Morio Cardigans

Birth Announcement

2009-05-28T18:07:00.000-07:00

final tally

2009-05-28T08:17:00.000-07:00

#1 girl - 10.5 oz
#2 boy "Taxi" (born in car on way back from 1st vet visit) - 11.5 oz.
#3 boy - 9.5 oz.
#4 boy - 9 oz.
#5, 6, 7 (c-section) - girl - 9 oz., girl - 8 oz., boy (mismark) 9 oz.

There were 3 others in there that didn't make it.

All puppies are/were brindle except one black boy who couldn't be revived.

Kayla is a wonderful, attentive mother. We tube fed this morning anyway just to help. All are sleeping including my buddy Kim Kiefer who I couldn't have done without. I don't think I could do this without any of you. Thanks to everyone for the emails and being available for phone calls to get reassurance about the right thing to do next. Thank you, thank you.

#4

2009-05-27T19:15:00.001-07:00

9.5 oz. @ 7 pm

Another brindle boy. sigh. Sorry Carolyn. Everyone chant: girl, girl. one black. Kim wants a red.

Kayla is *such* a good momma!!!

1, 2, & 3

2009-05-27T18:30:00.001-07:00

#1: little girl, 10 oz., brindle: I didn't wanna come out! Vet pulled me out and gave Mama oxytocin and calcium. Thanks Dr. Rick!!

#2: boy, 12 oz. brindle: Taxi!! was born in car on way home.

# 3: boy, 10.5 oz., brindle, born 20 minutes after brother

first pushin!!!!

2009-05-27T16:15:00.000-07:00

every 5 minutes or less

argh

2009-05-27T09:31:00.000-07:00

first stage: diggin' to China, milk comin' in.

no contractions yet.

temp:99.32º

puppy alert

2009-05-26T22:14:00.000-07:00

Kayla's temp dropped to nearly 98º. She hasn't eaten hardly anything all day, not even ice cream...

All because Kim Kiefer packed her car today.

and just in the nick of time

2009-05-24T14:40:00.000-07:00

ok so it still needs pigrails...

Kayla checking it out...

"Are you sure about this?"

Thank you to Thomas for helping me get this done. It's designed to break down when not in use and is light enough to be carried by 2 people when assembled but sturdy enough for the whole brood to knock about a bit.

I welcome any questions, suggestions, criticisms of our whelping box prototype.

99º!

2009-05-24T09:25:00.001-07:00

:-)

tiny bubbles

2009-05-22T20:44:00.000-07:00

Kayla soaking up the extra belly rubs. There are puppers wrigglin' in there. I thinks she's gonna 'slode!

beast eyes and belly of the beast

2009-05-17T17:54:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Chloe for these photos.

Let's go CERF'ing now....

2009-05-17T16:52:00.000-07:00

Drove the 3 girls down to a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel club event for what was supposed to be super cheap CERF's. Oh well. At least it wasn't too expensive.

All 3 got "Normal" on their paperwork. Yay!! "Best eyes I've seen all day." Well, considering the only other breed there...

Poor Kayla. She's huge-normous. With 2 weeks to go give or take... I'll take pics and post later. She stands at the bottom of the stairs and looks at me as if to say: "I don't think I can do this much longer."

Elma BOB photo

2009-05-14T19:07:00.000-07:00

She makes me so happy I grow extra chins. sigh.

Kayla loves her Dr. Rick

2009-05-13T13:20:00.000-07:00

After the seminar I wrote about and learning about pyrometra I wanted to be sure there wasn't something I was unawares about. We love our vet, Dr. Rick of Orchards Veterinary. He is so-o-o nice and talks to me like I have a brain in my head. Love that.

He confirmed she is preggers and healthy. NO pyrometra. Yay!!!

35 lbs. so far.

have to share...

2009-05-11T15:57:00.001-07:00

My Lexie brought home Happy Mother's Day gifts today.
Included was a list of "My mom's favorites"

My mom's favorite food is "soybeans." (Ummm, no.)

My mom's favorite color is "greenish blue." (That's one of them, yes.)

My mom's favorite place to go is "the mall." (?!! No.)

My mom's favorite sport is "walking." (ok. It's involved.)

My mom's favorite animal is "a tiger."

My mom's favorite thing to do at home is "nape." (I think she means nap. That's in the top 10 for sure.)

I like it best when my mom and I "snuggle." (Awwww.)

My mom is super because "she is a great mom." (Awwww, again.)

(and drum roll please.)

The funniest thing my mom ever did "tooted and made the dogs bark." (I swear that wasn't me. And yes my fingers are crossed.)

Little doubt...

2009-05-10T20:22:00.000-07:00

Yep, Kayla. You'll be just like that. For weeks... Thanks in advance.

a very good day

2009-05-10T17:55:00.000-07:00

Today is double momma's day for me as it is also my youngest, Lexie's, birthday. We had a great day at Cannon Beach. Gorgeous weather and a sweet little town.

Out we go...

Remember when you were 7 years old and stripped down to your bathing suit no matter how cold the water was? brrrrrrrrr.

Not as noticeable in these pictures as I'd like but I was trying to show off another soon-to-be mother. I'll try again later.

Lexie has a special bond with the Pan...

...except Pan didn't quite believe the water was all that fine.

Happy Mother's Day.

Elma

2009-05-04T13:07:00.000-07:00

It was a great weekend. Wonderful to see good friends. Some I haven't seen in a while. Others are becoming family. I had my first experience handling more than one dog as I had both Pan and Celie entered.

