Don't Eat The Yardstick!

Poor Fern.   I'm sure it seems to her that every time she discovers a fun new toy, Josie or Argus take it away, or I yell, "Fern, No!"  So many cool toys around here, but all three of them want the same toy at the same time.  Especially the treat balls - then even Coral and Watson get into the act.  If I put bits of biscuit or some cheese in one of the various treat balls, the big dogs can't wait to steal it from Fern.  And each other.  If she picks up a squeaky toy, that was really the one Josie wanted to play with, and the tug toy she found will soon be in use by Josie & Argus.  So she searches for the things they won't take away - like the yard stick, or one of the sofa pillows.  Then she hears the "Fern, No! Don't eat the yardstick."  She just can't win.  I could crate the adults and leave Fern to the toys, but then she carries a toy over and lays it down in front of Argus's crate, inviting him to come out and share.  Too bad he doesn't share!  He's currently working at getting a biscuit from one of the treat balls, while Fern rolls around on her back trying to distract him.  Morning in Paisleyland.  

Hope to find a puppy sitter this weekend so Ron & I can go to the fair.  I could put Fern back in the puppy pen on newspapers for the day, but it seems a shame to do that as her house training is coming along so well.  Only accident she's had was when *I* got distracted and she was forced to pee on the rug at the door.  Can't remember a puppy who caught on so quickly.  Next chore is to teach her that it's OK to go in places other than the dog yard, like when you go for a walk.  She'll need that when she starts puppy class.  No way will she be able to wait from the time she leaves the house until she is home again.  Just need to know that, "Hurry, hurry," means pee, not just pee in the dog yard!

A Home For Furry Murray

Two good homes waiting for Murray.  Now to see if we can work out the logistics for shipping him which is not always easy in the summer.  In the meantime he's visiting with Heather and her family, and will obviously get a lot of lap time!    Murray & Fern spent much of the day outside in the dog yard, and she was soooo tired yesterday evening she didn't even think about getting into mischief.  A tired puppy is a good puppy!

Fern is OK about being an only puppy again, and the house is much quieter without non-stop wrestling.  She's catching on to which items are toys and can be chewed, and Josie & Argus have been pretty good about not stealing the ones she's playing with.  Murray came back from his first adventure with a new Nyla Bone, which Fern has appropriated as her own.  I'd go over to snap a picture of her with her bone, but like her granddad Argus, the minute I make a move she's right there wondering, "So what are we going to do now?"  Makes it hard to get candid pictures!

We spend a few minutes every day working on restraint, learning Sit & Down, and stacking on the grooming table which is right outside the patio door.  Fern does not love working on the table yet, but knows that it means treats, so will stand with her feet on the table edge waiting to be boosted up.  She walks well on leash, other than tripping me and pulling!  Need to walk her when she's hungry, rather than after she's eaten.  A pocket full of treats works a lot better for keeping the attention of a hungry puppy.

Because poor old Coral is gradually failing, as they do at 14+ years of age, I'm very glad that Ron likes this puppy and is pleased that we kept her.  Coral is having increasing difficulty getting around, and the small lumps she's had in her rear breasts for several years have started to grow in size.  A vet trip is scheduled for this week, but we won't do anything heroic at this age, and will just keep her comfortable.  Losing Coral will be extremely tough on Ron, as it was when we lost Coral's great-granddam Eloise who was Ron's special dog. Coral's granddaughter Josie will do her best as a stand in, and is a wonderful dog in her own right, but Ron has a special attachment to Coral.  Sigh . . .

Back From Camp

Furry Murray is back from camp.  Gia dropped him off last night and Murray & Fern spent the next few hours wrestling with one another.  Thought they would never settle down, but it certainly tired them out!  He shared Fern's crate last night and they were perfect, but that's not going to work for feeding them as they are both a couple Power Eaters.  This evening he will go to spend some time with another friend while we decide where Murray will eventually end up.  Because neither potential home is local, it takes a bit longer to work through the process!   Very nice to have two pups so well started on housetraining at this age.  Sure makes it easier.

Out of time.  Spent it trying to get updated pictures of Murray for the people who are interested in him.

I'm Back!

A Sunday posting to make up for a couple of missed days.  Guess I just had Writer's Block.  Sometimes I sit down knowing what I'll write, while other days I sit down and the words "just happen".  Neither worked last week!

New Resolution - fewer commas.  I reread some old posts and noticed that I often use far more commas than are needed!

Entries are in for the Amana shows and we have majors!  There's actually five shows, but Jess & I are staying for only two days, three shows, including both Specialties.  That's plenty of dog shows, and I'd like to be back to attend friends' 50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration.  Judging panel is not very good, and we don't have anyone who really needs to be shown.  Gemma (Cruise/Penny) and Argus will be in only at the Specialties, and Eddie (co-owned Argus son) is in at all three shows.  He's got five points and we need to decide if we want to put the money into finishing him.  This will be Gemma's first show weekend, but we'll concentrate on her next year.

Good news from Colorado that Ellsworth (Cruise/Penny son) finished with a 5-point Specialty win, the third Champion from that litter, all with Specialty wins and still only 12 1/2 months old.  Definitely a good combination.  Now Jess & Laurie have to decide if they want to repeat that breeding, or try something different with Penny next time.

