If You Are/Will Be Thinking Of Buying A Puppy

Puppy Buyer Ettiquette

You Get What You Pay For

From Forbes -

Why A Well Bred Dog Will Actually Be Less Expensive

Puppy Planning

Things are going pretty well here, despite having two girls in season at the same time.  Am guessing Letty would have been breedable yesterday, as Argus kept trying to lead me to the basement so we could go down and "visit" her.  Letty and her big sister Lucy are getting along well in the basement, and they are out with me when I am doing fish chores.  Otherwise they are crated, but go out to the dog yard every couple of hours.   Argus stays upstairs and goes for walks 5 times a day which he enjoys, 4 short walks so he can empty his bladder and his normal long walk in the evening.  It's important that male Dals not be forced to hold their urine for too long as that is one of the things that can cause urate bladder stones.  (We've always been very conscious of that and have never owned a stone former.)

Lucy had her brucellosis test and her first progesterone test yesterday.  Everyone who saw Lucy gushed that she was the most beautiful Dal they had ever seen.  She really is pretty, and just as sweet as she is lovely.  Also a very good guest.  Progesterone levels still quite low so we don't have to go in again until Monday.  Because we hope to do a natural breeding, weather permitting, we don't need to be quite as precise on timing as we would for a chilled semen breeding, and or especially for a frozen semen breeding, but the tests will allow us to identify the optimum days for breeding.   I talked to Indie's owner John last night, just to be sure they had access to a reproductive vet if we HAD to do a chilled semen breeding.  Although the Weather Channel is just predicting rain and warm temperatures, the local weather folks are talking about the possibility of significant amounts of snow.  If the roads are bad we'll have to do a chilled semen breeding instead of a natural one.

Time to get back to the people on my Possible Puppy Home List!

Breed Bashing

Westminster is history, but the commentary is ongoing, and much of it is quite offensive.  Each of the Group winners was a lovely dog and they ALL showed well in the final line up.  The Dobe and her breeder-owner-handler put on a fabulous show and were very popular amongst the watchers, the German Shepherd folks are fanatic about their breed, the Irish Setter was lovely and showy, and Ian the Dal did us proud.   They all looked great, but the Peke won, and did everything right.   His win was no surprise.  It's much easier to appreciate showmanship is large flashy breeds, but the Peke was just as showy (for a Peke) as the others, and top judges have agreed that he is an outstanding dog.  Please, no more Peke Bashing.

Hopefully we all survive the next couple of weeks!  Yesterday I picked up Lucy and she moved into my basement.  Letty moved down to join her since she is very close to being breedable.  Lucy isn't there yet as she came in a few days after Letty did, but of course the other dogs are aware of her presence.  Poor Argus is showing the stress of having two in season bitches in the house, and Letty is not impressed with being shut in the basement.  Wish I had a larger house or could afford to board someone out!  If Meribel was not in season too, I'd ask Jess to take Argus for the next ten days, but things are no better there!  Normally I hand walk the girls in season rather than letting them use the dog yard, but with two girls to deal with it's easier to let them out in the yard and hand walk Argus.  He likes that part of the situation.  Lucy will need to visit Indie in Nebraska some time next week - so of course there is snow in the forecast. Knew that would happen!  Fingers crossed.

Sparkle went to her new home yesterday on approval.  Hope this works out.  Seems like a perfect place for her.  Her new owner is in to structure, which is precisely what smart, pushy Sparkle needs.

Dalmatians Rule!

How cool was that?  Ian the Dalmatian winning the Group at Westminster.  We had assumed we would be cheering for our favorite Standard Poodle last night, but the Poodle who was one of the favorites to go Best In Show lost the breed to a Poodle who didn't even place in the Group. What a shame.  I personally didn't think there was any comparison between the two Poodles, but that's dog shows.  But back to Ian, a very silly, super happy kind of Dalmatian, handled by a professional who knows how to get the best out of a dog.  Ian just sparkled out there.  As a longtime Dal breeder I was VERY proud of him.  Dogs like Ian, with exceptionally nice personalities, are great PR for the breed.  The Wire Doxie Hound Group winner was a gem as well, radiating the same extra good attitude.   Love that in a dog.

Argus and I will be cheering Ian on tonight.  Argus remembers Ian as the dog who edged him out for Best of Breed at Westminister last year, but he's a good sport about that.  Ian has gone on to have an excellent career with some very nice wins.  Good Luck tonite, Ian & Michael (handler) & Barbara (owner) & Connie (breeder/co-owner)!

Too Much A Happenin'

Whew, hope I survive the week!  Heading off in a few minute to visit Mary-with-the-magic-hands as we are doing another chilled semen contribution for Story.  The Friday shipment, used Saturday, was probably just a bit early according to Saturday's progesterone test so they are doing a second breeding.  A lot of money already invested in this litter-to-be!

Then off to work, but in the evening I'll pick up a Pizza and head over to Mom's to watch Westminster.  No cable or satellite TV here, and this is the only time I really need it.  The second night of Westminster on Tuesday.  When I get back from Mom's have have two dogs to walk and fish to tend - and it was just two years ago tomorrow that I slipped on the ice at 11:15 PM and broke my ankle . . .

Wednesday I drive to Duluth to meet Patti and pick up Lucy & Sparkle, then probably drive to Elk River to drop of Sparkle in her new home.  Lucy and Letty will move to the basement and poor Argus will go crazy.  On Thursday Lucy will go in for her first progesterone test and a brucellosis test. 

Busy, busy, busy.

Actually watched and enjoyed part of the Grammy last night, especially the Beach Boys!

Good information

Taking Precautions

Letty got to try out her new "seasonal duds" last night and didn't mind them at all.  Not exactly sexy, being made of blue denim with a flannel lining, but she's quite proud of them.  Am surprised they fit so well.  Have to admit that I have never used them on girls in season before, but that was before I had dogs all over the furniture (thanks to Ron) and this cuts down the mess quite a bit.  Decided to run Letty and Argus separately, even though this is so early in her season.  She's really flirty with both boys, and Argus is more than willing to accommodate.  I don't want to move her to the basement until next week, so this is safer.  Being father and daughter would NOT prevent an accidental breeding - dogs don't have any qualms about things like that.  Most girls in season are not ready to be bred until at least day 10 or 11, but I can just see Argus catching Letty by surprise before she could protest.  In 40+ years of Dal ownership we have never had an accidental litter - and I don't want to start now!

Too Much Happening Here

Omigosh, too much happening around here right now!  So glad there is not a dog show mixed in too, just need to remember to send in Argus & Eddie's entries for St. Louis.  Better put that at the top of my list, but I can't do it until tomorrow when I get paid.

Last year at this time we were crossing our fingers and praying that the weather would be warm enough for Argus to fly with us to NYC for the Westminster Dog Show (it was and he did).  This year I'll be watching it on TV, along with millions of others, many of them not "dog people", just dog lovers who enjoy watching the show every year.  Westminster is now sponsored by Purina/Pro Plan rather than Pedigree, so the ads will hopefully be geared more towards purebreds and responsible breeders rather than the "rescue a mutt from a shelter" mentality.

My Westminster Tradition is to spend the two evenings at my mother's since I don't have cable or satellite.   I provide dinner one night (usually Davani's pizza) and she supplies it for the second night - this year it will include a homemade pie from her freezer.  Not sure mom will stay awake for the show each night, but she does enjoy the tradition.  I'll be rooting for "London", the Standard Poodle who won Eukanuba, but really like the Affenpinscher "Banana Joe" too.

With Weather & Letty already in season, Jess's Meribel came in too - seems early for all three girls so it must be the weird rather.  The timing is good though as it will not screw screw them up for the spring specialties.   I was bumming that everyone was in season except for Lucy, who we want to breed . . .  And then I got an email from Patti to advise me that Lucy had just come in too!   Argh.  So next week I will drive up to Duluth to meet Patti who will drive down from Thunder Bay, and Lucy will stay with me until she is ready to be bred.  We'll get her brucellosis test done, and a couple of progesterones too, so we will know where in her cycle she is, then she and I will head off to Lincoln where we will meet up with John and "Indie", Lucy's husband-to-be.  Lucy and I will stay for a few days to get the job accomplished, then I'll bring her home and she'll go back to Patti and hopefully have puppies in 9 weeks.   Both dogs have all their health testing complete, and we've just been waiting for her to come in season.

