It's Time To Start Looking . . .

Mariah will be available to the RIGHT home

Finally made the decision to start looking for a "forever home" for Mariah.  Hopefully I can find one as good as the home Jaime/Jake went to, and the one Eddie will be going to soon.  Mariah is a great fit for my household, and both Ron & I really like her.  She's smart, willing, tries very hard to please, has lots of cute traits including talking and smiling, but she's just a bit too short.  Not a bad trait in a companion to be sure, she's really the perfect size for sitting on your lap, but she's a bit short for the show ring.   I could keep her for awhile longer, to see if she grows, but if the right home is there for her it would be a shame to miss it.  My first choice would be something local, within easy driving distance, so I could keep an eye on her.  If she gets a late growth spurt, I'd like the option to show her (at my expense).  If she doesn't, she can be spayed and live her life as a wonderful companion.  Let me know if you can provide the right home.  (I'd also consider placing her further away, if the situation is right.)

Not an easy thing to do as I really enjoy Mariah, but any young dog I acquire is a "maybe".  I'm still looking for just the right dog to add to my household, but it has to have the right personality for us as well as be star quality in the showring.  Guess I am still looking.  Because of my age, Ron's age, where I live, and future financial concerns, any permanent addition to my household has to be just the right dog to stay here forever.   Argus was the last dog I kept, and he's 5 1/2 years old.  I'd really prefer another brownie boy, but common sense tells me it ought to be a girl.

Plans are falling into place for Lucy to go home for awhile after the National.  Jess put both majors on her, but she still needs 5 singles to finish her championship.  Because Jess will not be available to handle her in May, and because Lucy is due in season momentarily, we decided she should go back to her family for a couple of months.  We'll bring her back later, preferable in July, but possibly not until mid-August.  We'll send her home with her health testing completed, and we've all agreed that it would be more practical to breed her next fall.  Her family will be moving this summer and a litter of pups could make things more than a little difficult!

When Lucy's family comes to pick her up, they will return Eddie who then goes to live with Lisen & Jerry, and Ruby the Brittany.  Eddie is such a sweetheart, and I know Lisen will really enjoy having a Dal again!   

Worries

Puck is afterall a California Dal!

Argh, one of those nights that last too long.  The kind where I wake up at 4:00 and can't get back to sleep.  Way too much to worry about! 

Big worries like will I ever be able to sell this big dumpy house?  How will I ever get everything out of it?  How long will I be able to afford the taxes for the "privilege" of living here?  Should I refinance, or wait until I need to include the cost of a new roof in the package?  How old is my roof?  How long do they last?   Do I need to put additional money into the house?  Will my neighbor be a problem again this year.  Will the new fence go in smoothly?  How long will it take?  How will we manage the dogs without a fence?  Who can I farm out for a week or two?  Would anyone take Mariah?

How will the training go for the new accounting system?  Will it actually work when we Go Live?  Will I catch on to the new system?  How will I manage my job & JoAnn's too, in a new system?  Will my boss survive the stress?  How long before we can actually do our work in a timely fashion?  Should I have taken the retirement buy out?  Will it be offered again?  Will there be lay offs?  Will "they" screw around with our retirement package?  Will we get a pay cut?  Furloughs?  Will the state shut down at the end of the fiscal year?  Will the state's budget issues actually get resolved? 

Am I getting more forgetful?  Will I develop Alzheimers?  Do I HAVE Alzheimers?  How would I know?  Are my eyes getting worse?  How long before AMD makes it difficult for me to work?  Will the Glaucoma or the Pigment Dispersion Syndrome cause more problems than AMD?  How would I handle being blind?  Can I afford the dental work I need this year?  Why is dental coverage so minimal?  Is it time for that hearing aid this year?  Does it annoy people that I say, "What?"  When will Ron go in for an evaluation?  One of us should be able to hear!  Why won't he go in for a general check up?  Eat better? Take vitamins?  Be more careful about cholesterol & sodium?  Am I spending enough time with my mother?  How long will she be able to live alone?  She seems to be doing well, but am I missing something I should have noticed?  If someone has a health crisis this summer, will I be able to manage that along with my job?  Will I really be able to retire in 3+ years?  Will I survive that long?  Will there be any Social Security left for me?

Will Jess and Don decide to move?  Can they afford to buy closer to work?  Can they sell their house?  Do they really want to give up their present home?  How bad does Ron's condo look?  Does he ever clean house? Does it look like a trash house? Should I nag him about it?  Should I go take a look?  Will I be the one who has to take charge of that some day?  What will happen to all his stuff?

How long will Coral live?  What will Ron do when she passes? Will she have expensive vet bills?  Will the others stay healthy?  Why are vet bills so expensive?  Will we get Lucy home after DCA?  Will Lisen be ready for Eddie?  Is it time to sell Mariah?  Should I let her go as a pet, or keep strings so I can show/breed her if I want?  When is she coming in season?  Should I sell her before then?  How long should I wait on her?   Can I really afford to show Argus any more? Is it time to retire him? Will I miss the shows?  Will HE miss the shows?  Should I start him in Rally?  Obedience?  Will the tendinitis in my shoulder get worse if I do that?   Will I be able to get away for any shows this summer?  Will I be too stressed from work to do a good job with the dogs?  Will Reebok come in season at a suitable time?  How will she fit in here?  Will she get along with Coral & Josie?  Do I really want to raise a litter of pups?  Should we breed Penny this summer or wait?  How should we breed her?  Who should do the puppies?

