Passwords

I HATE Passwords!  Whenever I am ready to do anything, anything at all, it seems as if the "remembered" password has been forgottten, either by my brain or my computer.  It's amazing how many passwords clog up my life and my brain!  At least five of them at work, and at least two dozen more in my personal life.  Health plan, financial plan, credit union, PayPal, Audible, BlogSpot, Facebook, Apple, MnFish, DCA, website, and on and on. Plus PIN numbers too. They should not be written down or stored in my iPhone, and they for sure are not stored in my brain!   It used to be easy when I just used variations on one simple password, but soon that was not secure enough, and passwords "expire" and need to be updated.  And they are forgotten and replaced, but the next time they are needed, the only one I can recall is the old one.

Project for this week - figure out all passwords, write them down, get them tattooed on my stomach, and then eat the written list.  THAT should be safe. So if you see me standing in line at the cash machine, and I pull up my shirt and study my stomach, you'll know I am not crazy.  Or if I AM, it's because of passwords!

The other thing I currently hate is typing with one hand . . .

A Bump In The Road

Well, drat.  A fractured Metacarpal in my right hand.  Who would think that such a tiny bone would require such a large splint?  I was not surprised that the x-rays showed a fracture, but was hoping I could just wear a wrap.  Such luck!  It's going to be a long month.  At least I am left-handed, although I normally use my mouse in my right.  Can do it either way though.

7:30 meeting this morning.  Ugh.  Inhumane.

The Socialization Continues

Time is running out.  The Window of Socialization will be closing soon.  Although some socialization continues for the life of a dog, the "window" is from four weeks to four months.   That's the time period when the puppy can most easily make adjustments and learn new things.  The more novel and pleasant experiences a puppy has during that period, the more confident and well-adjusted he will be as an adult.  Playing "catch up" is never quite as good, and it's important to take advantage of this time period  for exposing the pup to all "normal" things it will encounter in its life as a companion, performance dog and/or showdog.

One of the most important things for pups to be exposed to and comfortable with is children.   Kids of all ages, loud ones, active ones, quiet ones.  Kids that cover pups with kisses and insist on hugging them, and kids who are fearful.  Fern and littermates were around a lot of children while the litter was being socialized, and Jess introduced Fern to Don's grandkids.  She's met children while on walks, and has taken cookies and petting from them, BUT she has never lived with them.  Never watched TV from a child's lap, been fed by a child, hugged on the rug by a child, or actively played with them.  Kids look, smell, act and sound different than adults do, and pups who do not get enough exposure to kids are often fearful of them, and some otherwise friendly dogs will even snap if they are "cornered" by kids and feel threatened.

Fern has exactly one week to go in the socialization period.  Where did time go?  Last week it occurred to me that she really needed a "dose of children".  Then, when she had a scary experience being grabbed by a screaming toddler, I KNEW we needed to be proactive about this.  Fern isn't a bold, fearless, devil-may-care type of puppy like her grandpa Argus, but rather a cautious, sensible one like Uncle Watson was as a pup.  Pups like that take a bit more work, but we try to socialize ALL pups as if they needed extra work, so no one gets less socialization that they need.  You can't easily go back.  The things we DON'T do now will be much harder to accomplish later.

Fern went to stay with Heather and her family for a few days.  Heather has two lovely daughters, a neighborhood full of children, four dogs (only one a Dal) and two cats.  A perfect place for Fern's education to continue!   I should have done this sooner, but I sort of lost track of time.  The window is still open for a bit longer though.  Thanks Heather!

All Is Well

No post today.  Where does time go?

Did It!

Success!  Stepping on the scale last night confirmed that I'd reached my weight loss goal. I was pretty sure I had, because I could "feel" it, but the scale confirmed it.  Hooray!  It was "only" five pounds but it needed to be taken care of before it became ten pounds.  Or more.   I CAN lose five pounds, but not absolutely sure I have the will power or resolve to lose ten or more, plus that would indicate that I'd gotten careless about eating and exercise, and established some bad habits that would be harder to break.  Best to deal with this as needed rather than letting things (such as pounds) pile up (or on).

My weight has stayed within a 6 pound range for about 40 years.   I eat carefully (most of the time) and walk every day thanks to my dogs. I listen to my body and we normally communicate pretty well.  When I "feel" as if I've gained some weight, the scale always confirms it.  This summer has been harder.  Perhaps my age, or perhaps just the temptations, and I lingered near the top of my regular range most of the summer.  We eat out quite often, but I do it sensibly and almost always bring home leftovers for the next day's lunch.  I rarely bake, never chocolate chip cookies which I love, and we rarely have dessert when we eat out.  The heat and humidity this summer made it tempting to walk less, although I still walked every single day.  Argus demands that!  What I did though was get careless about "treats", started feeling a bit deprived I guess, and suddenly I was consistently a pound over my maximum.

I often stop at Kowalskis on my way home from work, to pick up some produce, or perhaps a deli item for dinner.  They have a really tempting bakery and I got in the habit of buying cookies, and unfortunately most bakery cookies are HUGE, three times the size a cookie should be.  Or scones - I love frosted scones.  And those lovely dips they sell in the deli.  I LOVE tortilla chips with a really good dip.  And then there is ice cream, something I buy rarely, but suddenly found myself buying more often.  A small bowl of ice cream at bed time was so nice, such a special treat.  Yep, I know exactly why I was having trouble with those pesky five, then six, pounds.  No surprises at all.

