Happy Birthday Coral

Still working on Bunny's Tale. Check back later.



Today is Coral's 12th Birthday! She's still in charge of all new toys and all pans that need to be licked clean.

If In Doubt, Read Instructions

I'd been having problems with my little Nikon CoolPix camera and could not get the flash to come back on. I remembered how to turn it off and on, one of the few things I had taken the time to learn, but that was no longer working. The problem started when I decided to take a video of Argus on the treadmill, which I eventually did, but then I could not get the camera out of the video mode and spent hours fussing with it, changing this and that without a clue as to what I was doing. FINALLY, I broke down and spent a couple of hours studying the manual, something I have never done before even though I've owned the camera for a year.

Wow, it does so many cool things like taking pictures in sepia (see above). Could be interesting to do a group of liver Dals in sepia. And a sports mode of continuous shots, one per second. I was jealous that a friend's camera did that. Never occurred to me that mine did too. So many interesting things to try! Reading the manual, what a concept!

A reader asks, "What exactly does it mean when someone says a dog has good bone or a lot of bone? Don't quite understand the meaning."

The AKC standard says that the Dalmatian's legs are "straight, stong and sturdy in bone". Not really a very good description, but it means that the Dalmatian is not fine-boned. He does not have skinny legs! Some breeds are heavy in bone, like the Rottweiler, with big thick legs, while others are light in bone like Italian Greyhounds and Miniature Pinchers, with thin delicate legs. Dalmatians are actually moderate in bone, but it's rather common for Dals to not have quite enough bone for their size. By saying that a dog has good bone or heavy bone, we normally mean that he has plenty of bone - neither big thick legs like treat trunks, nor skinny little legs like toothpicks. To complicate the matter, some standards call for oval bone, while others call for round bone (which is usually heavier bone for the size of the dog). Hope that helps!

Dewclaws Optional

The handsome boy on today's posting is "Krash" Ch. Choco Chip Krash Asteroid, a son of Argus & litter brother to Bad Pauli. His owner Jordan is new to the show ring, but finished Krash with a nice record that included a couple of Specialty majors. He's pictured here going Best of Breed at a recent show. Jordan also works Krash in Agility. Everyone starts as a newbie, and Jordan & Krash caught on fast!

An interesting question from one of the readers.

Do dewclaws have to be removed in order for a Dal to show in conformation (and actually win)? and if they can compete, do judges frown upon the intact dewclaws? I have often wondered that.

The Dalmatian standard reads -

Feet are very important. Both front and rear feet are round and compact with thick, elastic pads and well arched toes. Flat feet are a major fault. Toenails are black and/or white in black- spotted dogs and brown and/or white in liver- spotted dogs. Dewclaws may be removed.

The standard is always our guide in such issues as this varies from breed to breed. It tells us dewclaw removal is optional. Most breeders remove dewclaws most of the time, and when we share information on rescue dogs that is always one of the things that comes up. In general, dogs without dewclaws come from show breeders, who (if they are responsible breeders) want to know if any of their dogs are in a bad situation. Commercially bred pups and pups from pet-bred litters normally have their dewclaws.

Dewclaws are removed for safety reasons, cosmetic reasons, or both. They may be removed because of the risk they will get caught and torn or even ripped off, a painful, messy, and bloody business. A friend at work used to give me grief about having this done on puppies until her adult Pitbull cross tore a dewclaw while playing in the yard. The injured dewclaw had to be removed, a much more serious surgery than dewclaw removal on pups.

Dewclaws are generally removed when pups are about 2-3 days old. The little "thumbs" are attached only by cartilage at that age and can easy be snipped off, with a single stitch (or not) to prevent bleeding. Most of them don't bleed at all, and although the pups object vocally (probably to the restraint as much as the snipping) they quickly go back to sleep.

Whether or not a dog has dewclaws (or whiskers, for that matter) makes no difference in the judging. Dewclaw removal may create a "cleaner" look to the leg, especially if the dewclaws would have stuck out or been loose and floppy. Most Dalmatian dewclaws are small and tight and barely noticeable.

We've removed dewclaws on most of our litters, but a few litters did not get done because of weather or health issues. One litter would have needed a vet visit during a blizzard, another during an incredible cold spell. Just not worth the risk. Our last litter did not have them removed because we had a difficult whelping and most of the pups were very small and we were not sure if they would make it. So lovely Penny still has her dewclaws, but we don't expect that to handicap her in any way in the show ring.

$100.00 Athletic Shoes, Oh My!

Kara Ann took this picture of Argus at St. Louis. That's Jess handling him, and the judge who eventually gave him the Specialty approaching him. I love finding candid shots of my handsome boy. Thanks Kara Ann.

Went shopping yesterday, quite a project! I am NOT a shopper though occasionally can force myself to do it. Yesterday's assignment was looking at show suits for Jess, and something for her to wear when she shows Argus in the Top Twenty since I won't be able to do that. The Top Twenty is held the night before Best Of Breed judging at the National, is by invitation, and is semi-formal - for both the spectators and the exhibitors. I had already found myself a wonderful outfit to wear but I suppose I can use that NEXT year! I detest large shopping centers, but went out to Rosedale since they have both a Macys and a Penneys - close together, even. Also hoped to buy myself some shoes. Because of the height of this walking cast, I had only one shoe that I could wear, all the rest having lower/flatter soles that forced me to walk as if I had a long leg and a short leg. Tough on my back. I'm used to changing shoes a lot, and my "good foot" was getting sore.

