Things just got busier



Edward & Patrick at 5 weeks


The boys are here!  I took yesterday afternoon off work to meet Dan & Paula in Mason City and retrieve Patrick & Edward.  What cuties, and so good.  They were perfect on the way home - no car sickness either - and settled right into their new home. No fussing last night, and I just turned on the basement light to wake them up before I go down to play with them.  Very handsome pups and they should look good when they lose a bit of weight.  Tess had lots of milk and only two pups to share it, so they are QUITE large for their ages.  I think Patrick will be OK to travel in the Sherpa bag next week.  He's the chow hound of the two but will be eating small meals until then!

Preliminary evaluation of Edward says he is most likely show potential.  Nice markings, complete trim, dark eye (and a blue eye, which is acceptable), correct scissors bite, two testicles, nice and square, short toes, and plenty of bone.  His face is very cute, his head shape is correct and his ears are the right size and set correctly so they hang correctly .  He has plenty of neck length, seems to have a level back, and correct body shape.  His tail is high right now, but that's very common in 6 week old pups, just something we will keep an eye on.  Haven't had a lot of chance to watch them trot very much, but he appears to move correctly on both ends.  Argus kids tend to be particularly nice "coming in", and his hocks and stifles appear to be correct "going away".  Haven't had a chance to see how he carries his topline when trotting, but when I stack him on the table, his topline looks nice. 

Patrick is also very handsome, but because he has a patched ear he will go as a companion.  His markings are a bit more even than Edward's and he has more angle on both ends, but he also has a longer back, a different style of dog.  Tess had several littermates who were built more like Patrick, while Edward is built more like Tess, but looks quite like several of Mariah's brothers too.  I'm starting to recognize a certain "look" now in Argus sons, since I have seen them from a variety of dams now.

Off to play with pups!

Have a number of emails and phone calls to return.  I'll get to you, I promise!