Why is my brain so active at night?  Why can't I just go back to sleep?   Ah, the clock radio came on.  Thank goodness.  The news is bad, as always.  But the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and everything looks much better in daylight! A cup of coffee, and a group of wagging Dal tails really helps too.  It's gonna be a good day!

What Happened To Spring?

No time to post, but this say it all.  That's snow, not flowers.

Health Clinics & Decorated Dogs

Argus, Penny, Pauli & Lucy are signed up for a variety of tests at the upcoming DCA Health Clinics that will be held with the National in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky.  Because Argus is available at stud, and because the girls will be bred at some future date, they need to have all their health clearances done and up to date.  DCA is offering cardiac screening for the first time this year, so Argus will have that done.  Several of the tests should be done every few years, like the thyroid panel and the CERF exam, but he had his thyroid redone last year, and his eyes were rechecked in February.  Pauli already has her CHIC number too, for completing all her health testing, but she will also have the cardiac testing.

Health Clinic day is very busy day!  Laurie & I will work as volunteers, while Jess gets our dogs in and out of testing.  Not all DCA members understand & endorse the importance of health screening, but the response is always good and the turnout this year is excellent.  With 88 dogs participating -

• 61 CERF (that's eye exams)
• 45 thyroid tests (this is a panel of tests)
• 21 CHIC DNA tests (to include dogs in the DNA database)
• 20 microchips (positive id is required for the health tests)
• 6 BAER tests (most Dals are BAER tested as pups so this may be seniors).
• 31 cardiac auscultations (first year for this)
• 22 cardiac ultrasounds (first year for this as well)

While it is not true that randomly bred dogs (a nice term for mutts) are healthier than purebreds, buying your puppy from a responsible breeders who understands the importance of health screening increases the odds even more!

Check out the decorated dogs - Dalmatians, of course!

Just A Drop In The Bucket

Old wooden bucket at the antique show.

Love antique shows!  Ron & I have gone to many of them over the years, and Jess & I often go to antique stores when we have time to kill on dog show weekends.  I rarely buy, but love to look & to reminisce.  Last week my sister wondered if I was interested in attending the large show at the State Fair grounds.  These shows are held several times a year and they include a flea market, so the prices range from extraordinarily high to almost nothing.  Just depends on what you are looking for.  I am rarely looking for anything in particular, but occasionally find something that I must have.

Kris & I had great time and it was fun to discuss all the items we remembered from childhood, especially the everyday glassware &  bowls that now sell for such high prices.  Kris can still find deals at rural garage sales in her area and has made some excellent finds over the years.   I was quite taken by this old wooden bucket, but was not quite  ready to spend the money as I am feeling poor right now.  I took this picture, planning to think on it for a bit and to show Ron.  He liked the bucket and even donated money towards it purchase, so on Sunday I went back to the show, hoping it would still be there. The bucket was, but the dealer must have slept in, so I left a note and my cell phone number and wondered around for awhile.  My sister had asked me to pick up something she had liked too, but apparently the cold windy weather was more than they could manage, and several of the outdoor vendors were not there for the second day.  Hard to blame them!  I got my bucket though, and it looks terrific beside the leather chair, filled with magazines.

Am almost done with water changes on all the tanks, but last night I had a flood to deal with - again.  That's just one of the reasons the tanks are all in the basement!  As I was refilling the tanks that I had siphoned to remove debris & about 50% of the water, I noticed water on the floor and discovered that the plastic bin where I dump waste water into had sprung a leak.  At the same time, the sump pump in the bin decided to stop working (probably clogged with duckweed), so I had to remove the water by the bucket full and carry it to the floor drain.  Unfortunately, I forgot that I had left the refill water hose running in a tank, and that tank started to overflow too.  What a mess.  Multi-tasking is NOT my thing!

Spell check must not be working right now.  It's not possible that I did this entry without a spelling error. Guess I'll check in later and see if things are working better.   My computer seem to be developing issues again lately.  I think it wants a vacation!

Water Changes Are Work

A busy evening tending the fishes.  Because I currently have fish in about 35 of my tanks, each of those tank gets a partial water change every week or two.  It's a lot of work, but keeps the tank and its inhabitants healthy.  Properly maintained aquariums almost never need to be taken down and set up again, which is a good thing because that's a lot of work.  When doing partial water changes I also siphon debris from the tank.  The planted tanks with gravel in them are vacuumed with a siphon that sucks the debris from the gravel.  The bare bottom tanks get vacuumed too, but it's a lot easier.   The water is siphoned into 5 gallon buckets and dumped into a tub with a sump pump that carries the water to the floor drain in my basement.  I'm thinking of trying a larger sump pump and longer hose this summer so I can use the water in my flower beds.

Because municipal water is treated with chemicals, and because the city of St. Paul artificially elevates the pH to protect all the lead pipes from corrosion, I age my tap water and add a product that removes the chloramines (a chlorine/ammonia combination) that would quickly kill the fish.  A few days of sitting in a barrel also drops the pH a bit.  Two large trash cans and a 50 gallon barrel hold almost enough water for changing all of the tanks.  One of the barrels is left "as is", while the other two get Epsom salts, baking soda and marine salt to create the "harder" preferred by many cichlids, and most livebearers.  Two 5 gallon buckets have much harder water for the Tanganyika cichlids, and a dilute sea water mixture for the brackish water fish (the mudskipper, and Edd my puffer).  Yep it's  lot of work!

