Money Week

With all the people scheduled retired from our office, the office chit chat often centers around money issues. Perhaps because I work with money all day, I put very little thought into my own finances, particularly my investments. Decided that THIS was the week to get a handle on everything and discuss my finances with the appropriate advisers. I hope to be able to work at least 4 more years, so there is still time to make the necessary changes. Fortunately I belong to a wonderful Credit Union and have access to excellent financial advisers, free of charge. This was also the week that representatives from our Deferred Comp (retirement plan) were available for appointments. Took advantage of both.

Although I don't have a lot of investments, it's a useful amount and I am tired of looking at my stocks continue to lose money. The mutual funds have done quite well over the years so I wanted to hang on to them. Switched the mutual funds account to the Credit Union (from a large banking giant) and liquidated the stock account. Am tired of waiting for Medtronics and Merck to become winners! The money from the stock account will pay off my Visa (my only charge card - yay, no charge card interest anymore), and buy another CD or more mutual funds. I am officially out of the stock market - hooray!

I decided to reallocate my Deferred Comp account, and moved everything to the state Fixed Fund that currently pays 4.3%. Isn't it amazing that THAT is a great return right now? The money comes out before taxes and is taxed when withdrawn, in contrast to the IRAs where the money is not taxed if withdrawn at the appropriate time. Increased my Deferred Comp deduction as well, since I will have no interest costs on my Visa. Think I will go in and increase it further.

Today I will retrieve my savings bonds from my safe deposit box and decide what needs to be done with those. Haven't paid them any attention for years. Then all I need to do is keep my job!

Campaigning a dog is expensive, even with co-owners to help. Next year Argus will only be shown a specific shows, rather than being campaigned. He is the last dog I plan to campaign extensively. Yes, I said that after Morris in the 90s, but now age is also a consideration. Although I can still show a dog as well as the younger folks, that won't last forever! Campaigning is exhausting - the highs are so high, but the lows are very low indeed, and the travel is time consuming and sure wears out a car.

Argus and I will have to get involved in obedience competition to keep us BOTH from going crazy!

Josely Posely

I was looking through my pictures this morning - you know, the pictures that live on your computer's hard drive and never get printed? There must be at least a zillion of them, and I occasionally go through intending to delete many and reorganize the rest. Although I start with good intentions, I always seem to get sidetracked as I think about the dogs, people, places and events that are pictured. Came across some shots taken as I was trying to get pictures of Josie waiting for me to throw a toy for her to catch. There are very few decent shots of Josie because they would have to be "action shots". If you so much as make eye contract with Josie she grabs a toy and dances in front of you waiting for you to throw it for her to retrieve or catch. You can see the anticipation in her face if you look at this picture.

Josie (aka Josely Posely) is such a cool dog. She's from a litter bred in Colorado, and sired by Argus' brother Peter. She finished with a nice record including a Specialty major, and produced two large litters of the most incredibly charming pups. Most were livers and almost all of them have Josie's wonderful personality. Sweet, silly, cheerful, and incredibly playful. Many went to previous Dal owners, and their owners always comment on how their Josie kid is the most entertaining dog they have ever owned.

Josie waits for me to come home from work, and always hears the car as it comes down the street. The minute she hears me at the door, she grabs a toy and gets Argus to tug with her - even though they have been dosing all afternoon. It never fails that when I walk in Josie and Argus are tugging, while watching me. If I hide her tugging toys she races frantically around, looking for a substitute so that she can greet me properly. Good dog Josie, my silly clown.

Back To Reality

It's been a fun couple of weeks but I need to get back to my routine. Two 3-day dog show weekends, the long trip to Colorado, and having a house guest meant that my regular chores got set aside. The house doesn't look too bad, the yard can wait 'til the weather cools off, but the poor fish have been neglected - fed on schedule but no water changes. The three large barrels are full of water that is aging a bit, and the two with "doctored" water will be ready to use tonight. Epsom salts, marine salt and baking soda make the water better for my lifebearers and most of the cichlids.

First order of the day will be making a chiropractic appointment for Argus who is not moving quite like he should. I suspected a problem this weekend, but it took some moving shots from my friend Tom to show me there was indeed a problem that needed to be addressed. I know how it happens, but can do little to address it other than pleading with Ron to be careful when he sends the dogs out. They go racing off he deck, slipping and sliding, and hit the sidewalk at an angle, trying to be the first one into the yard in case there might be squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, mice or the neighbor's cat. It's not a pretty scene, Watson has twice hurt his right shoulder as well as his back, Josie has sprained her right back leg, Argus has hurt his right shoulder and back and Coral has hurt her back. None of the injuries have been serious (so far), most required only aspirin and rest, but a couple have required chiropractic visits. I could see from the picture that Argus was not moving with his back as level as it should have been, but I also noted that he was fussy about stacking yesterday, and another friend noticed that he was rocking back, which is something he has never done before. Seems as if he and I are in a self- destruct mode!

