About Nature's Way Carolina Dogs

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Seymour, Tennessee, United States
Welcome to my site about my Naturally Reared Carolina Dogs! Carolina Dogs are a relatively new, rare breed recognized by the UKC, AKC-FSS & ARBA, and are quite possibly America's own indigenous wild dog. CDs make wonderful companions, athletes, hunters, and bedwarmers! Natural Rearing is the philosophy wherein we raise our dogs and puppies by following the 8 Laws of Health, employing Biologically Appropriate Raw Food and no toxic chemicals on, in or around our dogs. We have found this way of life fosters balance, health and longevity in our beloved companions. For our puppies, we welcome homes that have a very similar philosophy about dog rearing, or wish to learn. Check us out, follow us and share us in other places!!! YouTube@ Susan NaturesWayCarolina Dogs NaturesWayPets and FaceBook @ https://www.facebook.com/mycarolinadog on Twitter @https://twitter.com/NaturesWayCDs Thank you so much for visiting our site, feel free to leave us a comment or send us an email! susanlewelling@yahoo.com

Friday, December 21, 2012

Takoda's Parvo Survival Story




This is Takoda. He is one of Daisy & Cooter's Naturally Reared pups from 2011. He is a UKC registered Carolina Dog. He lives with Lauri in Georgia. Lauri and I decided to tell his story here in the hopes that it may help others. This post is our combined effort, but any errors in dates, etc are mine. Thanks for sharing Lauri!  

Takoda was born in my home on August 26, 2011. He was from my raw fed, Naturally Reared very healthy pair of Carolina Dogs. He was healthy and was the largest puppy in the litter. At about 3 weeks the litter was introduced to raw meat and weaning was began naturally according to their mother, Daisy. Everything about his upbringing was normal and healthy. He was not vaccinated and was checked by a holistic vet at 7.5 weeks and at 8 weeks went to live with his new family(Lauri). Where he was continued on the Natural rearing protocols of raw feeding, no vaccines, and no chemicals or drugs. He was healthy and accompanied Lauri on a few trips to the pet store to pick out new toys and stylish new collar & leash sets. Lauri provided him with the best of foods; grass fed beef, free range whole chicken and other meats from an Organic farm she found nearby to her, as well as other high quality sources of raw meat for dogs.



In order to comply with Georgia law at the urging of the vets in her area, Lauri took Takoda for his rabies vaccine on 3-12-12, when he was about 7 months old. A couple of weeks afterwards, Lauri had to go out of town on business. Takoda stayed at home with her husband Randy. 


In mid-April, Lauri had just flown back into town. She was still at the airport and so she called her husband to see how Takoda was and let him know she was to be home soon. 
Lauri said, "Randy told me he was going to take Takoda to ER and  I said: "no, why?" "  Randy said that Takoda was not feeling too good and threw up once and kind of mopey since Lauri had been gone. 

Lauri immediately called me (the breeder & her mentor). I asked Lauri to have Randy call me so I could hear directly what was going on.  Randy reported that Takoda had only thrown up once and he had not observed him having any diarrhea. But he had watched him chase the cats in the yard just that day.   Based on what Randy told me, we decided to wait until Lauri got home and could assess Takoda herself. We were thinking he was just missing his Special Person.

Lauri got home very late at night and Takoda greeted her, but she could tell he was not quite up to par, so the next morning she called the holistic vet, J. Partin DVM that had given him the Rabies vaccine. Dr Partin was an hour away and told Lauri she needed to bring him in for testing. They did the Parvo test first and it was an immediate high level Parvovirus result. They retested again and quickly got the same result. The vet did state that Takoda was having diarrhea although nobody had seen him have any at home.  
Dr Partin started him on an IV with fluids. He also received the following meds: 
B-12 injection
Cephalothin injection (antibiotic)
Cerenia Injection( anti-vomiting med)
Vitamin B-complex injection
electrolytes Lactated Ringer's Solution
That vet had a very small practice and wasn't set up as a hospital, so Lauri loaded Takoda up and too him to Dr Carpenter at the local allopathic Veterinary Hospital that was near her home. They decided to continue on with the course of treatment started by Dr Partin, although Dr Carpenter(Lauri's previous vet for past dogs) wasn't very happy about treating him with a more Holistic approach, limited medicines and simply keeping him on IV fluids overnight. He did not give Lauri much hope of Takoda surviving the night let alone making a quick recovery.
The next day Lauri called first thing in the morning to see how Takoda was doing and the Vet Tech said he did good all night and if he will eat he can go home! Lauri took him some lightly boiled chicken because the hospital staff was trying to give him kibble(against Lauri's wishes). We were uncertain if they would actually give him the chicken , but they later reported to Lauri that he turned his nose up at the kibble but happily ate the chicken! 

