No Easy Money

Got through everything yesterday, and the news was good on Watson.  His foot is healing well and hopefully he can get rid of the split (and the e-collar) in about 10 days.  Swelling in his foot is much diminished and the skin looks good.  I'm going to try and find an inflatable collar to replace the e-collar - I've never found anything else that works as well, but we'll give one of these a try too.

Car ended up needing new tires in addition to everything else.  Drat.  It was an expensive visit, but at least everything is taken care of before spring dog shows.  I'd hate to have a breakdown or a flat while out of town in a van loaded with dogs!  What an expensive hobby this can be when you factor in the wear and tear on your car too.

AND we had to take a quick run to the Repro Specialist as it was determined that Argie's "wife" would be ready for breeding today.  Another trip scheduled today for another collect and ship.  Stud dog owners definitely "earn" their stud fees.  Definitely not easy money!

Too Much To Do

What a wild man, but a pretty good puppy overall, and certainly a cute one!  Max did his first pet store visit on Sunday, where he covered everyone with kisses and had a wonderful time.  This weekend he will stay with Heather and the girls, to continue his socialization.  His first "sleepover"without a littermate for backup.  No Dals at all in fact, as Gemma will be traveling with us to Indy, so he'll be interacting with a Lab and a large mixed breed, and the girls of course, who played with the pups a number of times.  Max absolutely loves kids, thanks in part to all the great kids who visited the litter.

Too much to get done this week before we can leave for the Indy Specialties, weather permitting.  Car needs a checkup and oil change and possibly a brake job today, but I also have to get Watson in to have his split redone.  He started licking his leg near the top of the split this weekend creating a raw itchy area, so I had to cut down the front of the split and poor Watty had to start wearing the cone.  He'll probably need to wear it until the split comes off and the wound heals.  Poor old guy.  The good news is that his ear hematoma is looking better - it came back after the drain healed over, but since the hematoma was so small this time we decided to just keep an eye on it.  So far, so good.

And we have a bitch to breed as well.  This is the girl who was bred last fall using chilled semen shipments - and she did not conceive.  The Vet who did the procedure was not a specialist, and I was disappointed but not surprised.  This time she will be managed by a Repro Specialist, so hopefully things work out better.  If the timing is wrong for sending fresh chilled shipments (if Argus is on his way to Indy), we'll send off some of the frozen semen we have "banked".   I really don't have time for this, BUT my stud contract provides for a repeat breeding even if the missed breeding was a management issue, and I really want this bitch to have pups by Argus.  Although fresh chilled breedings are handier than having to entertain a visiting bitch, the stud dog owner loses control of the timing, and with these breedings timing is everything.

Not All Good Dogs Are Dalmatians

Those of us who share our lives with a specific breed that we enjoy and admire often forget that although our breed is special to us, there are wonderful dogs in every breed.  We can also be judgmental about certain breeds based on our personal experiences with that breed.  Although German Shepherd Dogs have long been one of the most popular breeds in the world, my own negative opinion of the breed was based on the dogs I had met, dogs who were generally freaky, flaky, and out of control.  Poorly bred and/or poorly raised dogs who were not typical of the breed.  When my daughter Jessica connected with Don, Simmie the GSD was part of the deal.  She was a wonderful dog in every way.  But let Jess tell the story . . .

Are we ready to do this again? I don't think you are ever "ready" to do it... 

After a week of deterioration and now not being able to walk at all, Simmie has told us it is time for her to cross the Rainbow Bridge to be with her best friend Pepper.

She has fallen several times this week and now this morning, is unable to get up at all. She has also lost her appetite - she'll eat, but not with the same gusto and even turned her nose up at a pizza biscuit. Don says it is time and so does Simmie.

Simmie is an extremely special dog and has taught many people in this world that GSDs can be a wonderful breed. Great with dogs, she has taught more then one spotty appropriate dog manners.

Nothing she loves more then kids. She loved camping because kids were in abundance and everyone got a kiss.

And her prized possession - her ball! Everyone who had a working arm had to throw the ball.

Age has taken its toll. Her rear no longer works, her eyes no longer sparkle and her love for her ball is no longer there... It is time. We won't let her suffer.

I almost broke down when Meribel went out to get her out of bed and Simmie couldn't get up. Meribel looked at her and started her soft little squeak. She knew something wasn't right.

So a month and a half after saying good bye to Coral, our dog family gets to do this again.