Have to admit that I am suffering Dog Show Burnout, despite a really successful show year.  Part of it is because the judging panels are so bad,  Many of the good judges have aged out or passed away, and the current crop is pretty uninspiring for the most part.  Many of them aren't even "real dog people" but rather people who have bought their way into the sport and are not very knowledgeable.  Not breeders, but part of the It's-All-About-Winning generation.  Sad state of affairs.

The other thing that really bothers me is that (at least) one of the Dal Specials is winning with a fixed tail.  How sad that some owners and a lot of professional handlers have no ethics whatsoever, and it's all about winning.  This dog was shown for three years with a "natural" high curly tail.  Not a bad dog, but definitely a bad tail, as well as a bad attitude.  Owners sent him out with a handler who has done the "tail thing" in the past, and suddenly the dog has perfect tail carriage - except when it hot or he's tired and the end starts to droop.   So glad I am not campaigning a dog this year.  I'd probably lose my AKC privileges by speaking out in the ring.

Dog shows were originally about judging breeding stock and some of us still feel that way, but nowadays it's often just about winning, no matter how you have to do it.  How sad.  It's crap like this that keeps me home.

That's Fern pictured above, Paisley Fabulous Fern.  She looks good at 10 weeks, though seems to trip over her feet when she trots right now.  Lots of nice angles, but not always able to manage it yet.  Am pleased with her so far.  Very dark eyes, great feet, a lovely disposition, and a good tail, things that are important to me along with correct structure and breed type.

Her brother Murray has been "camping" this past week, so Fern has been an only puppy and has done really well with her house training and crate manners.  Murray will be back tonight for a photo session and perhaps a video, then go off to stay with another friend until we decide where he will finally end up.  

So Empty Around Here

Seems so empty around here!  Just the four oldsters plus Fern who seems to have settled in nicely to being an only puppy. Josie & Argus are only too pleased to keep her company as both enjoy pups.  They play nicely with her one on one, but when they are playing together and Fern tries to join in I worry that she'll get squashed, but she seems to be able to stay out of the way of dancing feet.

My summer has basically been spent doing puppy things, entertaining them and the people who have come to visit.  The older dogs sure enjoyed all the company, and puppies were very well socialized.  It was fun, but it's nice to have things back to normal - well, as normal as they ever get around here.

Luci's trip to California was uneventful.  The folks at Delta Dash were very nice, and Luci's new mom is very pleased with her.  Her new name is Marly, which I like.  Murray is doing fine at camp, other than objecting to his crate at night.  This too shall pass.  He still needs a permanent home, but we've had several good inquiries.

Kennel Cough seems to be winding down.  Josie is pretty much back to normal and Coral never really coughed, just did some throat clearing.  Argus is much better this morning, not nearly as bad as yesterday, and is back to being his silly cheerful self.  Watson is just doing some gagging, not much coughing.  Hopefully in a few more days everyone is back to normal.  Fern still seems to be unaffected - sure hope it stays that way as I'd like to continue the socialization and take her places this weekend.

And Then There Was One

Luci's flight should have departed about half an hour ago and she'll be in California by mid-day.  She's quite sure that everything is a party planned just for her, and had a lovely time meeting everyone at the Delta Dash office.  The staff was great this morning, everyone really friendly, and they even offered me coffee.  I REALLY needed that as 4:30 is way too early for getting up, but I wanted the pups to play and do their business before Luci had to depart.  Thank goodness I only live 12 minutes away.

Fern is now an only puppy.   She was up in the family room for awhile when I got home, playing with Josie who seems to be over her bout of kennel cough.  Josie is great with pups, and she & Argus will keep Fern entertained.  Tonight Fern will move up into the kitchen to a crate of her own.  She'll be exposed to kennel cough of course, but she and Luci have avoided it so far, probably because they were so recently vaccinated.  We'll see, and deal with it if we have to.

Josie will be thrilled to go for a short walk today!

Kennel Cough, Ugh.

Kennel Cough, what a drag. We haven't had a case of it in many years, but apparently Dog Parks are the hot spot for Kennel Cough nowadays. Josie started coughing last Monday and we were hoping that the old dogs would not come down with it. She and Letty go to the same Dog Park, and when we checked with her owners, Letty was also coughing. And so were a number of their Dog Park friends. Lots of different strains, some you can vaccinate against, some you can't.

When I took Josie to the Vet last Tuesday, my Vet observed that they were seeing lots of it now, especially in dogs who go to Dog Parks.  It's annoying and inconvenient, but rarely a problem for the dogs.  I asked if there was any way to protect the older dogs and she observed we might just as well let it run it's course.  Bummer.  Said the incubation period was generally 5 - 7 days.  She was right on that!

Yesterday, Watson & Coral started coughing, and this morning Argus was coughing. Poor Josie is really bummed about having to stay home. Argus is going to hate it, and the old dogs really need their walks to stay fit. So does Ron! Guess I will be doing a lot of biking until I get my walking partner back.

So far the pups are OK and we've kept them totally separate from the adults. Their recent vaccinations might also be protecting them. Told the new owners about it, and what to expect if their pups came down with it. When Luci leaves tomorrow, I'll have to bring Fern upstairs with the other dogs, and she'll either come down with it or not.

What a drag. IF your dog is coughing, please keep it home! It's just like a kid with a bad cold going off to nursery school and infecting all the other kids.

