a problem. With places like 1-800-PetMeds that offer common medications at a fraction of the cost as those purchased from the vet’s office, there’s no need to spend extra for common prescriptions like heartworm, flea and tick prevention products.

You Are Responsible for Training Your New Heidelberg German Shepherd Puppy

#3 – An Educated Alternative

Is there a veterinarian college in your area? These students are training and educating themselves on common pet care practices like vaccinations. They may offer deep discounts on spaying, neutering and basic checkups for our four-legged friends.
Other collegiate locations to consider may be interested in doing research and treatments on uncommon or lesser-known medical procedures that can cost thousands at the vet’s office. It may be worth exploring along with other inexpensive alternatives found at area clinics that can offer low-cost treatment services, especially for vaccinations and “fixing” our pets at deeply discounted prices.

In closing, as the late, great spokesperson for animal rights, Mr. Bob Barker always said at the close of his popular daytime game show, “Help control the pet population, have your pet spayed or neutered.” The cost of this minor procedure is much less than raising an often unwanted litter of puppies – no matter how cute!

Healthy Food Means Healthy German Shepherds

Please continue to check out our web page as we post updates on available litters: https://kgsd.inventivehorizons.com/PuppiesForSale.htm.   We have several wonderful German shepherd puppies for sale that that are ready to go home.

Please call me at (918) 261-4729 if you would like to take one of puppies home with you.  Please visit our web page to learn more about these wonderful Heidelberg German Shepherds that we raise at Keystone German Shepherds & Kennels.  https://kgsd.inventivehorizons.com/

Sincerely,

Dean Heckathorn