"Gone To The Dogs" or "Something's Fishy"

Please Keep Your Cats At Home

2012-02-03T07:18:00.000-06:00

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

2012-02-02T08:00:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-31T07:15:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-30T07:09:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-29T09:30:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-28T06:49:00.000-06:00

Words to live by -

Auction On Saturday

2012-01-27T07:16:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-26T07:02:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-24T07:08:00.001-06:00

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

2012-01-23T07:10:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-21T08:10:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-20T07:26:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-19T07:18:00.002-06:00

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

2012-01-18T07:18:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-17T07:06:00.001-06:00

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

2012-01-16T08:47:00.000-06:00

"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

2012-01-14T08:40:00.000-06:00

Interesting article.

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

No More Phone Envy

2012-01-13T06:59:00.001-06:00

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

2012-01-12T08:09:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-11T07:23:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-10T07:12:00.001-06:00

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

2012-01-09T07:47:00.000-06:00

. . . 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?

2012-01-06T07:12:00.002-06:00

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

2012-01-05T06:59:00.000-06:00

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?

2012-01-04T07:21:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-03T07:14:00.001-06:00

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

2012-01-02T09:39:00.001-06:00

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

2012-01-01T08:55:00.000-06:00

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!

2011-12-31T09:57:00.003-06:00

A Mouthful Of What?

2011-12-30T07:10:00.001-06:00

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

2011-12-29T06:59:00.000-06:00

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

2011-12-27T07:00:00.000-06:00

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

2011-12-23T07:07:00.000-06:00

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

2011-12-22T07:13:00.000-06:00

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

2011-12-21T06:48:00.000-06:00

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

2011-12-19T07:07:00.000-06:00

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!

Picture Perfect

2011-12-16T06:54:00.000-06:00

Love this picture of Meribel! Jess brought her by for pictures yesterday, and we got good shots of her, Letty and Sparkle. Meribel's sister Amery was the pick of the girls from the Cruise/Penny litter, but Meribel was a close second and is maturing well. She's very together for her age, and although she's got more color than we'd prefer (a few too many spots for my taste) her depth of color (the intensity of her liver coloring) is fabulous, and with a short shiny coat she really looks good. "Fancy", we call it. Meribel is very fancy. She also has the wonderful dark eyes that are extra nice on livers. We took this particular shot because Meribel also inherited her mother Penny's beautiful neck and forechest. So far so good. This one does look like a keeper.

Meribel came along at just the right time too, as Jess & Don needed a little "therapy dog" to help them get through the loss of German Shepherd Pepper who recently died of cancer. A funny, cheerful, extra-cute puppy is definitely good for the soul! The elderly Shepherd Simmie really like Meribel too, so it's made things easier for her as well.

Things are still on for Sparkle to go up to Canada for awhile. She goes in for a rabies shot today, and we'll meet up with the Pellas tomorrow in Duluth. Looks as if the weather is cooperating - fingers crossed.

Christmas Surprises Can't Wait

2011-12-15T07:14:00.001-06:00

Last night there was a looonnnggg list of chores on my To Do List, but as is so often the case I got side-tracked. Ron had picked up my main Christmas gift, and because the store only had a 10 return policy (for immediate replacement) he wanted me to "try it out" to be sure it worked the way it should. Although I personally prefer Christmas surprises, I was pretty sure this would be under the Christmas tree anyway, so it wasn't actually a surprise. A new Nikon Coolpix L120 camera, the one I had decided on since I've been very satisfied with my current Coolpix, it was supposed to reduce red eye, got good reviews and has a wonderful long zoom. Had considered a fancier camera with more bells and whistles, but I really do NOT need another hobby and this one should do what I need it to do.

Unfortunately, it does not totally eliminate "red eye", a real problem when taking flash pictures of liver Dalmatians, but it definitely reduces it (see above). This I can live with, although I guess it's time to learn to Photoshop red eye, since many otherwise good shots get deleted because of the distracting eye glare.

The trees DID get decorated though, the real tree with traditional ornaments plus many of my Dal ornaments, and the porch tree with fish ornaments - courtesy of Ginger, of course - and a few of the bulkier Dalmatian ornaments.

Feelin' Groovy, No, That's Gloomy

2011-12-14T07:12:00.000-06:00

I thought the weather was getting me down, cool & gray are not my thing, but I realized this morning that it's really the fact that I am not going to Eukanuba, an invitational dog show being held in Florida this weekend. www.eukanuba.com.

Don't even recall how the darned show got started, especially with a dog food company's name - when Pro Plan is actually more supportive of dog shows than any other dog food company. After a number of years being held in California, it's back in Florida this year. Dals never get good judges, and have an English judge again this year - and last year an English dog won under the English judge, leaving a bad taste in MY mouth, since English dogs are often much larger than the American standard calls for. But the Specials entry is 43, and it sounds as if lots of people are just going to watch as well.

Dogs qualify by various means, winning a Best in Show, placing well in the breed rankings for the previous year, finishing their Grand Championships, etc. Argus and five of his kids qualified for this year, so we could have gone, but the judge did not appeal, this is an incredibly busy time at work, and to be honest I don't have the money. It would have been an expensive trip, and now that Argus no longer has co-owners and I am paying all his bills, there's no way to fund all the little extras - or in this case BIG extras. With pups to show in the spring, I need to watch my $$$, such as they are.

Because the Republicans continue to refuse to tax those who can actually afford it, those of us who actually CAN'T get stuck picking up a bigger part of the bill. My house payment goes up almost $100.00 next year, due to the huge increase in property taxes. I'll be lucky if I can continue to make my house payments next year . . . I can understand the wealthy people who vote Republican - it's in their best interests to do so, unless they actually have a conscience, but I sure can't understand the lower and middle class people who do.

Hmmm, that did NOT help with the gloominess either. Guess I will go play with Letty.

And Good Luck to the Argus kids who WILL be showing at Eukanuba!

Letty's Back

2011-12-13T07:07:00.000-06:00

Letty's back and she got a good report card for manners. Took her about 10 minutes to settle in with Alana & Mike, and just a bit longer with Brodie who was thrilled to have a house guest. Remembered her house manners, good in a crate, and didn't embarrass me! It's nice to have her back, but it WAS a lot easier with just Sparkle over the weekend. Two pups this age certainly increases the activity in the family room! Weather permitting, Sparkle goes off this weekend to spend some time in Canada. Looks as if I will be doing Christmas Eve day here, so it will be easier with one less resident pup, since Jess will be bringing Meribel along.

Need to get Puppy Eddie entered at the January shows, and have to figure out a time to go pick him up so he can stay with Jess for a few days and get some training. Meribel will probably come here during that time - still playing Musical Dogs.

Obedience went well last night and I'm really pleased with Argie's progress. Each class sees him much improved in one area or another. Last night it was his sits. We've been working very hard on straight sits, as he has a tendency to swing in slightly toward me when we stop. It would be so much easier if I could just explain to him the concept of "straight". It IS amazing what they can pick up though. My footwork is much improved, but I've been working hard on that, even walking patterns without the dog. Proper footwork (by the handler) makes a lot of difference in a dog's performance.

2011-12-12T07:02:00.001-06:00

ARGH! I just wasted ten minutes fighting with the html coding for this page. Finally deleted the whole thing. Sometimes the pictures go up so nicely and the text formats the way I want it, while other times nothing seems to work. There was a time when I could have figured out the coding problems, but do so little of it now I'm obviously out of practice.

The Oldsters, Josie, Watson & Coral

It was a Letty-less weekend as she went off to camp with Alana, Michael and their Dal Brody. Again she was suspicious at the start, settled in quickly and fit in well. She's definitely a bit slow to make up to strangers, but settles in quickly. Hopefully as Letty increases her circle of friends, she'll become quicker to make new ones.

Sparkle did well on her own and enjoyed her trip to a new pet store. Argus filled in as puppy entertainer, but will be glad to give up the duty, I'm sure! One more puppy class on Thursday and then she's off to Canada for a month, assuming all the pieces fall into place for the trip. Letty can do Sparkle's 4th lesson, and then we'll concentrate on Christmas!

Finally got the lights on both trees, the artificial one on the porch, and a small live tree in the living room. Checked the old 100-light string before decorating the porch tree and all worked fine, but by the time I had the lights on the tree 1/2 the lights no longer worked. Hate it when that happens! By then it was too dark to look for a bulb that may have fallen out or worked loose.

The inside tree has red LED lights, nice and bright and cheerful. Tempting not to even put on bulbs, but I suppose I will. Maybe I should decorate the porch tree with the assortment of fish bulbs, gifts from Ginger of course, The doggy ornaments don't always get used, but this year they will as I will have company on Christmas Eve day - weather permitting.

Deat By Vaccinosis

2011-12-10T18:12:00.000-06:00

ALL Dog Owners Need To Learn The Dangers Of Excessive Vaccinations

Please take a few minutes to read the information on the link.

An AKC STAR Puppy

2011-12-09T07:26:00.000-06:00

Letty graduated from Puppy Class last night and that included running through the test for the AKC STAR Puppy Program. Pups do a series of exercises that include a recall, sit, down, walking on leash, giving up a treat, jumping over some low jumps, running through a tunnel, and allowing the owner to handle feet, tail, etc. Letty did well, and it was great fun to watch her classmates perform. Amazing how far some of them have come in six weeks! I was very pleased with how well Letty did. It was a terrific class, lots of fun, and Letty learned so much and developed a lot of self confidence. I'm sorry it's over!

Unfortunately, most training schools have classes for pups up to the age of 4 months (when starting) but they are not eligible for the next level until they are 6 months old. Letty is now 5 months old so will be sitting out for awhile. I need to find places to take her every week to keep up the socialization.

She goes camping at Alana's this weekend. We'll miss her, but it will give me a chance to put some extra work into Sparkle who also did well last night in her second week of class. While Sparkle did her 6:00 class, Letty stayed quietly in her crate and watched all the activity - good dog, Letty. That's another thing dogs need to learn. While Letty was in her 7:00 class Sparkle fussed a bit but was not as bad as I expected, and she spent part of the hour being tended by one of the Pet Junction employees. More useful socialization as Sparkle got to "help" at the counter!

Never Say Never

2011-12-08T07:10:00.000-06:00

Please check out this interesting article on vaccination!

Puppy Camping is starting to fall into place. One spot for a few days this weekend, and multiple weeks in Canada with kids over the Holidays. Have to decide which dog matches each "spot" the best.

Have to admit I would prefer to have Letty home for Christmas though! Just amazes me how sappy I am about this silly little dog. Never say never! I have always vowed that I would never keep a dog with a higher tail, and certainly would not keep one that wasn't bold and fearless in all situations. Letty flunks both. Her tail is much better thank goodness, but it will never be perfect and I accept that. And she still prefers to be handled by me and a select group of "special friends". She's been that way from the age of 4 weeks, so I guess that's who she is. She is not a "pet me" dog with strangers, and prefers that they just leave her alone. She's fine in new situations and gets along well with other dogs, just has no interest in being handled by strangers, unlike her father and most other Argus kids who consider everyone a friend. Have not had a Dal like this for many years, although it used to be quite common in the breed. But she is so darned pretty, so great around the house, and so much fun to work with, I don't see her leaving any time soon. Sigh. I must be getting soft.

What Was I Thinking?

2011-12-07T07:08:00.002-06:00

What was I thinking?   Why did I think I could socialize two puppies in December, while working full time, keeping up a house, preparing for Christmas, working Argus in obedience, and tending 4 adult Dals and almost 40 tanks of fish? While laying in bed this morning, planning my day, it suddenly occurred to me that I might be crazy!   Is this what it feels like?

Had thought Letty would go camping for the month of December, but that did not happen so I have two needy pups - both need more socialization, more time and attention, more training, and more patience on my part. Both
are good pups, but the two together are challenging, especially now that Sparkle is jealous when Argus or Letty go downstairs for training.   My basement is my "training room" and each puppy as well as Argus gets a short training session every evening. Argus works a bit of obedience, and the girls work on their basic commands plus do some stacking. Not really enough room for heeling or gaiting there, but we try a bit of that too. Now Sparkle has decided that only she should come down there with me, and fusses when the others get their turns. Not good. Ron will have to keep her amused until it's her turn, I guess.

Sparkle is teething seriously now, and testing her teeth on a variety of things, so she needs more supervision than Letty who normally just chews on her Nylabones. Last night I caught her working on the bar stool rung - no, she didn't do all that damage. This particular rung has been a "favorite" of many pups - that's cumulative chewing!   It's now coated in Bitter Apple. Just hope she does not try the corners of the cabinets on Ron's "watch" - I use the term loosely!

Anyone want a camper this weekend, or any other time? Both girls need to get out. Both are house-trained and good in crates, know basic commands, are easy to feed, but pull like sled dogs on leash. Good lap-sitters too - warm furry pups come in handy on cold winter evenings!

Economy vs Comfort

2011-12-06T07:16:00.002-06:00

COLD weather coming, possibly below 0 temps and highs only in the teens, and once again we wrestle with economy vs comfort. One of the quirks in this old house is the two furnaces. The old section of the house (almost 100 years old) has a hot water boiler furnace with radiators, while the addition (about 25 years old) is heated with a forced air furnace, which was just replaced two years ago. The thermostat for the new furnace is in the family room and the thermostat for the old furnace is only about 12 feet away in the dining room.

Until the weather gets really cold, we primarily use the forced air furnace for heat since it is more economical to run, and because we spend most of our time in the family room/kitchen. The adjacent dining room stays comfortable, while the living room is cooler. Upstairs the bedroom (with a radiator) stays cool, which is fine, but the bathroom is a bit chilly. When the weather get COLD, we use the boiler furnace a bit more, but when the boiler warms up, the forced air furnace cuts back. Because the patio door gets opened a lot as dogs come and go, the family room starts to feel a bit chilly, and the radiator in the bedroom makes that room too warm. I do like my radiators, and the old boiler has certainly been reliable for many years, but it is not easy to keep the old house comfortable!

Lots of possible solutions, but all cost money The new furnace was great investment, and I probably should have gotten a new thermostat for the old one, but that cost money. Replacing the old boiler and radiators would have been great, but that was money I certainly didn't have. Having the old section re-insulated would also be a good investment - of money I don't have. With the increase in my property taxes, I'll be lucky if I can afford to stay here at all, so we'll spend another winter adjusting the thermostats, enduring the drafts, using lots of blankets on the bed and a small heater to warm up the bathroom in the morning. and wearing lots of sweatshirts. But I will have a radiator to warm up my jacket and dry my mittens, and THAT is nice.

Monday. Again?

2011-12-05T07:05:00.002-06:00

Sitting at my computer, looking through new Facebook message. All is peaceful. Then - A scream of agony! Coming from my yard! A dog in great distress!

