Animal Rights Or Animal Welfare - Do YOU Know The Difference?

 

Before you make a donation to help the animals, be sure you know the important differences between the various groups.

 

Animal Rights Or Animal Welfare

 

Who Says They're Not Lapdogs?

Fern was delighted when Laurie came to visit.

 

Such a Velcro breed we have! 

 

Most Dals are not happy unless they are as close to their owners as they can possibly get.  Many of them want to be touching someone - always! 

 

We try to explain to prospective puppy buyers that if you want a dog who stays out of the way and is never under foot, do NOT get a Dal!  If they are not touching you, they are watching you.  Watching everything!  Such busybodies they are, and they'd hate to miss anything, especially if it involves food, play or a walk.

 

We always caution new puppy buyers that it's important to teach a puppy to spend some time alone, confined to a crate or a pen.  A pup who is raised with someone always around, expects that to continue, and may not react well to a change in schedule.  Even if you have the luxury of being home during the day, the pup needs a little crate time so he understands that crating is going to be part of his daily routine.   It's easy to do, and may save you a lot of trouble later.

 

I belong to a Facebook list called "Dalmatian Owners Of America".  I joined because some of the first time pet owners need input from experienced Dal owners, and a number of us try to provide useful advice.  A lot of behavior problems occur because new owners allow their dogs to develop habits that will eventually become a problem and will be very hard to break on an adult dog. Many of the Dals come from commercial or backyard breeders who provide little or no information on raising a Dalmatian puppy, while others are rescue dogs that come with issues.  The list will definitely provide lots of ideas for blog posts!

Success!

 

Max and Mellie were the two pups I kept from the Ch. "Argus"/

Ch. "Holly" litter, whelped in November of 2012.  I kept Mellie because she had so many of the things I admired about her mother, and kept Max because he stole my heart at an early age! 

 

Mellie later went to Texas to live with her co-breeder Jana, and has become a very special dog in Jana's life.  Jana started showing Mellie as a pup and finished her Championship with a lovely record that included Best of Winners at the North Texas Specialty for a 5-point major.  Jana also showed brother "Bert" who had originally gone to a pet/companion home in Texas - Bert was actually the first from the litter to finish.

 

Max was shown very sparingly, a Specialty Reserve in Chicago at 6 months, 10 points including a Specialty major in Kansas at 11 months, another Specialty Reserve in Indiana at 15 months.  We'd hoped to finish him in Kansas (again) in March, but the major broke and he came home with 14 points.  Guess that was meant to be, as his next outing was the Chicagoland Specialty where he'd started out as an untrained, incredibly happy puppy the previous year.  On Saturday Max was BoW at Chicagoland for his 3rd major and 2nd Specialty win.  Good dog Max!

Winning in Kansas last Spring
 

 

I kept Max as my performance dog, and now that he's finished he'll go "back to school" to get ready for Rally and Obedience.  Absolutely love this dog!  Although I'll get his CHIC #, I have no plans to breed him, but we'll see what the future holds.

 

Two other girls from this litter are pointed and in pursuit of their Championships.  Good luck, Piper and Britt!

 

Max and Mellie's mom Holly (who lives in Texas with Jana) will come back to Minnesota this fall or winter, and will have a litter sired by Ch. "Ellsworth".  Hope there is a puppy in that litter for me!

We're Back!

The last piece of the puzzle has fallen in to place.  On Sunday Fern turned 2 years of age, and the next day she had her OFA hip and elbow x-rays. Both looked great and were sent off to OFA for evaluation.  They'll pass, as either Good or Excellent, and Fern will receive her CHIC number.  Hearing, eyes, and thyroid results are already list on her OFA page, as well as her complete dentition rating.   We'll also get her cardiac certification when a clinic is hosted locally.  We only breed from health tested dogs, and a CHIC number is a requirement here before we breed.  Fern has not yet come in season (but she's really close) so things are working out.  Was afraid she would be in season before she was old enough for hip x-rays (the dogs have to be at least 24 months of age. 

Canine Health Information Center

Fern's OFA Page

 

Fern finished her Championship this past Spring, going Winners at the Indianapolis Specialty for a 5 point major, and picking up 3 more points the next time out in Kansas City.  She's officially known as Am/UKC Champion Paisley Fabulous Fern.  We'll go for her Grand Championship when she's finished with motherhood.  Fern's parents Louie and Pauli are both AKC Grand Champions, UKC Champions (Louie is a UKC Grand Champion) and both have their CHIC numbers of course.  Fern's littermate Ramsay also finished his championship this spring, and had his hip x-rays yesterday as well.

