Growing Up In Pieces

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

Argus at 4 months

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

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

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

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

Next Comes Winter

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

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

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

Freeze Warning? Now?

Turn on the treadmill!

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

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

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

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

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

Puppy Sunday

15 more minutes of outdoor time for the Arboks, then Argus and I will head off to the dog park for a good run, then on to White Castle for breakfast.  Love our Sunday routine and Argus seems to know when it's Sunday.

A most productive Saturday with lots of cleaning, rug washing, and puppy socialization.  Because Letty is not particularly outgoing, very brave about situations but not very interested in people, I'll put extra work into her as a pup.  This is not a personality type I am used to working with, and one that I have not seen before in Argus kids (who normally love everyone), although Virgil/Herbie is very similar.  Letty definitely has a mind of her own, and her life plan does not seem to include fawning over strangers the way most of my dogs do.  She'll say Hi and accept treats, but does not climb up their bodies and cover them with kisses.

Yesterday she went to a new pet store and did well, was fine about being petted, and fearless as she stalked through the store checking out the merchandise.  A small furry dog barked and her and she did not back down or panic as she had when a HUGE furry Goodedoodle loomed over her the previous week.  Need to find some small friendly dogs for her to interact with.  Where can I borrow a Cavalier?

Today is Lucas's day to go out.  He's a soft, sweet, squishy boy who loves everyone and acts just like his dad, assuming that everyone wants to meet and admire him.

Later Jess and Laurie will bring the Crupens (Cruise/Penny) pups over so we can take pictures - a bit early, but it will be good socialization for them.  Later Laurie and I will head off to Sea Salt for an awesome fish dinner. 

Ron is fine, will be back in a few days.  Coral misses him and wonders where he is.  She's his special dog and she expects to spend her evenings sitting on the sofa beside him.  I've made sure the oldsters get their daily walks, but I know they will be relieved when Ron shows up.  Me, I've had a nice vacation of sorts.  Some My Time, or maybe it's Me & The Dogs Time.  I needed that!

Time Out

My house is so quiet, just me and the dogs.  Well, THEY are not always quiet, but you know what I mean.  Had been hoping the pups would continue to sleep until 7:00 AM, but they've moved that back to 6:30 and you can bet they will opt for a 6:00 wake up call tomorrow, Saturday.  Because they still sleep in a pen in the basement I'm not yet a puppy doorman, but that will change in another week.  Time to get serious about housetraining pretty soon.  Wonder how many puppies I have trained over the years?

After a difficult winter, a stressful spring, and an irritating summer, I decided that Ron and I needed a break.  He has a condo, but spends most of his time here.  An ever increasing amount of time.  Have always suspected that was because of the dogs, not because of me, but that's OK too.  It worked fine when I was off to dog shows every weekend, but with Argus retired and me home so much more it became way too much.  I found myself angry all the time, needing some space, some My Time.

Two days later I am so much more relaxed, sleeping better, enjoying my house and yard.  I can eat what I want and when I want - sauteed zucchini at 6:00 PM, ham salad on toast at 8:00 PM, whenever the mood strikes me.  A weekend to myself, with just my spotted friends for company sounds wonderful.  Laurie will be back Sunday afternoon and after taking puppy pictures of Jess's litter, we can go to Sea Salt for dinner, which will be fun.

Hopefully this is just a temporary situation, but it was exactly what I needed.  With all the stress at work, I do not need it at home too.  Life is so full of changes . . . 

Dog Birthdays



Which toy should we play with?


Argus seemed to enjoy his birthday! He went along when I picked up Laurie at the train station.  She had to catch a later flight, but everything fell into place, and she caught the light rail to the station closest to my house.  Handy!  Although we went out for burgers without Argus, we did bring home an Angus Deluxe for him to share with his housemates.   Everyone approved.  A trip to PetCo resulted in two new toys, although the one that quacks may drive me crazy before the dogs destroy it.

Why is it that we celebrate dog birthdays?  Is it for the dogs or for us?  Fun for all!

Laurie will spend the morning at the house which the dogs will enjoy, and Jess will pick her up later.  Laurie gets to spend the weekend at Jess & Don's, playing with Penny and the pups while Jess and Don go camping.  Jess and Laurie will be back here on Sunday afternoon so we can take puppy pictures of the Crupens (Cruise/Penny pups), then Laurie and I hope to go to Sea Salt on Sunday evening. Looking forward to seeing the Crupens again.  Busy weekend for all.  Wish I did not have to go to work this morning.

