Charlie, Day Two

We're surviving! So far Charlie has actually been easier than I had anticipated. He's got pretty good leash manners, is good in his crate, and slept quietly last night - was afraid he was used to getting up at 4:00 AM or some such ungodly hour, but he was quiet in his crate until I went down at 6:30. Jess took him to the office yesterday where he got lots of exercise exploring the warehouse and playing with Stella the Cavalier, plus she took him for several walks. I walked him twice yesterday evening, and I think he was absolutely exhausted!

His owners switched Charlie's food to Costco Kirkland brand which is a reasonably good food, actually made by Diamond, supposedly with Diamond's regular formula. The only problem with discount dog foods is that the ingredients may vary from batch to batch depending on the commodity prices, and the concern that lower quality ingredients are often used. At least he is not eating Sprout or Old Roy, bottom of the line store brands. I'd prefer he was eating Pro Plan, but try not to be too "bossy" about the dogs I sell. This food is a good bit less expensive than what he was eating before, but cost should not be the deciding factor when feeding dogs.

I am somewhat concerned about the fact that Charlie is too thin - he's lost a couple of pounds since the last time I saw him when he was already lean. His owners will need to increase the amount of food Charlie is getting because he is an active young dog. We'll discuss that when I return him tomorrow. It's sometimes difficult to get the amounts right on young dogs and they are often too thin or too heavy. I would rather have him a bit thin and everyone who knows me well, knows that I hate to see fat dogs.

It appears that Charlie's owners took my suggestions to heart last time, as his leash manners seem much better already. They had gotten too dependent on using a prong collar rather than actually training him. Prong collars, like those nasty head collars, give the owner more control of the dog, but they are often used as a substitute for actually training a dog to walk properly on leash. Charlie understands to wait at the door and before coming out of his crate, which is also very handy, and is quite responsive to a sharp EERRRRR as a distraction when I need to get his attention (such as when he is focusing on a squirrel or obsessed over a good smelling post). The prong collar is fine when they take Charlie jogging, but for walks around the neighborhood a simple chain training collar is best.

He's also much better about having his teeth checked, and being "examined" which means being touched all over. Young males are sometimes hesitant to have their hindquarters examined, but Charlie seems to have gotten past that. It's important to pet dogs all over their bodies, so they can be examined by a dog show judge OR by a veterinarian. All the things that a dog needs to know to be a good show dog also help him be a better pet. As with children, the more dogs learn, the more they CAN learn. Charlie seems very open to learning new behaviors, and I'm extremely pleased with his temperament, how well his owners have socialized himm and how willing they are to take advice.

The only real problem to overcome is Charlie's tendency to sit whenever collar pressure is applied, and to sit for a treat - both learned behaviors that work well on companion dogs. We just need to teach him the stand command as an alternate behavior, so he does not sit unless he is told to sit. Automatic sits are required for obedience competition, and are taught in most obedience classes, so we will have to work around this. A sit is also used as a "control position" when Charlie gets overly excited - control positions are very helpful in managing enthusiastic dogs. We'll show Charlie on a soft cloth slip collar (like a chain training collar but made of woven material) which might help, as Charlie is used to wearing a metal collar when he is trained or goes walking. We'll work hard on this over the weekend, and encourage Charlie's owners to work on a stand command too.

Jess reserved ring time at Pet Junction tomorrow, so we will have a chance to work with Charlie (Argus/Nikon) and with Jax (Argus/Lilly) who Jess co-owns and wants to start showing this summer. Hopefully we can get good pictures of both boys. Am so pleased with both of them. Jax was difficult last fall, but has really grown up over the winter. Like Charlie's owners, Jax's owners have worked hard to make him a good companion.

Furry House Guest

Nope, we don't have mice if that's what the blog title suggested, at least no mice indoors at this time. I've seen a number of Centipedes this week though. UGH. I am not generally a squeamish person, and really enjoy snakes, salamanders, lizards, pet mice & rats, big pet spiders. I keep live bloodworms in the fridge for the dogs. You name it, I covet it. Still arguing with myself over getting a baby Bearded Dragon - that will happen eventually. But Centipedes, oh my! I HATE Centipedes, especially when I find one trapped in the sink when I get up in the morning. The worst was waking up to find one sauntering across my bedroom ceiling. Still sends chills up and down my spine. How to kill him without having him fall down on to me. Eeewwww. Just too gross.

My house guest will be much more attractive, and definitely furrier! Charlie Brown is coming to spend the weekend while his folks go camping. He'll get some intensive show training while he's here, and Jess really wants to get him ready for a Specialty this month. I humored her, and entered him, but will not hold my breath. Some dogs are naturals though and require less work than others. However, he will need to learn about gaiting on a leash, standing to be examined, and will also need to accept having his bite and his testicles checked, things not always easy for year old boys. At least he has excellent crate manners and is an experienced traveler. I've asked that his owner take him back through a basic obedience class, just as a refresher. Charlie is very well socialized, and because his owners are runners, he is also fit and well exercised which help a great deal. Charlie was sold "with stings". A pet dog at a pet price, but I reserved the right to show him at my expense if he turned out well. Actually, he turned out better than I had anticipated!

Bless the Salvation Army, they took the old furniture yesterday and I finally had a chance to put my living room together. Furniture looks fabulous, but I am not real happy with the new carpet. Guess it will take some getting used to. Next project will be the dining room which will require a new ceiling and new wallpaper. Perhaps one room a year is enough and I can put this off for awhile longer. I'd rather work with the yard, the dogs and the fish.

Picked up some new fish last night. Betta bellica is a species of wild Betta. Our speaker last night brought along some really nice fish for the auction and I was pleased to pick these up. Also a bag of lovely new Cichlids which I did not need, but took pity on. They should be gorgeous as adults, if they don't kill one another. New livebearers arriving today, Xiphophorus xiphidium, the Spiketail Platy, another wild livebearer. Not quite sure where I will put them, but suspect the young Firemouths will have to join their parents in the 55 gallon tank. Also got another batch of bloodworms so hope to get the Goo Obo Gudgeons and Betta picta in spawning mode. And now to decide which fish will summer outside in the pond.

The Showy Ladyslipper bloomed this week. Hope to post a picture tomorrow.

Don't Throw The Baby Out With The Bath Water

Many of the problems we encounter in dogs, both purebred and mixed breed, can be classified as hereditary, although the mode of inheritance is often complex and dependent on the actions of a number of genes. Each breed has it's own list of potential problems, and mixed breeds can inherit a variety of problems from their assorted ancestors. (No, they are NOT healthier.)