The dog we have selected for Fern is also an AKC Champion with a CHIC number.

 

Follow us and enjoy the upcoming puppies!

 

 

 

I Saw It On Craig's List

There was a recent discussion running on Facebook, bashing a "breeder" who was advertising a litter on Craig's List.  There's two main issues involved in this discussion - 1.) they are bashing the breeder who apparently does no health testing and breeds their own dogs together while making it sound as if they are responsible breeders, and 2.) - that this breeder is advertising on Craig's List, as if that was inherently bad.

Apparently the breeder is guilty of some false advertising, obviously a bad thing.  Many of the people in the discussion are pretty sure they know who this breeder is, and do not approve of the breeder's ethics.  That's fine, although we tend to be awfully judgmental about our fellow breeders, some of it justified and some of it perhaps not.  There's certainly nothing wrong with breeding your own dogs to one another, if the dogs are health-tested and the breeding is a suitable one.  If you're doing it just because it's the cheapest way to produce a litter, obviously it's not satisfactory.  Many responsible breeders buy a good male or a top quality bitch that compliments their existing stock, with the idea of enhancing their own breeding program.  We've done that ourselves and both Rob and Argus produced very well bred to Paisley bitches.  If you're doing it because other breeders are not willing to accept your bitches for their stud dogs, something's obviously wrong.

Responsible breeders lament the fact that potential buyers looking for Dal puppies often end up with commercially bred (puppymill) pups, or those from backyard breeders, rather than responsibly bred pups from sincere hobbyists.  Or that they end up with another breed or a designer dog (expensive mutt) because they couldn't find a Dal.   So what are we going to do about this other than discuss the fact that it's indeed a problem?  How are we to make our presence known, get a chance to educate people on what to look for, and explain the responsibility of owning a dog, any dog?

All Is Well

Thanks for your concern!  We're all fine, but I took a break from blogging.  Because we have puppies and adventures planned, I'll be starting up again soon, and hope to post daily - if time permits!

 

The dogs are all fine, although Watson will be celebrating his 14 birthday in a bit over a week, and is starting to show his age.  Fern finished her Championship and got a nice Specialty 5-point major in Indianapolis in February.  We've only been out a couple of weekends, and missed the St. Louis Specialty weekend because of the weather.

 

It's been a good year for us, as Fern's brother Ramsay also finished his championship, shown by his novice owner Brandee, and down in Texas co-owner Jana showed both Bert and Mellie to their titles.  Bert and Mellie are littermates to Max, so he needs to pick up that final point and catch up with his littermates.  Of course he needs to get shown to do that!  He's entered at the Chicago Special weekend in June, so hopefully things work out there.

 

Jess and I are off to the National in Portland.  This year I'm judging, so Jess will be a spectator.  Having gone Best Of Winners the past two years at the National, this will be quite a change for her.  I'll start blogging when we get back next week.

Max and his dad Argus
 

It's All In How They Were Raised - Wrong!

No, it's not in all how they were raised!  How they are raised can influence how they turn out, but the way pups are raised can only modify the genetics the pup was born with.  It's truly a combination of Nature and Nurture.  Only by breeding from dogs with appropriate dispositions, socializing the pups correctly, and being sure that the new owners continue the process, will we end up with puppies who display optimum dispositions.  I've mentioned this many times, but just read a blog post that says it perfectly.  Please take a minute to read this excellent post.

It's All In How They're Raised

 

Microchipping Your Dog - FAQs

I came across this article yesterday and thought it was worth sharing.  Although my dogs always wear buckle or snap collars with tags, they are also microchipped since collars can become lost.  Please use both methods to protect your dogs!

Microchip FAQs

New Video - Pauli Winning The DCA Top Twenty

Pauli winning the DCA Top Twenty at the 2013 National

Things To Do With Your Dalmatian - DCA Distance Log

Looking for an activity to share with your Dalmatian?  Why not check out the DCA Distance Log Program?    DCA Distance Log

As you undoubted know, Dalmatians love to walk and are great companions for hiking.  They have incredible stamina, endless enthusiasm, and are cheerful companions.  They won't argue about the route, never get caught up in political arguments, don't talk all the time, and never sulk or whine "I'm tired, can't we go home?"  If you want to walk, they want to walk, for as long as your feet hold up.

