And Then There Was One

Starting today Fern is an "only puppy" as Murray flew off to Florida to his forever home.  I've been corresponding with his new dad Tom for quite awhile, and was satisfied that it was a good situation for Murray.  Tom works from home and has a 2-year old Lab who was ready for a housemate.  Question was the weather of course, and whether I could even ship the puppy to Florida this time of the year.  Rain cooled things off just enough to keep the forecast temperature at 85 or below when the flight was due to land, so we lucked out.  Delta Dash - Pets First is about the only way for us to ship a pup in the summer. It's a bit expensive, but they do a good job with live cargo.  Have a good life, Murray!

It's a lot easier to place pups locally, but I'll ship if I have to, if the home seems like an extra good one.  The time involved in taking the pup in for a health certificate, making the necessary arrangements, getting the pup ready, plus the airport run (generally early in the morning), take a lot of time.  I like to keep the pups a bit longer too, give them extra socialization, and make sure they are comfortable in a crate of their own.  Murray has been many places, and done lots of things, and should have no trouble at all handling the three-hour trip.

Now it's just Bad Fern, who is actually a terrific puppy other than being into everything.  Make that EVERYTHING.  Nothing escapes her notice and everything must be investigated, tasted or tugged.  She's a busy puppy, harassing the adults, playing with her toys, and playing with things that are NOT toys, like my shoes.  BUT she's great in a crate, rides well in the car, loves everyone and all dogs, and has very good house manners for her age, so I can't really complain.  Now, that jumping up . . .

Puppy class starts next week, and I see Fern being either the Class Clown or the Class Bully.  She looks like such a little princes, but can hold her own in any wrestling match, and is quite sure she is Queen of the Universe.  She's good on her sits & downs and is stacking on the grooming table, but her leash manners leave a lot to be desired.  Need to work on that before she starts puppy class.  Think we'll start going for evening walks with a pocket full of cookies, so she learns to watch me a bit, rather than trying to drag me up the street, looking for kids or dogs to play with.

Off Topic

No dogs or fish today, not even flowers, family, housework or yard work.  Time out for a political observation, on something that should not even be part of the political scene.  Although I feel strongly about many issues, the one concerning marriage issues bothers me more than almost anything else.

I can not understand WHY the conservatives are so determined to pass laws making it illegal for two consenting adults to marry.  Although I personally would not be interested in being married again (been there, done that), I firmly believe that everyone should have that right, whatever their sexual orientation.  What is so "sacred" about marriage, and why should it be denied to some?  If marriage is defined as a union between one man and one woman, should we prosecute everyone who strays outside those boundaries?  Half the marriages end in divorces, and many married people stray.  So what exactly makes the traditional marriage sacred?  And why should any government be involved?  This is a personal issues, not one to be decided by any governmental body.

Please VOTE NO!

Growing Pains

It's fun to have a puppy around here again.  Hopefully Fern continues to look good so I have an excuse to keep her!  She's added a small amount of ticking (the itty bitty spots that come in after the "real" spots are already in place) which I don't care for, but most Dals have a few of those.  When I roll through her coat I don't see any more lurking on the skin, just waiting to shoot out colored hairs.  Although she has a really cute face, I'm not sure that she has quite enough underjaw for my personal taste, but that's something no one will ever notice - except me.   So far I'm only seeing minor issues that I don't care for.  The basics, and the really important stuff still look good.  She's nicely marked, has reasonable breed type, really nice legs & feet, very pleasing movement (when she can collect herself and slow down enough to actually trot), and a great temperament.  Her eyes are very dark and her tail shape/carriage are also very good, two things very important to me.

It's often hard to watch show puppies grow up unless you just close your eyes and concentrate on the Cute Factor.  Few puppies grow up in one piece, and most go through oh so many stages, most of them awkward, ungainly, and uncoordinated. Some of them just plain ugly! Their ends don't develop at the same speed, their proportions are all screwed up,  Their backs can look long, soft, dippy, roached, you name it.  They lose their chests and look like tubes on legs.  They can be so narrow in front that their elbows touch, and so rubbery in the rear that their hocks cross and you wonder how they can walk.  When they teethe their ears can hang limply, with creases in the wrong places, and their lovely feet can look like pancakes.  Some pups grow up "in one piece".  Mancini/Ramsay might do that.  Fern definitely will not.  We always says that a puppy who looked good at 6-7 weeks will look good again.  Someday.  Patience will be the key word here!

Socializing Show Pups

Give Your Pup A Chance

Sue MacMillan

I noticed a recent posting on Facebook where the poster mentioned that she’d taken her pup to his first show and he’d freaked out.  He was a little better the second day but still very frightened.   She’d decided just a few weeks earlier that it was time to start showing the puppy, but had she taken the time to prepare him for dog shows?