My luck in the ring seemed to go with the weather. Saturday was a constant downpour. Nothing for us that day. Big congratulations for Megan and Greta and for Secret though. We still had fun in spite of the weather. And I got to go back to my "hotel," my home away from home, and take a nap.

Sunday was unexpectedly bright and beautiful. Mark handled Dash to WD (and later to BOW & BOS) and Kim Kiefer handled Mirage to WB. The mad rush to switch Pan for Celie (henceforth known as Squealie as she whined the whole time I was in the ring with Pan) and we went in for Best of Breed. All the competitors are excellent movers. Some judges don't like it when we "go plaid." (Sorry another Spaceballs reference.) We were kindly asked by Judge Patricia Trotter to slow down and go around the ring again. And Mrs. Trotter picked out Celie.

As tired as I was and as much as my back was hurting, it was an honor to take Celie into group. I am especially grateful Kim and Mark hung around to support us. There was no time to go back home and get back in time but waiting for 3 hours is a long time. They are the bestest friends a girl can hope for.

Celie is an awesome girl. I hardly have to groom her at all and she loves the show ring and me so much she just simply can't contain herself. I'll get to test her out in her first rally this Saturday but it's not much of a test for her as it is for me. She will do anything I ask of her.
Except maybe to be quiet. Oh well, nobody's perfect and I guess that's why we have them debarked. Hmmmm.

measuring hope

2009-05-01T08:40:00.000-07:00

On Monday, April 26th Kayla's waistline was 18 1/2 inches.
Today it is 19 inches.
Nipples more pronounced.
And she is telling everyone she is happy and loves them. Definitely more affectionate.

Fingers crossed.
Stay tuned.

out of hiding

2009-04-22T12:00:00.000-07:00

So anybody can read what's going on here again...

Not that I really have that much to say. ;-)

But while I'm on the subject of not going public... :-D
I've heard some people question why someone would opt not to make the records public on the DM results. It may be that they co-own their dogs and they choose to respect the co-owner's privacy. It may be they wish to contribute to the scientific data and make their breeding decisions without a lot of less informed people starting slanderous rumors.

Enough said.

another hurdle

2009-04-21T15:30:00.000-07:00

Kayla's DM clear. And just heard Huxley is too. Woohoo!!!

So far the mantra belly rubbing is working *fine*!!!

"Healthy puppies, free whelp...

I want to drive...

2009-04-03T08:26:00.000-07:00

this to the 2011 Nationals in TX. I just have to stop for a charge every 300 miles. Let's see I can have dinner at the Cannons, lunch at ?, breakfast with Traci or Penni... hmmm. I'm sure there are enough Cardi folks between here and TX and back again.

So True

2009-04-01T13:37:00.000-07:00

Click here for things we can learn from dogs.

X-Puppies

2009-04-01T03:41:00.000-07:00

Well, Penni asked about any planned theme. Funny I had just the other day thought of one I've never heard anyone use but I suppose it's still possible they have.

I was thinking X-Men.

I've put the call name first and thoughts and ideas for registered names in ( ).

Girls: Storm ("real" name Ororo Munroe - sounds like a dog is saying it), Rogue (Raven's Child - or better yet Destiny's Child - so now we know your name*), Phoenix (I know there's another one out there), Sage, Sway (also a cool song), Karma,...

Boys: Have to have a Logan (Wolverine - loved the character before Hugh Jackman and now, well enough said), Charles or more likely Charlie (Professor X), Remy (Gambit), Warren (Archangel), Khan, Azazel, Magnus, Ruckus (kind of obscure but a cute name for a puppy),....

ok, I'm up way past my bedtime...

More names and bios here.

* The R&B and pop girl group Destiny's Child had a song called "Say My Name." A comedian remarked once that "We can't say your name. We don't know your name... We only know your mother's name."

sigh. I guess you had to be there... good night.

Pyometra update

2009-03-31T16:00:00.000-07:00

It's early yet to hear back from the doc and I'm sure she's getting bombarded with questions after the seminar.

But I did find a study online.
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/2409915/INCIDENCE-OF-PYOMETRA-IN-BITCHES--A-RETROSPECTIVE-STUDY-OF-249-CASES

And another case study of a colony of beagles: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11515096?dopt=Abstract

My understanding is that even if progesterone levels are kept minimal (through the use of steroids I imagine) there still is a 15% risk of pyometra in bitches less than 3 years old, the risk gradually increases to 25% by age 6 and more than doubles the following year.

It seems to me that use of mibolerone might do very little as preventative.

Since the risk is there for less than 3 years of age I don't know if there's that significant an increase of risk by waiting another year or two to breed. And when I say I don't know I mean I don't know. By age 2 a bitch can have a few cycles (not counting the very first which is often "silent" as there are no visible signs). I imagine Sedona had at least 3? Celie did and she has the standard 6 month cycle. That is already quite a bit of built up gunk to cause a problem.

As far as the breeding often part? Hmmm. Does it work like this? Once there's a cleaned out uterus from whelping is the bitch basically starting with a clean slate percentage-wise? The numbers going back down and gradually increasing as they age without being bred?

These are questions that may not be answered while I'm involved in dog reproduction. But I think I am going to rely on building and maintaining a good, strong immune system.

A healthy immune system is always a factor in fighting any disease, any infection. There's no blame. It's just life as we know it. Pyometra may result from an ideal breeding ground resulting from the bitch's inability to clean itself out without whelping but the immune system that is kept in peak condition has a reasonably good chance of fighting it off. This take no doubt hasn't been studied at all and I would hazard to guess that the dogs in the studies had conventional and hence poor nutrition.

