Tuesday, June 4, 2019

CRAZINESS OR WHAT!

This morning at 5 am the shelties all started barking and it went on for a good 15 minutes, I don't know what all the ruckus was about. I finally got up to check and absolutely nothing was going on. So went ahead and took them out and left them for at least 20 minutes. Got the coffee going, a little early for me. Once the coffee was ready brought them up for our coffee hour. Put the two boys out and left them for half an hour, then brought them up to join us. They were so wound up and I don't know why, maybe because Bling is in season and I need to keep her separated. But their sense of smell is so good, that it did not matter where Bling was, they knew.
Sammy has turned into a real love, stays right by me or wants to be in my lap. He also loves the ball, always in his mouth. I need to refresh the toy box, after awhile the toys get destroyed and are no longer safe for them to use.
The pups are finally all in their new homes and all are doing well. I am so pleased with the homes that they have. I hope to get photos as they develop, I love to see how my babies turn out. Maybe pups late fall, but that is a long way off. Walter has been producing beautifully and would like to have some of his pups here. Maybe fall.
Looks like a good day for working outside, more hay to rake and dump and I need to put up the sun screen over the dog yard. I get a lot of sun out there in the summer, wish I got it in the winter but not enough to do any good. They need the sun screen, almost completely covers the dog yard, there is a small section where they can lay in the sun if they feel like it and sunbathing is something that they enjoy. Just imagine if I could put all the shelties to work, things would get done so quickly! Well I need to get moving and take advantage of this good weather. I sure miss my babies, but I know each one is getting what they need and more than I could give them as they grow up.
I NEED A COOKIE, PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!

Sunday, June 2, 2019

THE EMPTY NEST

This morning was a little quieter than usual. My last puppy Coco went to her new home yesterday. I had kept her for four extra weeks as the family had travel plans before they bought the puppy. It is a wonderful home so I did not mind. Though I did not realize how attached I would become with Coco. She was bonded with me too.The people who have her are very excited and she is their first puppy. I have helped them as much as possible and when they have questions they contact me and we work it out. In a week or so Coco will be bonding with them and I will feel good with taking the puppy pen down and putting it away. When the pups normally go to homes at eight weeks, you have been so busy taking care of them and not bonding closely with anyone pup. But when one stays longer it is much harder to let go. I guess this is why I usually keep a puppy. The puppy that definitely was a show prospect was going to be a big girl and probably too large for show, so the decision was made to not keep a pup from this breeding. I will breed Topaz again when she is a little older and will hope for a quality tri color female. I need to be very selective as it is easy to get too many dogs.
Rosie has missed for the third time so she is scheduled for a spay and a dental at the same time.
I did not get a daughter from her, and I did learn with a little older dog there may not be another chance.I truly believe that things happen the way they are supposed to. 
I think the time has come to get my computer room in order, it was my husbands office but I need to pack up his things and turn it into my room. Very hard to do but it is time.
I have missed attending dog class these past two years and think it is time I take either Topaz or Bonnie to learn some basic obedience. I loved going to class and it definitely motivates you to work with the dogs. 
Keeping involved with the dogs is the best thing for me. Losing your spouse of 52 years makes it very hard to start a new life and to keep the old going. I need to continue to live like my shelties do, one day at a time. Someday I may have a new normal. The hardest thing is to make the decisions on the dogs myself, we always did that together. Len had a good eye for a quality dog and he loved to show them.Again I am thankful for the dogs, they keep me going. Caring for pups makes the time fly by. On a more positive note I have met many wonderful people who have my dogs and many good friends have come from being involved with the dogs.
Kaley, a very well trained girl!!

Monday, May 27, 2019

COCO OR IS IT KOKO

Yesterday Minnie went to her new home. It is a great home and I know she will have a good life. I sure do miss her. She is one smart little girl. She and Coco had really bonded with each other and did everything together. Coco seems to be a little lost, she will be going to her new home this coming Saturday. I have been giving her a lot of free time in the kitchen with the dogs and took her out to the agility area to play. She is having a good time and I am doing a little training with her. I don't keep her out in the grass too long as the ticks this year are pretty active. She loves playing with Bonnie who is 11 months and and who is very good with her. Bonnie is still very puppy and enjoys Coco.
I had Coco out with me yesterday while I was loading the dishwasher and she decided that she wanted to help. She jumped up on the door of the dishwasher and was very interested in everything going into it. Too cute to not get a photos.
Sheltie pups are so agile and jumping up on the dishwasher door is very easy for them.
I let her help for a few minutes and then took her off. She sure knows how to entertain herself.
A quiet memorial day here, many memories of my husband Len, who passed due to brain cancer almost two years ago. I don't know where the time has gone, it still seems like yesterday. Len was a veteran and served in the US Marine Corp. He loved the dogs and often showed them. He was very competitive and loved the showing. Make the most of each day, as you never know what tomorrow will bring. My Shelties were my life savers, they gave me purpose each day and fill many hours for me. I can still show my Shelties but it is not as much fun doing it alone. Not sure that I will continue with the conformation showing. I have Walter who has turned out to be a lovely boy and deserves to be shown. Walter is special as he has Lens middle name and was born just a few days after Len passed.  Maybe as time goes on my thoughts will change. For now I am very thankful for my dogs. I try to live like they do, one day at a time!