So back to sensible eating.  An apple instead of a cookie, a small glass of lowfat chocolate milk instead of a brownie.  A glass of skim milk at bedtime. No ice cream in the freezer - we'll go back to buying it for special occasions, not every day. Leftovers for lunch the next day.  I still have tortilla chips on hand, but I take a few out and reseal the bag.  No reading the newspaper with a bag of chips beside me.  No cookies in the freezer.  Longer walks in the evening, and brisker ones too.  Having Holly here has helped - extra walks required.

Diets are not a beginning and end.  When they are thought of that way the pounds will always come back.  Diets are really about lifestyle changes.  Eliminating the bad habits that so easily creep into your life.  All the tasty temptations.  Let's hear it for sensible eating!

No lectures about other people's weight issues, although I feel very strongly about what obesity does to our health care costs.  Yours and mine too, unfortunately.  But I am only in charge of my own health.  Nope, I will NOT celebrate with ice cream or a cookie, but one of those expensive fall apples - now that's a treat!

Would Your Dog Protect You?

Would your dog protect you?  Dalmatians are basically a guard dog breed so we assume they will do that, but sometimes it's nice to know that your dog is discriminating, aware of what is happening around you, and will step forward if the situation warrants.  When Jess said she was posting this story to Facebook, I decided that it would perfect for my blog today too.  Meribel is a very friendly outgoing dog who loves everyone - normally.  This is an example of how good dogs react to a suspicious situation.  I hope you enjoy this story.

Jessica MacMillan

16 hours ago

Have you ever asked yourself if your dog - particularly your Dalmatian, would protect you in a bad situation? Well, I think I got a taste of Meribel character judgement today.

As most of you know, we go walking for about 2 miles every lunch - typically the same route, but today I changed it up a bit. Today's path took on us a fairly busy road, but safe for pedestrians. As we were walking we came

around a bend and about 300 yards a head of us, coming our direction was a thug guy with pants hanging down his legs, a black coat, and a net stocking cap (hairnet type thingy) - kind of lurking along - I am sure you can picture the walk. Behind him about 15 feet was his loud, flamboyant girlfriend (or whatever). She's flinging her arms around, swearing, talking loudly and just being obnoxious

Now Meribel is very socialized and like all busy body Dalmatians, is interested in all people, but watches them and then walks by. As we came around the bend and when she saw this guy, she started to watch this situation very, very intently and as the couple got closer, Meribel hunkered down, got in front of me and started to growl very deeply in her throat. She was not about to let them out of her sight. As we walked past the guy, he glared at me and the dog and just at that time all of Meribel's hair stood up and she growled so he could hear her. The guy didn't do anything, but she must have read something and her whole demeanor changed when we finally got passed the noisy woman. She went back to her sniffing, snooping and looking at everything..

After all of this, we turn down a side street and there was a mom, her son, her daughter and their little Chihuahua out.. The Chi was very cute and wearing a cast so we stopped to talk to the family. Now, after this whole incident, I was very curious to see what Meribel would do. Would she continue to worry about the prior situation, or would she go back to being the busy body dog who has to know all dogs and loves children. As we got closer, Meribel got down to the same height as the Chihuahua and did her "See, I'm small too... Don't you want to play?" thing. As we were standing their chatting, the young girl came up and wrapped her arms around Meribel, who preceded to cover her in kisses. My brown dog could switch gears that fast! So after a few minutes and Meribel giving up on the Chi - who wanted to be friends, but wasn't sure about the big dog, we headed on our merry way.

As we we headed back to the office, we had to cross a bridge over a major freeway, but it's the homestretch and a daily routine.. Meribel pretty much knows the people we meet and they know her.. As we came up around a corner, she stood up as tall as she possibly could - on all fours, her hair standing up and there is this low, deep gutteral growl. "What the h*ll?" Up a head of me was that same couple.. He's lurking along and the girlfriend (or whatever) is still reading him the riot act! Meribel watched them with an evil eye as we walked by, along with the grumbling under her breath... We caught up to the guy a head of us (who she always talks to) and she again climbed all over him and was her usual self.

To me this is the PERFECT dog temperament and exactly what Dalmatians are supposed to do. Would Meribel protect me - absolutely - no question in my mind! It was absolutely fascinating to me that she could switch gears back and forth that fast.

I do love this breed and love this dog!

Your Daily Chuckle

Short on time this morning, so you'll have to settle for this picture.  One of the oddest looking mixed breeds I've seen lately.  Let's hope this combination does not catch on! Dalsets?  Basmatians?  This little dog is supposedly a Dalmatian/Basset Hound cross.  Certainly looks the part!

Some interesting discussions on Facebook, including whether dog show judging is political and whether or not there are actually "fixed" dogs in the ring.  My answer to both questions is "occasionally".  

Never Too Cold To Swim

It was supposed to be a weekend spent on yard work and house cleaning, but like most other weekends it was also filled with dog-related activities.

The Japanese Beetle grubs did a real number on my back yard last summer, leaving large bare patches that were quickly overwhelmed by the clover that is always waiting to move in. The yard has also been invaded by large clumps of some kind of coarse grass that I've been killing and digging. This weekend I finished up the recovery work, fertilized, and planted new grass seed.  Fall is supposed to be a good time for reseeding, but obviously Mother Nature will need some help with the watering as the drought continues.    Next year I'll be on top of the grub control, now that I have identified the enemy.  My yard looked SO good last spring, until the beetles began to eat the grass roots and kill off large patches of lawn.