Of course this also means I have to retrieve Sparkle, either when I pick Lucy up or when I return her.  Chalase has been waiting for Sparkle and will be very pleased.  I'm leaving it to Ann (her breeder) and Chalase (her new owner) to work out the details.  I'll show Sparkle eventually, but she won't live here.  Hopefully living with Lucy will bring Sparkle in season too as we will not take any girls in season to DCA.  Too much hassle!

In addition to this, we are going to provide dogs for the St. Paul Fire Foundations upcoming Gala at the Xcel Center.  Fortunately Stephanie & Carol can bring Nena & Tate.  Jess is not available to help, so I need to find one more person with a very stable dog.  I had intended to bring Argus, but we'll see how he is functioning about then, with all the girls in season!  Oh yeah, he's doing a chilled semen donation on Friday, as Story is almost ready to be bred too.  Just as well she is NOT flying up here for a live breeding!  Not sure I could manage 3 girls at the same time.  Not sure Argus would survive.  Know Ron wouldn't!

Puppies anticipated the end of April, ready for new homes in June!

Rescue!

Last week I got an email from a local Dal friend to tell me that she heard via another friend of a 10 year old Dal boy who was soon to become homeless, along with his 3 year old Shih Tzu companion.  Their owners were unemployed, had lost their house and would be moving to Chicago to live in a relative's home but could not take the dogs.  This is a common problem right now, people who are forced to give up their homes and leave their pets behind.

Although I have always been involved in rescue, I am not of the "rescue them all" mentality.  Many dogs become homeless because of health, temperament or training issues that make them poor candidates for new homes.  I also get very tired of the idea that everyone should rescue a homeless dog, especially a mixed breed, instead of purchasing a purebred puppy.  Not everyone is prepared to or can afford to take on someone else's problems.  Not all homeless dogs are adoptable.  And many people prefer to purchase a purebred puppy and should not be made to feel guilty for that.

We've had little success in finding homes for dogs over the age of 5 or 6 too, even though older dogs can make outstanding companions.  People don't want to acquire a dog with the idea that they will have it for fewer years, so didn't hold much hope of being able to help with this one.

I posted this story to my Facebook page and was delighted when my friend Kim responded that they needed a new dog, having recently lost their older dog.  They had never owned a Dal, but were acquainted with mine, and would be interested in considering this one.  Another friend responded that she would be willing to foster both dogs for awhile.  I was a little nervous about the whole thing as there are some less-than-sweet elderly Dals, who are poor candidates for adoption by anyone.

I called the dog's owners and made arrangement to visit on Saturday.  Kim & Rin & I met there and visited the dogs.  I arrived first, and when I went in Dal Max covered me with kisses.  Well, that answered the questions about his temperament!  Max was a handsome, beautifully marked, black spotted, ear patched boy, obviously from good bloodlines, but bred by a teenaged girl from South Dakota who has gone on with her life.  No breeder to take responsibility for him.  He was grossly overweight (his owner referred to it as his "winter weight") because he was on self-feeding (as opposed to "portion control" which works best on Dalmatians).  Other than that he looked very nice and was obviously much loved.

To be continued . . .
Note: In answer to a question posted on my blog, Letty and Weather are Arboks.  Mariah is an Argus daughter but is older than they are.

Monday Too Soon

A most satisfactory weekend, lots accomplished although even more remains undone.  I'll just add them to the list of chores for this week.  Or next.  Guess it's better to think of lists as guidelines rather than requirements.

Argie's kids had a good weekend, with son Porter going WD both days in St. Joe, MO, puppy Weather going BoW at the Sunday show for her first major (at 6 months) and Pauli winning the breed both days, along with a  Group 2.  AND little Mariah who you may remember from this blog won again and picked up two more points.  Kay is so pleased with her - it was a perfect placement.

On Saturday I met my friends Kim & Rin and we went to check out a soon-to-be-homeless 10 year old Dal boy.  He's a charming dog, and quite handsome although very overweight.  Absolutely lovely personality.  His owners are unemployed, losing their home and will be moving to Chicago where they will not be able to keep their dogs. Kim and Rin are currently dogless and have offered Max home.   So pleased they came forward.  Max does not have a breeder to take responsibility for his welfare, but I heard about his situation, posted his story to Facebook and Kim volunteered.  Another friend volunteered to foster Max's housemate Princess, but she's already been promised.

Took Argus and Letty down to Hidden Falls Park for a run yesterday.  Argus really wanted to swim, but I discouraged it. When I took Letty down she wanted to race along the ice on the river bank and was in danger of falling in, so she got her walk in the woods. 

Drat, out of time.  Best not to start the week by being late for work.

Super Bowl Sunday

Please Keep Your Cats At Home

This is my neighbor's cat, sitting on top of the privacy fence watching my bird feeder.  He's thinking about hopping down off the fence and stalking birds.  We haven't seen him in the yard as much recently, hopefully because the neighbor is keeping him indoors, or only letting him out in their yard with supervision.  I've warned them that if the dogs catch him in the yard, I am not responsible for what happens to him.  Ron has already rescued him from the dogs, hurting his knee in the process.  Josie ended up with a slash on her nose and the cat lost some hair in the process.

This is Josie watching the cat.  She's quite sure that one of these days she will catch him in the yard.  He's no different than a rabbit or squirrel to her.  A small furry critter that she would like to catch.  Many breeds have strong prey drive, and even though they may live peacefully with cats, any strange cat hunting in their yard is fair game.  There are no dogs running loose in the neighborhood, but for some reason cat owners seem to think they are exempt from the law.   I've noticed fewer roaming cats for the past few months, so perhaps the coyotes are moving in and picking them off. We had what appeared to be a sizeable free-roaming cat population here.  Go Coyotes!

A Bit Of Variety

This promises to be a very busy day, but at least I'll only be working half a day.  Well actually I'll be "working" all day, but only in the office for half the day.  The rest of it does not seem like work!  And it will be a nice change of pace, with a variety of projects.

First chore of the day was to use the cheek swab kits on Coral & Argus, to be sure they are free of Degenerative Myelopathy.  The diagnosis based on the DNA results will be clear, carrier or affected.  I expect them to be clear, but I do think that it's important the breeders take advantage of all new health testing to be sure they are aware of any issues.  The test kits are very simple and easy to use, and the dogs merely thought I had gone crazy when I rubbed the swab on the insides of their cheeks for 10 seconds!

When Argus went outside I took along a container and did a first catch urine sample.  So much easier to do with boys than girls.  Tough to slide a pie pan under a girl, but boys don't seem to mind a hand and a cup between them and the object they are peeing on, in this case the back fence.  Argus gets blood work done at least once a year as it can show many potential health issues while they are still manageable, but he had that done in December.  Things like kidney and liver issues will result in elevated results.  The urinalysis will look for crystals, signs of infection and test the specific gravity for any indication of kidney issues.  We no longer do yearly vaccinations, but the dogs all get to the vet at least once a year for blood work, particularly since three of them are seniors.

After I drop off the urine sample, Argus and I head off to Inver Grove Height Animal Hospital for a semen freeze - in case we want Argus Pupcycles long after he is no longer at stud!  Because we will also be doing a chilled semen breeding next week, it's a chance to be sure he still has an abundance of healthy sperm.  Argus likes to visit Mary-with-the-magic-fingers and knows what he is there for.

After I drop Argus off at home I'll head to the office, but before doing that I'll move the cooler and sodas into the back of the van and pick up some ice so they'll be cold for the fish club meeting tonight. 

Gone To The Dogs or Something's Fishy.  Always.

Gone To The Dogs

Gonna be a crazy animal-oriented week here!  Argus and I went to obedience at the regular place last night and will be tested (for class placement) tonight at the school I want to attend.  Am not happy with the out-dated training methods and the one-size-fits-all mentality at our current school, and I want to do more positive training.  Argus could probably qualify for the competition class, but I want to do one of the earlier classes where we work more on basics.  Be interesting to see how this goes.