That afternoon, after a grand total of only 1 day and a half at the vet, Takoda was eating and was allowed to go home! Lauri says "We came home, he ate his raw chicken with bone and went outside and chased squirrels and cats as if nothing ever happened and he has been well every since!"
The Holistic Vet Dr Partin said: "I'm just going to tell you the reason Takoda pulled out like he did is because he is fed raw and no vaccines, he has built his immune system." 

Lauri and I are very proud of how quickly Takoda recovered and how much he amazed all the "professionals".

We are not ever going to be sure of exactly where Takoda got infected with the Parvovirus, but we suspect that he picked it up at the Vet's office in March, when he went for his Rabies shot. Veterinarian's offices are typically one of the easiest places for any dog to 'catch something". In my opinion another factor was the Rabies vaccination and it's suppressive effect on his immune system. Many dogs are not so fortunate to be Naturally Reared, or survive parvo, many die or are sick for many weeks. We believe that kibble, chemicals and most of all vaccines contribute to the high death rate in otherwise healthy puppies that contract this man-made virus. Lauri and I have learned a lot along our respective Natural Rearing journeys, most of all we learned that Natural Rearing IS the way to go and we both now feel stronger and better prepared to face health challenges in the future.  

We would like to encourage everyone to learn more about natural rearing and to not be scared by all the fear mongering that is thrown at you by the Veterinary community, drug companies, and kibble companies. Raising your dog as nature intended is healthy and safe when done responsibly and in accordance with nature's laws. .

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Natural Pet Care Radio Show

Dr Kim Bloomer & Dr Jeannie Thomason are great advocates for true pet health. They have a web-radio show on every week on Wednesdays, check out the "Listen Live" link. I highly recommend puppy families listen to at minimum, these Downloadable podcasts to start with. Each and every show is packed with lots of great information, so consider creating a routine of listening to them daily or whenever possible! Animal Talk Naturally

Vaccines:
Show 429 Natural Immunity
Show 431 Why Vaccines Can't Immunize
Show 435 Why Vaccines Can't Immunize Part 2

Raw Feeding
Show 3 The Totally Raw Truth

There are so many more I could list but I will leave it to each individual to explore what interest them and what you are uncertain about.

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Easy Directions to Make your Own Ground Eggshell Powder

Ground Egg Shells — How To Make Your Own Ground Egg Shell Supplement and How Much To Give

A lack of calcium, or the inability to properly assimilate calcium has been known to cause dental facial problems as an example. Reports, photographs and x-rays made during Dr. Pottenger's 10 year cat study clearly illustrates this fact.
Many of the cats eating a deficient diet as deemed by Dr. Pottenger had dental facial problems such as an underbite, cramping of the teeth, and in general, under-developed faces.
Although, these problems are irreversible once they have occurred, with puppies and kittens it is important to try and prevent these problems with good wholesome foods and a quality calcium supplement. With mature dogs and cats, good food and a good quality calcium supplement simply help to provide the calcium needed for living.
There are many other functions and benefits beyond the obvious of minerals like calcium. Calcium not only is important for strong bones, but it also is said to help with blood clotting, activating enzyme action, and helps normalize the contraction and relaxation of the heart muscles.
Don't underestimate minerals. They are the spark plugs of life.
As mentioned earlier, calcium is the single most important supplement
you can provide your pets with. An excellent source of calcium for your pets is finely ground egg shells.
The goal that we want to achieve when providing a calcium supplement is to help provide our pets with twice as much calcium as phosphorus. Our pets require a 2:1 ratio between calcium and phosphorus. This is the ratio I personally follow but others suggest lower ratios, anywhere from 1:1 and everything in between up to 2:1. One reason why I provide or follow the 2:1 ratio is because ultimately it is better to have more calcium than less calcium. If you follow the 1:1 ratio, then your room for error is non-existent. At the same time, the nutritional content of foods naturally fluctuates. So sometimes the food we feed will be naturally lower in calcium and on other days, higher. I also follow the 2:1 ratio as this is what veterinarians such as Dr. Pitcairn and others have suggested.
While it's impossible to purrrfectly obtain this ratio (or any ratio) we can, at the very least, get close to creating this ideal ratio for our pets by using finely ground egg shells as a calcium supplement.
When the body is getting the proper ratio of calcium to phosphorus, then this will help prevent a calcium deficiency, will further help prevent calcium related health problems and will also help prevent problems that are indirectly caused by an imbalance in the calcium to phosphorus ratio.