On Saturday I went over to take a look at Louis, who was Lucas in the Argus/Reebok litter that it now 14 months old.  I sold him to a pet home with the agreement I could show him if I wished, as he was such a handsome pup.  He's now a very handsome adult dog and could certainly be shown and win, but like his sister Letty he has "tail issues".  Unlike Letty who just carries her high, he also has a funny corkscrew twist to his.  Their mom has a new litter this fall (no not here - I leased her last year), and we'll be curious to see if the tails are so weird this time.  With entries so low in this area, it's hard to find points, and as a State Employee I continue to lose purchasing power because raises are non-existent.  Money is going to be tight around here next year, so we'll be showing no extra dogs or doing unnecessary dog show trips.  Louis is a much loved pet and it looks as if that will be his career - keeping his family entertained.  I got a cute video of him doing tricks that I will post later.

This was Fernly's weekend to swim.  The weather was a bit chilly but that did not slow her down a bit.  On Saturday she & Argus went down to Hidden Falls Park on the Mississippi where she splashed in the shallows, bravely ventured out over her head, came up splashing and swimming, and decided it was FUN.  There was cold wind blowing, so we did not stay too long as Fern was shaking with the cold, but insisted on going back into the water.  On Sunday we went to Lake Como and got a chance to play in shallower water where Fern learned to retrieve sticks.  Had hoped to stay there for awhile but it's hard to find a time when other people and dogs are not intruding in our space.  Fern's definitely going to be a "water dog".  Argus is more of a splasher, and does not understand the need to retrieve more than one or two sticks.  Fern acts more like many of the older Paisley Dals who loved the water and would retrieve sticks from the water forever.  Hopefully it will be warm enough for a few more water adventures this fall.

Fern's socializing is going well, although yesterday she decided that the vacuum cleaner is actually a monster that wants to eat her. She's never been very comfortable around the vac, but this reaction was stronger.  We'll have to do some desensitization, to convince her that "vacuums are our friends".  Stay tuned.


  

Walking, Walking, Walking

58 degrees with a light rain.  In a few minutes I will take Holly out for her first walk of the four she will get today.  Because visiting ladies have a giant crate in the basement, but no access to the yard, they get 4 good walks a day.  Because they never get to pee in my yard, and always go out the side door from the basement, my boys never get too stressed about girls in season.  Argus is "sniffy" and a little distracted right now, but handling things fine.   I hear the horror stories of dogs howling 24 hours a day about girls who need their attention, but that's never been my experience.  Some of them have howled when they hear the side door or the side gate open as we leave for a walk, but that's about all.  Dogs in my neighborhood never run free, so we're safe from unwanted attention, and just go up and down alleys, which are more interesting than walking streets and sidewalks.

Holly is doing well, and we've come to an understanding that she will not rip my arm off in an attempt to catch every rabbit or squirrel she finds.  She's actually walking quite nicely now, though always on the watch for potential prey.  She's been a really good visitor so far and is easy to manage.  We'll do breeding number two tonight, and a third on Sunday.  Timing works out well as we've got a chilled semen breeding for next week, a lovely champion girl from the southeastern US.  Owner had hoped to drive her up, but the timing was bad for him, so we'll go the chilled semen route.  Five of Argie's Champion kids were conceived that way.  It's easier on me to drive him back and forth to the Repro Vet for collections, but I rather miss getting to know my doggy "daughters-in-laws".  It's really a blessing though, in really hot or cold weather!

In addition to Holly's walks, Argus & Fern each get one too.  The bad news is, I'm tired.  The good news is, I've lost three pounds this week!  Only two more to go and I will be exactly where I want to be again.

Argus gets a reasonable amount of use, but is by no means a "hot" stud dog.  My Rob was one of those and we had many many visiting girls for him.  He was almost impossible to collect, and that was back when it was still relatively easy and affordable to ship bitches for breeding.  We occasion had two girls at the house at the same time, either two for Rob, or one each for him and his son Morris.  THAT was a lot of work, but Rob left a legacy of many wonderful offspring.

Fern had her third training class last night and is coming along well.  Again, she did her recalls and came to ME rather than racing around the ring to see her doggy friends.  I'm always surprised when a Dal this age actually comes when called - too many more interesting things out there.  She's doing well on her Sits and Downs, and last night we started Stays.  In addition we work on show-type stacks, as well as Watch, which means she stands for a cookie rather than sitting - we'll need this for the show ring.  Amazing how quickly pups catch on to things.  She's not quite the chow hound that some of the Dals are, but works pretty well for food treats as long as I use some variety.

Now, she needs to do an overnight with someone new.  Any volunteers?

Ah, Technology

So much for resolutions!  Thought I would wake up by 5:30 this morning, since I always do.  Nope.  Today I woke up to the alarm clock, leaving me short on time.  Must have been tired!.

Holly & I went to visit the nice people at IGH Animal Hospital, where they did a blood draw and took down the appropriate information on when Holly came in season, when she had her previous blood draws and what the progesterone readings were.  Because they can do the testing in house, we had the results back an hour later.  He ovulation date was either 9/18 or 9/19, and because eggs have to ripen for a few days but because sperm lives a few days after a breeding and can "wait" for a ripened egg, Holly's breeding dates were 9/19 - 9/23.  Because we are doing live breedings rather than chilled or frozen, we don't have to be more specific than that.

Although Holly had not been interested in Argus the previous night, they suggested that we try her again that evening, and if we did not get a breeding we could bring her in for an AI - just to be sure we covered all bases.  I explained this to Argus, and he said he'd be glad to save us those precious dollars.  Holly concurred, and we got a breeding.  She wore a muzzle for the first breeding, just to be sure did did not take exception to Argie's advances (he's kind of a pushy guy).  Everything went just fine, Argus got the job done in his usual speedy fashion (he does not believe in foreplay), and Holly stood and wagged her tail the whole time they were tied.  When we were done, Argus rolled over and had a cigarette . . .  No, just kidding, but Holly grabbed the squeaky fish and started flinging it in the air and squeaking it madly.  And she had a big smile on her face.