Parking lot was crowded, so much for the depressed economy, and so were the stores. Even the handicap spots were mostly taken, but I did find one relatively close. Rather like my handicap hangtag - comes in handy on occasion. Nothing of interest at Penneys although I may go back for a watch I liked. Lots of good stuff at Macys, though most of it out of my price range. I refuse to spend $200.00+ plus on a suit that will just be used for dog shows! Several suitable ones on sale (hey Laura, that's a pun), and they even had pockets. I purchased one that might work for Jess. Also found an outfit suitable for the Top 20, but Jess needs to try that out. It's been a long time since I purchased clothes for my daughter, other than as Christmas gifts, but if she's going to show my dog she needs to dress the part.

Naturally the shoe stores were on the other end of the mall from where I started. Slow going with a stiff cast - I need a scooter to hotrod in. Had previously noticed that Sketchers had thick soled sneakers called Shape Ups, but refused to spend over $100.00 just for a pair of sneakers, knowing they were probably made in a sweatshop and cost $2.00 to constuct! I always buy good shoes, BUT have never paid THAT much. However, after visiting five shoe stores I was left with no other options, especially since all the walking was really making my heels hurt. So now I have a pair of spendy sneakers that work fine and feel good. By the time the cast comes off I will have one old sneaker and one new sneaker to wear! Oh well.

I Had A Dream Last Night

Had the weirdest dream last night where I was judging the DCA National again, but instead of the lovely venue in Hutto, Texas, I was judging Dals in a lunchroom or cafeteria where we had to keep moving the tables around to make room for the dogs! When they reminded me that I would be judging for two days I panicked, because I had only brought one good outfit for judging, and couldn't possibly wear it two days in a row. I even checked to see if it as reversible (!), then I woke up.

It was a strange dream, but probably brought on by the sad news that Ch. Tramac Mochamotion had passed away yesterday. "Mocha" had been my choice for Best Of Breed the year I judged the National in 2002 I think, and she put on a stellar performance that day. Mocha will always stay in my mind's eye as precisely what a Dalmatian should look like, absolutely lovely breed type. Not a large girl, but perfectly balanced, with just the right amount of bone and muscle for a trotting breed, sound from every angle, lovely liver spotting, beautiful dark eyes, and a stunning outline. Mocha had a wonderful show career handled by her breeder-owner Meg and co-owned by Jim, the beginning of an excellent team. In addition to being a fine showdog, Mocha also produced Bindi & Tanner, top showdogs themselves. Although I have yet to see the perfect Dalmatian, Mocha came as close to it as I ever expect to see. Carrie suggested that Mocha is now at the rainbow bridge, playing with her dad Jack just as she did during her life on earth. I sincerely hope so!

Funny how things happen. When I judged in Hutto, I gave Awards of Merit to two littermates, Rusty and DeSoto from the Jack/Olive litter that produced 9 champions. I had previously given majors to several of their littermates, and particularly admired sister Dixie. I don't recall ever seeing Olivia in the classes, but when she won an Award Of Merit from the Veteran's class at DCA in 2004, I absolutely loved her and inquired as to whether she would be bred again. And that's the litter Argus came from . . .

What? A Weekend At Home?

Here I am, making a fashion statement with my walking cast and new walking stick (that needs to be shortened). I looked at the picture and was amazed that I had suddenly (?) become old. How does this happen? Actually, I looked at the picture and saw my mother. Oh my!

Started doing exercises a couple of nights ago, ones that can be done while laying down or sitting. Am determined not to gain any weight while wearing the cast, and have done fine so far, but would rather not redistribute it either. It's harder to stay fit as you get older, and I sure don't want to spend the summer playing catch up - or perhaps it would be catch down. Have some really nice new suits to wear for dog shows, and they need to fit.

Argus and I went for a walk last night, our first since the accident. Not very far, and certainly not very fast, but he was more interested in sniffing so he didn't mind at all. The air smelled like SPRING! We went to the corner and back, then came home and he ran on the treadmill for a few minutes.

We'll be spending the weekend at home as Jess has family obligations and can't get away. Judges were good, judging times were excellent, but Columbia Missouri is 10 hours away. Ten rainy hours on iffy roads, which would not have been fun. Argus and I been gone 3 of the last 4 weekends (Indianapolis, Chicago, St. Louis) and I never expected that Mother Nature would let us get to all three show weekends. I always enter them all and hope I can get to one or two. Guess I can't complain. We're off for the next three weekends, then leave for the National in Lawrence, Kansas.

It will be a good weekend to do my taxes. Am determined to buy a Droid or Blackberry, so need the money to pay for it and for DCA week. I always get back quite a bit of money which is nice. I could change my withholding, but like many others I prefer to get back a chunk of money in the spring. If I got more on my paycheck I wouldn't have anything left, so this works nicely for those of us who are inept budgeters!

No Medical Miracles Around Here

Here's Ella at 5 weeks post-breeding, 4 weeks to go. Looks nicely pregnant for this stage. Cheryl does not want 10-12 pups, so we will hope for 6-8 which should give her plenty to pick from without all the hassle of a really big litter. I just referred another potential puppy person to her when I got an email from some an old friend who used to show in breed and obedience years ago and is now ready for a new puppy after being dogless for 5 years. I can't imagine being dogless for 5 years!

Paid a visit to the doctor yesterday for xrays and we did not have a Medical Miracle, as I had hoped. Things are going well and my ankle is mending, but the boot stays on for 3 more weeks. Fooey. That gives me just one week to get my ankle ready for showing at the National, something that I may not be able to accomplish. If I showed something slow, like Pekingese perhaps! We know that Jess will be able to show Argus well, but I really want to be able to show him myself. Oh well, what will be will be.