Suggested Doses of Ground Egg Shells

Ground egg shells are extremely high in calcium and contain virtually no phosphorus.
1 teaspoon of ground egg shells contains approximately 1900 mg of calcium. This is a whopping amount of calcium!
Different meats contain different amounts of calcium and phosphorus. Therefore, ideally I would like to provide a specific amount of calcium based on the meat being fed to help create the 2:1 ratio. However, since ground egg shells are so concentrated and the difference in the amount of phosphorus in meats is relatively speaking minute, it would be difficult to successfully make serving amounts for ground egg shells that could easily be given for each meat. So for simplicity's sake, I have created 1 chart for all meats.
Based on my evaluation of the nutritional analysis of various meats, the amount suggested is quite close to creating the ideal 2:1 ratio.
Now wait, I know what some of you are thinking! You are thinking... how do I know how much meat I am going to be feeding anyway?
Well, not to worry — Part 3 of my book explains how to make and feed. You can also read the page earlier about feeding.
So add the following amount of ground egg shells using the table below:
Weight of Meat 	                Ground Egg Shells



100 grams                       1/4 tsp
200 grams                       1/2 tsp
300 grams                       2/3 tsp
400 grams                       3/4 tsp




1/4 pound                       1/4 tsp
1/2 pound                       1/2 tsp
3/4 pound                       3/4 tsp
1 pound                         1 tsp



1 Jumbo Egg or 1 Large Egg      1/8 tsp
2 Jumbo Eggs or 2 Large Eggs    1/4 tsp
4 Jumbo Eggs of 4 Large Eggs    1/2 tsp
6 Jumbo Eggs of 6 Large Eggs    3/4 tsp
8 Jumbo Eggs of 8 Large Eggs    1 tsp

How To Make Ground Egg Shell Powder

If you have access to enough egg shells and if you have the inclination, you can make your own finely ground egg shell powder.
Remember, even if you don't have enough egg shells, you can always ask friends, neighbors, relatives and others to save their egg shells for you.
Choose the direction based on the type of eggs you are using...
Free Range Eggs:
  1. Simply collect egg shells.
  2. Wash egg shells (optional). If you do wash the egg shells, it's easier to wash the egg shells before you crack them than after.
  3. Let the egg shells dry on the stove top, in a gas oven (the pilot light will dry the egg shells) or in the sun.
  4. Once the egg shells are dry, bake them at 300° F. This helps to make the egg shells even more dry and brittle for easier grinding.
  5. Add egg shells to a blender, grinder, etc and grind. Keep grinding until there are no sharp pieces. The egg shells should become a powder although most likely it will not be a fine powder. Use a sifter or strainer to remove large and sharp pieces of egg shells.
Non Free Range Eggs:
  1. Simply collect egg shells.
  2. Wash the egg shells. It's easier to wash the egg shells before you crack them than after.
  3. Let the egg shells dry on the stove top, in a gas oven (the pilot light will dry the egg shells) or in the sun.
  4. Once the egg shells are dry, bake them at 300° F. This helps to make the egg shells even more dry and brittle for easier grinding. In addition, this helps to get rid of the mineral oils that have been applied to the egg shells to keep them from drying out in the store.
  5. Add egg shells to a blender, grinder, etc and grind. Keep grinding until there are no sharp pieces. The egg shells should become a powder although most it likely will not be a fine powder. Use a sifter or strainer to remove large and sharp pieces of egg shells.

Editor's Paw Note

If you are unable or don't have the time to make your own ground egg shell supplement, then you can order a ground egg shell supplement which is found in my online store.

Well, That Was Eggshellent Information

I know that was eggshellent information but there is more to come. Keep reading:

Source: Pets Need Wholesome Food Also @ pet-grub.com
Copyright 2012 by pet-grub.com. Used with permission.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Time to Interview Your Vets!

***Puppy Families****
We are a few weeks prior to breeding and there are some things you can be doing now to get ready for your new best friend!  this is one suggestion. Watch for more as the weeks go by! 