Hug your dogs today as the Rainbow Bridge welcomes the Queen - a 13 year old, very wise and wonderful dog - Simmie.

Enjoying My Puppy

Such fun to have a new puppy!  Whether it's one I bred or one I bought, each new pup is such a treat.  So much fun to watch their antics as they explore their world!

Max is doing great, understands the concept of housetraining and has only had one accident since he came back from Jess's and that was my fault.  I was thinking, "Time to get Max out again" but put it off for a few minutes, and by the time I checked on him he had just finished peeing.  Pups have accidents at this age, but as long as they understand why they are going outdoors, and cooperate most of the time, all is well.

He's very good in a crate too, rarely fusses at all. Even goes back into his crate to play with a toy (and to keep Fernly from stealing it) although his preference is Watson's crate which is next to a radiator.

We've done a bit of leash walking, started puppy sits and worked on name recognition.  Tonight we start Puppy Classes, where we'll be working on the basic commands, but primarily do the class for socialization.  Wish it was not so cold for our first night, but we'll tough it out, and should have a great time.

And Then There Was One

Melitta arrived safely at DFW and was very glad to meet her other Grandma Jana.  The flight was not uneventful, as a thunderstorm was passing through the area and all flights were delayed.  Mel arrived almost two hours late, and THEN Jana had to wait while an airline employee finished up his paperwork first - while two pups (there was a Lab puppy too) sat and waited.  Because we paid for special handling, we expected special handling, and didn't get it this time.  Annoying.

But all is well.  Melitta settled in easily and spent the evening learning about the house and yard, and meeting several of Jana's other non-Dal dogs.  Apparently she was not impressed with the noises the French Bulldog made - probably didn't consider it a "real" dog.

Max has settled into his new routine already and is doing great.  He has a crate in the kitchen and is pretty good about being crated, slept quietly all night (Ron took him out just before he came to bed), and acts like "one of the gang" already. So far he has peed each time he's been taken outdoors (no accidents yet) - although we'll see what he thinks of the weather later today! We went for a short leash walk yesterday too, while it was still relatively warm.

Tonight he gets his nails done again, starts learning to sit for a cookie, and works on stacking.  I'll keep the pen set up for awhile in case we're going to be gone for longer than I would want to leave him in a crate.  I signed Max up for a puppy class and should find out today if he'll be starting this week or if we have to wait until the end of February.

So much easier to have just one pup, but it sure was a fun litter, and I couldn't be happier with the homes.

More Changes Coming

Max and Melitta enjoyed cuddling with Ron on the sofa last night.  This was probably their last night together as Melitta will be flying off to Texas to stay with her other Grandma Jana.  This had not been in the immediate plans, but we decided yesterday that it would be best for everyone.  It's so hard to do a good job with two pups, especially in the winter, plus Fern is still really just a puppy herself.  There just isn't enough time (and energy) in my life to do a really good job with three puppies, and Grandma Jana was craving a puppy fix.

So, the weather forecast was good for today, I was able to get Melitta in for a health certificate yesterday, and made a Delta Dash reservation.  Jana was free today to pick Mel up at the airport today too, so it was meant to be.  Mother Nature and Delta Dash willing, Melitta will be a Texan shortly after 3:00 PM today.

Time Out

What a nice weekend, and so peaceful with the pups gone!  Nice long walks for Fernly and Argus, a very good audio book completed, water changes for most of the fish tanks, lunch with mom, an excellent new recipe tried out, and a halfway clean house!

Let's do it again next weekend!  No such luck.  Dog show season is coming up soon, so things will get crazier, and Fern is due in season as well, which means lots of extra walks once she moves to the basement for a week or so.

Pups come back today and things will be busy as we continue their crate training and house training.  At least the next two days will be warm enough for them to play outdoors, then the cold hits again.  Ugh.

Vacation - Much Needed

I have the weekend off!  The pups will be spending it with my daughter Jess, one of their other breeder/owners.  I'll miss them, but really need some time off!  The weather sounds good for Dog Park visits, and water changes are needed in about 25 aquariums - poor fish have been a bit neglected of late.

Crate training and house training started last night, with the pups eating their dinners in separate crates, staying in the crates for an hour and then being rushed out to the dog yard to do their business.  Success!  They shared the pen last night but I dashed down this morning before they were awake and rushed them outside.  Again, success.  They will eat their breakfasts in their little crates and then go out again before I head to work.  Jess will continue the crating and outdoor visits this weekend, so they should understand the concept by the end of the weekend, and will know what "Hurry, hurry" means.  Of course they will require lots of supervision, and quick trips outdoors, but the deed with get done.  Once pups understand WHY they are going outdoors, the rest falls into place.  Eventually!