What I do:
- I am continuing to provide the best diet I can for my dogs. Variety. They are omnivores.
- I avoid antibiotics unless absolutely necessary. They kill the good bacteria in the gut which helps digestion of all those good nutriants. When I use an antibiotic I provide probiotics to re-establish the good guys.
- Exercise. Get them out of their crates and into the fresh air. Let them RUN!!
- Let them get dirty. Okay. They also get cleaned up. But sometimes we stay too clean. A healthy immune system is like a muscle. It needs a stimulus to stay strong and not atrophy. Just staying balanced about the cleaners we use and how often.

Now given enough space, time, and MONEY I might opt to breed "often." I make no judgements about what others do with their resources. But I'm not going to push the envelope for fear-based reasons that may never be realized.

Adventures of dog dating

2009-03-30T15:00:00.000-07:00

The long awaited breeding of Kayla and Huxley is upon us.
On March 19 I emailed Carolyn to say finally the bitch is bleeding. Kayla's body decided to wait a bit longer than the past 2 cycles for whatever reason(s) past understanding. We were sure Kayla would do this while Carolyn was on vacation. So I drove 5 hours down to pick him up and then the next day drove 5 hours to come home. (And managed a speeding ticket. sigh. I deserved it but yes, sigh! and ouch.) Carolyn went on south and back but no sign of estrus from Kayla. Took Huxley home, thankfully Carolyn met me halfway and I was a better driver.

Four days later Kayla went into heat...
So we thought perhaps the timing might be perfect for the Albany show. A hotel room was already available.
When the first encounter happened, Kayla was only on day 9. They both wagged their tails, Huxley sniffed, Kayla sniffed and they both laid down to take a nap. I brought my AI stuff and my bestest buddy and master AI-er, Kim Kiefer. Then the same on Saturday. Huxley, BTW, thinks Kim is quite the comely lass, especially when carrying latex.

That evening I went to the repro seminar. hmmmm. Possibly too soon? Kayla's not standing yet... Ovulation is pretty tough to tell from behavior alone, which is influenced by many other factors:
-When stressed, say from a strange environment, a bitch can voluntarily stop her cycle creating what is termed a split heat. Kayla is not a big fan of dog shows, or hotel rooms.
-A dog's semen can last as long as 6 days but perhaps as few as 2. We don't know how long Huxley's stays viable.
-A bitch's egg is not mature when she ovulates. It's takes a couple of days to "ripen." The seminar speaker, Dr. Kutzler, said best breeding takes place 4 days after ovulation.
-To more accurately pinpoint ovulation one can smear vaginal cells on a slide and view under a microscope or even better a progesterone test. Neither of these tools was available.
-All of these numbers are averages. Could we be dealing with an odd dog or bitch who breaks the rules?

So on Sunday we had little time to wait and see if she would accept him so we just went with an AI. I was worried with all this information this was all for naught. So we agreed that Carolyn take Kayla home with her (I had no room in the car we had to bring Huxley home) to give us some insurance.
Last I heard the lovebirds are playing around and I imagine there will be an au naturelle soon if not already.

Fingers crossed and that all goes well. If so puppies, fluff-free, both parents with awesome hips, will be expected around June 1.

Thanks to Kim and to Carolyn for the opportunity to learn the elementals of this thing called breeding...

Correction made 4/2/09: Dog semen, fresh, can last up to 12 days inside the bitch according to mentor Kim Shira. It's the chilled stuff that has a much shorter "shelf life." So we're pretty confident that fertilization took place. Fingers crossed, spilled salt tossed over the shoulder and all that superstitious stuff. Let the chanting over the belly commence. Sing it with me: "Healthy whelping, healthy puppies..." Huxley has the "no fluffs" covered. Thank you, Sir Hux.

Pyometra and mibolerone

2009-03-29T15:34:00.000-07:00

Michelle Kutzler, a reproductive veterinary specialist and associate professor at Oregon State University gave a wonderful seminar at the CKC show in Albany Saturday night. I'm going to share some of what I learned as I have time.

One interesting piece was the admonition for prevention of pyometra is to "breed early and breed often." I heard a loud clunk on the table in front of me after this announcement. After picking up my jaw she had my rapt attention.

So first what is pyometra? See here. The usual treatment (and prevention) is spay.

She went on to explain that of course one did not want to breed a bitch before her health clearances could be performed. So as close to the 2-year birthday one should plan on having their bitch bred. And then breed her every time she came into heat.

Or one could use mibolerone (marketed as ChequeDrops, which according to her is no longer available because of abuse by athletes). According to her it can be used safely for up to 2 years. It stops the heat cycle entirely but when the steroid is ceased it flushes out of her system before she resumes her cycle. I have hears of breeders using this to control the timing of estrus for showing purposes.

There may be an increase in aggression which is what the athletes use it for. hmmmmm.

Lots to think about. Has anyone had any pyometra or mibolerone experience?

I have a bitch being bred as I write this. She's 4 and 1/2 years old and has had no previous litters. But also no pyometra. Her immune system is kept optimal through diet and exercise.

knowing Latin makes you smarter

2009-03-25T16:52:00.000-07:00

Cato the Elder in his work Mulomedicina Chironis speaks of inedible cooking:

Sed nemo potuit tangere: merda fuit.

("But nobody could touch it: it was shit.")

"Merda" is the one that means "shit." You know. In case you were wondering.

inside as good as outside

2009-03-16T16:23:00.000-07:00

Well, Kim Shira and I are very happy... puppies planned for Autumn 2009. heehee!