Boys and pups were out in the dog yard when an earth shattering scream made my hair stand on end. Incredibly loud & shrill & frantic. Up & down the scale. Amazing that it can come from a dog. Sounds like a Wildebeest being torn apart by a pack of Lions. That's Argus. The Rabbit must be in the yard, and he can't get to it. There is NO WAY to quiet him when this happens.

He's back on his chair, and all is quiet again. He's only 99% perfect. Do wish he would not do this, but that's my boy. Such a good dog, and his quirks are normally easy to deal with.

We had ring time yesterday and worked hard for a solid half hour. This was the first time I've had his full attention for that long, and he worked really well. Our heeling is improving rapidly, really good change of pace yesterday, excellent corners, awesome about turns when I remember MY footwork. Sits could be better, that's going to be our bugaboo. Fronts continue to be excellent, finishes are much better. The things he did not know for his advanced class last week are looking good now. He's learning to back up (but does not like that exercise), pivot, signals are much better, and I can now step back and forth over him on a Down Stay. (He almost had a heart-attack when I tried that last week - apparently thought I had lost my mind and was going to step on him.)

Much fish work done this weekend and the tanks are looking really good. Need to dash down and turn a light on in the fishroom, so the Cherry Barbs think it's daylight. Am hoping they will spawn today.

In Defense Of Dog Breeders

2011-12-02T21:25:00.000-06:00

In Defense of Dog Breeders

In Defense of Dog Breeders

How Animal Rights Has Twisted Our Language

by the late great JOHN YATES

American Sporting Dog Alliance

Reprinted here with permission of Donna Yates

“You’re a dog breeder!!!!!!!!!!!!”

In today’s world, that is a very loaded statement. It’s more like an accusation.

“I told the television news reporter that I breed dogs,” a friend from Dallas told me recently. “He looked at me like I was a harlot.”

Dog owners have allowed the animal rights movement to redefine our language in order to paint everything we do in the worst possible light. If we say that we breed dogs, the looks we get ask us if we own a “puppy mill” or if we are a “backyard breeder.”

If we reply that we are a “hobby breeder,” someone immediately asks how we can consider living creatures a hobby. Some of us try the word “fancier.” We fool no one.

The most pathetic response to the question is when we call ourselves “responsible breeders.” Responsible to whom? Who defines “responsible” and “irresponsible?” Some bureaucrat? A politician? Animal rights cretins who say there is no such thing as a responsible breeder? Animal rights fanatics would rather kill all animals than see someone love them. In fact, that’s their plan.

If we say we are not breeders, it makes us “pet hoarders.” We are tarred as mentally ill people in need of psychotherapy.

The entire language about dog ownership has been hijacked by the rhetoric of the animal rights movement.

The worst part is that we have allowed it to happen. We are too fearful and wimpy to stand up for ourselves. We keep searching for inoffensive euphemisms to describe what we do, so that we don’t open ourselves up to attack.

By doing that, however, we have engineered our own demise.

The animal rights movement will not go away. Its agenda is to destroy our right to own or raise animals. Animal rights groups have declared war on all animal ownership, and they won’t stop until they either win or we finally have the courage to stand up and defeat them.

They have not taken that kind of power over us. We have given it away. We have surrendered our beliefs to the enemy.

We apologize for what we do. We make weak excuses for things like animal shelter euthanasia, accidental matings, dog fighting and dangerous dogs. We take at least part of the responsibility for these problems onto our own shoulders, when in truth we have no responsibility at all for creating them.

None whatsoever!

I am sick and tired of watching dog owners constantly apologize and grovel, and allowing themselves to be put on the defensive.

Enough! It’s time to stop sniveling about who we are and what we do.

Let me state clearly and for the record: I am a dog breeder. I breed dogs. I raise puppies. I like it. I’m very proud of it.

If you don’t like it, you are free to take a flying leap. I don’t care what you think of me or what I do.

I raise two or three litters of English setter puppies a year. I wish I could raise more puppies, but can’t figure out how to do it without driving myself into bankruptcy.

My dogs work for a living, just like I do. They have to be good at their jobs, just like I do. If they aren’t good at their jobs, I don’t keep them and I certainly don’t breed them.

They are hunting dogs, and they have to be able to perform to a very demanding standard of excellence to be worthy of breeding. They have to meet the exacting standard of championship-quality performance in the toughest competition.

They are professional athletes.

Most of them don’t make the cut. Those dogs make wonderful hunting companions or family members.

I have never had a dog spayed or neutered, except for medical reasons, and I don’t intend to start now. If a dog is good enough for me to keep, it is good enough to breed.

Nor have I ever sold a puppy on a spay/neuter contract. With performance dogs, it takes two or three years to know what you have. There is no way that anyone can know the full potential or worthiness of a young puppy. I hope every puppy that I sell will become a great one that is worthy of being bred.

I do not feel bad (and certainly do not feel guilty) if someone decides to breed a dog from my kennel that I did not choose to keep for myself when it was a puppy. It still will be a very nice dog, and I have worked very hard on my breeding program for 35 years to assure that very high quality genetics will be passed along and concentrated in any dog that I sell.

On occasion, I have a puppy that has a serious flaw. I don’t sell those puppies, even though they would make many people very happy. I give them away free to good homes, and the definition of a good home is mine because it’s my puppy. I own it. You don’t.

My responsibility is to the puppy. It is not to you, and it’s not to some gelatinous glob called “society.” I consider myself to be personally responsible for every puppy I raise, from birth until the day it dies. It always has a home in my kennel, if its new owner can’t keep it or no longer wants it.

That’s a contract written in blood between the puppy and me. It’s a contract written with a handshake with the puppy’s new owner.

I laugh cynically when someone from the Humane Society of the United States or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals ask if I am a responsible breeder. HSUS and PETA are two of the most vicious, bloodthirsty and dishonest snake pits on Earth. Their moral credibility is a negative number. PETA butchers more than 90-percent of the animals it “rescues” every year, and HSUS supports programs and policies that result in the needless deaths of hundreds of thousands of animals every year.

By now, I assume that I have pushed all of the buttons of the animal rights crazies. I can hear them snort and see their pincurls flapping in indignation. It makes my day.

Can’t you hear them, too? They are calling me an exploiter of animals. They are saying that I ruthlessly cull and manipulate the genetics of my dogs. They saying that I make the exploited poor beasts work for a living and live up to impossible standards. They will say that I do this to feed and gratify my own fat ego. They will say that I sell them for money and exploit them for personal gain. Then, of course, they will say that I use them to viciously hunt innocent wild animals.

Terrible, terrible me! My mother should have a son like this! She was such a nice woman.

Well, I plead guilty to all of the charges. Know what else? I don’t feel guilty, not even a little bit. I do it. I like it. I feel good about it.

Now I will speak in my own defense – as a dog breeder.

I happen to love dogs. I love being around them. I love working with them. I love watching a puppy grow up and discover its potential. I love having the privilege of experiencing a truly great dog in its prime. I love sharing supper with my dogs, wrestling with puppies, and sacking out with them on the couch. I lose sleep when they get sick, and work myself unmercifully to care for them. I spend almost all of the money I have on them, and some money that I don’t have. My heart breaks when they grow old and die. I have a dozen lifetimes worth of beautiful memories.

What do the animal rights freaks have? They have their ideology. They look in the mirror and feel smug and self-righteous, as if God has personally anointed them to protect animals from the likes of me.

What they have is nothing at all. Utter sterility. A world devoid of life and love.

They can keep it.

My life is filled with love and joy and beauty, and I owe most of it to my dogs. They have helped to keep me sane when sanity was not a given. They have given me courage on the days when all I wanted to do was lie down and quit. They have given me strength to endure on the days when all I wanted to do is run away and hide.

I owe them my life.

The animal rights folks are right. I ruthlessly cull and manipulate genetics. To make the cut, my breeding dogs have had to live up to the most exacting possible standards and pass the most strenuous tests.

I am very proud of doing that.

The result is that the vast majority of people who buy a puppy from me love it. When I sell a puppy, chances are that it has found a home for the rest of its life. The puppy will have a great chance of leading a wonderful life. I produce puppies that make people happy to own them and want to keep them. That’s my job as a breeder.

I have done this through rigorous selection. My puppies today are the result of 35 years of my stubborn insistence about never breeding a dog that does not have a wonderful disposition, perfect conformation, great intelligence, exceptional natural ability, breathtaking style and that mysterious ingredient called genius.

Every puppy born in my kennel has six or eight or 10 generations of my own dogs in its pedigree. All of those ancestors possess a high level of each of those desirable traits. I have raised, trained and grown old with every dog listed in several generations of each puppy’s pedigree.

Simply put, my puppies today are a lot nicer than my puppies of 35 years ago. Today, there is a much higher percentage of good ones, a much lower percentage of deficient ones, a much higher average of good qualities, and a much higher percentage of true greatness emerging from my kennel today.

That’s what it means to be a breeder.

Does that feed my ego? Yep. I like having my ego stroked. Don’t you? If you don’t, you are in very deep trouble as a human being.

But I’ll tell you what else it does. It makes for happier dogs. It makes for dogs that lead better lives, find permanent families and homes, and get to experience love in many forms.

It also makes for healthier dogs. Generation after generation of perfect functional conformation means that the dogs are less likely to get injured, wear out or develop arthritis. Many generations of selection for vigor, toughness and good health means that they are able to laugh at the extremes of climate, weather and terrain.

I also have virtually eliminated genetic health problems from my strain of dogs. For example, hip dysplasia is the most common genetic problem in English setters, afflicting a reported four-percent of the breed. In the past 20 years, I have had only two questionable hip x-rays, which both would be rated “fair” by the Orthopedic Foundation of America (OFA). The last one was 10 years ago.

Yes, I am very proud of being a breeder. I did that.

I am proud, too, that I am producing dogs that are so intelligent that it’s scary, so loyal that they can be your complete partner in the field while also possessing the extreme independence needed to do their job well, so loving that you want them with you every second of the day, so bold and brazen that nothing bothers them, and just plain drop-dead gorgeous to boot.

They make me smile a lot. I think I make them smile, too.

But, the animal rights whackos say I am doing it for the money. They accuse me of exploiting animals for profit.

Yep. Every chance I get. I am very happy when I am able to sell a puppy for cold, hard cash. It makes me feel good.

It makes me feel good because it shows me that someone appreciates the work I am doing. It makes me feel good because I have earned it, and earned it honestly.

My only regret is that I have not made more money as a breeder. With all of the sacrifices I have made and the hard work I have done, I should be rolling in money.

Alas, I am not.

It has been years since I actually have made money on a litter of puppies. Usually, I lose my shirt.

For every puppy I sell, there is another one that I keep to evaluate, and a couple of other ones that I am keeping for two or three years to evaluate for their worthiness to breed. Then there are dogs that are in competition, and that costs bushels of money, not to mention old dogs that are retired and have a home here until they die of old age. Almost a third of the dogs in my kennel are elderly and retired, and it takes a lot of money to care for them.

It takes money for dog food, supplies, veterinary bills, kennel licenses, repairs, vehicle use for training and field trials, advertising, internet, phone bills, and four pairs of good boots a year. It takes money. Lots of money. Bundles of money.

Oh, Lord, please help me to sell some more puppies!

Besides, what’s wrong with making money? It is a rather fundamental American value. Making money is something to be proud of, as long as it’s done honestly.

Even animal rights bozos have to eat. Someone has to make money to stuff veggies down their gullets, and organic veggies are rather pricey. Most working folks can’t afford them.

I also can’t help but notice that most animal rights activists over the age of 30 drive pretty fancy cars (we are talking about the Beamer set, folks), live in rather fancy houses and dress very well indeed. I can’t help but notice that many of the leaders of animal rights groups have pretty cushy gigs, with high-end six-digit salaries, fancy offices, and all the perks.

I guess they are saying that it’s ok for them to make money by the truckload, even if making money turns dog breeders into immoral greed bags. There is no one in America who exploits dogs for as much money as the paid leaders of animal rights groups. Their fat salaries depend on having animal issues to exploit. If there were no animals for them to exploit, they would have to get a real job.

It’s a rather perplexing dual standard, don’t you think?

Well, maybe it’s not perplexing after all. The only thing perplexing about hypocrisy is that so many people can’t see through it.

My next sin is making my dogs work for a living. The animal rights people try to paint a picture of whipping dogs beyond endurance, exploiting them, creating misery and causing unhappiness. The poor, downtrodden, huddled masses. You know the tune.

Only problem is, my dogs don’t agree. They love to work. They love their jobs. The only time they are sad is when it is not their turn to work. For my dogs, working is sheer joy and passion! They love every second of it.

What animal rights groups live for is creating imaginary victims. Helping victims makes some people feel better about themselves and, of course, it helps them to part with their money so that animal rights leaders can live high on the hog. Oops. I mean high on the carrot. How callous of me. I guess I’m just not a sensitive kind of guy.

Back to the exploited masses of bird dogs. Try an experiment sometime. Read an animal rights essay, and substitute the word “proletariat” for the word “animal.” You will find that animal rights philosophy actually is pure and straightforward Marxian doctrine.

I guess my dogs are not natural Marxists. They love their jobs. They are excited about their jobs. Their jobs make them very happy.

Animal rights people can’t seem to grasp that people can feel that way about their work, too. It’s how I feel about the very hard work of being a dog breeder. It makes me happy.

Another way of putting it is that both my dogs and my own example provide proof that life is not pointless drudgery and exploitation. We provide living proof that joy, beauty and personal fulfillment are possible in life.

I just don’t think of those qualities when I think of the animal rights fanatics I have known. They seem a rather sad and sorry lot to me. I’ll take my dogs’ company any day.

Oh, but the icing on the cake is that I use these poor exploited creatures to hunt innocent birds. How terrible!

Hunting, of course, is a subject of its own, and I won’t attempt to cover it here.

Suffice it to say that opposition to hunting flies in the face of a few million years of human evolution, the entire balance of nature everywhere on Earth, and common sense.

I know one thing for certain. The fact that we have healthy populations of most species of wild birds and animals today is only because hunters have cared enough to support strong conservation measures. We have preserved millions of acres of habitat that are vital to the survival of many species, saved more millions of acres of wilderness from development, supported the protection of endangered species everywhere, and put our money where our mouths are.

Animal rights groupies do nothing but blow hot air, when they aren’t too busy destroying the land and the animals that live on it to create vast wastelands of industrialized monoculture.

I am proud to be a hunter, too.

It’s time for every dog owner and breeder to stand up proudly and be counted.

Each one of you has done far more to enhance the quality of life of both people and dogs than all of the animal rights activists put together.

So stand up and shout it to the rooftops!

Stop crawling around on your bellies and apologizing. Your dogs deserve better from you. You will just have to get a little tougher if you want to live up to your dogs.

What you are doing is right.

It’s just that simple.