Two of the water barrels have heaters in them as many of my fish are tropical and one barrel is left at room temperature for the fish that do best at room temperature. I have a trusty pump with a hose attached for pumping water back into the tanks.  If I had the money to do it, I'd have all my tanks plumbed and be able to do water changes with the flip of a switch - but not in this life!

Health Testing

Lucy's hips.

Because Lucy's owners want to breed her this year, she needs to have all her health testing completed.  The goal of Responsible Breeders (as opposed to "puppy raisers") is to produce the best puppies possible.  Although they are  hoping to get a few show potential pups from a litter, they also want to produce dogs with wonderful dispositions and excellent health potential.  There are a number of tests that can be done on dogs before the decision is made to breed them, tests that will maximize the chances of their offspring living long & healthy lives.  Health testing is one of the things that separate Responsible Breeders from commercial breeders (often referred to as puppy mills) and backyard breeders.

In Dals we test hearing, x-ray hips, and have eye checks done.  Additional testing includes elbow x-rays, thyroid testing, and cardiac tests.  Lucy was hearing tested (we call that BAER testing) along with her littermates when she was about 7 weeks old, so we know she hears in both ears.  Her hip and elbow x-rays yesterday looked great, but they were sent off to OFA (Orthopedic Foundation For Animals) for evaluation.  When Lucy goes to the National, she will have her eyes, thyroid and heart checked out.  IF she passes all these tests, she will be bred. 

To be continued . . .

Happy Birthday Coral!

Coral has a smile for everyone.

The smiling brownie is 13 today!  Ch. Paisley Snowood Family Ties CGC ROM came to Paisleyland at 7 weeks of age, bred by our friend Meg but linebred on my beloved "Rob" and a granddaughter of my BiS "Morris".  Coral is one of the happiest, friendliest dogs I have ever owned, and definitely the smiliest.  She finished her championship with a nice record due to a lot of patience on Jess's part, since Coral assumed that all dog shows were social events arranged just for her.

Coral produced several fine litters for us and is the dam of our own Watson and grandma of Josie, who still share the sofa with her.  She has her Register Of Merit for producing 6 champions, and had a number of other quality offspring that no one got around to finishing.  Coral's kids consistently inherited her cheerful trustworthy personality.

Coral has been retired to housepet status for many years and is Ron's soulmate, just as her great-grandmother Eloise was long ago.

We're all celebrating with crockpot turkey meatloaf, sweet potatoes and ice cream tonight.  Happy Birthday, Coral!

Summer Pests

Hi Sue,

What kind, if any, heartworm prevention do you use? Also what kind of flea and tick prevention do you like?

It's definitely the season to start thinking about these issues.  Also time to get a blood panel done, one that includes a heartworm test.  Although most dogs do not need yearly vaccinations, a yearly blood panel is an excellent idea as it may indicate potential problems before the owner is even aware that one exists, things such a chronic kidney failure in senior dogs.  Also time to put the dogs on heartworm medication if they do not get it year around.  To answer the above question, I do not use heartworm pills as I think the price is outrageous.  I prefer to use the 1% solution of Ivermectin, and no I won't discuss the appropriate dosage here.  If you have a good relationship with your vet, he may give you the information, but you will be using a medication off-label.  If you live in an area that has mosquitoes, please use something!  Heartworm can kill.

Because I live in the city and do not take my dogs to dog parks, I use nothing for fleas and ticks.  We may see one tick a year, and I can't even remember when I last saw a flea.  If I had a problem with fleas I'd use one of the systemic products like Frontline, but because we do not (knock on wood) have a flea problem I do not treat my dogs for a problem that does not exist.  My daughter uses a spray she makes from Lavender oil mixed with water and she swears that it keeps the Shepherds virtually tick-free in the spring.  That would be my preference too, if we had ticks in the neighborhood.

I do have a bottle of Adam's Plus Flea & Tick Mist and we use that at outdoor shows if we are concerned there may be a problem with fleas - especially at fairgrounds in the late summer - or if mosquitoes are a problem. 

My preference is to use as few medications & chemicals as possible - in & on the dogs and ME.

Spring At Last!

It's amazing how these come up overnight!

Perfect weather.  Yesterday was gorgeous, today expected to be the same.  Rain in the forecast for later, but that would be OK too.  The grass would really green up if we got some rain.  It's tempting to uncover the flower beds that are buried beneath the oak leaves, but I think that can wait until next week.  The Daffodils that were buried in snow a few weeks ago seem to have survived, and their buds are getting plump.  Yay for Spring!

Chicago shows this weekend, primarily as a tune up for Penny who has not been out since last fall.  We'll stay with Meg & probably see a couple more of the lovely Ricky/Crystal pups - nice litter.  Jess & I both covet the brown boy Mac. 

Entries closed for the National yesterday and all we have entered are adults, mostly brownies.  Argus & Penny for Specials, Argus & Pauli for Top Twenty, Argus for Stud Dog, and Lucy in Open Black.  Wish we had something to show in the classes, but all we have are "Grandpups" to cheer for this year.  I'll volunteer at the health clinics since I don't have a Sweepstakes entry (same day), and we'll get some of the affordable testing done on our dogs.  Great price on the thyroid test, and this year they are offering cardiac testing for the first time.  Argus is up to date on thyroid & eyes, but will do the cardiac test.  Lucy is signed up for eyes, thyroid & cardiac.  Pauli & Penny will also get some testing done.  Because the girls will presumably be bred at some future date, we will get the testing taken care of now.  Much more affordable to have it done at the DCA health clinic.  Thanks, DCA!