How many pups have I housetrained over the years?  Hundreds, I'm sure.

Poor Watty

Doesn't seem fair, somehow.  Watson is absolutely the sweetest, most mild-mannered of dogs, and deserves better.  He's had a rough winter.  First it was a huge hematoma on his ear that had to be emptied and a drain inserted.  He never fussed about it, never tried to remove the drain, and it appeared to be healing properly.

Then he broke a small bone in his foot.  Somehow. Not a serious break, but it had to be protected so it could heal.  Although Watson will be 13 in May, he's very healthy for his age, and we wanted him to be sound on that foot, as well as comfortable.  So he was fitted with a splint to wear for 6 weeks.  Again, he never fusses about the splint, never tries to remove the wrapping, never objects to Glad Wrap on the splint when he goes outdoors.  Fortunately, other than a bit of initial curiosity, the other dogs never bother it either.

Last weekend, Watson started to develop a new hematoma in the same spot.  The drain had been removed, the incision healed over, and fluid started to build up again.  So far it's stayed relatively small and we are just watching it.  I won't put him through surgery again if I can avoid it.

Then the splint malfunctioned.  First there was a sharp piece we could feel along the back of the wrappng and by the next morning the whole thing had shifted.  A trip to the Vet showed the splint had broken, the plastic piece along the back of his leg shattered.  How did that happen?  Defect?  He never does steps without someone holding his color, takes only short walks always on leash, and doesn't do ANYTHING wild and crazy.  How did it break?  Am NOT at all happy about that.

His foot is rewrapped now and should continue to heal properly as the plastic part was still protecting the broken area.  His ear got rechecked and we discussed possible options including just watching it unless it starts to get really large again.  Watson handled everything with patience and cooperation, as always.  Unlike most of my boys he has never enjoyed going to the Vet, and has decided he does NOT want to go back again for awhile.  He like Dr. Amy a lot, but is getting tired of seeing her so often.

Fingers crossed for my sweet boy.

Trapped

Well, the little Houdini seems to be successfully confined, at least for now.  Max had gotten out of the pen half a dozen times throughout the day, so was available to help Ron with his laundry and other chores, while Melitta yelled "No Fair!" from the pen.  A puppy can get caught on a fence when climbing out, and dropping to the floor from 42 inches up can't be good for the feet and pasterns, so I created a (hopefully) SECURE pen for them.  It's 4 feet wide and 8 feet long, smaller than the previous configuration, but completely covered.  Seems to keep the pups confined, BUT crawling around in there to change papers is not a lot of fun for me.  Oh well, this is only temporary.

The contraption on the right is not a device for torture, but rather a homemade "stacking stand". The pups stand there with front feet on one end and back feet on the other, while I feed them small treats, teaching them to hold their feet in place for show dog stacks.  Works amazingly well, and when I stacked Max without it this morning he stood perfectly still except for his wildly wagging tail.  He certainly has a show dog attitude!  They're learning to have their bites checked too, and this weekend can begin lead training when the weather improves.  Just not enough room in my house for lead training.

Watson is headed off to the Vet today to have his ear rechecked and his foot rewrapped.  Yesterday evening we found a piece of the metal "spoon" poking through the wrapping, and by this morning the wrapping had totally shifted.  Hopefully this does not set him back almost 3 weeks on the healing.  Fingers crossed.  He's been such a good patient and never fusses with the wrapping.

Twice As Bad

What was I thinking?  Did I truly think I could raise two Dalmatian pups to be good citizens?  Not sure I will have enough patience when one of them has Very Bad Dog potential!   They sure are cute though!

Although they are still in their pen (more on that later), they need to come upstairs for crate training pretty soon, and they need to be housetrained of course.  Ron isn't always on top of getting them outdoors in time, especially in the winter, and with two pups to deal with, timing is everything.  I thought perhaps we could use puppy pads too, so the pups could use the tray when Ron didn't get them outdoors in time.  Maybe not.  At least not unless I can explain to the pups that the tray is for peeing, not for shredding.