Dogs are playing with a Santa Claus covered plastic bottle. They all really enjoy those toys and it's easy to replace the bottle when it gets all squashed. Only problem is that so many of the bottles are really thin plastic now.

Things are up in the air about going to Columbia this weekend. Judges I'd really like to show Argus too, but things may not work out for Jess to go. I COULD stay home and clean house, I suppose. Everything is starting to look fuzzy and gray around here.

Started doing water changes on my poor fish last night. Not easy to do when I can't carry the heavy buckets - actually I can, but hate to put the extra weight on the ankle. We did all the tanks when Laurie was here, so they all need to be done this week. Martha Marmorkreb continues to hide out during the day and come out to eat when the lights are off, so I am hoping she is carrying little clones now. Her colors are fabulous, bright red and blue, but she's suddenly very shy and retreats to her cave when she sees me. Odd for a critter who used to stand on her tail to beg for algae wafers, so something is going on. I really need to sell off some of the young HRPs and Firemouths, as they are outgrowing their tanks. The little A. sequoia are growing well and will be ready to BAP whenever I can get to another fish club meeting, probably not until May. Same with the little L. melanogaster. Still waiting for the L. triden pairs to spawn. I'd like to keep more of them and in a larger tank as they are really beautiful small fish. Limias have a lot to offer - small, hardy and very pretty.

Pups

This cute guy is Stryker, from Argus & Tess's litter. He's what I call a multi-patch and is really a cutie. He's got a home to go to as soon as he is old enough. Tess's pups all hear and are healthy and confident. Wish I lived close enough to visit them - I need a puppy fix!

Cheryl is quite sure that Ella is pregnant, so at least I will have grand dogs to visit in Iowa. Ella is a grand kid of both Watson & Coral, so is "family". Argus did so well with Coral's daughter Nikon who produced Penny), and we hope he does equally well with Coral's grand daughter.

We also got both chilled semen collections taken care of last week. (It WAS a busy week!) Because the bitch has missed in the past, they did lots of progesterone testing as well as LH testing, and a surgical insemination as well as a trans cervical. Hopefully this time is the charm!

Pauli, Krash, and sister Hottie were two years old yesterday. They are from Argus's second litter. Now we can get their CHIC numbers. Ben & Nati from the first litter both have theirs. Now we need to talk to Tom about getting Sam & Rita done. Sam may never be bred, but Rita certainly will be, and she needs to have her health testing first.

Do Dals Get Along?

The answer is YES. Most Dal owners keep multiple dogs who can run together, and many of them keep additional breeds as well. Whippets, Parson Russell Terriers & Cavaliers are among the breeds that commonly live with Dalmatians. For some reason, Whippets are especially popular with Dal owners. In this picture which was borrowed from a friend, are two champion male Dals who live together, a champion female Dal and a female Whippet. I have several good friends who have kept both Dals & Cavaliers for a long time together. Many Dals also live with cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and other small critters.

Being good with other dogs is partially inherited and partially the result of how the dogs are raised. It's a requirement that the dogs here get along - running separate shifts of dogs is way too much work and I do not want to get caught in the middle of an argument. We've brought in new girls on several occasions and they have fit in well as Josie and Coral are very good about "sharing Ron" with others. Although I could bring in a young male, it might would not work to bring in another adult male Dal unless he was pretty mild-mannered, but because Watson & Argus are good with the dogs they meet it might work. A young male who was raised here would fit in fine. I've kept as many as 4 adult males at a time with absolutely no problems.

There are many things that can be selected for when you do a breeding, and this is one of them. Several stud dogs in this breed were known to be dog aggressive, and tended to pass that on to a certain percentage of their sons, no matter how those dogs were raised. I once bred my Eloise (whose sons had previously all been very good with other dogs) to a dog-aggressive dog and several of the dogs in that litter were really bad with other dogs, even though they were properly raised. That was enough to convince me, and one of my goals as a breeder is to produce dogs that can share the house with others!

Dals were originally stable dogs and lived together in the stable with the horses. They were expected to guard the carriage and the horses from stray dogs, but certainly had to get along with their stable mates.

Spring Songs & St. Louis

Argus should be tired (I sure am!) but he's laying on the hassock watching me, wagging like crazy whenever I look his way. He loves dog show weekends, and had a great time on this one. He especially enjoys being admired, sleeping on the bed in the motel room, and celebrating a successful weekend with a cheeseburger (no pickle, thank you). Jess & I had a wonderful time too, and Penny seems to be happy no matter where she is or what she's doing. She's as sociable as her dad and loved meeting everyone - and ate her cheeseburger even faster than Argus ate his.
We thought Penny was "star quality" and this weekend she confirmed that we were not wrong!

Sitting at ringside is impossible for me, as I tend to be a "pacer". I walk when I am nervous or stressed. It's especially hard to watch Argus in the ring with Jess, even though she is an excellent handler and does a great job with him. I put lots of mile on this cast over the weekend!

The weather was so nice this year and it was in the 50s in St. Louis on Saturday, and in the 40s in Milwaukee on Sunday. Sure makes traveling a lot easier than all the years we have come home from St. Louis in a blizzard - one year we came home to 2 feet of new snow and could not even get down the street in front of the house. This year we came home to lots of snow melt and it was 36 degrees when I took the dogs out at 6:00 AM. The birds are positively shouting their spring songs! The St. Louis Specialties and all breed show are one of my favorite dog show weekends, but we do not always get there. I generally enter and then pray that Ma Nature cooperates. She did a great job this year!