Names

Pups are sleeping, or at least no one is yelling yet, there's very little on Facebook, and no interesting emails, so a good time for a short blog post.

Now we are three.  Only three pups left, as handsome Mancini is gone too.  Mickey is now Axe (not a name a like very well), Dixie is still Dixie (I'm glad), and Mancini is now Ramsay (which I like a lot).  That's Ramsay in the picture, with his new mom Brandee.  Luci flies off on Tuesday and will probably be renamed Velvet.  Fern will stay Fern, though I am calling her Fernly, I find.  We'll see about Murray.

Murray is still looking for a home.  Have someone who wants him later, if I will keep him for a few weeks, which I may end up doing.  But he really needs a home of his own, and I really need to be down to just one puppy so I can start training her.

I ought to be in bed, as the weather is cool and breezy, and perfect sleeping weather, but today is Dog Park Sunday.  Jess & Meribel (Argus's granddaughter) will be joining us for our trip to the dog park, then Jess & I will be heading to Dr. Chocolate's Chocolate Chateau for brunch to celebrate her birthday.

E Dalmatians

Ran out of time this AM and the pups are yelling, so here's something to read with your morning coffee.

E Dalmatians
- current issue.

E Dalmatians is a privately owned on-line Dalmatian magazine, with up to the minute ads and information. Great pictures of our lovely breed.

Hooked On Dals

Two pups gone, and another leaving on Saturday, all three homes are first-time Dal owners.  We hope their owners will enjoy the breed as much as we do and be hooked on Dals! I can't even imagine not sharing my home with at least one Dal.  Mancini continues to look exceptionally promising, and will be his new owner's first show-Dal too.

I was so proud of Luci when she went in for her health certificate yesterday (so she can fly off to California next week).  She'll be raw fed, and will be getting chicken wings as her raw meaty bone source, something I rarely feed because of the cost.  Wings take longer to eat than chicken necks that can be gulped, so Luci practiced her wing-eating on the way to the clinic and back.  Twenty minutes per wing, a very good chewer, and not a peep out of the puppy who was traveling in a crate by herself - for the first time.

Luci was carried into the clinic of course - young pups should never be walked in on leash or set down on the floor, as that just increases their chances of picking up a "bug" of some sort.  Remember, dogs who are sick go to Veterinary Hospitals.  As I carried her in, I could feel her little tail thumping against my chest, even harder when she saw a couple of small children in the waiting room.  The Vet Techs all had to meet her of course, and she had a kiss for everyone.  When she was on the table for her exam, Luci's tail never stopped wagging and she had a kiss for the vet too.  Everything checked out just fine of course, and Luci is now cleared for travel.  She's a particularly sweet and affectionate pup, the most determinedly friendly, and a pup who will be a real Velcro Dog - one firmly attached to her owner.

It's All About Supervision

Oh, so true.  Not of Beagles in particular, but of pups in general.  Everything is sport to an unsupervised puppy, and of course they are not born knowing that it's wrong to rip the cover off the sofa, chew the leg off the piano, or bite holes in the wallboard.  My pups didn't realize that if they climbed into the fenced flower bed and flattened all the plants, that I would be most distressed, but hardly surprised.  And they most certainly had fun doing it!  I should have used a picture of the flower bed, but did not have the heart to take one and have to look at it again.  For now, I'll avert my eyes when I walk past it - and add some additional fencing before I got to work.

My small city yard is divided into Dog Yard and People Yard, which allows me to have grass and flower beds.  The People Yard gets extra fencing when we have pups, so I have an additional Puppy Yard, but the pups are currently looking for ways to expand their space, I guess.  I'll have to redo the grass when the pups are all in their new homes, although the Japanese Beetle Grubs made that a necessity this year anyway.  Fern will learn to use the regular Dog Yard, but in the meantime I am quite sure she is the one who figured out how to go over the fence and into the flower bed.  I saw her thinking about it yesterday, as she nipped off the flowers that were hanging over the fence.  Bad Dog, Fern.  Typical Puppy, Fern.   It's all about supervision.

One down.  Mickey left for his new home last night, to a nice young couple getting their first dog.  It seems like an excellent home, with two committed young people who both really wanted a puppy.  I pup together my packet of information with lots of helpful things included, since these are first time puppy owners.  They already had the puppy book and raw feeding book that I gave them when we did the interview, and I'm sure they will do a good job of raising Mickey, who will be getting his name changed soon.  Too bad, Mickey is such a good name!

Dixie goes off tonight, to the family with the three young children.  She's a silly, giggly, funny pup, and should be great fun for the kids.  She's not very mouthy, not a real Ankle Biter, but I'm sure the kids will be less than impressed when she nips at their shoes and pant legs - or their bare toes!  This too shall pass, with plenty of supervision, and lots of patience.  Raising a pup can be a challenge, but is so rewarding.

I Need A Vacation From Puppies

People always ask me if I will be sad to see the puppies go, and my answer is always NO, absolutely not.   Although I love doing a litter of puppies, they are an incredible amount of work to do properly, especially living in the city.  As long as I have good homes waiting for them, I am delighted when it's time for the pups to leave.  It will be fun to be down to just my own puppy, eventually.

