westbrook

now to figure out how where to put these???? I have a yahoo group for recipes for this site that will go into the cook book.... I wonder how many bytes can be sent before it cuts you off?

falls on the floor... 500 bread recipes? DARLENE!!!!!! darlene get in here! look at this ^^^^ and you wanted a few bread recipes... ROFL!!! 8thsinner looks like she can accommodate you (8th, I can just see darlene acutally making each recipe! that ought to keep her busy this winter!)

Here is a GREAT link to telling you how it is done. http://waltonfeed.com/old/yeast.html Take a look at these recipes from Waltonfeed.com

a newer version with information I had left out of the older version.. Some of this information will be a repeat.. sorry. I need to combine both and one day I will. I have more somewhere and will post it when I find it. "There are several ways of getting yeast started, one is from the Air. Another is from any dark skinned fruit such as grapes, plums, elderberries and so on (the yeast can be seen in the white film that covers the fruit). Getting a start from someone else, potato water, flour and sugar or honey or even maple syrup, and of course store bought yeast. Yeast are living organisms and live all around us, they are called wild yeast. Wild yeast is what you are gathering when you use this recipe: Flour, I like using 1/2 rye (Rye flour helps give it that really sourdough flavor) and 1/2 whole wheat, though I have used all whole wheat. Water, but not water from a municipal water company as it will contain chemicals such as chlorine and yeast does not like this, it is best to use bottled water. If you don’t have bottled water on hand then let your tap water sit out 24 hours. And finally sugar or honey; though this is not necessary. You can start yeast without sugar or honey, the yeast will feed off the natural sugar (carbs) in the flour. Sugar I think, just helps it get going faster. Using a glass container that has been washed in hot water to sterilize it and a lid or covering of some sort. Mix 1 cup flour and water to the consistency of Pancake batter, add about ½ cup of sugar or honey if desired and mix. Place a cloth or a loose fitting lid over the top of the jar/container so the carbon dioxide can escape. Stir once a day for 3 days. Your yeast starter should start to smell yeasty and have started to bubble. If it turns pink it has been contaminated and you will need to start over, or if it really stinks throw it away...though I have had some smell really bad by day 3 and turn out to be great yeast. On the forth day, pour out half of this mixture and add more flour water and sugar or honey. You are now feeding your new found yeasties! If you are using any fruit to promote yeast growth, now is the time take it out. You will notice a clear liquid starting to separate with your starter mixture. This is called "hooch" it is normal and a by-product of the yeast. Carbon dioxide is also a by-product which is what gives the bread its bubbles, but what remains in the container is alcohol 'hooch' (just don't let anyone catching you drinking it ) you can stir it back in and it won't hurt a thing or pour it off. If you notice less hooch then normal, it needs feeding, you are starving your little yeasties! oh my! (wondering if one could get in trouble for yeast abuse!?) Your yeast will be ready in a week to 10 days depending on the temperature of its environment. If no real activity is going on, try giving your yeast a boost with a little sugar or honey. Yeast needs food to grow and multiply. If you leave your yeast out on a counter you need to feed it once a day. Pour out half of what you have out, adding more flour and sugar or honey (which ever you are using) and water to a pancake batter consistency. Be sure to keep your yeast loosely covered. Since your yeast is a living organism, you should probably give your yeast a name! You can keep this on your counter and depending on how warm your kitchen is depends on how fast the yeast will grow. The faster it grows the more frequently you will have to feed it. If you have a lid on that is fine, but do not tighten the lid down if it is in a warm place, you see when the yeast grows it gives off carbon dioxide and it has to go somewhere. A tight lid could be very dangerous as the carbon dioxide will have no way of escaping and build up pressure. Upon opening the jar the lid could be launched. You don't have to bake everyday but you may have to feed everyday depending upon the temperature of your kitchen. To slow down the growth, place it in the refrigerator. If you decide to place your jar in the refrigerator, you can tighten the lid. Take it out once a month, loosen the lid, and let it come to room temperature and feed it. Pour half out and put in back in the refrigerator for another month. Periodically you will need to sterilize the container the yeast is in. Have you given it a name yet? To use this starter also called a sponge, take 1-2 cups of starter for your recipe. Keep 1-2 cups of starter, feed it and set aside for your next bread baking day or put it back in the refrigerator. Understand that this yeast is slow to grow, so it may take 12 hours for your bread to rise. I make bread in the evening and let it rise all night long, first thing in the morning I bake it. I don't let it rise a second time, but you can. I form my bread and let it rise once. I also have to make a slash in the bread so it won't explode. In villages where there was a community oven and the recipe being used this type of bread needed to be cut. Each family had its own slash marks for identifying their own bread from another’s. To share your yeast with a friend, smear some on a piece of muslin or wax paper, letting it dry out. Then when you share it give instructions on how to start it. Store your yeast in a dark cool place. Your dried yeast will last 6 months (but I have been able to revive it at 1 year) A wonderful gift is a basket with home made bread, home made butter and home made preserves along with some dried yeast started and instructions for making everything you have given them. If you have a really great starter from someone and you leave it on your counter eventually it will be taken over by the wild yeast in your area and it will change the flavor. This why most people keep their yeasts in the refrigerator to maintain the yeast they desire. Wild yeast is different in different parts of the world, so my wild yeast starter will taste different then your wild yeast starter. Many people have 5 or 6 different starters in their refrigerators to make different flavored breads. If you make cheese, wait at least 3 days before making bread in the same room, if you keep your yeast on the counter, put it away in Ref. then make cheese. You will need to wait 3 days before putting yeast back on the counter. Cheese making yeast will contaminate your bread yeast! Have you named your Yeasties yet? Flour If you are using freshly ground wheat flour you need to add ascorbic acid to it. Ascorbic acid (crushed Vit. C tablet) conditions the flour and helps make the dough rise. I am sure some of you have tried homemade bread and had it not rise with the big air bubbles rather it was heavy and tiny holes. The flour wasn't conditioned (aged). Another way to condition the wheat is to grind it and let it sit for about 30 days to age. Try it! I have never researched the process of separating the bran from the flour after grinding mostly because I knew I that would be a fairly sophisticated process and another gadget on my counter I did not need! I shift as best as I can and then let the flour sit (save the bran to bake muffins and to make cereal with). If I put the flour in sacks and let the sun get to it, in time the flour will turn white, well almost. The sun bleaches the color out. Millers found this out when the flour was shipped from the mills to its final destination. Transporting milled flour could take months by the mode of transportation available during the 19th century. When this ground flour arrived at the homestead it was whiter then what was being ground fresh. Then they found that is rose higher and was more tender and fluffy because it had aged. Not everyone could afford to buy already ground flour and the stigma of having ‘white’ flour became one of affluence.”