We are very proud of how well some of Argus's brownie kids did this weekend!! Charlie picked up 2 more points (but the major broke), Penny was BoS at the Specialty and Select the other two days for points toward her Grand Championship. Pauli had a Select and a Best of Breed, and out in the Pacific Northwest, Pauli's brother Krash won the Puget Sound Specialty and Best Of Breed at the all breed show the next day! Nice showing. The other Argus kids in this area showed very well, with Sam & Rita getting lots of compliments in Specials. That's Krash pictured on my blog today. He is owned and shown by a first time exhibitor Jordan, who finished him with two specialty majors - and now has a specialty win!

All Good Things Must End

Back from dropping Laurie off for her return trip to Virginia. So handy living this close to the airport, but not under a flight path. No airport noise, but I can do a drop off or pick up in only half an hour. We sure had a good time. Lots of discussion, laughter, adventures, and excellent dining, plus a very successful run of dog shows. Today is the last day of another long weekend, and I am so ready to get back to my routine! Lots of catch up fish keeping to do, dog nails to cut, and a house to clean.

Just Blowing Off Steam

Does no one read the standard? Certainly quite a few judges seem to have forgotten,
"The neck is nicely arched, fairly long, free from throatiness, and blends smoothly into the shoulders. The back is level and strong." Is that so hard? Where does it say that Dalmatians have a right angle neckset and a ski slope topline? Why do we have so many of them? They are not part of the correct Dalmatian outline. Another thing I wonder is whether or not they understand what this means - "The hindquarters are powerful, having smooth, yet well defined muscles. The stifle is well bent. The hocks are well let down." Do they KNOW that Dalmatians are supposed to have short hocks (actually short rear pasterns)? The distance from the point of the hock to the foot should be short, because this is a trotting breed, not a sprinter.

Too Early!

Ugh. My day is starting too early, but judging is at 8:00AM and I have to pick up Charlie on my way to the show. Hopefully he will behave better than he did yesterday, but I am more concerned that he has re-injured the leg he hurt as a pup. Have a feeling that he may be sitting out for awhile. Fingers crossed. Hope an aspirin last night helped. Not lame, but definitely not moving like he did the previous week.

Penny did well at the Specialty, going Best Of Opposite in an entry of 11 Specials, 5 dogs and 6 bitches. Gives her another major towards her Grand Championship too. Argus & Pauli both showed well, but it wasn't Argy's day. Funny that he can win the big Specialties including the National, but this dumpy little Specialty evades him! I took Argus back in for Stud Dog Class with Penny and Pauli, his two gorgeous liver daughters. First time I have had a chance to use the two of them together. Should probably have gotten a picture. Just hope Penny's BoS picture was good as I have not been totally pleased with any of her show pictures.

Today is Laurie's last day - I drive her to the airport early (VERY early) tomorrow morning. We've sure had fun, but I need to get back to healthy eating - we've enjoyed too many delicious but less than healthy meals. Time for one last fling this evening!

Here We Go Again

Another dog show weekend and I have not even recovered from the last one. Half day of work today, then home to get ready for the Specialty later this afternoon. Two all breed shows this weekend - at least with the early judging, if we lose I can come home and still have the rest of the day to get something done. The cool weather this week has been lovely, but the heat is coming back today. Ugh. What we really need is rain.

Goal for this weekend is to finish Charlie, who only needs 4 points, but there are only 6 points available, and he has to win on Saturday for it to work. I faxed entries for Des Moines so we would have some back up shows, although they will no doubt have small entries too.

The picture is New Champion Penny, the day she finished with such a terrific record. She was Argie's 9th Champion and hopefully Charlie will be his 10th, although Argus has two daughters who each have 13 points and could finish before Charlie does.

Laurie cooked dinner last night, three vegan dishes. I particularly liked the ones with sweet potatoes and collard greens. Excellent. Can't wait to try the eggplant and lentil dishes when I purchase the cookbook that she used.

Gotta pick up Charlie at 7:45 so I'm off.

Fun In Minnesota

It's been fun having Laurie visiting this week as we've done some things that might otherwise have been put off, like visiting Como to see the new baby Giraffe, and all the changes that have been made to the zoo. We've also enjoyed some wonderful meals - like Ron & me, Laurie enjoys eating at interesting places. We've hit Tavern On Grand for the wonderful walleye, Caribe for the terrific Caribbean food, and had dinner at Sea Salt in Minnehaha Park - they have the BEST Catfish, but I have to admit that Laurie's Oysters were almost as good. Laurie is cooking tonight, using her vegan cookbook that appears to have a lot of wonderful recipes. I want to learn how to use more healthy greens and grains when I cook, things like collard greens and quinoa, so plan to buy a copy for myself.

If you are local and have never been to a dog show, this is the weekend for you! Friday through Sunday at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Lake Elmo. Friday is specialty shows with about 20 breeds having single breed shows. Saturday & Sunday are all breed shows and you can see just about anything! Dal judging is 4:00 PM Friday and 8:00 AM Saturday and Sunday. See you there!

Fun In Colorado

What fun we had in Colorado! Wish we could have stayed longer! I’m already planning to go back next year. Maybe then I can spend a few extra days in Estes Park, and visit Rocky Mountain National Park as well. The only downers on the whole trip were the nasty feedlots, and the equally nasty manager at the Super 8. I’ve stayed at dozens of Super 8s and have never before encountered a manager like that one. Am sure she has never contemplated the meaning of “customer service”.

