Wingspan Contest Ending

Today is the last day for the Wingspan Contest!

Get in your pictures by midnight Tonight!!  12/31/2010

Click Here For Info

Russell - The 10 Month Old Weim - By Victor Z.

Good Luck Everyone!!

Squirrels & Weims

Bailey standing on the compost bid on lookout for Mr. Squirrel

         What is it about squirrels that is so attractive to Weims? I mean really? It's this daily charade that we deal with numerous times a day with Bailey. She will go through lengths just to capture just a glimpse of a squirrel every single time she goes out, to the point that it drives ME nuts! Those quick trips outside turn into me screaming, whistling, hootin & hollering for her to come inside (as I stand there in my pajamas). My neighbors must think I'm an idiot or something. All the while she's standing there watching the power lines, the garage roof, and the oak tree...sitting....waiting for the opportunity. The funny part about this is Mr. Squirrel knows it! That's right, he (Mr. Squirrel) sits on the power line flapping his tail aimlessly and barking at Bailey as to say "Naaa, Naaaa, NaNaaaa, Naaaa". Bailey's response is "someday, just someday......".


Just a reminder, tomorrow December 31st, 2010 is the last day of the Wing Span Contest.

Winter coat

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from Darby & Bailey!

 

Hilarious Weim Videos!

 A few hilarious weim videos I came across at lunchtime today on YouTube...  Enjoy

WPM = Wags Per Minute Rate

Waggin Frenzy - Short Clip

WWPMR

(Weimaraner Wags Per Minute Rate)

       Just the other day Amy and I were watching Bailey's tail fluttering and how excited she was (Bailey, not Amy) when I came in the house from work. We both stood there in awe by how quickly it was moving and I had a bright idea.... Count exactly how many wags and see what her WPM is....

Ok, so you would this think this is a simple task right? NOT! So here are the finding of my hypothesis and the official WWPMR calculations behind them:

Since I was unable to actually count the back and forth motion, I had to settle for the one sided approach. I counted as many wags to the right as I possibly could for 5 seconds...  Now, to get total wags (I consider 1 wag motion right to be one wag, and one wag motion left to be another! So, a wag back & forth would be 2 wags... got it?

Take that number ( Right wag motion x 2 for the back & forth motion) = total wags in a five second increment. There are 60 seconds in a minute and there are (12) 5 seconds (12 x 5 = 60)  blocks in 60 seconds...   so here is the equation.

WPM = ( Wag motions right X 2 = Total 5 Second Wags) x 12

Bailey -  ( 20 x 2 = 40) x 12 = 480 WPM

So there you have it, for all of you who where ever wondering the WPM of a Weimaraner, it is about 400 WPM... Bailey's is especially quick so I downgraded the "standard" from 480 to 400....

So, the new official  WWPMR (Weimaraner Wags Per Minute Rate) wag standard for a Weimaraner is 400 WPM!

Feeding Time = Crazy

      I wanted to talk a little about food & food bowls today..... You can clearly see by watching the video above that Darby loves her food... she has a slight food aggression (however only vocal) and she tries to eat it FAST because she thinks someone is going to take it. Trust me, I DON'T WANT IT!  We've been working with with Darby for two years now and believe me when I tell you she has come a long way from when we brought her home. She would NEVER let me stick my hand in there two years ago!!

   
          I think the bowl in the video is a requirement (at least for our pups) because you can clearly see how it slows Darby down. Without this food dish Darby & Bailey would have the food gone in seconds. They're only about $6-8 for the medium size bowl and the piece of mind is worth much more. You can find this bowl online just about anywhere

    We're more cautious these days because we lost a Weim (Kam) to bloat a few years ago and we take all precautions possible to try to prevent it. Reality is once you lose a dog to bloat it will be on your mind forever. We constantly worry about it....