I have had yeast that I started with nothing more then lour, water and sugar sitting on my counter for years. There are several ways of getting the yeasties into your mix, one is from the Air, another is from any dark skinned fruit such as grapes, plumbs, elderberries and so on (the yeast can be seen in the white film that covers the fruit), getting a start from someone else and of course store bought yeast. It should have started to bubble and smelled sort of yucky after about the third day. Then in a week it starts to smell like the familiar yeast we are so accustomed to smelling. If is sort of smells yestie and no real activity is going on...give it sugar or honey. Yeast needs food. Pour out half of what you have, adding more flour and sugar or honey (which ever you are using) and water to a pancake batter consistency. By tomorrow the yeast will have multiplied and started to really bubble and get yeastie smelling and in 2 days or 3 you will have to give your yeast a name! Take the grape out if it is still in there as I said earlier that was to give it some yeast to start with. Keep your yeast covered so the bugs stay out but not with a tight lid. I use fabric over my crock. If you have any Rye flour available, use that in your starter to help give it that really sour dough flavor. Refrigeration is to slow down the yeasties division but you must take it out of the refrigerator about once a month, let it warm up, pour out half and feed it again with more flour, water and sugar. Placing it back into the refrigerator. To share your yeast, smear some on a piece of muslin or wax paper, letting it dry out. Then when you share it give instructions on how to start it. (Flour, water and sugar and the dried yeast you sent), In a dark cool space your dried yeast will last 6 months (but I have been able to revive it at 1 year) Great gift is, basket with home made bread, butter and jelly along with some dried yeast started and instructions. If you are making cheese and bread, you need to let your kitchen air out about 3 days before making one or the other as the yeasts are different and one will contaminate the other. If you have a really great starter from someone and you leave it on your counter eventually it will be taken over by the wild yeast in your area and it will change the flavor (why most keep it in the refrigerator to maintain the yeast they desire). Wild yeast is different in different parts of the world, so my wild yeast starter will taste different then your wild yeast starter. This is why many people have 5 or 6 different starters in their refrigerators. Wanting an outside kitchen to bake bread cause it 105 today and I still have to can peaches and apples today. Name your Yeasties!!! they are alive. here is what I did, some of this (flour) some of that (sugar) add water and mix pretty easy huh! stir it every day for 3 days don't add anything else and then on day 4, pour out half and add more of this and that and water! you are feeding your new found yeasties! yes you can start it without sugar/honey the yeast will feed off the natural sugar (carbs) in the flour. Sugar I think, just helps it get going. If a pinkish color forms on top, throw out and start over. Or if it really stinks...though I have had some smell like vomit by day 3 and turn out to be great yeast. You don't have to bake everyday but you might have to feed everyday! (why people put it in refrigerator...slows down the growth). In cooler temps on the counter the yeast will slow down and in hot temps it really grows like crazy. The faster it multiplies the more it eats the more often you have to feed it. As to how much? some of this and some of that and water! The separation is called "hooch" it is the by-product of the yeast. Ok, carbon dioxide is also a by-product which is what gives the bread its bubbles, but what remains in the container is alcohol 'hooch' (just don't let anyone catching you drinking it ) you can stir it back in and it won't hurt a think. If the hooch is becoming less it needs feeding because you are starving you little yeasties! oh my! (hummm, wondering if one could get in trouble for yeastie abuse!?) If you have a lid on that is fine, but do not tighten the lid down if it is in a warm place, you see when the yeast grows it gives off carbon dioxide and it has to go somewhere...if the lid is tight, I don't want be around when you open it up!!! KaPlowie!!!!!!!! Remember the A/C (lucky you that you have A/C) just slows down the process which if you are not baking bread every day that is great! If you put it in the refrigerator, it greatly slows down its growth rate so yes you can put the lid on tight. When you go to use, take it out, pour out half or just feed it if you have space in the jar, or pour half into another container, then feed it, put it in a warm place and make bread. Baking bread with this kind of yeast is very slow to rise, make at night before going to bed, let rise (sometimes this can take 12 hours to rise), in the morning, punch down, form and let rise again and bake! Flour If you are using freshly ground wheat flour you need to add ascorbic acid to it. Ascorbic acid (crushed Vit. C tablet) conditions the flour and helps make the dough rise. I am sure some of you have tried homemade bread and had it not rise with the big air bubbles rather it was heavy and tiny holes. The flour wasn't conditioned (aged). Another way to condition the wheat is to grind it and let it sit for about 30 days to age. Try it! I have never researched the process of separating the bran from the flour after grinding mostly because I knew I that would be a fairly sophisticated process and another gadget on my counter I did not need! I shift as best as I can and then let the flour sit. (save the bran to bake muffins and make cereal with) If I put the flour in sacks and let the sun get to it, in time the flour will turn white! The sun bleaches out the color!!! Now they found this out when the flour was shipped from the mills to its final destination it had the bran removed. Transporting milled flour could take months by the mode of transportation available during the 19th century. Not everyone could afford to buy already ground flour and when it arrived at the homestead it was whiter then what was being ground fresh. Then they found that is rose higher and was more tender and fluffy because it had aged. I wrote this in 2001… I have since rewritten it and add more. I will see if I can find it. But this is a start.

