Website Up!

We have ignition! Turbo Unleashed now has a home page. We're not just a blog anymore! Now you can check out my training schedules. I'm trying to use the google calendar associated with my isp e-mail, recently switched to gmail. gmail has given me nothing but grief so far. Anybody else having problems with them? The calendar works for me, will someone check it out and let me know?

Turbo Unleashed Expands

We now have a website where friends and students can come to check schedules and find contact information. I also plan on "brag" pages to celebrate student graduations and achievements.
Turbo Unleashed
Check it out and let me know what you think! It's a work in progress so bookmark it and keep checking back!

The Latest News - Sorry for our absence!

Shadow is no longer Shadow, but Wild Bill Cody Coyote aka "Cody". We renamed him and watched a new dog emerge. He is a joyful, loving and gentle pup and we're very glad we got him. However - the day he ate pond scum and almost died was a fright. He was in convulsions when Dennis found him and took him to the vet. They couldn't figure out what was wrong with him after testing and xrays but finally got him to upchuck a wee bit of some pond yuk Dennis had raked out of the pond and left where a bottomless bellied malamute might munch on it. A night at Pet Em and a grand later he was back to normal. He has been coming to work with me and learning the ropes as my demo dog. He's good with people and other dogs, two prerequisites! He was mobbed by a group of preschoolers on a day-care field trip. All you could see was his wagging tail, and then he performed his signature move, the Alaskan Marshmallowmute Meltdown. You can see the meltdown performed below with his friend Matt. It includes a Showing of the Fishbelly, allowing all within reach to tickle his tummy to their hearts delight.

Turbo has been up to his usual hijinks. No rest for the wicked, he never slows down. His story: Being a demo dog has it's moments. Sometimes mom just gets out of control. For example, she decided it was her mission to sell a stroller. Fine and dandy but who gets stuck inside it while she wheels around the store? Certainly not Cody, that chicken. I guess his big fat malamute self wouldn't fit in it. Couldn't she at least have chosen the BLUE one?Things to note:
We'll no longer be carrying Active Care dog food. It will be replaced by Avoderm Large Breed formula. To learn more about Active Care and Avoderm please visit the Breeders Choice Website. http://www.breeders-choice.com/
So forgive me my absence readers, and look for more to come soon.
Tori, Turbo, Duke and Cody

Welcome, Shadow!

After the loss of Big Fuzzy last year I was devastated. He was born in my hands, and nearly 13 years later he died peacefully in those same, loving hands. There's nothing to compare to burying your face in the fur of an adult male Malamute's neck. It's a big, soft, furry wonderful thing to hug. No disrespect to Duke, of course, Duke is very huggable but there's something about the energy of a big furry male Mal. There was a huge empty spot in the lineup for treats in the morning. Every time I look out over Fuzzy's grave I miss his presence. No dog can replace him. I would never expect one to. I said I wouldn't get another Malamute. Duke would be the last one. Yeah, right.

Enter Shadow. Last summer a young couple came into the store and they were curious about Mals. Being the in-store Mal expert, I expounded on all the reasons a nice couple like them would NOT want one but they insisted, I referred them to a reputable breeder, and a few weeks later, they were bringing Shadow into puppy classes. He was great for me in class, but that nice young lady had a hard time getting him to work for her.

Fast forward 5 months. Here's something that all true Mal people are aware of; at 7-9 months Malamutes turn into the Spawn of Satan, but it's then that you need to really drill down on them to help them become a good canine citizen. About the time you want to throw them outside and forget you ever got a Mal is the time you need to tie them to your belt 24/7. That nice young lady was tired of this rambunctious teen Mal, and when mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. Trouble was a-brewin'.

One day, that nice young couple came in to the store with their NEW puppy, a Yorkie; HER idea of a great dog. They told me about Shadow going to a nice farmer with 500 acres. I just knew what would happen with that. I told them if it didn't work out, CALL ME. I would take him and either keep him or find him a proper home.

Shadow was found a few days later 10 miles from his new home (Thank you, Homeagain). Apparently the farmer and his wife thought he would sit nicely on the porch day in and day out. Don't all Malamutes?