Have a Thursday appointment to do a semen freeze, banking a bit more of Argus's assets.  So wish I had done this with Rob years ago.  I'd love to have another Rob litter . . .   I want enough from Argus to do about a dozen litters.  It may never get used, but if I don't do this now I am sure I'll regret it.  No need for any more than that, but I do think he's a good enough stud dog to possibly be of some value in the future.

We'll be visiting Mary-with-the-magic fingers again later in the week as Argus has a wife-to-be this week too.   Seems as if no one ships bitches anymore, as the airlines have made it so darned expensive.  This will be another collect and ship.  It's a lot easier to drive him to the Repro Vets than it is to entertain a visiting lady for a week, but I kinda miss getting to know them.  This girl has a lot of Paisley in her pedigree, including several shots of Rob and Morris too.  Of course she has all her health testing and her CHIC number too.  I'm opting for a puppy rather than a stud fee.

On Thursday night we have a fish club meeting, and in my new position as hospitality chair I have to pack up a cooler full of soda and a box of assorted snacks.  We'll go heavy on the diet soda and I need to find some healthier snacks to add to our assortment.  Many of our club members could do a better job of eating healthy so I'll probably have to grit my teeth as people who shouldn't, will be buying the high calorie treats.   Feel as if I am selling out!  Repeat as often as necessary, "I am NOT their mother.  I am NOT their mother."

Of Course They Are Lapdogs

I've been going through old pictures recently, since I want to post them to Facebook for the new feature called Timeline.  Ron took this picture of Ch. "Morris" CD sitting on my lap, perhaps 15 years ago.  Mo was breeder-owner-handled by us to a wonderful show record, one that still stands, and one that Argus was not able to beat.  Mo loved to sit on my lap, but always managed to dig an elbow into my chest.

Mo was a very mild-mannered easy going dog, a good show dog and trustworthy companion.  He lived to be 14 1/2 and is from the wonderful combination of Ch. "Rob" CD and Ch. "Eloise".  His pedigree combines all the best Paisley dogs of the past.  His 14 year old Granddaughter Coral still shares my home.

Spent a very fishy weekend, doing the fish club auction on Saturday, and redoing several large tanks on Sunday, but I also squeezed in a visit to the Dog Park with Argus, a long off leash run for Letty as well as a pet store visit, and dinner with my mother.

An early morning call from Meg to let me know the Bennett/Crystal pups are looking good at one week of age.  Three boys, two of them liver, three girls including one liver.  The black boy got off to a slow start, but is holding his own.

Raw Feeding CAN Be Easy

As I was fixing breakfast for the dogs this morning, it occurred to me why I didn't start raw feeding sooner.  I "dabbled" in it long before I actually switched all the dogs.  It was because the only list that I could find (was it called Wellpet?) was so militant about what should and should not be fed to dogs. As I started reading and researching, and after I finally got through Billinghurst's "Give Your Dog A Bone" - good information, but oh so badly edited and poorly organized - I got brave enough to try it.  I was fortunate to also find several good mentors - it really helps to have a mentor when you switch to raw.   Hard to believe it was so long ago!

My personal feeling is that dogs were not really carnivores, but are actually opportunist scavengers - they ate what was available at the time. They could catch and kill small animals, and perhaps bring down larger ones if they ran in a pack, but they also ate what they could find.   Dead things most likely, the leftovers from someone elses kills, eggs if they happened upon them, over-ripe seasonal fruits perhaps, and maybe even succulent greens. Living in the wild was tough, and fresh meat was not always available, even to the largest & strongest & fastest predators.

I've always tried to remember Billinghurst's advice - to feed a variety of fresh healthy foods, and balance over time. Feeding dogs is not rocket science any more than feeding children is. Let's observe our dogs carefully, see what works best for each of them, and be relaxed about this.

The breakfast shown above is ground turkey, cooked vegetables, some canned green tripe and a raw egg.  The salmon oil doesn't show.  The veggies change from day to day, tripe is fed only occasionally but the meal might include a big spoonful of canned duck or mackerel  instead.  Eggs are fed most morning.  The evening meal with be chicken necks or back, turkey necks, occasionally some other bony meaty piece.

Something To Keep In Mind

Words to live by -

Auction On Saturday

Funny how determined everyone is to participate.  I'm trying to collect food survey responses via regular email, and everyone is determined to post them to my Facebook page and elsewhere.  Certainly no lack of responses!  May move the survey to Facebook & this blog next week, but really the Dal Lists cover most of  the people I am actually hoping to survey.  The results will be quite different than the last two surveys, although Pro Plan continues to lead the parade.  And I still have one person feeding Purina Dog Chow. . .

Tomorrow I'll spend much of my day at the  Fish Club Auction.  It will run from 10:00 'til 5:00 or 6:00 and there will be hundreds of bags of fish and plants to be auctioned off, plus hundreds of hard goods too - tanks, lights, stands, filters, gravel, rocks, plastic plants, driftwood, books.    I'll be taking three bags of fish, but that's about all I have to sell right now.   Am selling off the adult Haps that I've already spawned, plus young X. alverezi (wild swords) and extra L. tridens.   That will free up the 20L so I can move in some other fish who are currently in smaller tanks.  Seems as if I am always playing Musical Tanks.

The fish are a very relaxing hobby in the winter.  After a tough day at the office, I love to walk the dogs first, then spend the rest of the evening in the fishroom which is warm and bright.  The sound of pumps and filters is relaxing, and while I do water changes and clean filters I often stop just to watch the fish.   Several tanks have new babies now, and that's always entertaining.  I can add a couple more species right, then I'm maxed out.  I even have a couple of large tanks that I've never filled - but have more than enough tanks to keep me busy. 

Food Survey

There's a new food survey posted to Show Dals as well as to the DCA Members List.  If you belong to either list, please take a moment to respond.  There are only three questions that need to be answered, although extra details are always welcomed.

The surveys have been done twice in the past and the results were quite interesting.  With so many new products on the market, and so much more positive information available on raw diets, I thought it was time for a new survey as I still get requests for the old ones.

You can access the previous surveys at:

2005 Dalmatian Food Survey

2008 Dalmatian Food Survey

My goal is to get at least 100 responses.  I started with the Dal lists again because people who breed and show (conformation and/or performance) are more likely to put some thought into feeding their dogs properly.  Too many pet owners buy the cheapest thing on the market, or the most heavily advertised, and are not aware of such things as good coat, proper body condition, or even appropriate stool volume.  (Better foods may require only 2 or 3 cups to keep your dog in good condition, while cheaper foods made with lower quality ingredients may take many more cups of food to provide sufficient nutrition to maintain an active dog.)  I'm asking for both Brand and Variety since many dog food companies manufacture both low end and high end products.

The survey may be posted to Facebook later, depending on the response.  If you are an enlightened and educated Dal owner but do not belong to either list or Facebook, you can still respond.  Just let me know.

Absolutely Nothing In Mind

Although I normally have a topic in mind when I start a blog post, today I have absolutely nothing in mind.  Nothing I feel strongly enough to rant about - except perhaps how the cost of everything has gone up, but my salary has stayed the same.  Why is that?

There was a time when being a state employee was a good thing.  Adequate pay, good benefits, job security.  Pay has not kept pace with the cost of living (and in fact we have had only two very small raises in the past ten years), our benefits become a little "less good" with each new contract, and as we have discovered there really IS no job security.  Now "they" are talking about changing the way we do our sick leave.  Many people "tough it out" when they are sick, allowing their sick leave to accrue so they will have it for a real emergency, or so they can take away some cash (or add it to their health care savings account) when they retire.  Now that may be changed too, as it "costs the state money".  Well, Duh - it does cost the state money to have employees.  One gets tired of being the proverbial whipping boy.

On the other hand, I AM lucky to have a job, even though I do two jobs for the price of one - with no increase in salary, I might add.  But I am not alone in that.  It will be interesting to see how things go if anyone gets sick, or even if anyone takes a long vacation.

Oh, enough grousing.  I don't feel very strongly about that either.  Guess I'll just continue to do my job and keep my head down - and pray that I can afford to continue to live in my house for a few more years.   

A Most Successful Weekend

Gimme that cheeseburger!

A great weekend, just far too short.  Now it's snowing hard on top of ice - wish this was another holiday Monday!  It's going to be hard to work 5-day weeks after all the short ones.