Then there is the issue of the pen itself, since Maxwell has started to climb out when he's bored, leaving his sister shrieking behind him.  If I'm home I can dash down and put him back in, but if I'm not there he has time to get into mischief.  This is what I came home to yesterday!  Glad my camera was handy.  He had climbed out of the pen, climbed up on the crate with the blankets, and fallen into the trash barrel.  He must have been sleeping there, as he appeared to just be waking up when I arrived, giving me time to snap the picture.

Tonight we will bring in the tall exercise pen and try to puppy proof it.  The key word is TRY.

Just Mine!

Down to only two pups - just mine.  We did it!  Raised a happy healthy litter of well adjusted pups and placed them in wonderful homes.  Whew . . .   It was a ton of work, but well worth it.  The pups all seem to have settled in well, the new owners seem to be delighted with the pups, and I'm very happy with Max and Melitta, who will be keeping their litter names.  Am always a bit sad when new owners change the litter names, because to ME that pup will always be the name I gave it as a baby.  I thought the names for this litter were outstanding, but only Britt may keep her name, and I'm not even sure about her.  That's really the only downer, and a pretty minor one, I guess.  

We're selecting the registered names now, so I can do the AKC whole-litter option complete with names. Then all we have to do is transfer the pups to the new owners. This insures that each pup gets individually registered - so often new owners never send in the paperwork for individual registration.

So Sanka will be Piper, Folgers will be Gelert (a dog in mythology, like his dad Argus),  Gevalia will be Lucy, and Vittoria will be LuLu.  We'll see about Britt.  But to me, they will always be the coffee babies.

I spent some time on Saturday, trying to make things right with Argus who was feeling very neglected.  We went to the dog park, stopped to visit Grandma (he told her all his problems), and stopped for a cheeseburger on the way home.  Guess he gets another cheeseburger today as his daughter Weather (sister to Letty) finished her Championship yesterday.  Such a pretty girl Weather is, and with her father's happy outgoing personality.

Later Saturday, Fernly went to her obedience class, where she graduated.  She got a lot out of the class and it was well worth the time and expense.  I won't sign her up for the next level as she'll probably be coming in season soon, and she also needs to start attending show handling classes.  Fernly is looking good now, and acting somewhat more sensible.  Time to practice being a show dog!

Last night I ground and froze veggies to be mixed with ground turkey for the dogs' breakfasts.  Today I will be doing water changes on the poor neglected fishes.  Basement is cleaned up and scrubbed, paper work getting caught up on as well.  Trying to accomplish all the things that got put on hold while I was raising the puppies!

In Haste

If everything falls into place Vittoria will head off to her new home today and Gevalia leaves tomorrow.  Then I can play Catch Up/Clean Up in the basement.  Time to make the pen smaller, sweep and scrub the floor, scrub and put away the whelping box (still sitting in pieces waiting for that scrubbing), and tend to my poor fish.  Drained the water barrels last night and will refill them tonight so I can do water changes on Monday.  Poor fish have been pretty neglected for the last two months, although they seem to be doing OK. Edd Puffer is looking pretty ancient and I need to play Puffer Games with him while he can still chase my finger and play Keep Away.

And Then There Were Four.

Delta Dash and Mother Nature cooperated yesterday and three pups are safe in their new homes.  If the forecast is correct, another will leave Friday and the fifth will be picked up on Saturday.  Because Fern stayed overnight with Jessica who will be taking her to handling classes today, my house was EMPTY with only three adult dogs and four puppies.  Hectic by many people's standards, very quiet and peaceful by mine.  Especially recently!

It will be interesting to see how Melitta does now that her zippy sisters Britt and Sanka are gone.  Melitta always seems to get lost in the crowd because she's not as loud, active or pushy as some of the others.  She's the most cautious of the pups, not timid but careful about stressful situations - such as being tackled by Fernly.  Her brother Max charges in to all situations, while Melitta stops to think about it first.  My Rob was like that, and had a perfect temperament, so am assuming that Melitta is like Rob was.  Rather ironic that she acts like Rob, since she also looks a great deal like a Rob kid, right down the the "crabby face" so many of them had.

Once we're down to two pups, I'll be able to start crate training, house training and show training these two, plus there's puppy class to attend.  They'll also go to visit Jess, together at first, then separately.  When raising two pups together, it's really important that they are separated as much as possible, sleeping in their own crates, going places on their own, and attending different puppy classes if possible.  

