About Nature's Way Carolina Dogs

My photo
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

Saturday, December 29, 2018

Winter 2018

We hope everyone has had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
We are taking a break for the winter and will not be participating in any Barn Hunt trials until it warms up in the spring.
We currently do not have any litters planned, but we are happy to announce that our former wild-caught CD resident Dixie delivered a healthy litter a couple of weeks ago at Swamp Dogs Farm. Swamp Dogs Farm on Facebook or email Zack at swampdogsfarm@gmail.com if you're interested in a puppy from her litter.
I am still taking applications for the wait list. Please indicate that you understand you will be put on a wait list for first notification when I do plan another litter in the future. It could be up to 2 years or more before we plan another litter.
Cooter with our youngest granddaughter

Our 2 new feral barn cats.

Everyone is settled down for a long winter's nap. 


Tuesday, December 4, 2018


Hello & welcome to my website. I'm Susan and I Naturally Rear and occasionally breed Carolina Dogs for NR-minded homes. I am also a Certified Carnivore Nutrition & Natural Health Coach. We also compete in Barn Hunt with our CDs. 

If you are interested in a *Naturally Reared* Carolina Dog puppy, you can check the most recent update blog post to see if I am expecting or planning a litter, or have any puppies/dogs available. If it is not on the most recent blog post *UPDATE* then I do not currently have any available. Please also note that I ONLY home my puppies/dogs to Natural Rearing minded homes. If you are unsure about what Natural Rearing means, it means Species Appropriate Raw Diet, and Natural Wellness and Care Modalities, following the 8 Laws of Health. Please read through my website for more information if you're unfamiliar. I do not require people have previous NR experience, but I do require willingness and commitment to continue on the Natural path with their puppy.
If you are not interested in a Naturally Reared Carolina Dog then you can find conventional CD breeders on the Carolina Dog Society website and there is a rescue, "Saving Carolina Dogs" on the web and on FaceBook.
If you are interested in a Naturally Reared Carolina Dog, and I have not announced a litter or dog/puppy available, please know I DO keep a wait list and usually do not breed until I have several families waiting. I don't believe in producing dogs without having homes. My wait list folks will get the first opportunity to secure a spot for a puppy with deposit when I plan a litter, before I even announce anything.
To get on the wait list, you MUST complete an application, submit it to me via email and be approved.
I live in the mountains and get horrible cell reception, so I do not answer phone calls. Calls fade in and out and frequently drop off during conversations. If you submit an application and still wish/need to talk to me, I can(via email) set up an appointment to call you when I can go into town where I get decent cell reception.

Please feel free to explore previous posts and pages. You should see the pages across the bottom of the top banner or in a drop down menu under the top banner of the website, depending on the format you use.

Thanks
Susan Lewelling CCNC





Friday, November 16, 2018

Fall 2108 NWCD Update

All the Koda/Bourbon puppies have found wonderful homes in Vermont, North Carolina, Florida, Texas, California and Tennessee. Camo I kept as part of my own pack!



November 7 & 8 Cooter and Daisy attended a Barn Hunt Trial at Finny Farm in Greenback,TN. Daisy earned 2 additional qualifying runs towards her Novice B title. She also passed both legs of AKC Farm Dog Certification testing and is now PR Banbury's Tennessee Daisy Jane RATI RATN FDC. 


Cooter made history, becoming the first Carolina Dog in history to earn a Crazy 8s title! We had to leave the trial right after his last run so he didn't get his ribbon, but we will be receiving it soon. He is still the highest Ranking Carolina Dog in Barn Hunt. He is now BC Tennessee Whiskey CooterBug RATI RATM CZ8B FDC. 



At this time I do not yet have a future litter planned, but I am keeping a wait list of approved homes for the next litter, whenever it happens. Wait list applicants will get first dibs on the next litter.  If you are interested in a Naturally Reared NWCD puppy, please submit an application via email and I will get back to you as soon as possible!


Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Female Puppy Available

UPDAYE
Spirit has found her forever home  and now lives in California. 11-10-18

Spirit is searching for her perfect forever home!

We have 1 Female Carolina Dog puppy available to a Natural Rearing minded home. 
Spirit, channeling her inner Snoopy,
this is her favorite place in the back yard.
Her ears are doing funny things at this stage but should be
fully standing in the next few weeks.  

Spirit hanging out in the living room with us. 

