Its on the rise

So Ms Frieda seems to be doing what she is supposed to do. Yesterday Progesterone was 18 which means it is on the rise and hopefully getting ready for a pregnancy. Tanner is no longer interested and the Dr Sheerin now says it is up to Mother Nature Hey Mother Nature, do the right thing, we need some puppies around here

What is up with this weather

Yesterday, cold and windy. Today 60 degrees. What in the world is going on? Every day is like living in a different part of the country. One day is likel living in the northeast the next like living in Florieda. Everyone I know is sick. EIther with siinus or headaches, it is just not right. And the dogs, well they don't even know what to do. I guess no snow this year, until the spring of course.

To bring him or not

So.we are entered this weekend in WIldwood NJ The last time I was there for the dog show there was a blizzard and we were without power for the entire weekend , but that is another story for another time. Anyway, I am taking Mimi and Tanner, or maybe not. I have the two dogs and only me. Get the problem?? So, it will be easier to just leave Tanner home. I would then just have Mimi and it would be easy in and out. But the other half wants me to bring Tanner. Wants me to go up against the big dogs. I would just assume leave him home and enjoy the weekend with my book and my one dog Ummm what to do????

Why I go to dog shows on the weekend

So I am home this weekend which does not happen often. So. I had to go outside and 'help" clean up the backyard, I had to shop at the Walmart with him "helping and now I have to watch a tennis match that I already know who won. Why I go to dog shows on the weekend is because I love my husband and want to keep it that way.

I have one stupid dog

So, Mr Sneaky Pete wrecked my breeding plans for Freida. So we made the deciision to go ahead and do the breeding full force. Why not? If I am in for a penny I an in for a dollar. So we say Tanner have at it. Well now that he has free rein of her, he wont breeder her. What is wrong with this dog. He says, yea no really don't want to anymore. I only wanted to when I thought that someone else might get her, I dont want her but I don't want anyone else to have her either. I could sometimes just kill him. I also think that he is smatter than us. That is pretty sad.

ready or not

So the vet called and it looks like she ready. I will test her tomorrow and than again on Monday but if all goes normally, which it hasn't, she is ready to be bred. The question is should we try to get to another dog and do a dual sire litter or just go with Tanner. Tanner was never really my first choice for her. They were closely related and more importantly, she always gave me an out to another pedigree away from Tanner. But now how doI call someone and say, my bitch is ready today to be bred and by the way, Tanner has already bred her. So the best thing may just be to go all in on Tanner. Oh these dogs give me gray hair.

Oops

So Tanner is one tricky dude. We have had girls in and out in season at the house and non of them have been for Tanner. So Freida came back in two months early and it caught us off guard. We had no dog planned and we were scrambling. Took her to the vet yesterday to see where she was at and was going to spend most of today trying to figure out what to do with her. Well, this morning I went out to call her and her and Tanner were tied. Well,well, well. Not exactly what I had planned. they are cousins. Not too close, but...

I went up to sit with them and Tanner gave me a look like no way was she going somewhere else. He gave no indication that she was ready, but she is. And he has never bred a girl this fast before, wham bam thank you mam. So we will see.

picking the right dog

so this breeding stuff is not as easy as it looks I am trying very hard to find the perfect dog for each of my girls. I think that when I call a prospective stud dog owner, I have a pretty good package. My dogs are ch, with all of their health clearances. I have done my homework and by the time I have reached out to the owner of the stud dog I expect for them to be happy to work with me. That does not always happen. Sometimes for whatever reason the answer is no. I am always a bit shocked but it happens Now on to the next choice. This is not easy

This puppy

So we let the puppy out at night and he runs in the opposite direction of us. He is fearless. Last night he stumbled upon one of the bones. He wrestled it to the ground and brought it in the house. And that is when the fun began. All night the puppy lost control and gained control of the bone. When one of the big dogs got it from him, he barked and barked at them until he was able to get it back. Then he would run back and forth with this bone that was three times too big for him until one of the big guys took it away from him. This went on for most of the night. It was quite the show. Certainly better than anything on TV

Oh the Heartbreak

So, at my house we are kind of bummed. Yesterday we wait and wait for the big game to come on. Then we watch, we scream at the TV we cheer and we bite our nails. And then it happens, can we believe, we really cant it would be too much. They lose. All too closely they lose. What a disappointment. Our team, the Ravens lose in the most heartbreaking way. They had so many chances, and they don't take advantage. What a shame

fighting is not allowed

So ever since True has been here, Freida has been a bit undone. Wr had one incidence when I was feeding them and Freida went after True and True gave it right back to. It was pretty scary, but no one was hurt. My issue was that I did not tell Newell about this. So when I got home late from work, all the girls were out together and Freida went after True again. It took both Newell and I to get them off each other. This time we have a few injuries. True has a puncture above her eye and Freida has one on her lip and jaw. We were all shaking and poor Fiona and Mimi were scared to death. everyone is ok, but new rule at my house no True and Frieda loose together.