Friday, May 24, 2019

SAMMY

Sammy is the newest member of the family. He has a wonderful temperament and seems to love being here. It is now time to learn some house manners. House training is coming along pretty good, although does need improvement. It will just take more time. I am starting to teach him to wait before he comes charging out of his crate in the morning. Actually all the young ones are learning this in the morning. When they all come charging out it is chaos and it is much too early for so much excitement. Sammy is catching on quickly, I open the crate and hold my hand in front of him and tell him to wait, if he starts to come forward he will hit my hand and I tell him to wait. He backs up to wait, with a few kisses on the hand while waiting. He is such a ham!! Then I release him and he comes out slowly, which is my goal for all of them. I do this with each one in the morning and they will soon know what wait means and I will be able to use that command anywhere. It is perfect for not letting them charge out the door before you. That could be a safety issue too. 
I now know that Sammy loves news paper. As the pups are so large now I use paper as it is easy to change and keep the puppy pen clean. Yesterday morning Sammy was able to pull a piece of paper out of the pen and proceeded to shred it into a million little pieces, kept him busy for a long time, before I realized what he was doing the kitchen floor was totally covered in little pieces of paper, of course he had some help, Topaz, Bonnie and Walter had joined in.
I need to keep a closer eye when working on the computer. At least he had fun, it did not make sense to get upset, the deed was done, but now if I even hear a piece of paper rattle I am checking on them.
I am going to miss the pups when they go to their homes but I am ready to take the puppy pen down and put the kitchen back in order.  Very soon. Minnie is going home on Saturday, I sure will miss her, such a character. Coco will be going a week from Saturday. 
Sammy will come along very nicely, he listens and he is proud when he figures out something. I am thrilled to have this little guy who is a very biddable dog.
I have some new photos that a friend took for me and I really need to post them.




Wednesday, May 22, 2019

FRUSTRATION

I just spent the last 20 minutes writing all about going up to Illusion Farm to help with whelping a litter of pups. Well the post just disappeared and here I go again. The lady taking care of the farm needed some help with one of the girls who was about to whelp. It is always less nerve wracking to have someone with you through the whelping process. I took care of my dogs, got the puppies all set with extra food and water as I knew that I might be late. I arrived about one thirty in the afternoon and Deana had been in labor for awhile. We sat down to await the arrival of the first pup. Finally the puppy appeared and as soon as mom finished with him we started to dry him and shake the mucous out so that normal breathing could start. Unfortunately this little guy was not breathing and probably had passed awhile ago, probably it was too long before he was born. Always sad to start with losing a puppy. As the afternoon went by six more pups were born and we were kept busy with drying pups and shaking out the mucous to get them breathing well. Finally by six pm all seemed well and I knew I had to go and take care of my dogs. In every whelping you learn something new, just with raising dogs there is always something new coming up, you never know everything and so many things change. Each litter presents something you never saw before, a learning experience for sure. You always feel good when things go smoothly and the pups are doing well. 
I arrived home close to 8 pm and had a bunch of hungry dogs. They had been so good, no accidents, of course the younger ones were crated. I got busy and fed everyone and got them out to exercise, let the pups run in the kitchen as they were confined all day.
Minnie and Coco are the two pups waiting for their homes to be ready for them. They are like twins, just little differences. They love each other and will miss each other. Minnie is going this weekend and Coco the following. I have become very attached to them but they really are ready to have their own home and people. They are smart little girls and so much fun. I will miss them. But I will feel better knowing they will get what I can't give them now. My Shelties need my time and attention.
Finally the agility area is dry and the grass is cut and I can get everyone out to run and really stretch their legs. They need to do the zoomies, which I love to watch. They run circles and go as fast as they can, they just love to run all out.
I may be showing Walter next month so I need to get busy with working with him. It has been such a long winter and wet spring that he has not been out so need to start going places. He had lots of socializing and classes as a pup. He should be ok. I have been working on his coat and it is looking good. 
Well time for breakfast for the kids and they are being very patient this morning. Sometimes they are very naughty but often surprise me and are very good. They usually are not patient dogs but this morning they have surprised me. 
Shelties are so intuitive and so special.