Letters, We Get Letters . . .

If I’d been fishing yesterday, I’d have been very satisfied with my catch. Am always amazed at who reads this blog, shares what I have written, and how quickly people respond when they take issue with something. Because I use my blog to express opinions (of which I have many), entertain, practice my hobby of writing, and (hopefully) to educate, I do step on toes from time to time, but I never name names. My opinions as I have said before, are strictly my own.

Yesterday’s posting drew responses from four individuals, referring to three different dogs. Tails seem to be a touchier topic than trim. In one case if the tail was fixed it was a mighty poor job. In another case I don’t recall ever having seen the dog in the ring (but now of course I wonder about its tail).

Let me just say that I have owned and bred more than my share of dogs with high or hooky (curly) tails, and have had stud dogs that sired them on a regular basis. We’ve placed as pets some very handsome teenaged dogs with tails we’ve hated, and finished but never bred from other dogs with tails we’ve hated. When I see those dogs later their tails never improved with time. Heck, I can breed together two dogs with perfect tails and get bad ones. I even bred a dog whose owner had his tail fixed – badly. It went from a common flagpole tail, to a flagpole tail where the last 4 inches dangled limply. I can also recall several aspiring specials (not mine!) whose careers were ended by bad fix jobs. When half of the tail dangles loosely for more than a few days, it’s generally a bad fix. The first few days it might just be what’s called a “cold tail”, a tail injury that is not uncommon in Dals and other long tailed breeds, after that well, perhaps it was shut in the car door. . .

One thing I have found to be true in ALL the major lines I have worked with over the years, including Watseka, Melody, Coachman, Long Last and many generations of Paisley, is that tails do not miraculously get better on adult dogs as they mature, and they often get worse. Puppy tails may go up by 6 weeks and come down by 4 or 5 months (the trick is to guess which ones if any WILL come down) and a few others will come down before the dog is fully grown (sometimes after a bitch’s first season). Teenaged dogs may carry their tails high when excited, as will dogs of both sexes when they first walk into a dog show, but in 40 years of tail watching I have never seen a consistently high tail correct itself on a mature adult dog. The same holds true of hooks, only more so – they are even more likely to get worse.

Wrapping can bring a tail down for a while, but timing can be a problem as the tail does not stay down for very long, and in a large entry it may well be up again before judging is over. I once wrapped a dog’s high tail and got through Winners Dog for a nice big major. By the time we came back in for breed, the tail was up and the judge actually commented on the difference – but still gave us Best Of Winners. I think that was the last time we tried it and that was many many years ago.

If YOU are truly blessed with an animal whose tail did correct itself, I hope that trait is the one passed on to its offspring. I'm sure this posting will generate emails from people who will swear it happened to them.   Lucky you!

At a Judges Education Seminar I attended years ago, someone asked the late Annie Clark how hard one should penalize bad tails in Poodles. She replied that she did not judge them “too harshly” as that would cause more people to get tails “fixed”, which would make it harder for the breeders to tell what they were breeding to and actually make the problem worse. Unfortunately, Dal people seem to be so used to bad tails they don’t even care.

Helen – hope that answered your question on tails. On noses I was referring to enhanced coloring, usually tattooing, but sometimes help comes from a bottle or a tube. Fixes are illegal, but most are virtually impossible to detect and a judge has to judge the dog as it appears on that day.

Locked In/Out

Eddie meets Murphy, a Landseer Newfoundland.

Came home to some cute pictures of Eddie's visit to Canada!  He'll come back here when Lucy goes home, and will move on to his forever home with Lisen.  We haven't decided if he'll be a show dog or just a companion, but he seems to be coming along well.  Lisen can show him if she wishes, or we can borrow him to show which will work out nicely.

An interesting trip to Clinton/DeWitt Iowa.  Lucy lost to her cousin Maggie both days, so did not pick up any points, but it broke from 2 to 1 anyway.  She showed well for Jess.  Guess she does better at larger shows!  So glad we got both the majors out of the way.  Argus went BoB on Sunday, and showed extremely well both days.  Good specials competition, and nice honest dogs with solid dispositions.  It's a lot easier to lose to "natural" dogs than to dogs with doctored noses or tails or "enhanced" attitudes.  Most of us try to play the game fairly - but unfortunately not all of us.  Fixes are illegal of course, but fairly common in many breeds, fortunately not too common in Dalmatians.  Too bad the enhanced characteristics are not the ones passed on to the offspring.  Dog shows were originally about judging "breeding stock", but now they are more about winning.

Because we had early judging on Saturday we had a very nice touristy day exploring the old river town of Clinton.  Unfortunately the museum is not open on Saturdays.  Went through some antique stores full of "real" antiques, spent a bit of time and money at the Casino and had dinner overlooking the river.  Fun day.  Big adventure was being locked in/out of our motel!  Jess locked in, me locked out.  The maintenance man finally had to kick down the door!  Fortunately the motel had another room available for us - this one with a good lock.