Well Dee, I asked for canning equipment on free cycle and got 30 brand new cases of jars! I have twice that many in my canning shed. I am glad to have them too now that jars are almost a $1.00 a jar! I was at a thrift store and picked up 18 half-gallon mason jars! at $0.50 each that was a find! I use them when I milk. With this many jars I have no worries about running out. When I need to can, I just go shopping in my own store.

I have 30 cases of empty jars, canning is year round! why next month it will be buy one turkey and get one free!

Yes HSmom, because the dog is also bonded to you and where you go the dogs goes. Think of this much in the same way you would think of goats on a 1000 acres. They roam freely with the dogs to watch over them. Where they go the dogs follow, the dogs job is the goats. In most cases people don't have but small plots of land and these dogs are bonded to mainly the family, living outside to patrol the fenced yard and everything inside the yard. These dogs protect against smaller predators, coyotes, neighborhood dogs, raccoons and of course 2 legged predators, but if needed to they would also protect against wolves, mountain lions and bears. I take a dog (or two) with me when I travel. When I arrive at your home, I introduce the dog to you and your family, walk the dog around the property line or fence line and the dog is happy because he has a job to do. If you have livestock I also introduce it to the livestock. This does not confuse the dog because I am the constant. Obedience training and socialization also plays an important part the dogs behavior. Taking the pup/dog *to* a class where is it on a leash, learning to get along with other dogs, letting strange people pet it, hearing loud booms and bangs, kids running around (thinking pets mart or pet co or even a park) will help in the socialization of the pup. more later......