Friday, May 17, 2019

A BUNCH OF BANANAS

Well here it is ten days since I have written. I have been busy with the dogs, lots of grooming to get caught up and doing well with it. Three puppies have gone to their new homes. Two pups still here until the end of the month. They get lots of play time and attention. They are at the age that they need this. The two little girls, Minnie and Coco are bonding with each other. They are so cute and look like twins, exactly the same size.
Went to help a friend whelp a litter yesterday. Did not get home until almost 8 last night. 
The dogs were really good, waiting for their dinner and no accidents in the house. My little cat Girly, did not know why I was gone for so long. She was sitting in the middle of the kitchen table when I came in. She was thrilled to get her dinner. Even cats like their routine.
I have been working in the dog yard getting it ready for fresh stones, it has been a couple of years or more and they really need refreshing. I was not planning on rain today. Guess I can get the rest of the toenails cut and grooming done.
The other morning I was sitting looking at my emails, all the dogs were in with me. It had been very quiet for awhile so I decided I had better take a look and see what was going on. Well I had a bunch of bananas on the table and each dog had a banana or a piece of banana or skin and they were having a feast. Topaz is my table thief, they must have been just close enough for her to reach. I couldn't believe it, a brand new bunch too. My dogs love bananas but I usually only give them small pieces and never any skin. Hopefully they would digest the skin ok and they did, no one had any digestive issues at all. Learned my lesson, no food at all to be left on the table. Once I got over the shock of seeing my bananas gone from the table it was really funny to watch them chowing down. I tried to take them away but it was useless so I just let them finish.
My Shelties certainly keep me on my toes. They keep me going and laughing and I could not live without them.


Minnie at four weeks, sound asleep!

Tuesday, May 7, 2019

LATE AGAIN

Seems like I can not keep up this blog. Two of the pups have gone to their new homes and I will keep in touch to be sure that they are adjusting and doing well. It is hard to let them go but to be honest, taking care of three pups is a little easier. The little boy will be going to his home next Monday. That will leave me Minnie and Cocoa for the next three weeks. As far as care this will be easier but much harder to try not to get attached to these pups. They will have each other for company and I will start a little training with them. I will get them outside when there is a nice day. Will teach them to sit and let them drag a leash around to get used to it.
I know that they will bond with me but once with their new owners they will adjust. Minnie is my favorite, full of personality and vinegar. She is an extremely talkative little girl.
I had thought to work outside again today but the weather is looking like rain. So I think I will do some brushing and nail cutting. The senior dogs nails grow so fast, seems like you cut them and in a week or so they a long again. My seniors are so good, no problems with cutting nails, except of course for Rosie, she is very determined that I will not cut her nails. Such a strong willed little girl. She is still teasing me about being pregnant, one day I think she is for sure and the next day I don't know. Guess all I can do is wait. Two more weeks and we will know one way or the other. I would love to have a Rosie daughter, if she is expecting this is her last time and even if she is not, I will not breed her again. She will be spayed and have her teeth cleaned. I always have both done together as she only has to go under anesthesia one time.
I have a couple of adults that do not like puppies so when the pups are out running the kitchen these seniors are put in another room for a little while. Last night Cocoa was doing zoomies around the table, I have a round table so it is perfect for that. I have never seen such a little one go so fast, she was having a ball. You can't help but laugh, makes you feel so good.
It is really hard to have a litter and not keep a puppy but if Rosie gives me pups I know that I will keep one, unless all boys. I have to be careful to not have too many dogs, I need to be able to care for them all as they deserve and when there are too many it becomes hard. 
My Shelties are such good company, it could be very lonely since losing my husband but the Shelties fill my time and are always with me. I couldn't ask for more. 
Now that the weather is getting better I can get back to training outside and that is much more fun than training in the house. Sammy needs some basic obedience, he did not get that as a pup so we have a lot of catching up to do. I started Bonnie at eight weeks and we need to brush up on what she knows. She has not forgotten, one of the benefits of starting training at eight weeks.
My boys Walter and Sammy have been having some words lately, I know that Walter starts the conversation so I am concentrating on getting him to understand that he and Sammy have to get along. They are both intact so I know that is the problem and especially with Walter as he has to share his home and he thinks sharing is something he does not want to do. We are working it out and both a doing better. Sammy is tending to ignore Walter now and that is perfect. Walter can still be top dog but has to accept Sammy into the pack.
As they get out and get more exercise the problem will get better. I have found that tired dogs are good dogs, exercise is so important. This winter was hard on the dogs, no where to run, too much snow and ice. We all got cabin fever. Time for some fun in my fenced agility area. 
I need to pick up some Wondercide, it is a natural product for fleas and ticks, and it works, so much better than using the chemical spot on. Time to get this day started especially while the pups are sleeping. Once they wake all they want is out and they don't hesitate to let me know.