A Family Gathering

Gram gives Davis a hug,

A family get together last night at Boca Chica.  We tried last week, but the nasty weather got in the way.  This time it came off nicely, and we "all" made it, except for Jess's partner Don.  My nephew Davis will be stationed in Australia for two years, and it was our last chance to visit with him before he flies back to Maryland for some additional training before the trip to Australia.  With Al & Alison in Costa Rica and Davis heading for the red center, our small family will become smaller, and although no one actually mentioned it, we all knew that last night might be Gram's last visit with Davis.  She's doing well at almost-87, but . . .

Ron enjoys these get togethers, and he and my brother-in-law Bob always have spirited conversations.  Because my Bob & Kris are staunch Republicans and my mother & I are equally staunch Dems, we normally try to stay away from politics.  My mother just shakes her head and wonders how a daughter of hers can be so misguided.  I've never heard my nephews Eric & Davis comment on politics at all, probably just as well if they don't agree with their father!

My non-Techy sister will be able to talk with Davis using Skype.  Fortunately for her, Eric IS a Techy, and works hard to keep Kris up to speed.  We wondered if she would ever use email and were delighted when she actually showed up on Facebook.  Hopefully Davis will post to Facebook too, so we can all share his adventures.  

Co-Ownerships

I received this email question last week and thought it would make a good blog topic.

While my husband and I were working in the greenhouse we were talking about co-ownership of show dogs which I had to admit I didn't really know much about.  I suppose each breeder sets their own rules but if you could explain briefly how co-ownership works for you I'd appreciate it.

Co-ownerships are commonly used by "show people" when placing pups.  They generally work well for all concerned, but depending on the terms and the people involved they can also cause problems.  Even when contracts are used, there can be misunderstandings, and for this reason they are discouraged by the AKC - but are perfectly legal and extremely common.  They are used extensively by Dal breeders, and many long standing friendships started with the co-ownership of a puppy.

Because very few show breeders have kennel situations, they are limited as to the number of dogs they can keep.  Because a litter is done with the expectation of producing quality dogs, possibly better than the parents, most breeders would prefer to keep a pup from each litter.  That might be possible if one is breeding small dogs, but very unrealistic if one is raising Dals and raising a litter more often than every five years.  Because Dals need time & attention, training & exercise, we are limited as to how many dogs we can keep.  Limited by time, space, and often by neighbors and local regulations.

Our co-ownerships normally consist of placing a show potential pup in a pet home, with the agreement that we have the right to show it (at our expense) and possibly to raise a litter (if it is a female) or use it at stud (if it is a male).  Co-ownerships generally have an end date, at which time we sign off.  This allows us access to a dog that we can show and that may become part of our breeding program, and it allows the pet owner access to a dog that might not otherwise be available as a companion, and also introduces them to the sport of dog showing.  We've finished many champions this way, but also encountered some difficult situations when the co-owners were not willing to follow through on the agreement, or did not take appropriate care of the dog.  We always enter into co-ownerships accepting this possibility.

Some dogs are sold outright to "watch homes", where we keep an eye on how they are developing, and if they turn out well we will show them at our expense.

Co-ownership are also used on show pups going to proven show homes, where we may want to show the dog in Bred By Exhibitor class, or where we are placing the dog with new show people and need to keep some strings attached.

Co-ownership should never be confused with the old Pyramid Scheme where well bred dogs were placed in pet homes with the agreement that they would be bred and the seller would get back puppies or even an entire litter.  This used to be an unfortunately common practice, but is rarely done anymore.  Because health testing is expensive but absolutely required before dogs are bred from, raising a litter of pups is time-consuming and expensive, and because I am responsible for the pups produced by dogs of my breeding, this is never an option. 

Oops, out of time and I just touched the surface . . .

How Can It Be Time?

Dal watering can & fish planter.

OK, where did my hour for writing go?  I'm supposed to let dogs in and out, drink coffee, check my email & Facebook, and work on my blog from 6:00-7:00.  Lost some time uploading pictures from my camera when the software decided to be difficult, but how does my precious hour always go so fast?

A most productive weekend that included a lot of much-needed housecleaning and lunch with my mother.  Hopefully the Weather Dudes are correct and this week WILL eventually make it to the 50s.  I'm rreeaallyyy tired of snow and ice.

One of my friends at work surprised me with the cute Dal watering can, pictured above with the fish planter that Connie gave me for my birthday.  It will be nice to be greeted by two smiling faces when I enter my cube.

Staying Ahead Of Dog Hair. Hah!

21 degrees and sunny.  It's going to be a gorgeous day!  A long list of household chores need my attention, but I'll find time to walk the dogs this afternoon and to take my mother out for lunch or perhaps pie & coffee.  Because I have a new John Sandford mystery CD to listen to, the trip out & back should be enjoyable.  I'd like to stop at the Como Conservatory to see the new spring flower display but parking will be impossible.  I'm SO ready for spring.


A variety of brushes!


A sure sign of spring is an increase in loose dog hair - on the floor, on the furniture, in my car, on our clothes.  How does one stay ahead of it?  Not possible, it's a fact of life.  Dogs grow hair and then they shed it (except for the breeds where it continues to grow, but those dogs require serious grooming).  Growing new coat and shedding old coat just happens.  My dogs shed some hair year around, but it is somewhat worse in the fall, and MUCH worse in the spring.  In a way, it would be easier if they all shed at the same time, but that's never the way it happens.  Watson is almost done now.  Josie & Mariah haven't started.  Coral and Argus are shedding like crazy.  Because Josie and Coral don't have such thick coats, their shedding is more manageable.  Watson and Argus have extra thick soft coats and shed lots more, but Watson sheds everything quickly, while Argus drags it out.  Many variations in Dal coats and shedding patterns. 