Understanding the Anatolian Shepherd Dog: The Protective Behavior of the Working Anatolian by Ruth Webb I know that the Anatolian Shepherd Dog will work. I lived in Turkey, where these dogs come from, for five years. I had been raised on a Wyoming farm and knew the havoc created by coyotes or roaming domestic dogs attacking sheep and goats. I was amazed to find that, in Turkey, the dog is a flock's only protection. What few guns the inhabitants of an area might have are not used for predator control. Most of the villagers do not have guns - the dog is it. Requirements of a livestock protection dog There are three basic requirements for the behavior of a livestock protection dog: (1) The dog must be as AGGRESSIVELY PROTECTIVE AS NEEDED to subdue or drive off predators, killing only if necessary to protect their flocks and villagers. If a bark will scare off an intruder, then that is all the dog will do. Anatolians have a graduated display of protective behaviors that does warn off everything that is not a real threat. They also have a controlled bite - only hard enough to subdue - and, once an intruder is submissive and indicates it will run away, the Anatolian steps back and lets it run. It had better leave! (Young dogs do not have this good muscle control and need observation until they are adults to be sure that they don't cause unnecessary injury.) (2) The dog must be TOLERANT OF NON-THREATENING PASSERS-BY. Anatolians observe an intruder and warn it by barking to keep its distance. (Sometimes they bark; much of the time they just silently watch.) As long as the intruder doesn't become threatening, the dog just watches it. (3) The dog must be GENTLE AND TOLERANT WITH THE VILLAGE's women and children. He is protective of the villagers and their families, but patient. (Young dogs must be observed to be sure that they do not "littermate play" or attempt to establish littermate dominance over family members. NO dominance games or play with people or children are allowed.) Methods of protection used by the Anatolian The Anatolian Shepherd Dog protects by establishing an OUTER PERIMETER that it travels once in the early morning and once in the evening, just to mark its territory. The dog doesn't harm anything in this outer perimeter, it just makes its rounds and comes back to the flock. The dog also sets up an INNER PERIMETER around the flock as its PROTECTIVE ZONE. He stays between the flock and the buffer zone established between the two perimeters and is usually quiet, lying around near the flock unless something appears in the area that needs to be watched. He will get up about every one to one and a half hours and circle the inner area, checking everything, and then lie back down in a new place. The dog quickly knows the usual activity and people moving in and out of its area. As long as nothing unusual occurs or appears, he will lie around doing nothing. The adult Anatolian knows instinctively that it must be calm, quiet and move lightly through and around the flock. If it were to rip through a flock, it would scatter the animals and then could not protect them. The Anatolians go to great lengths not to disturb anything unless something is seen as a threat. Even in the first barking, the dog reassures the flock that there is "no danger," while the next barking says that the intruder is still present, so "be alert." The stock continues grazing but will have an ear tuned to the dog. When the dog decides that a threat is imminent, his barking changes pitch. He starts moving back and forth in an arc, signaling the flock to start moving together, and indicates which direction he wants them to move so that he can have an advantage over the intruder. Through his movements, the dog can back up closer into the flock without giving the predator the false impression that he is retreating. Anatolians have a body that is slightly longer than their height. This gives them a free-flowing stride that they can use to cover ground very rapidly without appearing to do so. They can move from one side of the flock to the other to check something without ever disturbing it. This length also gives them great agility. They can turn square in mid-stride. They can leap into the air, turn and come down in front of, or on the shoulders of, the animal behind them - whichever they want to do. Since they must accompany and protect sheep and goats in high mountain country, the dogs must have the same agility the flocks have. As their speed increases, they have a single-track gait, ideal for narrow paths. With their agility, they do not need excessive weight to fight off predators. This dog will not "herd" your flock. The flock can go wherever it chooses; the dog's only purpose is to protect against predators. If a flock member behaves in an "unusual" manner, the dog will stay with it and bark for the shepherd's attention (e.g., an animal caught in barbed wire or stuck in a hole). A flock member that has fallen on its back and is lying perfectly still but cannot get up will cause the dog to remain with it, but not bark. As long as the animal is lying quiet and calm, the dog does not know that something is wrong with it. Anatolian barking (1) Anatolians have a rapid, staccato bark that tells you something has appeared in the outer perimeter or buffer zone of the territory. They consider the intruder non-threatening where it is, but will keep it under observation. (2) A definite bark, increasing in rapidity and volume, warns that something is approaching or is happening in the field that may be threatening and calls for attention. At this stage, the flock will pay attention to the dog and bunch behind him for movement to a safer area designated by the dog. (3) A definite snarling-growl bark says that something very threatening is about to be stopped. Contrasting methods for training a livestock guardian dog There are two very different schools of thought for raising these dogs as livestock guardians: * Put the very young (6-8 week old) pup out with the flock and withdraw human attention, making the pup bond with the flock as his only companions. * Socialize the young puppy well so that it will be acceptable around gentle and non-threatening adults and children. Start it with the flock, but continue some human contact, petting and "boss approval." Most literature doesn't say so, but these are two extremes for dogs in different working areas. The first is for dogs that will be in remote pastures, with no human contact except for feeding. Many of these places have automatic feeders, so the dogs only see humans once a week or so. My question has been, even in this situation: what do you do with the dog when the flock is brought in for winter and during shearing? Obviously, I go with the socialized pup. It will stay with the flock if it is kept in the pasture as a puppy (although protected), fed, loved and played with in the pasture. The dog also will be acceptable around people. The individual behavior of a dog is an important factor. Every dog in a litter is not suited to being a remote pasture dog. The extreme isolation suggested in the first plan is an attempt to make every pup born a field guardian dog. Training and the development of adult protection dog behavior The Anatolian is not a "short training period equals a perfect protector or attack-on-command" dog. Protection is instinctive, and the dogs will threaten or attack only when they think their charges are in danger. These are not playful, hyperactive dogs. They do enjoy a short play period in the morning and again in late afternoon. The rest of the time they will be someplace where they can keep track of everything but not have to get involved with the "usual" activities of the place and people. You must consistently observe and correct puppy behavior that you would not like in an adult dog. A two month old 20 pound puppy is easy to correct. An independent 80 pound six month old is much more difficult. These dogs are about 2/3 of their adult size at nine months old but still behave like very young twelve or thirteen year old humans. They may be sweet one minute and belligerent the next. These dogs take about two years to fully develop into adults, but most of them become capable protectors long before that. They are individuals and, like people, they develop at individual rates. They even go through the same behavioral stages that young humans do. As long as you teach the puppy that YOU ARE THE BOSS when it is young, and you are consistent in the correction of this puppy behavior, you will have no difficulty controlling the adult dog. They are very sensitive to voice and behavior changes of owners and intruders. With a minimum of care, the Anatolian will live 14-16 years. We've had two or three older. At those ages, the dogs might not "win" a fight, but they rarely ever fight - they don't have to. They scare everything off. Ruth Webb is our ASDW Registrar and our most knowledgeable source of information about Anatolian Shepherd Dogs. She has owned Anatolians for thirty years, since she lived and worked in Turkey. Ruth holds degrees in both nursing and anthropology. She and her four Anatolians live in Loon Lake, Washington. This article is reprinted from Choban Chatter, vol. 6, no. 2 (winter 1996) © 1996 by Anatolian Shepherds' Dogs Worldwide, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher. Published by Anatolian Shepherds' Dogs Worldwide, Inc., PO Box 5815, Grand Island, NE 68801 USA. http://www.anatolianshepherd.com/understa.htm to be continued.....