Happy Birthday, Buddy!

It's Argus's Birthday and he's 6 years old today!  How can that be?  Seems like only yesterday he arrived from California, a happy-go-lucky, flop-eared puppy.  What adventures we've had!

Before Argus, I'd lost interest in dog shows. I started showing dogs as a teenager, finished my first champion in 1968, bred many homebred champions, campaigned several successful specials, and was suffering burnout.  Time to get out of showing dogs and just keep a few Dals as pets.

But I missed my show friends and went to the National just to socialize.  Then I saw "Marlin" - what an absolutely lovely dog, and he went back to and resembled my beloved Rob.  A Marlin pup would be nice!  And I saw "Olivia" for the first time, getting an AoM from the Veteran's Class.  She went back to "Jocko" and other Paisley dogs.  I had judged and given majors to a number of her littermates, and absolutely loved her, so I asked my friend Carrie Jordan if Olivia would be bred again.  And when she was bred to Marlin I reserved a puppy.  It was to be a puppy bitch, but I really prefer brownie boys, and Argus eventually came to Minnesota.  And I went back to showing dogs never realizing how much Argus and I would be able to accomplish.  Thanks Argus!

Tonight we'll do burgers on the grill, one for each of the dogs, with ice cream for dessert, and then we'll go down to PetCo so Argus can pick out a new toy. Ever a puppy, he still enjoys his toys.  Later he can go along to the airport when we collect one of his favorite friends, Laurie who will be going to Jess's to visit Penny and her puppies.

No Time

Poor time management skills this morning.  No time to blog and I really need to write to get my mind in order as it is going to be a very busy week with the Arbok's to deal with, Laurie staying for a day or two, so much going on at work, and Ron with a nasty bug that won't go away but leaves him mopey and useless.

Why the heck won't Ron go to a doctor?  Time for a major showdown here, yet again.  I dread these confrontations but it's the only way things actually get done. He's a good guy but SO stubborn and I have run out of patience with this kind of behavior.  He has good health coverage and needs to use it.

Lots of time spent with the Arboks this weekend, taking them for individual visits to local pet stores and for individual walks.  Tried an excellent recipe for stuffed peppers - came home from the Farmers Market with so much good stuff, made a batch of veggie mix for the dogs, and the peppers for us.  Excellent!  Got the basement put back together and spent some time doing fish chores.  Took Argus to the dog park, went to the fair, took Gram out for burgers and beer and Groveland Tap, and even did a bit of house cleaning.

Now, back to work.  Laurie is coming for a few days, and I will see Penny's pups this weekend.  Need to think of things to do with the Arboks, but Laurie can put some time into them too, which will be good.

No time for proofing.  Hope the grammar is OK!  Arbok pictures tomorrow.

Good Links

Think I'll start adding links -

Dalmatian Club Of America

The Whole Dog Journal

Farewell To Virgil Arbok



Virgil and Letty

Virgil leaves for his new home tonight.  He'll be living with a couple of adult dogs, a Dal girl & a Weim girl.  He's a very handsome fellow with a mind of his own.  He's not the lap sitting sort, but is friendly and brave - and a bit stubborn.  Fortunately he's a chow hound too and will do almost anything for food!

This weekend I will make the puppy pen smaller and dig out a couple of puppy crates as it's time for Letty & Lucas to eat in dog crates rather than from a communal bowl.  I'll wait a bit longer before I start crating them at night, since that would probably mean getting up with them at night and I'm not ready to do that yet!  By ten weeks they'll be sleeping in separate crates. 

Lots to be done with them this weekend too.  Separate car trips with visits to Petco or Chuck & Don's.  Leash walks through the neighborhood.  Finding some kids for them to interact with.  We'll also work on restraint exercises and begin teaching sit and down. They both know their names, and respond quickly to the high pitched "puppy puppy" call I use when I feed them, so we will also start working on recalls.

The adult Dals have been very good with the pups, so the pups will get more free time in the family room.  Josie sometimes get a bit boisterous and the pups dive under the dog bed to avoid her dancing feet, but for the most part it works just fine.   It's too hard to work on house training three, but Lucas & Letty will start learning house manners this weekend, since I can easily tuck one pup under each arm.  At least for now!  They're growing fast though!