The cool little info sheet that we got as an email after the progesterone results also gives the appropriate date for an ultra sound (to confirm pregnancy) and the x-ray (to count number of pups) as well as listing the whelping date as +/-2 days - November 20, 2012.  The puppy due date is not tied to the date of breeding but to the date of ripened eggs being ready for fertilization (2-3 days after ovulation).  Ah, technology.

Not For Sale

Nope, she's mine!

I continue to get inquiries about Fern, from people who have seen her picture on my blog.  As of now, she is NOT available.  We're very happy with her so far, and suspect she may become a permanent resident.  With my second youngest dog already seven years old  (her grandsire Argus), it's time to keep a puppy - or two.  Of course we have to get through teething, and Fern has to continue to move soundly, not carry her tail too high, grow up to be neither too large nor too small, and a number of other things that will decide whether or not Fern gets to play dog show.  All promising pups do NOT grow up to be show dogs.  So far, things are looking good.

Today is my first day of getting up half an hour earlier.  Ugh.  I'm usually awake by 5:30, so I might as well get up earlier and get a head start on my day.  It's a good time to putz around the house doing small chores, train Fern a little, and it gives me a chance to walk Holly before traffic makes it more of a challenge.  Honest to gosh I am glad I don't have a kid riding a school bus.  Some of those drivers do the stupidest things!

Holly is all settled in and is such a good girl.  Not ready to breed yet though, and when introduced to Argus she showed him all of her pearly white teeth.  She was nice about it, but said, "Just try it Buster!"  He strutted and danced and posed, trying to win her over, but she was having none of it.  He would have given it a try had I held on to Holly, but it was obviously too early.  When I brought Argus back upstairs he settled right down, so he knew it too, but is always hopeful!  May take her in for a progesterone test today, just to get a better idea of where we're at in her cycle.  It's a nice tool, and saves a lot of time.

Every Dal Needs A Fire Truck Photo

As someone noted, every Dal needs its picture taken on a firetruck!  Here's Fern with her Cousin Meribel, taken while Fern was "camping" with Jess and Don.  Apparently they were quite the hit when they stopped by the fire department, and donations to the departments fund raiser probably benefited from having "real" Dals visiting. They were invited back in an official capacity next year.

Fern had many adventures over the weekend, part of the socialization process, and spent a lot of time playing with Cousin Meribel too.  I picked Fern up yesterday noon and she was pretty quiet all afternoon and slept all evening.  This morning however, she's back to her lively silly self.  Missed her!

Things are getting busy again in Paisleyland!  Holly arrived from Texas yesterday evening, which means I have a dog to walk four times a day.  Because visiting ladies live in the basement, with only the aquariums for company, I take them for long walks so they don't get bored.  We'll try a first breeding tonight.  Off to walk Holly now!

Go Mariah!

What a nice weekend!  All kinds of fun dog show wins for the "kids".  Although I wasn't there to see any of them, I sure enjoyed getting all the good news!

That's Mariah on the right, with her owner/handler Kay.  If you've been reading along for several years you'll recognize Mariah.  She's from the litter Argus sired with a Champion Dal girl from Florida.  I flew down to select Mariah as my stud fee puppy and later sold her to Kay.  What a perfect home that turned out to be!  Mariah will eventually be bred to Kay's wonderful dog Champion "Gibson" and hopefully I get a chance to fly to Arizona and look at THAT litter.

Up in Canada, Argus's daughter Champion "Lucy" was being shown by teenager Grace and they had a wonderful weekend, winning a Group Three and a Group One!  Lucy has been on a roll since getting back in the ring after her pups.   That's Lucy on the right, with her lovely puppy daughter "Jordyn".  Lucy and her pups were also featured in my blog, thanks to wonderful pictures from mom Patti.  It was great fun to mentor the family as they raised their first Dalmatian litter, and did a wonderful job of it too.  Jordyn is already winning as a puppy, and has a Best Puppy In Show to her credit, also handled by Grace of course.  Grace hopes to show Lucy and Jordyn as a brace eventually, and is already working them together.

Closer to home, Champion "Pauli" resumed her Special's career and picked up a Group Two!

And over in Indiana, Argus's son Champion "Oliver" made his Special's debut with two nice Best of Breed wins.  He's going for his Grand Championship and got two of the required majors for that title.  Oliver had a severely broken leg as a puppy and went through months of therapy.  It's amazing that he is even walking on that leg, much less moving soundly enough to be a star.  A success story indeed!  Oliver is one of my favorite Argus kids, from a litter of 5 puppies.  One of his brothers is also a finished Champion, and a sister just started her show career, receiving her first point this weekend too.

Fernly comes back from camp today.  Lots of great pictures to follow.

Off To Camp

I love this picture!  The only thing that would make it better would be having Rob in it too, but Rob had already passed on when Argus joined us - in fact 12-year-old Watson was born the same week that his great grandfather Rob passed.  Funny how certain dogs are forever in your thoughts. . .   I still miss Rob and think of him often.

This picture shows "Watson" Ch. Paisley Pragmatic, "Josie" Ch. Hapi Dal Paisleys Preference (L), "Argus" GCh. Paisley NspirD By Broadway (L), and "Coral" Ch. Paisley Snowood Family Ties (L), all Rob descendants.