Some of these inherited traits are only tendencies that can be modified with proper care. For instance, both shyness and aggression can be inherited, but in many cases they can be modified with proper training and socialization. The same is true of structural issues like hip dysplasia - in breeds where it is common problem, pups that are allowed to carry too much weight while growing seem to be at increased risk. Excessive supplementation has been tied to other orthopedic problems in growing pups. Atopic dermatitis is a commonly inherited allergy in dogs, but some dogs will have serious allergies while others will be only mildly affected because of differences in diet & environment. Responsible breeders try to minimize the possibly inherited problems when they plan a breeding, but it's impossible to prevent everything. A famous geneticist explained to us at a seminar that we have to decide whether a problem is serious enough to eliminate all potential carriers from a breeding program, but if you also eliminate the dogs who produce minor/manageable issues, you might end up eliminating the entire breed!

A reader posed an interesting question -
i bought a puppy who at about ten weeks old began displaying signs of entropion (spelling?). we took her in and the vet "tacked" her eye lids and now she is just fine and you can not even tell that she had the procedure done. it caused no damage whatsoever. i was talking to a friend today whose mastiff puppy had the same condition, only much worse. she told me that my puppies' parents should never be bred again because entropion is hereditary. is this true? my puppy's sire is a champion and has produced several litters (and a couple champions). is this problem always hereditary? thanks.

Entropion is characterized by one or both eyelids rolling in, causing eye irritation and damage as the hair rubs on the eyeball. It's more common in breeds with excessive skin folds (like Chows & Shar Peis) but can show up anywhere. It's considered a serious problem in Mastiffs, but not in Dalmatians, and its not at all common in this breed. I've only seen one affected pup in 40 years, and it was in a puppy bitch I purchased about 10 years ago. One of her eyelids started rolling when she was about 4 months old. My Vet "tacked it" (a few small stitches to help it stay in the correct position) and explained to me that this was normally enough to allow the eyelid to tighten as the dog "grew into" it's facial skin. Had it been successful, I would probably have shown her but not bred her. The tacking didn't work and she eventually had surgery, was spayed, and was placed in a pet home.

This pup came from a pedigree that I was very familiar with, dogs from breeders who I knew well. None of them had ever seen a case of Entropion. Several of her littermates have produced multiple litters without producing a single case of Entropion and some really fine dogs have come from this pedigree.

Because this is not a problem in the breed, because it can be related to a variety of developmental factors, and because it is normally easily managed, I do not agree that the parents should never be bred. The breeder needs to be informed that this happened, and should check on the littermates and any other dogs produced by the parents, but one isolated case is not sufficient reason to stop breeding the parents.

On Your Mark, Get Set . . .

There may be no blogging for a few days as Argus & I are leaving for Bloomington Illinois this afternoon. One of my projects when I get back is a better phone or some sort of Netbook so I can stay in touch when I travel. Am so used to being connected all the time, I feel really isolated when I am on the road. Can't believe it's been over 3 months since we have done a show weekend! Judges are not very good for Argus, and unfortunately I was never able to get Lucy down here from Canada (she's entered, but still wwaayy up north), so I don't anticipate any excitement BUT it will sure be nice to be back in the ring. This will be our practice weekend, as Argus and I relearn how to work together in the ring. A lot of successful showing is about timing and presentation, and after three months of enforced absence from the ring, I have a lot of work ahead of me.

Last Physical Therapy appointment today. I'm very grateful for it as the exercises made all the difference in both strength and flexibility. I'm not 100% and certainly not pain free, but hopefully everything goes alright.

My new fish Badis sp. "Buxar" arrived safely yesterday and were eating well last night - frozen bloodworms. One is starting to color up already and is going to be a beauty. I love getting new fish species - never heard of these until I saw them offered on Aquabid. I've bred a few Badis species already, though none this lovely. Only problem with keeping these guys is that they don't eat flake, only live or frozen. Hopefully they survive until I get a new batch of blackworms next week. Hate keeping blackworms alive (in the fridge, with daily water changes) but they sure make a difference in the growth and spawning of many species. Need to start getting the Goo Obo Gudgeons & the Betta picta in spawning mode.

Half day of work, last PT appointment, then I come home to bathe and trim Argus, load the car, and explain the lists to Ron. Lots of plants that need to be watered this weekend and several tanks of fish that will need feeding. Adult fish can easily go 4 days (although Edd Puffer will be annoyed) but the fry will need to be fed, hence the fish list.

Dalmatian Coats

I was reading your blog about recessive genes such a liver spotting and long coats. Do you mean longer than normal coats or full out "shaggy" coats? We have two Dals- one's hair is about twice as long as the other. It doesn't hang off of her or anything like that but it is definitely longer and she has a bit of fuzzy shag on her back legs. Ironically she has a full champion pedigree, whereas my other girl- (prettier) slick haired Dal- came rescued from a puppy mill. I've often wondered what caused the one to have hair so much longer than the other. Is this considered a disqualification in the breed?

The Dalmatian Standard reads, "The coat is short, dense, fine and close fitting. It is neither woolly nor silky. It is sleek, glossy and healthy in appearance." That pretty much says it all. Remember that the breed standard is our guideline for breeding the very best Dalmatians. That being said, there is quite a bit of variation in coats in this breed.

Dal coats come either short (acceptable) or long (not acceptable for showing) but in addition to the dominant gene for normal coat and the recessive gene for long coat there are probably a number of modifier genes that affect the texture, thickness and length. Some Dals have harder almost wiry coats that are often "open" - that means not tight and slick and close-fitting, while other have the normal flat sleek coat which can vary in both thickness and length. Some coats are so short they almost appear to be painted on, while others are longer and softer and the dogs may have a bit of fringe on the backs of their thighs, on their tails, and sometimes even a wavy look to the coat over their rumps. These variations are all the result of modifiers and are all acceptable for showing, although the ones with a bit more length may require the judicious use of a scissors before a dog show!

The long coats are just that, although they too will show the affect of modifier genes, but there is no mistaking a true long coat - they look more like spotted Golden Retrievers. A number of normally smooth coated breeds also carry the recessive for long coats - Weimaraners for instance. German Shepherds also carry a long coat gene - if you have ever seen a "fluffy" Shepherd, you may have seen a long coat. Some bloodlines will carry the recessive gene, most won't, but there is now a simple DNA test that can be used to see whether a dog carries that gene. Remember, because the long coat is a recessive, a dog can carry a single copy of that gene but have normal coat length. He can pass the gene on to offspring however. A puppy that inherits a copy of that gene from each parent will have a long coat. It's not common in this breed, but their were kennels in Southern California and Texas that did produce these dogs from time to time, and there is apparently someone in the Waco Texas area who has been getting these dogs as they are showing up in rescue. Beckett who is pictured about is one of those dogs.