Now is a great time to be getting your Vet picked, whether it is a traditional vet that respects your choices in how you will care for your puppy, an Integrative-Holistic vet, a vet practicing classical homeopathy or a Small Animal Naturopath. Interview a few and then make your decision. Right now there is no rush and no pressure to make a choice. You have time to research, v

isit the practice and talk one on one with the vet.
Some tips on things to look for and to consider.
1. Do not compromise. If you dont feel like you click with one vet, there are 20 more waiting to get your business! Walk away now!
2. You should be the one making decisions about your pet, not the vet telling you what you will & wont do. Refer to #1
3. You should feel your questions and beliefs about your pet's care are valued and respected. If you are not feeling that refer back to #1.
4. You should not be constantly bombarded by sales pressure and advertisement. Whether the decor is solely furnished by pet food and drug companies or the vet seems more like a high pressure car salesman, that is not a good place to be, refer to #1
5. If the vet does not support a 100% raw diet, refer to #1
6. If the vet tries to scare you into buying products you didnt come there for or vaccines you already said you dont want, refer to #1. 
7. Your vet should not be-little, poo-poo, or automatically disregard information and opinion you bring. If this happens... you got it! see #1!
A good vet will admit they may not know as much as they could about some subjects. A good vet will get down on the floor with your pup(barring physical limitations) and will gently coax your puppy to come to them, not force the pup or grab them and hold them roughly. A good vet will be a gentle teacher and will offer you alternatives and flexibility and a chance to learn about something before insisting you go along with their way. You should always feel comfortable taking to your vet just like your own physician. You should be able to have open and honest discussions about how you want your pet cared for, bring in literature for discussion, and expect your stance to be given consideration and respect. Ultimately the decision is yours, it is YOUR dog.
I have not always completely agreed with everything my vet suggests, but I do feel she respects my opinion and I listen to her and she listens to me and she ultimately accepts my carefully considered decision.

Dont put it off until it is time to pick up your puppy or time for his/her checkup. Get this out of the way so you can concentrate on that bundle of cuteness coming your way in a few months!
If you need help finding someone or some preliminary literature regarding Natural Rearing, please message, email, or call me!

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

the Power of Pawsitive Thinking

I have been thinking about the power of the mind, in relation to training your dog or feeding a new protein source or just determining who gets that choice spot on the sofa, all of these can become issues with your raw fed dog or your Carolina Dog, well, any dog for that matter!  If you are uncertain or wishy-washy in your mind, dogs can tell!

I have heard of people who are having troubles "trying" to make the switch to raw feeding. Suddenly a dog is a food bully. Upon starting to feed raw food, one of their dogs becomes a resource guarder or even becomes aggressive with them. Behaviors that are not normal for the dogs and  inevitably get blamed on the "raw meat" myth that feeding raw makes dogs 'bloodthirsty". Utterly ridiculous, but it happens so often.

Also I hear of Carolina Dog adopters and even owners who have had their CDs since puppy hood say that their CD destroys furniture and personal items, bolts through the door and jumps on their neighbors. CDs are supposed to have a "pack" mentality in regards to their family and home and they are not usually destructive of anything in their "den" unless they are not given rules, boundaries and limitations.

How is a loving kind owner supposed to enforce those rules, boundaries, and limitations? What can be done? Maybe a better question is why do the animals suddenly act this way?

I learned this firsthand through my own experiences with my Carolina Dogs and Raw Feeding. Like him or hate him, Caesar Milan taught me this principle. I watched his shows for months prior to getting my first CD. Also the advice given by the breeder of my dogs, Jane Gunnell, meshed with this way of thinking.

Upon getting my first CD puppy I determined in my mind that no matter if I had never been able to potty train a dog or keep one from bolting through the door, I was going to have the mindset that I am in charge and I am the pack leader. I became totally sold out to the idea, after all, the many other methods I had used in the past had not worked for me.
I remember seeing an episode of the Dog Whisperer, where CM was explaining to the despairing dog owner that they needed to visualize the dog responding exactly the way they wanted, not visualizing how the dog could screw up. That made a major impact on me. I was determined to try it! (Upon proof-reading this, I realized that that last sentence was confusing. I was not going to try it, I was going to do it! )

In each training session and every interaction with my new puppy I did visualize him doing exactly the right thing. I saw  Cooter, in my mind, stopping when I asked him to wait at the door and not him bolting out past me to go after the cat. I saw Daisy dropping whatever object she had in her mouth as soon as I said "Drop It" And you know what? It worked! I didn't have to get physical or punish my dog in any way. It really is all about how we think!