Use sweet apples not pie apples. sweet apples don't need as much sugar as say 'granny smiths' do, and you want an apple that will ... mush not holds its shape like the granny smith does.

Quote: I'm not that far over the edge. but you are admitting that you *are* over the edge...just not that far! is that what you are saying? so therefore, Wickie, tell your husband, Yes, she is over the edge! and her idea of how far may differ from his idea of how far. Of course I know how far... did you read her newest post in the crafts forum? I mean, if after reading *THAT* and you don't think Darlene has lost it.. then you are standing next to her... 'not that far over the edge'! While *I* am standing on the *other* side of that edge... a lot farther from *Her* side of the edge. I touched the edge once and ended up with a Batman bandage.

Of course we remember GooseLiver! giant hugs to her!

genoa, yes, and I have used plastic grocery bags over the holding hand while the cutting hand is left uncovered. while the plastic bag is a bit weird... I have pleanty of them to use up I have also used my dishwashing gloves .... Playtex gloves because they were there. I have used the costco gloves but they don't come in a size small.. usually med or large... my hands swim in them. I have no problems using them for food handling. If it is good enough for surgery.. it is good enough for my food

Quote: ok got a question. Can I toss in a couple different types of tomatoes? Like the little yellow bell tomatoes with the long toms or does that change the acidity of it? Even if Im using the vinegar? Yes you can use any type.. because the hybrid tomatos don't have the acidity the old heirloom ones do, we have adjusted our recipes to add vinegar or lemon juice. All new recipes have been adjusted for this (usda, ball blue book and so on) Wouldn't yellow salsa be pretty!