No Blogging Today

Yesterday was immensely stressful.  No time or energy for blogging.  Hopefully the day goes better than yesterday did.

Fun With Puppies

Playing submissive for dad

An absolutely miserable day at the office, late getting out of work, and then caught up in rush hour traffic when I finally did hit the road.  Came home to Ron sneezing and coughing with another cold or allergies (it's hay fever season with the ragweed in all it's glory), a hairy house that did not get vacuumed or dusted last weekend, and a yard that needs mowing . . .

BUT, my puppies were glad to see me and are looking so good right now.  Love the personalities on both Lucas & Letty, and they are so CUTE.  Sent off an email to Robin to be sure she is coming for Virgil this weekend, as I'm looking forward to having fun with just my two pups.   And a three-day weekend!

Because Lucas will be staying with us until Jess's pups are placed, I need to start working with both Lucas and Letty.  Time to dig out a couple of small crates and start crate training, house training and all the fun stuff that goes with pups.  We're going for short leash walks every evening, and stacking a couple of times.  Started teaching the sit-for-a-cookie, but Letty is not particularly interested in treats.  Virgil however was delighted to learn that.

The pups are doing really well on their raw diet, but will get a couple of kibble meals this week.  I bought a bag of Pro Plan Selects Turkey & Barley and have some soaking in the refrigerator. Kibble must always be fed soaked and with lots of water when it's given to Dal puppies.  Am sure they will like it just fine, although clean up will not be nearly as neat and tidy as it is with raw-fed pups.

Finally got the paperwork off to AKC, using the "whole litter option", registering each puppy with it's name and owners.  AKC has a cash flow problem and one of the reasons is that people don't bother to send in their individual registration apps.  When the breeder registers a litter, each pup gets an application for individual registration, but many people don't bother to send them in.  The whole litter option insures that each pup is registered.  Lucas is now Paisley Choco Chip Ready For Broadway, a combination of both parents names.  Am pleased with the names for both Letty and Lucas, although they will always be Letty Arbok & Lucas Arbok to me!

And Then There Were Three

Not the three pictured here, Lucas, Sloan and Letty, but really like this picture that Ron got last week.  Weather and Sloan have departed for new homes and Virgil will be leaving soon.  It's been such fun!

Health checks went well and the pups got thorough exams - eyes, ears, mouths, throats, bites, patellas (knee caps), shoulders and hips (for normal range of motion), heart rate, respiration, etc. Have ever had such thorough puppy exams before.  The pups checked out well and behaved nicely.  A pen was set up for them in the exam room, which was so much easier than carrying them in and out one at a time.

On Saturday we went down to Rochester for BAER (hearing) testing and there were no surprises there.  We knew we had 4 bilateral and 1 unilateral hearing and the testing confirmed that.  Unis function just fine but have trouble locating the source of sounds. We were very pleased with the litter stats overall, as we had no patches or blues, excellent trim and some spectacular spotting.

Rosie drove up to meet us in Rochester and as expected she picked Weather as her puppy from the litter, allowing me to keep and place Sloan for her since I had a good home waiting for him. Reebok went home with Rosie too, so the house is getting quieter!

I had planned to keep the companion pups until 8 weeks, but because Tabitha is a stay at home mom there really was no reason to make her wait until the following weekend to pick up Sloan.  If she can raise pups as well as she raised little Simon, he'll turn out well!  Simon was a doll.  Sloan's name is now Lego and we hope to see him in the Rally ring and possibly Agility someday.

So that leaves Letty, Lucas & Virgil.  Robin is supposed to pick up Virgil next weekend, and Lucas will stay with me for a few more weeks, eventually going to live with Jess and Don.  In the meantime, I'll start working with Letty and Lucas, teaching them to sit, stand and walk on leash.  The sooner you start training a puppy the better, but mostly I'll just enjoy them!

Thanks to Rosie for allowing me to lease Reebok and breed her to Argus.  It was such fun!

Not to be forgotten, Argus and I did our usual dog park visit on Sunday where he made more new friends.  I had hoped that by playing with dogs at the dog park he would not be so determined to "meet" all the dogs we see on our walks.  Didn't work that way as he is more than ever convinced that he should meet and become friends with every dog!