I've always been a walker, using it as a way to keep both me and dogs in shape.  Because I live in the city and have a small yard, the dogs NEED to walk.  When Argus retired from the show ring, after being extensively campaigned for several years, he needed an activity that we both enjoyed.  Nature hikes were just the thing and we started walking the river parks, dog parks, county and city walking trails.  So many interesting places to walk!

Last year because we were not showing very often, and because I had two enthusiastic young dogs in Max and Fern, they were added to the mix.  Normally just one dog at a time, but sometimes both Argus and Fern.  We did a lot of exploring, found interesting trails, and covered a lot of ground.  And I never kept a record of it.  How many miles did we walk last year?  Many, is all I know for sure.

This year I'm doing it differently, keeping track of the miles covered.  That's actually fun, and has added a new dimension to walking. Fit Bit offers a variety of mileage trackers that are lightweight, fun and easy to use.  What I really enjoy though is Motion X GPS which is available as an App for my iPhone.  It tracks mileage, average speed, current speed, and maps your path, while announcing every 5 minutes how far you've walked and your current speed.  Fun!  You can view maps of your tracks and save them.  I find that I tend to compete with myself from track to track which keeps me moving briskly.

Last night I walked the three dogs on snowy streets, listening to a book on my iPhone while the MotionX was working in the background, tracking my progress using GPS technology.  The Fitbit was clipped to my pocket tracking my steps, converting steps to miles and calculating calories burned.  Such fun.

We're off to a rather slow start this year as the weather has been difficult.  On the coldest nights the dogs only get about half a mile apiece, but when the weather is better we cover a lot more ground.  It's been fun keeping track of the distances, especially with such fun gadgets to play with.  My goal for the year is at least 1,000 miles, hopefully a lot more.

Pup-Less, At Last

My first weekend without an extra dog. Nena has gone home, and the pups are all in their new homes.  Nope, that's not my current household - that would be too many dogs!  The picture was taken about 20 years ago and includes left to right Rob, his son Morris, Mo's mom Eloise, Rob's puppy grandson Sidney, Mo's son Edgrr, Rob's daughter Erin, and Rob's granddaughter Hilary. All but Hilary (who went to live in a pet home) were champions.  Rob, Mo, Eloise, and Sid lived their entire lives with me, and I miss them all.

The last pup departed on Friday, when the weather finally warmed up enough to ship her to Texas.  Summit/Abby was looking extremely good and it was tempting to keep her, but I'm really not ready for a puppy right now and my next pup has to be liver.  It was a very good litter, good structure with exceptionally nice dispositions.  Abby was such an easy puppy, quiet in a crate and riding in the car, super easy to housetrain, not a whiner and very self confident.  Hopefully the next pup I keep will have a personality like Abby's.

The basement is finally back to normal, whelping pen down, whelping box cleaned and put away, floor scrubbed, rugs back on the floor.  Max has his training area back and was thrilled when I put his tunnel down again - he ran back and forth through the tunnel chasing a tennis ball, and acting like a little kid at recess.

Laurie reports that Amery is currently in season.  Still don't know who I will breed her to next summer, but hopefully there will be a pup for me to keep.  She still needs to finish her health testing, hips, elbows, eyes and thyroid, but assuming she passes everything, she's next in line.  No pups in Paisleyland until then.

After weeks of incredibly cold weather that limited my dog walking, we finally had a warm up.  I've joined the DCA Distance Log Program, and am recording the miles the dogs and I walk each day.  Should have been doing that last year when we covered so much territory!  At the suggestion of a Dal owning friend, I downloaded MotionX GPS on my iPhone, and am getting the exact distances, average speed, and a map of the walk.  It would be fun to attach the phone to the dogs, who cover so much more territory than I do!  The program tells you every 5 minutes how far you have walked and what your speed is - which tends to make we walk faster.  It's like being in competition with yourself, and adds a dimension to walking.   

Missing In Action

All  is well, I'll post later today.  Just not enough time in the AM when I have 9 week old Summit to keep an eye on.

Happy Holidays!

Welcome Back, Fern

Fern finds Max's greeting just a bit boring.
 

Fern Louise is home after a three week absence while she was in season.  I don't normally send the girls away, but there was just too much going on here during that time.  She came home looking perfect, and in a good frame of mind.  Karen says Fern was a good girl, and Aussie Talley will miss her running buddy.  We'll be sure the girls get a chance to say "Hi" at the January shows.