Due to the nature of LGDs aggressive behavior toward what they consider perceived threats, they need obedience training. Obedience training consists of the standard; sit, lay, come, walk on a leash, wait (puts the dog on hold), leave it, take it and any other command that you need for your particular situation. Other commands would be pick it up, open or close door, drop it, hee and haw or left and right for those looking for a service dog. Due to the size of these dogs, they are being used to help lift someone that has fallen and needs assistance standing. While it is natural for LGDs to protect their charges (cows, goats, sheep, horses, poultry, other dogs, cats, children, you), they still need to be guided by the alpha. If these puppies were allowed to be raised by their parents, the parents would reprimand the pups with a growl or using their mouth to grab the pup by the scruff of the neck with a growl and a shake. The pup responds by falling on the ground and rolling over on their back as a sign of submission. Most dogs didn't get training from their parents but rather they were put into human hands to continue their training. There are several schools of thought on how to bond a LGD to what they are going to be responsible for and I will attempt present them here in brief, but there is no right or wrong way. We all have different needs, environments, farm or home setups, and requirements. Starting with obedience training from the moment you bring your puppy or dog home. If you bought a puppy, your breeder is there to answer any questions you may have or help you figure out how to work out any problems you may be having. If your dog is older and you raised from a puppy, you have a history of the dog and know your dog’s temperament. If you have a rescue, you will need to know every detail the rescue knows about this dog; contact the evaluator so they can work with you regarding the dog’s abilities, what they know and don't know. A rehome gives you contact with the previous owner. You as the owner need the training, once you have been trained, the puppy will follow. Everyone in the house has to be on the same page! I can't stress this enough, if you want a dog that doesn't beg when you are sitting down to eat.. don't feed them from the table or place. Hold off until everyone is done.. they get fed last! after all you are alpha. To better understand what Alpha is please take a few minutes to read http://www.sonic.net/~cdlcruz/GPCC/library/alpha.htm If you aren't feeding the dog from the table... remember the puppy is so cute but the dog can walk up to the table and put his face in your place and in one quick gomp.. your dinner is gone... but the dog is begging, someone in the family is sharing when you aren't looking. Everyone needs to be Obedience trained so the dog/puppy can be trained. I completely agree with crate training! there are times when the dog/puppy needs a safe haven. Again please take a moment to read http://sonic.net/~cdlcruz/GPCC/library/crate.htm I have a crate for each of my dogs. In an emergency situation I may need to crate each of my dogs to contain them for their safety. I need the dogs to walk in calmly, and know that they get to be safe and secure. I have a cover that creates a den like environment. If you take your dog with you on a trip to someone else's house, they are more likely to accept you and your dog if you have some kind of containment for them. Look at it this way, your dog is safe in his crate and you don't have to worry if their fence will contain your dog. One of the things you have to remember is that this cute little puppy wuppy is going to be a huge dog! With everything you do keep that in mind, he is going to be over 130 pounds... he is going to stand 30 inches at the shoulder (average height and weight). Program in your mind.... "THERE IS NO FREE LUNCH" This means that if your dog gets a treat or a pet, he has to do something for it. It could be something as simple as .. you want a pet.. sit first then I will pet you. This keeps you in the alpha position. Even your 3 year old can command a 130 pound dog if the child makes the dog sit or lay before giving the dog a treat. I prefer to use small tidbits for treats. I don't like using milk bones because it takes the dog too long to chew it up. I need tiny bite size treats between the size of a dime and quarter. The treat ought to be a tasty morsel the dog loves, takes and swallows waiting for another. you can use a soft meaty treat sold at most pet stores, some are preformed, some are in a huge sausage roll you break off pieces, or you can use "Pounce" cat food in a foil pouch.. it is the one that is dry but soft and NO gravy. But for me that is so expensive with 5 dogs (right now I have 8 puppies that will be leash trained and and trained to sit before going to their new homes). I make my own treats. Dehydrated Live treats Take beef liver purchased in the grocery store, they are already sliced into 1/4" slabs. Spray dehydrator tray with Pam (makes it easier to clean when done). Place a slab of liver on the tray. Dehydrate aprox 12-15 hours (timing will depend on dehydrator). Take off tray and if it is pliable cut to size with scissors and leave out for a couple more days to continue to dry (humid environments dry completely in dehydrator), if you let them dry completely in dehydrator, you can break up into bite size pieces. Put in container. Warning!!! Dehydrate in the garage, outside cause it stinks. If I have a pocket of liver treats a dog will do anything I ask of them in a matter of a few minutes. Once they figure out what I want and they know they are going to get a liver treat... oh my goodness.. Magic! Not all dogs like liver.. I have met 1 in 200 dogs that would prefer something else, but that 1 dog was spoiled with beef jerky! Bring your dog into the house. Get the dog to lay down and rub the dog all over. Pet, love on, pet their faces gently, touch their feet and say foot or paw, each time you touch their paw tell them foot or paw with each foot. Now rub between each tow and pad on their paws... don't tickle.. just rub. Rub behind their ears.. oh my that will put the dog to sleep.. not scratch behind the ears.. just rub. Take a tissue and wrap it around your finger... tell the dog ear and stick your finger in their ear, most likely the dog will cock his head in bliss as you gently twist your finger around. Is the tissue dirty? bad mommy! take another tissue wrapped around your finger and say ear, again clean the other ear. (my dogs will lie down while I can take a Q-Tip and clean their ears.. they love it.. silly dogs) When you are stroking the dog’s face, say teeth and gently lift their upper lip. In time you will be able to look at the teeth all the way around. And once you can do that then you tell the dog to open and gently open the mouth.. just for a brief second at first and as the dog gets familiar with the word and what happens, in time you can get the dog to open their mouths so you can look inside. It is good to take your puppy out in public to be socialized. With LGDs I can't stress this enough! socialize, socialize, socialize. This doesn't stop them from being good guardians but rather gets them used to being on a leash, around strangers on a leash and understanding that when you say to the puppy "Fluffy say Hello" it is an introduction and puts the puppy in a relaxed mode. I continue to take my dogs in public and tell people it is ok to touch them.. I always tell my dogs "Hazee say Hello" or "Ece say Hello". This lets the dogs know that they are going to be touched and they love the attention. At home with kids in and out of the house.. we have a different phrase letting the dogs know it is ok. Had these dogs not had obedience training and socialization this would not be possible. to be continued.....

