spending money

I positively inundate my puppy owners with reams of information before, during and after getting their puppies.  There are blogs, emails, books, chats, more emails, phone calls.  It's never-ending.  I so want all my puppies to have a wonderful life, and for their families to have a wonderful life with them, that I cannot help but to try and share everything I have learned about Lappies from my own dogs and my 8 litters of puppies.

One of the things I tell people is all the stuff they will need to buy.  There is an endless array of enticing stuff to spend one's money on that one's dogs will love (or not - they can be infuriatingly fickle).  To make the shopping list more accessible and to save me typing it out year after year, I once wrote a series of blog posts on the gear one requires before bringing one's puppy home.  Over time I adjust the advice, tweaking it here and there, and of course the links age and self-destruct.  I have gone back over those blogs a couple of times to update them with new links, but I decided to completely re-write the one about grooming products.  So this is that one.

GROOMING

For a puppy, any soft brush is best until they get used to it and their coat grows enough to warrant proper brushing.  This is a pretty good cheap brush for the very early days of a puppy coat: http://tinyurl.com/qdehlsd   Or you could use a cat brush.

As adults, your Lapphund will need 2 or 3 different grooming tools. (Although it goes without saying that some of us have 12 or 13 different ones. Ahem. No, not me. Of course not.)

Stiff bristle brush

Like a Mason & Pearson, for example. These are the best, and being the best, they are eye-wateringly expensive! About £60-£80 for a medium size one. However, you can get them a bit cheaper than that at the bigger dog shows. These days mine is a cheaper brand of bristle & nylon mix from Hindes after having good ones stolen from my bench at a show.  You can find a selection of various brands, sizes and prices on the Petcetera site. 

Comb

Another necessity for the fine hair around ears and under the legs is a comb. I prefer those with varying length teeth. I can't actually find a link to a comb that is like my favorite one, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's no longer available. You need to personalise it, of course - mine has authentic puppy teeth marks all over the handle, making plastic points that are uncomfortable to hold. Ideal. 

Rake

When they moult a rake is the tool of choice. A brush also works, but it’s slow going.  A comb works brilliantly but dogs generally don’t like it because it pulls too much on the skin.  The rake is the thing you need – it gets out the dead hair faster & easier than a brush but without the discomfort of a comb.

When I say rake, I’m  not talking about a product like the Furminator!   Don't use one of those on your Lappy.  And if you take your Lapphund to a groomer, don't let them use one either.  Furminators not only remove dead hair, it cuts the outer fur off, leaving the undercoat behind - the opposite of what we want.  What we use for Lappies is designed to remove undercoat that is already loose without damaging the outer coat. The type with a double row of rotating teeth is best.

There’s a great selection of combs and rakes on the Pet Express site.

Slicker
This is a great tool for small mats, the thick coat in the trousers, and the furnishings when they are thick.  It's also useful for strippiing out loose undercoat.  Beware when you use it, though, that it can really hurt and even injury the skin if you press too hard.  Just try it on your own arm and you'll see what I mean.  My favorite slicker is a small one, a bit like this one.

COLLAR & LEAD

As advised to me back in the day, I now advise that a Lappy puppy's first collar & lead should be the soft nylon cat collar type. There are some good ones by Ancol.  You will need the small, 12-inch one.  It will take a surprisingly long time for a Finnish Lapphund puppy to outgrow this little collar. It can take a day or two for puppies to get used to a collar & lead, and one of these is much lighter & more pleasant for them to get acclimatised to the idea of being restrained and no longer being free to run amok.

When choosing a collar now and in the future, make sure you pick one with an old fashioned metal buckle rather than a plastic snap.  The plastic snaps are not safe for your strong little Lappy; for one thing, they can break, especially if the collar is getting old and brittle.  Mostly, though, you are in danger of accidentally opening the snap when you grab your puppy’s collar.  And collar-grabbing is one of the first things you should be teaching your puppy to enjoy.  So avoid all those pretty, colourful collars with plastic snaps.  You won’t be able to see the prettiness amid all the fur anyway.

And while I’m on the subject of collars, it's worth mentioning this little warning too.  When you attach your ID tag to your puppy’s collar, be sure to attach it away from where you attach the lead, if at all possible.  Some, but not all, collars have two separate rings attached for that reason.  At any rate, never, ever, ever attach your lead directly to the ID tag ring (yes, we’ve all done it by mistake and if we’re lucky nothing bad happened.)  The ID tag ring is not strong enough to withstand the pulling of a Lapphund of any size or age; with one good tug, off comes the ring, taking the lead with it and there you are standing on the main road, traffic whizzing past, and your puppy is out of control.  It’s terrifying.  Be careful with that ring.