After our fabulous day on Friday, Saturday was hotter weather-wise and cooler win-wise, although we still did quite well. Charlie went Reserve, Penny went Best Of Opposite Sex, Nena went 2nd in her class (she was 1st at both Specialties) & Argus walked. The judge spent way too much time on heads and ended up with dogs that tended to lack in muzzle strength, a common fault in Dalmatians. Being a Terrier person, the judge was apparently looking for long lean heads with no lip – but the Dal standard does not call for a long lean head. One of the things they discuss in judges education is that the judge should not bring “baggage” from his own breed into the ring of the breed he is judging, yet we see that all the time. No matter. We stayed for Group and cheered on the Best Of Breed winner, and saw lots of terrific dogs we do not normally see in the Midwest. It was very hot but the humidity was very low and we were not uncomfortable.

On Sunday we got up early, took the dogs for good walks and then headed for Estes Park so we could see some beautiful scenery – a feature distinctly lacking on the drive to Greeley. Wow! The drive through Big Thompson Canyon was absolutely amazing. Am sure we all over-used the word Wow! We stopped at the Visitor’s Center in Estes Park, purchased souvenir calendars (so we can admire the pictures next winter, I guess) and walked along the river. The dogs got a lot of out time which they needed before the long trip home.

One of my favorite dog show memories is running on the beach in Ventura with Torch, when we drove out for DCA over 30 years ago. It was my first visit to southern California and the first time I had seen the Pacific. Things were much less crowded then and there were fewer restrictions, so I took off my shoes and Torch and I ran along the beach through the shallow water. Torchie chased the waves and the gulls until he was exhausted and we were both soaked with salt spray. What fun!

Argus and I created new memories in that beautiful river in Colorado, as we walked in the sand, waded out to the little “islands” of sand and rock, and enjoyed the crisp air and brilliant sunshine. Tried to get some pictures of Argus blowing bubbles, but had to settle for pictures of him wading in the river. How I wish I had pictures of Torchie in the ocean, but the memories of that are just as sharp as if it happened yesterday.

We stayed in Estes Park for a only few hours as we had a long journey ahead of us, and the side trip had added another hour to the return trip. We only stopped for gas, dog walking and Subs on the way home, and we all ate Veggie Subs as the feedlots had left literally left “a bad taste in our mouths”. The most awful part of the feedlot horror was seeing a pen full of Bison. Bison! Not cattle that had been raised domestically for eons. And the feedlot was set on the edge of an enormous expanse of open area. Real plains, the kind that should be dotted with “buffalo”, not feedlots. Ugh.

HOT In Colorado!

Sure am glad that a friend suggested we should try the Colorado Specialties and that they were really no further than the Ohio shows. We had a fun trip out, doing some touristy stuff in Nebraska and driving a state highway rather than the Interstate. Arrived in Greeley late afternoon on Thursday and were appalled by the ENORMOUS feedlots adjacent to the road on the way into town. Disgusting & nasty with an incredibly stench. It was almost enough to turn me into a vegetarian. Almost. But I think we will go out for steak tonight to celebrate yesterday.

Two Specialties on Friday, one starting at 9:00 and the other at 1:30, with 40-something Dals entered at each. Good grass, excellent footing, nice shade trees & shade tents, free Pizza lunch, excellent trophies and a delicious show dinner on the grounds catered by Olive Garden. The small Denver Club goes all out in the hospitality department. It was fun to see a number of old friends including Jan who used to live in Minnesota but moved to Colorado quite a few years ago.

There was a Sweepstakes with each show, judged by breeders from Virginia and North Carolina. We were thrilled to have Charlie go Best In Sweeps under BOTH of them.

The first show was judged by a local person we had never shown to and he gave Charlie Reserve in a 5 point entry. Penny one-upped him and went Winners to finish her Championship. Argus showed wonderfully well, but lost to a black-spotted nephew. Would have been extra nice to have all liver winners, but oh well.

The second show was judged by a Dal person we had not shown too, but who we figured would like the dogs. He did. We pulled Penny who was feeling the heat, but Charlie went Best of Winners for 5 points (he now has 11 in only 5 shows) and Argus again showed wonderfully well and went Best Of Breed. Doesn't get much better than that! I am NOT a good hot weather person but I have worked really hard to condition both Argus and me to the heat, and it paid off!

Feels Like Fall!

The cool weather is only temporary, but sure feels good! Only 54 degrees this morning and the dogs are full of energy - they've all become puppies again. Ron & I got a lot of yard work done on Sunday too, because of the weather. Not sure how people who live in perpetually warm & humid climates every get anything accomplished.

Things are starting to fall into place for our trip to Colorado. Ginger has a conflict so won't be meeting us there, but Laurie should be arriving about dinnertime tonight. Then we need to get over and pick up the van we are renting. Sure hope they come through with the size we requested as three women, three dogs and all our equipment will NOT fit into my poor little Voyageur. I'll pick up Charlie tomorrow, and after Jess works half a day she and Penny will join us for a planned early afternoon departure. Most of my packing is done, and I am busily checking things off on my To Do List. Entry for the Colorado shows is a good one with nice big majors in both sexes. Hopefully Penny and Charlie each win one or more of them. Argus could really use a Best of Breed or two as the entries are so small at regular shows, and the judging panels for fall look really unappealing.