There are more pictures of long coated dogs (as well as all the unusual colors that show up from time to time) on my website. Some of the genetics are a bit outdated as there have been some recent discoveries in the inheritance of things like brindles, but the pictures are worth looking at, and most of the information is correct. I have not worked on the color pages for a long time and do have more pictures that should be added. www.paisleydals.com/color

The Three Stooges

Carrie had this picture of the brothers taken at the National to celebrate the fact that all three boys were ranked in the Top Twenty last year. Left to right Joey, Andy & Argus. Joey is the silly giggly one, Andy is a mild-mannered serious one, and Argus is always looking for the next adventure. All different and all appealing in their own ways.

We broke a record for temperature yesterday - 96 degrees! The old record was 88. Hopefully we don't have too many 90+ days this summer as I am not a hot weather person. After such a gorgeous spring I guess we have to take some knocks. Minnesotans don't just accept beautiful weather, they think "we'll pay for this later", a self fulfilling prophesy. Gotta get used to this weather though if I am going to show Argus this summer - he does too, so I dropped off the car at Tires Plus, and walked back to pick it up later. A rather warm walk, but not too bad and my ankle felt pretty good.

I'm doing my Physical Therapy every evening, plus walking for at least half an hour, and my ankle feels better every day other than some early morning stiffness. I still get twinges of pain especially if I turn sharply, but can finally walk without a limp until I get too tired. Still hurts to run, but not so that it's unmanageable, and my foot is starting to get the flex back so I don't feel as if I am running while wearing a swimfin on my right foot! Was really looking forward to camping at the shows this weekend, but now Ginger may not be able to go as her motorhome is not cooperating. Wish she had taken it out for a checkup before yesterday so she'd have had a chance to get things fixed in time. Sigh. Guess Argus and I will get a motel and commute back and forth.

Got an interesting question about raw feeding -

I'd like your advice. I have two Dals. One eats chicken wings, necks, backs slowly and crunches them up and swallows them. The other Dal eats really fast. She almost sucks down her food. A few times, when I have fed the chicken, several hours later, she will throw up a small amount and there is always a bone that is about an inch and a half long. Is there a way to get her to slow down? She eats the veggie mix and the ground up meat well. I feed them in separate rooms so there is no competition.

This is a common problem with raw fed dogs. Some are such eager eaters they gulp rather than chew. There's really no way to solve that problem because it's just the way that dog eats, like the person who swallows before chewing their food thoroughly. In every group of dogs you will get slow chewers, brisk chewers, the ones who chew very little and the ones that gulp. My current group consists of Argus who is a slow chewer, Josie and Coral who are brisk chewers, and Watson who chews very minimally. Watson will occasionally bring up a larger piece for rechewing, which is why the dogs all eat in their crates. About the only way to slow down the fast eaters is to feed larger cuts. Turkey necks normally work really well for that - but the dogs will still gulp smaller pieces. When a dog brings boney pieces back up, it is normally part of a chicken wing, or a few turkey neck vertabrae. I'd be inclined to feed backs and necks but no wings to a gulper.

Hoaxes and Partial Truths

A Vet Tech friend forwarded the following article (which lost it's formatting when I uploaded it, sorry). Although I'd heard about the dangers of cocoa bean mulch, and also that the whole thing was a hoax, I decided to pass this article on as it has lots of good information. I also did an internet search on cocoa bean mulch hoaxes, with pretty mixed results. Hoax, partially true, false. Sounds as if it would take a fair amount of the product to cause any symptoms in the "average" dog, but there is still reason for concernm and it's amazing what our dogs sometimes ingest! Although I love the smell of the stuff (anything that smells like chocolate appeals to me!), and would like to use something that repells slugs, guess I'll pass on it for now. Apparently it is now possible to purchased the mulch with the theobromine removed - sounds like a better option.

Warning: Cocoa Mulch Toxicity
Dr. Donna J. Spector, 4/22/10
As spring and summer approach, many people begin tending to their lawns and gardens. Many will consider using cocoa bean mulch as a natural, chemical-free fertilizer. This mulch is made from the shells of spent cocoa beans used in chocolate production. It degrades into an organic fertilizer which naturally deters slugs, snails and other pests, while giving gardens a very attractive rich color and appealing chocolate smell. Unfortunately these same characteristics may make it appealing to dogs, who can be easily poisoned from its toxic effects.
Cocoa bean shells and mulch contain the stimulants theobromine and caffeine; methylxanthines which are both toxic to dogs. Dogs are highly sensitive to methylxanthines and low doses can cause gastrointestinal upset such as vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. Higher doses can cause rapid heart rate, muscle tremors, seizures and even death.
The following chart indicates the signs that could be expected in a 50-pound dog eating different quantities of cocoa bean mulch:
2 ounces
Stomach upset

4.5 ounces
Increased heart rate

5.5 ounces
Seizures

> 9 ounces
Death

　
This is compared to a 50-pound dog eating milk chocolate (found in most candies):
<7.5 ounces
Often no signs

>7.5 ounces
Stomach upset

>16 ounces
Increased heart rate

These differences exist due to the concentration of methylxanthines in each product. Cocoa bean mulch contains between 300-1200mg of theobromine per ounce while milk chocolate contains approximately 50mg of theobromine per ounce. However, if you suspect your dog has gotten into ANY type of chocolate, contact your veterinarian for immediate advice.

As a pet owner, it is advisable to use less toxic, pet-friendly alternatives such as shredded pine or cedar bark in landscaping projects. Prevent dogs from wandering unsupervised into other landscaped yards to avoid unintentional poisoning. If you suspect your dog has eaten cocoa mulch or any other toxic substance, seek veterinary attention immediately. Prompt action by your veterinarian can save your dog’s life.
Dog owner alert: common spring and summer toxicities
Fertilizer
Signs include stomach upset and/or obstruction

Insecticides/pesticides (sprays, granules, mole/gopher/rat baits)
Signs vary from stomach upset to life-threatening bleeding and seizures.

Slug and snail bait (contains metaldehyde)
Signs include anxiety, muscle tremors, seizures or death.

Compost
Certain food waste can be toxic to pets (caffeine, certain fruits, mold, etc)

Toxic plants (sago palm, azalea, foxglove, rhododendron, mushrooms, etc)
Signs vary with plant species but can cause general stomach upset to liver and heart failure.

Avocado
Signs include stomach upset

Grapes and raisins
Signs include stomach upset and kidney failure

Macadamia nuts
Signs include stomach upset, weakness and muscle tremors

Antifreeze (contains ethylene glycol)
Signs include stomach upset, seizures, kidney failure, and death.

　

Another Rainy Day, Hooray!

If the sun was shining and the temperatures a bit warmer, I could have planted my new Dahlias yesterday, but I guess they will have to wait another day as it is raining. Again. Perhaps we are back to a more normal rain cycle, after several years of very dry weather. I found these at Gertens, and although I had planned to look not buy, I could not resist. Lovely!

