The fat balls worked! Both Ref and Jackson put on weight in time for the shows this week-end. Ref was in perfect weight and Jackson was close, then the heat wave hit. He was only picking out the fat balls from his food, so at least he didn't lose weight but he didn't quite hit the goal we had hoped for.
As far as the shows themselves, mixed results. Both boys showed well, improving each day. I was very pleased with that! They both had great movement, Jackson doing a better job of standing while the judges went over him. Ref didn't act like he enjoyed the show at all on the first day and I drove home thinking his show career was finished and we would need to look for a companion home for him. The next two days showed dramatic improvement (thank heavens!) Then, by today, his eyes were shining, he jumped up on me, he wanted to play and acted game for anything I asked of him. Ref was obviously not today's judge's cup of tea, but yesterday he was Winners Dog for one point! I was hoping the major would cross over but I couldn't get him to "show"when it was needed. I did learn some valuable tips that I used today so I improved also!
Jackson did not win or even get Reserve in the four shows, which was very disappointing as he responded very well to Ellen (our handler), had lots of fun and looked great.
Ref's past issues of car sickness is now history. Jackson didn't travel well the first day but improved each day. That's something I need to work on with him so I think long distance shows with Ellen will be put on hold for a bit. Both dogs were relaxed at the show site, sleeping most of the days and generally quiet, even when the dogs in the next set up were barking or their handlers were eating lunch behind our crates.
Proofreading my post makes me think maybe this was a better week-end than I first thought! I didn't have to clean up car sickness, the dogs had fun, I had fun, I visited with friends, I learned some handling tips, discovered a grooming comb I've been wanting is still available and Ref got a point. Yeah, this was a good week-end!
Showing posts with label fat balls. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fat balls. Show all posts
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Friday, June 29, 2012
Fat Balls
Earlier this year, we decided to not do any more shows until the fall, giving Ref and Jackson time to mature and develop. Funny, how quickly plans change!
One morning, I looked at Ref and he had seemingly changed overnight from a gangly, leggy boy to a male with more muscle and mature body. I looked over at Jackson and his coat was blooming and he was standing with a nice arch to his neck and a beautiful expression on his face. Hmmmm...should we reconsider our decision? I barely broached the subject to David, who interrupted me to say, "have you noticed that Ref has put on weight"? We decided to plan on entering a cluster of shows the first weekend of July, but on the caveat that Ref needed a bit more weight before the entry was due.
I researched the internet to see if there was a better way to put pounds on a dog instead of just adding more food to his bowl. That method usually leads to diarrhea, which seems to defeat the purpose of adding the food! To my surprise, there are actual recipes for "Satin Balls" or "Fat Balls" to help in this situation.
There were several variations, many involving cereal, which I didn't want Ref to have. I chose this recipe:
10 pounds of uncooked, ground beef
10 ounces uncooked oatmeal
6 raw egg yolks
10 ounces wheat germ
10 ounces molasses
Mix well, roll into balls (I make meatball size), refrigerate enough for a few days and freeze the rest.
I've been mixing one to two balls into Ref's dry food at each meal. He loves it, of course! Within a few days, he had put on the extra weight we wanted and I mailed in the entries.
Jackson has some sixth sense about dog shows and started his old trick of not eating all of his meals once the entry had left the mailbox. It's hard to maintain a good weight on him anyway, so now Jackson is on "fat balls". I'm giving him more meatballs at each meal, using two to three, to basically coat his dry food so he eats it all. I have a week, we'll have to see what happens!
One morning, I looked at Ref and he had seemingly changed overnight from a gangly, leggy boy to a male with more muscle and mature body. I looked over at Jackson and his coat was blooming and he was standing with a nice arch to his neck and a beautiful expression on his face. Hmmmm...should we reconsider our decision? I barely broached the subject to David, who interrupted me to say, "have you noticed that Ref has put on weight"? We decided to plan on entering a cluster of shows the first weekend of July, but on the caveat that Ref needed a bit more weight before the entry was due.
I researched the internet to see if there was a better way to put pounds on a dog instead of just adding more food to his bowl. That method usually leads to diarrhea, which seems to defeat the purpose of adding the food! To my surprise, there are actual recipes for "Satin Balls" or "Fat Balls" to help in this situation.
There were several variations, many involving cereal, which I didn't want Ref to have. I chose this recipe:
10 pounds of uncooked, ground beef
10 ounces uncooked oatmeal
6 raw egg yolks
10 ounces wheat germ
10 ounces molasses
Mix well, roll into balls (I make meatball size), refrigerate enough for a few days and freeze the rest.
I've been mixing one to two balls into Ref's dry food at each meal. He loves it, of course! Within a few days, he had put on the extra weight we wanted and I mailed in the entries.
Jackson has some sixth sense about dog shows and started his old trick of not eating all of his meals once the entry had left the mailbox. It's hard to maintain a good weight on him anyway, so now Jackson is on "fat balls". I'm giving him more meatballs at each meal, using two to three, to basically coat his dry food so he eats it all. I have a week, we'll have to see what happens!
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