  As far as food goes, we've been looking at our options for months now and just keep buying the same stuff. Food is expensive when buying decent stuff, period! We feed our Weims Natural Balance Sweet Potato and Fish. It's Grain Free and it's about $50 for 28lb bag. We go through about 2 or 3 bags a month for 3 dogs. Bailey and Darby get 2 cups in the morning, and 2 in the evening... Same routine every day. We buy our food from Petco and every 10th bag is free so it works out to about $45/bag overall not to mention we get a few coupons here and there as well.

 

It seems to keep them at a steady weight with their activity level (which is low) and we do not feed them table scraps at all (unless they steal it). They do get treats here and there but that's about it. I've looked all over and called every feed mill to see what they have available and every single one of them have grain filler... Why doesn't anyone sell grain-free food in bulk? We've tried a few other brands but we keep coming back to the Natural Balance. We notice that while on this food there is no eye boogers, their coat looks great, they have no gas (well, almost none - yuk!), the dogs don't smell (yes on cheap food the dogs stink, and I don't mean gassy... they physically stick!), and their poop is firm.... no messy yard to try to clean up....

What food do you feed your pups? And why? Cost? Where do you get it from?

Do Not Enter - Puppy Mill Ahead?

Puppy Mill??

        I've been thinking about posting this for a few days and today I finally made the decision to do it. A few weeks ago I was reading the news paper at lunch and came across this ad in the paper. Being a Weimaraner owner this caught my eye immediately, especially since I've been thinking about getting an weim puppy or another rescue. I showed this to Amy to look at and we decide to call them to find out what's the deal. Now let me set the story straight before I explain this story...we would NEVER BUY a puppy from anyone other than a respected breeder or a rescue...period. As I thought about this ad for a few days I finally decided to call them to feel them out .. you know, kinda wanted to see what was going on... 

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Here is a little how the phone call went.

Me: Hello, I'm calling about the Weimaraners you have in the paper. Can you tell me about them?
Them: Sure, we have 10 available

Me: Wow 10
Them: Yes, we have a little from August and one from September.

Me: Oh, so they're older?
Them: Yes

Me: Are the parents on premise?
Them: Yes

Me: Are they silver or Blue or both?
Them: Ahh...ahhh... they're your standard grayish color.

Me: Do they have hip OFA certificates with them?
Them: Hip certificates? what do you mean?

Me: You know, have they been certified or the parents been certified?
Them: No, sorry they have not.

Me: Are they AKC registered?
Them: Yes they are

Me: Where are the puppies?
Them: They're kept in a kennel. We have a kennel in the garage

Me: How about socialization?
Them: What do you mean/

Me: How have they been socialized?
Them: ugh.. uh... ahhh.. My husband and I carfe for them.. well, my husband and I have been working a lot lately so they haven't really been well socialized. They're a little shy.....

Me: Okay, goodbye - CLICK

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     My wife called MWR to see what if anything can be done... and unfortunately nothing can be done. All we can do is keep the number on hand and contact these people to see WHEN they'll be getting rid of the pups. As they get older it gets more difficult to sell them... and without being socialized the dogs are headed for disaster...
These people have like 10 puppies, all are almost 5-6 months old already!!  We fear the worse for them.

What would you do? I personally have been thinking I should go see them and talk with this lady to let them know if they run into any issues they can let me know and I can help them surrender the dogs to a rescue.....

What to do? I look forward to your comments.

More Pictures

Bailey

       I have to say that most (not all) of the pictures & videos that we post here on the blog are taken with our phones... Technology is simply amazing and the quality of pictures you can take with a phone mind boggling. Not only can I take pictures, I can post this entire blog through our iPhone or crackberry as well. Hope you enjoy the photos.....

Today I received another submission for the wingspan contest from Cathy. Cathy sent in a photo of her Weim named Marley. Marley is a gorgeous 3 year old girl. Cathy says she needed to wait until Marley was tired out before even attempting to get this photo! Nice team work!

         I wanted to share this picture with you of my sister's little guy (yeah right) Brutus the Rottweiler. Brutus got dressed up in his festive attire just in time for Christmas.... Just thought I'd share :)

New Techniques & Pictures

Great twist on the wingspan photo - The Festive Weim by Anne!