Fernly did well at Puppy Class last night.  Even managed to do two recalls to ME, despite all the far more exciting things going on around her.  I won't take that for granted though, as she's pretty scatter-brained right now!  Sits and downs were very good - amazing what pups will do for tasty tidbits.  Stays come next, and we'll be working a lot on leash walking in class next week.  Gotta practice that every evening.

Puppy playtime was not as fun as it should have been.  Two dogs in our class apparently don't play well with others, and in both cases Fern was the target.  When they were wrestling as puppies do, each of them started showing their teeth and snarling, and not in a playful manner.  NOT appropriate behavior for 3-4 month pups.  In each case one of the instructors quickly stepped in, but I was not happy about having Fern in that position.  It's important to me that my dogs are comfortable playing with other dogs, and I don't want Fern having bad experiences.  If that happens again next week, I will opt out of the playtime.  Just not worth it.

It would be interesting to find out when those pups were separated from their litter mates.  Am guessing in both cases that it was far too early, and the pups did not have a chance to develop appropriate "social skills" with their litter mates, and their dam or other adult dogs.

Fern goes camping this weekend with my daughter Jess, her partner Don, Dal "Meribel" and senior Shepherd "Simmie".  Not a camp actually, but we call it "camping" and it's an important thing for puppies to do, especially puppies that stay with their breeder rather than going to new homes.  Fern is friendly and outgoing, but this will help her confidence level even more as she adapts to a totally new situation.  Hopefully Meribel does NOT teach Fern to dig holes, as Fern already has enough "hobbies", but oh well.  Hope Jess and Don and Simmie survive the non-stop wrestling and running that are inevitable with two young Dals!

Today I need to finish up a new puppy brochure and send it out to a number of people who have inquired about pups.  I've tried to make it both interesting and informative, and have included a lot of pictures.

Puppies? Probably

Puppy plans are still up in the air, as we await the results of Holly's progesterone test.  Because her owner is not sure that she caught Holly on the first day(s) of her cycle, and because she will be out of town for a few days, Holly went in for a progesterone test to help determine how far along she is in her season.  If she's too far already, it won't work to ship her here next week - it might already be too late by then.  Tools like progesterone testing are very helpful in situations like this.  If the timing is OK, I've decided to go ahead with this.  Holly is lovely, has a pedigree full of beautiful dogs, including some very nice livers, and the temperaments are consistently very good.  Fingers all tightly crossed - and I told Argus to cross his paws too!

Puppy class for Fern tonight, her second week.  She did well last week and really enjoyed the puppy playtime part - of course!  Like Letty did last year, Fern enjoyed leading the pack, then doubling back and jumping over her classmates.  Is that a Dalmatian thing?  We'd been working on sits at home, so she caught on quickly to that, but lead walking not so much.  I've never had a Dal pup who found the treats in my hand more interesting than the other dogs and people in class!  No way will Fern learn to walk sedately on a buckle collar.  We're walking every evening, using a cloth slip collar and teaching "Walk" as a command, keeping her on my left side.  We include a bit of gaiting too - wow, can she fly!  I'm sure she will be unable to concentrate on walking nicely at class tonight, with all the distractions, but I'm pleased with how well that is coming along.  I'd like to show her a few times in the new 4-6 month class at AKC shows - if I get to any this fall.

Puppies? Again?

Do I really want to do a litter of pups this winter?  Have I recovered from Pauli's litter?  Am I ready to keep another puppy that will only be 6 months younger than Fern?  Gotta do some serious thinking here!  It's been many years since I've done two litters this close together, probably not since Jess still lived at home.  If I'd raised Lucy's litter I would not even consider it, but because that was Patti's litter and because they did all the work, it's not really part of the equation.  This would be MY litter.

I've been talking to the owner of this lovely Dal for a long time about "leasing" her to breed to Argus.  Because Argus is already 7 years old, and because I don't own (outright) any Argus kids, I need to think seriously about that.  Other than Fern, my own dogs range from 7 to 14+ years.  There's also MY age to consider - if I want to keep another Dal Boy, I'm going to have to do it pretty soon.  What I'd like from this combination is a liver boy for ME.  When we are looking for black girls we always get liver boys, so I'm probably jinxing myself by even thinking liver boy . . .

One of the issues was health testing, since this Dal's owner doesn't do it regularly, and many of the dogs in her pedigree didn't even have their hips x-rayed.   It's a rule here that we do no breedings from dogs who have not (at the very least) had hips, hearing, and eyes certified.  Holly passed everything, including elbow x-rays, and will be able to get her CHIC number, so that issue does not stand in our way.

Winter pups are "easy" in that I'm usually home, and there isn't much else going on.  On the other hand, depending on the weather, it's hard to get the pups in for vet visits, and it's a lot harder to socialize them, plus all socialization has to be done indoors, in the family room - so much easier to do it outside!  Sure saves on the paper towels!  Then there is the issue of puppy placements.  Although I have a very long list of people wanting pups NOW, how many of them will want a winter pup?   Actually, we've been lucky that way and only once had trouble placing a winter litter.  That happened during the popularity crash, when there were NO homes for Dals - well do I remember having to housetrain 4 pups in February!  But we got it done, and got those pups placed too.  I've always found winter housetraining goes very quickly!  It's tough on the owner for a few weeks, but the pups sure catch on quickly.

So much to consider . . .

No Need To Read This

A glance at my list of posts and the number of hits each of them has gotten so far indicates that a catchy title makes a lot of difference.   Mundane titles get fewer hits, while catchy ones like "Longcoated Dalmatians" are read by many more people.  Had I used "Dals With Long Hair" it would have worked even better!  The ones I post to Facebook get the most hits of course, but I only do that with the ones that I consider the most interesting or educational (or controversial).  What I really need to do is plan postings in advance, taking advantage of the thousands of pictures I could use to illustrate those posting.  But that sounds like work!