The wait begins

So off to pick up True this morning. she was bred over the weekend and all looked good. now we have to wait. we wait only about 4 weeks, but what a long four weeksmit will be. If she is pregnant, than tis will be\ the first litter here in a pretty long time. so lets keep all of our appendages crossed.

So expensive

So when people ask me why my puppies cost so much money I should just show them what I spend in a year on the dogs. Just this weekend for example over 500.00. now that Tanner is not being specialed anymore, it should not cost me as much fo the year, butr I am still in a bit of a hole that I am struggling to get out of. A litter of puppies would go a long way to help my plight. But my experience is that if you begin to rely on the puppy money, you never have puppies and I have experienced this I hare not had a litter in almost 2 years. Much of this issue is that Freida has decided that she is not going to get pregnant again Also, the puppies that I have kept from her, have not worked for me for one reason or another, so Secret, Jada or kendra would be in the breeding program by now if they had worked out for me So I have Freida thatI will try again with this spring and Fiona who is an unknown. Fiona has passed all of her clearances, so now we ust have to let her grow up. Just hang on that is what I keep telling myself. Just hang on and it will turn around.

Go Ravens

So yesterday the Ravens played at home and Newell went to the game and I went to the dog show. But in honor of the game, I wore my Ravens jersey over my dog show clothes. I did look up the judges bio and he was not from Pittsburg or Texas I went with it. Well, he did not have a sense of humor and was very grumpy. So did not wiin with anyone, but I don't think it was because of my jersey and if it was, well then too bad. GO RAVENS

The weekend in review

Spending the weekend with Georgeann and Bob is always really nice. I get my own room and space. I get fed excellent meals, and I am treated like a queen I love coming here. We also, got our bitch bred with great looking stuff. I was able to see the brother to Roland and he is holding together great. We collected Tanner and he still looks great, and Mimi won yesterday. Not so bad. So here we go into the show season.

Losing the breed

Well it happened. I lost with Tanner. It was OK Should we have lost, no but it happened like I knew it would. This judge loves Tanner and puts him up all of the time but without Heather on the end of the lead he really ddint know who he was and in the end went with the dog Heather was showing even though he is the total opposite of Tanner. It is all good. because at the end of the day, it makes losing the breed bearable when you win the major on the puppy bitch that is Tanners daughter and you get the opportunity to get picture with the judge and talk about how when Heather showed your dog he loved him and make him see the error ov his ways. It is all good..

What was I thinking

So.. Mere basically holds all the records at her high school for wormens basketball. Mostly she holds the all time leading scorer title. Well that record was broken a couple of weeks ago and that was great. That is what records are made for, to be broken and we were all very excited for the young woman who surpassed Meres achievement. Well tonight they were holding a little ceremony where Mere honored the girl who broke her record. It was nota big deal. A small ceremonty after the JV game.. I was going to the dog show and that was great, Newell would go with mere...we'll,,I guess it was a really big deal packed gym, tons of people asking where I was Media iterviewing Mere and I was not there. What was I thinking,,How could I not have known this was going to happen. When she was in high school she was a really big deal..I should have known that this would be a big deal. I guess just another thing that I can regret and feel bad about Oh how that list keeps growing.

And so it begins

So, this weekend begins the first time in a long time that Tanner wont be with Heather being shown, instead he wil be shown by me on a limited basis. I do a fine job showing him and I know that he is a nice dog. All of these judges this weekend have judged Tanner before and like him, but Heather has a new special. So I have to tell myself that we may lose, we probably willl lose And it wil be because the judges don't know me and it will take some time to show the judges that I am the real deal. I just know myself and losing with Tanner is not going to be easy. I just want to stay positive and have fun with him and not get mad if and when we lose. Wish me luck.

How is it possible

So this breeding dog stuff can get pretty expensive. We all look for ways to make it as affordable as possible while still doing all we can to ensure pregnancy. On of the tools we use is trackig the progesterone on our females that are going to be bred. The issue is that depending on where you go the price of these tests can be very different. And throughout the course of the season you may need to run as many as 4 to 5 tests. Most of us are expecting to pay about 70 - 90 dollars per test. That is part of it so we bite the bullet and pay it. Recently I ran a test of Freida and it cost 135 dollars.. WOW no way. So can't go back there again. So I try a new guy yesterday for True. Repro guy probably expensive. Imagine my surprise when the total bill was 45 dollars Hello new doctor I am now your new client.