Argus won the Award Of Merit at the first show, Penny won a big Puppy Class, and both showed well, but the second show was MUCH better and both dogs were really on. Our judge was a Dal breeder who now shows a smaller breed and we had shown to her only once before and it was NOT a happy experience, when my previous Best In Show liver dog "Morris" did not go Best of Breed as we had "expected" he would. A good reminder not to take anything for granted!

This time was MUCH better. Puppy Penny went Winners Bitch in a lovely big entry for 5 points, just as Pauli had done last year. You always wonder if your class dog winning will cut your Special's chances as some judges like to "pass it around". Penny went back in with Argus's co-owner Mark, who did a great job with her, and Argus showed wonderfully well for Jess. Neither of them made any mistakes and put on a stellar performance. Several of the bitch Specials were group winners, and the overall competition for Best Of Breed was really good. The judge sorted through her Specials, eliminating the ones no longer under consideration and the group in the rings got smaller and smaller. Finally she pulled Argus out front, and pulled Penny in behind (the spot for Best Of Winners). I assumed that she pulled a bitch Special in behind Penny, but was not really paying attention to that. When the dust had settled and the winners were at their markers, we saw that Penny had not only gone BOW, she had also gone Best of Opposite Sex to her dad, beating out some lovely adult champion bitches. How exciting! What a thrill!

Dog shows were originally about evaluating breeding stock, and we are SO pleased that in addition to being a wonderful show dog, Argus is also an excellent sire. Good dog Argus! Good girl Penny! Good job, Jess! And thank you for making this such a wonderful trip. Argus went Best of Breed in a huge entry the following day, and we drove to Milwaukee for the Sunday show where he went Best Of Breed and placed in the Group. A most successful weekend.

Time For A Puppy Fix

Not much time for posting as Jess will arrive soon to load the car and we are off to St. Louis. It will be tough to equal last year when Argus won both Specialties and Pauli picked up a Specialty major, a Specialty Reserve and Best In Sweeps. Judges aren't nearly as promising for us this year, but hopefully we have a good time at least. Our departure will be by way of the Repro Vet where Argus will make his second "contribution". So much easier to use shipped chilled semen than to entertain a visiting lady, especially with me laid up for now. Well, guess I am not exactly "laid up" since the cast is certainly not keeping me home! Just keeps me from walking as much as I would like.

Here's a great place to get your puppy fix. These are the Argus/Tess pup at about 4 weeks. http://tramacpup.blogspot.com/

See you next week! Unless I can find a computer and do an update. I am buying a new phone though, as I hate being "unconnected".

Too Much To Do

I shouldn't be blogging, but will miss the next few days so I will enjoy a few minutes of writing while savoring my first cup of coffee.

Things are going to be so crazy at work as one the people in our group retired yesterday after 40+ years. The state never fills a position before someone leaves, so two of us are learning his job for the time being, paying construction contracts that are a mix of federal, state & stimulus funds. The coding is NOT easy but it is pretty interesting. Just wish I had had a bit more time to work on these before he left, and I hope the job gets filled soon - but of course the new person will have to learn the job too. Although the stimulus money is useful, it really makes things so much more complex from the account perspective, and the only other person in our unit who can make these payments is going to Hawaii for two weeks later this month. ARGH!

As if things weren't crazy enough here already, Argus has to make a "donation" today and again tomorrow (before we leave for St. Louis) for a chilled semen breeding. The bitch has missed twice before, so this is a now or never, a surgical insemination followed by a transcervical two days later. They are using the best reproductive specialist available, so hopefully this works. We would normally just give one repeat, but are giving a second one this time as we really would like to see what this bitch and Argus produce. His sperm count is high and his semen packs and ships well, so we hope the third try is the charm. Some dogs, like some people, are infertile however, so fingers are crossed all around. Sometimes a bitch will even conceive, but just be unable to carry a pregnancy to term.


I got this nice note a few weeks ago and thought I would share it. The Dal pictured on this blog entry is Frigga.

Hi Sue,
We love our dal Frigga, who was your Shandi, daughter of Coral. She has been
a delight over the past years. We take her with us whenever we can, weather
permitting, in our Ford 150 which we have equipped with a crate in the back
seat to house the dog when we are away from the pickup. It's not that we
don't trust her, it's that someone might see her in the pickup and steal
her. Our favorite passtime at home is riding around on our John Deere Gator.
Frigga loves it and will not be denied a ride when I have it out of the
shed. She kept falling off the seat, so I fashioned a board for her to sit
on when we ride around. We had her in Puppy Kindergarten when she was
little; we went twice because I (David) did not quite master the course the
first time. She also loves to go to the farmers markets in our area during
the season. The vendors forget her name, so there, so they call her Spot.
Frigga has a kink in her tail and may not be anatomically correct in every place,
but if dog shows were held to determine best disposition and personality, we
have no doubt that our "Friggie" would win best of show every time. She did
win the tail wagging contest at her Kindergarten class and received a
stuffed toy as a prize. She likes stuffed toys but tend to "gut them out"
after playing with them for a time.The picture we're sending is of Frigga
and our cat Izzy snuggling together on Frigga's bed. Izzy loves Frigga, and
Frigga endures. We enjoy your blog.

So Much To Tell, So Little Time . . .

Joan Murphy took this lovely picture of Penny at Chicago. Would have been better had Penny's tail been up a bit more, but she carried it perfectly when moving thank goodness. It must have been what we call "cold tail" a bruised tail that tends to hang limp for a few days. Jess says it looks much better now. Penny was such a good girl and learned so much on our trip. She showed very well for her first weekend in the ring, and worked just as nicely when Karen & Ginger took her back in for Jess. Hope the show win pictures look as good as they appeared to be from ringside.