Spirit (UKC- "PR" Tennessee Bootlegger's Spirit) is a female from our recent Bourbon(UKC Ch Swamp Fox Bourbon Whiskey) X Koda (UKC "PR" Valdes' Dakotah) litter, born on June 21, 2018. 

Spirit showing off her white paws, chin and chest markings.

Spirit is a sweet girl, she is a little shy of new people, as is typical of this breed. But she warms up quickly. She loves to be held is playful and smart. She was the first puppy to learn to use the litter box and is respectful of the older dog's authority. She really is a great balance of playful and cuddle-bug. 


Spirit exploring the back steps

Spirit and a friend who came for a Socialization visit
Spirit is 13 weeks old and weighs about 16 pounds right now. I estimate her adult weight should be 35-40 pounds. She has been weaned to a Prey Model Raw diet, and is completely Naturally Reared. I prefer Natural Rearing minded homes for my puppies and I do provide education and lifetime mentoring with every puppy, so experience is not required.  I can provide vaccination/etc history to qualified applicants.
She is a gorgeous, shiny black with white socks, chin and chest marking. Those white socks are so flashy when she is walking or running!

Her sire is an UKC Champion. Grandfather on Dam's side is the #1 Carolina Dog in Barn Hunt(BHA), Great-Grandmother on Dam's side is also titled in BHA.
Spirit is already registered with the UKC and registration can be transferred to her new owner. Registration with ARBA and AKC-FSS is also possible if owner is interested in showing or competing in a dog sport. She also has an ID tattoo and it is registered with National Dog Registry through my kennel and with her UKC registration. Price is $1,000.00
If you are interested in bringing Spirit into your home/family, you can check out more information about us on the other pages of this website, see more pictures and videos of Spirit with her siblings and my pack on Facebook at @mycarolinadog . I will try to add pictures on this post as I can, but pictures are added to Facebook and Instagram(@nr-cd.mom) almost daily. Applicants can find the application here > Puppy Application
Serious Natural Rearing minded applicants only please!

Saturday, July 7, 2018

The 8 Laws of Health and Why They are Important in Raising Your Puppy

The 8 Laws of Health are the foundation of Naturopathy. It will be the basis of how I instruct you on raising your puppy and care throughout his or her life. Therefore, I wanted to give you a little primer on what these laws are and how they apply to NR(Natural Rearing) puppy rearing.  
Before we begin, know that your dog is more than just a physical body, she is a whole being consisting of mind, body and spirit. These laws apply equally to the whole dog. Conventional veterinary medicine (and human medicine) only address the physical with suppression of symptoms through medication and surgery. Natural Rearing is a wholistic paradigm where we practice prevention, allowing the dog to be healthy by following these laws of health and address challenges by looking at the whole being, and supporting the dog through natural methods to overcome the challenge.

1. Nutrition
Nutrition is first, as it it the foundation of all health. Without Species Appropriate nutrition the body can never thrive to its full potential. For dogs this means a diet of raw meat, bones and organs. 

It is only in the past one hundred years or so that "dog food" has become kibble. The kibble companies have convinced the public that it is appropriate and complete nutrition that our dogs cannot survive without. They have even taken over the nutrition classes in veterinary colleges, leaving the vast majority of our vets without proper nutritional knowledge. All we need to know to feed our dogs properly is taught to us by nature and history. Our dogs have a drive for small prey, and their anatomy and phisiology tells us what they are intended to eat. what did dogs 1,000 years ago eat...flavored biscuits with synthetic vitamins and flavorings sprayed on them? NO.  
When the body doesn't get the proper nutrition it begins to be out of balance. When your dog eats kibble, any brand, any "quality", the immune system sees it as an invader and attacks, part of this process is the release of chemicals called histamines. What happens when histamines are released in the body? Inflammation. This acute, low grade reaction becomes chronic over time. Chronic inflammation can lead to issues such as cancer, arthritis, or gastritis. 
The diet of our dogs affects more than just their gut. A proper meaty bone diet keeps the teeth clean, gums healthy, and provides mental stimulation. As you can see the Nutrition affects the whole dog. 