The blog always gets more hits when I have pups and post pictures regularly.  People always seem to enjoy following a litter and looking at puppy pictures.   Fish-related postings don't do nearly as well.

So here's my Betta, just for kicks.  I've had him since May and he's doing well.  Just a fish store Betta, possibly raised locally, most likely shipped in from Florida or SE Asia.  They arrive by the millions every year, many of them in poor condition.  The average pet store Betta lives a short and unpleasant life, in a small bowl of polluted water that is far too cool for a truly "tropical" fish.  My Betta lives in a one gallon jar in the fish room and gets a weekly water change,  Seems to be working well for him as his lovely finnage is still looking good.  He's not a top quality Halfmoom Betta, but he's quite handsome, and spends his day flaring at the Betta he sees is the mirror next to his jar.

Time for another cup of coffee.

Oh So Busy

The title refers to my weekend, and also applies to my puppy.  We got lots accomplished this weekend, most of it outdoors, but with a 100 year old house there is ALWAYS lots more to be done.  Gutter cleaning and repair was one of the projects for this year.  Now, if it ever rains again, the elderly gutters will drain better, through the new downspout. The older couple who do our gutter work are great fun, and we had some excellent discussions on nutrition - glad they charge by the job, not by the hour!

My personal project was trimming the Mock Orange and Honeysuckle bushes that grow along both sides of my house.  They were all very overgrown and received serious haircuts.  Ron made many trips to the recycle facility with the trimmings, as I started my fall yardwork.  Once I get the beds around the butchered bushes raked, I'll dig in some compost and plant spring bulbs - but I'll wait until the bulbs go on sale!  Pricey little devils this time of the year.  Next weekend I'll tackle the yard and do a lot of reseeding to remedy the damage done by the Japanese Beetle grubs.

The "busy" applies to Fern as well.  What a whirling dervish she can be.  Busy, busy, busy.  Not a puppy you can leave unsupervised for long as she notices and has to check out, taste, and play with everything.  Nothing is safe from her right now. Fortunately Josie & Argus play with her, and especially Josie is endlessly patient.  Fern a "good" puppy in many ways, great in a crate, friendly with everyone, perfect in the car, very well housetrained, and catching on to her obedience work easily.  Even her leash work is much improved with a few extra lessons, but oh so busy.  Yesterday she went along with me when I visited mom, and got to run and chase a ball in the athletic field across the street.  Really wore her down, and she was great the rest of the evening.  A tired puppy is a good puppy!

When Did Bad Become Good?

As I read through the Facebook updates every morning, I am continually astonished at the stories about dogs doing bad things.  I'm not astonished that dogs DO these things, but that the owners almost seem to be bragging about it.  Rather than correcting and training their dogs, or taking measures to prevent these things from happening again (like using a crate), these dog owners seem to take delight in trying to "one up" each other on whose dog(s) can be the worst.  Drives me crazy!

Whatever happened to the idea of raising your dog to be a good pet and companion?  One that can be left loose in the house without destroying things, doesn't steal everything off the counter, jump up on the table, threaten the company, and destroy the furniture?  Stealing the sandwich out of your hand between the plate and your mouth really isn't very funny, nor is it "cute" when your dog starts to scream and fuss when you walk out the front door.  An adopted adult dog may arrive with these behaviors (and that may be the reason he was homeless to begin with), but there is no reason to accept this for the rest of his life.  Train him!  And there is absolutely no excuse for accepting this from a dog that you raised from a puppy.  Yes, preventing these behaviors takes time, training and SUPERVISION, but if you don't have the time for training your dog, perhaps you don't have time for a dog at all.

Long-Coated Dalmatians

The pup in this picture is a liver long-coated Dalmatian.  The recessive gene for long hair can occasionally be found in this breed but it not very common, nor is it acceptable for the show ring.  There was a time when something like this showing up in one of your litters would be cause for concern, but because genetic testing is now available for such things, it's possible to breed this out of a line, or to breed around it.   However, many Dal owners (including show people) are actually quite fascinated by long coats, and also by well marked tri-colors.

This pup is AKC registered, and the owner found me on the Internet when searching for information on long-coated Dals.  Because I have coat and color pages on my website, people often contact me about such things - but rarely are the dogs this cute!  Long-coat is a simple recessive, meaning that both parents must carry the gene, but it may not be evident on them.  A dog must carry two copies of the long-coat gene to have long hair.  Dogs that just have one copy of will have normal short coats.  This pup had two short-haired parents, but was from a father/daughter breeding, presumably an accident, which increased the chances of doubling up on recessive genes.  Inbreeding does not "create" recessive characteristics, but does increase the chances of them being doubled up on.  As in the case of Nova!

Dogs Welcome

People often ask where the dogs stay on dog show weekends.  With us, of course!  They stay in the motel room, or sometimes in the car if the parking lot is safe and well lit.  Although careless dog owners have soured some motel owners or chains on dogs, many of the moderate priced or low end chains are fine about dogs in the room.  Motel 6 even advertises that dogs are welcome.  Some chains charge an additional fee (this is typical of Super 8s), and we are fine about paying an extra $5.00 or $10.00 for that.  It's important that guests with dogs follow the rules though, to insure that we continue to have this option.  In some areas there are no motels that will accept dogs - it may be due to local regulations, but is often due to negligent dog owners.