Great display of techniques utilized here for sure!
The Festive Weim - Squeezed between the leg - technique

    The above pictures were submitted by Anne today so I wanted to get them posted right away simply because they are our favorite "festive" measurements thus far!! Great work Anne! Bob & Billie look like they're having a great time! Well, maybe Bob not so much as he's looking a bit embarrassed to me? Now Billie on the other hand, he just looks like he's having WAY too much fin there! Good stuff!!

The "Wait For Slumber" Technique - Photo by Anne H.

       Anyway, not only did Anne achieve the most festive photos, they have also declared a new technique as well!! I like this technique so much that we've adopted it into the "Weimaraner Wingspan Measurement System" official rule book! This is going to save lots of tugged ears out there! Thanks for sharing that very creative technique with our viewers Anne, there are going to be some Weims out there that should be very thankful for

ingenuity!

 

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Thank You!

 
         All kidding aside, we just wanted to take a second to thank all of our visitors.... This blog was started for fun.. Mostly fun for our family, but it looks like others are out there enjoying it as well... We have visitors from all over the world visiting us - The Ukraine, Australia, South Africa, The UK, all over the USA, and Canada! Thanks so much for stopping by!
 
We started this blog to share our experience of owning rescued Weimaraners in hopes that others out there will follow in our footsteps and open their home to a needy Weim. I think people often think that because a dog was relinquished to a rescue that there is something wrong with that animal... I'm here to say that is NOT always the case and I think our two Weims are living proof that if you show a dog respect, structure, and a loving home......well...... anything is possible.
 
If you have a photo or a story that you'd like to share by all means, please send them to us at sean@seanswatsky.com and we'd be glad to share it here on the blog.

Picture of the day

Darby Looking Mean ... Grrrrr!

 Just wanted to share a quick photo I took of Darby a few months back.

Wingspan Contest Update

      Oh, and I got this email last night from KellyAnn with her measurements for her pup named Blue. She says she'll have the measurements and picture of her other pup June over to me soon. Thanks KellyAnn for sending in the picture and thanks everyone for joining in on this crazy contest! We look forward to getting more pictures over the next couple weeks. The contest runs until December 31st so be sure to get your official picture and measurements to us soon. Click here for the details

Blue getting her official measurement recorded!



Where's The Beef?

Darby concentrates on the bone while flipping it around for the best side

Ahhhhhh... just the right side.

        Ugh! Nothing but nastiness!! That's right, these "Beef Knuckles" are gross, they stink, they make a mess, but Darby & Bailey seem to think they're the best thing in the world... I truly don't know what's worse, Darby's halitosis or the stench from this thing? Anyway, this treat was short lived and now resides in a plastic bag outside. I just couldn't keep following them around cleaning up after them... this is definitely a treat for outside! I swapped this out for a rawhide and everyone was happy.... and they're teeth look pretty good too.

 Their breath on the other hand...... Can you say "melt paint"? That's right, I am now officially renting out Darby for all of your paint removal projects for the low low price of $9.99! I wish I could hold a contest for the nastiest breath... There is no doubt Darby would win!

Oh yeah, and if anyone was wondering, most of the pictures in the blog were taken with our cellphones thus the reason for the iffy quality images. We're trying to utilize technology at it's finest and blog from our phones... 

So, we're bracing for a blizzard today and we'll be sure to get some pictures to share.



Ho Ho.......OOOoooooH!

Darby Eating Snow - Get's A Santa Beard!

   What a crazy pooch! Darby finds it neccessary to eat as much snow possible on her trips outside... We give her pleanty of water throughout the day and she'd been on the exact same schedule for almost 3 years... Guess she's just extra thirsty, or just playing?

 The good thing is winter is here! We love this time of year, the dogs love this time of year, and the kids love this time of year... So, we're all happy. :)  There's a big snowstorm going to hit Cleveland on Sunday night so we hope to get out and get more snow photos soon and have a little fun.

Now, let's get a closer look.

