The commercial turned out great! How funny that so many hours of work equals a 15 second commercial.
Link to view the commercial – Skyy’s commercial
Lights! Camera! Action!
Skyy is going to appear in a commercial!
I got a call last week from a production company, interested in having a harlequin Great Dane in a commercial spot they were filming today. We discussed the particulars, the production manager viewed pictures of Skyy and it was agreed that she would fit the bill.
The script was that Skyy would be sitting by her “owner” and a small dog would come into the scene, bark at her and “scare her off”. The “owner” then looks surprised at why her big dog suddenly ran off.
The set was done up to look like a park, filmed in front of a blue screen that will (from my understanding) become a park background during the editing process.
Skyy was such a good girl! She was extremely patient and tolerant of all the people, the small dog (who vocalized to her that he was very, very tough), the camera, the lights, etc.
Her job was mainly sit-stays and a “look down” (to appear she was looking at the small dog), then the running out of the scene. The two dogs were filmed separately and the scenes were combined in the editing process.
Our biggest challengewas that they wanted Skyy sitting facing one direction and then to run out of the scene the other direction. Because I had to stand behind her to call her, she ended up twisting her head around to watch me during her sit stay, which didn’t work for the shot.
The “look down” was comical, as she mostly ignored the distractions trying to encourage her to look down. We resorted to throwing treats on the ground!
All in all, she did a wonderful job. Her solid temperament really shinned to be able to take all that in stride!
The commercial is for MetaBank and will air regionally.
It was certainly an interesting experience! Hopefully her new found fame doesn’t completely go to her head. Excuse me, I must go now…Her Highness is currently resting and has requested steak for dinner. I mustn’t keep her waiting!
Update: Check out the finished commercial.
Alternate Heartworm Preventation
I’m trying something new this year for heart worm prevention and giving liquid Ivomec to the dogs. It’s substantially cheaper than Heartguard or Interceptor, while offering the same protection.
After having my vet perform a heart worm check on both dogs, and having it come back negative, I purchased Ivermectin from Jeffers Pet Supply (1% Iovmec). Ivermectin is the active ingredient in Heartguard. I also purchased needles & syringes from Jeffers to be able to draw out the correct dose.
I made the mistake off purchasing the 200 ml bottle, hoping it would last me several years. However, the expiration date on the bottle that I received is in 2010. Next time I’ll be purchasing the 50 ml bottle, which will be able to treat both of my Danes for the entire HW season.
The Ivermectin is stored in my refrigerator and the dogs are dosed every 30-45 days. To dose the dogs, I’m calculating 1/10 cc per 10 lbs. of dog weight. This is given to the dogs orally. I draw the solution out of the bottle with the needle & syringe and then either take the needle off and squirt it down the dogs’ throats or add it to a treat and then give it to them.
Please note: Ivermectin can not be given to certain breeds because of a genetic defect in the mechanism that prevents drugs from building up in the brain. This mutation is recessive and is called mdr1-1Δ. The normal gene that protects the brain is called MDR1. There is now a commercially available test you can do on your dog if you’re unsure if they have this sensitivity – Multidrug Sensitivity in Dogs. They list the most commonly affected breeds as:
Australian Shepherd
Australian Shepherd (Mini)
Collie
Long-haired Whippet
McNab
Silken Windhound
Additional information on this prevention method:
www.beaglesunlimited.com/beaglehealth_canineheartworms.htm
forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/farmlife/msg0713514016840.html
Update on my leg – healing well! No surgery and I can stay in a boot as opposed to a cast (luck of it being a non-weight bearing bone).
Dane related injuries
Earlier this summer, I broke my little toe while walking the dogs in my new Vibram Five Finger shoes (which are awesome). I had commented that was my first broken bone inflicted by the dogs. I should have knocked on wood or thrown some salt over my shoulder.
Late this past Wednesday, I took the dogs for a run in the pasture behind our house. We had been gone most all day and the dogs were extra exuberant. In fact, Joe and the boys weren’t even home yet as they spent the night at resort a few hours away but I had come home early so that I could make it into work the next day.
As I walked down one of the hills, the dogs were playing with each other and came roaring down the hill. Straight towards me. I noticed too late and they plowed straight into the back of me, taking me down hard. My right leg twisted behind me . As I lay on the ground in the dark, howling in pain, the dogs circled around me trying to tell me they were sorry.
It took me several minutes and many attempts, but I managed to stand up and hobble the very long trek back to the house. I then I called a friend to take me to the ER. X-rays showed that I had two spiral fractures in my fibula, one near mid-calf and the other just above my ankle. Of course I’m on crutches as I can’t bear any weight on the leg.