Good Bye Reebok

Reebok playing frog

Tomorrow Reebok goes home.  Rosie will meet up with us in Rochester to see the pups again, and take Reebok home with her.  Rosie will decide who she's taking as her share of the litter, and whether or not she will let me place her second pick pup in one of the excellent homes I have waiting.   Assuming she selects Weather, I have offered to keep her for a few more weeks, as Rosie's life is pretty busy right now.  Because Ron is home during the day, the pups get a lot more time and attention here and there's lots more things I want to do with them.

Reebok has been an excellent guest and we will miss her.  She fit it nicely, had excellent manners, was not noisy, and is an excellent house dog.  Ron suggested that we could volunteer to keep her (he loves girl dogs) but I explained that she was not for sale, that Rosie probably wanted to get her ready to compete for her Grand Championship (once Rosie's ankle is mended), and that I want a puppy, not one more adult dog.

Health check up today, a visit to Winsor's clinic and Dr. Valenti who did their dew claws and the x-rays when Letty hurt her leg.  I KNOW the pups will get lots of extra socialization today!

An Early Start

Weather at 6 weeks

Blogging early today as I've already been up for an hour.  Not because I had to get up, but because I couldn't sleep.  Heaven knows I need the rest, but if I wake up at 4:00 or later I just can't get back to sleep and I hate to lay there and let worries crowd my mind.

Nothing that actually NEEDS to be worried about (knock on wood) but all the little concerns that crowd my mind and seem so much more serious while tossing and turning in bed.  It's a stunning morning, so with a lovely cool breeze coming through the patio door and a cup of strong hot coffee to enjoy, things all seem so much better right now.

The pups are quiet in the morning (so far) until I wake them to clean their pen and feed them.  The radio that's tuned to a rock station covers up the small household noises and the basement is quiet and dark.  I'll feed the adults, then do some major cleaning of the pen, and dispense a lot of hugs.  The pups are very happy to see me and everyone begs to be picked up.   Hopefully the pen is not too gross, but the pups are dealing with coccidia right now, a protozoan infection common in pups.  I'm sure it lives in my elderly basement as well as my yard, so I'm used to dealing with it when we have pups.  It causes loose stool which makes pen cleaning a little messier and requires LOTS more newspapers, which reminds me - I MUST find some more newspapers today.  Pups are cheerful and feel fine, other than eating a bit slow occasionally.  Things should be better (as in more solid) today as the medication takes effect.  Weather was the first to show symptoms and Letty the last.  OTHERWISE the pups are going great.

Reebok goes home this weekend (she's a good dog but I will be glad to send her home), but I've offered to keep Rosie's pups for an extra week as her life is pretty busy right now.  Whether I keep 3, 4 or 5 pups doesn't make much difference in the amount of work.  I want to work on noises a bit more as Weather is a bit sound sensitive and I want to get her used to more noises before she leaves.  She seems to have gotten over the a$$hole who gunned his motorcycle next to the puppy pen when I took them down to meet up with Rosie.  The pups all sat and watched the shop vac the other night and offered to attack it if I would let them out of their pen.

The pups are spending increasing amounts of time outdoors now.  Not in the morning before I go to work (don't want puppy yapping to disturb the neighbors) but they go out at noon for an hour or two (Ron brings them in after I go back to work), when I get home from work, and again at dusk.  They are quick to pee when they hit the grass, so are catching on to that.  If I lived in a rural area they would be outdoors full time now, but that's not possible for us.

When the litter is outside for the last time, the pups come in with me one at a time to explore other parts of the house, interact with the adults, and get a little training and some one-on-one.  It's important the pups learn to be comfortable without their littermates, and it's an important part of socialization.  It also gives me a better chance to evaluate their individual personalities.  Letty who is incredibly brave about everything, Lucas who is equally brave but more independent, Weather who is a bit more cautious and will stop and think like Rob used to do, Sloan who is brave enough but would prefer to sit on my lap, and Virgil who explores but drops his tail when he encounters new things. He and Weather will get more indoor time for the next few days. Weather is more cautious about the big dogs and worries about being stepped on, while Virgil LOVES being in the midst of them.  Tonight I'll have all the pups loose with all the adults at the same time, so they get used to ducking out of the way when things get lively!