Signed the paperwork for a new leather sofa and chair yesterday. Hate having one more financial commitment, and COULD have put it on my Visa, but decided to take advantage of the interest free financing at Slumberland. Hope to pay it off quickly, but you can never be sure what expenses are Right around the corner, and the brakes on my Minivan are not sounding quite like they should. Brakes and tires, oh my. . .

New furniture is not scheduled to arrive until next week, giving me a chance to do some cleaning (ugh) and hopefully get the old furniture picked up by then. Who wants an old sofa and love seat? Sofa is in pretty good shape, love seat is in excellent shape, primarily because we spend so little time in the living room, preferring to share the family room with the dogs. My gosh, but the dust behind the love seat was thick - when did I last move it out from the wall and clean? Years? Decades? And the radiator in the corner between the love seat and sofa. Oh my! Finally decided to let the dust settle last night and get back to the project tonight. That includes washing the drapes - and if they fall apart I will have to buy new drapes too. And of course lovely new furniture will make the area rug look even older than it is . . . But I have been looking for a new rug for a year, so now I will have another reason to find the right one!

Where does dust come from? Dog hair I understand, but there's a lot more in that gray fuzzy stuff than dog hair. A quick search on the Internet says,

. . . there are three main components of dust: first, dead skin cells, second, the dried feces and dessicated corpses of dust mites (oh lovely!), and the last component by volume is tiny fibers shed by clothing. Ugh!

Electronics Dependency

Am always amazed at how dependent I am on my computer and how much I use it for. Just this morning I have already checked my email and responded a couple of things, ordered meat for the dogs (chicken backs and ground turkey), entered Argus at some shows over Memorial Day weekend, sent an email to Lucy's owner in Canada to discuss the possibility of getting her down here for some shows, sent an email to another Canadian friend to see if she might be coming down anytime soon so I could save myself a trip, checked Facebook to see how everyone is doing, and here I am updating my blog. How did I survive without my computer, and what would I do if it failed? I do have a nice little backup gizmo called Clickfree - sure hope it works like it is supposed to, if this computer fails. And if it fails it will be from overwork, I am sure!

A reader asked how to see my Facebook page. The answer is to join Facebook, search for me, and invite me to be your friend. When I accept, we can see each other's profile page (which can have as little or as much as you care to reveal about yourself and your family). My brother won't join because he is concerned about security issues, and that's a decision everyone needs to make for themselves. You'd be amazed at how much information about you is already out there! If you don't believe me, check www.spokeo.com, and search for your name. If you have any kind of an Internet presence, you will find out that there is probably a lot of information on you already.

The picture above is one of the candid shots from DCA week. Not a perfect moving shot, but it's pretty nice, showing good foot fall, balanced movement, proper topline and tail carriage. Wish Argus had his mouth shut, but Jess said he started sneezing right about then - and a couple of additional shots in that sequence seem to show that. Bad timing! I get so tired of seeing bad gaiting shots with tails up, toplines looking like the dogs are running downhill or with a big hump in the middle, or with so much over reaching that you can tell the dog is running sideways, even without seeing the down and back.

We had a really nice Mothers Day. I picked up mom and met up with Jess & Ron at Chatterbox for the Mother's Day Brunch which was good, although I thought the place was awfully dark and would have benefitted from better lighting. After eating we dropped Ron off, and the rest of us went out to Gertens which looked like a Plant Store Theme Park on steroids. Oh, so busy. Found a good parking spot though, and Gram sat and people watched while Jess and I did a bit of shopping. We both avoided the temptation to purchase tender annuals though - just too early!

Rain due again today, and the grass looks great. We're still two inches behind in precipitation for the year, but things are getting better!

Happy Mother's Day

It was 32 degrees when I woke up, but my freezable plants are sitting on the bar in the kitchen rather than in the ground. Hopefully all the perennials will be OK as many of them are quite large and lush already. And the rhubarb - hope that's OK as it's time to pick a second batch of it for mom. The outdoor thermometer currently says 77 degrees, a minute ago it said 81, but it's in the sun of course. Dogs are laying sprawled in the family room staring at me, telling me that it's time for breakfast, but they'll have to wait just a bit.

Brunch reservation at noon, so I'll pick up my mother and meet Jess & Ron at Chatterbox. Then, if mom is interested, we will head out to Gertens which will no doubt be a Garden Store Theme Park on steroids today.

Squirrel on the deck, but only Watson sees it as the other dogs are still staring at me. Oops, Argus and Josie are now standing at attention at the patio door. The wretched squirrels come to drink out of the bird bath, and I pray the dogs don't decide to take matters into their own paws and go right through the patio door!


Went to see Charlie yesterday as his owners were painting in their new house which is only a mile from me. Now what are the odds of that? If we decide to show Charlie, he's certainly handy! (Occurs to me that I need to check and see how THEY spell it, Charlie or Charley? He's really looks nice, and the 4 mile jogs have tightened him up nicely so that he's a lot sounder than the last time I saw him as a rubbery teenager. Was a bit concerned about size as he grew so quickly, but he's just the right size. I sometimes forget that kibble-fed pups seem to grow faster than raw-fed pups even though they end up the same size.

Time for breakfast.

Where In The World Is Fujairah UAE?

My nephew who in the Navy posted to Facebook that they had Beer on the pier in Fujairah UAE . . . I know he is in the Middle East or thereabouts, but where in the world IS UAE? Knew it stood for United Arab Emirates, but where are those? Are they independent countries? How large? Is Fujairah a city? Friendly to servicemen? Resort for the wealthy? Another opportunity to use Google, as I use it many times a day - to answer my own questions. What did I do before Google? And why have I not pursued the idea of Droid so that I can Google whenever I want? Lots of stuff on Fujairah, for example it could be my next vacation destination. Do they have dog shows? http://www.destination360.com/middle-east/united-arab-emirates/fujairah

A little further research tells me there was a dog show in Dubai, there are pet friendly hotels in Fujairah, I can board my dog in the UAE and there are breeders as well. Such a small world we live in!

Spring is out in full force this week. Not quite as warm as it was last week, but bright and sunny and because of last week's rain everything is growing like mad. I got the fertilizer down before the rain came (organic Milorganite, safe for all of us) and seeded a couple of thin spots. My yard came through the winter well, the fall fertilizer must have made a difference. The hardy Azalea will be in full flower by the end of the day and it's starting to look more like a tree than a bush. Lovely! My perennials all seem to be doing well and the old Trolleus and Coral Bells are flowering, along with the Ajuga on the front slope. Too early for annuals, either flowers or herbs, but the Oregano & Marjoram I planted last year look good. Need to find a major use for Oregano as the plant is going to take over the herb bed. Won't be long now before I buy my tomato plants, and one of them will try out in the upside down tomato hanger.