Pups are pretty easy up until 6 weeks, are small enough to be easy to carry, are easy to clean up after, and are usually pretty content when they are in their pen.  Once they start visiting the rest of the world, they are no longer happy when they need to be in their pen.  They want to be outside, or even better they want to be in the family room.  When they are outside they don't want to be there by themselves, they want someone to entertain them, and to pick them up when they want to be picked up.  In the family room they require constant supervision - and clean up.

If I didn't live in the city with close neighbors, I could set up a pen for the pups in the yard, and leave them outdoors for extended periods of time, weather permitting.  However, puppies can be LOUD, and neighbors are always an issue here.  IF I had a kennel building it would be even easier, but puppies really need to be houseraised to be properly socialized.

It's important that puppies meet as many people as possible, people of all ages, especially kids.  This litter has been socialized to the max and we have had dozens of visitors including lots of kids, yet somehow I've missed a few people I know wanted to come over.  I'm running out of evenings and weekends for puppy visitors and for that I am sorry, but having company every night takes it toll on my sanity.  I've given first priority to families with kids, just because it's so important for pups to be exposed to children of all ages.

This weekend the pups went visiting again.  They've traveled to have their dewclaws done at 4 days, for their hearing testing at 6 weeks, for the vet check a few days later, to visit Jess & Stella Cavalier, plus two more weekend trips.  On Saturday they visited Carol, Stephanie & Foster, and I left them for the afternoon.  They were played with as a group and individually, and traveled home in Carol's car.  On Sunday they went over to visit mom Pauli and her co-owner Wendy.  We had a nice group of people, a picnic in the yard and the pups got to explore, and play with their mom.   I thought they'd be tired when we got home, but NO they wanted to be outside later in the evening, so Ron sat out with them.

I've raised a lot of litters over the years, and don't think I have ever put more time into one.  These guys were raised to the very best of my ability, doing the things that make me a Responsible Breeder, rather than just a Puppy Raiser/Seller.  Now it's up to the buyers to continue.  Mickey and Dixie leave this week, Mancini will probably leave on Saturday, Luci will fly out early next week, and now I need to start looking for a home for Furry Murray.  I used up three of my homes on Lucy's litter when I sold it for Patti, so now I need one more home for my own puppy.  If Murray has to stay for a few more weeks that will be fine.  TWO pups will be easy, and neither Murray nor Fern are vocal.

Whew . . .  I'm about puppied out!

Road Trip

Pups paid a visit to Jess's office yesterday and rode well after just a few minutes of yelling.  I packed them up in a crate and took along the big exercise pen which we set up under a tree in the parking lot at Your Esthete Partner.  Jess's co-workers all came out to say Hi, and office dog Stella Cavalier, Jess's boss's dog, was put in the pen with them.  Poor Stella!  The pups thought she was a furry toy and they especially liked her tail.  Mickey was the pushiest with her, and all the pups were unafraid. Stella is very good with pups and extremely used to Dal pups.  She's socialized a lot of them over the years!

We took the pups out one at a time to explore the office, so we could observe their individual reactions to an entirely new situation.  Most of them trotted around quite happily, interrupted by frequent bouts of scratching at their new collars - it will take them another day or two to get used to something around their necks.  When the pups first started noticing things after their eyes & ears opened, Mickey was usually first to try everything and appeared to be bold & cocky.   Lately we've been observing that he is actually somewhat more timid than the others.

I had expected that the uni pups might be more sound sensitive about the noises in the warehouse, but they were all fine and bilateral Mickey had the most trouble with the large fan and the totally unfamiliar surroundings.  That tells me that we need to put extra time into him before he leaves for his new home.  Fern was a bit cautious, reminding me of Rob as a pup - she had to think things over first.  When we brought her in a second time she was totally self assured.  She'll need plenty of socializing, and confidence building, but should be fine.   The other pups were very good, especially Dixie & Degidio who were prepared to explore the whole warehouse.  Luci & Murray were also absolutely fine about the new experiences, and all the pups were very friendly with Dan the warehouse manager who took the time to handle each of them.

This weekend the pups will take two more road trips.  They'll go to visit Carol, Stephanie & Foster, and spend a few hours there without me.  On Sunday we'll go visit Wendy & Kathleen, and their mother Pauli.  Each pup will get individual handling too, and all will go out for short leash walks in the neighborhood.  Then it's time to think about their departures!  Dixie's family is in Disneyland right now, so she'll have to wait another week.  Another family will be picking up Mickey or Murray as soon as I tell them OK, and we need to make plans to send Luci to California.  I like to wait until 9 weeks for shipping, but it won't be long now!

Audrey

Audrey is doing well.  My Cup Plant towers over the back yard, about 10 feet tall and covered in yellow daisy-like blooms.  She is officially known as Silphium perfoliatum, a member of the Aster family a native perennial wildflower, but I consider Audrey to be quite domesticated.  This is her third year of dominating my backyard, and she's outdone herself with flowers this year.  When the flowers go to seed, they will provide food for a variety of small birds.  Even now, she is attractive to Goldfinches and that makes for a lovely sight!  Audrey has pretty much destroyed the raised bed with her massive stems and roots, but I consider that a small price to pay for a chance to enjoy this lovely plant.