Argus got to celebrate with a cheeseburger yesterday because his lovely daughters all did so well at the shows.  We started with a long off-leash run in Hidden Falls Park.  Very few people there yesterday, and the only dogs we saw were far down the beach or at the Dog Park across the river.  The Mississippi is trying to freeze over - finally.

We stopped at Burger King on the way home and bought a Whopper Junior With Cheese.  We tried a begging picture but Argus was a little frantic and this is the best shot we got, so we also used it for practicing a Down Stay.  Oh my, the looks he gave me while laying there looking longingly at the burger!  Dog abuse, he said.

Letty also got a nice off lead run in the big field behind St. Thomas.  So far no one has come out to yell at me for running my dog there, so we will continue to enjoy it on Sunday afternoons.  She's been very good off lead and traffic is light, so it's been a lot of fun for both of us.  She's discovered the joy of carrying sticks and actually chased a few, but will never be a natural retriever - what's the point, she says.  I got some excellent free standing shots of her too.   Absolutely love the way she looks, other than the way she carries her tail, but we'll see how it looks after she's been in season.  Still hoping for improvement, but . . .

Although I was disappointed that I could not be there to see it happen, Argus's daugher Nena finished her championship yesterday, handled the whole way by our friend Stephanie.  She and Nena have become an excellent team.  Nena is from the litter in Texas sired by Argus, and I was the one who suggested that Stephanie buy her, so am particularly pleased that they finished with a very nice record including a Specialty major.

Out in Oregon, Argie's daughter Tia finished her Grand Championship in a very few shows and mostly on Specialty weekends.  Her owner Jen had major surgery just two weeks ago, so that made it even more amazing!  Tia is from the repeat of the litter that I lost several years ago, so am particularly pleased to see her do so well.  She's an older sister to Baby Bella who recently finished her Championship from the Puppy Class with  4 majors.

Puppy Weather (Letty's sister) earned her first point on Sunday, and Pauli won two Bests Of Breed and a Group Two.  Altogether an excellent weekend, while WE stayed home.

On the fishy front I spent a lot of time working on my tanks.  Fish club auction next week and I need to have a couple of tanks ready for new fish, if I purchase any.  Hahaha. IF I purchase any.   I was delighted to see new babies in the tank with the Phallythys fairweatheri, handsome unusual wild livebearers.  This is the first time they have spawned, but with 2 males and 6 females, I hope to see more babies in there soon.  We shall see if the parents eat them, or if it's safe to leave the fry in with the adults. 

Top Twenty - Show Or Not

Received Argus's Top Twenty invitation last week, the 4th time he has been invited.  The Top Twenty is held with the National, this year in Tulsa, and the Top 20 Dalmatians in breed/all breed competition are invited to compete.  It's a big deal to many, everyone in formal dress, and the dogs all have appropriate music played during their performances.  The dogs come out as a group, then individually, and are judged by a Group of three "judges" whose names are kept secret until the event.  Spectators buy tickets to the event, and the competing dogs have their cheering sections.  Drinks and snacks are served and everyone has a good time.  Most of the dogs enjoy it, although some are intimidated by the non-show atmosphere.

Top Twenty is a big deal to many exhibitors and being invited to compete is often the goal of those who campaign their already-champion Dals during the previous year.

Me?  Not so much.  Because the judges judge to a score sheet rather than just judging the overall dog, the results are sometimes a bit odd.  I've heard many judges say that they ended up giving the highest score to a dog they don't particularly like - which is one of the reasons AKC does not want standards to contain point schedules - but the Dal standard still has one and it is used for Top Twenty judging.

The biggest problem is no accountability.  If a particular judge really likes a dog (or it's handlers or owners) it's really easy to "fix" the judging.  Because the winner is based on an "average" of the three scoring results, all a judge has to do is score two dogs very low, and give the dog they want to win the maximum number of points, and it can easily affect the results.  And it obviously happens.  The person compiling the score is a non-dog person, and no one ever gets to see the ballots.  If the individual scoring was made available (even without any judge names) it would be a lot fairer.  A handler friend of mine who has judged a number of these events in other breeds mentioned that as an option to make things more fair.

I've competed with Argus for the past three years - well actually, Jess showed him the year I had a broken ankle.  It can be an expensive proposition if you have to go out and buy a new outfit you may never wear again, and can be exhausting.  It is also very nerve wracking, not like a real dog show.  

I'd sort of hoped that Argus would NOT qualify for this year as I did not want to have to make the decision on whether or not to show.  He was only shown for a couple of months, but winning a big Specialty BoB pushed him over the top in breed points.

Will I show again? Probably not, but we'll see. Argus is going to compete in the breed ring and the stud dog class, and that's probably enough.

Time For A Change

Went to visit Twin Cities Obedience Club last night to check out the classes and talk with the trainers. I've decided that I'm ready to make a change in where and how I train Argus, and need to find a place to start Letty in Basic Obedience.  Am just not happy with the class Argus is in, and I KNOW the methods used by that trainer will NOT work for emotional Letty.  Argus is starting to show signs of stress and I want to switch to a more positive training method for him.  I prefer to train with treats and a lot of praise, and find almost everything easier to teach with rewards.  Training a dog by correcting mistakes (a traditional method) can work OK, but positive training shapes behaviors. Letty's puppy class used the latter and she responded very well to that method, so I would like to continue with that. 

Argus is a bit soft and quite emotional and doesn't respond well to physical corrections, and there are so many other ways to teach things.  Because he's such a happy dog, and because I particularly love that part of his personality, I want to be sure he doesn't lose that.  It's time to take a step back, re-evaluate techniques, and try a different path with him.  We've been a team for a long time and I want us to continue being a team.  And I want him to have fun.

Met with the Training Director, explained my goals and my concerns, and she will test Argus on Tuesday to determine an appropriate class for him.   They have many different levels of training, which is a nice change from where I am training now.   There are a number of school in this area that use the positive training methods, but TCOTC has been using them for many years.  

I'd like to get back into serious obedience work, since that was where I started.  I've trained at a number of schools, using a variety of methods over the years, and just need to find the right school that uses techniques that are a good fit for me and for my dogs.

Puppy Inquiries

Need to sit down and do a Puppy Page for the (planned) upcoming litters.  Lucy definitely and Pauli possibly.  Have not even put together pedigrees yet.  There have been several inquiries the last few days and I need a link for puppy information.  Gone is the day when I put together a Puppy Pack of information and MAILED it out.  How times have changed.  Back when Dals were so popular, I sent out a number of packs every week.  And speaking of pups, "Crystal's" litter by "Bennett" (one of the 5 champions from the Argus/Boji litter) is due this week.  I'm taking a stud fee puppy, so am anxiously awaiting their arrival.

Two stud inquiries for Argus as well, both from people who have been considering him and now need to make up their minds.  It actually amazes me that he has not been used more than he has - and I am even more amazed at the odd criteria some people use when deciding how to breed their bitches.  Argus is a an extremely good sire - and I'm saying that as his owner, not his breeder. (Wish I had bred him too, but at least I was smart enough to buy this awesome dog!)  I'm exceptionally proud of the quality of his offspring and how well they have done in the ring.  Just got word that his daughter "Tia" became Argus's 6th Grand Champion offspring (he has 17 Champion kids already and another who needs just 1 more point), and she finished it in just a couple of weekends of showing, mostly with Specialty and Specialty weekend wins.  Cheeseburgers for all - our dog show tradition when Argus was being campaigned - we now do that when his kids have particularly nice wins.

Just got Argus's invitation for the Top Twenty, his 4th year of qualifying, but I don't think we'll show in it this year as I would rather be in the audience and cheering for his daughter Pauli this year,  Argus will be entered in breed competition at the National, with no expectations.  He's had a wonderful run, with a Best of Breed and 3 Awards of Merit in the past 4 years, PLUS winning the Stud Dog Class for 3 years in a row.  Good dog, Argie.

Picked up two new species of fish last weekend, bred locally.  Pelvicachromis taeniatus "Moliwe" and Hillstream Loaches (gotta get their scientific name memorized!).  That required some fish relocation and the little Characodon audax "Black Prince" got moved to a smaller tank so the P. taeniatus could have the 20L planted tank.  All seem to be doing well.  Am also waiting for the Limia nigrofasciata to be shipped from Colorado, but not until the weather warms up a bit.  They'll come Express Mail overnight and be picked up at the PO, but no point in taking any chances with fish I have been wanting for a long time.