How does it work? Well, when it comes to dealing with a Carolina Dog, we know that they are supremely intuitive. They can read our body language. CDs can tell if we are weak in our determination. Subconsciously, if we are thinking "failure" in our minds, then our body projects "failure" in our presence and posture. CDs can assuredly read that and WILL take advantage of it!

If you feel sorry for your CD and  what she went through in her past, she will sense your weakness and inability to be firm with her on a problem issue(chewing, bolting, resource guarding, etc). You will end up with a dog that develops bad habits, some of which could be dangerous. Worst case scenario- escape, illness, or surrender to a animal shelter could result.

For example, I am not meaning that you think in your mind: "I'm opening the door, I hope the dog does not dash out past me. I'm really scared he will and will get hit by a car. Oh crap please don't let that happen! Now Sweetie, you stay over there please while Mommy opens the door a crack and peeks out. No! Stay BAAACK! Arrgghh!" - You KNOW you have done this!!!! LOL
I am meaning the situation goes like this: You, with a strong calm presence back the dog away from the door and entry area until he has given you a good amount of space, so he is not crowding you or the door or entry. You put the dog in a down/stay and firmly say 'Wait' . You visualize Sweetie staying right in that spot until you release him. You turn and open the door and  greet your visitor and invite them in. Then you release Sweetie and praise him and allow him to calmly greet the visitor.

Does that whole scenario happen every time someone comes to our door? No. And that is my fault. My dogs can pick up on my weakness, inattention, nervousness, or agitation or even happiness and will show the same amount of 'excitement' that I am projecting. They will bark and "alert" me  that there is a stranger at the door. That is their "job" when we are home alone all day.  I do try to use each time somebody knocks on our door as a training exersize. Sometimes I don't get to play it out like I would like to, due to visitor urgency or whatever.  But I try to practice at least some parts of our ritual. I am confident that I can open the door and my dogs WILL respect me & 'my' doorway and will not bolt through. I know that I can ask them to back up and give me space at the door.

Another scenario that I commonly practice visualization is with feeding. Whether I am feeding a new food or feeding my dogs as a pack in the yard. I visualize them eating the food like it is their favorite. I also visualize and insist on them respecting each other's space and food.
Early on in my raw feeding journey I experienced my dogs refusing to eat something new. Thinking back I always had that worry in my mind; "I hope they will eat this turkey(or fish or whatever). What if they don't?  It was expensive, if they don't eat it  I will be out that money and they will have nothing to eat! "
When I realized what I was doing, I almost smacked myself in the head! Doh! They can tell I, their pack leader,  am worried about this new food. "It must be dangerous, or bad. Better not eat this!" They probably are reading from my body language!
When I next fed a new food, I made sure I was thinking happy thoughts, positive about them eating the new food, thinking how nutritious it would be for them, how yummy they would think it is. And yet again, It worked! They ate it with no problem!

These are just some examples of the power of Pawsitive Thinking I have experienced. I hope you learned something that you can apply to your journey with your Raw Fed dog or Carolina Dog!



Remember Visualize Pawsitive thoughts!

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Feeding Prey Model Raw


This is a great guide for anyone new to feeding raw and a wonderful refresher for an experienced raw feeder. 


Guide to Feeding Prey Model Raw



I read this whole e-book to evaluate it as a resource for my puppy families. I did not find one thing that I disagreed with! This book is not to long or to technical, it is easy to read for everyone.
 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Required Reading for puppy families! 

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Natural Immunity By Pat McKay

This is a wonderful book about Natural Immunity, why vaccines don't work and how natural immunity does work and how to achieve it with your pets.
If this link stops working, please Google " Natural Immunity, Pat McKay" or Essentials4All, Pat McKay" to find the new link or places to purchase the book.

link to Natural Immunity by Pat McKay

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Dog Owners Need a Shark!

I just want to say that ANYONE that owns a dog (or especially more than one) needs a SHARK 2 in 1 Vac-then-Steam. I do not get any money or other considerations  for promoting  this product.  I just believe in passing on tips that work.
This thing is GREAT! it is easy to use, lightweight, plenty strong & durable. I am not easy on any appliances or tools I own, so if something makes it at my house, it is truly a good product! It does great at vacuuming and switches quickly & easily over to the steam cleaner option. It has gotten my kitchen floor cleaner than it has been in years and without the use of toxic chemicals, actually with only water!
the only con I have found is that it dont have good suction unless it is flat on the floor. If it is flat,  it does pick up even somewhat large/heavy objects like pebbles and candy wrappers, dirt clods etc.