Pups are growing restless and need more outdoor time.  Yesterday noon I took them outdoors, and Ron brought them in several hours later.  They were out again in the evening.  Wish I had a safe place to leave them outdoors all day, but I can't risk them disturbing the neighbors - or being stolen.  Still have people who want to visit the pups, but part of this weekend will be spent taking the pups visiting - they need more travel and more opportunities to explore new places.  They are getting heavy, and I'm not looking forward to taking them in and out of the car, but it's something that needs to be done.  Because a couple of the pups have unilateral hearing we're doing lots of "noise things" too, as unis can be sound sensitive if not exposed to a variety of loud noises as pups.

Fern went for her first walk on leash last night and did quite well.  Unfortunately, the path I normally use for walking small pups included a couple of lawns that had been sprayed.  Lawn spray is supposedly "safe" after it dries, but I don't believe it.  We'll wait a few days to go that route.

Adoptions

Saw this on Facebook last night and only wish there had been a Dalmatian too, as we approach the time for the pups to depart for their new homes.  While most people think in terms of purchasing a purebred pup or adopting an older mixed breed dog from a humane organization or rescue group, there are sometime wonderful adult dogs available from responsible breeders.  Most responsible breeders sell their pups on a "first refusal" so they can take back any dogs of their breeding that are in need of new homes. Those dogs are then available for placement.  Also dogs who are retired from the show ring, dogs who will not be bred or have already been used in a breeding program, or youngsters who did not grow up to be quite what the breeder what planning to keep and show.  If you want a specific breed, but don't want to go through the hassle of a puppy, it pays to check with breeders to see if they have, or know of anything, available.

If you are a longtime reader, you know that we placed our beloved Letty a few months ago, at about 10 months of age.  I kept her to show, but she wasn't quite what I wanted for the breed ring, so even though we loved her dearly and she was a perfect fit for our household, we decided to place her IF a PERFECT home came along.  It did, and we did, though not without a lot of soul-searching and a few tears.  Letty is doing well with her new family and is much loved by all.  Our friend Sue who takes Josie to the dog parks (Sue is a dog lover who does not have a dog, so she shares Josie with us) sometimes meets up with Letty and her new dad Skip.  Josie is a Frisbee fanatic, while Letty is all about dogs like her dad Argus, but sometimes they get together for a game of keep away!

Count Down!

Won't be long until the pups start leaving for new homes.  A good interview last night with one of the people who has been waiting patiently to find out if there was a pup for her.  This will be another first-time Dal owner.  There was a time, after the fallout from over-popularity and bad press, that the only people looking for Dal pups were previous Dal owners who knew all the negative publicity was NOT true of well bred, well raised Dal pups.  We've finally gotten past that, and have a number of first-time Dal owners again, people who have taken the time to understand that a new puppy is not "for the kids" but "for the family", and that pups don't raise themselves and turn out to be good family members without someone putting the appropriate amount of time and effort into insuring that happens. Smart, busy, inventive, adventurous, mischievous spotted pups need time, training, patience, exercise, a sense of humor, and a lot of love to turn them into responsible canine citizens and family members.   But it is oh, so very much worth the effort!


Registrations are back from AKC, puppy folders are being assembled, books have been received from Dogwise.com, and socialization has gone well. Pups have been BAER tested, had their health checks, and ride well in the car.  I would have to say this is one of the easiest litters we've ever done.  Pups are brave and friendly, with lovely personalities and no real extremes.  They are also one of the quietest groups we've ever had, with very little barking or fussing.  They wait patiently to eat, wait quietly to go outdoors, and play nicely with one another or by themselves.  All are good eaters  (we sometimes have a slow one who doesn't keep up), no one is a bully, and all are as cute as can be.  Some litters have an annoying pup who we are all glad to see depart, but I can honestly say there are none of them in this litter.  What a group of sweethearts!

Cheeseburgers For All

It's our tradition to treat the dogs to cheeseburgers to celebrate good show weekends.  Yes, they normally get their meat raw, BUT they all love cheeseburgers and it's such fun to watch them enjoy a special treat.  Years ago my ex & I used to take birthday dogs to MacDonalds for a cheeseburger, but we now generally celebrate birthdays with vanilla ice cream.  Cheeseburgers are saved for dog show wins.  When Argus was being campaigned, we always got cheeseburgers on the way home from a successful dog show weekend.  He still gets them when his kids finish their championships.  This weekend he enjoyed a  cheeseburger with two granddaughters.  Of course he got to come along to watch, even though he is semi-retired.

A MOST successful dog show weekend.  We took puppies Meribel & Amery to the Waukesha Wisconsin shows.  Both of them had 14 of the 15 points needed to finish their American Championships, and they had both done it in spectacular fashion, with Meribel going Best of Winners at the National & St. Louis Specialties for two 5-point wins and WB at Chicagoland for 4 points.  Amery picked up 12 of her points in one weekend, going Winners Bitch at the Greater Washington Dal Club AND the two supported entries.  Meribel's wins came from the Puppy Class, and Amery was shown in the Bred By Exhibitor Class  (she was bred and is co-owned by Jess, Laurie & me, which allowed Jess to show her in that class).  They will turn one year of age next weekend, so this weekend was their last chance to finish as puppies - we had never previously finished littermates as puppies.  So Jess decided which judge would be right for each girl, and entered one of them each day.  Talk about cutting your odds.  Each girl had just one chance to finish at these shows.