One of the first things to consider when getting livestock, be it chickens or goats or a horse is predators. A predator can be a wild animal, a neighbor’s dog or the person without honorable intentions. While we can put up fences to keep most of the predators out, we can lay fencing down so they can't dig in, we can't stop some predators from climbing over. A fence is your first line of defense. Like locking your house, keeping the honest.. honest, a fence keeps most out. A dog is your second line of defense. His barking usually is enough to get a predator to mosey on down the road because a predator counts on the element of surprise to take down his next meal. If the prey is alerted it becomes too much work and too much energy spent, they are hungry already, their element of surprise is foiled and again they move on. Of course the third line of defense if you. A Livestock Guardian Dog has been bred to bond with its charges and to protect his charge at all costs. This means it will give his life to protect what ever it has been bonded to. Livestock Guardian Dogs (LGD) are also sometimes referred to as Livestock Protection Dog. These dogs have a very low prey drive, they would rather lay around and sleep then get up and chase. During the day these dogs lay around sleeping only getting up to follow their flock or herd as they move to graze greener pasture. At night these dogs come alive, patrolling the fence lines, alert, giving off a bark from time to time letting anything out there know 'hey I am here, don't come here looking for dinner'. Often times LGD called herding dogs. They are not herding, that if far too much work! why that would mean that they would have to get up and chase... oh no, they are not interested in chasing anything. These dogs determine what is a threat and what isn't and then decide at what level they need to take their aggressive behavior to. I have chosen my words very carefully... decide and think. Yes these dogs think. You can see the gears turning while they are making decisions based on their life experiences. If they see a stranger approach your yard... they will bark with a special warning.. 'woo woo woo' the siren sound.. warning.. stay away from here. If the stranger continues toward the yard the dogs escalate their warning to a combination of a barky woo woo woo and a bit of a snarl. If the stranger still does not heed the warning, the dog will charge toward the fence posturing, baring teeth and barking. The dog may at this point move the livestock back away from the fence and if you have children or you are out there, the dog will put himself between you and the predator. The question comes up.. do I need to fence my LGDs in? the answer is yes. All dogs should be fenced no matter which breed you have. A herding dog such as a German Shepherd Dog (GSD) or a Rottwiler (Rotty), Boarder Collie (BC), Australian Shepherd Dog (ASD but note also Anatolian Shepherds are also referred to as ASD. You will know which is being referred to because of the nature of the conversation) are just a few examples of herding dogs, work by having high prey drive. Herding dogs are energetic, chase their charges and to get them to move nip at their heels or back of their legs. These dogs love the chase and are never left alone with livestock. If they are working there is always a human present giving them ques as to which way they need the stock moved. These dogs make great family pets.. that is if you like throwing a ball or Frisbee. These dogs are highly trainable and are very devoted to their owners! Herding dogs as family pets need a job to do to keep them happy. They want to please their owners and love the discipline (not punishment) of commands and will follow their owner’s commands blindly. An example of how different a LGD works as opposed to a Herding dog; A GSD is trained to be a police dog, a LGD has also gone through the same training. Both dogs are set to attack a bad guy. The command is given.. Attack!!!! the bad guy is running away so as not to get caught.... The GSD- runs after bad guy and takes him down, enjoying the chase, tries to rip the guy to shreds and the officer gives the command to release and the dog is happy he has pleased his master. The LGD- looks at his master.. starts to run and gets about 10 feet.. stops.. watches the bad guy running away, barks once more to make sure he lets the bad guy know "and don't come back", happily returns to his master with a look of 'I did good..he is gone'. The LGD has made a decision based on genetics and life experiences. The GSD only wants to please his master. This doesn't mean that a LGD can't be trained to be obedient. I absolutely demand nice obedient dogs, but I also understand there are times when they are not going to come when I call them. I understand that they might think they have something better to do like sleep or bask in the sun! I know that I must bribe them in some cases with treats! I also understand that when I give a command to "SIT" it takes them a minute or two to think about it.. hum.. do I want to sit or not? if I sit I will probably get a treat, or maybe a pet.. or.. do they want to clean my ears or brush my teeth! yuck! humm.... to sit or not to sit? "SIT!" uh oh this sounds serious I better sit. These dogs are large and a bit slower to respond. This requires a little patience on my part to remember that they need to think about what they are doing before they do it. I train my dogs to hand signals. If the dogs are on a hilltop with the wind blowing and the wind carries my voice in the wrong direction.. I need to only get the dogs attention with a shrill whistle and now give a command with my hand. Now if the dogs are out of sight, they know when the bell rings to come running.. there will be handfuls of treats passed out! the delimia is they are watching a herd of goats.. so this means they need to move the herd down because they won't leave them. A slight contradiction in LGDs are not herding dogs. Well they aren't but they will move a herd away from danger. In this case.. when the bell rings.. the goats know they are gonna get treats too so they are more then willing to come down. to be continued....

Maranda's Garnizon of Shahbazin is a Brindle. This color is very hard to get. I do have fencing. It is mostly to keep the predators out. I don't want my dogs to run the coyotes up into the hills to get attacked by the pack waiting.. and we do have packs of them. It is also to keep neighborhood dogs out, my dogs will take them out in a hot second. But mostly my dogs are to keep the raccoons that climb, or the weasles that squeeze through or the mountain lions that can leap over, to the bears that crash through from entering the property. There was one time my dogs alerted me to a rattler. They were going to go after it but I told them to 'leave it' and they eyeing me like I really should let them take care of the problem backed off. I grabbed the shovel and took care of the problem.