2. Exersize
All animals must have exersize that is appropriate for the species and for their specific self. In the wild a dog may have to travel miles to find food or mates, they may have to run at top speeds for short distances to catch prey. But are not moving all day long like a horse. They spend about half of their day sleeping! Appropriate exersize means appropriate for the age and physical condition of a specific dog, but not too much or injury or exhaustion can result. Appropriate movement for your dog will provide mental stimulation, burn calories and pump lymph around the body. Exersize will burn energy which could otherwise be used in inappropriate activities like chewing up your couch. For puppies you will need to provide short walks and opportunities for your pup to romp in the yard throughout the day. 
Exersize as a law of health does not just mean the physical, it also means the mental. Your puppy/dog needs mental stimulation. This can be short training sessions or things like brain games and complicated recreational bones. 

3. Water
All living beings need water to survive. Water should be pure and clean, free from toxins like chlorine and fluoride. Your dog is made up of about 70% water and water is the main ingredient in healthy living cells.  Water carries nutrients to cells, aids digestion and is used to flush toxins, it lubricates joints and helps cool the body. As you can see pure clean water is needed in every aspect of your dog's health. 
 Make sure your dog's water bowl is kept clean and the water is changed at least once per day. The bowl should be washed with soap and water every few days to weekly as needed. Be sure your dogs water is out of direct sunlight and away from drafts. A heavy flat bottom glass or food-safe ceramic bowl works great and is free from leaching contaminants. 

4. Sun and Supplements
Sun
Dogs know instinctively that they need sunshine. Have you seen a dog laying in a shaft of sunlight coming through a window? While they don't need full sun all day long, they do need the opportunity to sun themselves. A dog will lay out in the sunshine for a time then move to the shade as needed. It may  be bitterly cold or scorching hot but your dog(and you) still need to spend a time in the sunshine. 
Supplements
Unfortunately in our modern times our soils are depleted, making our food less nutrient rich.  We all know there are no guarantees in life and Natural Rearing cannot guarantee a disease free life. We are continually exposed to toxins in our air, foods, and man made items like our very homes, cleaning products, vehicles and furniture. In this modern world imbalances happen.
Supplements are needed to bridge this gap and help us balance things out. The most common supplements you should be aware of are Probiotics, Digestive Enzymes, Colostrum and Herbs. 

5. Temperance
Some people describe temperance as total abstinence, and some think of it as license to do whatever they want as long as it is in moderation. I think it is somewhere in between. This quote sums it up well.  "Temperance is moderation in the things that are good, and total abstinence in the things that are foul" -Francis E Willard. 
 Water is good for us but one can still die from water intoxication. Also, while the theory is noble, vaccines contain some very foul ingredients indeed(aluminum, thiomersal, and foreign DNA) so even one vaccine can cause adverse reactions that linger for a lifetime and can even cause death. So Moderation in the good, abstinence in the corrupt. 

6. Air
Your dog needs fresh air daily. While she will get some on daily walks, be cognizant of the air in your home as well. If you have to leave your dog at home for long periods of time, consider a doggie-door to a contained area outdoors or cracking a window to allow fresh air to flow through the house. 
Another thing to consider is the products you use in your home such as air fresheners, cleaners and candles. Many of these products contain unsafe ingredients that are breathed in and can build up in your dog's system and cause breathing, eye, ear or skin problems, even cancer. 

7. Rest
We all need good rest, but dogs have different sleep cycles than humans, with shorter and less periods of REM sleep. On average dogs sleep about 12-14 hours a day and puppies sleep 18-20 hours per day! Rest is needed for rejuvenation of the body, and restoration of the mind. Your dog may prefer to sleep with you at night or not, but it is important to give your dog a space of their own to rest that is dark, quiet and free from Electrical Magnetic Frequencies. So right beside your TV or refrigerator may not be the ideal spot. A covered crate in an out of the way spot is a good safe place for them to rest and relax. 

8. Trust
This is not a thing we often think of when we think about health, but it is very important. The definition of Trust is the "firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability or strength of something or someone". A synonym for trust is confidence. 
We need to have trust in the laws of health listed here. These laws are our way to health and a quality life. If we lose confidence in the nutrition for example and switch to feeding kibble, our dog will become unbalanced and eventually chronically unhealthy.  Sometimes this happens when we don't have a complete understanding of one of these Laws of Health. If this is the case, ask me for more educational support. Have faith, stand firm, if you need support or guidance, that is what I am here for you for! Your precious pup is depending on you, and I am trusting you to continue what I have just begun with your pup. 