Meribel was in on Saturday, went Best Of Winners, and was considered for Best of Breed but got distracted by a dragonfly (she is after all still a puppy).  New Champion!  Amery was in on Sunday, her first time showing on wet grass and she really wanted to sniff but kept it together nicely and stacked beautifully (see picture at right).  She ALSO went Best of Winners and the judge was most complimentary about her excellent breed type.  New Champion!  Wow, what a weekend!

Jess and I BOTH really needed a weekend away from home, so it would have been a fun weekend even if the girls had not finished, but finishing BOTH of them was such a thrill, and both finished in a minimal number of shows.  Next up, the 3rd sister Gemma, who is absolutely stunning.

It was fun to come home and see the babies after being away for a few days.  Amazing how much their spots had grown.  Oh my, they look so beautiful!

A Dog Show!

Leaving today for a dog show, my first since the National in May.  Quite a change for a person who was doing two or three show weekends a month for several years while Argus was being campaigned.  We're off to Waukesha with Meribel & Amery, each of who just need a single point to finish their championships.  Hopefully we'll come home with at least one new champion, but if not it will still be nice to get away for a few days, and catch up with old friends.  Waukesha is outdoors, and is traditionally HOT, but the forecast for the weekend is actually NICE.  Argus gets to go along, and will be thrilled to visit a dog show and stay in a motel.  Am sure he misses it as much as I do, but we've both made a good adjustment.

Laurie is staying with me this week, in town to visit friends & relatives and attend a class reunion.  She'll be available to help Ron with the pups, and it will be good for them to be dependent on someone other than me for a few days.  Another useful bit of socializing.  It's certainly a good litter, quiet in their pen and so happy and cheerful when they come upstairs or get to go outside.  Hope that lasts!

Today I deposit my first puppy check which will be most helpful.  So far it has only been money out, nothing  in.  Although I took several deposits I did not cash the checks until I was sure I had a pup to match to that home.  Too hard to refund deposits!  I've been keeping track of the costs involved in raising this litter and we are well over $2,000.00 now.  That of course does not include the vacation days I took to drive Pauli to Louie, and to pick up her after she was bred.  Doesn't cover any of Pauli's health testing, which we had previously done, and it does not include all the meat & goats milk & eggs we used for weaning, the paper towels we've used, the detergent and electricity for running the extra loads of laundry, and it sure does not cover any of the countless hours we've invested.  Being a hobby breeder is NOT a money-making proposition if you do it right and do what is best for mom and pups.  If I even come close to breaking cash-wise, and if I end up with a good puppy for all my efforts, I will consider it a success.

Check Up

On Tuesday the pups went in for their health checks, and for their second car trip.  Not as long as the trip to Rochester for BAER testing, but still a nice long ride taken an hour after breakfast.  And again no carsickness, hooray! A couple of the pups complained for the first few minutes, then rode quietly. When I posted to Facebook that I was taking the pups in, a friend who lives near the clinic offered to meet me there and help with the pups - Thanks Lynn!

The pups did great other than consistently attempting to escape from the small pen set up for them in the exam room.  We took them one at a time, and while a Vet Tech held and another took notes, Dr. Valenti examined them in turn.  Ears, ears, hearts, lungs, patellas, temperature, coat, bites, testicles (where appropriate), weights, overall condition, etc.  Everyone checked out perfectly.  Some wiggled more than others.  I had expected the boys would be squirmier, but they were all perfect.  Fern and Luci were the wiggly ones, Luci because she was determined that she needed to be close enough to give kisses.  She's a funny little rascal, incredibly happy, the most like Grandpa Argus I think.

Now we can start deciding which pups will go where, and which ones I will keep for a bit longer.  I know that Fern will stay with me, but Mancini needs to go to the right home to be shown.  Murray could be shown too, but I have two good homes waiting for pet boys and Murray and Mickey deserve families of their own. Dixie's hearing results were a little odd, so she goes in to be retested before I place her, and Luci will fly off to California when she is old enough.  Hard to believe the pups are almost old enough to place - but not quite!

Pups are often placed at 6 weeks, but they really need to stay with their littermates for a bit longer.  Now is when they are learning important "social skills" from dealing with their littermates and adults dogs.  Although it's easier to have the pups outdoors for playtime (far less clean up!), they will be in the family room part of the time too, interacting with the adults.  Watson and Coral are no longer interested in pups and at 12 & 14 they deserve to retire from puppy socialization.  Argus and Josie love puppies, so the pups will run with them for awhile every day.

These pups have really ruled my life this summer - I feel as if I have not had a chance to get anything else accomplished.  Not just the time spent tending them, but the time spent with the company that comes to visit, and the interviews and correspondence with the potential home.  BUT if a breeder is going to raise a litter of pups, most of which will go to homes to live as companions, often with children, it's important that they get the best start possible.  The work that goes into pups for the first two months has an enormous affect on the kind of dogs they will develop into.  And the time I spend getting to "know" each pup so that I can place it appropriately, goes a long ways toward insuring that everyone is happy with the placements.

All Pupped Out

Whew, what a busy weekend, much of it spent with puppies and friends.   BAER testing on Saturday AM, several unis as we expected, no surprises there.   Pups traveled well (no carsickness) and behaved extremely well for the testing which includes electrodes under the skin on their skulls.  It took about 5 minutes for each pup and they were very patient about something they did not understand.  All were friendly and confident.  Good puppies!