Really enjoying my iPhone as I check out the Apps.  Too bad there are not Apps for dog walking and house cleaning!

The New Middle-Age

Several readers took offense at the the title of yesterday's blog, and assured me that we are NOT old ladies.  Of course we aren't old as in OLD, but for much of my previous life I would have considered this age to be "old-ish".  Certainly being old enough to retire was once considered old, and I have met many people younger than me who looked and acted OLD.

Am I actually old?  Nope, I am not really ready to be categorized as old, and in fact think I am probably middle-aged, the new middle-aged.  I can still do most of the things I once did, though perhaps a bit more slowly now, and I know I am not as strong as I once was.  But I can still carry 40# boxes of chicken backs down the basement stairs which is one of the little tests I set for myself.  I can still carry and empty the 5 gallon buckets of water when I siphon fish tanks - though probably should stop doing that.  I can still run with a Dalmatian of course, no small feat, but I "feel" these things now, and I automatically grab the jar opener instead of trying to open jars by hand.

My weight is the same as it was 40 years ago, and I still wear the same size clothes, but it's distributed a little differently and I have to eat a bit more carefully to stay at this weight.  I AM more tired at the end of a tough work day and have a bit more trouble dragging myself out of bed at the crack of dawn.

I've always been forgetful, so that's not much different, although I can't spout off pedigrees as well as I once did, but I continue to challenge myself with electronic gadgets to keep my mind agile.  My eyes and ears are showing their age a bit, but they still work OK.  How lucky I am!

When I have a doctor's appointment I'm always pleased to be able to say that I take no medications other than my eye drops and the nurses invariably comment on how fortunate I am.  And I am!  Part of it is because I take care of myself, watch my weight and get lots of exercise, but part of it is being born with pretty good genes.

Age is partly a state of mind and I do not FEEL old.  I feel just like I always did, so the aging is mostly on the outside.  We'll put off the old lady stuff for a few more years I guess - at least until I can afford to retire!   

Old Ladies Need Toys Too

This is truly "The Winter Of The Toy" for me.  Three wonderful new toys to get me through the winter.  None of them essential, but all of them quite enjoyable.   First was the new camera, the Nikon L120 which has a terrific zoom lens, something I have always wanted for taking outdoor pictures.  Because my old camera was dying, or rather was wearing out, this was a justifiable acquisition.  I take LOTS of pictures, and red eye is often a problem when taking shots of liver-spotted Dals using a flash.  It's a bit less of a problem with this camera, though not by any means perfect.  The camera was a Christmas gift from Ron, and he gave it to me before Christmas because HE was interested too.

For Christmas I got my Keurig coffee maker which we are both enjoying.  My old coffee maker still works, but it now lives on the top shelf in the kitchen closet and plays "back up".  Of course I am drinking more coffee now, partially because it is so GOOD, and partially because it's fun to sample the different K-cup flavors.  I love this toy, especially in the morning.  It certainly lives up to it's billing.  I don't drink flavored coffee, but will probably buy some of the teas that are available, and will definitely use it for iced tea in the summer.

And yesterday my first smart phone arrived, my iPhone 4S.  Such fun!   I've wanted a smart phone for a very long time, and often feel as if I am the last person on earth still using a regular cell phone.  My cell phone contract was up last summer, but the contract for my little modem (used on my Netbook) is not up until next month, and I did not want to spend much more than my current monthly bill.  Assuming my data package is sufficient for my needs, this should work out about right, and for approximately the same amount of money.

The learning curve seemed a bit steep when I first tried to set up my phone, and I was overwhelmed at first.  Set up never goes quite like the instructions say it will, but I got through that. First I had to update iTunes, which I normally only use for downloading books to my iPod Nano, and read about QWERTY keyboards since I hadn't a clue how to do capital letters.  My hands seem enormously huge and clumsy when I am typing on my phone, and I miss the "real" keyboard on my old phone, but practice should make the difference.  Today I need to download the instruction manual - something like 165 pages - argh.  Hope there is a way to make the font size larger on my email, or I'll probably go blind trying to read the messages!

The most impressive part of the phone (to me) is the camera.  First thing I did was take a picture of Argus, looking right at me.  No red eye!  Amazing!  The camera gets raves, and my first attempt to use it sure impressed me.  I was able to crop the picture and post it to Facebook without much difficulty.

The number of Apps was one of the reasons I went with an iPhone rather than a Droid, and perhaps also the fanaticism of iPhone users.  The only Apps I have downloaded so far are Angry Birds (which I have never played but which is apparently a Must Have), and Facebook.   I can check my email, find my messages, text, useFacebook, and take pictures.  A good start, I think.  Tonight I want to download one of the photo editing software Apps that is available for an iPhone.

Wonderful toys! 

Monday At Home

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." ~Martin Luther King Jr. 

This has never been more true than it is today, when it is almost trendy to hate other people, whether they be Blacks, Asians, Hispanics, Muslims, Christians, Jews, the unemployed, the poor, the rich, the educated, the uneducated, gays, the obese, the disabled, the mentally ill, alcoholics, the drug addicted, or anyone else that is not "just like us".  It is particularly ugly when political parties endorse these these feelings . . .

The dogs and I have had a lot of fun this weekend.  Letty has gone for two off lead runs and had such a good time racing in giant circles.  Yesterday she met a ball-crazy Chesapeake and ran with her after the tennis ball, but could not understand the appeal of picking up a slimy ball and bringing it back.  The fun was all in the chase.

We had ring time on Saturday, and after a good half hour of training, Argus and I went to the Dog Park.  It was packed when we arrived, but almost empty when we left and getting too dark.  Not sure I would want to be stranded in Rice Creek Park at dusk, as the trail back to the parking lot would be dark and deserted.

Yesterday Argus and I went down to Hidden Falls Park, the same place Laurie and I took Argus & Nikon swimming last summer.   The river is not frozen over, and there were only shelves of ice along the shore.  We watched a brave soul take off in his Kayak, and Argus decided that it must be OK for swimming, or at least walking on the ice shelves.  I convinced him to settle for wading (brrrr) and we had a lovely walk along the river bank.  Because the river is so low right now, we could walk a long way, on a beach that is normally underwater.  My camera battery died, so I missed a lot of potentially good shots, but we had a great time.   Because the park was practically empty, Argus was off lead most of the time.

Argus and I have explored a lot of new territory over the past 6 months, something I have enjoyed a great deal.  There's nothing like an enthusiastic dog to go walking with.  If it's too cold or I am short on time (or feeling lazy) we just walk the neighborhood, but if time allows there are so many adventures just waiting up ahead.

My iPhone is supposed to arrive today!  Hooray!

Designer Dogs - aka Expensive Mutts

Interesting article.

The person who created Labradoodles and is responsible for the Designer Dog boom, regrets it.

No More Phone Envy

Eewww, spent too much money yesterday.  A perm and cut are NOT inexpensive, but if done well are so very much worth it.  After years of budget perms and cuts I've been going to Denise for a year and am so satisfied with her work.  She's very careful and thorough and loves to cut hair.  Watching her work is like watching an artist, and she can do things with my hair that I never thought possible.  I'll be pretty curly for the first week until the perm relaxes a bit, but with a good cut too I can wear it that way with little extra work on my part.  After sleeping on rollers for 30 and using my curling brush for 20 years, it's nice to have some time off.  Especially when it looks so good.

Last night I finally ordered my iPhone!  After suffering Phone Envy for many years I am finally getting a smart phone, but am sure it will be smarter than I am, at least for awhile.   Gotta remember to read the instructions, but I suppose they are on-line rather than included in the shipping box.  Ah, remember the days of getting a manual with all electronics?  I wonder if anything comes with instructions now, or if Quick Start Guides are the norm?  What do people do that don't have computers?  

Falling Apart

Honest to gosh, there are some days when I feel as if I am falling apart!  Aging sucks, although I suppose that it beats the only actual alternative!  This morning I start with an eye pressure check with Dr. Blatt who I see almost as often as I see my mother!  My borderline glaucoma decided it was no longer under control, and no longer responds to the drops I have been using for years.  He's testing me with different drops to figure out the best alternative.  My extreme nearsightedness was resolved when I got corrective lens implants after cataract surgery, but the perfect vision I had then isn't quite as good anymore.  The AMD has also been "under control" for a long time, but that could change tomorrow.  Pigment Dispersion Syndrome adds to the fuzzy vision as well.  Am lucky to have a good health plan and an excellent specialist.