I am not saying that anatolians are the dog for you or anyone, but only offering some things I read into what breeders say. do anatolians listen? sure if you have a cookie in your hand! bribery gets you results. It is hard when you have to spell in front of your dogs. Darlene will tell you how many times I had to spell c-o-o-k-i-e when talking about treating the dogs. I do use hand signals because on a hilltop with the wind blowing, I can whistle loud enough to catch their attention but they can't hear me... so I use hand signals to get them to do certain tasks. when it comes to poultry http://www.anatoliandog.org/poultry.htm though I have photos of my dogs laying among the chickens and 6 week old pups eating out of the same dish as 2 week old chicks. during puppyhood, I loose a chicken or two when the dogs turn about 10 months old and discover how cool they are.. they run and squeek, and I can chase them and it is so cool mommy getting them these squeeky toys! with making a fuss over the now dead chicken.. these dogs aren't known for their soft mouths and it they clamp down it is dead.. it doesn't take long for them to get the idea that this isn't a good idea. but puppies will be puppies.

my dogs eat a forty pound bag of dog food per dog per month. this comes out to be a bit more then 1 pound a day. sometimes they don't eat somedays they eat more. I feed my dogs chicken heads, necks and wings tips, but not the feet cause they make great soup.. I would keep the combs to fry if I had enough but don't. I feed them rabbit heads and feet. I also give them goat heads and legs. they get all the entrails to all the animals, though I save the hearts, liver and gizzards in poultry for them. the dogs eat vegetables, pickles, onions, hot peppers but not all of them. they love red cabbage..oh heck if I hand it to them, they eat it. I could just as easily make dog food out of grain much like you would make cereal.

Nice looking dog, hear they are really nice dogs... but I could never own one... here is why; "Norwegian Elkhounds have been used to pull sleds, guard home and family, do mountain rescue and hunt big game such as moose and bear as well as smaller quarry. The breed was known as the Elghund, meaning "moose dog," but it became Elkhound in English." I have livestock, I need a dog with guarding ability not hunting ability. while many people play up "guard family and home" even a poodle does that by barking. I have to go back to the word "HUNTS" this tells me the dog is a runner. To hunt means High Pray Drive. Without High Pray Drive it will NOT hunt. The same with a German Shepherd. GSD (German Shepherd Dogs) are Herding dogs. The reason they can be used for protection is they are obedient..a well trained herding dog is obeident to its master.. But a GSD is not a Hunter... other then they kill chickens for fun. GSD are not good with poultry, yes there are always exceptions to this.. but overall they are not. great family dogs, but not without some hip problems. I would be concerned that this dog as a Hunter would see something worth chasing and be gone. "Temperament: Bold and energetic, the Norwegian Elkhound is an excellent family pet and guardian noted for being good with children." The word Bold.. tells me the dogs needs a strong alpha to keep it in line. Energetic.. this tells me the dog needs to be worked and not one to lay around in the yard. It tells me it will get bored easily and decide to chew a hose or a fence, tear up stuff because it needs something to do. Noted for being good with children... even my serious guardian dogs, bond to a newly hatched chick or a just born baby goat. "Activity level: A dog of great endurance and stamina, the Norwegian Elkhound is relatively tireless and likes having a job to do. He's a rugged outdoor type that needs plenty of exercise." Relatively tireless? needs plenty of exercise? and likes having a job to do. that is the key word.. He needs a job. Training him to be a sled dog is a great activity, keeping you and the kids alpha, hunting.. do you all hunt? training him to lay down when he has his pray and not fight you for it or even joining a rescue group. If you are not into that what other kinds of things can you do to keep this dogs mind busy? "Grooming: Regular, thorough brushing is the only grooming attention required." which I why I prefer short hair dogs. even mine blow their coats and it is every where. I am sure the elkhound has two coats, the under coat being more like wool to keep them protected in the cold. Mine do and oy vey! I can't imagine what their fur is like when it needs to be brushed. Can you see that dog in my desert heat? poor thing. I chose the anatolian because of their shorter hair.. I was originally looking at a Great Pyrenees because they were more of them available and had a little sweeter disposition. (glad I got the ASD -anatolian shepherd dog). ticks and foxtails are all over my area, I needed a dog I could easily remove both ticks and foxtails from. I don't have fleas but can't what they would be like on an elkhound. when I look at dog breeds I have to take into consideration all of these factors. I have given all of the reasons why this particular dog breed will NOT work in my situtation. this doensn't mean he isn't the most perfect dog for your lifestyle. I wanted to share with you all the inner workings of my mind and how I look at different breeds. so to answer your question about what does everyone suggest.. look with both eyes open and not at how cute the doggy is. take the words people write.. such as energetic and bold and give these words some serious thought. take a look at how many dogs of the breed you are interested in is in rescue and why?? (don't take a rescue.. you are getting someone elses problems.. a rehome is not a rescue and could be considered in my opinion) .. [go ahead rescures.. take your best shot!] Look at a wide variety of breeds, seriously think about what your needs are and try to match your needs with the what the dog was bred for. good luck and take everything I wrote with a grain of salt.. you see I am biased.. and think my dogs are prefect *information I used came from here: http://www.dogs-puppies.dogs-central.com/n...py/#Information

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all recipes, any recipes, your recipes .. wait... pineapple pie? mmmmmmmmmmm mouth watering oh my goodness. (place smiley with knife and fork here..doing a quick reply they dont' have them)

DARLENE???

do like darlene does and order a pallet... then sell what you don't need.. the profit (which won't be much) will help pay for your jars.

sure geese looks like food... but if I am really hungry... you would look like food to me too!