Friday, June 22, 2018

Koda/Bourbon Litter Born

The evening of Thursday, June 21 Koda surprised us early with a healthy litter of 7 puppies. There are 5 females, 2 males . They are all healthy, active and gorgeous! Once she got over the initial surprise, Koda has become quite the devoted mother. 
The 2 piebalds are female, (because I know people will ask, lol). I will post more details about the puppies later on. 
You can Like amd follow our Facebook page, Nature's Way Carolina Dogs to see more frequent updates and pictures, even videos. 
If you are interested in a puppy from this litter see my previous blog post on this site HERE  and to submit an application go to this link NWCD Application

Saturday, June 2, 2018

Bourbon X Koda Puppies 2018

It has been a couple of years since we had a litter of puppies at NWCDs, but we are now expecting!!!!  
Puppies are due around June 26, 2018. This is an exciting breeding of 2 absolutely beautiful UKC Carolina Dogs. We anticipate these pups will be Fan-tab-u-lous and we have high hopes for this litter.
Both the sire and dam are farm dogs, the sire is a confirmation champion and the dam is the daughter of the current highest ranking Carolina Dog in Barn Hunt (my boy, Cooter). 

THE DAM

"Koda" - UKC PR Valdes' Dakotah -is back to us for a limited time, for this one time breeding/whelp. 
She is from our 2016 Ellie Mae X Cooter litter. ( UKC PR Tennessee's Ellie Mae & UKC BC Tennessee Whiskey CooterBug, RATM.  She is also the Granddaughter of Daisy- UKC PR Banbury's Tennessee Daisy Jane, RATN) 
Koda spends her days supervising and guarding the family Landscaping/Nursery business on a 100+ acre farm in central Florida. She is (normally) about 35 pounds and about 18 inches tall at the shoulder. 



THE SIRE

"Bourbon", UKC CH Swamp Fox Bourbon Whiskey from Swamp Dogs Farm and Rabbitry.  He is a Confirmation Champion and also a real life farm dog in South Carolina where they raise Chickens, Rabbits and Carolina Dogs. Bourbon is a well-rounded young CD who frequently goes off-leash hiking and has tried out his speed on the practice Lure- Coursing course, but has not competed at that sport yet, because he's been busy showing off in the Confirmation ring and is also a proven stud. I was very impressed with this handsome boy while he stayed with us for breeding. He was gentle and well-mannered on and off leash, patient with Koda and got along well with my other dogs, livestock and visitors to my home. Bourbon is 19.5 inches tall at the shoulder and about 40 pounds. His previous litters have produced beautiful black and ginger puppies. Swamp Dogs Farm on Facebook



Both dogs are raw fed, and the dam is completely Naturally Reared. Puppies will be completely Naturally Reared and NR homes will take precedence. To find out more about Natural Rearing, cruise around my website a little more, or follow the link above. 
If you are interested in a Naturally Reared Carolina Dog puppy from this litter, please read my Information Page then follow the link to the Application Page to get in touch with me with your application.




This may be my last litter for quite some time, my founder dogs are ages 10+ and 8+ and we want to enjoy our time with them and with our granddaughters(4 yrs old, and 2 months old). I will still be active in Carnivore Nutrition and Naturopathic Lifestyle Coaching , Barn Hunt and the general CD world until we have more dogs that are breeding age. So if you want a completely NR Carolina Dog, now is your last chance for awhile. 
I hope to hear from you soon! 


Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Happy 10th Birthday Cooter

Happy 10th Birthday to my πŸ’™dog Cooter! πŸ•―️πŸŽ‚πŸ–πŸŽ‰πŸŽˆπŸŽπŸ’™πŸŽˆπŸΎπŸ•πŸΆπŸ’™
BC Tennessee Whiskey CooterBug, RATM, FDC. He has his Master Title in Barn Hunt, Farm Dog Certification, retired HABIT therapy dog at an Alzheimer's facility and the Ruff Reading program. I've always said the only thing holding him back is me, but we learn together and he is happy as long as I am with him.
He is my heart, my healer and my teacher. He is always teaching me and others. He is a wonderful ambassador for his breed. Whatever I ask of him, he is eager to do it, whether it is hunting rats, checking for snakes, herding livestock, walking, watching over puppies or humans, hiking, searching for things, watching Cody's football practices, riding in the car, swimming, or just laying on the couch.
He is not perfect, I am not perfect, but we are always better together! I couldn't ever ask for a better sidekick.
Here's to 10 more years Bug!