Entry for the Twin Cities Specialty is very small. Was anticipating that as two of the people who normally support our entry have conflicts this year and there just are not enough Dals in Minnesota and Iowa to make up for it. We need new exhibitors and some new show potential pups in the area. The Midwest used to have lots of show folks, but everyone is aging out or moving away. Showing and raising pups properly are expensive and a lot of work, and we need new young ambitious people in the breed, especially in this area. The Davenport Dal Club died off, and the Chicago and Kansas clubs are way down in active members. We have lots of members - they just don't breed or show anymore! It will be interesting to see if the club survives.

Sometimes I am embarrassed to be a Dal owner, generally when I see spooky or aggressive dogs in the ring. Good Dals have wonderful personalities, but there are a few that don't and they should NEVER be shown. What are people thinking??? This past weekend a Dal girl was disqualified for trying to bite the judge - that means she can never be shown again. The sad thing is that she had just had a couple of nice wins - which amazes me. I have watched her on two different show weekends and heard about her antics on a couple of others, and figured it was only a matter of time. Although she was very well trained, anyone who could read a dog's body language should have been able to tell this one had problems. A dog's eyes, ears, and posture tell you a lot, and this one was easy to read. Why do people show dogs like this? What do they expect to accomplish? Why will handlers SHOW dogs like this? Is the $$$ so important that you will put judges at risk? How embarrassing for all of us.

COOL!

55 degrees right now. I have the patio door closed and am wearing a sweatshirt. What a change! Saturday was still pretty warm, but the humidity was down, and Sunday was perfect! Sunny, cool & breezy. A perfect day for brushing dogs - no humidity to make the hair stick to me (hate that) and a nice breeze to carry the hair away as I brushed it out of the dogs.

Argus gets brushed regularly, but the retirees had not been brushed in some time. Like most other Dal owners I joke about the shedding, but do little to prevent it. Dals shed even if brushed regularly, but the volume of hair is greatly reduced. Actually brushed everyone TWICE, and got LOTS of hair. Coral was shedding the worst this time, and Josie shed the least as always. Coral, Watson & Argus all have short, thick, very soft coats, while Josie's is longer, harder and not quite as thick. Her great grandma Eloise had that same coat and was never a heavy shedder either. Coats are all in good shape, no allergies bothering anyone.

Grooming time is a great time to check everyone over for any bumps or lumps that need to be checked out, especially on older dogs. In many areas of the country it is also the time to check for signs of fleas - fortunately not a problem here. (Knock on wood!) Argus has a sore on the inside of his left front shoulder that concerns me a bit. Thought it might be a hot spot, but he does not seem to be bothered, and hot spots are very itchy areas of pyoderma that come on suddenly. His is also not quite where a dog would normally scratch himself, and he never scratches, just not an itchy dog. Decided he probably scraped himself when he was over at the college campus and ventured into the edge of the woods. Am keeping an eye on it though.

There's a new Best In Show dog in the breed, a son of Argus's brother Andy. Not a bad dog, and with a particularly nice disposition. He could be a better mover, but has lovely dark eyes, correct tail carriage, and beautiful markings. He's professionally handled so is out every weekend and has more opportunities than dogs like Argus have. It will make the competition stiffer in this area, but works out fine for us as this is Argie's last year of active campaigning. NEXT year he needs to earn a couple of performance titles - IF I get up the ambition. Just as well, as I find myself suffering from Dog Show Fatigue.

Stop The Rain, Please!

After fretting over not enough rain for the past few years I never thought I would say that, but we've had enough for now. Another 1.75 inches on top of the 3.5 inches we got two days ago - and more in the forecast, along with the possibility of strong winds. With saturated soil already, that is sure to bring down some trees. Ugh. There was something on the news about how much these heavy rains are costing the city of Minneapolis as they have caused so many problems with the (deteriorating) roadways. Keeping up with current damage is preventing them from working on major projects that were planned for this year. Am sure this is a major problem in Iowa this year, both locally and statewide.

You may not believe in Global Warming, but anyone who watches the news has got to wonder about Climate Change, whatever the cause(s). Me, I've been a believer for a long time. Thank you, Paul Douglas.

Supposed to go to Albert Lea for dog shows this weekend. One day with a judge who ignored Argus in the group the only time she's ever seen him, and the other with a good breed judge and a group judge we've never shown to. Our competition is Pauli this weekend. The show always has a small entry, but this is record small I think. Some of the other Dals we might normally show against are in Ohio for the Specialty this weekend. Because we are doing Colorado next week, we had to skip Ohio. The Ohio club puts on excellent shows, but the judging panel was less appealing that Colorado's and perhaps the humidity will be lower in Greeley! Assuming the roads in Iowa are not washed out and we can actually get to Colorado.

Ugh, Computer In Control

My computers says it's updating and doesn't give a damn whether or not I want it to do so. It will restart in 9:03 minutes, no matter what. Hey, who pays for the electricity and the Internet around here? Who's in charge here??? Don't tell me, I know.