Cut off your nose.....

so.. I really don't get people. I know that through our lives, we get disappointed, people do things that we don't want them to or expect them to do. But why not take those things and turn them into a positive? Why not just wait and see how things turn out instead of trying to manipulate things. We have a situation now that is making me very upset. Our dear friend who has the most generous heart is being penalized for a decision that she and I made. I feel so bad or her but if I step in ( which I really want to do) I could then jeopardize myself. So the counsel is for me to stay quiet and out of it. I really feel bad for my friend and want to make it right, but I dont think I can. Why cant people just act like grownups. I guess some people are just so self absorbed that they cant see beyond their own being. too bad or them.

Busy, busy, busy

So, after spending the entire day yesterday at our health clinic, I got up early to get all of my ducks in a row I swabbed the puppy for dna, I got all the paperwork for the cerf and the heart checks to send off in the mail. Then I drove to Leesburg to pick up True who is not yet ready and swabbed the puppy down there for his dna. Then came home went food shopping and am cooking Newel and fabulous supper of chicken cordon bleu and asparagus. Then off to the shop to drop off the dog food and than home to bed because tomorrow is a work day. I don't know what I would do if I actually had a full time job. Probably cry a lot.

The quiet morning

So one thing that happens with the new puppy here is we are getting up early to let the dogs out and on a Saturday morning Newell would prefer to bo back upstairs and go back to sleep.I thought about doing that this morning, but instead I made my coffee and even though it is really early decided to stqy downstairs with the puppy and enjoy the quiet of the morning. In few minutes I will have to get up and fee everyone, take a shower and head to Lancaster for the York Cluster meeting. So the day will start off like so many of them fast, so I am enjoying this quiet morning, just me, the dogs and a nice cup of coffee.

How many times

So how many times am I going to put the puppy out in his xpen and not latch the bottom clip and he figures it out and let himself out into the bqckyqrd to harass Tanner./ How many times? Well clearly more than what I have done already, since I did it again. And now True has decided she knows how to open the play area to run lose in the backyard with her nemisis Freida. Why cant everyone be happy with where I put them. I know best. Why don't they believe me?

The Shuffle

So two bitches in season, another one ready to come in, and Tanner thinking they are all for him and ready to be bred, evernthough they are not. So 6 am comes, let the girls out, up to the top of the hill in the pen, while Tanner is crying away like the baby he is. Then let the baby out into his pen and than Willow and Tanner. Tanner runs up to the top of the hill just to make sure all of his girls are still here. Feeding them is just about as much fun.. GIrls get fed in the big pen, puppy in his pen, Willow on the patio and Tanner inside on the porch, not that he will be eating now for the next several weeks. And these girls are not even ready to be bred yet. Next week should be fun. The Shuffle keeping him away from them, thati is how you do The Shuffle.

Plan B

So if at first you don't succeed,, you know the rest. Freida is not pregnant, but there are some other option in the oven so to speak. Roxie is getting bred and I have a beautiful bitch coming here to be bred and whelped here. So all things work out the way they are supposed to. Just keep positive and dont get hung up on the things that dont happen. Hopefully all will work out.

New baby is doing great without his brother, He is learning to be a good dog without trying to rip our hands off. All good.

Back to the Routine

Although it is great to have the holidays come with family, friends and all of the parties and gifts,it is nice to get back to the routine, So it was this morning. Up and 6 to let puppies and dogs out. Newell out the door by 7 and me here at the shop. The shop is not as busy which is nice, but the routine is back track.Out of here by 12:30, lunch and than my afternoon snooze. So for those of you who have forgotten, no call between 1 and 4. That is me time.

raising two puppies

So we have had the brilliant idea to take two of tanner's babies and grow them out WHAT A HUGE MISTAKE They are so bad and bratty. They spend most of their day, barking, biting and growling at either us, the other dogs or eah other. they have never heard the word no. They have never been in a crate or xpen and the one will sit in the xpen head looking at the sky like Snoopy howling at the moon unhappy about where he is..Willow is ready tpo kill them and looks at me with a look that says, if I hurt them consider yourself warned. Finally, they will collapse and lay on top of each other totally exhausted and we enjoy the quiet for as much time as we can get, which is not longMaybe a better idea will be to raise them separately. I think we should go with that.

Resolutions

Happy New Year. So as I begin this new year, I will start by trying to make some changes. First on my list. Drink less wine. I know, I know that is just crazy, but I am really going to try. We will see how that goes, wish me luck. I have lost over 15 pounds over the last several months and have a bit more to go, less wine might help me get over the hump. Now don't worry, I am not talking no more wine, just less.