Saying Good Bye

Took this quick shot last night while sitting in the pen with the pups explaining what would be happening over the next few days.  As you can see, most of them were paying attention.  Folgers however thought perhaps he should chew on my laces.  From left to right - first row Folgers & Vittoria.  Then Gevalia with the patch.  Next row Melitta, Britt and Maxwell.  Back row Sanka.  I'll miss our nightly chats. . .

If all falls into place, and of course it might not, Britt, Sanka and Folgers will fly out today, Vittoria may fly out on Friday, and Gevalia will go to her new home on Saturday.  If these things all take place, and if Max and Melitta go to visit Aunt Jess over the weekend, it could be pretty quiet around here, the quietest it has been in a very long time.  If Vittoria does not fly out on Friday, she will go visit Heather and the girls for a few days.

Am I ready for this?  I'm not sure.   Although a winter litter of seven very lively determined pups has been a lot of work, it's been such fun!  Can't say I have ever enjoyed a litter more.  It really helps when they are all so attractive, totally healthy, and have such good dispositions.   And it helps that so many friends came to visit and socialize pups (it takes a village), and that there are good homes waiting for all of them.  It's also fun because I got a puppy to keep that I really enjoy.  He's not the right color, but he's the little Argus son that I wanted.   Melitta looks good too, so much like her mother Holly, and could be a useful addition to the family.  Time will tell.

Good Bye my little friends.  I wish you all loving homes and long healthy lives.  You will make your families happy, even though they may get frustrated at times and wonder if they really needed a new pup in their lives.  Hopefully you will do wonderful PR for the Dalmatian breed and make us all proud.

Hectic!

Off to the vets for health certificates for four pups.  Weather still looks good for tomorrow, so hopefully Sanka, Britt and Folgers will be heading to their new news homes.  Vittoria won't be leaving quite yet, but might as well get hers taken care of too.  Pups up and cleaned, all dogs need breakfast, I still have to shower and do my hair, warm up the car and drive half an hour for a 8:00 appointment.  Trying to minimize the vacation time I have to take this week.

Also have to recheck with Delta as the person who took the shipping reservations sounded new and I need to be sure the reservations are correct.  If we miss tomorrow, it will be some time before it will be warm enough to ship again.  Not sure I can deal with 7 pups for another two weeks!  Gevalia goes this weekend too, so I'll be down to three - I hope!

Puppy baths tonight - the little paper shredders are a bit dingy. 

Count Down

Pups had more company on Saturday, as we did an interview with a family who used to own a Dal.  The pups got to meet another child, and put on a lively show for the family.  It was easier when the pups would tire after 10 or 15 minutes and fall asleep on laps.  Now after an hour of playtime in the family room they are still going strong.   At least they don't pee every 5 or 10 minutes anymore!

It was too cold for the pups to go outdoors, or at least to play outdoors. They could have done it, and would have done it had I been ready to start housetraining, but there was no real need for that yet.  They ran around the basement for a couple of hours each day to burn off some energy.  I thought the basement was pretty much puppy proofed by now, but had forgotten about he pieces of styrofoam wedged behind the laundry tub.  The pups found it, and scratched it into tiny pieces.  It probably felt just like the dirt they would be perfecting their digging skills in if this were summer.  What a mess!  Bits of styro everywhere!  They also found a bag of aquarium sand, and that was mixed in with the styro bits as well.  Am sure they had a wonderful time.  I cleaned the basement after they were back in their pen - wonder what they will find to get into today?

The pups perfected running on the treadmill and I got some cute video of it.  Amazing how quickly they caught on, and how much they enjoyed it.  Now when I let them into the back room of of the basement they climb on the machine and wait for me to turn it on.  Gevalia likes it the most, with Max and Sanka not far behind.  Even Melitta who is the softest of the seven enjoys the treadmill.

Wednesday is (as of NOW) supposed to be warm enough for shipping, so this will be a very busy week for me as I have to get the pups in for health certificates, get their paperwork together, pick up one more small crate, and probably take Wednesday off work so we can get shipping taken care of.  Please Mother Nature, don't change your mind and mess around with the weather!

Good Bye, My Friend

Holly is home, back in Texas where she normally lives.  On a ranch with lots of other dogs, at least one cat, and a variety of hooved critters too.  Jana sent pictures of Holly from the airport, standing up to give her kisses in typical Holly fashion.  Holly is the kind of dog who is happy wherever she is, friendly, confident & secure, loves people, assumes everyone is her friend, and  interested in everything around her.  She's a little stubborn, but also a little soft, so she's very easy to manage, and tries hard to do things right.  She was enthusiastic enough to be a good show dog, but mild enough to be an excellent pet.  Just the right combination of personality traits, and just the way I think a Dalmatian girl should be. Certainly the way I want my companion puppies to be.