Woke up too early and started worrying. Darn. Things are pretty scary at work, as so many people are taking advantage of the retirement buy out and will be leaving by the end of the current fiscal year. Who exactly will be left to handle the work load and change over to the new accounting system - which will only be supported for two months? Almost wish I was a couple of years older, but there is no point in wishing my life away. I'll just buy more lottery tickets!

And why am I so broke? Couldn't have anything to do with my electric bills and my two expensive hobbies, could it? We'll just blame the electric bill!

Audrey & Me

Ron took this picture of Audrey & me yesterday noon. As she continues to grow, I worry that high winds may take her down. She's tied up, attached to the fence behind her, so if she goes, so does the fence. I suspect that Cup Plants on the tall grass prairies were not quite as prosperous looking as she is! They grow 8 to 10 feet tall, but Audrey is somewhat taller than that already. Maybe I will figure out a way to measure her this weekend. Because she is in a raised bed she looks a foot taller than she actually is, and unfortunately that probably keeps her from sending out all the roots she needs for support.

3.5 inches of rain last night, unfortunately some of it in my basement. Went to bed at 10:00 and got up at 11:00 to check. Good thing I did as I had some mopping to do. One corner of my basement, between the new and old foundations, is prone to leaking when we get really heavy rainfall. That was one good thing about the droughty summers - no rain in the basement!

Project for the week - water changes in all 48 tanks as things will be busy here soon, with the trip to Colorado, the local Specialty weekend, and company. Want to get all the tanks done so that all I will have to worry about is the tanks with fish I am trying to get to spawn. Also need to free up a bigger tank for the Flexipenis vittatus - the three little guys are growing well and deserve to move up from a 2.5 gallon tank to at least a 5 gallon. The two 2.5s are handy for really small fish, but not nearly large enough for them to develop properly.

Tomato Thief

Finally had to fence in the volunteer tomato plants that are spreading across the dog yard. None of these guys are big tomato eaters, but apparently Josie could not resist. When she came in yesterday morning, her head was covered with yellow tomato pollen, and one of the largest tomatoes was half eaten. That one had a hole in it (bird? mouse?) so must have given off a smell she couldn't resist! I've picked a couple of the tomatoes already and they are a good variety, whatever they might be!

Who Stole My Weekend?

OK, where did it go? Seems like it was just Friday, and suddenly another work week is looming. Such a fun weekend, but it went way too fast!

I was entered at the Canadian National but just couldn't bring myself to go. I feel badly that I did not support the club this year when it was "only" 8 hours away, and I even entered and sent a trophy donation, but just couldn't do it. Might have with a different breed judge, and more Americans on the panel, but most Canadian judges leave me cold. I want to take Argus back up and try for a Canadian Best In Show to go with our AKC, UKC & CACIB Bests, but it won't be to show to Canadians. I was pleased that Argus's Canadian son "Porter" won several Bests Of Breed & Group placements, and his daughter "Lucy" went Best Of Opposite at several of the shows. We were well represented.

What we did instead this weekend was family things, and had such fun! My brother has been here for his yearly visit from Costa Rica and stays with my mother, rents a car and visits old friends. The whole family got together on Tuesday which was great fun. On Saturday we had a picnic at my house, despite the awful weather - 95 & very humid. Ick! Al loves to cook and my mother had raved about the fish tacos she'd had when she visited in CR, so Al and I teamed up and did fish tacos with all the trimming, wonderful fresh salsa, Mexican rice (great new recipe) and Negra Modelo - had never had that before, but very good. Everything turned out well and we had such a nice time. Later I took mom home, and Al spent the night as I live close to the airport. Got up at 4:15 to take him there. It's always sad when he goes home, and we all shed a few tears. Al & my mother have always been particularly close, and they always wonder if it will be the last time they get together . . .

My daughter turned 38 yesterday - how can that be? Seems she was just a baby, then a Junior handler, then a working girl, and now? She came in on Sunday morning and we went out to brunch at the wonderful Caribbean restaurant that is only a few miles from here. We've had excellent dinners there, and the brunch was even better. It's never very crowded, despite awesome food, good service and reasonable prices. Hopefully they will make. We've seen so many fine restaurants come and go over the years, but this one seems to have everything it needs to survive. Hope so.

Good Question

I received this email recently, and thought it was a good topic for a posting.

Hi Sue,
Question for you: Read in your blog about flaws in dogs that are severe, such as extreme cow hocks. This is probably a very silly question but what constitutes extreme? How do you know if it is minor or a big problem? My pup is almost five months old and has just hit a major growth spurt and it was in the midst of said spurt that I began to notice that when he stands a certain way, his hocks go in and his toes point out. Sometimes just a hair, sometimes it's very noticeable. Two weeks ago we met up with two of his siblings and I took the time to compare and they both looked to have perfect back legs...they were also considerably shorter than him. I spoke to my vet who said it could be due to the growth spurt and that he will likely grow out if it. In your experience, what do you think? Is it something they can grow out of or something that improves with age or will he always stand that way? Thanks so much.