I was surprised at how pleased Josie was to see Fern, and how quick she was to remind Fern that she Josie was the Queen.  Josie has never been much into pack structure, preferring to sit back and let the others work things out, but she seems to understand that pushy Fern has aspirations of being Queen and needs a reminder from time to time.

The boys gave Fern the Royal Sniffover, and Argus is not quite convinced it's too late.  I'll keep them separated for a few days when I am not around to supervise.  Fern is still flirty, which doesn't help things either.

Fern was thrilled to see the puppy, and has had a fine time herding her around and explaining that all toys are hers!

Winding Down

One puppy left and I'm playing catch up.  No visitors scheduled, no road trips with pups, no vet visits, or interviews on the agenda.  One of my Christmas trees is finally decorated - the small live spruce in the living room has red lights and Dal ornaments.  The artificial "Charlie Brown tree" on the porch has lights and I'll add all the fish ornaments that were given to me by a friend with a strange sense of humor.  I've still got a few gifts to buy, but we're not exchanging many this year so there should be plenty of time to get that done.  Christmas cards were completed yesterday. My brother Al arrives from Costa Rica this evening, and my friend Laurie arrives from Virginia on Tuesday.  It's time to get ready for Christmas!

Stephanie picked up Schelly yesterday morning, and they will be moving to Texas after Christmas along with Tate who is a Josie son.  She's raised two Dals, but Nena was 4 months old when she arrived, so this is her first puppy.

Fulton left yesterday as well, and will be part of a family that includes three kids and one of his "Uncles", a liver Dal boy called Mojo.  I know they will do a great job with this special puppy.   If he turns out well we will show Fulton, and if not he has a wonderful forever-home.  Totally a win-win situation for all.

Summit remains with me for now.  She has a show home waiting, but I just want to be sure she's as good as we all think she is.  Summit was the one with the fuzzy spots, but they are clearing nicely now and her spotting is looking better than I had expected it to look.  She's got so much angle, I just need to be sure she can handle it all and trot smoothly.  Fortunately she has a beautiful front and shoulders to go with all the rear angle.  Love the front and topline, the way she carries herself, her perfect tail and the charming disposition.  It's temping to keep a puppy this nice, but she will be in good hands if she goes to Sharon.  It's so nice to have good show homes waiting for special puppies.

Christmas Is For Children And Dogs

 

Penny's brother Charlie and his "little sister".  Good dog, Charlie Brown.

 

Another Road Trip

We did it!  Everything that needed doing got done, although I wondered if we could get it all fit in, along with a busy week at work.  Yesterday was our trip to Rochester for BAER testing.  I was late getting out of my own eye exam so had to deal with rush hour traffic and was half an hour late for our appointment.  Because the pups behaved so perfectly, we actually finished up on time.  Good dogs!

Again not a peep from anyone while traveling.  Can't believe how good they are in the car.  They rode quietly, sharing a bone or sleeping.  We used a solid crate again as they are warmer and more secure, and a lot safer when traveling in bad weather with pups in the car.  No accidents in the crate and they waited until we set up their pen in the exam room.  All three pups were great about the restraint required to insert the little electrode needles, and sat without fussing for the test.  So glad we have options for getting this done without having to sedate the pups.  Results were as expected, pups were bilateral hearing.  All working ears.  I knew this from hometesting, but it's always nice to get it confirmed.

Tango (was Jack Pine) has his BAER appointment and checkup on 12/27 at Meg's wonderful Vet in Northern Illinois.  He's got two Cavaliers as roomies now, and Meg says he is doing well.

Stephanie wanted to take Schelly as soon as possible, but I suggested waiting until Saturday since the pups have had such a busy week.  Next week Schelly will be moving to Texas with Stephanie and Dal Tate.  Good thing Schelly seems to be a good traveler!  Fulton leaves on Saturday too, so poor Summit will soon become an only child.  She'll stay here for awhile before departing for a new home as it's not safe to ship pups over the holidays, even if the weather allowed for it. 

And on Sunday Fern Louise comes home from camp.  Max will be so happy to have his wrestling buddy back!

Road Trip

Pups had their Vet check yesterday, and were such good travelers.  Never a peep from any of them, although someone DID get carsick on the way home.  Hopefully it was not Schelly who is scheduled to leave for Texas with Stephanie next week.  It could be a long trip with a car sick puppy!  Pups were brave and friendly and got handled by many new people.  Dr. Valenti checks EVERYTHING.  Eyes and ears, bites and mouth, hearts and lungs, and even patellas (knees).  She takes their temperatures, examines them thoroughly, checks testicles on boys, vulvas on girls (looking for vaginitis), and weighs them.   Don't recall ever having pups that traveled so quietly.  Good puppies!