We Survived

2011-12-02T07:13:00.001-06:00

Whew, we survived! Good thing I did not expect to be able to go to the fish club meeting after taking two puppies to Puppy Class. I was wiped. Came home & had a beer, walked Argus, played on the computer and went to bed. And I was wrong in thinking this was Letty's last class - she has one more week, so I get to do it all over again. Sparkle at 6:00 and Letty at 7:00.   Actually went better than I had expected, and the girls were very good when they had to take their turns in a crate.

Sparkle walked in a bit nervous but settled in quickly and enjoyed the class. She made up to the trainers and some of the other dogs, quickly learned to do a Sit in the distracting environment and she mastered her Down as well.   Walking nicely on lead, not so much! Like Letty, it will take more than a pocket full of treats to get her walking without pulling. We were delighted to see that Letty's brother Herbie (Virgil/Marshmallow Face) was in Sparkle's class. Herbie is very handsome now, but quite dog dependent as he has not been getting out on his own, but going everywhere with his Weimaraner & Dalmatian housemates. This class will help him a lot. Although it's easier to take dogs out together, that does them a disservice and they need to do things on their own.

Letty was such fun in her class! I really enjoy working with Letty as she is so smart and enthusiastic. Because she has such a reactive personality, we work a lot on the restraint exercises, Sit Stays and Down Stays. It's helped her a great deal and she was distinctly calmer last night and did not have such a wild-eyed look after puppy playtime. She actually came to me on both Recalls, rather than racing around the room trying to stir up the other pups.   She's also become a lot more confident about people leaning over her (that was her downfall as a little pup), and went up to a number of people on her own last night. One classmate even had Letty doing Sits and Downs for her. While we were standing around listening to our instructor, Letty generally sit quietly beside me, looking up at me, waiting to see what we were doing next. Good Dog, Letty!

No word on whether we are still on for Puppy Camping in Canada. If it's going to happen, we need Rabies vaccinations.   I put them off until my pups are 6 months old unless there is an actual need to get one sooner, and crossing the border will require a rabies vaccination. Had planned to send Letty, but am thinking that Sparkle will get more out of it, since she will eventually be placed in a home as a companion AND show dog. She's got a nice average sort of personality and would have a great time in a family with kids. Was really pleased with how much she has picked up already.

Conflict

2011-12-01T06:58:00.000-06:00

Ugh, my hobbies conflict tonight. BOTH puppies have classes tonight, Sparkle at 6:00 (her 1st) and Letty at 7:00 (her 6th and last). Fish club meeting starts at 7:30 and the program will begin about 8:00. Plant night tonight, with lots of good aquarium plants available at very reasonable prices. It's supposed to get down to 15 degrees, too cold for the girls to wait in the car, so it looks as if I will have to bring them home. If the fish club meeting was not held in a church I would just bring in a crate and they could spend the time people-watching, but that's not a possibility either. I could get back in time for the auction after the meeting. We'll see.

Fish are doing well right now, as I'm spending some time working with them every night. A number of tank tops have been scrubbed recently, filter media replaced, and sponge filters cleaned. I'd like to pick up some more plants, but aquarium plants are not really my focus, and most of the tanks have at least Najas (guppy grass) growing in them. The planted tanks are looking good as I have changed the florescent bulbs (they lose their effectiveness and get changed at least once a year) and have been dosing them with Flourish Excel which has really helped plant growth. Thought about using CO2 in a couple of the tanks, but it is such a hassle. I do NOT need to become a plant geek too. Not enough time or money for another hobby!

Sigh . . .

2011-11-28T07:10:00.000-06:00

The Jade Plant is flowering!

Back to work. Sigh . . .   I really needed those days off, but how did they pass so quickly and what did I accomplish? I made a point of NOT using a list, so I did not feel pressured to get things accomplished, and although I did get a lot done I did not feel quite as pressured. I needed that. Now, back to reality, and the world of To Do Lists!

Because I finished the work week on a high note, completing a couple of nasty projects that were hanging over my head, at least I am going back to the office without a big guilt load.

Over the long weekend I finished the audio book "Animals Make Us Human" by Temple Grandin. Amazing book and I learned so much about animals and their core emotions.  Chapter Two (which I listened to three times) dealt with dogs and was full of new (to me) information.  One of the topics covered is the fallacy of "wolf packs". Apparently wolves only live in packs with an "alpha wolf" when groups of unrelated wolves are thrown together in unnatural situations such as the pack of wolves released in Yellowstone, and the Wolf Sanctuaries where wolves are studied in totally untypical situations. Wolves actually live in small family groups with two parents plus offspring, sometimes younger cubs and their older siblings. The younger wolves do not challenge their parents for dominance.  This actually answered a lot of questions I've had over the years as I observe my own dogs who do not really have a hierarchy, and never challenge one another. So the question is am I "alpha" of an unnatural pack, or the "parent" of a peaceful family group? The latter seems to fit much better and explains why my various boys have gotten along for years, and why none of my bitches has any interest in running the show.

If you live with multiple dogs - or even if you just have one dog - I recommend this book/tape.

Know Your Enemy

2011-11-27T07:17:00.001-06:00

Before you make a charitable donation to an Animal Rights organization, be sure you understand their goals. Please support Animal Welfare NOT Animal Rights!

"One day, we would like an end to pet shops and the breeding of animals. [Dogs] would pursue their natural lives in the wild ... they would have full lives, not wasting at home for someone to come home in the evening
and pet them and then sit there and watch TV."
- Ingrid Newkirk, The Chicago Daily Herald, Mar 1990

THE NATIONAL ANIMAL INTEREST ALLIANCE VALUES STATEMENT

The Responsible Voice for Animals and the People Who Care for Them

We support the responsible and humane use of animals for food, clothing, medical research, companionship, assistance, recreation, entertainment and education.

We believe that the people who keep, utilize and care for animals have a duty to assure the well-being of their animals; providing appropriate housing, nutrition, medical care, humane treatment and handling, and when necessary, humane euthanasia.

We support the ethical and regulated hunting and fishing of abundant species as vital components of wildlife management programs, which help sustain and perpetuate healthy wildlife populations and natural habitats.

We support the enforcement of state and federal laws that mandate the proper treatment of animals and provide penalties for animal abuse.

We believe that using sensational media campaigns to promote radical animal policies undermines the democratic process by promoting a misinformed electorate.

We reject the anti-human philosophy of the animal rights movement, which often places the interests of animals ahead of people, even when human lives are at stake.

We are committed to preserving the human-animal bond, the special bond that exists when people live and work with animals.

We believe the animal rights campaign to limit and ultimately abolish human-animal interaction is unnatural, misguided and harmful to both people and animals.

We support laws that punish animal abusers for their misdeeds, but reject legislation that seeks to penalize everyone – responsible animal owners and industries alike for the misconduct of the few.

We reject legal standing for animals, believing that the welfare of animals is best protected by retaining current laws that recognize animals as property.

We believe that others are entitled to disagree with our point of view, but not to break the law or use threats, lies, intimidation, harassment or violence to force their views on others.

For more information, please call on the National Animal Interest Alliance at www.naiaonline.org

or at 503-761-8962

Another Holiday Bites The Dust

2011-11-25T10:17:00.001-06:00

What a lovely Thanksgiving we had! Ron & I loaded up Sparkle, food & wine, and drove over to pick up mom & pies. Then we met Jess along with Letty, Meribel & more food at a Park & Ride in Wisconsin and drove to my sister's. Jess's partner Don was having dinner with his daughter's family, nephew Davis is overseas for a couple if years, and nephew Eric had dinner with his friend Lisa's family, so we were a smaller group this year, just Gram, Ron & me, Jess, sister Kris & her husband Bob. Eric and Lisa joined us later for pie, so Jess & Lisa had a chance to meet. It was a typical doggy holiday with the three Dal puppy girls, Kris's Rat Terrier LD (that's Sparkle & LD in the picture, with Letty chewing a corn stalk in the background), and her huge new dog Maxx who is most likely a Lab/Great Dane cross. Kris calls him a Great Dab. Huge dog, but very sweet & amazingly sound & athletic for such a big fellow.

Because my sister cooks at a nursing home, she is super organized, and everything runs so smoothly. She says it's easy to cook for 6 when you are used to cooking for 40! I guess. We joked that none of us needed to have our food pureed either - some of the nursing home residents get their food pureed - hard to envision turkey & dressing served that way!

Everything turned well - I don't remember a better Thanksgiving dinner. Plenty of leftover cut up veggies (we always stand/sit at the bar in the family room and enjoy wine with veggies & dip while waiting for the turkey to cook) and some cranberry sauce too. I'm baking a crustless pumpkin pie (made with egg substitute & condensed skim milk) and plan to enjoy more pie than I can manage on Thanksgiving. Am going down to check for turkey or turkey breasts on sale - the only thing about not hosting a holiday dinner is no leftovers - and I love leftover turkey. So much you can do with it.

Sparkle did very well other than a little bit of crate fussing when we first took off. She settled in well, though her eyes were pretty bugged out when Letty & Meribel joined us. She made friends quickly though and was soon part of the group. We took the pups for a couple of off leash walks across the farm fields and around the out buildings, and they had a wonderful time racing & wrestling with one another & their cousin LD. Letty even found a freshly killed rat, which she thought was a particularly exciting find! The Great Dab is varminty and leaves the evidence laying around.

The girls were exhausted when we got home, but had to sit and get "sniff over" from Argus, Watson, Josie & Coral. Coral was very pleased to see Letty again, which continues to amaze me as she normally has little time for pups. She does like this one!

Progress

2011-11-23T07:06:00.000-06:00

Sparkle has settled in nicely and learned some of the important rules.

Do your business outside.
Be quiet when you are shut in the dog yard for a few minutes.
Wait without jumping while your food is prepared
Sleep quietly in your crate at night.
Do not bother Coral when she is sleeping.

Next we will work on riding quietly in the car, and she'll get lots of practice when we go to my sister's for Thanksgiving! A long weekend will give us a chance to visit Petco, go for walks, cut nails, and do lots of short car trips. Because Letty comes home tomorrow, there will be LOTS of time for wrestling too.

Missing Letty

2011-11-22T07:00:00.000-06:00

Missing my Letty Girl. She's such a funny little elf and makes me laugh, plus I love looking at her cute face, beautiful spots, and wonderful gait. She's just so asthetically pleasing to my eye and I catch mayself smiling when I watch her. That's Letty and her neice Meribel sleeping on Jess's couch.

Sparkle seems to be well settled in here and acts quite at home. Not sure Watson & Argus are very happy about it, as she is quite the pest, but they're putting up with it, especially Argus who is endlessly patient. When Letty comes home it will be a madhouse around here, but they will have each other to harrass and the big dogs will get a break!

Am a bit concerned about what will happen to the yard if I let them have the run of it. The grass stood up well to Letty, but not sure that a muddy yard can survive two of them. Last weekend's snow will soon be gone, and the yard will be wet and vulnerable, but colder weather can't be too far behind!

House-training is going well and Sparkle seems to have caught on to the idea of going in the yard rather than on the deck, and we are gradually getting her used to doing her business in the dog pen rather than in the yard. She's adjusted well to our raw diet, as pups always do, and after my bad-things-happen-when-you-yell-in-your-crate demo last night, she slept through the night without a fuss. We did a bit of stacking after she explored the basement, and this evening I hope to take her for a short car ride - and convince her that shouting is NOT acceptable their either. Maybe a lead walk around the block too, if there is any daylight left when I get home from work. She's got a lot to catch up on before she starts her Puppy Class in 10 days!

Another New Puppy? What Was I Thinking?

2011-11-21T07:15:00.000-06:00

What was I thinking? Why did I think I wanted another puppy as we go into winter? Ron has taken it all in stride and never even said "I told you so" as we took Sparkle outdoors 150 times yesterday. But we're surviving, and Sparkle has been pretty good so far. The adults have all been great with her, even long-suffering Coral.

Ann arrived with Sparkle & Baci (Baci just along for the ride) on Saturday in a snow storm (I am so not ready for winter!). The pups were a bit overwhelmed by everything as this was their first long trip. Fortunately Ann has been working on housetraining, which is NOT easy with 5 pups, and the two girls were pretty cooperative. They all went along when I took Argus out to the training center (not an easy trip as the roads were crummy) and got some extra socializing.

We opted to walk down to Luci for dinner rather than braving the roads again, and saw a multi-car accident right in front of the restaurant. We had a particularly good meal though - maybe Ann brings the same kind of luck that Laurie does as we always get great food and awesome service when she is here! The pups slept with Ann in the guestroom, so we all got a good night's sleep.

Ann & Baci left for home on Sunday morning. Fortunately, they drove out of the snow & ice pretty quickly and made it all the way home. The first day/night with a new pup is always the toughest, and we all survived. Ron was good natured about the addition and took over puppy duties when Argus & I ventured out for a run (for him) and new shoes (for me). Because the puppy has excellent control, it's hard to know when she really needs to go out, so she gets taken out a lot and occasionally pees. It's almost easier to housetrain a baby pup who pees each time you take it out! But we got through the day with no peeing in the house - and a lot of fresh air! Bet the heating bill for Saturday and Sunday will be as much as for the whole rest of the month!

Because Sparkle is used to being crated with another dog, we had some crate issues and several "discussions", but got past that too and she slept through the night, by herself in a crate in the kitchen with Josie and Coral. We're on our way! Ron is in charge today and I hope he keeps a close eye on Sparkle as she is just as likely to chew a rug as a dog toy. We're spoiled by Letty who is not destructive and keeps herself amused with dog toys. This one will need some supervision for awhile. Each puppy is a new adventure!

Sparkle will likely be available in the future to the right home on a co-ownership. I'd like to show her, but she does not have to live with me, so if you might be interested in co-owning a showdog, let's talk.

Puppy Antics

2011-11-18T07:31:00.000-06:00

From my Facebook posting yesterday evening -

FREE TO GOOD HOME. Former Puppy Prodigy, now turned Life Of The Party. Letty has been a quick study at Puppy Class, catching on to everything amazingly fast. She's gone from cautious about other dogs, to determinedly friendly and MUST meet and play with all dogs. Tonight on the recall, when I called her and the trainer dropped her lead, Letty took off racing around the ring, saying hi to each dog as she passed it, and staying just out of my reach. When I finally tackled her, I'm sure I was red-faced (but laughing). It's always been funnier when OTHER PEOPLE'S dogs have done that.

Letty got way too stimulated yesterday evening, like a kid on a sugar high. I could see it in her eyes. Although I'm pleased that she is now comfortable with other dogs, she is having just a bit too much fun at school. Rather than concentrating on her math, she's always waiting for recess. Time to work a bit more seriously at home. She knows sit and down quite well, but it's time to work harder on stays so that she learns to concentrate for longer periods of time. Lead walking is fine if there are no distractions, but like her father she misses nothing, and always notices things that she wants to check out.