Argus was an absolute Butthead for Jess the first day, but they got it together for the second and third shows and looked terrific, but all for naught. Judging was so weird. One judge even bragged that although he "might" have made an error or two, his dogs "all matched" at the end. ARGH! Judging is about finding the best dogs, not about finding the dogs with similar faults. It was bad enough that he did that, but worse that he actually bragged about it. To me that shows disrespect for a breed. Very weird.

Many tales from the weekend but no time expand on them. The power outage at the motel - no lights or heat at 5:00 AM when we needed to get ready for the dog show, the incredibly bad roads in Minnesota & Wisconsin, but better in Illinois which says something about the usefulness of tollways, the overcharging at the food stands in McCormick Place - I was overcharged two out of three times, how grateful we were that Purina Pro Plan had an area for exhibitors where you could get excellent coffee & sweet rolls, and sit down to rest away from the crowds, the "unclubby" luncheons in the Chicagoland Dal Club benching area - you were either part of this group, that group or no group, my frustration at not being in the ring, the outstanding quality in most of the groups (wow! did we ever love the Boxer bitch), the intense competition in the Standard Poodle ring, the gorgeous Tibetan Terrier boy (I could own one if he looked like Luigi), the incredible distance between parking & the show rings (advertised as "just a level up" from parking - hah! - they neglected all the hallways and lack of directions), all the vendors, and so it goes. Truly a fun-filled weekend, and on Thursday we can start all over again and leave for St. Louis.

Home Safe & Sound

We made it, and my ankle survived. I hated sitting at ringside! Can't wait to be back in the ring. Had a very good time, but was not nearly as successful as the Indy weekend. Saw some amazingly bad judging and a lot of really good judging and gorgeous dogs in many breeds. See you tomorrow.

Ready, Set, Go!

Here's two of the Argus/Tess pups, really cute patches. The liver girl is SO pretty, she is sure to be a heartbreaker. For some reason, patched pups often seem to be the best pups in a litter which is a disappointment to show breeders because patches are not acceptable in the show ring. There is also a nicely marked black spotted boy with a single ear patch, but this multi-patch Striker is pretty darned cute!

Half day of work, then hopefully I can get the car washed when I fill up the gas tank (assuming the line is not too long) on my way home. Poor van still sports the gray salt scum it received on the trip back from Indy. Everything is sitting in the living room, ready for Jess to load it - she's an excellent packer. My driving splint works fine, and the forecast is good, so travel "should" be OK. Getting around the show building may be a lot tougher though. Saturday and Sunday are "benched" which means the Dals will have to stay all day, win or lose. We'd stay all day Saturday anyway, as the groups are always very exciting at those enormous shows, but it's a bit tougher on Sunday when you have early breed judging and would rather hit the road earlier.

It's been over a week since I broke my ankle and I am adjusting well, I guess. Everyone keeps telling me to relax and enjoy my down time, but there's never any down time when you show dogs and keep lots of fish. Things like this just make everything more work. BUT, I'm still planning to be back in the ring for the National in April!

Chewing

I had an inquiry about bones for Dals and thought it was a good chance to use this picture. Dogs chew as a stress reliever and to pass the time. It's something dogs do, some more than others. Of my current group, Coral, Josie & Argus are chewers, Watson rarely chews but he's also the most laid back of the group. Raw fed dogs get more opportunities to chew than kibble fed dogs, but many need more than that. The raw books talk about "edible bones" (like chicken backs & wings or turkey necks) and "recreational bones" like shank bones - those long marrow-filled leg bones. Shank bones are available commercially but because they are brittle, they can easily be shattered by "power chewers" like Coral. We occasionally give the dogs fresh raw shank bones or knuckles but always remove the shanks within a day or so as they become dry and brittle. Coral is a power chewer like her grandpa Morris was, and her goal is to shatter all bones. If left with an old shank bone she will start to bite off pieces. She actually fractured one of her carnassial teeth, a big triple-rooted tooth that is very expensive to have extracted, and has chipped one of her canines (we keep an eye on it but so far it has not caused any problems).

Because of Coral's heavy duty chewing, we've cut back on "real bones" except for pups who can chew in their crates. Although I'm into "natural" and these are NOT natural, we rely on the various kinds of Nylabones. For years none of my dogs would so much as look at one of them, but this whole group will chew them happily, even Watson on occasion. They are very tough and last a long time. We buy the larger sizes and when they get small enough to swallow we throw them away.

The Argus/Tess pups are doing well out in Oregon, and they all hear. Such pretty pups! Because three are patched, they will automatically go as companions, no matter how beautiful they are otherwise. The liver ear patched girl will be a heartbreaker! I'll probably take a stud fee puppy, and may have one or more pets available as well. I know several of you are looking for pet pups, so drop me a note and we can discuss it. Pictures tomorrow.

I got this cute picture of Nikon yesterday while she was waiting for Laurie to finish loading her car. Nikon had stayed with us for 6 months last year and had a litter of pups by Argus. When Laurie came back to drop off Nikon's daughter Penny for showing, Nikon came along of course and fit in perfectly. She was relaxed and comfortable until Laurie started to pack on Monday morning. THEN she started to worry that she might be left behind again. She was very quiet about it, but did not let Laurie out of her sight, and waited patiently at the door. I forgot to check to see if she had her paws crossed!

Got to sleep in a bit today as I have a clinic appointment at 9:45, so there was no point in going into work first. Hope to get my splint today and learn to drive with it on. Also a temporary handicap hang tag for my car, which will be awfully nice. We're still planning to do the Chicago Specialty this weekend - am NOT looking forward to schlepping around the huge McCormick Place.