This afternoon I get a new perm for my thinning hair.  Thinning hair runs in my mother's side of the family - thanks, Mom!

Tomorrow I get fitted with a hearing aid in my left ear.  Unfortunately, that ear has two different kinds of deafness, and the nerve deafness can not be corrected with a hearing aid.  So my hearing will be slightly better in that ear, but probably not enough better to keep me from saying, "What?" so often.

And then I need to decide if I will drive the dogs out to Jess's for baths this weekend.  In the summer I can bathe them on the grooming table outdoors, but in the winter they have to stand over the floor drain in the basement and my back does NOT like that, and limits me to one dog bath per day. 

Although I've always taken good care of myself, watching my weight, getting plenty of exercise and eating sensibly (most of the time), there are some things that are beyond my control.  I'm fortunate that the only prescription drug I use is eye drops, and that my ankle break healed uneventfully, but there are some mornings when I feel particularly creaky.  Maybe another cup of coffee and a couple of Ibuprofen will do the trick!  And perhaps a visit to the Sports Med Doc for some exercise tips.  Am sure I can do better.

So Ready For Boredom

OK, I'm ready for some boredom around here!  No holidays, no extra dogs, no company, no places to go or things to do.  I just wanna go to work, come home, and spend peaceful evenings and weekends for awhile.  I'll get the house cleaned, do water changes in all the fish tanks, work on my website or blog, order my iPhone and learn to use it, and play with and train the dogs.  Maybe we will go out to eat a few times, but mostly I will just hang out at home!  And everyone needs to stay healthy!

But first, an eye appointment and perm tomorrow, an audiology appointment on Friday, and I really need to get the dogs bathed.  Because my back objects, I'll have to drive them out to Jess's or make an appointment at PetCo.   And Friday is Friday The 13th, which I hate.  Not exactly superstitious but that is NOT my favorite day.

I really just want to be bored for awhile.  I want to go to bed early, finish the book on my iPod and get a tank ready for the new Limia nigrofasciatus that I will order on Friday.  I've been looking for "Humpback Limias" for ages.  No dog shows for awhile which is fine.  We had fun last weekend, but I can go another 5 or 6 weeks without shows.

The Responsibility Of Dog Ownership

And that, my friends, says it all.

Although genetics is an important part of temperament, how dogs are raised can make such an enormous difference.  Owning a dog is a serious responsibility.  Even small dogs can do damage if they apply their teeth to inappropriate things - such as faces and fingers.

Dogs and puppies should NOT be added to the household unless you have the time and motivation to raise them properly.  Firmness, consistency, exercise, and training are absolutely essential.  Even the small things make a difference.

Although Eddie is a wonderful dog, inherited a terrific disposition, and is very well socialized, he is going home with a list of training suggestions.  Putting the time into training a young dog can make such a difference and make him so much easier to live with.  Little things like waiting at the door, sitting to have the leash put on, waiting in a crate until told it's OK to come out.  Sits and waits make dog ownership so much easier, and they remind the dog to pay attention.  The little things all add up! 

All Is Well

. . . but no time to post this AM.  Good weekend at the dog show, with Eddie going BoW both days, Nena WB both days (needs only a single point to finish) and Pauli going BoB both days with a Group placings on Saturday.  Everyone showed well and schmoozed with the public, so they did their doggy PR.  Rosie brought Weather along - she's Letty's sister, the other pretty liver bitch from the litter.  We were delighted with how she is looking right now - what a pretty girl!

Too Many Fishes?

Enantiopus sp "Kilesa"

Although the name of my blog is "Gone To The Dogs or Something's Fishy", the fish seem to get short changed here.  I need to remedy that!  I've been putting a lot of time and effort into the fish tanks for the past month, and everything is looking good.  If you maintain a tank (with gravel vacuuming and partial water changes) you almost never have to take down and redo a tank - unless you want to.  Maintenance is the key to keeping the work manageable too, and a regular schedule of water changes keep the fish and tank healthy.   Most of my tanks have at least floating plants, which also helps with water quality, but of course requires some lighting.  Many of my tanks have rooted plants although none of my tanks are as beautiful planted and maintained as those of the hobbyists who are into landscape gardening.  I don't have any high output lighting and I don't use CO2 in my tanks. 

Someone asked me at the fish club meeting last night how many tanks I had.  I wasn't exactly sure as I have tanks set up all over the basement, but only one upstairs in the kitchen.  Although I have a heated fishroom (so the tanks there don't require auxilary heating) many of the tanks have overflowed into the rest of the basement!  When I counted this morning I discovered that I had 46 tanks set up, although 2 do not yet have fish in them.  They range in size from the 2.5 gallon tank that houses the newest babies - the Haps whose mouthbrooder mother was recently removed to rejoin her fellows in a larger tank, to the 55 that contains a family of Thorichthys meeki (Firemouth Cichlids).  Several tanks have just one fish, as my my Puffer Edd, the surviving Ctenopoma, and the largest Purple Gudgeon live alone, and one of the Labidochromis caerulus "Yellow Lab" females is in a tank by herself with a mouthful of eggs or fry (see yesterday's post).    Most of the tanks hold breeding groups of fish I hope to spawn or family groups with adults and fry, while others hold "retired" fish that I have spawned or given up on.  Two tanks are "widow tanks" with a mixture of fish, often retirees.  I keep my fish as long as they are healthy, and have a lot of elderly fish still taking up tank space.  I consider them pets, although only the elderly Puffer Edd has a name.

The fish pictured above are amongst my favorites.  I am growing out three youngsters and was fortunate enough to obtain two more from their breeder last night, so I will have a nice colony.  Hopefully they will spawn for me.  More on them later.

Ranting On Rescue

Must be a snarly time of the year, but I have to admit that I am sure getting tired of all the Rescue Rhetoric.  Seems that is all I see & hear these days.  When a Facebook posting appeared about rescue dogs being "good enough" for George Clooney, thereby inferring that if they were good enough for HIM, certainly they should be good enough for ME, that was the final straw.    Good for George Clooney, and good for the Animal Rights people.  Isn't that just fine?  Let's all play right into their hands and eliminate purebred dogs (and eventually all companion dogs).  We should all give up our purebreds, and descend on the shelters to select a homely mutt from an unknown background, with unknown health and temperament issues.   If it's a puppy we will have no idea how it will grow up to look or act or what issues it might have.  We won't even know where it came from since Rescue Dogs are being shipping in from other countries because Rescues sell.  Yes, SELL.  And we will be better people because of that.   Yeah right.  As one person noted on Facebook, many people adopt shelter dogs because it makes them feel better about themselves.  Had never thought of it that way, but I think she is absolutely right.

As for me, I love looking at beautiful purebred dogs.  I love knowing how my pups will grow up to look and act.   I know that responsible breeders do the appropriate health testing on their breeding stock, select the parents with care, and raise and socialize the pups properly.  Many of us devote our lives to doing just that.

If you prefer shelter dogs, that is your right.  Those dogs need home too, but don't infer that I am somehow a bad person because I admire purebred dogs, and not just Dalmatians.  A beautiful, sound well-bred dog is a feast for my eyes.  A really good one still sends shivers up and down my spine.  My father used to call me a Dog Snob.  He was right!  I still am.

Me, A Snack Lady?

Most raw meat with ground up bone that comes in "chubs" has organ meat in it, hearts, liver, gizzards, (which are muscle, not organs). From what I've read, Dals are not to have organ meats. So, is it best to grind my own meat without the organs and also feed the raw pieces of meat on the bone, or occasionally give them organ meats? Also, can you say other kinds of meat that you give your dogs other than turkey and chicken? Thanks, Jen

Jen asks about organ meat for raw fed Dals.  Most "recipes" for home prepared raw diets, as well as most commercial raw diets contain a significant amount of organ meats.   Because organ meats are much higher in purines than most muscle meat, we tend to stay away from them when feeding Dalmatians.  Purines are the "bad guys" when it comes to urate stones, and are associated with an increased risk of stone or excessive urate crystal production.  Although the average Dalmatian will not become a urate stone former, the purines from organ meats are definitely a risk factor and one that is best avoided.  Because organ meats ARE nutritious, we substitute eggs with the perfect protein and no purines.  We purchase the chubs of plain ground turkey and use ground primarily for mixing with veggies and supplements.  Ground meat really isn't necessary otherwise as long you feed some poultry parts with a fair amount of meat (like thighs).  Most chicken parts come with a bit of organ meat attached and I do not remove that, but don't normally add organ meats.  Heart is NOT and organ meat, but rather a muscle meat, so I do feed some heart.