This afternoon Letty goes to stay with Jess & Don for a few days. She'll have a huge yard to race around in, and Meribel to run with, so hopefully won't drive them TOO crazy. Ann will be arriving with Sparkle tomorrow, possibly bringing sister Baci along for the trip as well. Sparkle will get a few days to settle in here without Letty, and I can start her training. We'll be taking her to lots of new places over the next few weeks, as the socialization that is not done by 4 months can not be made up.

Argus has ringtime on Saturday, and Ann will ride along with us. Pet Junction is a good place to socialize pups, so while Argus and I are working, she can walk Sparkle (and possibly Baci) around. Weather permitting, Jess may join us for a bit of extra socialization and possibly some puppy pictures as well. I haven't seen Meribel for a few weeks, and Jess says she is looking good.

Thanksgiving will be at my sister Kris's house, pups in attendance. I'll probably pick up Letty then, assuming Jess has not sent her home in a box before that. Am sure we'll reminisce over the Holidays spent at Kris's or my brother Al's (before he moved to CR). Everyone brought dogs, and they all had a wonderful time too. One year we had two Labs, two Dals, two Westies, a Foxhound and a Rottweiler. Now THAT'S a mixed pack! Kind of a doggy family! This year we'll meet Kris's new dog, a Lab mix who has settled in nicely with her Rat Terrier.

And Suddenly, Cold!

2011-11-17T07:29:00.001-06:00

"Can someone PLEASE get her out of my chair?" Argus asks. Letty certainly keeps things lively around here. The big dogs take turns playing with her, and they will all share their crates, beds or chairs, but you just know that sometimes they wish her gone. Things are a lot more peaceful without a puppy, but a lot less entertaining! She's currently out doing laps in the yard while the big dogs share a collective sigh of relief. Of course she will come back inside jet-propelled because it's only 16 degrees here right now and that only serves to stimulate young dogs.

Puppy class tonight, Letty's 5th lesson, and I'm looking forward to seeing what we will teach the pups and how we will teach it. These very modern methods are particularly interesting to this old-fashioned dog trainer.

Sparkle is already signed up for the puppy class that begins in December. Now, to get her here! There's a possibility of snow on Saturday, but we'd all prefer rain. We need some precipitation in the ground before it freezes, or there are going to be lots of trees, shrubs, perennials and lawns that do not survive the winter. Friday should be warm (relatively warm given it's the second half of November) but Saturday is ??? Assuming things go as planned, Letty will be at Jess's this weekend and I may miss her reaction to the first snowfall of the year. I'll be notably bummed by that!

Hopefully USPS does a good job with my fish today. They are supposed to arrived Express Mail, and I will pick them up at the Post Office. Paid for a heat pack, so hope the shipper did a good job of packing them . . . Tanks are ready and waiting.

Update On Mariah

2011-11-16T07:05:00.001-06:00

Hard to believe that's Mariah shown here with her owner Kay. She sure changed! And she grew legs! No longer looks like she is running down hill. Honest to gosh, she went through some homely stages, but it looks as if she ended up a very attractive girl. Pups normally go back to being what they were at 6-7 weeks, but I sure wondered about this one. Mariah went to Kay with the agreement that she could be shown, if the right things happened. They did! How exciting! Kay loves her, and Mariah gets to be a special dog, exactly what all good dogs deserve.

Argus has been such a good sire. I'm really delighted with the quality of his kids, especially his lovely daughters. Although Argus has not been used very much, he already has 17 champions and is a Register of Merit sire. Three more and he will be Register of Merit Excellent. I presume Mariah will be one of those champions.

New puppy coming on Saturday, weather permitting. Ann is driving Sparkle up - she says its her practice run for driving to the National in Tulsa next year. Hope the weather co-operates. Shipping would be just fine with me, and faster for the dog, but it will be fun to see Ann again, and the guestroom is ready. Am hoping she will also bring Baci, the lovely black-spotted girl she is keeping.

Sparkle is already signed up for a Puppy Class that starts the first week in December. It's hard to socialize pups here in the winter so I decided to get that taken care of immediately. Puppy class insures that pups get out at least once a week, no matter how tempting it may be to stay home and stay warm! Sparkle has been living with littermates and will benefit from socialization with pups of other breeds. Hopefully the weather does not interfere with Ann's travel plans.

Someone asked if the pups still available can go to pet homes or if they must be shown. That's Ann's call. Both are very attractive pups, but they do need homes and she may decide not to wait for show homes. There's a liver boy and a liver girl still available. You can find her contact information on her blog (check my earlier blogs for the link).

Puppy Plans

2011-11-15T07:02:00.001-06:00

Waiting to hear if "Sparkle" is coming sometime this week. Sparkle is one of the James/Nati pups in Ohio and she may be joining our family shortly. She was my favorite pup in the litter, and still needs a home. Her breeders are keeping the beautiful black-spotted girl, and because we had no one waiting for a beautiful liver girl, Sparkle will be coming here, at least for now. I normally have people waiting for livers, but this time my reservations are for blacks. Sparkle has a lovely liver brother and sister still waiting for just the right homes. Don't you need a pup to sit on your lap during the cold winter evenings?

Because Sparkle has been with her littermates for 12 weeks, I feel it's important that she get some "only puppy" time, so Letty will be going off to stay with my daughter Jess and her Dal pup Meribel. Letty and Meribel should have a wonderful time racing around the huge yard, and will no doubt sleep very well. Have to say I am going to miss Letty a lot, but Sparkle deserves some special time.

In December Letty will go up to Canada to stay with Lucy and her family, possibly until after Lucy is bred, assuming she comes in on schedule. Knowing how late Lucy came in last time, I'm guessing she won't be on schedule this time either, but Letty can go back up to stay while Lucy is down here being bred to Agility star Indie. I find myself getting very attached to the lovely Miss Letty. Although I generally prefer Dal boys, this little girl is something special!

Argus is doing very well in his obedience class and would do even better if I trained him more often! Now that the basement is all cleaned up, I actually have a place to train. Not a lot of room down there for heeling, but no excuse not to work on straight sits, fronts and finishes. It's the little things that make the difference in your obedience score, and straight sits and fronts, and snappy finishes are important. I've even reserved "ring time" at the training facility for the next two Saturdays. A big ring with good footing (and no squirrels) is helpful!

I continue to work on the fishroom, getting all the glass tops scrubbed, and the lights replaced on the planted tanks (fluorescent lights need periodic replacement if plants are to grow properly). The fish are not neglected during the summer, but the fishroom is more appealing this time of the year. The temperature is always about 78 to 80 degrees in there, which feels very good when the temps outside are in the "ugly range" and my drafty old house feels less than cozy.

Suddenly Monday

2011-11-14T07:11:00.002-06:00

A most productive weekend, although half the things on my list did not get accomplished. Since I was busy for most of three days, the list must have been a bit too long!

Outdoor work is done, except for the gutters that need to be cleaned. Shall call today and see if I can still get the "gutter guys" out this fall. At least one of the downspouts is blocked, but since we have had no significant rain since June I keep forgetting! Still need to water the trees and shrubs, but will continue doing that until the ground freezes.

While cleaning up dead hosta leaves I discovered that the cartoons of people all bent over who say they can not straight up are NOT funny. Found myself in the same condition. Ouch. Can't put off the call to my health plan's back clinic. Must be some exercises I can do as it's a problem when bathing dogs too. My shoulders are doing better than usual, thanks to the stretching we do at work every morning, but my back needs some work before snow shoveling season.

Finally, the basement is clean! Even scrubbed. Basements in 100 year old houses are not exactly glamorous, and there is no way I could "finish" it and make a nice room down there, but it works fine for raising puppies and keeping fish. Most of the fish tanks are in the fish room which is insulated and easy to keep warm, but there are others spread through out the basement. Project for tonight is to prepare a tank for a dozen Dario dario aka "Scarlet Badis" youngsters. Purchased these on Aquabid and am hoping to be able to breed them.   They're moving into an established tank that currently houses a Purple Spotted Gudgeon. Not sure where he will move too.

Letty had a busy weekend too, as she entertained her niece Gemma one of the Penny puppies, and then went over to Gemma's
house for a sleepover. Do little doggy girls have slumber parties?   She obviously had a great time but came home absolutely exhausted, and spent most of Sunday sleeping in the chair!

The handsome boy pictured at the top of the page is Sherman, the patched boy from Argus and Boji, Argie's first litter. That litter of 8 had 2 patches, plus 6 pups good enough to show.  5 have finished their championships - Ben, Rita, Sam, Nati and Lucy. A 6th boy also went to a home where we were supposed to have the right to show him.  An agreement is only as good as the people who make that agreement, and those buyers refused to even discuss it once they got the puppy and his paper work. So there is a very handsome pet out there who perhaps could have been a show dog. Hopefully, all is going well - but I wish I knew for sure.

House cleaned, dogs groomed, Dog Park for Argus, training for both Argus & Letty, paperwork done for my mother, dinner with her too, files reorganized, lots of computer time (I call that "work" as I am still learning the bells and whistles on the new one), excellent casserole made, what else? Lots of things crossed off on my list. I was really anticipating a three day weekend to get caught up (is a person ever really caught up?).

So why is it suddenly Monday?

A New Puppy?

2011-11-10T06:56:00.000-06:00

Letty and Coral

Coral actually seems to like naughty Letty. She has not been very patient with the last couple of pups who have stayed here for awhile, but this one she seems to be fine about. She'll actually let Letty sleep with her, and patiently puts up with her silly puppy antics. Coral at 13+ generally has little tolerance for nonsense.

Poor Coral will have to adapt to yet another puppy next week when Sparkle comes to stay, at least for awhile. We're taking one of the James/Nati pups for a try out. We may sell her eventually, probably on a co-ownership, but it will give us another pup to work with over the winter and show in the spring, and will get a puppy away from her littermates. A brother was supposed to be coming too, to a performance home, but sadly that seems to have fell through. I'm really disappointed, as is Ann. If you're interested in a beautiful, healthy, well-bred, well-socialized 11-week old puppy, there may be one for you! Leash trained, crate trained, and well on the way to being house-trained. A show pup, performance dog, and/or companion.

Letty is doing her very best to keep us entertained. What a character she is!  She's decided that dog bowls should not contain water and does her best to dig it out. Results in a big mess on the kitchen floor, but a lot of laughter from Ron & me. Unfortunately, by not correcting it early (too busy laughing) it's become something of a problem. A messy one. Oh well, water wipes up easily.

Our friend Patti has offered to take Lucy up to Canada for awhile this winter. It's a great opportunity for extra socialization, especially with kids. Patti and her family did a great job of raising Lucy, and a wonderful job of socializing Eddie and Meribel. I'll miss Letty terribly, but it's too good an opportunity to pass up. Plus it will give Sparkle a chance to be an only puppy for awhile.

Although it's possible to raise littermates together or raise a puppy with one or both of it's parents, it's very important that puppies get the necessary individual work as well, and leaving home for awhile is very helpful for developing self confidence.   Letty will get away from the "pack" she has always been part of, and Sparkle will leave her littermates behind. Sounds like a good situation for all of us.

If you are thinking of acquiring a Dal puppy, or of adding a second puppy to your family, remember that Sparkle has littermates available.   You can see pictures and read their story at -
http://dalscowsandmore.blogspot.com/

ALSO, if you plan to donate money to charities for the holidays (we donate to the Food Shelves and to the local Humane Society in lieu of Christmas gifts), please read this first.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/nov/8/help-a-puppy-not-a-lobby/

Whole Stole My (fill in the blank)?

2011-11-08T07:06:00.005-06:00

Camera is missing this morning. Where did it go? Who stole it? Who mislaid it? Must have been me, but how far away can it be? How can things get lost in a house inhabited by two people, one of which (not me!) is very organized? WHY can I not remember to put things away, or at least to leave them OUT in plain sight? After 45 years of driving I have gotten in the habit of putting the keys where I can easily find them - dining room table - and I never ever mislay my glasses, but everything else? Oops.

So naturally, I just missed a chance at the shot I've been trying to get, Letty digging the water out of the water bowl. Any kind of a floating speck is an excuse to dig out all the water. Cute, but a bit messy! I haven't exactly discouraged this behavior (something I know I will regret later) but I'd really like to get a picture of it before I force Letty to give up her sport.

OK, it's gotta be here SOMEWHERE. I'll put Ron in charge searching today, and put up with the digging for a bit longer. I want a new camera, but can't quite afford one right now, so I need this one back.

Obedience class went very well for Argus last night. I'm really pleased with how well he is doing. The dogs were popping up like jumping beans on their stays last night, but I was able to go out of sight and Argus never moved a muscle, even when sniffed by cute girl dogs. Good boy, Argus. Heeling is getting smoother, attention is improving immensely, finishes are improving, and fronts are very good. Was not sure how it would work with Argus in a class that does not depend on food incentive training, but he's doing very well. Our biggest problem is straight sits, but that's only because I have not put much time into that yet. We need to work on straight sits for a few minutes everyday, so he actually understands what straight looks/feels like. Rented ring time on Sunday which will help. So hard to work in the house, or out on the cold dark street. No, that's a copout, I guess. We CAN work on straight sits, fronts and finishes in the basement. Just need to make it part of my evening routine.

There's a big difference between getting an obedience title, and getting it with good scores and placements. The difference is time spent on the little things, like straight sits, good fronts, snappy finishes and attentive heeling. If we are to do this, we will do it right. I need the training as much as Argus does, and I definitely need a better work ethic. No excuses.

Cheeseburgers For All! Or Maybe Not?

2011-11-07T07:04:00.001-06:00

Congrats to our friend Meg Callea who had a wonderful weekend in Southern California. Two new champions including Argus's puppy daughter "Bella" - you saw her baby pictures here last spring. Bella finished her championship in two specialty weekends from the Puppy Class, with 4 majors including a Specialty Best Of Winners. Bella's big sister "Tia" from the previous breeding of Argus & Tess earned 19 (of the 25 required) points toward her Grand Championship. A cheeseburger for Argus!

We spent Saturday at an all day seminar for breeders, sponsored by the AKC Canine Health Foundation. I'm NOT used to sitting in class from 8:30 until 5:45, but it was well worth it. Excellent speakers, good facility, nice lunch, and good company (Jess & Stephanie). One of the speakers addressed nutrition and the epidemic of canine obesity - that at least 60% of American dogs are overweight. Tragic! Just as with people, overweight dogs are prone to many health issues, and easily managed health issues can be more of a problem in overweight dogs. She stressed the importance of what she refers to as "healthy lean", and the fact that we as dog owners and show people need to spread the word. Many of the orthopedic problems in dogs, like hip dysplasia, are FAR more likely to occur in over-weight dogs because of the stress on the joints of growing puppies. Pleasingly plump is NOT a good thing. Fat is fat, too many calories are too many calories, and we are doing our dogs a big disservice by allowing this to happen.

Doing What Comes Naturally

2011-11-04T07:03:00.002-05:00

Dory Colman Anderson took this lovely picture of GCh./UKC Ch. "Penny", an "Argus" daughter out of "Nikon" who just earned her CGC.