No new puppy pictures, I've taken none since Sunday.  Better remedy that tonight!  Wish I could get a picture of Reebok playing and trying to get Argus to join in.  The minute she sees the camera she stops and comes over to me, so guess it won't happen.  She's going through the Post Puppy Crazies now, doing laps in the family room and even playing with toys (which she rarely does otherwise).

The days are stressful at work as the new accounting system is anything but SWIFT, and the conversion from old to new had lots of glitches.  We're slowly mastering the new procedures, but everyone keeps encountering roadblocks, and we're getting so far behind in our work, waiting for problems to be worked out.  I try to concentrate on the things that go right, and how much I have learned already. Sounds as if we are going to be authorized for overtime which will help a lot.  There is so much to do, and the new processes require many more screens and steps.  I could sure use the money and once the pups have gone on to their new homes I'll probably work an extra hour a day.

Poor fish are getting short changed here, and I have had little time to watch them. They're getting fed, but I really need to find the time for some water changes!

Sorry!

Letty at 6 weeks

Oops, I was skimming through my email this morning and discovered that I had 6 unanswered puppy inquiries.  Sorry!   I will try to get to them tonight.  Several of them are probably the result of people coming across my blog, so I just wanted you to know that I will respond.   Don't think I have any puppies available unless someone changes their mind at the last minute, but I will be glad to give you a couple of referrals.   Penny's pups are also spoken for I think.

We will probably have puppies here again early next spring after Lucy is bred.  It will not be my litter, but I will be involved in the puppy placements and will have the litter here for BAER testing since there is no place to have that done where Lucy's owners live.  I've already taken several reservations on that litter.

And NEXT year Pauli will be bred.  She'll be four then, and it will be time for her first litter as we don't want to wait too long.  She's had fun being a show dog and has done really well, and we hope she'll be a good producer.

It's interesting how much Weather looks like Pauli, and how much Letty looks (and ACTS) like Lucy, and I'm delighted that Argus is producing such lovely daughters. 

PUPDATE!  Just heard about an Argus grandson available to a pet home.  He's just a couple of weeks older than the Arboks, is very well socialized, BAER tested and ready to go.

A Rose By Any Other Name . . .

Letty

Up early hoping to get the dogs out before the rain started, but that didn't work.  The boys and Reebok got to spend their normal half hour outdoors, but Josie and Coral got short-changed by the rain.  Last I heard the forecast called for hot and humid today, then cooling down to the 70s by the end of the week - and beyond.  I hope so!

Penny and the Arboks

Now that I have decided to keep Letty, it's time to start thinking about a name for her.  It was going to be Paisley Choco Chip Ready For Broadway, which uses both Rosie's and my "kennel names" (think trademark) and combines Argus's and Reebok's names.  But it does not fit really her, so I'll think on it a bit longer.

Letty is a beauty, with just the spotting style and face I love, and a beautiful outline.  She has a great attitude, is very brave and confident, and moves like a dream - sound from all angles, and with that "special something" in her gait.  We refer to it as "carriage" and it's partially structure, partially balance, and partially attitude, but it's a very special look that takes my breath away when I see it in any breed.  It's that "special something"!   Paisley Choco Chip Special Something?  Naw, back to the drawing board.  

Now we will wait and see what Letty's tail does.  Weather has the better tail carriage at this age and I almost picked her because of it, but decided to pick Letty and torture myself.  So many bad tails in the breed right now and I HATE looking at them, but it's only part of the whole picture.  Puppy tails are notably unpredictable and the ones that are up as youngsters can come down and end up perfect, while tails that looked pretty good on babies can come up later.  I wish I had a crystal ball for predicting how tails will end up.  Penny and Pauli have beautiful straight tails, and Argus has done well on tails, so we'll see . . .

Health check up on Friday, BAER testing on Saturday, and Rosie comes on Sunday to make her picks and to take Reebok home. Reebok has been a good guest and fit in nicely here.  I already told Rosie that I might be interested to leasing her again.  Could be interesting to breed her to Charlie Brown, once he has all his health testing done. 

A Doggy Weekend!



Argus & friend at the dog park

 Whew, busy weekend!   The Arboks had open house on Saturday and we had people in and out all day.  Very good for the pups, and we had a great time catching up with old friends and neighbors.  The adult dogs enjoyed the company too and I made sure that they got their share of the attention.