SOME OTHER STUFF

Toys, balls, bowls, chews.  There is no end to the stuff your puppy will adore that keeps pet shops in business.

Nail clippers (yes, it must be done). The guillotine sort are easiest to use & are widely available.

A selection of leads, harnesses, head collars, etc.  Yes, you will want and/or need all of those eventually.  Enjoy the early days when your puppy is not yet strong enough to pull you over in the street.  Oh yes, that happens.  What do you mean, no to everyone?  Just me then.

Back to the cute puppy pics after this, I promise.

this & that

After the great Tuuli/Taito event, I had a few opportunities to see some other members of the family.

First, there was the Richmond Championship show where Finnish Lapphunds were judged by Valerie Foss.  Taito was 2nd and Kuura was 3rd Limit Dog and Kiittaa was Reserve Postgraduate Bitch.

 Kuura hanging out at the benches

 Kiittaa looking gorgeous - photo Blake Bower

Taito concentrating hard on standing - or on the sausage I'm

holding in front of him - photo Blake Bower

After that there was a brief overnight visit from Taika and Minna and then a visit for me with Neka and Tuuli to Jane and her fur-gang.  Somehow I managed to take no photos of either of these events.  The first one was a very short stay, and we spent most of our time getting everyone walked.  With the second, I spent most of my time trying to keep Neka from all the joyful and embarrassing activities she specialises in when visiting other people's houses, viz running upstairs to investigate the bedrooms, opening cupboards and rummaging around to see what she can find, sticking her head into the rubbish bin for the same reason, breaking and entering into the garage in search of the pussycat ensconced there.  And one or two other things.  Embarrassing, yes, but she does make me laugh.

And I've had some new photos of Bo enjoying her new hobby of haystack climbing.

Bo on a haystack - photo John Dobbie

Finally, the belly update.  We are now about 2-and-a-bit weeks from puppy arrival day.  Tuuli is starting to slow down on her walks - i.e. she doesn't do quite so much flat-out running.  And for a week now she has been on daily worming.

You can see she's a bit dubious about all this posing malarkey this morning.

The other newsworthy event in relation to all things puppy is that the new whelping box has arrived.  That width equals half of the floor dimensions.  I wasn't happy with the recommended "Border Collie" size as I remember how little space the litter of 9 had in a "medium-sized" whelping box by the time they were 3 and 4 weeks old.  So I went for the size up and it is going to be enormous!  Lots of space for mum to stretch out and excellent for growing puppies to exercise.  But it will take up approximately half of Jay's office in the back bedroom so he will be needing some kind of rope and pulley system to hoist himself from the doorway to his desk.  Rest assured I will have the camera at the ready.

 Neka is hoping the whelping box isn't for her benefit

a leading question

For a long time now I have been meaning to write a post about dog leads.  In fact, I meant to do it before all the owners of the Riemu gang had already been out and about with their new puppies.  And I certainly intended to do it before they had already bought 4 or 14 new leads.  Yes, I said 14.  Maybe that's just me, though.

One of the reasons I am only just getting around to it is because the topic of dog leads is a big one.  Huge.  First there is the choice of material - fabric, nylon, leather, something else.  Then there are choices of colour, length, width, round or flat, different types of clasp, or no clasp at all.  Some will have matching collars, some will not.  The permutations are quite endless, but over time you will likely develop your own personal favorites or, like me, you will find different leads useful for different purposes.

Here are a few from my own personal collection - some are new but most are older or much older than new, as you will see, and they are in varying cosmetic states.

First up, these leads are the sort of thing that work well with a brand new puppy.  They are made of woven fabric so they are soft on your hands, not too heavy for the puppy to drag around by its neck, and will last as a puppy lead for many weeks.  They come flat, as shown, or round.  After the puppy grows out of this sort of lead, it's also very handy as a show lead, if you are so inclined.

Tuuli's puppy lead (left), brand unknown, kindly supplied by her breeder in Sweden.*

Neka's show lead (right), brand unknown, purchased from a stall at a show many years ago.*

Next up is a selection of leads I have acquired over the years.  The first 2 are quite short in length, the 3rd is one of my favorite leads and a daily go-to.  It's long, soft and extremely versatile and it has a convenient metal ring through the handle that I use to clip the lead around my neck when the dogs are running free.  I have also been known to clip two of them together, end-on-end.  I bought it at a stall at the Ladies Kennel Club show in 2006 and I have it in 2 colours.  I so wish I could remember who supplied it because I would like several more of them.