Made Ron a short shopping list and included a LARGE bottle of Ibuprofen. Things are NOT going as well as I had hoped, and in addition to continuing ankle pain the opposite knee is becoming a problem. Have a PT appointment on Friday, as well as an appointment with the Sports Med doc on Tuesday for a second opinion. Hope she opts for an MRI as there is something amiss with my ankle, and the pain is not from the area of the break. Hoped I could get in sooner, but I suppose Sports Med docs are pretty busy this time of the year as everyone is outside and overdoing it.

The chiropractic visits seemed to help some and everything feels better the evening after the appointments. Additionally, I was able to bathe 3 dogs without a backache on Sunday - something I have not been able to do all in one day for a long time. Yesterday my ankle felt very good by evening so I went for a bike ride - one of the things I am supposed to be able to do - no hills of course, and I ended up with an excruciating pain in the front of my ankle. This morning it feels good again. I've tried a variety of shoes, looking for the most comfortable because my plantar fasciatus has flared up some and I have to be careful. Tried on a dozen pairs of shoes on Sunday and none were more comfortable than the ones I already own. I DID discover that all tie shoes put pressure where it causes pain, but slip ons make my knee feel worse, and no shoes at all (sorry boss) aggravate my foot problems. Jeez! My patience is running thin!

Stop whining Sue. It's a beautiful day, and things will get better!

This Sucks

For a person who is never sick and rarely goes to the doctor, this is going to be a really strange day. Finally contacted my doctor yesterday and have an appointment for this morning. Thank you! He took me seriously which is nice, but also a little scary. Why is my ankle so slow to heal? Why does it hurt just as much as it did when the cast first came off? The range of motion is a lot better, but it sure seems as if it should be working and feeling better than it does. Hate to be a whiner, but I did not want to let things go any longer and then regret that I had not had things checked out sooner. The concern is whether or not the fracture may have shifted after the boot/cast came off. If that is not an issue, I can tough it out. If that IS a problem . . . Not sure if the rest of my body can endure surgery and 6-8 more weeks in a cast. I'm a really positive person, but this is really weighing heavily on my mind.

Then in the afternoon I have my second chiropractic appointment. Maybe I should just pack my lunch and stay at the clinic!

Every time I read negative stories or postings about HMOs, I am so grateful for mine. Oddly enough I have been going to the same clinic since I was a teenager! My father worked for the Federal Government and had Group Health Insurance way back then. When we moved to St. Paul 40+ years ago the family went to the little Como Clinic and I was covered on my father's policy until I left home to get married. David had insurance through the County, but we still went to the same hospital, St. Paul Ramsey where Jess was born. When I went back to work for the state I picked up Group Health again and went back to the same clinic which was now much larger. It later became Health Partners and the hospital name changed to Regions, BUT they are still the same clinic and the same hospital, but both MUCH larger! Several years ago I participated in a phone survey on Health Plans and was surprised that my response to every single question was Very Satisfied. I have been.

Puppy Purchasing - Let The Buyer Beware

Haven't posted a new picture of Bennett for awhile, but this one's a beauty! Ben picked up two Group Seconds a couple of weeks ago, and this is one of the photos. Lovely! Photographer was Callea Photos, and Meg really got a terrific picture, the best one I've seen of my granddog Ben. Ben was sold with the provision that I could breed to him if I wished, which I might do next fall if I can get the details worked out to my satisfaction. Mom would be a nice champion liver female who is Paisley-bred on her dam's side. She still needs to get her health testing done before this is a go. Ben is from an excellent litter and I am eager to see what he might produce.

A question from a reader - . . . can you tell me about what a champion bred pup costs? pet quality and show quality. my friend found a litter of 6 week old dals that are priced at $800 - $1000. they haven't been BAER tested, microchipped or anything. they will not be vet checked before leaving, they will be given their immunizations and that is all. i saw the pictures and they don't even look like normal dal pups, not to mention they all have big pot bellies so i am thinking they probably have worms. i am trying to convince her that is way too much to spend for such a pup and that she should just add a little with it and get one from a reputable breeder so that she can be sure the pup she is getting is of great quality, health and temperament. i don't really know exactly what per say one of your pups would cost but i'd like to give her an idea so hopefully she will realize she is getting, for lack of a better word, SCREWED. thank you!

Sounds like a bad deal to me. The price range quoted would be similar for a pet quality puppy from a well bred litter, but a pup from a responsible breeder would also be BAER (hearing) tested and have had a vet check in addition to the first vaccination and worming (if necessary). (Yes, pot-bellied pups are normally wormy, or worse. I've seen some of those under-nourished pups on several Internet sites.) Also, the parents of a litter from a responsible breeder would have some health testing themselves. An OFA number for hips, BAER testing, perhaps a CERF eye exam, or even better a CHIC number. Because people tend to be impulsive and impatient they often settle for less because they are in a hurry, but these randomly-bred dogs generally cost as much as a quality pup would cost, and you get far less. She should also ask where the pups were raised, why the breeder did the litter, what kind of contract/guarantee will be given, and she could ask for references. If she found this breeder on the Internet and the breeder does not show her dogs, this could easily be one of the Internet puppy mills that sell direct via a website.

Happy Birthday Coral

Still working on Bunny's Tale. Check back later.



Today is Coral's 12th Birthday! She's still in charge of all new toys and all pans that need to be licked clean.

If In Doubt, Read Instructions

I'd been having problems with my little Nikon CoolPix camera and could not get the flash to come back on. I remembered how to turn it off and on, one of the few things I had taken the time to learn, but that was no longer working. The problem started when I decided to take a video of Argus on the treadmill, which I eventually did, but then I could not get the camera out of the video mode and spent hours fussing with it, changing this and that without a clue as to what I was doing. FINALLY, I broke down and spent a couple of hours studying the manual, something I have never done before even though I've owned the camera for a year.

Wow, it does so many cool things like taking pictures in sepia (see above). Could be interesting to do a group of liver Dals in sepia. And a sports mode of continuous shots, one per second. I was jealous that a friend's camera did that. Never occurred to me that mine did too. So many interesting things to try! Reading the manual, what a concept!

A reader asks, "What exactly does it mean when someone says a dog has good bone or a lot of bone? Don't quite understand the meaning."

The AKC standard says that the Dalmatian's legs are "straight, stong and sturdy in bone". Not really a very good description, but it means that the Dalmatian is not fine-boned. He does not have skinny legs! Some breeds are heavy in bone, like the Rottweiler, with big thick legs, while others are light in bone like Italian Greyhounds and Miniature Pinchers, with thin delicate legs. Dalmatians are actually moderate in bone, but it's rather common for Dals to not have quite enough bone for their size. By saying that a dog has good bone or heavy bone, we normally mean that he has plenty of bone - neither big thick legs like treat trunks, nor skinny little legs like toothpicks. To complicate the matter, some standards call for oval bone, while others call for round bone (which is usually heavier bone for the size of the dog). Hope that helps!