Penny doing a coaching instinct test. Hopefully road trials are in her future,

It IS OK To Cry About Dogs

2011-11-03T07:02:00.001-05:00

Same title as yesterday, but only because the thought did not get finished when I ran out of time. While talking with a Dal owning male friend about the fact that his first Dal was approaching the end of its life, I reminded him that it was OK for men to cry about dogs, and that he should not be embarrassed about doing it. That losing a beloved dog was similar to losing a family member. After his dog passed, he made a point of telling me that he remembered what I had told him, and it made him more comfortable with his feelings of grief. When Pepper died this week, he posted the reminder to Jess's Facebook page, which touched us both.

I've cried about many dogs in my lifetime. Dogs I've owned, dogs I've bred and sold, dogs owned by friends, and dogs I've never met. I can look at a picture of Rob and still cry, and he's been gone for over 11 years. I recently looked at a picture of Sid who has been gone for several years, and shed a few tears of him. Each of my dogs has left its own chapter in my heart.

I can't imagine owning just one dog and losing it to age, accident or illness. To have no dog to come home to, to greet me in the morning, sit quietly beside me, or accompany me on a walk. I've owned at least two dogs for the past 45 years and sincerely hope that I am always in a position to be a dog owner. If the time comes when I am forced to live without a dog or two, I will have to fall back on the memories. So many good memories of wonderful dogs I've known and loved.

It's hard to understand the people who say they will never own another pet because the pain of losing them is so great. Certainly the joy of owning them is even greater. We go into pet ownership knowing that most domestic animals live lives far shorter than our own. Although it hurts to lose one, it provides us with the opportunity to know a variety of animals during our lifetime, and each one has its own special story to contribute to our memories.

Coral (13 1/2), Watson (11 1/2), Josie (8) and Argus (6) received a lot of extra hugs this week. Hard to believe that my youngest adult Argus is already approaching middle age. Jess's other Shepherd Simmie is 12, old for a Shepherd. I told my dogs I am not ready to grieve again in the near future, so I expect them to stay healthy. And when the time comes for another wonderful dog to depart, I will say my Good Byes, shed my tears, and add to the wonderful memories that live in my heart.

It's OK To Cry About Dogs

2011-11-02T07:14:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was such a sad day, as everyone was reeling from the loss of my daughter's German Shepherd "Pepper". Although Jess & Don knew she had cancer, an evil incurable type of cancer, and were preparing for the sad day, one is never really ready to lose a loved one of any species. Sometimes we lose them suddenly, through accident or illness, while at other times we have a chance to get used to the idea that age or illness will soon steal a special friend. Jess & Don had a month of good days to share with Pepper, and they made it a special month for all of them. They had a chance to show Pepper how much she was loved and appreciated, but knew their time was limited. When the end came, it came quickly, following a weekend of fun & games & good times. They had promised her that she would not suffer needlessly, and when she woke up in pain, with "that look" in her eyes, they knew it was time. Perhaps that was the best way, if there is a best way.

Those who have never truly loved an animal companion will never understand the grief their passing leaves. Dogs especially, provide us with love and companionship and make a special place in our hearts, but many people are no less devastated by the loss of special cats, horses, and other companions. There is a special bond between many humans and their animal companions, and although their loss is devastating at the time, most of us agree that it is well worth the pain because of the joy they bring us during their lives. We often hear people say they will never have another animal companion because they can't bare the pain of losing it, and I wonder why they would deny themselves all the joy to avoid the pain?

We go into this knowing that we are likely to outlive any of these companions who join our households. We love, cherish, and enjoy them during their often far-to-short lives and remember them with loves and tears when they pass. The memories remain forever.

This is not complete, but the dogs are nagging for breakfast, and I'll give them each an extra hug in memory of Pepper. They probably wondered about all the extra hugs yesterday, but obviously appreciated the extra time and attention they each received.

A Very Sad Morning

2011-11-01T07:05:00.001-05:00

Just a month ago my daughter's German Shepherd "Pepper" was diagnosed with Lymphosarcoma, a fast growing cancer that is always fatal. At the time Pepper was a vigorous robust 5-year old dog, who always received the best of care, the best of diets, plenty of exercise, and lots of love, the things that normally help to insure that dogs live long and healthy lives. However, German Shepherds are one of the breeds at risk of cancer and a number of other health issues, and as it turns out Pepper's mother had died of cancer last spring. Fortunately, Pepper was never bred.

Jess posted this to Facebook this morning,

‎"28 days ago, we promised her we would not let her suffer - today is the day we stand behind the promise. Everyone, please give your dogs a hug."

Just amazing how fast the cancer progressed, from an active healthy-seeming dog with swollen lymph nodes to a dog who will be departing today. Jess & Don made Pepper's last weeks as enjoyable as possible. Although I am not a Shepherd fan, Pepper really was a terrific dog, and much loved by her family. She and her buddy "Simmie" certainly changed my view of the breed. Because Simmie is 12-years old in a breed that normally does not live to be that age, there is more sadness in store for Jess & Don. Fortunately, they have Dal puppy Meribel to help ease the pain.

As Jess says, hug your dogs today, and remember why you have them and how much they add to your life.

Jess posted

A Scare At The Dog Park

2011-10-31T07:07:00.000-05:00

Faithful Josie

We had a scare on Sunday when Argus was body slammed by a couple of Rhodesian Ridgebacks at the Dog Park. No malice intended, they just "ran over" Argus, rolled him, but he came up screaming. Argus was up ahead of me at the time, greeting new arrivals to the park, but the minute I heard the shriek I knew it was Argus. One of the other dog owners restrained him until I got there, in case he was seriously hurt, so I ran up to find a person sitting on the ground with her arms around Argus. He was pretty shook up, and full of dirt and sand, but walked back to the car under his own steam. Palpating him didn't identify any sore spots, so I put him in his crate, gave him a drink, and we went to White Castle for a breakfast sandwich.

I tried to keep him quiet yesterday, but he was having none of that, and he did not appear to be lame. A little bit slower getting up and down was about all. I need to work him for a few minutes this morning - we were not very conscientious about training this past week - and we'll see if he's at all stiff on fronts and finishes. That's the reason I did not do things like this while I was showing Argus. Couldn't take a chance of him getting hurt then, but nothing is without risk and he loves going to the Dog Park.

Apple pie with Granny on Friday. Excellent pie made with Harrelson apples. It was even better for breakfast the next day, as she sent the leftovers home with us. She showed me the pastry cloth and roller cover she used when rolling out the crust and noted that "someone" should inherit it and continue to make pie. It better go to my sister Kris or daughter Jessica! Although I love eating homemade pie, I have no interest in making it. A good casserole or interesting veggie dish is more my thing.

Letty and I did our puppy socializing at a couple of pet stores yesterday. One of them is also one of my favorite aquarium stores. We stopped there to pick up some algae wafers, but also came out with a new fish - a Dragon Goby, a long snake-like fish with huge jaws. He went into a tank with larger fish, just in case he decided to sample his tankmates. It's never wise to purchase a fish without reading up on it's needs first. Definitely an impulse purchase on my part, but I'll give him a good home. My fish normally live a long time and I have a number of 5-7 year old fish. I need to do some reading though.

A few good puppy homes are still needed for Nati's litter in Ohio.

Progress

2011-10-28T07:05:00.000-05:00

Resting with Ron

Good night at puppy class. Letty was certainly the life of the party, and seems to have totally gotten over her apprehension concerning dogs. She played with everyone during the puppy play time, and demonstrated how fast & agile Dal puppies are. When she was chased by the Goldendoodle, Berner, Dane & Bullmastiff, she would turn on a dime, run back at them, and leap over whichever ones were in her way. Amazing how fast she can corner, and so nice to have the large ring with excellent matting for the pups to play on for a few minutes.

Letty is doing very well on her sits, comes, and even on leash walking. Thought her tendency to get out in front and PULL would be a problem, but she's catching on. Much of last night's class was spent on greeting people without jumping up, and pups were rewarded for standing their ground with four feet on the floor, or sitting to greet strangers. Letty does not jump up on strangers (although the same can not be said for friends!) and is still apprehensive about people leaning over her, but is much better now, thanks to class. If people stand up straight she is quite comfortable, but if they hover over her she backs up - obviously something we need to get resolved before she is old enough to show. It's a different personality than I am used to dealing with, and much different than her father Argus who always mugged every person he met (and sometimes still does).

Letty needs to go camping again - any volunteers?

Had a scare last night when the owner of the dog we want to breed Lucy to indicated that he wanted to neuter the dog. Because Indie is a competition Agility dog, it would be easier if he were neutered - less chance of distraction, but I did not want to do a frozen semen breeding with Lucy. Although frozen can be successful, and Indie has been "collected", it can get quite expensive, and the success rate is not as good as with natural breedings. I'd rather take my chances on the weather this winter, and drive her down to Lincoln to do a "dog on dog" breeding, so to speak. Indie's owner agreed to wait until after Lucy was bred, which is MUCH appreciated! Now we need to get the plans in place for getting this accomplished. You can be sure it will happen during the worst weather!

You've seen pictures of lovely Lucy, so here's a video of her intended, running Agility at the National,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8ToOZU_fQk

Too Nice

2011-10-27T07:00:00.000-05:00

The lovely weather continues, relatively warm, sunny and dry. Temps have been above normal for a month or more, and we've had very little train since June. What started off to be a dought-busting year with rainfall 5" above normal, has switched to another droughty year with below normal rainfall. The Land Of 10,000 Lakes may end up The Land Of 10,000 Mudholes. Anyone who does not believe in Climate Change, make that Accelerated Climate Change, should belong to the Ostrich Society.

Lists

2011-10-26T07:02:00.001-05:00

I'm a firm believer in keeping lists, a list always labelled To Do.   I have several of them going at any one time, as I don't always remember to carry them between home and work, and sometimes lose them for a few days. The small spiral notebooks that used to be called Steno Pads are my favorites, and there's normally two or three of them in use at any given time. One of them was labelled Sue's Mind, but whenever I lost that one it gave me a creepy feeling, so now they all remain nameless.

Am I more forgetful than the average person? Am I getting more forgetful as I get older? It's hard to know, but something that I worry about occasionally. I do know that lists help me stay organized, add structure to my life and help me get a lot more accomplished. Because I have several time-consuming hobbies (dogs & fish), an elderly mother, an elderly house, a yard, a car, a job, and am always involved in a variety of half-finished projects (such as the bathroom re-decorating that is still not finished), there are always things to do. At least once a week I re-do one or more of the lists, carrying forward the things that remain undone. Then the list seems to be nagging me, but eventually those things get done.   The audiology appointment DID get made, as did the dental appointment that was made & kept. The list reminded me to call Denise to find out when my haircut appointment was - it was in 20 minutes, so I got there on time - but that had been on the list for a week!

"Buy new dog tags" was on the list for weeks, but the new tags arrived yesterday and now the list says "put tags on collars". We'll get to that eventually! "Look at comforters" has been there for several weeks and I've been looking but have not found what I want, so it will be moved forward again. "Buy beef heart" was accomplished and replaced with "cut up and nuke beef heart" (for training treats). "Sun flowers and gourds" still need to be purchased, but that requires "go to Farmer's Market" first. "Replace dryer hose" is back on the list as it never got accomplished last winter so it MUST be done this year. "Train Argus" and "train Letty" will stay on the list for a long time since it is an ongoing "to do", and "cut dog nails" goes on every week, as does "water changes" (in the fishroom).

Although lists are essential for staying on top of things they also give me great satisfaction when I cross items off the list.  There is a list in front of me right now with 22 items, 12 of them crossed off. The list on the dining room table came home from the office (I jot down reminders during the day) and contains10 items, a few that will be duplicates. If this is a productive day, perhaps 6 -8 items will be crossed off, but the rest will be there to keep me on track, or nag at me. Unfortunately, they are NEVER finished . . .

Another Weekend Gone

2011-10-24T07:10:00.003-05:00

Breakfast with mom

Monday always comes too soon it seems, but as my life dashes by so quickly the weekend will be here again almost as quickly. Where does time go? Why does it seem as if the carousel of my life is spinning faster and faster? How can we all be this old?

Hard to believe I have survived six decades - six decades! That's a lot of years. I feel pretty much the same as I have for many years, I'm on no medications except eye drops, and can still do the important (to me) things like running a lively Dal around the ring, driving long distances, and keeping abreast of technology. Taking my mother to breakfast is always a reminder to take care of myself, and to enjoy these things for as long as I possibly can. It won't last forever . . .

It's my apple!

Friday evening was spent packing and labeling things to take to the fish club auction. Saturday was spent at the auction and it was a long long day. When I left at 6:30 there were STILL things to be auctioned off. Just an amazing number of bags of fish and plants, buckets and boxes of supplies, and tanks large and small. Most of my things sold well, some extra fish and lots of equipment I am not using, including a large tank. Not sure that I broke even, as I purchased quite a few fish and a few plants, but the day's entertainment was not very costly overall. It was fun to catch up with fishkeeping friends I had not seen in some time.    Saturday evening was spent getting the new fish all settled in. I still have tank space, so many hang out on Aquabid from time to time.

Argus enjoyed another Dog Park Sunday and spent the time running hard with with Huskies and Labradors. He sure had fun, and it's good for him to run long and hard.  We try to keep all the dogs fit, and we do a lot of walking, but the yard is small and living in the city there are few places where dogs can run safely - and legally.   Although I pay the same taxes as golfers, there is never enough money in the city's budget to follow up on the proposed Dog Parks. I would willingly pay fees to run my dogs in a safe and convenient park.   A section of the Highland Golf Course would make a fine Dog Park!

Took mom to breakfast and had a nice time. She really enjoys getting out, and lives on the way back from the Dog Park, so I can pick her up and leave Argus in the car while we eat. He waits patiently, knowing that Dog Park Sunday always includes a treat for him, either part of my White Castle Breakfast Sandwich or in this case half of the lovely scrambled egg, ham & cheddar in in a Lefse wrap (it's a Scandanavian restaurant and bakery).

Jess and Don came by with Meribel, the little brownie girl who was up in Canada while Lucy was down here to be shown last weekend.  She's very cute, and will help them survive the winter as 12-year old German Shepherd Simmie struggles with age related issues, and 5-year old Shepherd Pepper battles cancer. Meribel's function is likely to be Therapy Dog for Jess and Don I'm afraid, but cheerful happy pups are such fun!

Such Fun!

2011-10-21T07:25:00.000-05:00

Letty and her rubber chicken

Letty and I both enjoyed her first puppy class. I was a bit concerned about how she would handle all the dogs, but she did well and had a wonderful time, especially during the free time when the pups could run and play together.