When Watson started shedding, I gave him a warm bath and some serious brushing to speed up the process. The faster they shed, the sooner they are done.  Coral gets a warm bath and serious brushing today.  Because I don't want Argus to lose too much coat at one time and because he is bathed more often (if the coat is thinner the spots may temporarily look less distinct) he gets bathed for shows in cool water, something he does not appreciate!

Everyone will get brushed today, outside on the deck, where the wind can whisk the hair away.  I've been brushing Argus in the basement before he is bathed, but normally I brush them outdoors.  I HATE being covered with dog hair, so that works better for me.  I've tried every kind of brush on the market, including the ones that attach to a vacuum cleaner hose.  My favorites are the brushes on the left side of the picture above.  The ones that fit over my hand and can be used either right or left handed (because my arm gets tired!).  I usually dampen the coat slightly - but probably not today as it is too chilly - brush against the lay of the hair and then with it.  It's important to brush the shoulders & legs as well as the back.  There's a lot of coat to be shed on the upper & lower thighs.

One thing I have found over the years though, is that if the dog has any kind of skin issues, such as seasonal allergies, they should NOT be brushed then as it will only make things worse.  A rubdown with damp hands, following the lay of the coat works well.  Actually, a rubdown with damp hands works anytime.

Like many Dal owners we wear a lot of denim because it does not show the hair.  Unlike many of them I keep my dogs out of the bedrooms & living room so the hair & noseprints tend to stay in the family room & kitchen.  At least that's the idea, but a lot of hair still finds it's way through out the house.  That's the price we pay for owning Dals.

Mmm Mmm Good

Pork Tenderloin and Peppers

Finally had a chance to try a new recipe that had intrigued me.  The seasoning for this dish included mashed anchovies and fresh rosemary.  It noted that if you didn't care for anchovies, chopped olives could be substituted!  Unusual, to say the least.  I opted for the anchovies and had no regrets - the recipe was outstanding, and the seasoning was perfect.  Served it with mashed potatoes and baby Limas.  Mmm mmm good indeed.  The recipe was added to my cookbook, along with a granola bars recipe that I am enjoying.

Bella went off with her new owner yesterday and Meg was very pleased with the home.  Jingles will fly to Minnesota in two weeks to join Gretchen who recently lost almost-15 year old Buddy, a dog from us. 

Lucy is fitting in fine here, except Mariah is jealous when Lucy & Josie try to play with one another. She thinks that they should only play with her and keeps getting in between them.  Think we'll be doing some playing in shifts this weekend.  Mariah and Lucy currently wrestling on the rug, both with tongues hanging.

Musing . . .

Off to Kansas City later today.  Majors on Saturday and Sunday and we are hoping that Lucy will pick up one of them (although two would be even better!).  Argus is entered because we are going - I wouldn't be doing this weekend just for Argus as the panel isn't particularly good, but he loves to go, we both enjoy showing, and we need to stay in practice.  Mariah is coming along for the trip and is old enough to show but is not entered.  Still waiting for her to grow legs - she's such a little peanut.  It can still happen, but it needs to happen soon, and I'm beginning to worry.   Mariah is a great fit for our household, but the slot she is inhabiting is reserved for an extra special dog.  Her breeder wants her back if I don't keep her, but we'll wait a few more months before making any decision.  So much I really like about Mariah, she's just as pretty as can be, and she's definitely show quality, but . . .    I try not to get attached to young dogs until I am sure they are keepers, but I haven't kept anything since Argus.  It would be a lot easier if I had the room to keep more dogs, but then I'd probably have 20 dogs!

If not Mariah, perhaps there will be a pup for me in Flurry's litter, or perhaps Argus & Reebok will produce something special.  Plans still underway for a litter from Reebok, a top quality Dal girl who was Best In Futurity at DCA, followed by WB the following year - quite a record.  Two Argus daughters will be bred this summer too, so there may be some nice grandpups to pick from.  OTOH, do I really want to housetrain another puppy?  Oh sure.  BUT perhaps Mariah will sprout legs - she just needs an inch!

Could This Be Spring?



Looks like spring . . .

We woke up to temperatures in the 40s - could this be spring?

I noticed snow being dug up and hauled away from the front of a small business at the end of my block.  Seemed a bit late in the year to bother with that as the snow "should" be gone in a couple of weeks.  Apparently the business owner was getting impatient though, as he added grass carpeting and tulips and got a head start on Spring!   It certainly brought a smile to the faces of passing walkers and motorist.  Hope it brings in customers as well.

As the weather warms and the yard melts, I keep expecting my neighbor to start harassing me again.  Wonder what this year has in store for us?  She's been real quiet since her last meltdown, and has actually been pretty considerate about not leaving her dog out to bark, or sending it out just as I am sending my guys out.  It's been great to have the huge snowdrifts between our yards - way too deep for a Westie to run through and try to get my guys to fence fight.

Another fence estimator scheduled for today.  Wish I could afford a privacy fence between our yards, but chain link with additional lattice fencing for privacy will have to do for another year.  The alley fence is priority as the freeze-thaw cycles have taken their toll on the old one.  Apparently we did not set our posts deeply enough, but it's held up pretty well.  The neighbor does not like the fact that when she is spying from her second floor window, she can see the "pee stripes" on the old fence.  I'll have to discuss this with Watson & Argus.