Shipping went well, and the folks at American were easy to work with.  Check in was a bit slow as a new person was being trained in, but everyone was nice.  We wheeled Holly in her crate up to the TSA counter, where her crate went through the machine, and Holly jumped up on the TSA folks who didn't mind a little dog hair.  Thank goodness.  Being a short haired dog she did not have to be "frisked".  Argus actually got a "pat down" when he went to Westminister.  Drugs in his armpits?

The pups continue to do well as I try to find things to keep them busy and expand their minds.  Yesterday everyone got to go outside together, and they did very well, racing up and down and path and around the dog yard.  Their favorite place is the deck, so they played there for awhile as well before coming indoors.  It will be warm enough again today for some outdoor adventures, but then the cold will hit.  I'll take them out one or two at a time, as they will need to be used to outdoors for housetraining, but they'll have to get their playtime in the house.  Fortunately they do not pee every 5 minutes now, so that's a bit easier.  Max and Melitta will start to learn the basics of housetraining, but it's not possible to do a whole litter.  I'm neither strong enough nor fast enough to catch each pup and get it outside in time.  Their new owners can work on that.

No company scheduled for this weekend, though I may do an interview for Gevalia, and will undoubted end up with additional visitors.  The pups will work on learning the treadmill and I'll try for pictures.

Toddler Time

It's important that pups meet as many different people as possible, people of all ages and all sizes, and especially lots of children.  So far the pups had met 43 different people, from old to young, but no toddlers.  Last night Laura came to visit and we filled in that gap.  Laura is a very good natured little girl, granddaughter of the family that owns Letty, and she managed the pups very well.  The pups enjoyed sniffing her and nibbling, but if Laura fell down she got "rescued" before the pups all descended on her in a mass which would have too overwhelming, AND some of my sweet babies are turning into sharks - what we call the Ankle Biter Stage.

Before last night the pups would come upstairs full of energy and gradually wind down.  Last night they didn't happen, and they had endless energy.  They went out on the deck to run around too, but when they went back downstairs they were still ready to play.  Today will also be warm and the pups will go outdoors again, but Friday may rain, and then the cold will hit.  Not very good weather for puppies to play outdoors.  I'll have to figure out some other way to amuse them.  Anyone want puppy visitors?

Holly leaves for home today, assuming all goes well with the airline.  Tomorrow will be her last chance for awhile, so hopefully things go smoothly.  Once the cold air settles in, who knows when she will be able to depart.  Pups got moved to a new crate, since they had Holly's shipping crate in their pen.

The Socialization Continues

"Do NOT touch my cast", says Watson.

Sure wish I was home during the day so the pups could spend more time outdoors.   They love playing on the deck in the evenings, and are quite intrigued by snow.  Am sure they will be less impressed by the rain we are expecting today, and the cold weather that moves in this weekend!

Although their pen is quite large, the pups really need to get out and run.  Morning and evening they have the run of the basement for an hour, and have such a great time wrestling.  The crinkly cat tunnel is a great favorite for games of hide and pounce.  Because everything must be explored and played with, I continue to find things in need of puppy proofing.

This is a time when the pups should be having new adventures and experiences, something a lot easier to do in the summer.  They've been coming up in pairs and individually to explore the rest of the house including the bedrooms, and everyone had fun helping me put away the Christmas decorations and clean up the guest room.  There are a couple of toys upstairs only used when pups come up to visit, and they've gotten a real workout.  Individual attention is very important to pups as they transition from being part of a litter, to being individual dogs who live with humans, and it's important that littermates don't stay together for too long and become too dependent on one another.   Max and Melitta will take turns going to camp with Jess and Don, learning to be only pups.  Various friends have offered to take pups for "camping" if weather is a problem and it is too cold to ship them to their new owners.

Last night when I had all the pups loose in the basement, I introduced them to the doggy treadmill.  Sure wish I'd had my camera with me!  I turned it on very low so it hummed and moved very very slowly.  Each pup got lifted up on the machine at first and before long the others were jumping up to enjoy the ride.  Some caught on to walking up the slope of the treadmill, while others went down the slope, or wrestled on the deck, but everyone seemed to enjoy it.  We'll play on the treadmill a bit every evening, and I'll teach them all to walk on it.  Very slowly of course, and only for a few seconds, but it's a great learning opportunity, as well as a confidence builder - AND I'll try to get some pictures.  Too cute!