Dewclaws Optional

The handsome boy on today's posting is "Krash" Ch. Choco Chip Krash Asteroid, a son of Argus & litter brother to Bad Pauli. His owner Jordan is new to the show ring, but finished Krash with a nice record that included a couple of Specialty majors. He's pictured here going Best of Breed at a recent show. Jordan also works Krash in Agility. Everyone starts as a newbie, and Jordan & Krash caught on fast!

An interesting question from one of the readers.

Do dewclaws have to be removed in order for a Dal to show in conformation (and actually win)? and if they can compete, do judges frown upon the intact dewclaws? I have often wondered that.

The Dalmatian standard reads -

Feet are very important. Both front and rear feet are round and compact with thick, elastic pads and well arched toes. Flat feet are a major fault. Toenails are black and/or white in black- spotted dogs and brown and/or white in liver- spotted dogs. Dewclaws may be removed.

The standard is always our guide in such issues as this varies from breed to breed. It tells us dewclaw removal is optional. Most breeders remove dewclaws most of the time, and when we share information on rescue dogs that is always one of the things that comes up. In general, dogs without dewclaws come from show breeders, who (if they are responsible breeders) want to know if any of their dogs are in a bad situation. Commercially bred pups and pups from pet-bred litters normally have their dewclaws.

Dewclaws are removed for safety reasons, cosmetic reasons, or both. They may be removed because of the risk they will get caught and torn or even ripped off, a painful, messy, and bloody business. A friend at work used to give me grief about having this done on puppies until her adult Pitbull cross tore a dewclaw while playing in the yard. The injured dewclaw had to be removed, a much more serious surgery than dewclaw removal on pups.

Dewclaws are generally removed when pups are about 2-3 days old. The little "thumbs" are attached only by cartilage at that age and can easy be snipped off, with a single stitch (or not) to prevent bleeding. Most of them don't bleed at all, and although the pups object vocally (probably to the restraint as much as the snipping) they quickly go back to sleep.

Whether or not a dog has dewclaws (or whiskers, for that matter) makes no difference in the judging. Dewclaw removal may create a "cleaner" look to the leg, especially if the dewclaws would have stuck out or been loose and floppy. Most Dalmatian dewclaws are small and tight and barely noticeable.

We've removed dewclaws on most of our litters, but a few litters did not get done because of weather or health issues. One litter would have needed a vet visit during a blizzard, another during an incredible cold spell. Just not worth the risk. Our last litter did not have them removed because we had a difficult whelping and most of the pups were very small and we were not sure if they would make it. So lovely Penny still has her dewclaws, but we don't expect that to handicap her in any way in the show ring.

$100.00 Athletic Shoes, Oh My!

Kara Ann took this picture of Argus at St. Louis. That's Jess handling him, and the judge who eventually gave him the Specialty approaching him. I love finding candid shots of my handsome boy. Thanks Kara Ann.

Went shopping yesterday, quite a project! I am NOT a shopper though occasionally can force myself to do it. Yesterday's assignment was looking at show suits for Jess, and something for her to wear when she shows Argus in the Top Twenty since I won't be able to do that. The Top Twenty is held the night before Best Of Breed judging at the National, is by invitation, and is semi-formal - for both the spectators and the exhibitors. I had already found myself a wonderful outfit to wear but I suppose I can use that NEXT year! I detest large shopping centers, but went out to Rosedale since they have both a Macys and a Penneys - close together, even. Also hoped to buy myself some shoes. Because of the height of this walking cast, I had only one shoe that I could wear, all the rest having lower/flatter soles that forced me to walk as if I had a long leg and a short leg. Tough on my back. I'm used to changing shoes a lot, and my "good foot" was getting sore.

Parking lot was crowded, so much for the depressed economy, and so were the stores. Even the handicap spots were mostly taken, but I did find one relatively close. Rather like my handicap hangtag - comes in handy on occasion. Nothing of interest at Penneys although I may go back for a watch I liked. Lots of good stuff at Macys, though most of it out of my price range. I refuse to spend $200.00+ plus on a suit that will just be used for dog shows! Several suitable ones on sale (hey Laura, that's a pun), and they even had pockets. I purchased one that might work for Jess. Also found an outfit suitable for the Top 20, but Jess needs to try that out. It's been a long time since I purchased clothes for my daughter, other than as Christmas gifts, but if she's going to show my dog she needs to dress the part.

Naturally the shoe stores were on the other end of the mall from where I started. Slow going with a stiff cast - I need a scooter to hotrod in. Had previously noticed that Sketchers had thick soled sneakers called Shape Ups, but refused to spend over $100.00 just for a pair of sneakers, knowing they were probably made in a sweatshop and cost $2.00 to constuct! I always buy good shoes, BUT have never paid THAT much. However, after visiting five shoe stores I was left with no other options, especially since all the walking was really making my heels hurt. So now I have a pair of spendy sneakers that work fine and feel good. By the time the cast comes off I will have one old sneaker and one new sneaker to wear! Oh well.

I Had A Dream Last Night

Had the weirdest dream last night where I was judging the DCA National again, but instead of the lovely venue in Hutto, Texas, I was judging Dals in a lunchroom or cafeteria where we had to keep moving the tables around to make room for the dogs! When they reminded me that I would be judging for two days I panicked, because I had only brought one good outfit for judging, and couldn't possibly wear it two days in a row. I even checked to see if it as reversible (!), then I woke up.

It was a strange dream, but probably brought on by the sad news that Ch. Tramac Mochamotion had passed away yesterday. "Mocha" had been my choice for Best Of Breed the year I judged the National in 2002 I think, and she put on a stellar performance that day. Mocha will always stay in my mind's eye as precisely what a Dalmatian should look like, absolutely lovely breed type. Not a large girl, but perfectly balanced, with just the right amount of bone and muscle for a trotting breed, sound from every angle, lovely liver spotting, beautiful dark eyes, and a stunning outline. Mocha had a wonderful show career handled by her breeder-owner Meg and co-owned by Jim, the beginning of an excellent team. In addition to being a fine showdog, Mocha also produced Bindi & Tanner, top showdogs themselves. Although I have yet to see the perfect Dalmatian, Mocha came as close to it as I ever expect to see. Carrie suggested that Mocha is now at the rainbow bridge, playing with her dad Jack just as she did during her life on earth. I sincerely hope so!