Mark Of The Hound

Bailey Has The Mark Of The Hound
Dobe Marked Weimaraner



Whatcha Doooooooin'?

 

Some say "The Mark Of The Hound" is a downfall..... we say bologna!

Shuffle Your Feet, Lose Your Seat!





Really Darby? An ottoman?!?
The Extremes That Darby Will Go To!





First let me start off by saying that no matter what the circumstance, Darby must always be sitting or lying on something. It doesn't matter what it is really..... It could be an ottoman, blanket, or perhaps a towel, or maybe even IN the clothes basket (as long as there are clothes in it), or on a jacket the kids left laying on the floor, or a washcloth, tissue, napkin, or a single piece of confetti..... My point is, they will go to the extremes to lay on something besides the hardwood floors or their beds.

Darby looking much happier on the couch than on the ottoman!!!


You know we DO have cushy "doggy beds", that's obviously not good enough for queen Darby, but she needs a throne. It's like we're constantly playing a game of "shuffle your feet, lose your seat" or something around our house... I swear Darby thinks about two things in this world and two things only; food and couch. She spends her entire day watching, waiting, and planning the perfectly executed plan of attack to hop up on that darn couch!!

Every single night we 'dog proof" the house which is a two process system;

1. Put up the kiddie gate to quarantine them from going into the bedrooms. One thing I'm totally against is sharing my small bed with two dogs! Nope, not gonna happen!
2. "Dog proofing" the furniture... That's right, every single evening we have to pull all the pillows of the couch, put the large chest (which we use as a table) on the couch, put the large wicker basket up on the couch, and then pile everything on top of that.... just to prevent these crazy dogs from trying to get up there! At times, they have even pushed the chest off of the couch in the middle of the night or moved it out just enough to squeeze in!

Because Darby is "uncomfortable" with the situation of sleeping in HER own bed and the fact she has hip dysplasia, she's awake half the night walking back-n-forth throughout the house! Did I tell you we have hardwood floors?

Hardwood Floors   +   Doggie Toenails   =   CLICK

Now, add a click here.... and a click there...... and a click click everywhere is the equivalent of let's see.... thousand's of clicks!!! And now you have yourself going crazy listening to this goofball wandering aimlessly throughout the house in the middle of the night while you're trying to sleep... click, click, click, click....... UuuuuuuuuuuGH!

So I made a "game-day" decision the other day that seems to have made everyone happy... why not just let them sleep on the freakin' couch?! Now, this may come back to haunt us later but right now it's great... 2 full nights of no clicking! Yeehaw! Sometimes it's nice to compromise.

Yes, Darby WILL sleep sitting up!



A cozy couple...

 Bailey on the other hand, she never really displayed too much interest in getting on the furniture. She WAS perfectly content lying on her doggy bed and sleeping there throughout the night. At bedtime, we turn off the lights and she would assume her position for the evening on the dog bed.... However, looking at the picture above you can clearly see she is not complaining.
 

Bailey Enjoying Life on the couch too!





Weim or Wine?

Weim or Wine?

Weimaraner or WINEaraner? Like most dog lovers we're suckered into just about anything that represents our four legged friends... and this surely doesn't stop at wine or beer that's for sure. I thought this post was appropriate for this blog, and well, since we're wine drinkers and love craft beers I thought we'd share two of our favorite "dog related" adult beverages.

We have the privilege of a good friend owning a wine shop called Avon's Wine Room which is located about 15 minutes west of Cleveland, Ohio. About 2 years ago I came across "Yard Dog" and bought it for Amy strictly because of the label..... and let's just say we were pleasantly surprised. It's a great gift for that animal lover out there or for sitting by the fire on a cold winter's night. It's one of our favorite wines for under $12!!



Yard Dod Red - Red Heads Studio - Australia Blend
55% Petit Verdot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot





For all the beer lovers out there, especially those who love "Holiday Beers" or "Christmas Ales" this one is for you! This is a great spiced beer brewed by Thirsty Dog Brewery from Akron, Ohio that tastes a lot like Great Lakes Christmas Ale but a little more heavily spiced. Nonetheless, it is a great beer for this time of year! Full body, higher alcohol percentage, and nice hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove..... Mmmm.... Good stuff!



