We have been made aware today that someone is claiming to have a litter of Dutch Shepherd puppies that had been whelped by OUR Vandalia Sago sometime in December of 2016. This person advertised on Craigslist in the Phoenix Arizona area. We have not been able to locate this post but they were claiming the litter was whelped by Sago and were selling the pups for $300. This litter was not whelped by Sago! This person or person's took the picture of Sago from when we bought her from Vandalia Kennels. We truly hate that the individuals that bought these puppies think that they came from Sago and really have no idea as to who the Dam really is.

Please, weather you buy a dog or puppy from us or someone else, do your research! Ask questions if the dog or litter is registered, ask to see the Dam and/or Sire, ask for more pictures of everyone. The breeder should happily provide you with any and all the information that you need!

Do you use cues to let your dog know what is coming next? I like to use verbal and equipment cues to let our dogs know what is going to be expected of them next. An example of a equipment cue would be only putting a harness on your dog if you're going to be tracking a subject. Through training the dog knows when the harness is on means we are going to be tracking soon. Another equipment cue is changing the lead over to the dead ring on the dogs choke chain. I have done this when it was time to do an article search. Another example is when a flat collar goes on, it is time to do bite work. Verbal cues can be as simple as saying, "You want to go find some dope." By saying this before giving the command, the dog learns that the next command is going to be to start sniffing for drugs. These cues can be given to your dog when you get him/her out to do what ever task you want him/her to do.

We are switching our dogs to a new higher quality food this week. There are two methods on how to switch food for dogs. One is the hard switch which is just switching the old food out with the new food. This method sometimes causes stomach problems and loose stools. The other method is to gradually switch to the new food. We do the gradual method here. This method eases the dog into the new food and is less likely to cause stomach problems. We gradually add the new food to the current food and increase the new food over five to seven days, until the dog is getting only the new food. This is what has worked the best for us but I know the hard switch has worked well for others.  

Training and working dogs equals happiness! When you are working dogs and training, all your worries and concerns go away. You become focused on the training, your dog, and think of nothing else. Don't get me wrong, training can be frustrating but remember, all your emotions travel down that lead and right to your dog. Once you see your dog's mind click and get what you're training, it brings only happiness. Some things come naturally for some dogs and some things need worked on but once you see that click, there is a feeling of accomplishment. Not only do you feel this but you can see in your dog that he/she feels it too!

Happy K9 Veterans Day from Impact K9 USA! Today we recognize all K9's that have served, currently serving, and for those that have paid the ultimate price. Even though this day is an unofficial holiday, it was brought about by Joseph Wright who was a retired Vietnam War military dog trainer. He wanted a day to recognize the K9's that have served and chose this day because it is the official birthday of the US Army K9 Corps which was established in 1942. In the earliest documented events, K9's were used in World War I. K9's have played a role in every war since!

You can help make this day an official holiday by signing a petition at: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/national-k9-veterans-day.html

How often should you bathe your dog? This question has come up today as I was bathing "Orange Collar" for her trip to Florida. You should really only bathe your dog in the spring and fall. That is as long as your dog doesn't get into mud or something stinky. Dogs should not have an odor as long as you brush them daily. Over bathing them removes the natural oils in their coats that protects them and can dry out their skin. Brushing daily helps get rid of loose hair and distributes those natural oils through out their coats.