Got lots of feedback from yesterday's posting on raw feeding. Just a reminder that nothing is without risk. Dogs can choke on kibble and on bones, especially turkey necks. I always stay with the dogs until they have finished their turkey necks, and I chop the large ones in sections - a hatchet or cleaver works perfectly. Some people feed leg quarters & turkey wings - I feed neither as they are beyond my comfort range. Everyone feeds raw a bit differently.

Back To The Old Grind

Such a fun weekend! We all enjoyed having Laurie spend the weekend and will really miss her when she & Nikon leave for Virginia this morning. She drove here to drop off Penny (Argus/Nikon) who Jess will be showing this spring, and to spend a few days visiting. It was great to have company and she helped out too, by taking Argus for long walks and helping with fish chores. No way can I carry 5 gallon buckets of water right now! Nikon fit right in again, as if she was one of the pack, although she still insists on submitting for her mother Coral and kissing Coral's face, which Coral hates.

Ankle seems to be doing fine but is a major inconvenience. Laurie chauffeured me around this weekend, so I was able to get my errands run, and she'll drop me off at work on her way out of town. Hoping to get in to see my doctor today and get fitted with some kind of lightweight split that will allow me to drive. Also need to get some sort of parking pass that will allow me to use the handicap parking spots in front of my office. Will be glad when all that is out of the way!

Jess & Don came by on Saturday and Don tweaked my doggy treadmill so that Argus can use it until I am able to walk him again. I think walking is better for conditioning than the treadmill, but am really glad to have it to fall back on. guess Penny has fit in well at Jess's. Jess is sure excited about having such a lovely Dal girl for the Specialties.

Empty House

Things are pretty quiet around here this morning. Even Josie & Argus are just laying on the dog beds watching me. Without Jaime here to prod them into action, the dogs went outdoors for awhile and then went back to bed! Wish I could do that as I didn't get to bed until after midnight, but I've got an 8:00 AM meeting - NOT FAIR on a Friday. Roads are bad, so an early start will be required.

Delta did a perfect job and Jaime arrived in Tennessee right on time and was unloaded and available for pickup in half an hour. His new dad said he came out of his crate wagging, greeted a few people, and peed on the grass. Then he chewed a bone in the back of the SUV on his way home. Chewing is a stress reliever for dogs, and many of them chew during or after new experiences. I look forward to hearing of his adventures and seeing pictures of him in his new home.

The picture with this post is Jaime with his new buddy Cosmo. Jaime is doing precisely what young dogs in new homes are supposed to do, showing respect and submission to the senior dog. His posture says he accepts that Cosmo is in charge here. "Doggy social skills" are very important to canines and there are many inherited behaviors that allow dogs to interact peacefully. Because Jaime was raised with two older males and is a sensible sort of guy, he will know how to respond to Cosmo in an appropriate fashion. That's not to say that he won't pester Cosmo at lot, but if he pushes too hard and Cosmo has to come down on him, Jaime will submit and apologize and things will be fine.

Owning multiple dogs and watching the interaction among them is incredibly facinating. Unfortunately, most owners don't understand what they are seeing and often misinterpret the signals. It's important not to step in or correct behavior that is acceptable and appropriate for the situation.

Note to "Jennifer" - because this is my personal blog and not a discussion group, any postings have to be approved by me - which I do if I consider them appropriate. I'm not looking for either advice or validation here, and don't always present all the details when I am using a story to make a point. Please contact me privately if you have any questions. Because I don't have your email address, I can not respond to your comments.

Show Dog Faults

Someone asked if I would show a picture of a hooked tail. Shall try to get a good one to post. All registered breeds have their "standards" (of perfection), a written description of what that particular breed should look like. Each breed has its own standards. No dogs are perfect, all having some faults/imperfections, but it is often the degree of the fault that makes the difference. Some faults are disqualifying faults, such as patches and undershot bites, meaning those dogs can not be shown at all. Other faults are major faults such as cowhocks or flat feet, faults that are very serious in nature and in the case of Dalmatians those faults of soundness might prevent a Dalmatian from doing his historical job (coaching). Other faults are more general, and how they are viewed by a judge or breeder depends on the degree of faultiness. A dog with a slightly long back is less faulty than a dog with a very long back. A dog that is way too heavily spotted is faultier than a dog who is just a little too heavily spotted.

Because the standard is only a blue print, and because we all interpret things differently, a heavily marked dog may appear to be faultier to you than it does to me - we may see things differently. A dog may be larger than I prefer (but still within standard) but it may be just right to you. Some faults are more offensive to some people than to others. I object to short legs and/or long backs - the proportions of a dog, and it's resulting outline are very important to me. That may not bother others nearly as much as it bothers me.

Judges judge dogs based on THEIR interpretation of the standard. That's why results vary from show to show. The best dogs generally win, but not always. Dogs are judged on how close they come to meeting the standard, but not every judge or breeder will agree on everything.

If you've never read the Dalmatian Standard, you can find it on the Internet, on the AKC site, the Dalmatian Club of America site, or just be Googling Dalmatian Standard AKC. If you want a standard with an explanation of each section and pictures too, buy yourself a copy of DCA's book, "The Official Book Of The Dalmatian" you can find it on EBAY or various booksellers. I did the text on that chapter and my daughter Jess did some excellent drawings, plus we have great pictures illustating many of the things described in the standard. Even breeders who have read the standard in the past need to look it over from time to time for reminders. Now, what is the correct eye shape? What does the standard say about ear placement? Little things like that make a good Dalmatian a good Dalmatian, and we need to be conscious of the things we need to improve or retain when we do a litter.

