A Dog Show!

Leaving today for a dog show, my first since the National in May.  Quite a change for a person who was doing two or three show weekends a month for several years while Argus was being campaigned.  We're off to Waukesha with Meribel & Amery, each of who just need a single point to finish their championships.  Hopefully we'll come home with at least one new champion, but if not it will still be nice to get away for a few days, and catch up with old friends.  Waukesha is outdoors, and is traditionally HOT, but the forecast for the weekend is actually NICE.  Argus gets to go along, and will be thrilled to visit a dog show and stay in a motel.  Am sure he misses it as much as I do, but we've both made a good adjustment.

Laurie is staying with me this week, in town to visit friends & relatives and attend a class reunion.  She'll be available to help Ron with the pups, and it will be good for them to be dependent on someone other than me for a few days.  Another useful bit of socializing.  It's certainly a good litter, quiet in their pen and so happy and cheerful when they come upstairs or get to go outside.  Hope that lasts!

Today I deposit my first puppy check which will be most helpful.  So far it has only been money out, nothing  in.  Although I took several deposits I did not cash the checks until I was sure I had a pup to match to that home.  Too hard to refund deposits!  I've been keeping track of the costs involved in raising this litter and we are well over $2,000.00 now.  That of course does not include the vacation days I took to drive Pauli to Louie, and to pick up her after she was bred.  Doesn't cover any of Pauli's health testing, which we had previously done, and it does not include all the meat & goats milk & eggs we used for weaning, the paper towels we've used, the detergent and electricity for running the extra loads of laundry, and it sure does not cover any of the countless hours we've invested.  Being a hobby breeder is NOT a money-making proposition if you do it right and do what is best for mom and pups.  If I even come close to breaking cash-wise, and if I end up with a good puppy for all my efforts, I will consider it a success.