Funny how things happen. When I judged in Hutto, I gave Awards of Merit to two littermates, Rusty and DeSoto from the Jack/Olive litter that produced 9 champions. I had previously given majors to several of their littermates, and particularly admired sister Dixie. I don't recall ever seeing Olivia in the classes, but when she won an Award Of Merit from the Veteran's class at DCA in 2004, I absolutely loved her and inquired as to whether she would be bred again. And that's the litter Argus came from . . .

What? A Weekend At Home?

Here I am, making a fashion statement with my walking cast and new walking stick (that needs to be shortened). I looked at the picture and was amazed that I had suddenly (?) become old. How does this happen? Actually, I looked at the picture and saw my mother. Oh my!

Started doing exercises a couple of nights ago, ones that can be done while laying down or sitting. Am determined not to gain any weight while wearing the cast, and have done fine so far, but would rather not redistribute it either. It's harder to stay fit as you get older, and I sure don't want to spend the summer playing catch up - or perhaps it would be catch down. Have some really nice new suits to wear for dog shows, and they need to fit.

Argus and I went for a walk last night, our first since the accident. Not very far, and certainly not very fast, but he was more interested in sniffing so he didn't mind at all. The air smelled like SPRING! We went to the corner and back, then came home and he ran on the treadmill for a few minutes.

We'll be spending the weekend at home as Jess has family obligations and can't get away. Judges were good, judging times were excellent, but Columbia Missouri is 10 hours away. Ten rainy hours on iffy roads, which would not have been fun. Argus and I been gone 3 of the last 4 weekends (Indianapolis, Chicago, St. Louis) and I never expected that Mother Nature would let us get to all three show weekends. I always enter them all and hope I can get to one or two. Guess I can't complain. We're off for the next three weekends, then leave for the National in Lawrence, Kansas.

It will be a good weekend to do my taxes. Am determined to buy a Droid or Blackberry, so need the money to pay for it and for DCA week. I always get back quite a bit of money which is nice. I could change my withholding, but like many others I prefer to get back a chunk of money in the spring. If I got more on my paycheck I wouldn't have anything left, so this works nicely for those of us who are inept budgeters!

No Medical Miracles Around Here

Here's Ella at 5 weeks post-breeding, 4 weeks to go. Looks nicely pregnant for this stage. Cheryl does not want 10-12 pups, so we will hope for 6-8 which should give her plenty to pick from without all the hassle of a really big litter. I just referred another potential puppy person to her when I got an email from some an old friend who used to show in breed and obedience years ago and is now ready for a new puppy after being dogless for 5 years. I can't imagine being dogless for 5 years!

Paid a visit to the doctor yesterday for xrays and we did not have a Medical Miracle, as I had hoped. Things are going well and my ankle is mending, but the boot stays on for 3 more weeks. Fooey. That gives me just one week to get my ankle ready for showing at the National, something that I may not be able to accomplish. If I showed something slow, like Pekingese perhaps! We know that Jess will be able to show Argus well, but I really want to be able to show him myself. Oh well, what will be will be.

Dogs are playing with a Santa Claus covered plastic bottle. They all really enjoy those toys and it's easy to replace the bottle when it gets all squashed. Only problem is that so many of the bottles are really thin plastic now.

Things are up in the air about going to Columbia this weekend. Judges I'd really like to show Argus too, but things may not work out for Jess to go. I COULD stay home and clean house, I suppose. Everything is starting to look fuzzy and gray around here.

Started doing water changes on my poor fish last night. Not easy to do when I can't carry the heavy buckets - actually I can, but hate to put the extra weight on the ankle. We did all the tanks when Laurie was here, so they all need to be done this week. Martha Marmorkreb continues to hide out during the day and come out to eat when the lights are off, so I am hoping she is carrying little clones now. Her colors are fabulous, bright red and blue, but she's suddenly very shy and retreats to her cave when she sees me. Odd for a critter who used to stand on her tail to beg for algae wafers, so something is going on. I really need to sell off some of the young HRPs and Firemouths, as they are outgrowing their tanks. The little A. sequoia are growing well and will be ready to BAP whenever I can get to another fish club meeting, probably not until May. Same with the little L. melanogaster. Still waiting for the L. triden pairs to spawn. I'd like to keep more of them and in a larger tank as they are really beautiful small fish. Limias have a lot to offer - small, hardy and very pretty.

Pups

This cute guy is Stryker, from Argus & Tess's litter. He's what I call a multi-patch and is really a cutie. He's got a home to go to as soon as he is old enough. Tess's pups all hear and are healthy and confident. Wish I lived close enough to visit them - I need a puppy fix!

Cheryl is quite sure that Ella is pregnant, so at least I will have grand dogs to visit in Iowa. Ella is a grand kid of both Watson & Coral, so is "family". Argus did so well with Coral's daughter Nikon who produced Penny), and we hope he does equally well with Coral's grand daughter.

We also got both chilled semen collections taken care of last week. (It WAS a busy week!) Because the bitch has missed in the past, they did lots of progesterone testing as well as LH testing, and a surgical insemination as well as a trans cervical. Hopefully this time is the charm!

Pauli, Krash, and sister Hottie were two years old yesterday. They are from Argus's second litter. Now we can get their CHIC numbers. Ben & Nati from the first litter both have theirs. Now we need to talk to Tom about getting Sam & Rita done. Sam may never be bred, but Rita certainly will be, and she needs to have her health testing first.

Do Dals Get Along?

The answer is YES. Most Dal owners keep multiple dogs who can run together, and many of them keep additional breeds as well. Whippets, Parson Russell Terriers & Cavaliers are among the breeds that commonly live with Dalmatians. For some reason, Whippets are especially popular with Dal owners. In this picture which was borrowed from a friend, are two champion male Dals who live together, a champion female Dal and a female Whippet. I have several good friends who have kept both Dals & Cavaliers for a long time together. Many Dals also live with cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and other small critters.

Being good with other dogs is partially inherited and partially the result of how the dogs are raised. It's a requirement that the dogs here get along - running separate shifts of dogs is way too much work and I do not want to get caught in the middle of an argument. We've brought in new girls on several occasions and they have fit in well as Josie and Coral are very good about "sharing Ron" with others. Although I could bring in a young male, it might would not work to bring in another adult male Dal unless he was pretty mild-mannered, but because Watson & Argus are good with the dogs they meet it might work. A young male who was raised here would fit in fine. I've kept as many as 4 adult males at a time with absolutely no problems.

There are many things that can be selected for when you do a breeding, and this is one of them. Several stud dogs in this breed were known to be dog aggressive, and tended to pass that on to a certain percentage of their sons, no matter how those dogs were raised. I once bred my Eloise (whose sons had previously all been very good with other dogs) to a dog-aggressive dog and several of the dogs in that litter were really bad with other dogs, even though they were properly raised. That was enough to convince me, and one of my goals as a breeder is to produce dogs that can share the house with others!