When we got home, Pauli's regular family came to pick her up.  She normally lives with three Chinooks and two Labradors, and was very glad to see Wendy and Kathleen and was determined that she would be leaving with them this time.  Just my regular four adults now, plus my pup and her siblings.  That's my puppy Fern watching me in the picture above.

The rest of the weekend consisted of "some" housecleaning and yard work, and a lot of company.  Argus got his normal dog park visit, but the rest of the weekend was pretty crazy.  Jess's partner Don ended up in the ER early Sunday AM, which made some rescheduling necessary, but we did get the puppy pictures done too.  Always a chore, but it allows me to make final determinations on which pups will go for show and which for pets.  Nice to see good friend Laurie who is staying with Jess for a few days and will be here later in the week.  I am hoping to attend a couple of dog shows this weekend, and Laurie will help Ron with the pups.

Fern is still the star, with Mancini a close second.  The rest of the pups will be placed as beautiful pets I think, though Murray probably should go to a show home too.  Heath check ups on Tuesday - heart and lungs, eyes & ears, stifles and patellas, body condition, bites, testicles, etc.  Dr. V does a very thorough exam.
Then we start deciding which pups will go where and when.

Whew, I am getting All Pupped Out!

More Kids Come To Visit

Another busy evening for the puppies, but we wore them down again.  Heather brought Cassia & Jozie over to play with the pups.  What fun!  Kids this age are so good about handing pups.  More kids scheduled for next week - we're doing our best to insure that these pups are optimally socialized to people of all ages.  Next week we'll pack them up and drive them out to visit my mother.  A car ride plus a chance to meet more seniors.

If the weather was more accommodating, the pups would already have gone for a car ride, but their first trip will be to Rochester on Saturday when they get BAER tested.  I'll pack up an ex-pen and a tarp so the pups can wait their turn for testing, with Ron keeping an eye on things.  Hopefully they won't yell too much in the car - these first trips can be noisy, and a couple of the pups are quick to vocally express their displeasure with things.  On Tuesday they take another trip, this time to see Dr. Valenti for their "well puppy" check ups.

Sleeping In

The pups are sleeping in this morning, no fussing from the basement yet.  We must have tired them out last night with an hour in the yard, then additional time in the family room.  It was a lot easier when they all fell asleep after 20 minutes of playtime.  Pups were all very active and brave yesterday, no fussing or whining at all, and lots of running and exploring.  If I can get the yard mowed after work, I can set up the puppy fencing and confine them a bit - and protect the flowers they were "admiring" last night.

Heather and her daughters coming over tonite and the weather should be OK for being out in the yard, so we'll wear them out again!  We're doing well on socializing with kids, but really need to emphasize that next week, when the pups will be more aware of the differences in people.  Need to get my mother over here too, so they can have more "senior exposure" - no Ron & I don't count!  If I get to go along to the Wisconsin shows the following weekend, Laurie will be in charge of the pups, which will also be good for them.

On Saturday the pups go in for BAER testing, Pauli goes home, and an assortment of people come to visit.  On Sunday morning Jess & Laurie will come over for a "puppy party" and pictures.  We need to take the "official" six week pictures of the litter, so Angie & Becky (who own Louie) can see how the litter actually looks.  Although I work with the pups a lot and stack them myself, it's nice to be able to evaluate them in profile when stacked by someone else.  It gives me a chance to see how they fit together, and look at their overall proportions.  Lots of angle on this litter, and mostly very nice toplines, so they should take good pictures - IF they behave!  The following Tuesday they go in for their Vet check ups.  Dr. Valenti will give each pup a thorough physical, and they will get their first vaccination.

Watson goes back to the vet today for his second Chiropractic/Acupuncture treatment.  The first one really made a big difference, and he's looking so much better.  Also started him on Glyco Flex 3 and Vetri Disc which may be helping too.  Am very pleased with the results so far.

Night Off

We took last night off, no company.  Although we love having puppy visitors, I decided that last night would stay open, no visitors.

We took the pups outdoors for an hour after it cooled off, and they did really well, adventuring farther afield and playing with leaves, branches and toys.  Several of the pups have been whiny & a bit unsure outdoors, but last night they were much better.  Mancini had been the worse, but last night he was just fine, starting to explore, play with toys and wrestle with Fern & Dixie.  Mickey has always been confident outdoors, although he demands to be picked up occasionally - but does not really want to be held, just noticed.  Murray is a little sound sensitive, and was bothered by the neighbor's mower on Sunday, and flipped his ears around in response to some barking last night.   He's the most independent puppy, the least interested in being held. Luci was the whiniest one last night, although she had been fine before.  They all seem to go through their little "stages" where they are more or less confident, more or less cuddly, and fussier about being restrained.  Fern is definitely the bravest, yet the most mellow.  She follows me all over the yard and never acts nervous about new things.  Am so pleased with how she is developing!

I worked at stacking the pups last night, using a treat to distract them.  We didn't get good stacks for very long, but it gave me a chance to admire what a handsome litter this is.  Absolutely lovely structure, the right combination of their parents.  Am a bit bummed to have multiple blues and unis, but both are characteristics that go with Dalmatian spotting.  Sometimes you have more of them, sometimes you luck out and have fewer of them.