Postings like this, as well as all the spooky Dals I’ve seen in the show ring, make me wonder if their owners have put any work at all into preparing their pups to become show dogs.  Dog shows can be stressful, and the barking dogs, crowds of people, loud noises, strange smells, and unfamiliar objects can be extremely frightening to a puppy that has not been properly socialized.  If a puppy grows up “in a backyard” and is just walked around the neighborhood (if he is walked at all), he will be totally unprepared for the stress of dog shows.  If he grows up with littermates and/or his dam, he is also dependent on them, and even less ready to go off to a show by himself.  Why do breeders keep promising pups and then put no work into preparing them to be show dogs?

 

Most people who purchase a puppy to show are prepared to put the work into raising the puppy properly, especially if they buy from a breeder who understands and emphasizes the importance of socialization. It seems to be the first-time breeder or occasional breeder who forgets that any pup they keep will require a lot of individual work.  It will actually require more work, because leaving home and adjusting to a new situation is actually socialization.  The pup that stays behind needs to be separated from the dogs it lives with, at least for a while.  It needs to “go to camp” and get away from home for a weekend and even longer, and preferably more than once.  It needs to make friends both canine and human, and learn to be self-sufficient and comfortable in a new environment.  Many breeders do this automatically, sending their pups off to stay with friends, previous puppy buyers, or with other breeders.  Puppy camping is fun for everyone, and invaluable for the future show dog.

Pups need to learn that riding in the car is fun, that strangers give treats, and that other dogs are friendly and like to play.  They need to see bikes, strollers, and kids on roller blades.  They need to hear trucks, motorcycles, airplanes, barking dogs, and children playing.  A puppy who has been exposed to and is comfortable with these things will be comfortable with the confusion at dog shows, will not be spooked by ring barriers, crowds of dogs and people, the squeak of crate dollies, and the sounds of PA systems and blow driers.

Kindergarten Puppy Classes are a great place to socialize pups.  They learn about different buildings, strange sounds and smells, new people, other breeds, and get a chance to meet and play with other puppies.  In many of the classes they will also get treats from strangers, which helps prepare a puppy to be comfortable with the approach of a judge.  Learning to sit for a treat will not screw up a show-dog-to-be.  Pups can easily learn the difference.  Teaching the pup to stand for a treat with a different command can be done at the same time or can be done later.

Many pups benefit from a basic beginners obedience class too, as long as positive methods of training are used.  Again, teach him a stand as well as a sit.  He’ll figure it out.  Even if he were to forget and sit in the ring once or twice, that’s much better than having him freak out or be excused.  It’s far easier to teach a stand than it is to convince a freaked out puppy that dog shows are not really as scary as he thinks.

All pups who will be shown need to learn the basics, either in an obedience class or a show handling class if there is one available.  Private handling lessons may also be an option.  Pups need to have experience wearing collars, walking on lead, as well as following and being followed by other dogs. They must be comfortable being touched by strangers, gaiting on rubber mats, having their tails and feet handled, their testicles checked (if males) and having their mouths examined.  Repetition is the key here.  Gentle handling, lots of praise, and the use of words they will remember and associate with a pleasant experience – “stand”, “stay”, “ok”, “teeth” or whatever words you prefer.  A puppy gains security from hearing familiar words and performing familiar actions, and the use of food rewards is always helpful.  Teach him a trick or two as well – something you can praise him for doing if he gets nervous.

If you don’t live in an area with training classes, there are still many way to train and socialize a puppy.  Visit pet stores on the weekends, take the pup to ballgames, parades, and picnics, walk him around parking lots, shopping areas and schoolyards, or take him into stores that allow leashed pets.  Carry him in if you have to.  Invite people to pet him and feed him treats.  Ask if it’s OK to bring him along when you visit friends.  Be pro-active about finding dogs for him to interact with and set up play dates with them.  Play dog show and ask your friends and family to examine him and check his bite.  Especially useful is taking him along to dog shows before he is old enough to show, just for fun. Enter puppy matches if you can find them, but don’t take them too seriously.   Your goal is a puppy that is happy and self-confident when you are ready to show him.

There are some dogs in this breed that are what I call “genetic spooks” – they will be uncomfortable about dog shows no matter what you do with them as babies, but you can generally modify their behavior enough to make it acceptable.  However, they will never be fun to show or enjoy the experience, and would be better off placed in appropriate pet homes.  If your puppy is not one of these born-to-be-spooky dogs, and has a genuinely good disposition, then get him out and socialized, and give him a chance to display the happy, confident, fun loving personality that is the reason we love and admire this breed!  

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.