A visit to the orthopedic doctor the following day was good news in that I shouldn’t have to any surgery. The bad news is that since it’s my right leg, I can’t drive for the next 6 weeks. Work is still questionable as the doctor hasn’t released me to return yet. I have to go back to see him in a week for more x-rays to check on the healing progress.
Oh, the joys of Danes!!
Kizzy wins her second point
Kizzy won her second AKC point, going Winners Bitch & Best of Opposite at the Nebraska KC show in Omaha on July 12, 2009.
Confused about what those wins are? Check out AKC’s Dog Shows For Beginners.
Update on baby raccoons: They were orphaned. After several days, they started coming down out of the tree and making all sorts of a ruckus. We bottle fed them for 24 hours until we could get them to a wildlife rehabilitation volunteer. They will be raised there until sometime this fall, at which point they are released. The wildlife rehab volunteer that took them already had over a dozen other baby raccoons!
Excitement in our yard
What has the dogs looking up?
This little guy and three of his siblings!
We discovered four baby raccoons living in the tree right off our back deck. When standing on the deck, we’re eye-to-eye with them. They’re cute and curious!
Of course, this is driving the dogs crazy!
If I sit, can I have a raccoon?
The raccoons don’t seem very fazed by the dogs. I think they’re only about three weeks old. Some of them don’t have their eyes open all the way yet.
They crawl all over the tree and “talk” to each other with a little cooing noise.
I’ve received lots of conflicting advice about these little guys. Some people I’ve spoken to think they are orphaned since I haven’t seen mom around, but most don’t. It’s likely that mom just hasn’t made herself seen by us.
Of course, lots of folks think I should have them killed or removed. I certainly don’t want to have them harmed. At this point, we’re going to give it awhile longer before resorting to having them removed. It seems that as long as we don’t give them reason to return (i.e. FOOD!), they’ll move on soon enough. I do worry about the dogs attempting interaction with an adult raccoon, so we’ll see how things go.
Play time pics
Kizzy playing with her sister, Greta…
Fun game of keep away!
Mmmm, a stick!
For more pics, visit the gallery.
Play time
Just enjoying the weekend!
For some additional pictures, visit the picture gallery.
Kizzy’s first point!
Kizzy earned her first point towards her AKC championship on April 26th!
To become an AKC Champion of Record…
…dogs must earn 15 points. Points are awarded on a scale of 1-5, based on the number of dogs defeated at that show. The larger the entry, the greater the number of points won.
For each breed, there is only one male (males are called “Dogs”) and one female (females are called “Bitches”) that can win points towards their championship that day.
Point scales varies by breed, gender and geographical location. For instance, in Iowa for Danes, it takes 10 Dogs for a 3-point win and 17 Bitches for a 3-point win.
Wins of 3, 4 or 5 points are considered “major” wins. In order to become a champion, dogs need to win at least two majors, under different judges. Points also need to be awarded by one additional judge, so at least three different judges need to award a dog points.
At a conformation show, judges are looking to see how closely the dogs conform to their breed standard. They examine (“go over”) each dog with their hands to see if the teeth, muscles, bones and coat texture conform to their breed standard. They view each dog in profile for overall balance, and watch each dog gait (move) to see how all of those features fit together in action.
Raw Diet – purchasing
A lot of people interested in feeding a raw diet want to know how and where raw feeders acquire meat to feed. Most raw feeders – especially those of larger breeds/multiple dogs – buy in bulk.
- Cases containing turkey necks, chicken leg quarters & pork neck bones
I buy most of my raw meaty bones (RMB) from a local restuarant supplier, Potthoff Foods, in Des Moines. Most of the items I purchase there need thawed enough for repacking, then refrozen in meal size quantities until needed.
My last trip to Potthoffs (3/12/09), I picked up one 40 lb case of chicken leg quarters ($.49/lb), one 30 lb case of turkey necks ($.79/lb), one 40.10 lb case of pork ribs ($1.69/lb), and one 30 lb case of pork neckbones ($.69/lb), for a total of $131.77.
For a point of reference, my previous trip to Potthoffs was on 1/23/09 and consisted of: one 40 lb case of chicken quarters ($.49/lb – prices can vary from trip to trip), one 40 lb case of chicken backs ($.59/lb), one 30 lb case of turkey necks ($.79/lb) and one 30 lb case of pork neck bones ($.69/lb) for a total of $83.60.
I am feeding two adult Great Danes, but keep in mind that I do feed more than just these RMB.
After I get the meat home, I typically let it sit outside to thaw. If the weather is too cold or hot, I bring it into the basement and let it thaw in a plastic tote. I prefer not to do this as I have to lug it downstairs and then back up to the deep freezer in the garage!
Usually I feed the dogs in a x-pen set up in 0ur basement, but they were “helping” me while I was bagging the meat, so they just ate their dinner outside.
