Facilities & Sanitation
 RLS is located at our home on
about four acres, in Hermiston, Oregon. Each dog is
kept individually in a large dog run on pea gravel with a carpeted and bedded doghouse,
water bucket, and raised feeder. The kennels are cleaned at least once
a day and are sterilized several times a year, or as needed, and waste
is also removed from the yards and graveled areas daily. Bedding and carpets
are washed on a regular basis, as are dog toys, buckets, bowls, feeders, etc. During the time spent
inkennels, the dogs are occupied with toys, chew treats, and Kongs. The
dogs are never kenneled for longer than necessary; however, we don't have dog proof fencing, so we only turn them out when we are home to supervise. They interact constantly with each
other and with us, and someone is usually working or doing chores outside with them. The dogs also love and get to spend time in
the our house, although admittedly, Sophie sleeps inside the most. During the summer, the dogs have a pool to keep cool
in, and on cold or wet days, they have custom dog blankets to wear. Other winter cold weapons include their heated water buckets to ensure a constant source of water and heat lights we'll turn on in their houses after mosquitoes have died off. The dogs' comfort, safety, health, and happiness are very important to us.
For litters, we have
a large whelping room that is located in the shop. It is an air-conditioned
and heated room with cabinets for storage and a screened window for more
ventilation. There is a 4x4' whelping box with pig rails placed in the room
for the dam and puppies,
and chairs and a cot for us. When the puppies are able to
get out of their box, the cement floor is covered with a non-slip surface.
The whelping room is kept clean and puppy-proof. We provide them with lots of toys for playtime. The heated shop also
has a washroom, with plenty of storage, a deep sink that is
used to washed supplies and puppies, and a washer and dryer for towels,
dog bedding, dog wear, and litter supplies. The washroom, too, is comfortably
lit and heated and can be accommodated as a winter whelping room, if needed. Our only scruple with our whelping room setup is that it is confined, with no direct  access for the dams/pups to the outside, which poses obvious problems. Ensuring the comfort of the dam (ie taking her outside for bathroom and play breaks) is another major reason why we spend so much time with the litters in this room before they're weaned. This setup also requires us to maintain a strict and frequent cleaning/sanitation protocol for the health of everyone involved.
When the puppies are moved to the outside kennels, we make sure that they are extra safe with no/minimal places they might get stuck or hurt. If necessary, we put their kennel on a solid surface for extra sanitation potential. During the day, they play in a puppy pen in the yard or more often, are let loose under close supervision.
Nutrition
RLS places
a lot of value on adequate, balanced nutrition. Ongoing  studying is being done to ensure that we are always providing proper
diets. After some recent decisions, the foods we currently feed include Natural Balance LID Potato and Duck, Canidae Chicken Meal and Rice, Canidae Grain Free ALS, and Innova Evo. We feel confident that what we are currently feeding is healthy and nutritious, and all of our dogs are kept in good condition. At this time, we are kind of in the process of finding a dog food to stick with long-term. For over five years, we loved and only fed Nutro brand foods, but for several reasons, we'd been considering other brands. While the brands we recently changed to incur greater expenses up front, I am more satisfied about the nutrition our dogs are receiving. The availability of the Canidae is a bit tricky but doable....
Bred bitches
are fed a combination of a high energy diet and/or puppy food, plus added nutrients. During weaning, the puppies food mashes will be mixed with Esbilac puppy formula.
We may later also add quality canned dog food if necessary. The dogs' diets are supplemented, if needed, with quality multi-vitamins, skin and coat supplements, and/or joint maintenance products.
Our dogs are provided with a variety of treats, including raw meaty bones, biscuits,
pigs’ ears, rawhide (rolls, pressed, and chips), homemade treats, and natural chicken, fish, and liver treats. We look for chew treats that are made in the US and by natural processing. Sometimes
super palatable dog kibbles are used for training treats. Garden fresh veggies
and ice cubes are some favorites of the dogs and puppies. And when the farrier comes, the dogs are in for a dirty, but highly popular, snack of horse hoof trimmings!
Adult dogs are fed
once a day in the evening, weaned puppies are fed three to four times a day, and bred
bitches are fed at least twice a day. All dogs have feeders hung in their
kennels that are washed regularly. RLS uses clean and durable plastic
buckets for water in most seasons and heated plastic buckets for winter.
The dogs’ water buckets are all kept filled with fresh water.
Health Care
We feel that it is our great responsibility to learn as much as we can about health care and veterinary issues. We're country people of ranching background with good solid practical knowledge about animals. In addition, I (Chelsea) have a huge interest in veterinary medicine because of my involvement with breeding, and while I'm no longer aiming for veterinary school, I am studying to get a BS in Zoology, in order to have the scientific background needed to understand and impliment animal care. We see that the animals in our care maintain a high level of general health and that each receives the social, physical, and psychological care he/she needs and deserves. On top of handling/interaction, conditioning, training,
grooming, and nutrition, which are all a part of a dog's health, we also stay informed about veterinary medicine protocol and research. Dogs at RLS are kept up to date with core and Rabies
vaccinations,  all given every three years. We de-worm the animals on a regular basis, check
them over daily, and keep them in clean, structured environments. If a medical problem
is ever suspected, the dog makes a visit to our veterinary clinic. Because
we take excellent preventative care, the dogs have never suffered from
parasites or serious illnesses. Pre-breeding health care includes physical exams, brucellosis testing, OFA hip testing, and DNA testing. All of our dogs are microchipped for permanent identification.