We often joke that you should pick your pups at 6 weeks and then close your eyes for the next 8 - 10 months, and it's often true, although I prefer to pick mine at 6 - 10 weeks as some need just a bit more time. IF a pup is sound and well balanced at 6 - 8 weeks it will generally go back to what it was, although there is no guarantee. Some pups grow up as nice little well-proportioned packages, while others go through growth spurts and/or horrendous stages of development, and even littermates do not grow up at the same rate. If the puppy mentioned above was a sound, correctly proportioned puppy, he will most likely be a sound, correctly proportioned adult. It would be better to evaluate his hindquarters when he is stacked or moving. If he can stand with his hocks and stifles correct, and if he can move correctly going away, he's fine. Pups often look gawky when they are relaxed.

On the other hand, there are lots of OTHER things that can go wrong as a puppy grows up. It can go oversize (a Dal over 24 inches tall at the withers is disqualified), its spots can all run together (a nicely marked pup may have spots that grow together - we call that "exploding spots"), or it can develop secondary spotting/ticking, its tail may come up and be carried too high, or its bite can go bad. Overshot or undershot bites are a disqualification. A dog can have no major faults at all and still not be top quality - a lack of faults does not mean the dog has the opposing virtues! Unfortunately many dogs get sold as show quality pups who are only "showable" pups - they have no disqualifications. Show QUALITY pups should excel in the characteristics that make a good Dalmatian. No dog is perfect of course, but merely adequate should not be good enough for the show ring.

Help, My Computer Is Out Of Control!

Computer keeps telling me that it finished doing automatic updates (of what???) and needs to restart. Well sorry, ol' boy, this is MY time to be in charge and you will just have to wait. Seems as if the computer is always automatically updating, scanning for this or that, guarding me against pop ups (including the ones I am trying to look at) and generally making things difficult. Whenever I need to check Facebook, do a Google search or start some kind of a project, the machine is already busy doing something that will make my job either slow or impossible. I've lost track of what it should be looking for and when, but I have a feeling that it is probably scanning the heavens for alien life forms and trying to make contact!

Great family get together last night. My brother Al is visiting from Costa Rica as he does every summer. Stays with mom, rents a car (since she no longer drives or has a car), connects with lots of old friends and shops for things he can't find in Costa Rica. Alison stays home and tends the critters (she is involved in rescue so they always have an assortment of dogs, parrots, and other more exotic creatures like sloths). My sister Kris had the day off so we all met at Boca Chica for Mexican food. Mom, Al, Kris, her husband Bob and son Erik, Ron, my daughter Jess, and me. Kris's son Davis is still on a Navy ship in the Persian Gulf somewhere, Erik's girl friend Angela had to work, and Jess's partner Don was home tending the critters (the logistics of leaving work to tend the critters and getting back to SSPaul were a bit much), but it was nice we were able to collect as many as we did! Mom & Al are coming for dinner on Saturday, and I'm taking him to the airport on Sunday.

Amy asked -
So glad you mentioned exercise and proper condition. How much is too much for a six month old? I jog with my just turned six month old bitch twice per day every day, about a mile and a half each time for a total of three miles per day. Plus we have a fenced in yard where we play fetch and frisbee daily and she runs and plays with the other dogs as well. She handles the jogs quite well and still has energy to spare when we return. When will it be safe to take her on longer distances?

My personal opinion is that young dogs who are still developing should not be doing any kind of forced exercise, and that includes jogging and biking. They should get leash walks and off leash running (such as playing in the yard or park) but should not have regimented exercise until at least a year of age. Catching Frisbees is not something I would encourage in a young dog. Leaping for a disc, especially when competing with adult dogs is NOT safe. Pups are loose-jointed and less coordinated, and can fall and be damaged. If a pup is jogged it should not be everyday, and certainly not twice a day. Jogging moderate distances several times a week might be fine, but walking & playing are really the best exercise for youngster. This is my opinion but it's based on watching a lot of young dogs grow up, and also on based on articles and observations that I have read over the years. I teach my young dogs to run with a bike and take them for a few blocks once in awhile, but never roadwork a young dog, ever.

This Weather Really Sucks

As I recall, there is an old expression that goes something like, "It's not the heat, it's the humidity." YES! The air is dripping again this morning and there's a fog warning. If it's going to be this wet, we ought to have rain, but no such luck. Tonight the grass will get a drink. A lawn needs one inch of rain a week in the summer to stay healthy, and it's time to step in and help out. Think we've only watered the lawn 2 or 3 times so far this summer, a huge improvement from the past few years of summer with NO rain.

Audrey has grown a bit more the past week, because the flower stalks add to her height. Need to get her measured tonight as the information on her says 8 - 10 feet and she appears to be getting to the top of her range now. She's covered with dozens/hundreds of 3 inch yellow daisy-type flowers now, and as an added bonus she is a popular feeding site for Goldfinches who rest on the spent blossoms and apparently eat the seeds that are forming. If I had had a good telephoto lens I could have gotten terrific pictures yesterday noon.