Still Looking For A Home

Bella is still looking for a home.

Well drat!  Bella is back to looking for a home.  The person with the Argus daughter who had made arrangements to visit Bella and her breeder on Saturday found out yesterday that she was getting laid off.  How unfortunate on both counts.  Would have been a terrific home for Bella, but she'll be placed eventually.  Very sad for the person who wanted her.  That was looking like such a perfect match.

Amazingly enough, my accounting class yesterday was excellent.  Wonderful instructor who used droll humor as a teaching tool.  He was incredibly good at keeping our intention too, and time went by so quickly.  We all stayed focused because he called on everyone regularly - but if someone didn't have the answer he "guided" them to it.  Very amazing.  Can't recall having an instructor like that before.  It sure made learning easier and made a dry subject very interesting.  Almost makes me want to go back to school.  Almost . . .

Spent the evening walking dogs and doing water changes on the fish, while listening to "Darkly Dreaming Dexter" on the iPOD.  Yep, got the wretched little thing fixed.  All it took was buying a Walkman!   Haven't a clue how I fixed it - just retried everything for the umpteenth time, and finally it worked.  Now I have two gadgets to fight with.   Both have 8 gigabytes of memory so I can download lots of books.  The nice thing about the Walkman is that it can accept more of the free books from Net Library.  Perhaps that justifies the expense?  But can you have too many toys?

It's Gonna Be A Long Lloonngg Day

No time for blogging today.  It's been decreed that all finance employees who are not CPAs must take an all day accounting class.  Today is the first session offered, so I am also playing Accounting Guinea Pig.  When did I last take an accounting class?  Maybe 40+ years ago?  I WORK in accounting, but that's different than business statements, trial balances & such, and Governmental Accounting is not like real world accounting anyway.  Gonna be a long day!

Note to Cassidy - if I don't write about Organic Cell Bio, Disease and Development, Integrated Medicine, or anything written in Spanish, what's left for me to write about?  Study hard! 

Too Early On Monday

Little Coach Dog Eddie had a busy weekend.

Got a lot done this weekend, but unfortunately none of it included the sweeping and vacuuming that I SHOULD have done.  Watson and Coral have started their spring sheds, so this will become an issue, especially when Ron wallows on the sofa in the dog hair and then carries it through out the house.  He's a lot more of a problem than the dogs, since he naps on the loveseat covered in Dals and Dal hair.

Bought a Sony Walkman to replace the useless little iPOD.  Same 8 gigabytes of memory for half the price.  Shoulda bought one in the first place - assuming I can get it up and running tonight.  There are a lot more free on-line books available to me now through Net Library - quite a few of their books won't work with iPODs.

Dinner with mom & Ron at Green Mill.  We had the nicest server!  Ron is a generous tipper (and we get awesome service at our regular spots).  The server came back to see if he had made a mistake!  Apparently the customers at this Green Mill are normally pretty chintzy.  Mom's doing very well considering her age (almost 87) and shows no signs of age-related dementia, which is a blessing.  She's frail, and her vision and hearing are failing, but she still loves to argue politics - and still hates Tim Pawlenty, but the Governor of Wisconsin is a close 2nd now.

Entries in, motel reservations made for the Dalmatian National in Fort Mitchell, KY the first week in May.  Naturally it conflicts with a show weekend I enjoy - hope the panel is bad for those shows.  It sure leaves a lot to be desired for DCA, but we go anyway. It's a Dalmatian Convention!  Argus & Lucy (if she's not in season), Mariah (if she is ready to show and not in season), Pauli for Top Twenty (if she's not in season) and Penny for Specials (if she's not in season).  Wish we had more boys and no bitches!  I suppose they will all be in season and screw everything up.  Need to sign the dogs up for the health clinic.  Argus will get the Cardiac test.  Just had his eyes re-done, and had his thyroid re-done last year.  Mariah has had her eyes done, and is too young for the thyroid test, but Penny & Pauli could have the thyroid test done this year and their hearts too.  Very nice having affordable and handy testing at the National. 

Another Homeless Dalmatian

A friend noticed a posting on Craig's List for a Dalmatian in trouble.  A 10-year old spayed female Dal whose owner lost her house and left three dogs behind. The other two dogs have been placed, but because of the Dal's age and the fact that she is defensive with strange dogs, things are not looking too promising for her.  I contacted the person who posted and offered to help, but unless a foster home can be found things will not work out for this poor girl.  Can you help?  She needs a dog smart person with no other dogs - that's a hard combination.

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/wsh/pet/2260613268.html

On a happier note, I got an inquiry about Bella from someone who has an Argus daughter and lives near Bella's breeder.  She's ready for a second dog and has an appointment for next weekend.  Hope this works out!  Now, to find a home for Jingle who apparently has a wonderful personality.  You can see Bella & Jingle at:

http://tramacpup.blogspot.com/

Because I so rarely have puppies available, have been involved in the breed for so long, am well known in the breed, and because many of my past buyers come back to me for second (or third or fourth) dogs, I often provide puppy referrals for litters sired by my boys.  It's been fun reconnecting with many past buyers who have found my blog too.  Anyone looking for a handsome, well bred, black-spotted 10-week old with a wonderful personality?