Sunday morning Argus got his trip to the dog park where he had his usual good time seeing old friends and making new ones.  Mustard was flowering so all the light colored dogs ended up very yellow from running through the weeds.  Breakfast at White Castle was enjoyed by both Argus and me.

At noon I packed up the Arboks and went to visit Jess in Wisconsin.  We set up a pen in the yard and Don sat down in the middle of them to keep them company while I went in to look at Penny's pups.  It was fun to catch up with Lynette (owns Cruise, the sire) who was also there to see the pups. 

The Arboks had a wonderful time being handled, and exploring the yard.  When they were thoroughly tired we took pictures.  I'm having problems with the upload, so will have to add more pictures this evening. 

Letty

Lucas

Sloan

Virgil

Weather

Economic Uncertainty?

Lucas and Sloan sleeping

"Wall Street Wrestles With Economic Uncertainty"  And so it continues.  Am glad I am not young, not beginning my working life and don't have small children.  It's a sad ugly world out there.

But on the home front things are fine, at least for now. My job is challenging but going well as we master various aspects of the new accounting system, we're all in apparently good health, Letty's leg seems to be healing well, and the pups are so cute.  Sometimes it's important to step back and think of the good stuff.  I try to be informed, but do NOT have news programs on very often any more as they drag me down.  Much better to listen to a good audio book.

Lots of puppy inquiries now and I wish I had more pups coming along, but I am going to need a break when we are done with this litter!  Although it's great fun, pups are SO MUCH WORK, at least if you are doing them right.

Reebok Says ENOUGH!

OK, time for Reebok to go home, but she'll be here until Rosie takes her puppy(s) home.  Reebok says the pups are weaned, although I am sending her down once a day as she still has some milk.  The pups chase her around for 15 minutes before she will let them nurse, but if I don't send her down she wanders around whining softly which drives me nuts. If she hears a puppy fuss she starts whining, but if she goes down to check on them they will start yelling and then she wants to come upstairs immediately! Now she's going through what I call the Post Puppy Crazies, leaping all over Argus and Watson inviting them to play, meanwhile shedding like crazy as bitches normally do after a litter.  Such fun . . .  She's very sweet and did a lovely litter, but I will not be sorry to see her go home.

Someone asked if Reebok had been eating a raw diet and the answer is no, she is kibble fed, eating Pro Plan Lamb & Rice.  Her owner is fine with the raw diet and told me to switch Reebok over if I wanted, but I wasn't comfortable doing a total switch on a pregnant bitch so she stayed on kibble but got lots of extra fresh items - meat, yogurt, cottage cheese and eggs and an occasional chicken back.  Reebok came through this in great shape and had plenty of milk until the last week.  It does seem as if the raw fed girls have milk for a longer period of time, but it might just be the individual dogs.  I am NOT an anti-kibble raw feeder, and I think highly of the company that makes Pro Plan.  Even after being bought out by Nestle, I think they are producing a quality product.

One of the reasons I feed a raw diet (in addition to how well the dogs do on it) is because of the small stool volume and lack of odor.  It makes clean up SO MUCH easier, especially with puppies.  When I see the huge poops from kibble fed Reebok, especially when I am walking her and have to pick them up, I am very glad I feed raw! 

Reebok will go back to her old life with Rosie, who will probably get her in shape and pursue A Grand Championship (a newer AKC title).  Reebok had an excellent career, winning the Futurity and going Winner Bitch at the National. (Her sire Dylan is also a Best in Futurity winner, and Argus is the sire of Penny who won it in 2010). I was very fortunate to have the opportunity lease Reebok, and hope that her pups do as well as their parents!  Argus won Best of Breed at the National, as well as 3 Awards of Merit, and has also won the Stud Dog Class 3 years in a row - perhaps a couple of these kids can help him repeat that win next year!

Puppy Party

Puppy party

The Arboks had company yesterday evening, when friends Skip and Gia, their two sons and a friend came to visit them.  One of the nicest things about having puppies is the opportunity to catch up with old friends when they drop by to help socialize pups!  This year we've also met some new friends, people who are "Facebook Friends", but who we've never met in person.  The pups benefit from all the company, and so  do the rest of us! 