Here is link to the Shark site and the specific product I have: http://www.sharkclean.com/Shark-MV2010-Vac-Then-Steam/ . I got mine at Wal-mart and I think I paid less than it is listed on this site, I think I paid about $129.00.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Fall 2012

Fall 2012 is shaping up to be a busy time for us at East Tennessee Dingos. 

All the puppies have moved on to wonderful new homes and we are contemplating a litter for Early Spring 2013. Our objective for this litter is for a puppy to keep for ourselves. A second generation,  Naturally Reared Carolina Dog for the future. If you are interested in a healthy, happy, family raised puppy from this litter, please email me a completed 'application' ASAP, or if you have already been approved let me know you want to make a reservation and send in your deposit. I do not breed without several committed homes for the puppies (more than verbal is needed), so this is essential. My deadlines for commitments is December 10th. 

 In the meantime, we are making improvements around our little homestead. We have our driveway in now and are working on more grade work, positioning buildings, planning future projects(garden, shed/lean-to, kennel for rescues, home additions, and more) figuring out where we will need gates and the like so we can get our fencing up. We have some inside work to do on the dog's bedroom. With our first litter we learned several things about raising puppies in the house (versus out in a kennel) one being that the walls need to be of a material that is more durable!  We are going to be busy through next spring!
After years of dreaming and waiting for the right time (and the money), I am going to be starting classes to further my education! This will take awhile, but I hope to end up certified and qualified as a Small Animal Naturopathy Consultant/ Natural Animal Health Coach and Certified Natural Rearing Breeder.  This is a field I am already passionate about and research daily. I hope to expand my knowledge and ability to help my dogs achieve "healthy wild" as well as to assist others to enhance their pet's health.

Here are some recent pictures of Cooter and Daisy. They seem to think that all this construction has been to create new play areas for them! Enjoy!
 













Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Carolina Dog Breed Standard.

Transposed from American Rare Breed Association website


CAROLINA DOG

Official U.K.C. Breed Standard*
Sighthounds Group
© Copyright 1996, United Kennel Club, Inc.

HISTORY 

When the first primitive humans crossed the Bering landbridge into North America from Asia, they were accompanied by a primitive form of dogs that resulted from the domestication of southwest Asian wolves in the region of Iraq a few thousand years earlier. 

These small, nondescript dogs moved quickly with their human companions down through the western part of North America. Skeletal remains and mummified bodies of these dogs have been found along with the artifacts of the Basket Maker culture of the primitive Southwest Indians. From here, these primitive dogs moved into the eastern United States. Archeological investigations have documented ceremonial burials of these dogs, an indication their presence in the southeastern forested woodlands as companions of the Indians of that region, long before the arrival of the white man on this continent. 

Recently, studies of the free-ranging dogs of certain regions of South Carolina and Georgia have disclosed the continuing existence of small primitive dogs whose appearance, as well as behavior and general ecology, suggest a close ancestry (if not direct descent) of type from those first primitive dogs. Called the "Carolina Dog," these animals most closely resemble the Dingo of Australia, which may indeed be among their closest living relatives. The striking resemblance between these dogs and the Dingo, half a world apart, is likely due to the way in which both animals have filled a free-living, or as it is known-pariah, niche on the fringe of human civilization and culture. 

The Carolina Dog was recognized by the United Kennel Club on January 1, 1995. 

GENERAL APPEARANCE 

The Carolina Dog is a dog of medium build, possessing the general appearance of a small jackal or wolf in combination with many features of a small Sighthound. The distinctive features of the breed are those which confer survival advantages under free-living conditions in tallgrass savannah and bottomland swamp forest habitats of the southeastern United States. The dog typically has a medium-length straight back, with a distinctive waist which sets-off a deep brisket from a highly tucked-up loin. The tail is distinctive in both its fish-hook-like configuration and its variable carriage, depending on mood. The large, upright ears and long, graceful neck are also distinctive and suggest the appearance of a small, versatile and resourceful predator well-adapted to surviving on its own in a natural habitat. In ideal conditions, a Carolina should appear thin and "tight." It is permissable, for example, for the ribs to show slightly as in a well-conditioned racing sighthound. Individuals that are greatly overweight should be severely penalized. The dog is to be shown in a natural condition, with little or no evidence of grooming or scissoring. Whiskers are not to be removed. 