Panda' first points

2009-03-09T11:02:00.000-07:00

Panda aka Coedwig's Ling Ling went WB and BOW for her first 2 points yesterday. This was only our second show weekend working as a team so I feel really confident that others see what I see. In spite of freaking a little from the 4Hers sweeping the group ring right next to us the judge, Mr. David Bolus, was very gracious and obviously liked her. Many people stopped us afterward and went on and on about how beautiful she is. I think she liked all the extra attention too. She certainly likes her new toy.

She is not so certain about her new panties. The ones she got after going into season the night before her win.

Pictures coming soon. That is if they turn out.

Update: Pictures did not turn out. sigh... I'll post some of my own next week sometime.

Well I think she's special.

2009-02-21T17:02:00.001-08:00

I included 2 side views because I like them both for different reasons. It's been a while since she's practiced her showgirl stuff but I think she's still got it. And then some.

happy birthday.

Not a puppy any more

2009-02-19T20:38:00.000-08:00

Two years ago a little gwrach came into the world. Way too smart for her own good...

she quickly grew into a stunning... and mouthy... beauty. My kinda girl.

New pictures coming soon.

Mickey Rourke and Loki

2009-02-08T08:01:00.000-08:00

The following link is related to some Oscar nominees including Mickey Rourke. Listen to the commentary and follow the arrows to see all the pictures of him some with his chihuahua, Loki.

No matter how tough someone is, if I learn they understand why dogs are an important, even vital, part of our lives, I can't help but fall in love with them a little.

Mickey Rourke and Loki

hard recall 2

2009-01-15T13:31:00.000-08:00

Well, not exactly a daily activity. It should be.

Today was interesting as I took all four dogs, the three Cardigan girls and Gus who just thinks he's a Cardigan. Gus never has to be on a leash around here. So maybe he thinks he's a human. While he never left my side the three girls heard the click from the snap rings and they were off. It was the first time I worked them all together and as predicted recall was more challenging.
I'm sure I looked and sounded wonderful to my neighbors screaming at the dogs to "COME!!" and them running around like they're deaf and high on meth. I am so grateful for our little acreage out in the middle of nowhere!

Kayla is definitely the ringleader as once I got her to come (or shall I say once I caught up with her) the other two followed. I put the long lead on Kayla and told them to "Go!" Off they went and repeated the lessons from before. This time when they "came" right away they got chicken and cheese. Wow!! So this is what happens to good dogs.
Getting them to "Go" again met with some hesitation but not for long as we know how much a Cardi loves to zoom. Apparently even more than the possible treat in her pocket. And when we go, but not too far and come when she says we get more? What a great game!!! Let's do it again!

After a couple more tries there was more consistent success. I know repeating this with some regularity will prove rewarding by keeping them close to the pack leader (no Kayla I'm talking about me dear) and possibly save their lives someday.

sharing history

2009-01-15T09:35:00.000-08:00

In the latest (20th) edition of AKC's The Complete Dog Book there is this picture representing the Cardigan Welsh Corgi.

Thanks to Paul Chen and Denise Waiting I learned this is Ch. Pendragons Lineleader.
"Bred by Dorothy Reilly. He was a multiple group placer, multiple best in Show winner and a good one to boot. His sire was Ch. Talbots Pilot Programme, who also sired Ch. Kennebecs Ice Anchor. Beep Lee use to show him. He was unfortunately sterile. Many of the breeders from that era thought he was best cardigan the had ever seen. He is an icon of the breed." -Denise.

"Lineleader is the first Cardigan multiple BIS winner. I think he won 3 BIS. A Joe Parky son but unfortunately sterile. Paul Slaboda thought Lineleader was the best Cardigan he had ever seen. His litter brother was Bronco Buster while not as good as Lineleader was at least fertile. Bronco Buster when bred to a full sister to Joe Parky, Joy to the World, produced Ch. Talbot's Life in the Fast Lane (Freeway). Both Kim and I think Freeway was one of best dogs Margaret ever bred. Kim bred to Freeway and got her first BIS/National Specialty winner, Bucky." -Paul.

I asked too why it's such a bad photo and learned that AKC has strict rules about the pictures allowed in this publication. The dogs have to be long dead and top winners.

When you go to the AKC website you will frequently find a picture of Addy (BIS Am Ch McLea's Admiral) who is related. According to Paul Addy "has a strong connection to Lineleader and Margaret's Talbot Cardigans. Addy's Grandsire was Peer who was a grandson of Ice Anchor, who was a Joe Parky son. And Addy's granddam was CH. Westwyn Athena who was a grandaughter of Ch. Talbot's Blackstone Magician, a litter brother to Ch. Talbot's Joy to the World and full brother to Joe Parky."

crossword of the day

2009-01-12T19:44:00.000-08:00

My iGoogle page includes a daily crossword puzzle.
Today's 23 across: Ein of Cowboy Bebop (breed) 5 letters.
Why else would I put it on this blog?
Just added it to my Netflix queue. It's supposed to be a pretty good anime series.

hard recall

2009-01-05T14:21:00.000-08:00

When my dogs call do I come? That's not a grammatical error.