The tomatoes are ripening on the Giant Tomato and her Nearly Giant partner. Think we will be freezing tomatoes this year, as the patio tomato has decided to survive (not sure if the dose of Epsom Salts helped, but it sure seems to have made a difference) and the hanging basket has tomatoes ready to pick - and no we did NOT put it back up on the neighbor's fence. A hanging tomato basket freshly watered is incredibly heavy. It's hanging from an old plum tree on the other side of the yard -doesn't get enough sun to do it's best, but it's doing well enough to provide more tomatoes than we can possibly eat.

The daphnia pond is prospering, and the fish are eating live daphnia several times a week. I really want the Limia tridens, the Alfaro cultratus and the Brachyrhaphus roseni to spawn this summer or fall. Spell check does not help with those names, and the latter two don't quite roll off my tongue (fingers?) yet.

I'm 85 points away from the next breeder's level in our fish club's breeder awards program, and I'd like to get to that level this winter. I've spawned and successfully raised 39 different species of fish so far, and am currently 32nd on the club's all time list. Because this is my secondary hobby (although it probably takes more of my time on non-show weekends than the dogs do) I have to fit in my fishy chores when I can. This winter I want to concentrate a bit harder and get those 85 points. I've still got a lot of tanks with 3 - 5 year old fish who are "pets" - they take up space I could use for breeding fish, but I get attached, and some species like Edd Puffer and the Mudskippers do not breed in captivity anyway. Some of the fish are just breeding stock, while others are strictly pets, but all of them are interesting in their own ways.

The picture is Charlie, son of Argus and Nikon, brother to Penny. Not a perfect shot, but one we got on the way home from the shows, so Jess would have a picture for Facebook. Can't wait to see how the show pictures look. This picture shows Charlie's excellent proportions, balanced angulation, beautiful neck and shoulders (and the way he flows together so smoothly over the withers) and the fact that he "stands over" his front just like his sister Penny, a trait that is unfortunately uncommon in Dalmatians. His forelegs are set under his body, rather than coming right off the front of the dog, as they do when shoulders are too straight - which is typical of the breed, and a common fault in many breeds. He also has a level back rather than the ski slope topline that goes with straight shoulders.

Jess & I took Charlie and Argus to Waukesha where we met up with Laurie and Penny who drove in from Virginia. We had a bang up weekend, taking the points in both dogs and bitches both days, as well as going breed with Argus both days. Doesn't get much better than that. I was SO proud of the puppies - although they are almost 15 months old, they will always be the puppies, I guess. Charlie picked up both majors and proved that he was a fast learner by showing quite well. Penny remembered what she needed to do, although she was not tremendously impressed with the wet grass, picked up another major and went BoS over a special both days. Two weeks off for the pups, and Charlie gets to be a pet. Penny came home with us and is on a conditioning program - actually Penny and Jess are on a conditioning program - Penny just came out of season and is a bit soft. Charlie goes jogging with Brooke & Michael, so he's already optimally fit, as is Argus who gets exercised every evening. Part of being a successful showdog is being in perfect condition - perfect coat, perfect muscle tone, perfect frame of mind.

Coming soon - the other type of judge - the crooked one, and an answer on cowhocks.

Please Check Back

No time for blogging right now, had entries to get in for Charlie (he earned his trip to Colorado), and a meat order to place, plus emails to answer and pictures of Charlie to download. Whew, time to feed dogs!

Judging

When I posted to Facebook about a judging panel I did not care for, I got an email asking me the difference between a good judge and a bad judge. I've been thinking about that for awhile and it occurred to me that putting my thoughts on paper might be interesting. Sometimes I surprise myself when I get caught up in writing.

Some judges are just good all around judges. Knowledgeable, fair, efficient, nice to both dogs and people. Their opinions are respected by most exhibitors, and a win under one of them is memorable. Because dogs are judged to a written standard, and because they are judged based on the judge's interpretation of that standard, the results will vary. I can like & respect Judge Aye, but know that he is not a suitable judge for a dog I am currently showing. His mental image for the ideal Dal may be somewhat different than mine and if I show to him I do it knowing that my dog might not be quite what he is looking for. That does not make him a bad judge, just not an ideal judge for my dog, bur depending on the competition, my dog may win because there is nothing in the ring that he likes better.

Because our dogs are not all alike, and we show what we have, some judges may be good for some of our dogs and not good for others. When I was showing my first Best In Show winner "Morris", I did not show him to a particular judge I knew would not care for him. Morris just wasn't the type of Dal he used. This same judge gave my current Best Im Show dog "Argus" the Dalmatian National a couple of years ago. Argus is a different style of dog than Morris, and the type this particular judge prefers. Both were good dogs, but somewhat different in size, type, outline and gait.

If judges were consistent in what they put up, we could save ourselves a lot of entry fees, but unless there is a good sized entry of quality dogs, the judge has to judge what they have to work with and may not have a dog of the type/style they prefer. Some judges we KNOW will not use high tails, big dogs, heavy markings, whatever, but sometimes they don't have a choice and the best dogs may have features the judge dislikes - but has to use on that day. Some judges have things they will not use, no matter how good the overall dog and no matter how bad the competition. That's unfortunate, because they are supposed to be judging the whole dog, the sum of its parts. Unless that feature affects soundness such as very bad feet or extreme cow hocks, or is a temperament flaw such as shyness or aggression, it's just a fault and all dogs have them.