Time For Holly To Go Home

Time for Holly to go home.  The pups are totally weaned, the weather is warm enough for shipping, and I could do with one less dog underfoot right now.   She's been such a good guest, very sweet and friendly, and gets along with everyone.  I'm very pleased with her puppies, and grateful her owner let Holly come to Minnesota to be bred to Argus.  She'll go back to Jana, to live on the ranch in Texas with her Beagle buddies to run with and a pond for swimming.  Ron will miss her a lot, as Holly was a very good sofa dog.  Josie will be glad to see Holly go, so she can reclaim her spot on the sofa with Ron!

Puppy people are making me crazy as I try to find the right home for Gevalia.  Despite my long list of potential pet homes, this is turning out to be a marathon.  The thing that is most annoying is that I told so many people that she was not available and she might still be available after all.  An interview with "creepy" people was the final straw, as I had a feeling they didn't even like dogs, especially not dogs that shed hair and jump on people. I want my puppies to live in homes with families, and to be part of that family.  Dogs are not something you add because you think you should have a nice looking dog to go with your nice looking home.  Dogs need your time too, and Dals as a breed want lots of your time.  If you don't have time to spend with a dog, please don't get a dog.  Of any breed.

Just Five More Minutes

Dogs are all standing there watching me, wondering when I am going to feed them.  Just five more minutes, OK?  Because I rarely blog on weekends, I really need to update things today as so much is happening!

Pups are 7 weeks old, actually old enough to go to new homes although I prefer to wait until 8 weeks if possible.  With this group, because most of them will be shipped, it will actually be longer.  Because it has to be warm enough on both ends, and because 2 pups are going east, and 1 to Canada, we have to work around the weather.  Some of the pups will be staying a bit longer, but hopefully not too much longer as they are getting to be a lot of work!  Looking forward to the time when only Max and Melitta remain.

Everyone is doing great and the litter continues to please me.  Pups are truly gorgeous, and temperaments are absolutely lovely.  BAER testing went well, with 6 of the 7 pups testing as bilateral, and a uni that I knew was a uni.  No one gets carsick which is a very good thing so the pups are easy to travel with.

Pups are being promised to their new owners now, with only one undecided as I wait to see which of two homes will end up with Gevalia.  That decision will hopefully be made by this evening, and she will probably be the first pup to leave.  We still have people who want to visit the litter which will be fine since most of the pups will still be here for at least another week.  Maybe even another month - horrors!  I love them, and have really enjoyed this litter, but I sure could use a break.

Two Puppy Parties over the weekend, one Friday evening and one Sunday evening.  The pups can be counted on to put on quite a show!

Dog shows this weekend too, and Gemma got her first two points, handled by Jess.  Gemma is a beauty and we expect her to do well at the spring specialties.  Had the pleasure of seeing a new Special too, a handsome and sound young dog with gorgeous spotting, a fantastic disposition, AND a perfect (and natural) tail.  I'm predicting this dog will have a wonderful show career.

Still A Puppy

I was thinking that I had no puppy pictures for my blog today, when I remembered this one of Fern.  I keep forgetting that she's actually just a puppy herself, only seven months old.  She's got most of her size now, and is quite adult looking too, with a hard body and plenty of muscle.  She's still lanky, but certainly would look good in the ring if I wanted to start showing her.  Fern's manners around the house are very good, other than her habit of sometimes flying through the air for a cookie rather than sitting.  She doesn't counter surf, and is very good in her crate unless one of her favorite people is visiting.  Argus and Josie both play with her, and she loves the dog toys, so she generally stays out of mischief.  Fern was extremely easy to housetrain and is very trustworthy, but I have to keep reminding Ron not to give her too much "freedom" yet as she IS just a puppy.  She's doing well in her obedience class, catches on quickly to everything except walking nicely on a leash.  Pulls like a draft horse.  Actually, she knows the command Walk, just needs constant reminders.  A good puppy though.  I've put a lot of time in to Fern, and enjoy her company.  Argus has been suggesting that Fern will be coming in season soon.  He sneaks a sniff from time to time and gets that dreamy look in his eyes!