I admit to being a dog snob, and I love watching beautiful purebred puppies. We arrived early to watch the class before us, currently on week 5 of the 6-week class. Between the two classes there were many lovely pups destined for show careers, as well as a number of obviously well-bred purebreds. What a variety! Letty's classmates included a Bernese Mountain Dog, a Standard Poodle, a Cardigan Welsh Corgi, a Pug, and two Goldens. I noticed a lovely Bullmastiff in the earlier class, and recognised a number of show people in that class. Each class had about 15 puppies and two instructors.

Our first night was spent working on getting pups to respond to their names, teaching sits, and coming close enough to be grabbed by the collar, the groundwork for coming when called. Everything was done with treats, small tidbits dispensed by the owners as well as the trainers. Every time the trainers came by Letty was expecting more treats of course. We started just the basics for controlled lead walking which will be Letty's toughest exercise as she already wants to be out in front of me, leading the way. You could identify all the little show pups who were already conditioned to pockets - they know where the treats are kept! Letty kept free baiting for the trainers, watching them, squaring up, and waiting for a reward. She handled everything very well and was totally comfortable about the other pups.

The most interesting part was the puppy play time, where the pups were divided into larger/older and smaller/younger groups. I was given my choice and went with the larger pups because Letty is used to playing with Dals and Shepherds. Right choice. She was the star of the show, the most playful and interested in other dogs. We certainly resolved the nervousness with other dogs! Letty and her largest classmate, a handsome red curly dog who was probably a Goldendoodle, had a wonderful time racing, leaping, and dodging amongst their slower moving classmates. I suspect that next week the Standard Poodle boy will join in too, but he was just a bit overwhelmed last night. Like her father, Letty used body language to invite other pups to play with them.

The last few minutes were spent "passing the puppy", standing in a large circle, greeting the person to our left, telling them our puppy's name and handing them the leash. We talked to our new charges, gave them treats, and passed them on. Again, Letty thought that was great fun, something I never expected her to enjoy.

Our instructor is a show/performance person who told me several times how much she liked Letty, and what a great attitude she had. Guess we found just the right place to train. Can't wait 'til next week!

Dog School

2011-10-20T07:10:00.000-05:00

Monday was Argie's night to start school and he did wonderfully well. Wish I had a picture of the expression on his face as we were heeling along with a group of silly teen-aged dogs, an "exactly WHY are we doing this?" kind of expression. He knows the exercises and did them willingly in class. Project for this week is working on straight sits and fronts. Because I have tendinitis in my left shoulder (thanks to the dogs of course, and all the times they have attempted to rip off my arms in pursuit of a squirrel) that will be aggravated by this, Argus is being trained on a prong collar. Nope, it's not cruel when used properly and we refer to prongs as "power steering for dogs". Ah, a great topic for a blog post!

Letty on the other hand will be trained on a simple buckle collar. She's small and still a light-weight and doesn't pull much, but I'll still have to be careful. Every time I keep a pup my shoulder gives me trouble, so I have to work around that. Letty knows a number of commands already, sit, down, stay, stand, walk, and come, but we shall see if she remembers anything in the stress/excitement of a class. I don't normally take my pups to puppy class, doing my socialization at pet stores and dog shows, but we have no more shows coming up and Letty needs more work.

My pups are generally what I would call "foolishly friendly" and love all people and most dogs. The biggest problem I have is to keep them from mugging everyone they meet. Argus has always loved everyone and all dogs, and most of his kids are like that. Letty is not wired that way and takes a few minutes to make up to strangers. I could "feel" that in her body from the time she was 3 weeks old, when it was quite obvious that she had already categorized people as "Sue" and "everyone else". She's fine about situations and is not sound sensitive, just does not care to have people reaching for her. The fact that she is so incredibly cute means that everyone reaches for her! She really prefers her space. She's the same way about dogs, although has gotten much better about strange dogs. Letty does remember her friends though and covers them with kisses. Our goal is to get her to assume that everyone is her friend. Pups under the age of 4 months are incredibly trainable, so we are working to "modify" this part of her personality. Puppy training classes are a wonderful tool.

Fall Cleaning, Part One

2011-10-19T07:13:00.001-05:00

Lucy & Argus, Jess & Sue

Whew, it will be awhile before I get caught up at work, but things at home are back to whatever-passes-for-normal here. At least the living room is no longer full of luggage and assorted bags of travel requirements. I need to send the pink suit off to the cleaners and put away all the dog show clothes since there is nothing on the horizon dog show-wise. The suitcase is back in the extra bedroom where it will probably stay until at least February. Most of the stuff is out of the car, except for the empty crates (rugs are in the basement for washing, buckets are in the kitchen for washing) that will be removed tonight. On Sunday I hope to get the car down to be washed, vacuumed and perhaps carpet-shampooed as well. Then I can put the 3rd seat back in and we're ready for non-dog transportation again.

Every fall I get the urge to clean and discard - so many things have been stashed over the years and need to be moved on. SOMEDAY I will need to move, and I want to lessen the pain by eliminating all the accumulated items that I won't be needing. It's a battle every step of the way as Ron is a saver, and although this isn't even his house, he seems to feel pain with every item I select for elimination. Last night I cleaned out the closet under the basement stairs as it only contained junk and will work perfectly for dog show things - crates, coolers, fans, tarp box, etc. Three old fans will be removed to the alley today, in hopes that one of the "borrowers" stops by to claim them. A huge old crockpot and other odds and ends will go to Good Will. Many other items went into the trash barrel and I told Ron they were NOT to be rescued.

Five empty aquariums went out to the front porch where they have already been claimed. A post to Minnesota Fishkeepers Forum resulted in 11 people willing to take them off my hands. I also have a large trash bag full of 1/2 gallon plastic jars used for Betta keeping - grow out jars for young fish - that will be claimed later today. Fish club auction on Saturday and I have a number of items to take there as well. Only problem is that I am likely to bring home more than I am taking! Haven't been to an auction for a long time, and I will be tempted!

What A Weekend!

2011-10-18T07:13:00.000-05:00

What a fun weekend! Our trip to Kansas went according to plan. We had a wonderful time, the dogs showed well, and we accomplished our goals for the weekend. The Specialty was such fun. Although the Saturday and Sunday shows were in a horse arena with packed dirt floor (fine for showing Dals), the Specialties were in a lovely bright, clean, modern building. Back to back Specialty shows, morning and afternoon, with reasonable judging, nice entries, lovely trophies, an excellent luncheon, and the weather was perfect! Friends from as far away as Texas and Canada made for a fun get-together, as many of us will not see one another until the spring specialties or the National in May.

Our motel was so nice. We've stayed there before and appreciated the large rooms, comfortable beds, lots of grass for walking and a wonderful breakfast bar. We were about 20 miles from Lawrence, but traffic was never a problem, and the $1.60 toll for driving an excellent stretch of freeway was OK. Jess and I even discovered an excellent and affordable Mexican Restaurant with very VERY good Margaritas - or rather Sally Forth, my trusty Garmin, found it. Off the beaten path too, so the football crowds were not a problem. We liked it so well we came back the next night with friends!

Letty had a great time as there were other Dal pups her age. She particularly enjoyed spending time in the large x-pen with her sister Weather and another Dal girl of about the same age. Letty was great in the motel room, never fussed in her crate, and learned to pee and poop immediately when taken out on lead - an important thing for future show dogs to learn! Some pups are not comfortable in elevators, but she never missed a step. The only thing she had a problem with were all the people in costume who were staying at our motel and performing at the Renaissance Festival nearby. She did have to stop and stare at some of the very strange looking people!

This was Eddy's first outing and he performed like a star. I made the decision to show him when I saw him a month ago, but Jess had never seen him before and I'm sure was wondering about my sanity when I decided we would pick up an untrained 11-month old puppy boy on the way to the show, and expect him to be a showdog. His owner lives in a small town with little access to training classes, but she has trained show dogs before, and while Eddie was staying in Canada last spring he got some good training. What a little star he was! He and Jess really clicked, Eddie caught on fast, tried very hard, and was such good little guy. He did far more than we had anticipated!

Our goals for the weekend were finishing Lucy's championship, finishing Argus's bronze-level Grand Championship, training Eddie, and socializing Lucy. Mission accomplished at the first show. Lucy charmed the crowd and the judge, and went Best of Winners for a 5-point Specialty major, her second, and won the Award of Merit as well. Argus went Select Dog and showed beautifully for a 5 point GCh major (he needed 3 to finish). Eddie was the big surprise though as he went Best Junior In Sweeps, and Reserve Winners Dog in a major, topping that with Winners Dog for a major at the second show! Good boy, Eddie! We took show pictures, of course, but stopped to get some shots of Eddie on the way home. Such a handsome little guy, and a fabulous temperament too.

Argus started his obedience class last night. Stayed tuned!

What Am I Forgetting?

2011-10-13T07:39:00.000-05:00

We're leaving in a few hours for Lawrence, KS for our first dog shows since last May. Argus is beside himself with excitement. Letty is going along too for the socialization - hope I don't regret it! Jess will arrive about 9:00 with Lucy, and when we pass through Mason City, IA we'll pick up Eddie from Lisen. Two Specialty shows tomorrow and two all breed shows on Saturday and Sunday. Judging panel is pretty decent, and we enjoy the people in the Kansas City club. Meg and Toni and some of our other friends will be there as well, the weather sounds good, and we anticipate a fun weekend. A winning weekend would be even better. We'll see.

Our primary goal is finishing Lucy's championship. She has her majors, just needs 4 single points. Because the entry is good-sized winning any of the 4 shows will give Lucy enough points to finish. She's already a Canadian Champion, but we wanted her American Championship too, since she will be the 5th champion from the Argus/Boji litter. Lucy's family is looking forward to doing a litter this winter and we're hoping that she produces as well as her sister Nati did.

Argus is basically retired but needs just a few points for his Bronze Level Grand Championship, something that was created after he retired, so we might as well try for it this weekend. If nothing else, he'll have a good time.

This will be Eddie's first show weekend and fortunately he'll be in the Puppy Class. He can walk on leash but is NOT show trained, and is just as dog crazy as his father Argus, PLUS he barks when excited. He's never been to handling class or obedience class, so this will be Dog Show 101 for him. Jess has a good touch with untrained dogs - better her than me!

This is one of the reasons we have dogs, not the main reason but one of the fun things we can do with dogs. We're off on adventure with beautiful, happy, silly dogs and will spend the weekend with dear friends. Both Jess and I really need a vacation, so even though this will be WORK, it will be a nice change for both of us. It's also something that I can share with my adult daughter, a common interest and a sport that we both enjoy.

Living With Dogs

2011-10-12T07:08:00.000-05:00

Group Tug

I sometimes think how much easier & less expensive it would be if I did not live with a houseful of dogs. I could go to bed when I wanted and get up late, there would be no bills for dog food whether kibble or a raw diet. No vet bills either, and they can be significant. No need to take young rowdy dogs to obedience class, no boring handling classes for young show dogs. The patio door would be free of nose prints, the floors & furniture wouldn't always be hairy. There would be so much less laundry to do too, and dog laundry includes heavy blankets and hairy cushions that are tough on the washer and dryer. The car would stay cleaner and would last far longer without dog show trips, vet trips, dog park trips, and puppy socialization trips.

I wouldn't have to replace the patio door so often if I didn't have dogs to let in and out a hundred times a day, or dogs that occasionally slammed into the door. The furniture would last longer, as would the rugs and tile. There would be no grooves in my deck where the dogs launch after squirrels, no drool on the kitchen floor or puddles of spilled water from messy drinkers. I could go to work without hair on my clothes, and my office chair and car seats would be hair-free. It would be cheaper to heat and cool my house if the doors were not opened so often. May bank account would look a lot better (unless I became obsessively involved in something else) and I could take vacations to interesting spots rather than to auditoriums in Nebraska and fairgrounds in Iowa.

The tendinitis in my left shoulder is directly related to all the young (and not so young) dogs who have attempted to rip my arm off when they saw squirrels, rabbits, cats, blowing leaves, whatever . . . My back would probably be better too without 40# cases of food, crates, ex pens and puppies to lift, and dogs to bathe.

I ask myself, why do I do this? And that's a great topic for tomorrow!

Puppies?

2011-10-11T07:01:00.001-05:00

When I flew to Ohio to see Nati's pups, we took a complete set of photos that I posted to an album on Facebook. Since YOU may not be on Facebook, here's a link if you want to see all the pups.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150855530405232.750920.770245231&l=ac36375657&type=1

There may still be several pups available, a companion pup, a pup that may turn out to be a show prospect, and perhaps a top show quality girl (available to just the right home). We're delighted that Argus's first two daughters to be bred have both produced excellent litters. Hopefully Lucy & Pauli will do as well as Penny & Nati have done, if they are bred next year.

Coral had her surgery yesterday to removes several lumps and bumps. Her bloodwork was good, so she was considered a suitable candidate for surgery, although she is 13 1/2 years old. The lump on her back (which appeared to be a cyst that would not heal) and a large dangling wart on her elbow were both removed. She was pretty groggy when I picked her up at 5:00, but seems to be back to her old self this morning. I suspect the hardest part of the procedure for Coral was missing breakfast yesterday morning. I fed the others after Coral was already out in the car so she could not wonder why I was mistreating her. When she walked into the clinic she was hurt that no one offered her treats like they normally do.

Watson and Josie are playing with Letty who has really become a member of the household. Fortunately she has not harassed poor Coral this morning. She can be such a pest, but can normally get someone to play with her, which helps a lot. Trying to decide if I want to take her along this weekend. It would require taking the 3rd seat out of the mini van, something I find increasingly hard on my back. The things come out OK, are just so heavy and awkward when I need to take one up the front steps to the porch. Vowed I would not do that again, but if I take a 4th dogs I'll have to. Ugh.

Another Weekend Gone

2011-10-10T07:12:00.000-05:00

Coral scheduled for surgery this morning to remove a couple of skin growths. Her bloodwork was good, so she's a suitable candidate for surgery, even though she is 13 1/2. She's got some small warts that don't bother her, but a larger one on her elbow does, and she licks at it even though it requires a rather awkward position! The one on her back is more like an abscess that won't heal. Could have a biopsy done but won't, as it would not affect course of treatment at this age. How am I going to explain why she will not get breakfast this morning? I'll go in to work late, dropping her off at the clinic on my way.

Letty went "camping" over the weekend, spending two nights with Charlie and his family. Charlie and Letty were absolutely wild when I first dropped her off, and I was not sure if she would survive a 55 pound whirlwind, but she's used to playing with Argus and Josie, and knows how to dodge and duck as needed. Things settled down after the excitement wore off, but Letty requires a lot of supervision as she explores her world, sampling rug corners, furniture throws, drapes, and everything else within mouth level.

Argus went to the Dog Park on Sunday, after missing out last week while I was out of town. Sure was dry, and the pond that the dogs use for cooling off was totally empty. I walked through the pond bed and was not surprised to see many forgotten tennis balls mixed in with the leaf mold. It was getting warm by the time we left and Argus was grateful for the water bowls left by park users. I'll have to return the favor and bring along a jug of water the next time we go. Ran into one of our Dog Park friends, so Argus got to run with his Golden/Springer cross friend Allie. Lots of Labs there as always, and a cute little Shelter/Border Collie cross who is sharing a drink with Argus.