Lead 1 - provenance unknown

Lead 2 - brand unknown, purchased from Pets Corner pet shop with matching collar

Lead 3 - see above

Do you recognise this lead?  If you do, get in touch!

Another of my favorite and most versatile leads is this one, a double-ended "Softex" lead purchased from Mekuti.  Let me say, it wasn't cheap as dog leads go.  However, it is extremely useful and, as the name implies, it's easy on the hands.

It has a trigger hook clasp on each end and several metal rings along its length for adjusting the style and length you prefer.

Doubled up to its shortest version

Double-ended with one large clasp and one small

Can be used like a traditional straight lead with loop handle.














It's most useful variation, though, and the reason I bought it in the first place, is as a training lead to stop young (or older...) dogs pulling on their lead.  Here is baby Tuuli learning to walk nicely on her lead with the Mekuti attached to her collar and body harness.  With a very strong and stubborn puller I would attach one end to the body harness and the other to a head collar. 

In additon to leads with clasps, you can also get what is known as a slip lead.  This is a kind of all-in-one collar and lead where the lead attaches to itself using a ring that it slips easily through (hence the name).  When the dog is walking calmly, not pulling, the smooth lead slips through the ring to create a loose collar.  When the dog pulls, the leads slips back to pull the collar tight.  Some slip leads have a "lock" that will control the amount the collar will open when slack.

As a rule, I don't recommend slip leads for normal use.  To operate correctly, the dog needs to walk on only one side of you so that the lead sits on top of the dog's neck with the ring end looping up from under the dog's chin.  If worn the wrong way around, the collar can simply choke the dog without the ability to slip back through the ring.  Also, there is a danger that a determined, clever dog can actually slip out of the lead altogether.  I've known one or two clever Lappies to do just that very thing.

We use this lead just for the convenience of taking the dogs out for a quick comfort break, as they don't normally wear their collars when just hanging around the house.  Rather than going through the rigamarole of buckling collars back on and then attaching leads to collars to nip quickly outside, we simply pop the slip lead over their heads and out we go.

Slip ring and "lock".



















Have you heard of a training line?  Well, this is an example of a training line.  It's made by Clix and is a lightweight very long lead used for training recall and other behaviour where you need control while allowing your dog to feel he is free to do whatever he wishes.  This one is 10 metres, but they are available in different lengths.  It has a trigger hook at one end for attaching to the dog's collar and nothing at the other end, although you can get training lines with a loop handle at the end. 

The lead that everyone uses, for better or for worse, is the flexi lead.  Flexi is actually a brand name but has come to mean any of a type of spring-loaded, adjustable-length retractable lead.  They give freedom to the dog and a minimum of control to the person.  I'm both a fan and a detractor of the flexi lead.  Yes, I use them, but I'm extremely careful when I do.

This one, my favorite, is a Flexi brand.  It has a rubber handle for much better grip (customised by Keskiyo as a puppy, as you can see) and a flat tape lead.

Flexi leads are also available with a round cord lead, as shown here - don't buy that type!

These leads can be convenient, but they can also be dangerous.  Especially with a cord instead of a tape.  Especially with a strong dog on the end.  And especially with a strong herding dog on the end.  What do dogs do when they meet?  They turn round and round each other.  On a flexi lead, that turning motion can actually wrap the lead around a smaller dog's neck and when the bigger, stronger dog then runs or jumps in play, the small dog can be seriously injured or even killed. 

And what do herding dogs do when they meet people?  Frequently, they circle round them too, thus wrapping the lead around people's legs.  Like I said, it can be dangerous.  So, whatever you do, don't buy the cord flexi lead!  That cord is lethal around necks, legs, fingers, everything it touches.  The tape is a much gentler and safer construction altogether.

Finally, here is a lead of gorgeous quality, beautiful colour, appealing material and with a dose of sentimental value thrown in for good measure.  It's a rich russet leather lead, hand made with a brass trigger hook and a charming inscription.

Thank you so much to Jane & Mark Treasure for this lovely, thoughtful and completely unnecessary gift!  I love it!

* If anyone recognises the brand of any of these leads, please let me know and I will gladly give credit.  And probably buy more of them!

progress

Yesterday was a lovely day at the beach. No, really. While the rest of the UK was labouring under snow like I didn't even know was possible in this country, south Devon remained blissfully frosty and flake-free. Lapphunds, needless to say, adore cold weather, and I've lost count of the number of cute-Lappy-playing-in-the-snow photos I've seen. But I've kept them secret from our dogs who would be very jealous if they knew what fun their relatives were having.

Shhh! - here's Lana (formerly Jonna/Jaana) being a meerdog and gazing longingly out at the winter wonderland beyond her window.





Oh, pleeeeeeease can't I go out and play in the snow?