Argus always stayed in my motel room when he was being campaigned.  He probably stayed in over 100 motels with never a problem.  I always packed an old sheet to put over the spread so he could sleep with me.  He's extremely trustworthy, but if I left the room for more than a few minutes I'd bring up one of those soft crates for him, and leave the TV on to keep him company.  Weather permitting, he went along in the car if I went out to dinner, but if I left him behind I knew that he would be quiet and well behaved in the motel room.

It's important to follow the motel's rules on where dogs may be walked, where poop bags may be deposited and what areas of the motel might be off limits to the dog.  Sometimes the lobbies are OK, at other times dogs must be kept out of all public areas.  In motels with restaurants or breakfast areas, dogs need to be kept away, and they are normally not allowed at poolside.  It is particularly important to ALWAYS clean up after your dog(s), never allow them to bark and disturb people in neighboring rooms, and never ever to leave them unsupervised.   Always report dogs when you check in, even when motels advertise that dogs are OK, and always report IMMEDIATELY any damage.  Dogs in elevators should be told to Sit and kept under control at all times.

If we are traveling with multiple dogs and staying at a motel in a safe area, we may leave two dogs (never just one) in crates in the car.  Because our dogs are used to being crated and are comfortable traveling, they are fine in the car if weather permits.  We check from time to time to be sure they are not making noise and disturbing anyone, and if they fuss we are careful not to park right next to any guestrooms.

Fern went along with us last weekend and stayed in her first motel, along with her Grandpa Argus.   We brought up her small crate, and she slept there at night.  We let her play in the room, but always kept a close eye on her, and when we took her out first thing in the morning we carried her down the hallway and out the door, to be sure she did not have an accident.  Her manners were perfect.

"Dogs Welcome"

A man wrote a letter to a small hotel in a Midwest town he planned to visit on his vacation.  He wrote: "I would very much like to bring my dog with me. He is well-groomed and very well behaved. Would you be willing to permit me to keep him in my room with me at night?"

An immediate reply came from the hotel owner, who wrote: SIR: "I’ve been operating this hotel for many years. In all that time, I’ve never had a dog steal towels, bedclothes, silverware, or pictures off the walls. I’ve never had to evict a dog in the middle of the night for being drunk and disorderly. And I’ve never had a dog run out on a hotel bill.  Yes, indeed, your dog is welcome at my hotel. And, if your dog will vouch for you, you’re welcome to stay here, too."

Socializing Fern

Whew, a break in the weather.  After yet another hot humid day, the promised cool front moved in and it's lovely this morning.  Unfortunately, the changing weather pattern didn't result in much rain which we desperately need.  The humidity dropped before the temperature did, and when I was working in the yard after dinner, the temp was 89 but felt like 85 because the humidity was only 21%.

On Thursday Fern starts puppy classes.  It's going to be a busy time, as Thursday evening is also fish club, and I need to be there as well.  Fern's class begins at 6:00, and the club meeting at 7:15.  Tight.  Because she'll be tired, and is used to being crated, Fern will  be fine in the car while I'm in the meeting.

Fern had a great time at the dog shows last weekend, and it was a marvelous opportunity to expose her to a variety of new things.  It's important that pups be introduced to as many new people and novel situations as possible.  Pups that sit home and grow up in the yard never develop appropriate social skills with dogs and people, and are either overly stimulated or fearful when they encounter new situations.  The time period between 4 weeks and 4 months is particularly important, and a pup who does not receive appropriate socialization during that period can never catch up on what he has missed.

Fern has a middle-of-the road sort of temperament.  She is neither fearless nor fearful, just sensibly cautious. She's socially attracted to both dogs and people, but will occasionally startle in new situations or act overwhelmed if too much is happening at once.  She recovers quickly, so the goal is to introduce her to as many different situations as possible.  If properly socialized she will grow up to have an ideal companion-dog personality, and should make a good show dog as well.

Last weekend Fern was exposed to lots of vehicle noises at our motel, and by the end of the weekend was oblivious to the roar of trucks and buses when waiting to cross the street.   At the dog show she met dogs of all ages - but it's important that she meet friendly dogs.  A bad experience with an aggressive dog will leave her cautious about meeting new dogs.  She spent the weekend in a motel room, sleeping in her own crate, but playing and exploring the room with Argus. Walking down the long hallway and up and down the carpeted stairways was another new experience.  At the dog show she was walked or carried, depending on the situation, and if she seemed a bit overwhelmed when too much was happening, she was picked up or taken back to her crate in the car.  When a pup gets a bit nervous on the floor, picking them up so they can meet people face level, rather than surrounded by a forest of legs, will make a big difference.  Because most dog people understand the need for socializing pups, there is never a shortage of people willing to interact with pups at dog shows!

Fern's socialization continued over the weekend, when I picked up my mother for a picnic.  Pups need to meet people of all ages.  Children and seniors smell, sound and act different than your average adult.  She loved my mother, who was only too willing to give Fern extra attention.  When I took mom home, Fern went along to my mother's senior building, where she got to ride in the elevator (something she will often do on show weekends), and walk down the long hallway beside my mother's walker (another novel experience).  We gave her a chance to explore mom's apartment too, another totally new place for her.

Definitely a good weekend of Socializing Fern.  No need to take her to more new places for a couple of days, but tonight we'll go for another walk on leash - wish I could say her leash manners were great, but that is not yet the case!  Young pups need to visit a couple of new places every week.

At least once a day I put Fern on the grooming table and we do some stacking - for food of course - and I examine her all over and check her bite.  Then we sit on the deck and work on sit, down and watch - also for food.  Takes only a few minutes, but it will give her a head start in puppy class, and if she should get nervous, we have the familiar commands to fall back on.