Met up with Lisen & Jerry last night to pick up Eddie for the shows this weekend.  Because Jerry's political views are very similar to my own, we had an excellent discussion on the Iowa Republican Caucus taking place that very day. 'Nuff said.    Also a rather nice meal at Perkins.  Don't laugh.  I generally like eating at Perkins and miss it when we are not doing dog shows.

Tonight I have to pick up supplies for my new job as "snack lady" for Minnesota Aquarium Society meetings.   A cooler full of soda and bottled water, and a box full of the unhealthy snacks that people insist on eating.  Don't suppose they would appreciate my selling snacks complete with a lecture on soda pop and junk food and it's relationship to obesity . . .

Still Ranting

My posting yesterday was certainly timely. Facebook contained terrible puppy pictures by someone who should know better - they certainly send the wrong message. Puppy pictures should show a puppy in a square stack, the way a dog would be stacked in the show ring. I firmly believe that Facebook can be educational - but sometimes newer people are getting a faulty education. Better no pictures than bad ones. If you can't get stacked shots, settle for cute "pet shots" of the dog sitting or playing or whatever. Same holds true with pictures used in breed magazines - if you got a bad picture of a nice win, do NOT use that picture. How hard is that? Advertise the win but use a picture from another show if you need to advertise something. A really good stack with a neutral background works perfectly. There is nothing to be gained by publishing a bad picture - and there is no point in embarrassing the judge who gave you that nice win.

And then, a forwarded posting about a Dal or Dal mix who needed a home. One posting suggested the dog was a Dal/Labrador cross. It was a white dog with no eye trim, and skin spotting, small ticky skin spotting with very few colored hairs. And a Pitt Bull head. No way was the dog either Dalmatian, a Labrador, or a combination there of. The speckles were NOT Dalmatian-related spotting. No way. Repeat after me "The presence of ticking does NOT mean the dog is a Dalmatian".

Tomorrow - answering a food related question.

Dog Shows, Fish Kids & Pet Peeves

Where did my weekend go?  Seems as if I was just anticipating the second of two 3-day weekends and now all I can see ahead of me is a busy 4-day work week.  Obedience class tonight, on Tuesday an evening trip to Owatonna to meet old friends Lisen & Jerry for dinner and pick up Puppy Eddie for the upcoming dog shows.  Fish club meeting on Thursday, and dog shows this weekend.  I'm not showing anyone this weekend, but most of the entry will be Argus kids, including Pauli.  I'm stewarding both days (see below), probably starting rings at 8:00 AM.  Dal judging is late both days, so hopefully my rings will be done in time to watch the Dals.  1900 dogs entered and only 6 Dals.  We obviously need more Dals and Dal exhibitors around here! 

Breed (conformation) judges often judge up to 175 dogs in a single day, and it's important to keep things running smoothly so they can stay on schedule.  25 dogs an hour plus time for pictures makes for a busy day.  Stewards give out the arm bands, get the exhibitors in and out of the ring, in their correct classes and in a timely fashion, put out the ribbons, mark their catalogs (but only the judge can mark the official Judges Book), move the tables in and out of the ring for examining small breeds, call for clean up if needed (especially in Cocker Spaniels for some reason), and answer exhibitor questions.  Some judges are great fun to steward for, while others are anything but.  My favorite judges on the panel happen to be the ones who are judging Dals and the Group, so unfortunately I can't steward for them this weekend.

New Years Resolutions this year included eating better and wasting less.  I already blew spending less time on Facebook!

As I was looking at puppy pictures posted to Facebook, I wondered if this might be a bad thing.  One would hope that if a well known breeder is posting puppy pictures, they would be good pictures.  Some are awful pictures of poor quality pups, but others are terrible pictures of what might actually be nice puppies.  Why would you post pictures where a puppy is standing out at the elbow with crooked front legs and cowhocks?  If you don't know what pups should look like, you shouldn't be posting pictures - actually, you should not even be breeding a litter.  Posting pictures of gross structural faults is anything but educational, and they encourage newcomers to assume that is perfectly OK.  It is in pets, but certainly not in show dogs.

That Pet Peeve is right up there with calling any mixed breed dog with freckles a Dalmatian cross, or worse yet a Dalmatian.  Dals are not speckled, they are spotted.  Purebred Dals have distinct spots, not fuzzy freckles.  They may have some small markings mixed in, but they are basically SPOTTED.   Dal crosses have smaller indistinct spots, but many other breeds can produce those same markings.  The small indistinct spots are found in many breeds and are called ticking.  A dog with ticking is not necessarily part Dalmatian.  It may be part Pointer, Springer, Cattledog/Kelpie/Blue Heeler, part Pitbull, Boxer, Beagle or Terrier.  Ticking is does NOT necessarily come from Dalmatians.

I finally took the female Haplochromis sp "Dayglow" out of the tank where she was living with her youngsters.  When frightened, she was still gathering them in her mouth for safekeeping (Haps are maternal mouthbrooders), but they were getting much too large for that and she could no longer close her mouth.  I was never quite sure how many there were, as even when some were out feeding, others were hiding out in the safety of her mouth.  On Saturday I caught her by surprise, dipped her out of the small tank, and put her back in with the other adults.  I was surprised to find 10 large robust fry, who are doing just fine without their mama.

Pleased with the success, I spent about two hours catching one of the female Labidochromis caerulis "Yellow Labs" who was also holding eggs/fry.  She was incredibly hard to catch and I had to take all the furnishing out of the tank to catch her, but now she's in a small tank by herself and will hopefully be successful too. 

Breed Specific Legislation

Please take a moment to read this interesting blog posting.  We ALL need to be aware of the issues involved here . . .

Pittbull Problems - OUR Breed Could Be Next

Worth Sharing!

A Mouthful Of What?

Baby fish?   Have had a lot of fun watching my female Haplochromis sp "Dayglow" tend her batch of fry.  These Haps are maternal mouthbrooders, which means that the female gathers up the freshly fertilized eggs in her mouth and keeps them there until the eggs hatch.  And beyond.  This is my first batch of Haps, so am not sure how long this behavior continues, but it's great fun to watch.  When I realized that the female had a mouthful of eggs (called "holding"), I netted her out and put her in a tank by herself.  One of the options is "stripping", forcing the female to spit out the eggs which are then hatched artificially, but I preferred to try it the natural way.  The fry have been coming out to feed for several weeks, but when the female thinks there is danger (such as when I siphon out the tank and add fresh water), she still gathers them up in her mouth for safekeeping.  They are so big now that she can't completely close her mouth when she is protecting them.  Too funny.  I suppose this weekend I will try to catch her when the fry are all out and feeding.  It's been great fun to watch, but I'm sure she will be pleased to get back in the much larger tank with her Cichlid peers.

One of my other Cichlid females is also holding, one of the Yellow Labs (Labidochromis caerulis), but I have been unable to catch that wretched fish.  I have a smaller tank set up for her and her family, so will have to take all the filters and rocks out of the big tank this weekend so I can catch her and move her out.

Yellow "Lab"

Fun with fish!

I Own Dogs & Occasionally Sell Puppies

Call me old fashioned, but I can't get used to the idea of being contacted about "adopting" a puppy and being asked about my "adoption fee".  Although we rarely have a litter, when we do I SELL the puppies to new OWNERS.  Not "pet guardians" or "pet parents".  Dogs are not little furry people in need of parents - they are dogs in need of responsible caring owners who will raise them to be confident, well-adjusted, well-mannered dogs.  I do not charge an "adoption fee" - that may be what you pay when you get a dog from the Humane Society or other rescue group, but when you BUY a puppy from a breeder you pay a Purchase Price.