Getting a dog to come when it's called is so important to its safety.
I have been wanting to do it since forever but unsure of myself and not wanting to do more damage than good I blamed my lack of time, lack of energy, the weather.
But enough is enough.
I recently got some advice (thank you Mark Thorson!) on exactly how to teach this vital training. I purchased a long length of rope. Ok so 100 feet of it may have been a bit excessive but I wanted to have it long enough so they'd forget it was there. A snap clip was attached to one end. That, a greyhound collar and some cheese and I was ready.
I started with Kayla. I have to admit I thought it was going to be days and days of working on this. I say this because I trained her to gait by jogging with her and making her stay at a trot. Keeping her from galloping was almost more than she could stand. Took a full mile before she could calm down and just gait properly.
This, however, piece of cake. I let her run and told her "Go!" She took off. About 25-30 feet away and I said, "Come!" She ignored me but I yanked on the rope, not too gently. I wanted to send a clear message that I was serious. I was advised that in this particular situation to drag her if necessary. Fortunately, going that far wasn't necesssary. I kept saying "Come" all the while pulling on her lead. When she got close enough I gave her a piece of cheese and lots of lovin.'
Then all over again with "Go!" and off she went. Over and over and within 5 or 6 times she understood what was expected.
That was yesterday.
Today. She needed a reminder the first time. This time we weren't in the pasture but on the driveway and when the dogs have gotten out they run off up our driveway and down the private road. The full 1/2 mile!! She thought, I'm sure it was time for one of these adventures. "Come!" No? Yank. Oh I see. You mean it here too. After that she came every time.
It's best to work with only one dog at a time and then when they have it solid move on to the thrill of having a cohort. So in the future I will try to share how training two or three at once works out.
1/2 dozen times with her. Started Celie on this training then too. And after Pan (aka Panda) and I worked on show handling. Put everything away and looked at the clock. 1/2 an hour. Um my excuse of not having enough time just bit the dust.

My dogs teach me that obstacles disappear when I stay focused on what really matters.

dog movies

2009-01-03T15:13:00.000-08:00

Know those times when you try to watch shows about dogs with your dogs in the room?

The girls dug out Lady and the Tramp and every time there's a bark or other dog noise they start barking. Funniest of all was when Lady the puppy is whining in the kitchen. Kayla ran to the TV to try and get her out!
She's going to be a good momma.

Gus is snoring through the whole thing. Just like a guy.

Truth or Dare

2008-12-24T14:29:00.000-08:00

Yes. Yes I did.

Narnia

2008-12-22T14:33:00.000-08:00

No sign of Aslan yet...

snow walk

2008-12-20T13:34:00.001-08:00

what dogs know about snow days

2008-12-17T14:20:00.001-08:00

I'm tryin' to sleep here.

First Snow 2008: a photo essay

2008-12-13T11:48:00.000-08:00

2008-11-21T16:40:00.000-08:00

TADA!!!

Yes someone is sitting on my shoulder. Here's proof.
That and I too can't help but look at the thrown toy. woof.

I hate having my picture taken.

Kayla, on the other hand, looks marvelous.

There's a new girl in town...

2008-11-17T18:56:00.000-08:00

And now for my next ring buddy... introducing Panda aka Coedwig's Ling Ling (out of Luther aka CH Visions I Have a Dream & Crystal aka CH FRM Moneypenny). This darling girl is full littermate to my beloved Tarren. Their birthday is March 25, '08.

Thank you so much Kim Shira. And Emily Fish too for parting with her.

Don't you just love that front! That topline! That turn of stifle! And the list goes on. Yummy!!

CH Kayla!!!

2008-11-17T18:46:00.000-08:00

Wow! What a season. As I've said I have learned a lot from my Kayla. The last three shows finished her and then some.

careful what you name your dog

2008-10-21T17:30:00.000-07:00

cuz this one is "Tarren" my heart out. Gawl dang it!!

Kayla's win photo

2008-10-09T16:59:00.001-07:00

Damn!! She does look good if I do say so myself!

Kayla gives her Mama a birthday present

2008-09-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

This weekend marks the two-year anniversary of Kayla coming home to live with us. That and today is my birthday. Anyway Kayla decided it was a weekend worth celebrating.
At Richland Saturday, Kayla (aka C-Myste Kahlua'n Cream) was awarded a 5-point major on a supported entry. Lots of competition. Must have helped to have the Mocha Kahlua the night before. Hmmmmmm. Not really.
This girl has taught me a lot about dogs, dog shows, people and most of all about what she and I have inside ourselves.
Thank you my Kahlua sweetie.

2008-09-15T16:31:00.000-07:00

I've been painting a lot lately. You can see some of my work on my art blog. Today I went to my studio and realized I have fewer canvases than I thought. So I decided it has been a while since I just drew. I was inspired by a fellow artist/dog lover named Kate (see her blog here) to draw dogs again. It has been a while since I used one as a muse. I decided on a puppy named Geisha. I took the photo some time ago because I fell in love with her. So many perfect proportions on this girl's head.

doggie-mobile go boom

2008-08-17T10:34:00.000-07:00

Driving along in my automobile...
when along comes this kid. Poor kid. He forgot to look and pulled out right in front of me. I had no time to brake and with cars in the oncoming lane I had nowhere to go. Van go boom. Thank Dog no one was hurt. Shaken but not broken.
Tore the front end off the kid's sister's (is he going to get yelled at?) '07 Toyota Camry very pretty royal blue. Gave my van a big long owie all along the passenger side, a flat tire that had to be changed in 105 degree heat. And now to wait for insurance and who knows how long to repair. The entire front piece and every piece on that side will have to be replaced or serious repair. I can't open the passenger side front door. I really can't drive it very far because the front tire is rubbing a little on the fender pieces that got squashed in and I don't know if the alignment was messed up.
What I am most amazed about is how I handled it. How everyone handled it. It's hot, late in the afternoon and everyone's hungry. But the first thing I did was check in with myself and told myself to breathe. And then I checked in with everyone to make sure everyone was okay. Someone asked if I wanted to call the cops and I said as long as we can just get our information exchanged to let the insurance companies deal with it no. So it took a while for the kid to find his insurance and then his brother helped me change my tire. (Why don't they make lugnuts easier to get off? Well, yeah. Good point.) As I drove away everyone was so relieved. One woman thanked me for being awesome. But really no one was hurt and cars are just things that can be repaired or replaced.
Maybe I should take up peace negotiations in the Middle East? Okay so maybe that's a bigger deal.
And then now to deal with the insurance. His fault so maybe no big deal for me right? That's another story..... Seems there's been some mix up on whether it's been paid....
Breathe, breathe. Wah-ah-ah. Breathe.