Dog Show Weekend

Where to begin?  With the dog shows?  With the people?  With the places?  Or with the dogs?

Maybe the dog shows.  It was a lovely long weekend, although the weather was not particularly cooperative.  Jess & I drove to Amana, Iowa for the shows that included the Greater Twin Cities Dalmatian Club specialty shows - held in Iowa because we can no longer draw majors in Minnesota (so few Dals here).   The Amana RV Park has acres of parking for motorhomes, as well as a very nice air conditioned building for some of the show rings.

Although there were five shows we were only entered at three of them.  The judging panels did not appeal, and there were too many things we wanted to do at home to spend the whole weekend at the dog shows.  We had heard some bad reports about the one judge on the panel we had never shown to before, but we thought she did by far the best job.  Although we did not win anything very exciting under her, she sorted and placed her dogs extremely well, ran a great ring, and was nice to dogs and exhibitors.  The judge I had thought would do the best job was extremely disappointing.  I had watched her do a nice job in small entries, but with a larger one she seemed to lose her way and made some bad decisions, particular as far as being far too forgiving of bad feet.  Good feet are of major importance in a breed that was supposed to run with a carriage for a whole day.

Argus and Pauli were both competitive, with Argus earning a Select and an Award of Merit his two times in the ring.  He'll be 7 on Friday, and I am delighted that he can still hold his own in any competition.  I look forward to showing him as a Veteran from time to time.  Argus's daughter Ch. "Rita" did extremely well, earning the points she needed to finish her Grand Championship.  New dog Gemma looked lovely in the ring but needs to learn about standing still and paying attention.  She gaited well and was very confident, and the shows were a training session for her.  We were delighted when she went Reserve at one of the Specialities - a very nice start for a totally inexperienced and untrained dog.  Eddie showed well but did not win and we all agreed those were his last shows.  As a puppy we did not consider him a real show prospect, but we tried him out last fall and he did well at the some Specialties from the Puppy Class.  Maturity didn't help though, and finishing his championship would be too time consuming and expensive. He's showable but not really show quality - a big difference.  He's got a fabulous disposition and loves to show, but will have just as much fun being a Therapy Dog.

One of the big downers for the weekend was another Dal with an "enhanced tail".  What's wrong with everyone?  Why are they trying to cheat the system?  It seems to be all about winning, and ethics be damned.  (Please do not ask me the identity of this dog - just look for floppy tails.  If it flops for a day or two it may be an injury, if it flops for weeks, well . . . )

Out of time - tomorrow, Socialing Fern.

Experiences

Couldn't remember if I had used this photo before and didn't have a new one to use.  This is Fern and me, taken about a month ago by our friend Kathleen, sitting in the chair that Fern's mother Pauli won when she went Best In Show a couple of years ago.  Her face is cuter now, as her eyerims have thickened, and she looks less sweet and a lot more mischievous!

We're leaving for the shows later this afternoon, and Argus will get his pre-dogshow bath.  Hope I don't find little bite marks all over him, as I watch Fern swing from his ears.  Although she pesters Coral & Watson, she understands that they don't put up with puppy nips.  Argus & Josie have not yet come down on Fern, and are endlessly patient with her.

Fern goes along to the shows this weekend so she'll learn about long car trips, sleeping in her crate in a motel, walking down long hallways and through lobbies, and perhaps ride in an elevator, all important things for a puppy who will presumably be a show dog someday.  She'll walk around the show site parking areas too, listen to generators, motor homes, barking dogs, and blow dryers.  We may smuggle her into the show building too, especially if it's going to be really hot.   She'll meet lots of friendly strangers, as everyone wants to play with puppies, and perhaps we'll find some pups her age that she can play with.  It's important that Fern's first dog show experience is a fun one, so that when she is old enough to show she will be comfortable with all the noise and confusion that is part of dog shows.

Time Crunch

OK, how am I going to get everything done in time to leave for dog shows on Thursday?  Life is so much simpler when there are no shows!  And to think that for years I did this several weekends a month.  No wonder I got so far behind on things - but why am I still so far behind when this is only my 4th show weekend of the year???

Got the third seat out of the van last night - not an easy job on a 2007 Caravan.  I need the third seat in the van when we take mom to dinner, but it gets in the way otherwise.  The seat comes out nicely, it's just so darned heavy and awkward to move to the porch.  Am getting too old for this kind of stuff.  Fortunately, a nice teenage girl stopped and offered to help.  Bless her!

The three large crates and buckets are loaded, as well as a small crate for Fern who will be going along to her first dog show (as a spectator).  Decided to do the heavy stuff before it got so hot - 90s today and tomorrow.,

The bar is a pile of things I need to take along this weekend.  Haven't even begun to pack my own clothes.  What am I going to wear?   Argus has had his nails done, but still needs a bath and trimming.  He's entered just for fun, to support the specialty entry, and will enjoy it.  He misses the Veteran's class by only a week - how can my silly puppy be that old???

Tonight we are going to dinner with dear friends who are in town visiting relatives.  Wish the timing was different, but we'll make this work.  I'll work a full day today and tomorrow, and we'll pack and we'll leave tomorrow after work, stopping to pick up Eddie on the way.  Jess will get Gemma tomorrow and bring her along - Gemma's first dog show weekend.

After several weeks of lovely weather, and good weather forecast NEXT week, this weekend promises to be ugly weather-wise.  HOT!  Oh well.  Looking forward to seeing friends I have not seen since the national, and others I have not seen since last year.  Should be fun if we don't melt!