Akita Pool

[EddieWalker]

Eddie - Curious what brand of food you feed your dogs?

We leave out dry Victor dog food for them 24/7. It's a local company just North of us that is very good. Then for their main meals, my wife makes them their food in two crock pots. That will last them about a week. It's a combination of pork, chicken, sweet potatoes, and a few other veggies. She adds vitamins and supplements to each of their bowls depending on what she feels they need. Then it's all topped off with a raw egg. She will also make them scrambled eggs if she feels that they are hungry and needing extra protein. We have a lot of eggs from our chickens, and the dogs love them!!!!

 

[General Lee]

We leave out dry Victor dog food for them 24/7. It's a local company just North of us that is very good. Then for their main meals, my wife makes them their food in two crock pots. That will last them about a week. It's a combination of pork, chicken, sweet potatoes, and a few other veggies. She adds vitamins and supplements to each of their bowls depending on what she feels they need. Then it's all topped off with a raw egg. She will also make them scrambled eggs if she feels that they are hungry and needing extra protein. We have a lot of eggs from our chickens, and the dogs love them!!!!

I figured you gave a good nutritious diet with champion dogs like that. I'm a raw feeder myself. A good diet does wonders for their looks and health.

 

[mike69440]

Eddie,

As you probably know, wining 4 majors in a row is not something every dog could do. Have you considered Westminster or at least attending the nationals? Do you have a pro handler? Hope you are freezing and collecting!

 

[mike69440]

I figured you gave a good nutritious diet with champion dogs like that. I'm a raw feeder myself. A good diet does wonders for their looks and health.

Our new pup is on raw. Nothing says love like a Cabela's Carnivore Commercial-Grade 0.75hp Meat Grinder. 14 weeks old and the pump is eating 2 lbs/day raw, plus a can pf pumpkin and a bit of kibble & table scraps to boot. 10% of its body weight per day and she is all lean muscle? I can't figure that out.

 

[EddieWalker]

Eddie,

As you probably know, wining 4 majors in a row is not something every dog could do. Have you considered Westminster? Do you have a pro handler? Hope you are freezing and collecting!

For shows like Westminster, you have to be invited. The Akita that was there last year is a friend of ours. We watch it on TV because my wife forces me to, and then I get to hear her scream at the TV in excitement when she sees him. I love her enthusiasm for the dogs, so whatever makes her happy, I'm all for it.

Since our two show dogs are still just puppies, we're just focusing on getting them established and gaining points. Matsu is only 5 1/2 months old. We weigh him every Sunday because we picked him up on a Sunday. At exactly 2 months of age, we weighed 22.2 pounds. Yesterday, he was 78 pounds exactly. He seems to be gaining 4 pounds a week. He plays all day long with Kami, and there isn't an ounce of fat on either of them. They play rough, they run hard, and then they crash!!!

We do have a couple of pro handlers that tried to get Raiden finished, but he just wasn't into it. If the dog hates the ring, it's a massive challenge getting him to win anything. One of the pros is a guy that goes to Westminster every year. He is also at all the big shows you see on TV. The other is a lady that has been doing this for 40 years and trains other handlers. The third is the daughter of a good friend that handles them for free when we are at the same show. Karen saves money sleeping in her RV at shows and when she's in the area, she comes over to our place to fish in our lake and hang out in the evening.

Karen handled Kami in three of her wins, then freaked out when the big name handlers showed up at the forth Major that Kami was entered in. For that win, another handler took over and got Kami her win and finished her. Karen could have done it, Kami responds to her better then the handlers, but she just freaked at the competition. Because of that, Karen is taking Matsu to Conformation classes and learning all the little things that need to be done. Things that she says most of the Handlers don't do, but should. She feels that with the top genetics and feed, it will all come down to the small things that only a good Handler can do in order to win in the Specialty shows that we will be focusing on.

 

[EddieWalker]

I figured you gave a good nutritious diet with champion dogs like that. I'm a raw feeder myself. A good diet does wonders for their looks and health.

Raw is good and it's really an either or type of decision. We decided to go with cooked just because of what is combined with the food.

 

[clemsonfor]

We leave out dry Victor dog food for them 24/7. It's a local company just North of us that is very good. Then for their main meals, my wife makes them their food in two crock pots. That will last them about a week. It's a combination of pork, chicken, sweet potatoes, and a few other veggies. She adds vitamins and supplements to each of their bowls depending on what she feels they need. Then it's all topped off with a raw egg. She will also make them scrambled eggs if she feels that they are hungry and needing extra protein. We have a lot of eggs from our chickens, and the dogs love them!!!!

Since dogs are carnivores I am curious why she feeds them vegetables? My only guess is some vitamin that would help hair or something that would only matter for show dogs?

 

[EddieWalker]

Not just show dogs, all dogs benefit from certain vegtibles. Ill have to get back to you on the exact details. We where the first in our group to make our own food, and now they are all doing it. The difference is significant when comparing ours to their litter mates. Kami was first pick out of 8 puppies. She is night and day better then her siblings. None of them are fed home made food. Matsu is one of four and also the pick of the litter. He is ten pounds heavier then his older brother and you can't even Compare him to his sisters.

