Saturday, September 19, 2009

Argus Pups Coming To Minnesota

I was pleased to hear that several of the Argus/Read pups will be coming to pet homes in this area. http://www.arguskids.blogspot.com/ Hopefully I will get a chance to see them and meet their new owners. Sure am tempted to make Suzi an offer for Light Blue or Green. It always amazes me that so many people insist they will only consider a female pup when male Dal pups are so delightful and adult males are so charming and funny. Give me a Dal Boy ANY DAY! More fun to show, and more fun to live with. Of all the girls I have owned, only Marla & Josie have been as much fun as the boys have been. If I could only have one Dal, it would most certainly be a male.

It's nice having a good Italian restaurant only a block or two away, two of them actually as there are sister restaurants half a block apart - "Luci" and "Luci Ancora". Particularly handy when roads are bad, and also nice to know that if I have an extra glass of wine I don't have to worry about driving home. Honest to gosh, they do have the best bruchetta and Ron swears by the Caesar salad (don't care for it myself). The homemade fettuccine was excellent last night - I'd sure order that again. Crowds seem to be down in restaurants, but the ones that offer good food, good service and good value will hopefully survive!

Because I will be in town this weekend, we'll be able to pick up my mother and take her to dinner. Mexican? Italian (I could eat pasta every day)? Steak or burgers? I also had Ron pick up some Marsala as I have always wanted to make Chicken Marsala. You can tell it's fall (at least on the calendar) as I am getting the urge to try recipes again. AND I need to have a few more BLTs, as I have the expensive cook-in-the-bag bacon, and a bowl full of perfectly ripe (today) Big Boy tomatoes.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Another Beautiful Friday

Another beautiful Friday morning. Watson & Argus are outdoors hunting mice, their current obsession. There are mice (and who knows what else) in the alley so the dogs dash out every morning to hunt along the fence line. When I went to bring them in yesterday morning, Argus was "playing" with something which he gulped down before I could take it out of his mouth - have to say I am just as glad I did not have to pull out a slimy mouse! Josie used to catch and kill them and leave the bodies for me to step on in my bare feet. Ugh! Now they eat the evidence.

Josie & Coral are in the family room, Coral nestled down in the cushiest dog bed (she's not an early riser) and Josie playing with a small rubber mouse that she can only have when there is no one to compete for it. The dogs all love to play with the squeaky mouse, but get too competitive and I worry that someone will gulp the toy to keep it away from the others. So Josie plays like a 54 pound cat, tossing the mouse in the air and pouncing on it. I hope she will stay a puppy forever. I've never before owned such a playful middle-aged girl. Such fun and so endlessly entertaining.

The backyard is fragrant with the smell of Nicotiana (Flowering Tobacco) which reseeds every year and creates billows of tall plants with fragrant flowers. The Nicotiana takes over the raised flower bed this time of the year, but that's fine. It's a rather handsome plant, and the smell is fantastic.

Pauli went off with Jessica yesterday, to stay with her German Shepherd friends for a few days and meet up with Wendy on Saturday. Pauli will go along with Jess who has organized the Dal booth for the AKC event on Saturday. (Be sure you attend if you are local - it sounds like fun. See the flyer I posted earlier this week or email for additional information). Wendy will be working at the Labrador booth and will visit Pauli periodically and introduce her to the Lab boys in a neutral setting. If all goes well, Pauli will go home with Wendy. She's going "on approval" as we always do with adult dogs if we place them. It's important that a dog fits into it's new home, and although Dals are amazing adaptable we want to be sure a new situation will work. If you snuggle with an adult Dal, take it for walks and FEED IT, Dals normally settle in almost immediately! I updated Pauli's webpage last night too. Maybe if I do one page a night I can get my website up to date. www.paisleydals.com/pauli

Argus & I will be attending a couple of UKC shows (as opposed to the AKC shows we normally attend) in hopes of finishing his UKC championship. We hit the same shows last year, earning a Best In Show on Saturday, but we did not go back for the Sunday show. That was the day my gorgeous Argus/Tess pups started dying of Herpes (a respiratory disease in dogs, very uncommon and very unpreventable) and the beginning of one of the hardest weeks I have ever endured. Not sure I will ever get over watching a litter of 8 gorgeous pups die before my eyes, knowing there was not a thing I could do to save them. But we moved on.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

A Blog For Argus Kids & A Celebration Of Dogs!

I created a new blog, this one just for posting pictures of new Argus pups when the owner does not have a website. I created it because the person who does Suzi's website was not getting the puppy pictures up - and they showed up right after I posted mine. Surprise! You can see the pups at http://arguskids.blogspot.com/ Suuurrrreee are cute!

No Argus pups due for awhile now, but a number of visiting ladies planned for later this year.

I received this in the mail because I recently sent Penny's registration application in. My daughter Jess is orgainzing the Dalmatian portion of the AKC Canine Experience, so if you are free on Saturday, stop by to say Hi to Jess & "Watson", Stephanie & "Tate", and Colleen & "Pinky". Bring your whole family and your dog too, and enjoy a Doggy Day!

  • Dear AKC®-Registered Dog Owner,
    As the owner of a newly registered dog, the American Kennel Club® invites you and your dog to participate in an AKC Canine Experience educational event on September 19, 2009 at the Washington County Fairgrounds, 12300 North 40th Street, Lake Elmo, MN, 55042.
    Join fellow dog owners and longtime dog experts to learn the basics about AKC dog events. Then, have the opportunity to practice showing your dog at an AKC-Sanctioned Match in a relaxed environment.
    Members of AKC-affiliated clubs from the surrounding area will be available to meet with you and discuss a variety of dog show topics. Additionally, the AKC Clubs in this area will be offering free educational programs to teach dog show basics. This will be followed by a sanctioned match where you can show your dog. Exhibitors may run their dogs through an Obedience or Rally course as well. The AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) program will be explained and evaluations will be offered. A dog supply vendor will be onsite with an assortment of products available for purchase.
    What to bring:Bring your whole family and dog at least three months of age with current vaccinations, AKC registration or PAL/ILP number, dog lead, water and bowl, and crate (recommended if you have one).
    Planned educational activities include a continuous flow of:
    Meet the Breeds
    Handling classes for both adults and children (Junior Showmanship)
    Grooming tips and demonstrations
    Dog Show procedures
    Dog Show entry assistance
    Equipment advice for show and grooming
    AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) evaluations
    Therapy Dog International
    Obedience and Rally run-throughs
    Agility Demonstrations
    Licensed dog show superintendent information concerning dog shows in your area will be available
    The educational programs begin at 9:00 AM and through noon. The all-breed conformation match show entries will be taken from 9:00 to 11:00 AM with a start time of noon.
    For additional information click here or contact Pat Cunningham - (218) 828-1690 or sugarbush-dogs@juno.com.