CHARACTERISTICS 

A generally shy and suspicious nature may be characteristic, but excessive fear and any resistance to examination is not desirable. 
Very serious fault - Outward aggression. 

HEAD & SKULL 

The skull is strong and impressive. It is broad between the ears and moderately rounded, and has ample muscle. There is a distinct furrow extending down between the eyes. The forehead is slightly rounded. There is a distinct occiput. The stop is slight, but distinct. Younger dogs often show a distinctive, fine wrinkling on the forehead, giving a frown effect. 

Viewed from above, the head forms a wide triangle; the tapering of the muzzle being accentuated by the highly-developed jaw muscles. 

The skull tapers to a strong, distinctively pointed muzzle. The length of the muzzle is approximately equal to the length of the cranial portion of the skull. The jaws are powerful, clean and deep. The tight-fitting lips are predominately black. 

TEETH 
A full complement of white, well-developed, even teeth meet in a scissors or level bite. 
Serious faults - Undershot bite. Overshot bite. 

EYES 
The almond-shaped eyes are dark brown in color. They are set obliquely. Eye rims are black and unbroken. Overall expression is one of softness and intelligence, but highly cautious.  Blue or orange flacks in eyes are permitted.    Blue eyes are a minor fault. 

NOSE 
The nose is black and has large, well-opened nostrils.  Minor faults - Liver-colored nose. Dudley nose. Butterfly nose. 

EARS 
The ears are distinctive and expressive, and versatile in carriage. They are slightly rounded at the tip, and fine in texture. The ideal ear is shaped like an equilateral triangle, although the base may be slightly shorter than the ascending edges. They are carried erect when alerted, but can be folded carried back along the neck. The ears are set well on top of the head, slightly pointing forward. Ear placement is more important than size, but it is essential that they be forward-pointed and set on top of the head. 

A characteristic position is for one ear to be firmly pricked, and the other to rotate sensitively to pick up sounds. 

Semi-prick ears are permitted, but are to be penalized according to the degree of deviation from a full, upright configuration.    Drop ears are a major fault. 

TONGUE 
Solid pink.    Dark spots or pigmentation on tongue is a disqualification. 

NECK 

The neck is notable in its strength and development. It is strongly crested, fitting well into the shoulders, thus accentuating the crest to give the head a lofty carriage. The neck is graceful and swanlike, yet muscular and well-arched, providing the animal with a means of making rapid and effective downward stabbing movements with the head when hunting in tall grass. 
Serious faults - Short neck. Throaty neck. 

FOREQUARTERS 

The long shoulders are laid back. 

FORELEGS 
The forelegs are straight. The forearms have good length, moderate bone and distinctive musculature. The moderately straight, flexible pasterns are of good length. 

BODY 

The chest cavity is well-sprung, and is deep, with plenty of lung and heart room. The chest is narrow-to-medium in width. The deep brisket reaches to the elbows in mature specimens. The deep brisket ends in a definite waist with a well-defined tuckup. The back is strong and straight. It may be moderately long, but must have no suggestion of slackness. There is a slight rise over the loin. 

HINDQUARTERS 

The hindquarters are strong, powerful and muscular. They are set under the body. They are well-angulated and exhibit tremendous drive and agility, enabling the dog to turn quickly while moving forward. The hindquarters are parallel when in full gait. 

HIND LEGS 
The thighs are thick, strong and well-muscled, almost as in a well-conditioned racing sighthound.  Dewclaws are not desirable. 

FEET 

While standing, the forefeet may be slightly turned out, but equally so. The moderately small feet are compact, never splayed. The toes are well-arched. The pads are hard. The nails are strong. 

TAIL 

Like the ears, the tail is a most expressive and characteristic feature of this breed. It is set on as a continuation of the spine. It has a moderate brush, but is most heavily haired on the underside, which is  light-colored or at least paler than the upper surface, which may show some dark sabling. 

When the dog is alert, the tail is held in a characteristic "fish hook" carriage, usually at about a 45-degree angle from the horizontal. When the dog is gaiting at a trot, the tail is usually carried in a downward "pump handle" configuration. At other times, especially when the dog is being approached by stranger, the tail may be held low or tucked between the rear legs, but it must never be slack or loose in its hang. 

Serious faults - Any tail which twists, curls or in a tight roll over the back 

COAT & SKIN 

This is a distinguishing feature of the breed. Its appearance is affected by the seasons. The winter coat is distinctly heavier than the summer coat. In the cooler months, there should be a wealth of undercoat. Animals showing shedding at appropriate times of the year are not to be penalized. 