Because I did the litter for a bitch for me to keep, and because Fern appears to be exactly what I wanted, I am very pleased over all.  Just wish I had a couple more like her, as several of the great potential homes that have been waiting for show quality bitches will not get a puppy this time.  Although Dixie is lovely, and should be shown, I'm quite sure she has unilateral hearing (in one ear) and that does not really work for a foundation bitch (you're limited in your choice of potential stud dogs because you have to consider hearing) and unis normally don't go as performance dogs.  Although they make great companions, it may be a handicap in advanced performance work - although there are some excellent unis working in Agility right now.  What she needs is a home where they just want a show dog as well as a beautiful companion.  Perhaps I'll find something local, co-own her, and keep an option to show her, like we did with Penny's brother Ch. "Charlie Brown".

More Company

More company!  The pups have had a very busy few days with lots of company, and play time in the family room.  One of the nice things about having pups is all the friends and previous buyers who come to visit.  Skip & Gia, along with their sons Trevor & Bradley and neighbor Sandi, came over last night.  We hadn't seen them since they visited Reebok's pups last summer!

They purchased their first Dal from us about 20 years ago and are currently owned by a charming Josie son named Seiko.  I kept Seiko from the litter with plans to show him until we started worrying that he would get too tall (which he did).  He's a fabulous dog otherwise, and hooked them on Brownie Boys.  Bradley and my pup Fabulous Fern hit it off right away and she spent much of the evening cuddling with him.  It's not a particularly cuddly litter at this age - too much to do - but Fern decided Bradley's lap would be just fine.

Next week I'll probably see my old friend Linda who owns 10 year old Robbie, who is their 4th Paisley Dal, and again their first boy.  Having pups is a great time for catching up with friends.  Anyone else out there who wants a puppy fix?

Pups sure provide a lot of photo ops!  This one turned out cute.  Having the pups up in the family room for a couple of hours means we go through a lot of paper towels!  I'd prefer to do the puppy visits in the backyard, but it's just too hot.  Probably not for the pups, but definitely for the people.  Normally we take the pups out for awhile every evening, but last night was just too hot to even consider it.  Neither Ron nor I had any interest in sitting out in the heat and humidity, and the pups are too young to want to stay out by themselves.

Laurie comes to stay next week, and hopefully there will be some decent weather so she can have the pups outdoors if she is around in the afternoon.  Last year she was here during the state shutdown, so we had lots of adventures.  This year I will be working, but am glad that I still have a job!

Another Doggy Weekend

Another very doggy weekend.   Right now things are centered around the puppies, and getting them raised and properly socialized.  Sometimes seems like a full time job!  Adults all get "their time" though and love having the extra company.  Weaning is going well, and Pauli will go home next weekend, which will help a lot.  She's been good, and we've been biking every evening, something she really enjoys!

Friend Sue has been taking Josie to the Airport Dog Park on a regular basis, and on Saturday she got to run with Letty's brother Herbie.  This has been so good for Josie, whose life was pretty boring.   Josie is a wonderful dog, and it's hard to believe she's already 9 years old.  She's very athletic and playful and is having such a good time running and spashing and chasing her Frisbee.  Sue can't have a dog where she lives, so this way both she and Josie can enjoy the summer.  Thanks, Sue!

Watson visited the Vet last weekend and got both Chiropractic and Acupuncture.  He's doing VERY well and is acting much like the old Watson.  Was concerned that he was getting arthritic, but apparently that is not the case.  Watson's already 12, but I am not ready for him to be an old dog.  Can't imagine not having him around here.  He's always been such a good dog!

Argus and I did the Rice Creek Dog Park on Sunday morning where he got to splash around with Labs and a Boxer.  He's not really a swimmer, mostly just a splasher, but has such fun doing it.  He retrieved a plastic bottle a few times, but just can't understand the Labs' obsession with retrieving anything, and doing it endlessly.  Argus has such a good time and I love watching him and the other dogs, plus that Dog Park is a good one for hiking too.  We picked up mom afterwards and went out to breakfast, sitting at an outdoor table so Argus could be with us.  (And share bits of my omelet.)

The pups had lots of company and many adventures this weekend.   I continue to be very pleased with Fabulous Fern, who seems to have a sensible & secure personality.  She's the biggest puppy right now, but that's because she is also the resident chow hound.  Dixie is coming along nicely.  Am sure she's a uni, hearing in just one ear.  I don't want to place her as a pet strictly because of that, and hope she still ends up in a show home as she is way too pretty not to be shown.   We'll see how this works out.  Luci is lovely, very sound and pretty spotted, but that eye rim is moving just too slowly and she will be going to a pet home.  

The boys are all characters.  Handsome Mickey the patch is a handful, smart and determined.  He'll need a home that has plenty of time and energy to devote to his training.  He won't be easy, but he will be a great dog if properly raised.  Furry Murray is looking good, a more independent sort of dog than his littermates, more like his Grandma Aruba and Uncle Krash (who won the National this year).  His spots are clearing nicely now and he's very striking.  That's him above, playing in the "tunnel", a section of sewer pipe.  Mancini looks like a star, really an outstanding pup.  Hope to find a home that wants a really good looking boy to show.  He's got a blue eye (not a fault) but wonderful structure and movement.  Most of my show homes are for girls, unfortunately, so we shall see.

Pups get BAER tested on Saturday.  I already know their hearing status, but we test to confirm.  We'll do pictures next week too, and start deciding which pup will go where.  If you are interested in something to show, we may have a pup for you.