Joie & Argus with Skip

Ron is your typical Finlander and doesn't go out of his way to socialize but enjoys "puppy company", and the adult Dals think the company is just for them.  Josie particularly liked Skip and kept trying to kiss him, while Argus tried to horn in, and Watson was sprawled at Gia's feet.



I like to watch the way the pups interact with people as it gives me clues to their eventual personalities, and they all go through a variety of stages.  At 3 weeks Sloan startled and got very stressed by company.  A few days later he was totally fine. Then Letty went through a period where she did not want to be held by anyone except me.  She knew her mom and was not interested in company.  Last weekend Weather was more sound sensitive and was started by a noise that the other pups ignored.  Sloan has been fine since that first weekend, and Letty has become a social butterfly.  Weather was absolutely fine last night, but Virgil was a bit less sure of himself.  Lucas has always been bold, but last night was not inclined to sit on laps, just too busy to be bothered, although he finally fell asleep on Gia's lap.  By the time the pups are ready to be placed I expect to have a good feeling for their individual personalities.

Although one often hears that an overly shy or aggressive dog "must have been abused", that is rarely the case.  Just like everything else, temperaments are at least partially inherited.  We can modify that temperament with proper socialization and careful rearing, but much of the dog's personality is really "who he is". Sharp or timid dogs may not have been properly raised, but sometimes that is not the problem at all.  They may be that way despite proper management.  Responsible breeders match up parents with solid temperaments, raise the pups with lots of socialization, and learn to read each pup as an individual so it can be placed in an appropriate home.  I'm still reading these pups, and every day is a new chapter!

Too Little Time

Lucas Arbok

This blog may need to be written before I go to bed, at least for awhile, since the mornings are getting a bit hectic!  Puppy chores are taking up more time, especially since I end up playing with them whenever I go down to check on them.  Just too cute now!

Reebok has decided that she is does not want to spend the night with her pups.   The front of the puppy pen has been low enough to allow her to jump in and out, but tall enough to keep the pups in.  She would feed them at night, then jump out and sleep in a crate or a chair.  Now that Weather and Virgil have learned to climb over the low panels, the pen had to be changed, meaning that Reebok had to be shut in or out, but could no longer come and go as she wished.  When I shut her in last night she made it very clear that the new arrangement was NOT satisfactory, so I let her sleep in the kitchen and sent her down again this morning to feed the pups.  Because they had a meal of goats milk, eggs and turkey before bedtime, they slept through the night just fine.  I was planning to have the pups weaned off Reebok by six weeks, but is obviously ready to end things now.

Letty went in for x-rays on her leg yesterday, and to our relief nothing was broken.  We were concerned that growth plates might have been damaged which could result in a deformed leg, but it turned out to be a soft tissue injury.  Whew.  Letty handled everything perfectly, letting out a little squeak when she was placed on her back for x-rays, but was very brave and quite solemn about the whole process.  She rode to the vet's on a towel on my lap.  She's walking better all the time, but may end up with a limp.  Only time will tell.

Plans for the weekend include taking the pups out to my daughter's so we can get their 6 week pictures. Ron and I are not a good picture taking team, so fortunately Jess will be available, and I will have a chance to see Penny's pups.

New Champion Wills

We're celebrating Argus's newest champion son, Ch. Liberty's Phantom Menace, bred and shown by Vickie Mooney and owned by Laurie Shadle.  I saw the Argus/Ella litter at 6 weeks and Wills was my favorite pup, so it was gratifying to see him grow into such a handsome adult.  He finished quickly, with a really nice record. 

Promise You'll Call

Promise you'll call .  .

Yesterday morning after our visit to the dog park, I took my brother to the airport and he flew off to Costa Rica.  We had such a good time while here was here, staying at mom's, connecting with old friends, getting together with family members.  It was a perfect time for him to be here, with decent weather and we all had a chance to visit with him, individually and as a family.   Al comes back once a year, something I know my mother looks forward to all year long.  There has always been a special bond between my mother and Al, and each year they both wonder if it will be the last time they will be able to get together. 

My plan is to visit Costa Rica in March.  Al says that's the month with the best weather, and everything flowering.  Now that I am no longer campaigning Argus, and will have vacation time if not money, I must get down there for a visit.  Gram has visited him several times in CR, and my sister Kris went down with her once, but I've never gone.  My sister-in-law Alison is perfectly happy to stay there rather than visiting the US, so I've not seen her since they moved.  Just hope that both Ron and Gram can both stay healthy - that's the only thing that will keep me from going this time.