Wowsa, if I do say so myself

2008-08-12T08:01:00.001-07:00

Celie could have stood a bit more grooming. They both could but we were running out of daylight.
Thank you to Kim Kiefer and Mark Thorson for your help with getting these wonderful photos.

Celie is nearly 18 months.
Tarren is 4 and 1/2 months.

I am so thrilled at how these two are developing. I am one lucky girl.

Puppy Soufflé

2008-06-06T21:26:00.000-07:00

Rainbow in the sky

2008-06-03T19:58:00.000-07:00

Tonight as we settled the girls into bed they happened to see out the front window an intense rainbow. I didn't get my camera in time to catch the double. We talked about the rainbow and what it means in various cultures. Of hope, of life and afterlife.
They also know that it is simply light broken into all its colors by the droplets of rain. Rain is symbolic of sadness but also of cleansing. Very powerful metaphors.

Lessons I am learning

2008-06-02T17:07:00.000-07:00

That we can always learn to do better and hopefully will before something bad happens. There's always room for improvement.

That shit happens to even the best and most responsible people. This doesn't mean we don't try to do our best but there should be room for forgiveness because most of us really are doing the best we can at that particular moment. This includes forgiving myself because only then can I share this compassion with others with any sincerity.

And finally, while we still have to get on with our daily lives that's not the same as losing hope.

I vow to work on becoming even more vigilant and more diligent along with occasionally allowing myself to breathe in order to appreciate each fragile moment I have with those I love.

Week of Hell

2008-06-01T12:52:00.000-07:00

My poor Skye. I let you down. I failed you. Where are you, you crazy boy?

Thanks to everyone who offered support and advice. I am so glad to have friends. The kind who try to help and are compassionate. I know others may be angry. I understand them. I am angry with myself too.

I've given a flyer to as many vets in the area as I can. I'm going down to the Humane Society again. Someone told me just calling isn't enough because she had an experience where the staff person didn't know her dog was there. And ads have been placed on Craigslist and in The Columbian. Shelley Camm (have we ever met?) forwarded the ad to the K9Amber Alert. She also offered other suggestions and I'm working on following through on what I hadn't already tried. I've let all our neighbors know to keep an eye out. I've been out in our "backyard" and over behind our closest neighbors.

We've replaced the bungee cord with a chain. We were already making plans for more kennels and fencing the perimeter.

We had a dream in moving here. Its myth of peace. But now? The illusion is shattered completely. So many square miles. Which path to choose?
The hardest choice for me is giving up. I am so sad. And tired.

Oh, Skye

2008-05-28T12:41:00.000-07:00

We lost Skye last night. The girls and I worked on a poster and put it at the end of our road where everyone gets their mail. We live on a dead end road with only a few houses in the middle of forested land. I'd like to believe a neighbor would find him but fear the worst. We have wildlife everywhere.

Lexie made the above shirt. Yes, she drew him all by herself.

He is very much missed.

What's in a name?

2008-05-26T06:53:00.000-07:00

Kim Shira and Leo Eickhoff named him Stoney. I wanted him from the get go and the more he matured the more I hoped. I wasn't sure if it was the right time for another addition and debated but I could tell Kim wanted me to have him, partly because we live close by and partly because we've become very close friends. I emailed her one day that I wanted him and would take him. The subject heading was Stone's Throw. She liked it as a registered name and it stuck. I like Tarren as a call name. If John Wayne's real name was Marion I think Tarren can also be as manly.

I love music, especially the kind that really talks about life and the lessons we learn (or should anyway) as we live. I found this today and I think it will be Tarren's theme.
A Stone's Throw From the Soul by Mary Black.
Listen to it here.
Read the lyrics here.

Tarren (Tarrin, or Tarran)

2008-05-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I did a little more research and found that convention says Tarren is a girl's name. It means "from the knoll" when used as a name. The word itself means "rock" or "hill." Okay. So Tarrin is a boy's name and means "Earthman." Tarran means "thunder" and is also masculine.

Okay. So should I change the spelling or, ....
honestly, I don't care.

Calming Signals

2008-05-20T16:27:00.000-07:00

The full title is On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals by trainer and behaviorist Turid Rugaas.

"The vacuum cleaner makes this dog feel threatened. She lies down in order to indicate her discomfort at being in this situation." Uh, right. If a dog is uncomfortable it's going to lie down and rest.

"Scratching is often the dog's way of showing stress." Couldn't be 'cause it has an itch.

Other signals a dog is feeling emotionally stressed and threatened and is trying to calm itself or another down include panting, yawning and licking their own muzzle.

Give me a break.

words to live by

2008-05-18T19:12:00.000-07:00

"Life is short, break the rules, forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably and never regret anything that made you smile."

I can't find the author but I think it must be a dog.