So, here sits Shadow, right next to me, a loving, playful, 10 month old who already recognizes me as Teacher, and is learning to see me as "mom". The first two nights he was here, he kept waking me up - "are you still my mommy?" was how I was reading this. We're on day 4 now, man it was nice to sleep all night! He's a lovely young dog, and although it will be a year or two before he matures and grows his big Malamute "ruff", he is already very huggable and has a sweet nature. Duke is thrilled, she's been missing her big buddy, and Shadow likes to PLAY! Duke, being of *ahem* mature years still has play in her but she was stiff and sore after a few hours of playing race and chase with her new friend. Turbo already knew Shadow from puppy classes, and he and his new brother are only a few months apart in age. Shadow fits in, so I doubt I'll be looking for a home for him.

So much for no more Malamutes....

Big Changes!

We are no longer Fifi Unleashed because Fifi has a new home! People can't believe I did it but I gave Fifi to my friend Diane. Diane has loved her from the getgo, and has more time to devote to her Feefishness than I do. I still get to see her often since Diane is also the Blue Buffalo lady at our PetSmart. I believe that Feef will be spoiled beyond her wildest dreams now. The pink chenille sweater she showed up in last weekend was a dead giveaway.
So, now Turbo will be our headline act.

More Yummy Dog Treats

Basic Yummy Crunchy Treat Recipe
With the suggestions here you can experiment and create your pup's favorite flavor of crunchy treat. Even when you make a mistake, they're pretty forgiving. Well, unless you're talking about Feef. Once the new batch comes out, she's turning her nose up at the old batch. I've pretty much stopped bringing them home any crunchy biscuits from PetSmart because they like mom's home cooking, and I like that I know what's in the treats I'm giving them.
Preheat oven to 325.
3 Cups Flour - I mix it up, Oat flour, Rice flour, Whole Wheat flour, Spelt flour, experiment! Adjust all ingredients for known allergens for your own dog.
1/4 cup wheat germ (or flax, barley, oatmeal)
2 Tablespoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon rosemary (or parsley, wheatgrass, greens)
1/2 teaspoon ginger 1/2 teaspoon cardomom
2 tsp Brewers Yeast powder
Combine all dry ingredients. Add:
1 can of dog food (I use Blue Buffalo canned food)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (use a fruit or vegetable puree of your choice)
1/2 cup crumbled bacon & drippings (or 1/2 cup cooked salmon, chicken or liver)
1/4 cup sunflower oil (or salmon oil, or anchovie oil)
1/2 Cup liquid (water, chicken broth, vegetable stock)
1 egg

Stir into dry ingredients until you have a big sticky ball of goo. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Flour up your hands, Press your ball of goo flat on the parchment to 1/4" thickness. You may have to divide your gooball in two if you are using a smaller pan. Use a knife to score lines in the dough where you want to break it into bars or squares. Bake at 325 for 40 minutes. Flip it on the parchment and bake the bottom an additional 20 minutes at 325. Break them up along the score lines.

• These cookies should not be soft or moist in the middle. If they are, allow them to rest in the warm oven until they are dry.
• Store in a tin, use within a reasonable time frame because they don't have all the preservatives store-bought cookies have.
• The food processor is your friend. I have a food processor to make my puree's (meat, fruit or veggie) or to grind whole grains (oatmeal, flax, etc.) and I have a retired coffee grinder to grind herbs, seeds or any vitamin or supplement tablets.

Have fun playing with dog biscuit recipe's. The above guidelines will get you going. My dogs haven't complained yet and I bet yours won't either. The last batch I baked scored 112 on the healthy dog food scale!

Dog food Test Scoring System

We wonder, "just how good is the food I feed my dog?" Feef clearly gives me the bum's rush when I place something substandard under her finicky little nose. Spoiled little princess! She's got a few favorites though so she occasionally deigns to dine on my bohemian offerings.
Someone came up with this interesting system for grading dog foods. It's a fairly accurate system in my opinion. It at least gives a person an idea of what's "good" and what's "not-good". I'm not surprised at some of the widely advertised and/or "vet recommended" brands scores. If I knew who to give credit to for this I would! Whoever you are, thank you! This helps the normal person make sense of confusing labels and misleading information.

• Note: Because there are food allergy points in the scoring system, evaluate a food as it pertains to your own dog!
• Remember, just because it's a good dog food, it might not be good for your dog. Be sure to take into consideration your dogs breed, age, and dietary needs when choosing his food.
• If your dog food isn't on the list, please evaluate yours and add it to the list!

Start with a grade of 100.