Sure wish we had a local Dog Park! The city of St. Paul discusses them from time to time, but never manages to find the money, even when a good location is available. Lots of money for golf courses, but there are a lot more dog owners than golfers!

Got lots of chores done this weekend, including dusting and vacuuming although it's tough to spend time indoors when the weather is so nice. One outside chore was dog bathing, perhaps the last time I will be able to do that outdoors this year. We have a Groom Rite table with a grooming arm, and the table is water proof, so perfect for dog baths. The tap water is getting cooler, so it's not quite as pleasant, but so much easier on my back to bathe dogs without having to bend over them. Coral and Josie really enjoy baths, Watson has never enjoyed them, and Argus thought the water was too cold and complained with groans and moans. Wimp! Letty got a towel-down rather than a real bath.

Spent the evening doing fish chores, getting ready for the upcoming fish club auction. I'll be in town for this auction, and plan to buy some fish for my empty tanks. Winter is the best season for fish keeping as the heated, well insulated fishroom is sooo pleasant when it's cold outside, and drafty upstairs. Letty is showing promise as a fishkeeper, and enjoys trying to catch the fish in one of the large bottom tanks - which is now covered with " mouth marks".

Letty continues to look very promising, and either her tail is improving or I am getting used to it. I kept her knowing that tail carriage often improves, but there is no guarantee of that. She's really quite stunning otherwise, also very bright - not necessarily a good trait, as the dumb less imaginative pups get into less mischief!

Delayed Picnic

2011-10-07T07:01:00.001-05:00

We planned a picnic for my mother this week - she loves picnics on my deck. I suggested that she make arrangement with Metro Mobility to bring her here and I would take her home. Normally I pick her up, but there's no way to get out to her place and back during rush hour in a reasonable amount of time, since I work until 4:30. She made arrangements to be picked up at 3:45, and just about the time I was expecting her, about 4:30, she called to say she had not been picked up yet. Oops, When she called in was assured the driver would be there by 4:45. He was, so we figured all was well. Mom called about 5:15 to tell me the driver was dropping off someone else first, and later to tell me that they were somewhere in Minneapolis. I live in St. Paul. At 6:15 they were on James Street in Minneapolis. I live on James Avenue in St. Paul! FINALLY, at 6:40 they arrived, poor mom having been in the backseat of the car for two hours.

Hard to know if the problem was with the person who originally took the reservation, or a driver who did not know the Twin Cities. The driver was very apologetic, but still had OTHER people to pick up after he dropped mom off - wonder how long THEY had been waiting?

While services like Metro Mobility are certainly invaluable to seniors, they obviously are not withoutglitches. I'd like to file a complaint, but I don't know where the blame should be placed, and my mother has used the service for medical appointments and never had a problem other than some reasonably long waits. This was not reasonable, but she did arrive safely.

Burgers on the grill, grandma's potato salad, spinach salad, fresh pineapple and beer cheered us all up, and Letty enjoyed the company as well.

Computer Woes

2011-10-06T07:07:00.001-05:00

Why did I just assume that with a new computer everything would go smoothly? Why is it that projects that should be a snap end up taking the whole evening to complete? iTunes and my iPod Nano had not been "communicating" recently, and I really miss having a book to listen to on the iPod when I go walking. Figured the the new computer would solve the problems. Hah!

Before I could set up the Audible.com download manager on this computer I had to load iTunes. Easier said than done, and it kept getting hung up and freezing up the computer. Finally got that taken care of (an hour later) and tried to sync the iPod and download a new Kathy Reichs mystery that was in my iTunes library. Worked just like it had on the old computer - not at all. Tried everything including resetting the iPod, several times. Finally went back to Audible, downloaded the book again, and suddenly everything worked. Hooray! I haven't a clue why any of the processes finally worked. Nothing ever seems to be user-friendly on my computers, BUT it did get done, I now have a new book to listen to, and the satisfaction of finally winning another battle!

So very sad that Steve Jobs lost his battle with pancreatic cancer. He certainly fought long and hard. What an amazing man! In a world that sometimes seems sadly short of heroes, he was certainly one of them.

"The only way to do great work is to love what you do ....If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on." ~ Steve Jobs. RIP

My Puppy Is A Brat

2011-10-05T07:12:00.002-05:00

If I were one of the older Dals, I would pin Letty to the floor, grab her head in my mouth and threaten her with dire consequences. Unfortunately, everyone is still putting up with her obnoxious behavior. Shouldn't be too much longer before Argus, Watson & Coral lose their tempers, grab her, slime her and make her scream. Poor Josie, who believes in permissive puppy raising, will patiently tolerate Letty leaping at her face, biting her ears, pinching her paws and grabbing her by the tail. She'll cry out for help, but won't discipline the pup, and may in fact step in between Letty and any adult who want to teach her a lesson. If the late "Uncle Sid" were still with us, Letty would already have started to learn what a growled warning means, and what happens if you don't pay attention.

She's rolling on the floor with Argus right now and he is endlessly patient. Watson plays with her too, but gets tired of her shenanigans a lot more quickly. Although she goes out to the dog yard with the others now, and LOVES being outside, she also has the run of the "people yard" so she can do laps. I've been working outdoors when I get home from the office, assisted by Letty who loves racing around, dragging things including plant clippings, bits of fencing, sticks, and my pruning shears.

Housetraining is going well, as long as Ron & I are paying attention. She'll always pee when taken outdoors, but occasionally slips up and pees on the rug if we are not watching. Hurls herself at the door when she needs to poop, so the concept is there, just not total control. She's good in a crate, fine in the car, and has become a toy fanatic like her housemates. Reebok was not much into toys, but Argus & Josie, and even 13 year old Coral and 11 year old Watson still play with toys from time to time.

Puppy training starts on the 20th, but we're working a bit at home every evening on stacking, baiting, sits, downs and stays, as well as walking on lead. She's smart and willing and loves the attention of course. Still carries her tail higher than I would like, but looks terrific otherwise. But what a brat!

New Computer ,No Time, 'Nuff Said!

2011-10-04T07:45:00.001-05:00

Eric gets things up and running while Lisa keeps him company.

Eric installed my new computer last night. He designed & assembled it for me, plus moved everything I needed off the old one and got the Internet connection going as well. Saved me SO MUCH time and aggravation. I've always purchased "package deals" from big box stores, so having one built for me was a new experience!

Everything seems to be running well, and it suuuurre is faster. Now I have no excuse for not blogging - except that I will be playing with all the bells and whistles, and trying to find my way around.

Gone To The Dogs

2011-10-03T07:07:00.000-05:00

A busy, doggy weekend. Left Friday after work for Ohio for a quick trip to see Nati's pups. Nati is a sister to Chs. Bennett, Rita, Sam, & Can. Ch. Lucy, and this was her first litter. This picture only shows the three black pups and one of the livers, but there were actually NINE pups, although one spent the weekend at the emergency clinic because she had a freak accident during BAER testing. We stopped down to see her Saturday afternoon, and she went home Sunday afternoon after my departure, so my litter pictures don't show her, and she's a beauty.

Nine bilateral hearing pups, no blue eyes, no patches. Nice numbers indeed! We spent Saturday evaluating puppies, taking puppy pictures and talking dogs. Ann's family bred and showed Dals when she was a teenager, and when she decided to get back into the hobby she contacted a longtime Dal person who she remembered from back then. Carol put her in touch with me, and the rest is history. Delighted that Nati finished her Grand Championship handled by Ann, and then produced such a lovely litter for her. Several nice show potential boys and a some absolutely stunning girls. Could easily have brought a brown girl home - good thing they were too young!

Ann lives in the town she grew up in, in a 200 year old farmhouse that her family has owned for generations. We had a lovely Italian meal sitting at the bar in a local restaurant, and the people on the next stools recognized her from church, although they had never met before. Interesting people, and we had a very nice time, along with an excellent meal - except for the chocolate chips in the Tiramisu! Whose idea was that, I wonder?

My flight was an adventure, starting with a serious pat down at the Minnesota airport - heightened security, or just chance? The TSA people were all very nice, so it was no big deal. Return flight left late, and when we were almost to Minnesota I could feel us doing a big U-turn and the Captain came on an announced that due to engine problems we were being rerouted to Madison. Ron was tracking the flight on the computer and thought we were closer to MSP than Madison, but who knows the reasoning behind the decision.

We were met by fire trucks, and three guys dressed in HazMat suits and looking like space creatures. They came up with sensors and checked the engine on my side of the plane (for temperature? was it overheating?). There was only one later flight to Minnesota scheduled for Sunday, and there were no rental cars available, so our options were few. Fix the plane, take a shuttle bus to Minnesota or wait and fly out on Monday - if there were seats available. Ugh. The mechanic took over an hour to arrive, and we all wondered around the airport or sat in the bars. A lunch voucher for $6.00 does not even buy a sandwich at airport prices. Three hours later it was announced that things were fixed, and we were soon back in the air and on the way home.

I hate flying. Never scares me as I figure if we crash, we die, and that's that. Just hate all the waiting around, the lines and how long it takes to get anything done. I don't resent the security procedures, since the reason for them is valid, but I do hate how long we often have to wait to endure them. At least the Cincy airport was practically empty on Sunday morning and things went quickly.

The puppy pictures are on a flash drive so hopefully I can get the new computer figured out quickly and put up a page of puppy pictures. Eric assures me that he will arrive with the new computer tonight. We'll see.

Preparations

2011-09-30T07:10:00.001-05:00

Why does it take so long for me to prepare to leave town for two days? Lack of practice? For three years I was often gone for 2 - 3 weekends a month. After sitting home since May it seems to require an amazing amount of effort to prepare for a quick trip to Ohio. And I'm flying, taking no dogs. Guess I am out of practice. Hopefully I will have less trouble getting ready for 3 days in Kansas City next month!

I always make a list for Ron, what to feed the dogs, supplements if any, and what needs to be done with the fish. The fish will all be fine for a couple of days as there are no new babies right now, BUT the Marmorkrebs will need feeding, especially the hundreds of new babies.

Marmorkrebs are self-cloning crayfish, not a natural species apparently, but something that turned up in the pet trade in Germany. Lots of unanswered questions about their heritage, but they're here to stay. I had received 6 youngsters when I purchased fish last summer, but had no idea they were old enough to produce offspring until I discovered some in a tank - tiny miniature crayfish. Once I started looking I discovered that one of the other females (they are all females) had hundreds of tiny babies attached to her abdomen. Oh my! So algae wafers will need to be dispensed to the 5 tanks that have crayfish inhabitants.

Had to remember to charge everything, including cell phone, camera battery, Nook reader, and iPOD. How did I survive without them? Computer, iTunes and iPOD were not communicating last night so I could not download a book I purchased for the trip. I'll solve that issue next week, I guess. Technology can drive you nuts!

Laundry done, things ready to pack, but decided that I need a new carry on as mine might not measure in - as happened to Jess coming back from Westminster. The size is correct but the wheels make it too long. Drat. Let's see, I can pick one up on my way home from work. Assuming I remember. Add it to the list. Because I am used to having a mini van and quite a bit of room, I have trouble packing a small suitcase. Now I can learn to pack an even smaller one.

See ya. I promise to take pictures of Nati's pups, Argus's grandpups.

Out Of Time

2011-09-29T07:06:00.003-05:00

Spent my free time fighting with my computer this morning. Good news is that the new one is supposed to arrive with Eric next Monday. Could have gotten it Friday, but I'll be on my way to Cincinnati to see Nati's pups!

Letty has a new toy and not even Josie can steal it from her. Think I may have to remove the squeaker to keep my sanity!

Rare Golden Dalmatians?

2011-09-28T07:06:00.000-05:00

Still no computer and no word from my nephew. Would be nice if he'd let me know what's happening here. Guess I should have stuck to my original plan and bought my computer at Best Buy. Oh well, this one is still clunking along. Hopefully it holds out a bit longer.

Off to Ohio this weekend, a quick down and back to visit "Nati" and her pups. Really looking forward to seeing them, and spending a bit of time with Ann & Dave. Anyone still looking for a puppy? Nati has 9 of them and I understand a couple may still be available. Let me know what you're looking for and I'll keep you in mind when I evaluate the babies. Two black parents, but lots of livers and a few blacks.

Speaking of color, here's an interesting one. I have a number of pictures of Bailey on my computer. She's a liver-nosed lemon - nope that's not light liver spotting, that's lemon. Or perhaps it's orange, but we normally refer to all of these dogs as lemons, with either black or liver noses. Some lemons are a rich deep shade of orange, sort of a pumpkin color, while others are so pale you can barely see their spots. Bailey has interesting two-tone spots with a darker edge and a lighter center. Very unusual.

Lemons are much more common than tris and long-coats, but most show lines do not produce them. An English dog who produced lemons came to the US about 30 years ago and lemons were more common in show lines for awhile, and we saw quite a few of them during the popularity boom in the 80s as some of the commercial breeders were coming up with them. Again, this is not an exceptable color for the show ring, but some people really like them. There's a simple cheek swab DNA test available that can be used to see if a dog carries the genes that produce lemon.

Years ago we saw an ad in the classifieds for "Rare Golden Dalmatians". Now that's marketing!

Doodling

2011-09-27T07:07:00.000-05:00

My new computer did not arrive yesterday. . . I'm so disappointed, but Eric is sick, and everything is on hold. Hopefully this one holds up just a bit longer, but it's getting increasingly hard to boot up in the morning. It's normally left on most of the time, but has taken to shutting itself down at night.

Like most people these days, my pictures are on my computer and never get printed, but what a treasure trove! I've been looking through the ones that were on my previous computer that crashed. I had them switched over to this computer by the Geek Squad, but have not gone through them in years. Forgot all about some of them - like this tattooed fellow!

The pictures also include quite a few long coated, odd colored and interestingly patched dogs, pictures sent to me by people who know my interest in such things or found the color pages on my website. I'll start using them in my blogs.

This handsome fellow is a real tri-colored Dalmatian. A tri is not black and liver spots on the same dog, but rather black & tan or liver & tan spots in the same areas they would show up on a black & tan non-spotted breed like a Doberman. Note the tan spots on his cheeks and lower legs. This is not common in Dalmatians, and is not an accepted color, but well marked tris are very handsome dogs!

Is It Monday Already?

2011-09-26T07:04:00.002-05:00

What a fun weekend, and lovely fall weather too. This is the best time of the year with cool nights and brisk sunny days. Wish it could last forever, but will settle for a couple of months before winter attacks.

Laurie arrived on Saturday to spend the weekend, just as Jess arrived with the Cruise/Penny pups on their way back from BAER testing. We got some lovely pictures of the pups, especially Amery who will go home with Laurie and come back in the spring to be shown if she is ready then. Really like the boy Ellsworth too, who will be a fine mover and has a particularly appealing personality.