Pups are doing great, but eating me out of house and home.  It's expensive to feed raw to puppies, but it's worth it in terms of clean up.  Raw fed dogs have small dry stools that break down into powder when stepped on.  Very little odor or bulk to them because the dog is digesting almost everything it eats - no fillers in a raw diet, it's the undigested grain that gives regular stools their bulk.  They do get a kibble meal occasionally, so will be able to eat either raw or kibble or a combination of both.

Tomorrow I pack them up in the car yet again, and drive down to Rochester for BAER testing.  The pups are becoming seasoned travelers which will make it easier on them when they have to be shipped to their new homes.  I'll bring along their pen so they can all be in the examining room while they get tested one at a time.  I know their hearing status already, just need to get it verified.

Health Checks & Puppy Buyers

We made it through another challenge!  Yesterday I took some time off work, loaded up the pups AGAIN, and off we went to the Vets for our "Well Puppy Checkups".  A pen was set up in one of the examining rooms, and the techs helped me carry in all 7 pups.  Each pup was weighed, had its temperature taken, and got a thorough physical.  Eyes, ears, hearts, bites, patellas, etc.  Dr. Valenti does very thorough checkups.  The pups were terrific, all of them brave, confident and friendly, although the ones sitting in the pen made some noise while waiting their turns.  "Pick ME up", they seemed to be saying.  The pups got their first vaccinations, and complimentary nail trimming too, which I appreciate as cutting all those little nails by myself takes a lot of time.

BAER testing this weekend.  It's going to be a very expensive week!

People can be so aggravating.  I had a large number of pet reservations and when the time came to decide where Gevalia (the incredibly cute patch) was going, the first few people on my list passed on her.  One wanted a non-patched pup, another had adopted a mutt, a third found a puppy closer to home (St. Louis), and the fourth decided to wait for a liver pup, as they really wanted liver and were in no hurry.  The next person was local, sounded very interested, and was going to get "right back to me" so we could set an interview.  Yeah, right.  After three days and several emails, I have not heard back from her.  If you don't want this puppy, have found something else, or the timing is wrong for you, at least have the courtesy to let me know.  So aggravating.  I've moved on now, deciding that someone like this is not someone I would sell to anyway.  If she's sick, or having computer problems, so be it.  I've probably told two dozen people that Gevalia was not available, but she still is.  Back to the list.

Many people say that the reason they rarely breed is because they hate dealing with puppy buyers.  I have to say that most of my experiences have been very good, and many of my buyers have become good friends, but it can be aggravating at times.  I'd much rather be annoyed now though, before I sell someone a puppy, than have to deal with issues later.

Major Project Completed!

One more major project complete, six week puppy pictures taken and posted as an album on my Facebook page.  If you are not on Facebook and you'd like the link, send me an email.

Packing up a litter of 7 6-week old pups and traveling an hour in very cold winter weather is a major project.  Pups traveled well with very little fussing and no car-sickness, although Melitta was a bit subdued at first so must have had a queasy stomach.  All pups were brave and bold and very friendly.  Could not have asked for better temperaments on an entire litter.  They explored the huge kitchen & dining room, met cousin Meribel and got played with my Jess & Don, Ron & me, and Don's son & daughter-in-law.

This weekend we have a vet visit for health checkups and the clinic is only about half an hour away, but on Saturday the pups have their BAER tests done and we'll drive an hour and a half to get there.  I already know the hearing status of everyone, so we'll just be confirming the results.  I actually begged off on puppy visitors tonight as it will be my only evening off this week.  My poor fish need some care too!

The photo session went well and I was particularly pleased with Sanka and Vittoria who have really blossomed in the past week, both looking better than I had anticipated.  By six weeks pups are pretty much "there" - what you see is what you get, and I'm very pleased with what I am seeing.  Jess agreed that we should keep Maxwell and Melitta for the time-being, as both are what we wanted from the litter (other than being the wrong color), and they remind us of some of our favorite dogs.  Maxwell is so much like Argus in so many way, and Melitta reminds us so much of Rob, and the type of pup that he so consistently produced.  Rob is a ways back on both sides of the pedigree, "the look" is definitely there.

Naturally the two pups definitely going as pets also looked extremely good and have exceptional structure.  Gevalia is a pet only because we can't show patches, and Folgers only because I do not have an appropriate show home for a black-spotted boy.  Folgers probably has the best overall spotting and construction in the litter.  He's is promised, and I'm checking through my list of people with reservations for girls for Gevalia.