1 - for every listing of "by product" subtract 10 points.
2 - for every non-specific animal source (meat or poultry, meat meal, or animal) reference subtract 10 points.
3 - If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points.
4 - For every non-specific grain source (mill run, whole grains) subtract 5 points.
5 - If the same grain is listed 2 or more times in the first 5 ingredients (rice, rice flour, brewers rice all being "same grain"), subtract 5 points.
6 - If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 meats in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points.
7 - If it contains any artificial dyes or colorants subtract 3 points.
8 - If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn subtract 3 points.
9 - If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points.
10 - If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2 points.
11 - If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic to other protein sources), subtract 2 points.
12 - If it contains soy or soybeans subtract 2 points.
13 - If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic to wheat) subtract 1 point.
14 - If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic to beef) subtract 1 point.
15 - If it contains salt subtract 1 point.
Extra Credits:
1 - If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points.
2 - If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or nutritionist (not television personalities) add 5 points.
3 - If the food is baked, not extruded, add 5 points.
4 - If the food contains probiotics add 5 points.
5 - If the food contains fruit add 3 points.
6 - If the food contains vegetables (not corn or grains) add 3 points.
7 - If the meat sources are hormone and antibiotic free add 2 points.
8 - If the food contains barley, add 2 points.
9 - If the food contains flax seed oil (not just flax seed) add 2 points.
10 - If the food contains oats or oatmeal add 1 point.
11 - If the food contains sunflower oil add 1 point.
12 - For every different meat protein source (chicken, fish, turkey, lamb et al) add 1 point.
13 - If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin add 1 point.
14 - If the vegetables have tested pesticide free add 1 point.
Grading:
A = 94 - 100
B = 86 - 93
C = 78 - 85
D = 70 - 77
F = 69 or less

Alpo Prime Cuts - A+ / 81
Artemis Large/Medium Breed Puppy - A+/114
Authority Harvest Baked - A + / 116
Authority Harvest Baked Less Active - B/93
Beowulf Back to Basics - A + / 101
Bil-Jac Select - F - 68
Blackwood 3000 Lamb and Rice - C/83
Blue Buffalo Chicken and Rice - A+/106
Breeders Choice Chicken & Rice - A+/101
Burns Chicken and Brown Rice - A+/107
Canidae - A+/115
Chicken Soup Senior - A+/115
Diamond Maintenance - F/64
Diamond Large Breed 60 plus - A/99
Diamond Performance - C/85
Dick Van Pattens Natural Balance Ultra Premium - A+/122
Dick Van Pattens Natural Balance Venison and Brown Rice - A+/106
Dick Van PattensDuck and Potato - A+/106
Eagle Pack Holistic - A+/102
Eukanuba Adult - C/81
Eukanuba Puppy - C/79
Flint River Senior - A+/101
Foundations - A+/106
Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium D/73
Innova Dog - A+/114
Innova Evo - A+/114
Innova Large Breed Puppy - A+/122
Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice & Vegetables - A+/110
Members Mark Chicken & Rice - C/84
Merrick Wilderness Blend A+/127
Natures Recipe - A/100
Natures Recipe Healthy Skin Venison & Rice A+/116
Natures Variety Raw INstinct - A+/122
Nutra Nuggets Super Premium Lamb Meal & Rice C/81
Nutrience Junior Medium Breed Puppy - A+/101
Nurtrisource Lamb & Rice - B/87
Nutro Max Adult - B/93
Nutro Natural Choice Lamb & Rice A/98
Nurtro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy - B/87
Nutro Natural Choice Puppy Wheat Free - B/86
Nutro Ultra Adult - A+/104
Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice - F/23
Premium Edge Chicken, Rice & Vegetables Adult - A+/109
Pro Nature Puppy - C/80
Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach - A/94
Purina Beneful - F/17
Purina Dog - F/72
Purina Come & Get it - F/16
Purina One Large Breed Puppy - F/62
Royal Canin Mini Adult 27 - A+/101
Royal Canin Boxer - A+/103
Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult - A+/106
Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7 plus - F/63
Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies - F/69
Sensible Choice Chicken & Rice - A/97
Solid Gold - A/99
Solid Gold Hund -n-Flocke Adult (lamb) B/93
Solid Gold Wolfking Adult Dog Bison - A/97
Summit - A/99
Timberwolf Organics Wild & Natural - A+/120
Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken - A+/110