The standard says that the Dalmatian tail is tapered, is long enough to reach the hock and is carried in a slight curve upward, meaning it is carried just a little above level. Bad tails include those carried straight up (correct for a Beagle), those with big curls (correct for an Afghan) and tails carried over the back (just right for Norwegian Elkhounds). Anything in between a perfect tail and the other extremes has to be judged on the degree of faultiness.

Oops, running out of time - to be continued!

Jaime's Back

Jaime is home and tells me that he had an excellent time. Skip & Gia returned him about 8:00 PM and said he'd been a good boy and they really enjoyed the antics of the two dogs. Because they took about 200 pictures of the boys playing, I anticipate more cute shots to post.

What an awesome football game! Vikes mopped up the floor with Dallas, and one of the announcers had the audacity to accuse them of running up the score. This is pro sports pal, not a kids' competition, and the players are paid to play for 60 minutes, not for trying to spare the opponent's feelings. Couldn't believe it! Lots of Facebook postings about the game, which made it even more fun, including a lot of Brett Favre fans who are now cheering for the Vikes.

Although the weather and the main roads have been good for a couple of weeks, there is "something" on the way for midweek or later, either snow or freezing rain. Figures, since I have a dog show in Wisconsin next week, but entering winter shows always comes with the risk that I may not get there. Shows in Chicago the following week, plus we have to get Ella bred too. Printed the upcoming panels off the AKC website so I can plan my shows for the next couple of months and decide which specialties I'll try to make.

Decided to rent a DVD yesterday because I wanted to see "Julie & Julia". Such fun! I am not normally a movie watcher (last one I saw was "Ratatouille"), but I really enjoyed Julia. Had not realized that Julie was also a Blogger, which added an extra dimension to the plot. Can't remember when I last rented a movie, but it was about the time they were just starting to switch over to DVDs at Blockbuster - some time ago! I was still in their system, but had to do a new application. Although we have a DVD playing that connects to the elderly TV, I'm not sure it can be used along with the converter box, so rather than screwing that up I watched the movie on my portable DVD player which worked just fine. Who needs a big screen anyway? Had thought of seeing Avatar this weekend, but two movies in one weekend?

The newest fish seem to be settled in just fine. The four pairs of Limias (tridens and melanogaster) are eating well in their adjoining tanks and a couple of the females appear to be pregnant. Hoping to find some of the Humpbacked Limias too, but they seem to be a rare commodity and I can't even find them on Aquadbid. May sell off my group of Limia vittata (Cuban Limias) to make room, but they are such trouble-free fish and doing so well in their large species only tank. A nice little colony with fish of all ages.

The Goo Obo Gudgeons (their Latin name does NOT roll right off my tongue yet) are just like the group I purchased several years ago - really spooky, like some of the shyer cichlids, and only come out to explore and eat when they think I am no where near. They are in a planted tank with plenty of hiding places and will eventually (I hope) become more confident. I added half a dozen fancy Guppies to the tank to set a good example and encourage the new fish to be bolder. The Betta picta on the other hand are quite confident and have already associated me with food. "Ah, here's that strange being who brings glassworms, blackworms and bloodworms. Let's greet her!" Am always amazed at the differences between species. Desert Gobies & Peacock Gudgeons are quite similar in appearance (but not in color) to the Goo Obos, but are much bolder. The Knight Gobies are somewhat timid, but nothing like the GOs.

The Liberty Mollies (Poecilia salvatore) I purchased at the fall auction are doing well. They started off looking like the proverbial "little gray ditch fish", a term that if often applied to wild livebearers, but now that the males have colored up they are quite handsome. The dominant male has a red tail, and a red, white & blue striped dorsal - very attractive! The Allodontichthys tamazulae however are still gray fish, but with pleasing personalities. I have a reverse trio (two males, one female) but the fish are older and the female may not spawn again. This is an uncommon livebearer so I will hope they are not too old.

Today is Good Will day and my car will be filled with things to deliver to them - if Ron doesn't put everything back where I found it! He is a "collector" and hates to give up anything, even MY things, no matter how long it has been since it's been used. Having lived in this house for almost 38 years I've accumulated a lot of stuff, and every now and again I feel CROWDED. Just too much stuff! Although I tease Jess that I will leave it all for her to go through when I die, that's not really practical. If I have to sell the house for health or financial reasons, I don't want to deal with everything then, so I do periodic Stuff Reductions! While Ron is walking dogs, I will take everything out to the car.

More On Blood Panels

It seems no matter where I go someone will comment on how much they enjoy my blog. That's so nice to hear and I'm amazed at how many have found this blog! I write because I enjoy it, but also in hopes of educating and providing some entertainment. Although I don't see myself writing another book, writing is one of the things I really enjoy, and blogging provides a perfect outlet.

A recent posting generated several questions on blood panels. Yes, I do recommend blood panels for more than just older dogs. Because a basic panel can be run when a dog has a heartworm test, yearly panels are ideal. At least one panel before middle-age will also provide baseline readings. We always do a blood panel before breeding a bitch, and any dog being used at stud gets one twice year. BUN & Creatinine levels will be elevated in dogs with kidney issues, although most dogs do very well until the kidneys are functioning at no more than 25-30%. The sooner the owner is aware of kidney issues, the sooner adjustments can be made to prolong the dog's quality of life.

A number of readings can reflect liver issues, and because the liver (unlike the kidneys) has the ability to heal itself, it's very useful to know if there are issues that should be treated. One of the problems occasionally seen in the breed is Copper Toxicosis or Copper Storage Disease. An elevated ALT can indicate that copper is accumulating in the liver, and this can be confirmed with a liver biopsy. Without treatment CT is fatal, but if properly diagnosed it can be treated with daily medication.