Letty went home with Jess for an overnight, so she could meet the German Shepherd girls Simmie and Pepper who are very good with puppies. Being the snooty sort she was NOT impressed with being thrown in with her little nieces and nephews. She met Jess's puppy visitors, was thrilled to see Don again (what a memory she has for friends), and spent some time in the indoor/outdoor run. Meeting the Shepherds and Penny was very good for her. We call it Puppy Camping, and need to make arrangement for her to stay with friends in the near future. Camping makes a dog more adaptable and self confident, and makes it easier for them to accept any future changes.

Dinner with mom on Saturday at her favorite Olive Garden. We went early and didn't have to wait quite as long as we usually do. Nice meal and lots of laughs, and a particularly good drink called an Italian Margarita - highly recommended!

Laurie and I took Argus to the Dog Park on Sunday morning and he had such a good time with his friends. Totally blew us off though, other than checking in from time to time. Think we need to work on our recalls! Am so glad I found this place, and have thoroughly enjoyed watching the dogs interact. Lots of sporting breeds yesterday, so lots of hard running which pleases Argus. Breakfast at White Castle on the way home.

Later we went to visit Jess & Don, enjoy the dogs, and retrieve Letty, but also to collect on my Mother's Day Gift. Wine tasting and excellent appetizers at a nice little restaurant in St. Croix Falls. Again, lots of laughter and a good time had by all. The leaves were just beginning to color - it's going to be gorgeous in another week or two. "They" say we will have excellent fall color.

Such a fun weekend! Thanks Ron, Laurie, Jess & Don, mom and assorted dogs. I had a great time.

Weekends are too short, but really looking forward to my new computer arriving tonight. I spent some time going through all the old photos and documents on my computer and found some great stuff for this blog. Stay tuned!

New Computer Soon

2011-09-23T06:53:00.000-05:00

My new computer should arrive on Monday and in preparation for the changeover I've been going through all the junk that's accumulated on the current computer. Thousands of email addresses! Who are these people, and how many of these addresses are actually still valid? Just amazing how large my address book is/was, and how many multiple addresses I have. How do I know which address to use? I deleted hundreds (thousands?) of addresses and it still needs more pruning.

Because I want to move my Word documents to my new computer, I went through those too. Why did I save some of this stuff? Why did I even write it? What did I use it for? Turns out that over half of the documents are Ron's but at least his are prefaced with his name so easily identifiable. Hopefully he'll go through his documents tonight.

And my emails, oh my. Why did I save some of these things? Just amazing. I deleted many of the folders and their contents, but still have to go through those containing emails, articles and information about stoneformers, LUA issues, deafness and allergies. There's some good stuff in those folders, but mixed in with a lot of trash.

Because I rarely print pictures, my computer hosts thousands of pictures. Show photos, pictures I've taken, pictures that have been sent to me, and pictures that I have found and saved. They are all backed up on my little Click Free, so I can find them if I need them, but I might as well just have the ones on this computer moved over to the new one. Or not? Maybe I should start fresh, but I often use pictures for this blog or for Facebook, and it's nice having them handy.

My understanding of what can be moved and what needs to be re-installed is sketchy, so I'll let Eric advise me on those issues. Willmaker, iTunes, Audible downloads, things like that.

OK, enough of this. I finished this blog, selected Publish Post, and the screen went blank. Blogspot had not saved the whole thing, but at least part of it was available as a draft. Do I blame Blogspot or my computer? Or both?

Time to go feed dogs.

Eric was loading the software including Windows 7 last night and will be bringing the computer over on Monday night. I'm really looking forward to the 23 inch monitor too. I have dual 23 inchers at work, and this one seems so primitive - even though when I purchased this flat screen monitor it seemed very "state of the art". But that was 4 1/2 years ago and things have changed so much!

Fussing About Facebook

2011-09-22T06:52:00.001-05:00

Much of the evening was spent cursing the changes that just showed up on Facebook. Facebook Junkies really hate changes, fuss and fume whenever they happen, and threaten to leave. They don't of course, being hooked on Facebook. These changes are pretty significant, but I'm sure we'll adjust. Grudgingly, of course. In the meantime, creativity was out in full force!

Pups Are Such Fun

2011-09-21T07:15:00.000-05:00

Missed my blogging yesterday, but the computer is being so difficult that sometimes it's just not worth the fight. It's a 4 1/2 year old Gateway and has given me good service, but is coming to the end of its usable life, I suspect. All my stuff if backed up in case of a crash, but the biggest problem right now is when it shuts itself off and is almost impossible to turn it back on.

Letty is doing very well as an only pup. She's moved to a crate in the kitchen and we'll take down the puppy pen this weekend. She's been in the pen at night up until last night, but moved upstairs for the whole night and did just fine, no fussing at all. House training is going extremely well, with only a couple of accidents, and those were our fault because someone was not paying attention. She's very good about doing her business outdoors, and it catching on to using the dog yard rather than the lawn.

Jess will be driving the Crupens (Cruise/Penny pups) down for BAER testing on Saturday, then stop by so we can do another set of puppy pictures. Letty will enjoy having someone her own size to play with, although she's doing well with Argus and Josie.

Another adventure coming up on Sunday when Letty goes along to Jess and Don's and stays in the outdoor run with her little cousins while we go for lunch and wine tasting. It will be good for her to be a dog for a few hours, and I want her to meet the Shepherds as she has very little experience with other breeds and is pretty intimidated. The Shepherd girls have been very good with Jess's pups, so they'll be perfect for introducing Letty to strange dogs - or wolves!

Pups are such fun!

And Then There Was One

2011-09-19T07:08:00.000-05:00

Lucas left for his new home on Saturday, and Letty became an only child. She's managed it well and I'm trying to find the right balance between enjoying her and spoiling her! Not always easy, as she is so incredibly cute I am often tempted to pick her up and carry her around!

Training is going well, and she understands that "hurry, hurry" means she should pee outside. Now, if she would only do it in the dog yard rather than holding out for grass. Only one accident, and that was my fault for not paying attention. Now, to work on the rest of it. Ron is pretty good at house training and he does the "day shift", so as long as he remembers to watch her we should continue to make good progress.

I wish Letty was a bit more outgoing with strangers. It sometimes takes her awhile to warm up to new people, although once she is comfortable she remembers her "friends". She really doesn't care to be handled by people she doesn't know, but because she is so incredibly cute everyone wants to pick her up and hold her. Most of our pups love everyone, so this is a new experience for me, and I have to remember to work on it. Letty needs to go to "camp" soon, to stay with friends for a few days to break some of the dependency she has on me. We also need to work on meeting new dogs. Time to check out a Puppy Kindergarten for her, a "nursery school" for puppies.

Training is going well and Letty quickly caught on to "Sit", "Down", "Come". "Watch" and "Stand". Amazing how fast pups pick things up at this age. It just takes a few minutes at a time, but of course I have to either crate the adults, or take her outdoors by herself, as everyone wants to share in the training treats!

Growing Up In Pieces

2011-09-16T06:55:00.001-05:00

The Arboks & I met up with Rosie & Weather last night. Interesting to see how the pups are developing, each following a different pattern. Letty is still pretty much together, still moving quite well, and her tail is looking somewhat better. Lucas is starting to look like a string bean but still moves pretty well, a bit loose-jointed but not bad. Weather has grown the most and is lovely to look at but her beautiful gait is gone for now as she has started developing in pieces and her proportions are off.

Argus at 4 months

It's interesting to watch pups develop, each of them a bit differently. We always joke that once you make your selection, it's better not to to re-evaluate the pup again for quite awhile, as most pups go through some ugly stages. Best to just enjoy and train the pup, and hope that eventually the pieces will fit together again!

Argus was a rubber band as a youngster, no body, no chest, as rubbery as can be. But cute! Watson grew up all in "one piece" and always looked good, but that's the exception. As Letty goes through her growing stages, I will have to remind myself to admire the cute, and not worry too much about the finer points!

Lucas goes off tomorrow to his new home. Rather than going to Jessica, as Don wants to keep one of the Crupens, he'll be placed locally and we will keep show rights. Lucas is a handsome pup, happy and sweet, and will be fun to show, and we know that Eloise and her family will do a great job of raising him to be a good citizen. He will be their 3rd Paisley boy. We'll take a look at Lucas occasionally to see how he's coming along, but mostly just let him enjoy his puppyhood as a well-raised pet. When he's ready to show, we'll borrow him back on weekends.

Now it will be MY job to keep Miss Letty entertained, and house-training begins seriously tomorrow as she moves to a crate in the kitchen. I'll make the pen much smaller, but leave it up for awhile so if I am going to be gone for more than half a day she can be in her pen rather than in a crate.

Next Comes Winter

2011-09-15T06:44:00.000-05:00

Frost on the deck rails, already! Ugh. Unfortunately the forecast was correct and it did indeed freeze last night. It's 34 degrees now, so it must have been light. Hopefully the uncovered plants survived here, but outside the heat island of the Twin Cities the veggie farms will have suffered severe casualties. My daughter says it's 28 degrees in Osceola. Hope this does not hurt the apples, as many varieties are just now ripening and coming to market. What a strange year we have had weather wise.

A batch of Stuffed Peppers was a good excuse to use the oven last night and warm up the kitchen! Last week I found a recipe that was easy and delicious. This week I modified the recipe to make the peppers a bit healthier, substituting brown rice for white, ground turkey for beef, and low fat cheese for regular, plus I cooked the peppers first to make them more tender. Turkey, peppers, rice, black beans, Ro-Tel and cheese make this a fast and easy recipe to put together.

Time for the Arboks to go outside. They will not be impressed. Lucas leaves for his new home on Saturday morning, and Letty will be an only puppy. Can't wait! Lucas is a doll, but it will be nice to be able to concentrate on Letty who is so clever and eager to learn. Best that I teach her good behavior before she figures out the bad stuff on her own!

Freeze Warning? Now?

2011-09-14T07:21:00.000-05:00

Turn on the treadmill!

Two nights ago I taught Letty and Lucas to run on the treadmill, not for exercise but for learning a new skill. Pups are so smart at this age and catch on so quickly. I should be teaching sit, down, and stay, but this kind of stuff is so much more entertaining! Whenever they are loose in the basement now, the Arboks head for the treadmill, just in case I might want to turn it on and ply them with cookies.

Time for a second vaccination too. Has it really been a month since the first one? One more thing on my list. Am meeting up with Rosie on Thursday so hopefully we can get current pictures of Weather. Am anxious to see her again.

Dog shows this weekend, but I just can't get excited about them. Only Argus entered and he really doesn't need to go. He'd enjoy it of course, but he'd also enjoy going to the Dog Park instead of a dog show.

Hard freeze warning for tonight, so it's time to bring in the houseplants and cover some of the yard plants. If it were later in the fall I'd leave them uncovered, but some of the perennials and blooming nicely right now and I hate to lose them this early. The 40 year old Christmas Cactus and Jade Plant will go back out after this cold snap, and this weather will insure that the former sets buds and will flower well again this year.

When I think of all the tomatoes and peppers and all the other produce not quite ripe or ready to sell, I worry about all the people whose livelihood depends on vegetable sales at the various Farmer's Markets. What a weird year weather-wise!

And Suddenly, It's Fall

2011-09-13T06:47:00.000-05:00

Letty Arbok, 9 weeks

After a gorgeous weekend, warm & sunny with just a light breeze & brilliant sunshine, it's suddenly autumn. 52 degrees this morning, and a possibility of frost in the suburbs later this week. Not sure I am quite ready for this, but after wishing summer away, I can hardly complain. Love this time of the year, but not what follows. Perhaps we'll have a lovely autumn, with warm sunny days and brilliant leaf color. But a little rain would be nice right now as my lawn feels like concrete.

I started teaching Lucas & Letty about the treadmill last night and they loved it - or at least they loved the snacks they got as rewards. The treadmill became their favorite new toy and they spend the rest of the evening running up at down on the ramp. Perhaps tonight I can get a picture of them on their new toy.

Love the picture that we got of Letty at 9 weeks. She's such a pretty thing, and such a character. Looking forward to her being an only puppy, so she can move into the kitchen and become party of the family. It will also be nice to take down the puppy pen and get my basement back!

Tonight is Salsa night. A batch of Roma tomatoes from the market, an onion, a bunch of cilantro, salt and lime juice. Then I will have Salsa on everything for the next week. Love Tomato Season! Last night I had BLTs, two of them, probably the only ones I'll have this year. I rarely purchase bacon, but it's a necessity this time of the year, and the sandwiches were terrific. I cheated and purchased microwave bacon to cut down on the mess. Pretty spendy, but the packaging worked perfectly and the bacon tasted very good and came out nice and crisp with no mess.

"Gone To The Dogs" or "Something's Fishy"

Please Keep Your Cats At Home

A Bit Of Variety

Gone To The Dogs

Of Course They Are Lapdogs

Raw Feeding CAN Be Easy

Something To Keep In Mind

Auction On Saturday

Food Survey

Absolutely Nothing In Mind

A Most Successful Weekend

Top Twenty - Show Or Not

Time For A Change

Puppy Inquiries

The New Middle-Age

Old Ladies Need Toys Too

Monday At Home

Designer Dogs - aka Expensive Mutts

No More Phone Envy

Falling Apart

So Ready For Boredom

The Responsibility Of Dog Ownership

All Is Well

Too Many Fishes?

Ranting On Rescue

Me, A Snack Lady?

Still Ranting

Dog Shows, Fish Kids & Pet Peeves

Breed Specific Legislation

Worth Sharing!

A Mouthful Of What?

I Own Dogs & Occasionally Sell Puppies

Retraining My Blogging

Err On The Side Of Caution

Plenty Of Time To Worry

No Time

Dog Shows On-Line

Picture Perfect

Christmas Surprises Can't Wait

Feelin' Groovy, No, That's Gloomy

Letty's Back

Deat By Vaccinosis

An AKC STAR Puppy

Never Say Never

What Was I Thinking?

Economy vs Comfort

Monday. Again?

In Defense Of Dog Breeders

We Survived

Conflict

More Time For Reading!

Sigh . . .

Know Your Enemy

Another Holiday Bites The Dust

Progress

Missing Letty

Another New Puppy? What Was I Thinking?

Puppy Antics

And Suddenly, Cold!

Update On Mariah

Puppy Plans

Suddenly Monday

A New Puppy?

Whole Stole My (fill in the blank)?

Cheeseburgers For All! Or Maybe Not?

Doing What Comes Naturally

It IS OK To Cry About Dogs

It's OK To Cry About Dogs

A Very Sad Morning

A Scare At The Dog Park

Progress

Too Nice

Lists

Another Weekend Gone

Such Fun!

Dog School

Fall Cleaning, Part One

What A Weekend!

What Am I Forgetting?

Living With Dogs