On the head, the ears, and front legs, the hair is short and smooth. Coarse, longer guard hairs (longer than the undercoat) extend over the neck, withers and back. When aroused, this hair stands erect. The coat behind the shoulder blades is often lighter in color. 

The skin is pliant, but not flabby or loose. 

Faults -Long, curly, wavy, or broken coats. 

COLOR 

Preferred color: a deep red ginger with pale buff mark-ings over the shoulders and along the muzzle. Acceptable colors: variations in color, grading from straw-colored through wheaten to pale cream buff

The preferred and acceptable colors usually include lighter colors on the underside, chest and throat, sometimes being nearly white on the throat. Some white on the toes is common and not to be penalized. Dark sabling over the back, loins and tail is permissible. Dogs less than two years of age often have all-black muzzles, but this is not required. 

The following color patterns are permitted: piebald spotting; and black blanket back. 

HEIGHT & WEIGHT 

The average height, measured at the withers, generally ranges from 17 to 24 inches, but can vary according to build. Type and symmetry are more important than size. Weight is dependent on the overall size and build of the individual, and varies from approximately 30 to 55 pounds. 
Bitches are generally lighter in build than dogs, but the sexes overlap broadly in both size and weight. At no time should the breed appear heavy-bodied. 

GAIT & MOVEMENT 

Gait is low, free-moving, effortless and smooth. There is a suggestion of flexibility in the back, as would be expected for a small sighthound capable of a double suspension gallop. 
Serious faults - High, choppy, or hackneyed gaits. Toeing-in. Toeing-out. Moving too close behind. 

DISQUALIFICATIONS  Viciousness or extreme shyness.  Unilateral or bilateral cryptorchid.




Thursday, September 27, 2012

Current Rescues we are networking!

If you are interested in a Carolina Dog and want to help a rescue dog out, here is a place!
It is the Carolina Dog Type/LTPM  Rescue Network and is found on Facebook at : https://www.facebook.com/groups/183684005020509/

I am currently an administrator of the page, along with several other wonderful CD owners. We do our best to informally identify Carolina Dog/LTPM types in need of a forever home and match them up with a CD- savvy person in need of some dingo kisses! We are not scientists, or experts, we are just CD lovers that have several years of experience working with CDs in different areas, rescuing, raising breeding, owning & loving! We find posting of shelter dogs around the country and if they seem to be of the CD type we network them as much as possible and try to find them homes. We also help new CD owners learn about these special dogs and their unique characteristics, training techniques, health issues, socialization, and the like!
Here are some dogs we are currently networking that are in need of a permanent home or of rescue/foster (at least).

Tanner, ID: A178829
Male, Collie/German Shepherd Mix He is in a foster home.  Poor little guy has a had a rough start in life, and managed to survive Distemper, but apparently has a lot of the tics common in survivors. Will need a very special home.






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WD - water dog- she lives up to her name . she loves the water.

NAME: WD water 
dog
BREED: shep/ lab mix
SEX: female

EST. AGE: 1 yrs old
EST. WEIGHT: 50 lbs
HEALTH: appears healthy
TEMPERAMENT: sweet and loving gets along well with other dogs.
ADDITIONAL INFO:
ADOPTION FEE: $50 includes Spay/neuter Rabies, 7way
AVAILABLE DATE: now



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LEXI - ID#A069907My name is LEXI.

I am a spayed female, tan and white Basenji mix.

The shelter staff think I am about 1 year old.

I have been at the shelter since Aug 17, 2012.

LEXI - ID#A069907My name is LEXI.

I am a spayed female, tan and white Basenji mix.

The shelter staff think I am about 1 year old.

I have been at the shelter since Aug 17, 2012.



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  •  Please help me find Strolchy a forever home. As you can see she is doing great with the foster dogs, but she desrves a home of her own. Please crosspost. thanks




If you are interested in adopting one of these dogs or looking for a Carolina Dog type to adopt please visit us at the above listed facebook page :Carolina Dog Type/LTPM  Rescue Network


*just for clarification, these dogs are not at my home and are not Naturally Reared or registered Carolina Dogs. They are deserving dogs, that we have ID'ed as CD type dogs or at least LTPM (long-term-pariah-morphotype). All shelter dogs and are currently in a foster home, a rescue or at risk in a shelter/pound.