Just a simple WBC (white blood cell count) can indicate an infection that may be festering. For example, an unspayed bitch with pyometra may show a very elevated WBC before the owner notices any other symptoms, and unless treated promptly this is a killer. For that reason, if a dog is acting "off" but there are no obvious physical symptoms, a blood panel is well worth the cost, if only for the owner's peace of mind.

One thing to note is that the normal ranges are based on what is normal for (grain-based) kibble fed dogs. The BUN & Creatinine levels may be a bit higher on normal raw fed dogs, although it varies from dog to dog and may also depend on what the diet is based on. I knew that Antech was involved in a study that proved this, so Googled the topic and found this excellent article. http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/doddsnutrition.html

If you notice that the page is hosted on an epilepsy website, it's because many dogs that seizure do extremely well when taken off a grain-based diet and switched to a raw diet. Please note that even though your kibble of choice may show meat as the first ingredient, the other ingredients are probably various forms of grain and total more than the actual meat in the food. Just removing any form of processed grain often makes a huge difference for dogs with epilepsy.

Gobies & Such

What a great fish club meeting last night. Despite the lousy weather and roads we had a nice turn out. Even had a few of the cichlid fanatics there, the people who are interested nothing but cichlids. They turn out in droves for speakers on cichlids but tend to boycott everything else. The people who are obsessed with only certain kinds of fish at the exclusion of everything else are missing one of the most interesting aspects of fishkeeping, the amazing variations is appearance, personality and spawning behaviors. Most cichlids are incredibly hearty and would survive in a tank of Kool Aid, so where's the challenge? I do keep a few cichlids, and have spawns of three different varieties growing out right now, but I much prefer my "odd ball fish", Gobies & Puffers, my Mudskippers (actually part of the Goby family),the Marbled crayfish, my Ctenopomas, and the wild livebearers. Neale's talk included Desert Gobies, Peacock Gudgeons, Knight Gobies and of course the Skippers, all amount my favorite fishes.

Tonight we go to Mike's for a potluck and another chance to listen to and learn from Neale. We'll be discussing brackish fish, the ones who live where the fresh water rivers meet the sea. My Skippers are brackish fish, as is Edd my Puffer. I'd love to set up a brackish tank for other species such as Monos, Scats and Archer fish.

Sometime today I need to take my gear over to the show site so I don't have to try and get it in tomorrow morning. Also need to bathe and finish trimming Argus. Promises to be a busy day!

Moose Bones

A rather unusual picture today, Dals chewing on a moose bone. Since moose can be 8 feet tall, they have some mighty long legs! Bet Armani (Watson son) and Arya (Josie daughter) are impressed!

Enough Holiday Spirit, OK? I held up well this year and really enjoyed the holidays, but am relieved to get back to the old routine today. At least I hope it will be the old routine and nothing majors comes along to screw it up. Between car accidents and family health issues, I've had more than enough stress for THIS year at least. Got my insurance premium notice on the 24th (Merry Christmas from State Farm Insurance?) and was relieved to see that I still get the "accident free" discount despite a far too eventful year. My agent assured me that if my accidents were the result of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, rather than errors in judgement on my part, that my rates would not go up. He was right, thank goodness.

This will be a fishy sort of week as I am redoing some tanks and making room for my new fish who should arrive on Wednesday, assume the PO gets things right. I'll have them held at the PO for pick up so they don't have to ride around in the delivery vehicle. That normally works fine and fish generally ship well in the winter. Billy has shipped many many fish over the years and packs them well with no over-crowding (in their fish bags) and with heat packs that work. Shipping fish in the winter is a bit of an art, but we've generally had very good luck when dealing with experienced shippers.

I purchased a lot of fish food in bulk several weeks ago, and repackaged and froze a lot of it yesterday. Like any other kind of animal chow fish food should be fresh as the nutrient value gets depleted over time. I keep out smaller portions and freeze the rest in resealable bags. Color flakes and veggie flakes, sinking pellet for catfish, sinking cichlid pellets, and very tiny "golden pearls" as a brine shrimp substitute for fry (baby fish). I used to raise baby brine shrimp to feed the fry, but it's one more chore that I don't have time for and all the baby cichlids are doing fine on brine shrimp substitutes and very fine flake.

The Thorichthys meekei (Firemouth Cichlids) have spawned again in the tank that also contains Angelfish. The fry I siphoned out last time are growing well in a tank of their own, but of course the ones I left with the parents all got eaten. I've taken the 5 large HRP (Honduran Redpoints) babies out of the parent's tank, but the other HRP spawn is still in with their parents who are doing a great job. I suppose I need to pull some out as I suspect if mom & dad spawn again they will wipe out the previous batch of youngsters. Need to raise up enough to sell at the upcoming fish club auction. The 5 larger older fry will be BAPPed at the next fish club meeting - auctioned off to club members with the proceeds going to the club. They will earn me 10 more BAP points towards the next Breeder Award level. I'll also have some albino Ancistrus sp "Mato Grosso" to BAP, but the Firemouths and the A. compressiceps will need another month to grow.

Time to feed dogs.

It's Beginning To Look . . .

a lot like a very weird Christmas! I remember snowy Christmases as a kid, and our family trips to visit the grandparents in northern Minnesota. We've had very few snowy Christmases during my adult life, and many very brown ones. Not this year, I guess! We're supposed to celebrate at home this year, and then do a family Christmas at my sister's on Saturday. We've ordered a pre-made Christmas dinner to take over to my mother's weather permitting, but it sounds as if we have one heck of a snowstorm on the way. Way too much to get done before all that happens!