Most judges do their best on any given day, but there are a few dumb ones. The dumb ones are usually poor judges in all breeds, but sometimes they are just bad with specific breeds - as if they hadn't a clue as to what the standard calls for and what the breed should look like. This is often based on not liking a breed. Although we should be judging all breeds fairly, there is some bias of course, and some judges just don't like Dalmatians, the same way you and I just don't care for certain breeds. It's unfortunate that this happens, but if you want to judge the Non Sporting Group, you judge all the breeds in it - including Dalmatians. We try to avoid the judges we know don't care for the breed, but will sometimes show to the dumb ones and take our chances, as long as they are pleasant to dogs and exhibitors.

There are also judges who are inexperienced in a breed but will do a better job as they gait confidence. They are often confused about spotting, patches, tri-colors and breed specific things they don't understand. They often waste time looking for patches, odd colored spots, or trying to decide if the spotting is OK. They are often "spot counters" for awhile, judges who put too much emphasis on markings as they try to do the safe thing. Spotting is 25% of the breed standard, but structure and temperaments are 75%!

There are a lot of judges who are what I call Doggy Socialites - they judge for the ego trip, but are not good dog people and really don't understand or can not recognize a quality dog of any breed. A judge has to have an eye for balance, proportion and quality, and has to understand and be able to form a mental picture from written words. Some will never be able to do that, no matter how well intentioned they may be.

Too be continued . . .

Biking Adventure

Got back from taking Charlie out to dog class last night and still had Argus to exercise. The weather map indicated we had some time before the rain hit, so Argus and I dashed off with my bike for a quick mile or two, depending on what the weather did. So much for weather maps! We got half a mile from home as the skies darkened, and then it started to rain. We quickly turned and headed for home as it began to pour. Skies black, windy, lightening, and rain came down in sheets. Ugh. Fortunately Argus is experienced with the bike and has good leash manners, and any cars on the roads had their headlights on, so we raced for home. Argus always wants to trot faster than I normally bike him, so last night he got his wish and looked as if he really enjoyed it. Me, not so much! I was soaked of course, but it was an interesting adventure. The things we do for our dogs!

Dogs And Audrey

Oops, almost out of time already. Got distracted "playing" with my camera when the software for down-loading pictures stopped working. Things are back to normal now - amazing what rebooting will do to solve problems!

The weather forecast calls for storms later today, so I decided that I had better get some current pictures of Audrey the Cup Plant, just in case we got high winds and she suffered some damage. Here's Audrey in all her glory, with Argus sitting beside her to put the size in perspective. Also got a cute picture of Miss Josie, who rarely gets her picture taken because she is rarely still enough for a picture. Although Josie's dad is Am/Can Paisley Perpetual Motion, that name actually fits Josie better than it fits Peter!

Weekend

Although my weekend plans included dog shows in Wausau, that's not how it played out. The shows were small (less than 500 dogs), the group was tiny (only 33 NS dogs) and breed competition was tough (4 male specials), plus the show site is not one I am fond of. One judge was good for Argus, the other an unknown for him, and I just could not convince myself to give up the whole weekend for something so unpromising. Lot more exciting shows coming up this summer, so took the weekend off.

I'd been watching the website on Perry, the Corpse Plant who was getting ready to flower for the second time, and decided on Saturday morning that I really wanted to see that. http://gustavus.edu/video/perry/offcampus.php. I love unusual plants and this one is even weirder than my Audrey, a strange jungle plant whose Latin name means "giant misshapen penis" and who uses the odor of rotten flesh to attract the insects that pollinate it. Ron & I drove down to St. Peter, to Gustavis Adopholphus College, and paid "Perry" a visit. That's the three of us in the picture. Pretty cool. The flower was amazing, and the smell pretty disgusting. It's very nice that the school opens their greenhouse for this event, and that students and teachers volunteer their time so the public can participate in this extraordinary event.

While in St. Peter we visited a couple of interesting antique stores and came home with something I never envisioned buying, and something we both liked immediately. A 1950s aqua plastic breadbox in perfect condition. Looks great on top of the fridge, with his and hers loaves of bread. Another dust catcher, but . . . Then we celebrated our find at Dairy Queen. Love those Oreo Blizzards!

Finished up the day by bathing the three oldsters. Took the grooming table out to the dog yard, strung the hose out there too, and just used cold water from the outside tap. A little chilly for the dogs, but so much easier than bathing them in the basement, and because the table has a grooming arm it's faster , and a whole lot easy on my back.

When I'm home on weekends I try to plan something to do with my mother. She likes to get out, and says that weekends are the longest, because so many people are gone and there are no organized activities. At 86 she's somewhat limited on what she can do - too much walking is out of the questions - and she just enjoys just getting out for a ride. She still enjoys going out to eat, so I suggested we could do brunch or dinner and she decided brunch would be a nice change. Using trusty Google I came up with a list of brunches in the St. Paul area, selected Chianti Grill because of menu, location and price and made a reservation on line. Slick! Great choice too, as the food and service were outstanding. Absolutely lovely restaurant too - hard to believe the building was once a Ground Round, many $$$$ ago.

Time to go pack up some fish that are being picked up today.