12 Dogs of Christmas Ale
Thirsty Dog Brewery - Akron Ohio

 So if you're on the way to your company Christmas party, holiday event, or looking for a great stocking stuffer for that "dog person" in your life, we highly recommend these.

In Memory of Kam...

This Dog Changed Our Life....

I take a minute to remember "Kam" and share a few pictures.

!

!!

Kam

He was big

He was  loud

He  was  slobbery

He  was  intimidating

He  was  a  counter  surfer

He was simply an amazing dog

He was our family - We miss ya pal.

!!!!

!!!!



Champ & Luke

      I want to thank Tammy for sending in these pictures last night! Good stuff right here! Great control shown her by Tammy & her mom (thanks for the help mom!) following the (my) official WWMS (or the Weimaraner Wingspan Measurement System.) Thanks Tammy, mom, Champ, and Luke - Good luck!

    Tammy says Luke was jealous of Champ and he thinks he's a Weim too. Luke demanded he be included in the process (although he can not win) we thought we'd include the picture as well!

More pictures coming soon!!!

Wingspan Contest Update

     Well, as of this morning we have 4 entries into our "Weimaraner Wingspan Contest" and it appears this contest is going to be a hit! We'd like to personally thank our friends and moderators over at Weimaraner Addict as they run an amazing forum over there. One thing for sure is that you can go there and feel right at home.

Anyway, I'll be posting all the contestants images on the Wingspan Contest page as they come in. While the contest is running I'm going to refrain from posting the actual measurement to keep it a surprise for now! Sorry, you'll have to wait for the lengths of those puppies and remember, no Weimaraners were hurt during the process for the exception of their feeling  :)~

While you Wait for the measurements, here are a few pictures to enjoy. Note, the measurements have been blurred out for their protection.

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And today I'll leave you with this:

Wing Span

What's Your Wingspan?
Enter our official Weim Wingspan Contest - Click Here

Checking Darby's Wingspan...... And it's huge!

WINGSPAN [ˈwɪŋˌspæn], wingspread [ˈwɪŋˌsprɛd] -n

(Engineering / Aeronautics) (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Zoology) the distance between the wing tips of an aircraft, bird, Weimaraner ears


This blog is about wingspan... Not airplane wingspan or even bird wingspan, rather Weimaraner wingspan. I'm here to tell you I think we have a winner! Darby may not be "show material, and she may never be a bird dog, but she does have her special little.....assets? I truly believe that in this crazy world everyone excels at something. This brings me to Darby......

We've often discussed how long Dumbo's , uhhhh.... I mean Darby's..... ears seemed to be compared to other Weims that we've owned or fostered. Last night we decided it was the perfect time to get a comparison to see if she's truly talented or just your average bird. We implemented a scientific procedure for the official measurement of a Weimaranaer's wing span...... and grabbed the official certified "knitting measuring tape" and commenced with the measurements. Just to truly get an official measurement we remeasured on 12/7/10.... What we found was astounding, Darby's official measurement is 19" (inches)!! or 48.26  20" or 50.8 centimeters for our Canadian friends up north.

I hereby dub this procedure the WWMS or the Weimaraner Wingspan Measurement System.

Darby's Official Measurement is 19.0" 20.0"!!
(I demanded a recount! - 12/7/10)

So we figured why stop there and proceeded with Bailey's official measurements..... We knew her wingspan wasn't as impressive as Darby's, but we needed the official measurements for a comparison (just to solidify the test results). Bailey came in with a disappointing measurement of 17" inches, again that's 43.18 centimeters for our Canuck friends ;)

Bailey's Official Measurement 17"

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Summary:

My guess is that most Weims out there will come in around 17 inches (43.18 centimeters) on average...??

Enter our Wingspan Contest - Click Here