 

[General Lee]

Our new pup is on raw. Nothing says love like a Cabela's Carnivore Commercial-Grade 0.75hp Meat Grinder. 14 weeks old and the pump is eating 2 lbs/day raw, plus a can pf pumpkin and a bit of kibble & table scraps to boot. 10% of its body weight per day and she is all lean muscle? I can't figure that out.

Well, her metabolism is roaring at a young age, especially if she is an active pup. There are no fillers in a raw diet unless you add them. No fillers means no unnecessary stored fat she won't use.

 

[/pine]

Great looking animals...just curious...have you had them around a regular swimming pool etc?...I know zero about Akitas but I am familiar with Golden Retrievers who normally love the water but many will not go near a man made swimming pool...I have no idea why

 

[EddieWalker]

I set the forms today. We've had two rains since I dug it out. First one was just over 2 1/2 inches and then the next one was about half an inch. Combined, they added about two inches of soft silt to the bottom of the pad that I had to dig out. I'm using the height of my current back porch concrete slab for height. I want the top of the concrete pad for the bottom of the pool to be exactly 40 inches below the top of the existing porch pad.

I also added another drain line. After receiving the advice that I should have two drain lines, I read up on it and realized it was a cheap, simple thing to do that it didn't make any sense not doing.

After setting the forms, I used my trencher to fill in my trenches and smooth out the yard. The temps hit 95 degrees with the "real feel" indicator at 110. I stay out as long as I can, but then it gets to the point I'm struggling to breath, unsteady on my feet and forgetting what I'm doing. Then it's time to head in to the AC, get some dry clothes on and drink some lemonade.

 

[s219]

Looks good. Yeah, this heat is something -- I didn't even try to work outdoors today. Took care of a couple indoors projects instead. I find as I get older I have much less resistance/tolerance for heat and dehydration. I'll start feeling lightheaded when bending over and getting up, and lose focus, which I think are all a sign of lowered blood pressure from dehydration. Used to be I'd skip over those less severe symptoms and keep going until I hit the more severe symptoms of muscle cramps, etc.

 

[EddieWalker]

The kids are going to miss the ditches. They loved playing in and around them!!!

 

[k0ua]

Did if I understand correctly, that the idea of putting in two drains but only one drain pipe is so that the potentially dangerous suction would not develop over either single drain. So you don't have to dig another trench or put in another pipe, but just T and put in two drain inputs. As for the bathtub, since the water column is is so shallow it won't suck your body parts down the drain, but as a pool gets deeper the suction gets greater. It has been known to suck out the guts of children. Those that put in pools for a living, feel free to correct anything I have said here.

 

[k0ua]

Eddie, your dogs are beautiful, You and Karen should be so proud.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

I set the forms today. We've had two rains since I dug it out. First one was just over 2 1/2 inches and then the next one was about half an inch. Combined, they added about two inches of soft silt to the bottom of the pad that I had to dig out. I'm using the height of my current back porch concrete slab for height. I want the top of the concrete pad for the bottom of the pool to be exactly 40 inches below the top of the existing porch pad.

I also added another drain line. After receiving the advice that I should have two drain lines, I read up on it and realized it was a cheap, simple thing to do that it didn't make any sense not doing.

After setting the forms, I used my trencher to fill in my trenches and smooth out the yard. The temps hit 95 degrees with the "real feel" indicator at 110. I stay out as long as I can, but then it gets to the point I'm struggling to breath, unsteady on my feet and forgetting what I'm doing. Then it's time to head in to the AC, get some dry clothes on and drink some lemonade.

View attachment 516215

Keep an eye out for heat stroke symptoms.

Symptoms of Heat Stroke

The hallmark symptom of heat stroke is a core body temperature above 104 degrees Fahrenheit. But fainting may be the first sign.

Other symptoms may include:

Throbbing headache
Dizziness and light-headedness
Lack of sweating despite the heat
Red, hot, and dry skin
Muscle weakness or cramps
Nausea and vomiting
Rapid heartbeat, which may be either strong or weak
Rapid, shallow breathing
Behavioral changes such as confusion, disorientation, or staggering
Seizures
Unconsciousness

 

[bindian]

I find as I get older I have much less resistance/tolerance for heat and dehydration. I'll start feeling lightheaded when bending over.

I feel the heat sooner and "harder" now than in the past. Guess I'm not "29 & holding" nowadays.
hugs, Brandi

 

[sandman2234]

I feel the heat sooner and "harder" now than in the past. Guess I'm not "29 & holding" nowadays.
hugs, Brandi

I seem to have passed that point also!
David from jax

 

[Redlands Okie]

Did if I understand correctly, that the idea of putting in two drains but only one drain pipe is so that the potentially dangerous suction would not develop over either single drain. So you don't have to dig another trench or put in another pipe, but just T and put in two drain inputs. As for the bathtub, since the water column is is so shallow it won't suck your body parts down the drain, but as a pool gets deeper the suction gets greater. It has been known to suck out the guts of children. Those that put in pools for a living, feel free to correct anything I have said here.

You have it correct. Pool drains are also quite often longer and narrow trough like so that the grid area is larger than a simple small round or square one.

 

[k0ua]

You have it correct. Pool drains are also quite often longer and narrow trough like so that the grid area is larger than a simple small round or square one.

I could see how this would be safer.. Tnx