Tarren stacked

2008-05-18T19:07:00.001-07:00

Few things cuter than a puppy

2008-05-14T12:34:00.001-07:00

My friend and mentor Kim Shira (see link over there) has two litters. One litter has been old enough for kids to socialize. Kim has taken a shine to my girls. (I can't say I blame her- I'm kind of keen on them myself.)

We've been over twice now. I'm waiting for video to get ready as Thomas has a new toy but the following are stills I'm particularly fond of.

Are you coming home with me? I think you are, yes, I do!!

She's a champion!!!

2008-02-02T18:36:00.001-08:00

It's been a wild ride. But it's not over yet. We have to get more letters on her name now, don't we?

2007-12-21T16:42:00.001-08:00

Tada!

Celie's halfway there

2007-11-25T11:54:00.001-08:00

I still can't believe what a great weekend we had. (November 10 & 11, '07) To get a 4-point major one day would have been a thrill, but both days? WOW!! Celie (Coedwig's Sail On Silvergirl) has both her majors and 8 points. (A dog needs a total of 15 pts. and 2 majors in order to be declared a champion.) I am so proud of this girl.

And I paint too

2007-07-24T15:41:00.000-07:00

This is a painting I made today. Yes I take commissions! Check out my other blog.

Learning more every day

2007-07-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/rawfeeding/
I got this link from my friend, Carolyn. It seems like a good resource for raw feeding. I've had a problem with a couple of dogs, the bulldog in particular, gulping their meal. Not a problem if it's ground but bones need to be chewed a bit or they (sorry for this) come back up. Usually right away.
I posted earlier that I group feed. Maybe they need more space? It is suggested in the archives not to hover or else they can worry about me taking the food away. Hmmm. But what is supervising and what is hovering? And yes, I will take something away if there's a problem. I'm the alpha right?
For now I am going to try just offering bones from larger animals: beef and pork and mutton.
There's a lot to learn.

2007-07-19T11:09:00.000-07:00

This is Celie at 5 months. Tomorrow is her birthday. She's my first puppy that I have raised. She's spunky but loving and oh so smart. Aren't those the most amazing eyes you've ever seen?

group feeding

2007-06-29T09:48:00.000-07:00

I feed my dogs together. Unless the adults have a recreational bone, and hence more time than I care to spend supervising, Thomas or I feed them all together, separate bowls but shared space. By shared space I need to make clear that they have plenty of room to wander around if they finish.
I fed Kayla and Skye in their crates until we got Celie and Gus. When I got Celie, Kim told me how she feeds her dogs. And I watched Cesar Milan demonstrate how he feeds on his DVD. I don't know if I would want to feed this way with that many dogs. Four is working, and that's with little sneak-thief Kayla who wolfs her portion down and then sees if she can snatch a bite from the others.
Honestly, I don't think Gus would have eaten this morning if he hadn't had competition. (Is this similar to us? We will eat even if not hungry when we see others enjoying food. Which is probably why I can't lose the extra 20-30 lbs. I've packed on since moving to FL. )
I can guess that some may view this as a problem but it has been working for these two months. There have been no fights because we watch over them and make sure they leave each other's meal alone until they are walking away from it. If they have a rec bone I put them in their crates. If I have no time to watch over them I put them in their crates.
It's been interesting. I can see how they eat and know what they prefer. Celie for instance is very particular. She likes to eat the muscle meat bits first, then the cottage cheese and last the organ meat. Gus-Gus eats his all together. Kayla eats everything as quickly as possible and is usually the first one finished. She is like this in her crate as well. Skye takes his time and when finished likes to lick his lips for a while and make sure he's got all the bits off his teeth.
My understanding is this enforces pack bonding and that Thomas and I are the alphas. The alpha decides who gets to eat. We make each dog sit before they get their meal. When one dog sits he gets fed and the others are kept back while he gets to eat. They soon realize they aren't getting theirs until they listen. Kayla has taken the longest to get this concept and at first had to be made to sit by us pushing her butt down. Now she is getting with the program and sits although still is usually the last one to do so.
I know this sounds involved, complicated, but it really only takes about 5 minutes.

Tom Lams

2007-06-28T12:15:00.000-07:00

Do any of you know of this guy? The instructor is Tom Lams. He says he's been training and handling dogs since the '50's.
Meeting him has been totally luck of the draw. He took over the handling class in Washougal we had heard about and it's been moved to his house near Camas, about 20 minutes from where we live.
Thomas went a couple of weeks ago and the rest of us watched. Due to illness and lack of transportation we missed a couple of weeks but last night Chloë and I went to his handling class together.
This guy is amazing! He showed me how to get her to stack on the table without lifting her front feet, how to straighten her topline with the slightest, gentlest pressure to her chest, and how to move so she moved well. His attitude is totally positive for both dogs and handlers. He was wonderful with Celie, too. Told us how to deal with her "tantrums" on the table. He was very impressed with Chloë too. Said she has all the makings of an excellent handler. She only came really to help me with Celie because I needed to practice with Kayla. Now she's reconsidering handling again. shh.
There was one particularly funny thing that was said. He worked with a very newbie woman/cocker team first. While showing how to get a dog used to a lead he said, "Dogs learn in threes." Then he handled Kayla. I said, "It's taking her more than three times." "Well, she's a Corgi." We laughed. I'm sure some may have misinterpreted this to mean they were slow but I knew what he meant. All of you know how willful they can be. Kayla's one of the worst.
I googled his name and I guess he teaches seminars. So if any of you find that he is going to be teaching near where you live I strongly encourage you to attend. And if any of you are in the Vancouver area on a Wednesday I'll give you the info for this drop-in handling class.