I am very concerned about the goal of many Animal Rights groups to take away my right to own a dog or breed a litter of pups, and feel some of the current language plays into their hands.  If you doubt that, go back and look at my posting on the goals of PETA.

Retraining My Blogging

Three days without posting and I could not even remember my Blogger password.  Not sure why I find time to blog on workdays, but not on weekends!  Password taken care of now, but no time left to post.  Lot of happenings, lots of picture, no time.  Guess I'll have to concentrate on catch up this week! 

We had a wonderful Christmas weekend and everything ran smoothly except when the washer stopped working, but we got that fixed too for now.  Saw the whole family, at least the ones that still live in the area.  Dogs had a great Christmas as well, and got lots of extra attention.

Err On The Side Of Caution

A friend from work gave me a large bag of dog treats that her dog could no longer eat because he is/was in kidney failure.  I was glad to accept them, knowing they would be much enjoyed.  Until I read the label on the bag of chicken jerky.  Waggin' Tails sounded familiar.  I checked the bag and saw that the treats were made in China, and quickly Googled the name.  Yep, my memory served me well (for a change).  The treats went into the trash and I explained to Ron why I was throwing them away.  Please check out the following link . . .

FDA Warning On Chicken Jerky Dog Treats

Because there are no regulations concerning the pet products industry in China, all imported food and treats carry a significant degree of risk.  You probably remember the contaminated pet foods from just a few years ago.  Dogs and cats died then and they are probably still dying now because owners are not paying attention to these issues.   Please read the labels on the edibles you purchase for your dogs, especially on the dog treats which are a hugely profitable business.  Rawhides too, can be risky.  Be sure they are MADE in the USA, not just packaged in the USA.   Many of them come from South American countries, and there have been many warnings about those too.

Many people scoff at these warnings and disregard them.  That's up to you.  I only know that my friend's 10 year old mixed breed dog ate these treats, as well as the inexpensive rawhides that are always imported, and is in advanced kidney failure.  Dogs that age should not die of kidney failure, and I will always wonder if the treats might not be involved.  I won't be taking that chance with my dogs. 

Plenty Of Time To Worry

Got up early 'cause I couldn't sleep, even though I was tired.  One of those "worry nights" where the concerns that are manageable during the day seem overwhelming at night.  Mostly money concerns this time of the year, but also worries about what the new year will bring for senior members of my family

Why do I always spend too much at Christmas?  Why don't I budget and do a shopping list rather than depending on impulse buying, and why do I always find something I like better later on, but never return the original gift?  Why didn't I order one of Ron's gifts earlier?  It will not arrive in time for Christmas.  Why did I order other gifts so late that there is no time to get a replacement on an order that was filled incorrectly.  Who did I forget to send a card to?  Who did I forget to buy a gift for?  Why didn't I mail one of the gifts earlier so it would get there for Christmas?  What will all the Christmas lights do to my electric bill?  Do I have everything I need for Saturday's family get-together?   Why didn't I get the bathroom wall paper up last summer?  Will my mother be able to manage the stairs?

What if I can't find replacement filters for the humidifier?  Will I have to buy a new one?  Can I afford it?  What's the worrisome noise my car is making?  Will it be expensive to fix?   Where am I going to find the money to get whatever-it-is repaired?  And how much longer can I wait without getting that brake job done?  Now that the car is paid for, will it be nothing but trouble?  Was the bigger-than-average water bill worth it?  Will the trees and lawn survive the drought?   If we ever get snow will my back and shoulders survive shoveling, and will Ron insist on overdoing the shoveling?  How's his heart anyway?  Why doesn't he eat more carefully?

How many more years will we be able to do Christmas this way?  Will mom be able to stay in her apartment?  Is it time to think about assisted living?  How much vision has she really lost?  How much longer will she be able to walk with a cane or walker?  Will Ron still be able to house sit/dog sit next year?  How IS his heart?  What does the future hold for him?  Will I ever be able to sell this house or will I just have to walk away from it?   Where will I get the money to maintain it with no raises in sight, and everything going up, especially my house payment because of property taxes.  Why are the Republicans willing to let us suffer just to "get Obama"?  Why do people buy into that?  What's wrong with them?  How will my Agency, City, State, Country survive this economy?  Why can't politicians vote with their hearts rather than doing what their party tells them to do?

An hour later, after several cups of coffee, the rest of the cinnamon bread, numerous dog kisses, and being entertained by Letty's antics, I feel much better.  I can't change the past, or predict the future, so I'll enjoy the day, the holiday season, my friends & family & dogs.  We'll let the worries take care of themselves . . .

No Time

To Do -

• Finish cards
• Finish shopping
• Finish wrapping
• Finish putting up lights

Enjoy the Holidays!

Sure would be easier to do the latter, if there was more time to complete the former.  My life is currently a madhouse, primarily because I am so busy at work that I'm exhausted when I walk out of there each afternoon.  Finally told my supervisor that I could NOT continue trying to keep up both jobs, given the current volume of work going across my desk.  My own duties, those I inherited when JoAnn retired (I inherited her complete job), the extra work required to complete those duties in the new system, and the fact that the accounting system continues to run so much more slowly than the old one.  Just amazing that we would spend all that money on a system and all that time on training to be stuck with something that takes forever to complete the various processes.  ARGH.

The only blessing is that moral is very good, better than I can ever recall, in the agency, the office and our unit.  I attribute much of this to our Commissioner and our CFO who exemplify the concept of Servant Leaders.  Our CFO in particular has done a really good job with management, stressing teamwork, and the fact that we are all in this together.  No more looking over our shoulders, and a lot more working together.  I NEVER in the past would have requested help, but I've been told on several occasions that if I need help just ask.  I did.  If I could just pass off some of the time-consuming, repetitious duties that are part of every job, it would sure make a difference.  We'll see.

Dog Shows On-Line

I enjoyed watching the Eukanuba (sponsored) dog show on streaming video on my computer Saturday and Sunday evenings.  Thought the quality of dogs was wonderful in most of the Groups, and the Group judging was uniformly good.  Loved 6 of the 7 Group winners and could have been happy if any of the 6 had gone Best in Show, but was absolutely thrilled to see the win go to my all time favorite Poodle, a gorgeous black Standard called "London", handled by one of the nicest professional handlers in the business.  Great fun! 

One of these years, IF they ever select a decent judge for Dalmatians, I'll go down and compete.  Generally have at least one dog qualify for the show (this year we had several) but the breed judges for Dals are such downers.  Breed results from this year confirmed my suspicions.  The BoB dog is a nice one, but some of the award winners were pretty marginal indeed, and there were no livers in the final lineup - despite the fact that the quality in livers was good.  Have to say there are very few foreign judges I would waste my money to show under.  The British judges generally come up with questionable selections and most of the Canadians are totally incompetent.  While there are certainly poor American judges (way too many, in fact) the percentage of poor Canadian judges seems to be much higher and they seem to be far more political.

Sparkle is now up in Canada, living with the Pella family for awhile.  She'll have a lot of fun for the next couple of weeks while Patti and kids are home on vacation.  She'll be back eventually, and looking for a home.  If you would be interested in co-owning a show dog, keep her in mind.  She's going to do well in the ring and I would love to show her, just don't need another dog body around here.

Letty was at loose ends yesterday, missing Sparkle, but enjoyed a trip to PetCo and a chance to run off leash for awhile.  Told her she had better be totally house-trained now, because everything got scrubbed yesterday, and all the rugs will be washed this week as we are expecting company on Saturday.  Tonight her cousin Meribel comes for an overnight, so Jess & Don can attend a Christmas party.  Because we got the backyard cross-fenced yesterday, it will be easier to keep the girls from tearing up the yard.  Good timing on the nice weather, and the ground being thawed enough for pounding stakes.

Still a lot to get done before Christmas, but no way to take any time off work.  My desk is buried in parcel files that need to be handled.  It used to be that the two weeks over Christmas and New Years were a bit slow - sure hope they are slow this year so I can get caught up, but I'm not expecting that to happen.  I can do the work required for my two jobs (inherited JoAnn's when she retired) but not the volume, primarily because the new accounting system continues to run so slowly.  I will be oh so ready for a couple of three-day weekends!