Yippee! Puppies!

It's official, confirmed by Ultrasound.  Holly is carrying at least 5 puppies.  I was able to palpate pups a few days ago, but thought it would be interesting to do the Ultrasound as well. She was great for the procedure and I was glad we did it.

Holly had a busy couple of days as she had gone in for grooming the previous evening.  I normally bathe my own dogs, but with this broken hand I can't do it right now.  It's been so dry and dusty here, and Holly has been itchy, so she got an oatmeal shampoo bath and hypoallergenic rinse.  That did the trick, and her coat is soft and satiny like Argus's now and the itchiness is gone.  The groomer also commented on what a good dog she was.

Fernly also got a bath, only her second one.  She's been swimming in the river which is very low and a bit funky, and Fernly was a itchy too.  My daughter Jess took Fernly home for an "overnight" so she could play with her cousin Meribel and have a bath and pedicure.  Here they are sitting in the doggy bathtub.  The two girls could hardly look much more different!  Thanks, Jess.

Ten more days of wearing this cast . . .

Antlers Anyone?

Short on time this AM as I have to squeeze in Holly's ultrasound into a busy day at work.  Fingers tightly crossed.

Received my first order of Elk Antlers directly from an Elk Ranch in Colorado.  They cost less than half as much to buy in bulk, and the dogs approved.  A very popular chew toy for dogs.  The girls approved.

Mailing Lists

Years ago I wanted to subscribe to a trade journal called Pet Food Industry.  It was available only to "pet professionals" so I became Paisley Pet Treats, in name only.  I enjoyed the magazine for several years and learned a lot about ingredients, sourcing and marketing.  When I was forced to fill out a company profile, I must not have sounded enough like a CEO because they cancelled my subscription which was mildly annoying.  That was many years ago but the fallout continues.

Apparently PFI sold subscriber names to companies that compile mailing lists, and my name was added to a variety of lists, including hair and beauty salons.  We've had a lot of weird calls about our "businesses" over the years, get a variety of product catalogs, and are on on the mailing list of a company that distributes popular magazines for waiting rooms.

Once a letter addressed to Paisley Pet Treats ended up in the mailbox of my flaky neighbor, and the next time she decided to yell at me about something (anything) she told me that she was aware of the fact that I had an illegal business and she KNEW I was not paying taxes on it.  Wonder how she knew that?  Hahaha.

Yesterday I received a box of Tylenol samples addressed to my "professional building".  Anyone got a headache?

Old Dogs

As I looked through my camera to see if I had any good recent pictures of Coral or Watson to add to this blog, I realized that I had not taken many pictures of them lately.  Why?  I think it's because I want to remember them the way they were, not the way they are.  But they are still the same dogs, just older models.  I need to take more pictures of them now, while there's still time, and time is growing short for Coral.  I have a picture of my beloved Rob, taken the day I took him in for the final journey.  I shed tears when I even think of that picture, but I'm glad I have it.

I once read a wonderful article by a gentleman who had recently lost a dearly loved companion, an elderly Labrador.  He had come to the conclusion that old age was not a problem for dogs, only for their owners.  Dogs don't reminisce about their past lives, all the things they used to be able to do, all the things they miss now.  They just live for the moment, and old age is now.  Given good care, pain management if needed, and an owner who loves them, they age gracefully and with no regrets, and when the end comes they go peacefully.

Watson is doing well at 12 1/2.  He's a bit grayer and a bit slower and a lot more stubborn, but he's fine.  Still sees and hears very well and still wants to chase squirrels and rabbits and fence fight with the dog next door.  He goes for his daily walks, can still sit up and beg, and is not in the least senile.  He had a bout of arthritis or some type of joint issue, but two acupuncture treatments and a couple of supplements took care of that, for the time being at least.  He sleeps a lot more now but has always been a laid back, easy-going guy.  Hopefully he has a couple of good years left.

Coral at 14 1/2 is running out of time, I'm afraid.  She still sees and hears well, and is not at all senile, but her poor old body is wearing out.  Because Ron is retired and can stay at home with her, he can get Coral outdoors as often as needed to pee, but she is losing control of her bowels.  She still gets her daily walk around the block, but in slow time now.  She sometimes needs help getting up on the sofa, and falls a lot as her legs grow feebler and her joints grow stiffer.  It hurts to watch her walk.  The mammary tumors are growing very slowly, and we made the decision not to do surgery, as she would not be a good surgical risk.  Coral's days are spent watching Ron.  Watching for him when he is gone, gazing at him when he is home and laying beside him on the sofa when he sits down.  She appears to be content with her life and we will cherish her and try to remind ourselves that this really is only a problem for us.

This Is The Week!

Holly says "I NEED a walk!"

This is the week!  The week we'll find out if Holly is actually pregnant.  I'll palpate her in a few days (I'm good at that, if I do say so myself) and probably do an ultrasound later in the week as well.  I've always said that I would not bother with the latter, because it does not change anything, but I'll probably do it just for fun.  Cross your fingers please.

Holly is so much better about keeping her feet off the counter - Counter Surfing NOT allowed here - and has learned to sit and wait at the door, and for her collar to be put on.   She's also stopped pulling as much on our walks, a good sign that she is "slowing down" a bit.  She'd still rip my arm off for a rabbit or squirrel though. In her "real life" she runs on a ranch, rather than walking in a city, so she's made a very good adjustment.  Am also delighted that she loves company and covers everyone with kisses - just the way I like my Dals.

Another doggy weekend as Argus, his daughter Nena, and Josie's son Tate did Dal PR at Home Depot for Fire Safety Day.  That's Tate and Nena practicing a Down Stay.  Argus and I took advantage of all the space and worked on our heeling and fronts.  Have to wait 'til my hand is healed to get Argus and Fernly back to obedience class, but we are working some at home.  Fernly went along to mom's to watch football on Sunday and Josie did a Walk For Hunger with her friend Sue.  Next week, Coursing Trials!

Good news on the dog show front as Argie's daughter Weather (Letty's sister) picked up a specialty major in Kansas, and son Boca earned a major in New Mexico.

One-handed typing is SO SLOW!