Grooming
We always
make sure that our Llewellins are kept clean and well-groomed, for the
dogs’ benefits and ours. Grooming is considered an important part of their
health care because it removes dead skin, loose hair, dirt, and debris.
Grooming  also spreads the coats’ natural oils and increases blood
circulation. We try to regularly brush the dogs and keep their nails clipped and filed, ears rinsed
and cleaned, and teeth brushed and scraped. Adult dogs get bathed outside
or indoors about once a month or as needed (depending on the weather), and the puppies are
bathed indoors as often as needed. Before each hunting season, the dogs'
coats are trimmed short to avoid excessive weed tangles. (Because of the serious burrs, we also trim up the tails on some of the dogs, which is why some of the pictures don't show their characteristic flag-looking tails.)
Training
At RLS, training is
pretty relaxed and informal. It begins with house training, manners,
and basic commands, such as no, come, sit, kennel, and stay. Within their first
year, daily interaction and non-stressful work will have paid off, and
the dogs will also know lay down, kennel, leave it, drink, out, and a couple
other easy commands. We don't push our dogs too hard or
too fast; we try to set the dogs up for success, make training lessons
frequent, quick, and positive, and use sense and patience. Successes and
attempts are rewarded and the dogs are not reprimanded during training
time, other than a guiding “no." In 2009, we finally "discovered" marker training and will be incorporating this into our obedience and field training. It's an exciting concept that we'd actually used fairly well unknowingly in teaching some "tricks," but used more consistantly/correctly, it has a viable place in teaching "real" useful behaviors/actions.
We use DT Systems electronic
collars after the dogs are trained;they are not used during
the introduction of a new concept or command. With the correct and careful use of e-collars, we can react to certain actions of the dogs', making the
animal dissociate the collar with the human and associate it with the
action.  When the e-collars are used to correct a wrong behavior,
the shock or vibration is instant and short and only used if the dog can
connect the known wrong behavior/action to the shock or vibration. More often,
though, our dogs are guided with a dominating look and firm "no."
We use the electronic collars as a reinforcement or backup in the
field, not punishment. We will not introduce puppies to electronic
collars.
Training on a lead
and check cord is a key element for RLS. The dogs are introduced to most
commands on either one of these and they are also used to teach them to
pay close attention to their leader. The check cords are used by RLS to
introduce whoa, retrieving, here, etc. and are extremely valuable when
training in the field because they allow for constant, physical contact
and communication with the dog.
 Our Llewellins' natural
abilities to hunt and point were more finely tuned through training that generally
consisted of puppy yard work, pasture/field work, and then the field; however, the dogs were all taken out to hunting
fields when they are puppies and as they aged. Previously, we had let wild birds and hunting situations do most of the training. As I am learning more about the formal steps of bird dog training, I am excited and anxious to now be striving for more complete training so that our future dogs will be fully finished. While our current dogs do awesome hunting for my family, I'd like to mold our 2009 prospect more and get into a venue of trialing with him. And we are all excited and grateful for the recently acquired permission to train on a large farming operation just minutes away from us down the road. Our opportunity for training has certainly expanded in these last two years.
Other than hunting and basic commands,
RLS dogs are taught additional things, according to what best suits their
personality and success level. They are taught some agility,
pulling, and searching commands, as well as some almost useless, but entertaining,
"circus" tricks that they love to do. Our dogs are not only
happy but also versatile and intelligent, and as always, they love their job in
the field.
Wild Bird Hunting
During bird season,
we take our dogs out as often as possible, which unhappily isn't as much as we'd like. Our dogs hunt singly
or in a brace. While we try to alternate them so that they all get to go out the same number of times, we do focus more on those that are still in the breeding program. Our main choice of game is pheasant and quail, but Llewellins will hunt any upland bird. Each season is a fun and exciting time for us and our Llewellins, who know it's huntin' time when the leaves start falling.
 The dogs' safety and health is a top
concern in the field, and they are checked over and groomed throughout hunts.We make sure that the dogs do not get dehydrated, and if they get too beat up, we'll eventually pick them up, although they'd much prefer to continue working. Usually,
the dogs will wear protective gear, such as vests. While we do hunt on rough cut basalt sometimes, we haven't had to use boots, but would certainly consider them if/when necessary. Dog first aid kits
are always in the truck for added precaution.
All RLS dogs must have the experience and ability of hunting, or
they are not used for breeding.
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