The Internet, the various Dal lists, plus Facebook have proven to be very helpful for puppy placements.  There may be healthy, well-bred pups available in one part of the country, and good potential homes somewhere else.   Although there are very few breeders in this area, I've often been able to help local people find quality pups as long as they are willing to drive or ship.  Because there are commercial breeders (the politically correct name for puppymills) with very mis-leading websites, responsible breeders and concerned owners try very hard to help potential buyers find appropriate puppies from reliable sources.

It Takes More Than Good Fences To Make Good Neighbors

Spring forward, Fall back.  What a drag.  What's the point?  Daylight Savings might have been useful back when we were all farmers (?) but it sure seems pointless to me now.  Just an inconvenience, as we adjust our internal clocks to twice a year.  Because dogs are such creatures of habit, and have such a good sense of time, it's interesting to watch their reaction to the changes.  Am sure they don't mind eating an hour earlier, but I know the oldsters will wonder about getting up earlier.

The days are getting longer, the sun in getting warmer, the buds are popping, the dogs are shedding, and the Cardinals are shouting, "What cheer, what cheer!"  Won't be long until mud season.  And neighbor season.  Sigh . . .

Winters are pretty peaceful around here neighbor-wise.  The Bitchy One next door is not the outdoorsy type, so we rarely see her except when she's coming and going to her car.  She never helps her creaky husband with the shoveling, and is not a dog walker, so our paths never cross.  Thank goodness.  As the weather gets better, she will spend time on her deck, and working in the yard, and we have to work around her. 

I feel very strongly that people who own dogs may have some rights, but their neighbors do too, and my dogs are never allowed to disturb the neighbors.  They are walked on leash, we always clean up after them, they are never left in the yard to bark, and even pups are taught "no barking" when they are outside.  Anyone who fusses comes in immediately.  My lawn is well maintained and I have beautiful flowers.  My dog yard is kept picked up and is de-odorized if needed, and I keep my property up.  My dogs are licensed, I'm on good terms with animal control, and I get along with the rest of my neighbors.

So what's to complain about?  Bitchy Neighbor once admitted that No, the dogs did not disturb her with their barking, and No she didn't notice any odor.  It just bothered her knowing I had them.   Not much I can do to fight that!  Her current complaint is that I have rock in my dog yard and she can see it from her second floor bedroom window.  Not much I can do about that either except suggest that she quit spying on me!

I keep my numbers to a minimum, but with three retirees taking up space, that doesn't leave me with much wiggle room.  So maybe I should just kill the retired dogs?  She'd probably approve of that!  Three retirees and Argus, so I figure I have room for one more dog which is currently Mariah.   More than five is difficult living where I do, especially since we have to be so careful about numbers, and because they can never be left outdoors unsupervised where they might annoy a neighbor.  Mariah fits well and is not a barker, something I really appreciate in a young dog.

When Bitchy Neighbor is working in her yard we normally keep the dogs in.  Although they don't bark at her, and normally play quietly or doze in the sun, I try to keep them out of her sight range.  When I come and go I never make eye contact or engage her in conversation and try to keep a very low profile.  It galls me to have to act this way about my own yard, but you never know what will set her off.  After being harassed and threatened for years, I've found avoidance to be the best technique.

I would find all this less of an issue if the neighbor did not have a dog.  A yappy Westie who is left outside to bark endlessly at nothing.    And I am the one who has to watch my back.   At least the current Westie doesn't charge the fence every time I take my own dogs out . . .

OK, Who Stole It?

This picture says it all.

A playdate for Mariah!  Thanks Alana!  Miss Mariah gets to meet her cousin Brody, perhaps this weekend.  She's showing the effects of a tough winter and really needs to get out and do things.  Although Mariah is very friendly with people, she's a bit cautious about strange situations, and especially needs to meet more dogs of other breeds.  Being attacked from behind on one of her walks has left her understandably a bit leery about new dogs coming up on her.  We've got some work to do. She's looking much better now but will not hit the show ring until I feel she is both emotionally & physically ready to show.  I HATE seeing timid dogs in the ring and get very angry with people who try to show dogs that are obviously not ready for prime time.  The training & socialization should NOT be done in the showring.  It should be done beforehand.

No word on when/if Jingles & Bella will be arriving.  Their breeder has a much better set up for pups than I have, so hopefully not, but as their "other grandmother" I will take responsibility if necessary.  This is not a good time of the year to have pups to sell as most people are waiting for better weather, not realising that it is actually easier to housetrain pups in bad weather!  Because they know how to use a doggy door, these two are pretty much housetrained.   Unfortunately I don't have a doggy door and Ron is not keen on playing doorman to two pups again.  It IS amazing what he puts up with though.  Fortunately he loves Mariah and really enjoyed Eddie when he was here.

OK, who stole the iPOD cable?  The little Nano has "issues" (more issues) and I want to restore it to its original settings.  For some reason it won't stay on, and as soon as the display goes dark, the whole thing turns off.  Hopefully restoring it will help.  I'm tired of having to constantly tap it to keep it on.   I was ready to give restore a try last night, but after half an hour of searching I've concluded that "someone" stole the little cable.  I just used it a couple of days ago and SHOULD have put it back in the basket where I keep all the miscellaneous cords and cables, but it's not there.  OK guys, where did you hide it???

No clue why the background is missing in part of this posting.   Whatever.