Puppy Eddie is looking good

The Arboks had a busy weekend, with lots of company.  They are changing so fast now, no longer chubby little todder-Dals.  The adults really enjoyed all the company too, assuming that everyone had come to see them.

On Sunday I packed up the Arboks and they rode along to Albert Lea to meet up with Rosie and Mark who came up from Iowa.  Rosie just broke her ankle (same leg, same kind of break I had last year) but won't let that slow her down and she really wanted to see the pups.  Unfortunately, little dare devil Letty could not wait to be lifted out, took a dive from the car to the asphalt, and came up on three legs.  She was very brave about everything, didn't cry, and enjoying being cuddled by everyone.  By the time we got home she was getting around much better and showing no pain response, so we decided against a trip to the emergency room and will take her to our regular clinic this morning.  Poor Letty, so pretty, such a character, and now this.  Never a dull moment in Paisleyland.

Lisen and Jerry also drove up from Iowa so that I could see Puppy Eddie and decide whether or not we were going to show him.   Eddie looked really good, especially for his age, and because he remembered some of his training by Grace Pella, when he was visiting in Canada, we got some decent pictures.  We'll probably pick him up on our way to the Kansas shows in October and start his serious show training.

No time for editing, gotta go play with pups!

Weaning Progresses

The Arboks are enjoying the outdoors!  Letty

The Arboks are having a great time in the yard.  They'll get more outdoor time on Saturday as we will do our puppy socialization outside too, weather permitting. 

Yesterday the Arboks got to try their first solid food and did a great job on chicken necks.  Letty and Sloan did not get theirs finished, but the others ate the whole thing.  Not that chicken necks are very large, but they DO require a lot of chewing with tiny teeth.  Next they will try wings - they won't be able to chew up the wing bones yet, but will get most the skin and meat and have a great time doing it.   It's so much fun watching instincts kick in, as the pups use the same tearing motions that wolves use when consuming their prey.  There's always at least one pup in a litter that hums while eating, this time it's vocal Letty, which is no surprise.

It's so much neater weaning pups on a raw diet.  Much less odor and far less clean up because there is so little waste.  The pups digest almost all of their raw meal, rather than passing all the undigested grain like they do when eating kibble.  They'll get a few kibble meals later, since a few may go to homes that will not feed raw, but mostly they'll eat a diet similar to what the adults eat.

Grass!

Virgil enjoyed his first trip outside

Pups enjoyed their first trip outdoors yesterday.  They were all very brave about exploring, but didn't go too far away.  That won't last long though, so tonight I will set up some portable fencing to restrict their activities and to keep them out of the flower beds - or maybe not as I am tired of gardening by this time of the summer! 

Am chatting with a gentleman who has owned a number of part Paisley dogs in the past and is looking for a new puppy.  The timing may not be right for him as he wanted a pup later in the fall.  I suppose it's time to start thinking about puppy placements.  Already!  I had a number of reservations for pets, but most were for females or for livers, and I need a good pet home for a darling black-spotted boy.

Sloan continues to be the cuddliest pups

As is so often the case, the person at the top of my list for a pet male couldn't wait, found a puppy elsewhere, and never bothered to let me know.  I hope she bought responsibly, but I am afraid she may not have.  This was a first time dog owner who will need a lot of help, and I hope she bought from a person who will be able to provide it.  People never seem to understand that puppies are not something you buy on a whim, and that you get exactly what you pay for. 

I'm forever amazed at all the people who only want a female pup.  Having owned many Dals of both sexes over the years I have found males to be wonderful companions, and most of my favorite Dals have been boys.  Marla and Josie are very special, but in general I find the boys to be more devoted, more giving, more playful, and far more tuned in to me. 

If the pups were more completely weaned I would send Reebok home with Rosie this weekend, as she is very tired of pups and very bored here.  She feeds the pups grudgingly, but would rather be upstairs with the rest of us.  Rosie says her dam was the same way.  Some bitches would tend and nurse their pups for 3 months, while others think 1 month is more than enough!  Tonight I'll start walking Reebok again as she really needs something to do.