Tonight we go for BAER testing.  I can hometest my puppies and know that this group has bilateral hearing, but we always confirm it with BAER testing.  Hopefully the weather cooperates as I'm not keen on driving in snow with puppies. 

Reclaiming My Life

The Oldsters, Watson (13+) & Josie (10+)

Somehow I need to get caught up around here.  The cold weather that kept us home, the pups that kept us busy, and all the company we enjoyed so much have put a major roadblock in my preparations for Christmas.  The cards were finally ordered last night (I always send cards and do not resort to the on-line ones), and the tree I purchased last Sunday is sitting in water but has no decorations (yet).  I do very little Christmas baking, but this year I've done none at all, not even the Harvest Loaf Cake (a wonderful pumpkin bread) that I normally make this time of year.  No lights up on the porch, and minimal decorating indoors.  We're exchanging very few gifts as a family this year, and Ron & I purchased a new TV as our gift to one another.  Donations to Salvation Army, Great Harvest Food Bank, and Union Gospel Mission will take care of much of the rest of my "shopping".  It's not that I feel "Scroogey", it's just that I haven't had time for much else yet.

This noon the pups go in for their health check ups.  My Vet does very thorough exams, and the pups will get lots of handling from all the Vet Techs.  Tomorrow evening they get their BAER hearing tests, and on Friday night they get their last visitors.  Friday's visitors owned two of our dogs in the past and are on the waiting list for a pup from my next litter, but it has to be a boy.  They owned a lovely black spotted dog of ours that looked very much like Max, so I know they will really enjoy meeting him.

On Saturday Fulton and Schelly leave for their new homes.  Fulton will stay in the area and live with another liver Paisley boy.  Schelly will be leaving for Texas next week with Nena's owner who is relocating (Nena is the dam of the litter.)  That will leave me with Summit, at least for awhile.  Plenty of people who want her, I just have to decide who will eventually get this lovely puppy - and I'll have a chance to enjoy her for awhile longer.

Next week I will get ready for Christmas!

Winding Down

Love this little brown boy, and it was soooo tempting to keep him.   Max would certainly have enjoyed it as he's had a great time playing with the pups.  Such a sweet puppy this is!  Hope when I am ready for a puppy I have a top quality pup (hopefully a brown boy) with this type of personality!  We're making plans for Fulton to join his forever family, probably this weekend.  They are waiting to do their Christmas picture, so Fulton can be in it too!  Fulton will come back later for show training, and will join us on some dog show weekends next year if everything goes well. 

Fern is on her way out of season and will be rejoining the family this weekend.  We've missed her, but it's been a lot more peaceful without her as she keeps things stirred up (even when she's NOT in season).  Max will be delighted to have his best friend back.  He's enjoyed all the company we've had for the past month, and is doing a good job of being Official Greeter.  Watson has aged out of that position, but Max seems to be a worthy successor.  I'm so pleased with his temperament and personality, and hope the new pups bring their families as much joy as Max and his siblings have brought theirs.

Lots of plans for spring including dog shows, as I want to finish Max and Ferns' AKC Championships.  Both are UKC Champions and have the two majors required for their AKC titles, so it's a case of picking up the additional points they need.  Weather permitting, our dog show trips will include Indianapolis and St. Louis where the entries are generally good for the Specialty weekends.  When Max finishes, he goes back to obedience as I want to show him in Rally and Obedience.  Fern will start her Lure Coursing career at the coursing events next year.

Assuming Amery passes her health testing, a litter is planned from her next year too - and maybe there will be a puppy for me in her litter.  Jess will be breeding Amery's sister Gemma (last year's DCA BoW) too, so I'll have a couple of litters to pick from.  If you're waiting for a Paisley puppy too, I hope we'll have one for you next year!
 

Decisions

Saturday was The Day.  Donna flew in from St. Louis and Meg drove in from Chicago on Friday, and on Saturday Jess joined us for puppy evaluations and pictures.  We find that taking "stacked" shots on the table and watching Jess stack the pups while I take pictures from all angles gives us a lot more information on each puppy.  We can see the proportions, angles and the way the puppy "fits together", and also the way each puppy handles the situation.   Puppy pictures are a LOT of work, but provide a great record of each litter, since we always take pictures between 6 & 7 weeks.  We've found that most pups eventually go back to the shape and proportions they displayed at that age - although many of them go through a lot of stages along the way!