So to make up for what they are missing out on, we took advantage of a conveniently timed low tide for a quick run on the beach before work.

Keksi has mere days - nay, hours! - left and so has officially passed the "running" stage and will now even take a pass on "playing". "Sitting" is her favorite activity these days (after eating, obviously).















Keskiyo playing his favorite game: chasing stuff thrown into the water











Maija chilling out waiting for the 'photo' bit of the walk to be over with











And chilling a bit too much when she gets caught out - oops!







Today will be stuffed full of chores as I scramble to get ready for the newcomers. It's been a hectic couple of weeks; I can and do work a great deal from home, but much of my work can only be done at work, so I've been trying to get ahead for when I can't leave the puppies.

Progress to date: precious little

Jay once again inherited the job of clearing out the puppy room and although I was too embarrassed to post a photo like I did last time, it started out looking remarkably the same. So today the whelping box is in place and... well, that's about it. As for where all the stuff from the puppy room went, let's just say my lounge looks like a junk room exploded in it. And there's a reason for that: a junk room exploded in it.

Progress to date: a little

I've been shamefully slow in compiling the rest of the puppy whelping stuff. I have my "puppy kit" box that contains the latex gloves, syringes, thermometer, etc. But I haven't yet located the hot water bottle, set up my holding box or sterilised all the necessaries. I have purchased new tiny nail clippers for the puppies' new tiny nails, but I can't quite remember where I've put them. Even more serious, I haven't yet laundered all the dog towels in readiness.

What I have done, though, is collected enough newspaper. Or, perhaps I should say that Jay's parents have collected enough. They've been brilliant and now we have enough newspaper for 2 litters. Or one litter of 9 (I remember it well, how much newspaper we went through that time.)




We have 8 or 10 stacks like this one. Isn't it good to see real recycling in action.








Progress to date: newspaper fully loaded & good to go!

Where visitors to the last litter were not welcome to cross the threshold until they had crossed my palm with newsprint, I am pleased to say that we will subject our visitors to nothing more intrusive than a full pocket and bag search as they leave (to ensure we are left with the full complement of puppies after the visitors have gone).

library

Has anyone been wondering why there has occasionally been a book or two in the puppy box? Perhaps this will give you a clue:






















Yes, the puppies burrow underneath it and it makes me nervous. What if they suffocate? What if Taika jumps in the box, doesn't realise someone is underneath and really squishes them? One day I went into the puppy room, looked in the box and saw only one puppy. The rest? In a heap under the mat.

And it's not like they are cold - the room is very warm and they usually spread out as far away from each other as they can get because they get too hot. It just goes to show how the instinct to seek a den affects even week-old dogs. That explains why most Lappy owners have a shrub or 2 in the garden which has been thoroughly dug under and around - the need to make a safe, dark den.

Here's another of someone emerging from underneath:
























The problem is with the corners of the mats. Because they shrink a little with washing & age (bad design flaw, people), the corners curl, creating a perfect space for puppies to burrow under. Of course, they always find these gaps because their instinct, even when they are blind before their eyes open, is to crawl face-first into the corners.

So we put a couple of heavy books on the corners to flatten them and stop the burrowing. Of course, that just means the puppies burrow into the book instead. You've seen Dino learning to read, well, Butterfly reckons that whatever he can do, she can do better.

























And here's Grey Wolf enjoying her snooze from the dizzy heights of her book-platform:























And, finally, today's news: Grey Wolf, petite lady that she is, is the only puppy under 1 kilo this morning, but I have no doubt that she will break that barrier tomorrow. As yet, we still have only 3 puppies with their eyes open. Two more days to vote, folks. And, no, you will be getting no hints.

puppy shopping 4

Brushes

For a puppy, any soft brush is best until they get used to it and their coat grows enough to warrant proper brushing.

As adults, they will need 2 or 3 different grooming tools. (Although it goes without saying that some of us have 12 or 13 different ones. Ahem. No, not me. Of course not.)

Stiff bristle brush like a Mason & Pearson. Being the best, these are expensive! About £50-£60 for a medium size one. However, you can get them a bit cheaper than that at the bigger dog shows. These days mine is a cheaper brand of bristle & nylon mix after having good ones stolen from my bench at a show.

Another necessity for the fine hair around ears and under the legs is a comb. I prefer those with varying length teeth, sort of like these. I can't actually find a link to a comb that is like my favorite one, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's no longer available. You need to personalise it, of course - mine has authentic puppy teeth marks all over the handle, making plastic points that are uncomfortable to hold. Ideal.