Skye's new attitude

2007-06-28T07:58:00.000-07:00

My dear boy. Beautiful, beautiful blue Skye. He is finally getting that Celie is fun. I've had to keep a muzzle on him so he wouldn't hurt the other dogs. But last weekend I noticed how well he was playing with Celie. Last night I tried leaving the muzzle off and see what they did. (Gus-Gus the Bulldog, and feeling all of his 6-month-old testosterone, was crated during this experiement.)
At first, Skye just rubbed his face on the carpet as if to say, "You really mean I can keep that thing off?" And then the little Celie went for him. I held my breathe. I could almost hear his brain go "Hey!" He crouched down to say, "Well, come on then." And she did. They wrestled and chased and played for over an hour. Hopefully, I can find the time later to post the pictures I took.

I was wondering if anyone could tell me what they think brought about the change. Gus is, as I say, feeling all his boyhood. And he's definitely alpha. Would this explain Skye's change of attitude, understanding that a new guy is in town? Or is Celie just getting big enough and girlie enough that Skye wants to play? Kayla still plays with her. What I mean is she isn't threatened by her. Last night she just watched and even grumped a bit when they got too close. But this morning all three Cardis were playing together. (Gus was busy mooning over Thomas leaving for work. He loves his daddy so.)

I'm leaving the muzzle on until I can be sure that while my back is turned he's still behaving, especially with the other boy.

--Later that morning: Experiment with Gus shows Skye still doesn't like him. Muzzle and pressure to partition dog run back on. Oh well.

on feeding

2007-06-18T13:03:00.000-07:00

Like many dog owners concerned over the quality of commercial dog food I have recently switched to raw, homemade meals and treats for my dogs. We have four dogs, each with slightly different needs. While I vary the theme for each of them I am as practical with their food prep as I am with my human family of 5. Same basic meal with a little extra this or that depending on their individual needs.
We start with meat. Columbia River Natural Pet Foods has a wide variety of meat. Some like the chicken with bones and beef mixes are less expensive than what you pay for hamburger. Other meats they offer are less expensive than what those meats intended for human consumption. But if I can't get to the specialty pet stores that sell it I use ground beef. I use ground meats particularly for the puppies as their teeth and jaws aren't strong enough to tear the meat away or break up the bones. For the adult dogs I offer meaty bones including chicken thighs, legs, wings, parts of the whole chickens that my human family won't eat (necks, backs, etc.), soup bones, oxtails, knuckle bones. When it comes to the chicken bones I've been amazed at how they wolf them down. Frankly I was worried at first as they seem to bite down hard, crack the bones and swallow them virtually whole. After several weeks neither of my adult dogs has had any problems resulting from this and I am not finding any evidence of the bones not being digested. Feces seems normal, occasionally whiter than before I fed them raw. I admit, however, that this is hardly a scientific study of the matter and controversy continues about whether to feed unground bones, raw or not to your pets. All I can say is thus far there have been no problems.
One meat I am sure to feed only after cooking is salmon. Raw salmon and trout from the Pacific Northwest can contain a parasite that can make dogs sick or even kill them. I've read that freezing the fish for 24 hours kills the parasite but need to do more research. I prefer to give canned salmon with the bones. I also sometimes have fed canned sardines or tuna.
To the meaty bones or ground meat/bone mixtures we add 1 T. yogurt or cottage cheese for the beneficial bacteria, an egg with the extra Omega Fatty Acids or more usually a squirt of EFA supplement, and a vitamin mix made by Holistic Pet Center . I am going to start adding more vitamin C. Dogs, like humans, no longer produce this important antioxidant. A friend and mentor, Kim Shira, who turned me on to feeding raw told me that they have found that supplementing with vitamin C aids in the prevention of hip dysplastia. (Yes, this is a genetic disease but it apparently prevents the problem from fully manifesting.) I will add a little more each day to determine how much each dog can tolerate. The feces starts to get too loose and I'll cut back to the more tolerated dose.
As far as how much my adult dogs, Skye and Kayla are getting about one cup or so of food twice a day. My 4-month-old puppy, Celie gets about 3/4 cup 3 times a day and Gus-Gus, the 6-month bulldog eats about 1 1/4 cups 3 times a day. And they all get a treat every so often. All are maintaining healthy weight with good muscle tone and little body fat.
As I say I am very new to this way of feeding my dogs. But I am happy with the results. It is costing us more. Probably 2-3 times more depending on what I can find on sale. So I make my own coffee and don't get one of those overpriced, fattening hot milkshakes at the gourmet coffee stores. Well, not as often. It seems to be evening out.

Not enough time

2007-06-09T22:19:00.000-07:00

Never. Not for all that I love in my life. I love so many things. I love my husband. He's my best friend. I love my family. I absolutely love being a mom. I love homeschooling my three daughters. I've discovered I love history. I love drawing and painting. I love gardening. And I love dogs. This is the place where I can talk about all the things I love....but mostly it's a place where I share what I learn from my dogs.
Dogs are my bodhisattvas, my enlightened beings, that remind me to value each moment. They don't live in the past or the future. They are here and now and are very present in the present.
Dogs love many things too. Mostly a good snack. They nap when they are sleepy. They can derive such pleasure out of sniffing the smells in the air. A good run, like when there is a squirrel to chase, is exhilerating.
Life is short and even more so for them. Maybe that's why they don't dwell on what could have been or worry about tomorrow's possible crisis. They remind me that the treasure we are looking for is right in our own backyard. And it only requires a bit of digging.