Dals were originally stable dogs and lived together in the stable with the horses. They were expected to guard the carriage and the horses from stray dogs, but certainly had to get along with their stable mates.

Spring Songs & St. Louis

Argus should be tired (I sure am!) but he's laying on the hassock watching me, wagging like crazy whenever I look his way. He loves dog show weekends, and had a great time on this one. He especially enjoys being admired, sleeping on the bed in the motel room, and celebrating a successful weekend with a cheeseburger (no pickle, thank you). Jess & I had a wonderful time too, and Penny seems to be happy no matter where she is or what she's doing. She's as sociable as her dad and loved meeting everyone - and ate her cheeseburger even faster than Argus ate his.
We thought Penny was "star quality" and this weekend she confirmed that we were not wrong!

Sitting at ringside is impossible for me, as I tend to be a "pacer". I walk when I am nervous or stressed. It's especially hard to watch Argus in the ring with Jess, even though she is an excellent handler and does a great job with him. I put lots of mile on this cast over the weekend!

The weather was so nice this year and it was in the 50s in St. Louis on Saturday, and in the 40s in Milwaukee on Sunday. Sure makes traveling a lot easier than all the years we have come home from St. Louis in a blizzard - one year we came home to 2 feet of new snow and could not even get down the street in front of the house. This year we came home to lots of snow melt and it was 36 degrees when I took the dogs out at 6:00 AM. The birds are positively shouting their spring songs! The St. Louis Specialties and all breed show are one of my favorite dog show weekends, but we do not always get there. I generally enter and then pray that Ma Nature cooperates. She did a great job this year!

Argus won the Award Of Merit at the first show, Penny won a big Puppy Class, and both showed well, but the second show was MUCH better and both dogs were really on. Our judge was a Dal breeder who now shows a smaller breed and we had shown to her only once before and it was NOT a happy experience, when my previous Best In Show liver dog "Morris" did not go Best of Breed as we had "expected" he would. A good reminder not to take anything for granted!

This time was MUCH better. Puppy Penny went Winners Bitch in a lovely big entry for 5 points, just as Pauli had done last year. You always wonder if your class dog winning will cut your Special's chances as some judges like to "pass it around". Penny went back in with Argus's co-owner Mark, who did a great job with her, and Argus showed wonderfully well for Jess. Neither of them made any mistakes and put on a stellar performance. Several of the bitch Specials were group winners, and the overall competition for Best Of Breed was really good. The judge sorted through her Specials, eliminating the ones no longer under consideration and the group in the rings got smaller and smaller. Finally she pulled Argus out front, and pulled Penny in behind (the spot for Best Of Winners). I assumed that she pulled a bitch Special in behind Penny, but was not really paying attention to that. When the dust had settled and the winners were at their markers, we saw that Penny had not only gone BOW, she had also gone Best of Opposite Sex to her dad, beating out some lovely adult champion bitches. How exciting! What a thrill!

Dog shows were originally about evaluating breeding stock, and we are SO pleased that in addition to being a wonderful show dog, Argus is also an excellent sire. Good dog Argus! Good girl Penny! Good job, Jess! And thank you for making this such a wonderful trip. Argus went Best of Breed in a huge entry the following day, and we drove to Milwaukee for the Sunday show where he went Best Of Breed and placed in the Group. A most successful weekend.

Time For A Puppy Fix

Not much time for posting as Jess will arrive soon to load the car and we are off to St. Louis. It will be tough to equal last year when Argus won both Specialties and Pauli picked up a Specialty major, a Specialty Reserve and Best In Sweeps. Judges aren't nearly as promising for us this year, but hopefully we have a good time at least. Our departure will be by way of the Repro Vet where Argus will make his second "contribution". So much easier to use shipped chilled semen than to entertain a visiting lady, especially with me laid up for now. Well, guess I am not exactly "laid up" since the cast is certainly not keeping me home! Just keeps me from walking as much as I would like.

Here's a great place to get your puppy fix. These are the Argus/Tess pup at about 4 weeks. http://tramacpup.blogspot.com/

See you next week! Unless I can find a computer and do an update. I am buying a new phone though, as I hate being "unconnected".

Too Much To Do

I shouldn't be blogging, but will miss the next few days so I will enjoy a few minutes of writing while savoring my first cup of coffee.

Things are going to be so crazy at work as one the people in our group retired yesterday after 40+ years. The state never fills a position before someone leaves, so two of us are learning his job for the time being, paying construction contracts that are a mix of federal, state & stimulus funds. The coding is NOT easy but it is pretty interesting. Just wish I had had a bit more time to work on these before he left, and I hope the job gets filled soon - but of course the new person will have to learn the job too. Although the stimulus money is useful, it really makes things so much more complex from the account perspective, and the only other person in our unit who can make these payments is going to Hawaii for two weeks later this month. ARGH!

As if things weren't crazy enough here already, Argus has to make a "donation" today and again tomorrow (before we leave for St. Louis) for a chilled semen breeding. The bitch has missed twice before, so this is a now or never, a surgical insemination followed by a transcervical two days later. They are using the best reproductive specialist available, so hopefully this works. We would normally just give one repeat, but are giving a second one this time as we really would like to see what this bitch and Argus produce. His sperm count is high and his semen packs and ships well, so we hope the third try is the charm. Some dogs, like some people, are infertile however, so fingers are crossed all around. Sometimes a bitch will even conceive, but just be unable to carry a pregnancy to term.


I got this nice note a few weeks ago and thought I would share it. The Dal pictured on this blog entry is Frigga.

Hi Sue,
We love our dal Frigga, who was your Shandi, daughter of Coral. She has been
a delight over the past years. We take her with us whenever we can, weather
permitting, in our Ford 150 which we have equipped with a crate in the back
seat to house the dog when we are away from the pickup. It's not that we
don't trust her, it's that someone might see her in the pickup and steal
her. Our favorite passtime at home is riding around on our John Deere Gator.
Frigga loves it and will not be denied a ride when I have it out of the
shed. She kept falling off the seat, so I fashioned a board for her to sit
on when we ride around. We had her in Puppy Kindergarten when she was
little; we went twice because I (David) did not quite master the course the
first time. She also loves to go to the farmers markets in our area during
the season. The vendors forget her name, so there, so they call her Spot.
Frigga has a kink in her tail and may not be anatomically correct in every place,
but if dog shows were held to determine best disposition and personality, we
have no doubt that our "Friggie" would win best of show every time. She did
win the tail wagging contest at her Kindergarten class and received a
stuffed toy as a prize. She likes stuffed toys but tend to "gut them out"
after playing with them for a time.The picture we're sending is of Frigga
and our cat Izzy snuggling together on Frigga's bed. Izzy loves Frigga, and
Frigga endures. We enjoy your blog.