Finally, for when they moult a rake is the tool of choice. A brush also works, but the rake does it faster & easier. This is not a product like the Furminator! That doesn't only remove dead hair, it cuts the fur. What we use for Lappies is designed to remove undercoat that is already loose without damaging the outer coat. The type with a double row of rotating teeth is best.

Collar & Lead

As advised to me back in the day, I now advise that a Lappy puppy's first collar & lead should be the soft nylon cat collar type. It will take a surprisingly long time for a Finnish Lapphund puppy to outgrow this little collar. It can take a day or two for puppies to get used to a collar & lead, and one of these is much lighter & more pleasant for them to get acclimatised to the idea of being restrained and no longer being free to run amok.

Other Stuff

Bowls, obviously. I use stainless steel - easy to clean & can't be chewed. Keskiyo, however, makes quite a racket with his when he flings it around on the patio or in his crate to get attention.

Nail clippers (yes, it must be done). The guillotine sort are easiest to use & are widely available.

puppy shopping 3

Toys & Chews

If there's one thing I know about Finnish Lapphunds it's this: they sure do love to chew. Having said that, chewing is a necessity for all dogs, especially young ones and, to be honest, some Lappies are more interested in chewing than others.

Little did I know how lightly we were getting off with Neka in this respect. As a puppy she destroyed very few things. And those that she did get were irresistible and we take full responsibility for leaving them within reach - plastic lens cover from camera, remote control, the occasional shoe here and there.

Then Keskiyo moved in and, boy, did we get a shock to the system. He destroyed everything in sight and then some. Nothing was safe, including the exposed corners of any wood. Woe betide us if we left anything within a paw's reach of the bars of the crate in the car. Four years later I'm still wearing my very expensive waterproof jacket but since it was less than 2 weeks old it has had a few unnecessary holes and a half-missing zip (so, not so waterproof any longer, actually). You guessed it - left in the back of the car and dragged through the bars of the crate.

Then Maija came along. And, sheesh, we thought Keskiyo was bad! She was the worst of all. Socks galore, pens & pencils, several leads, the edge of the vet bed, her blanket, anything at all left on the coffee table within reach. Many, many things destroyed.

However, one interesting thing about all this was that if the chew toys were yummy enough and interesting enough, then the dogs would always prefer them over the pencils and remote control, etc. Socks, maybe not so much. They will always be appealing, I guess.

So, the moral of the story is this: when you get your puppy you'll need lots of different chew toys and bones. Our adult dogs' absolute favorite thing that they will forego all other treats for is a fresh bone from the butcher.

For puppies and their growing teeth and jaws, Nylabone puppy bones are terrific. At the rate they grow, though, FL puppies very soon graduate out of those little soft ones. By 10 or 12 weeks Neka was going through the softest of these in 1 minute flat. She still loves these little puppy bones, though, and when Maija had them we had to make sure Neka didn't steal them from her. For the bigger and older dogs, this type is also good with the fake marrow inside.

There's literally hundreds, possibly thousands, of different types of dog chews on the market. Most of the very best ones also have food value, so if your puppy is a destroyer and swallows everything instead of just chewing & savouring, then you need to keep that in mind and balance it with their meals. Ours all love pigs' ears (I draw the line at buying trotters and, worst of all, pig noses!) paddywhack, tripe sticks (of course they love that - the most disgusting smelly thing ever produced). Call me squeamish if you like, but in addition to pig noses, I also cannot bring myself to give our dogs pizzle. I'm sure Jay agrees.

In addition to these things, and others like them, there's all the less-natural things like Dentastix, Jumbones, etc. Ours also love all these. Regardless of what it says on the packaging, though, these are not treats to be given everyday! Our dogs only ever get half a Dentastix at a time and only once in a while. Jumbones are great because you can also buy them in slices, which is a much more sensible size of treat for a dog.

For lengthy chewing, I stick with bones (fresh, nylon, smoked, stuffed) and occasionally the other items.

Rawhide is another very popular dog chew product. We only ever give the shredded, re-formed variety because of the dangers associated with other types. Rawhide pieces get soft when chewed and it's surprisingly easy for dogs to choke on it, so we avoid it.
As for toys, no one needs advice on this, really, as pet shops are stuffed to the rafters with toys of every imaginable type and you'll soon discover which are your puppy's favorites. Be prepared for them to be destroyed as well - that's all part of the fun for puppies. There are a few must-haves, though:

• Tennis balls
• Stuffed animal for snuggling at bedtime (at least as big as the puppy - so pretty big)
• Activity ball (just put their meal kibble inside)
• Kong
• Tug ropes

For some fabulous advice on how to survive your puppy's chewing phases, go have a look at Gwen Bailey's excellent article.