No real surprises here, and the pups were as good overall as we had expected.  Some litters have nothing I would be interested in showing  (we call them "learning experiences") but as long as the pups are healthy and have good dispositions, that is fine.  Most of our litters have a couple of show potential pups.  We're more critical than many breeders because you can actually show any registered dog that does not have a disqualification according to the breed standard, BUT a "show potential" pup is one that is worthy of being shown and has a good chance of winning if it lives up to it's potential.  I kept waiting for something to go wrong with these pups.  It didn't. 

As of now I have nothing to place in pet homes this time around.  Sorry to all the people who have been waiting to find out if there was a puppy for them.  Fulton is actually going to a pet home, but with the provision that I can show him.  I may eventually do that with one of the girls, but there's nothing for sale outright, at this time.

That's Donna pictured above, holding the puppy Jack Pine who is now "Tango".  Tango looks and acts so much like his sire Henry who is Donna's dog. 

The pup on the right is Summit, who is absolutely spectacular in a stack.  We have to wait to be sure that her spots continue to clear (they are still rather fuzzy) but sire Henry went through that as a pup, so we assume she will be fine.

I will check with everyone on my list to find out if the have found a puppy elsewhere, need some referrals, or want to wait for our next litter(s).  Both Jess and I will probably do a litter next spring/summer, and with the way it goes in dog breeding we may end up with only companion pups next time!

 

Decision Time

Time to decide which pups will go where.  The decision has been made on Fulton (he will go locally and I will co-own and possibly show him).  Meg & Donna who own the sire Ch. Henry will be here this weekend and decide whether or not to take Jack Pine.  I paid a stud fee, but they retained an option to purchase a puppy boy.  If he does not go home with Meg, he will be available - preferably to someone who will show him.  He's a nice pup, but I don't need another lively black-spotted boy!

Stephanie is still hoping to take one of the girls, but it looks as if her life may get in the way.  Both girls still look very nice and look as if they should go to show homes, but we may change our minds this weekend when we do stacked shots.  We rely a good bit on the profile shots we take at 6-7 weeks, as they give us a better feel for how the pups will look in outline as adults.  I know there are a lot of readers hoping that one or both girls are available as companions.

Won't be long now!

Pupdate

Nope, not a puppy - they don't grow THAT fast!

Fern is staying with a friend while she's in season, and when Karen was taking Christmas card pictures of her Aussies, she got this cute one of Fern as well.

Pups are doing great, just haven't taken any new pictures.  Company the next two evenings, so I'll try to get some pictures.  They are doing just fine without Nena who has gone home, and Stephanie reports that Nena never looked back.  She was definitely tired of motherhood.  Max goes down with me in the evening to help with puppy chores, and they all enjoy that.

Two day retirement seminar starts today.  It's starting to seem real now.

Busy Busy

Pups had a busy weekend, with LOTS of company.  They are all very social and fell asleep in many laps.  Mama Nena went home to her family yesterday, glad to get away from all the sharp little teeth I am sure.  She practically dragged Stephanie out the door!   Max will be their fillin puppy sitter this week, assisted by Josie & Argus.  Watson says he wants nothing to do with this litter - he's helped with many litters in the past and considers himself retired.

Company scheduled for two evenings this week, the sire Henry's owners Meg & Donna come to visit this weekend.  BAER testing scheduled for the 19th, a Well Puppy Vet visit sometime that week as well.

Dad Henry like to cuddle too!

Another Doggy Weekend

Another doggy weekend, mixed in with lots of housework.  Have spent the last couple of weekends playing catch up with organizing cupboards and fighting the dust, taking down knick knacks, cleaning them and redoing the shelves.  Also the shelves with the Armetale.  Anyone who hates dusting as much as I do should NOT have things sitting out to collect dust - but I do, and occasionally the layers of dust bother even me!

Our friend Sue came over to play with pups yesterday and I got some cute shots of them.  Just love the boys, but the girls are both very pretty too.  When Stephanie decides whether or not she is taking Schelly, we'll decide on where they will both end up.  Because Stepanie is moving to Texas, the decision is a major one for her.  Fulton's future has been decided, but things are still up in the air with the others.

Today my daughter Jess comes over with her co-owned pup Tanner.  Max will be delighted to have someone to play with!  Heather and the girls will also be here to play with pups, and later on old friends Skip and Gia arrive with kids in tow for puppy socialization.  Housework is done, today we play!

Schelly is looking very nice too