GUESS WINTER HAD TO COME

This morning when I let the dogs out Deedee the pup did not want to step in the snow and Finn her brother was ready to jump and catch snow flakes. He had a blast. The other dogs have all seen snow before. Brooke will be 10 soon and still does not like to get her feet wet or into the snow. I have to gently push her out. I have decided to find Finn a nice home. He is already 16 inches and at 6 months that is too tall to show or to breed eventually. I am looking for a good home and would like a performance home or one where he would get a little training. He is a really sweet pup and very smart. If I am patient the right home will come along for him. It is disappointing and hard to let go but will be the best for him. I usually just keep Shelties that I can show and breed. Unfortunately the Sheltie standard is 13 to 16" and any size over 16 or under 13 is a disqualification for show and breeding. That makes it hard as some really beautiful dogs are over 16 inches. And I get attached so it is important to get a really loving and safe home.
It is quite cold today but the snow has let up for now. Really hoping that it does not start up again. I am just not ready to get the snow blower out, although it is all ready to go. Hopefully it will warm up some and the snow will melt. 
Thankfully the dogs don't really  mind the snow and they do like to play in it. I need to make sure that all their feet are trimmed so they don't get little ice balls between their toes. When the feathering on their feet gets too long the snow and ice really stick. I call the long hair their snowshoes. 
I am going to make a schedule for training and try to work two of the young dogs every other day and then the other two on the off days. Maybe that way I can get everyone doing the basics. I would love to have them all sit and wear a red ribbon and have their picture taken for Christmas. So sit and stay will be my priority to start with. They will need a really good stay for the pictures. I don't have much time before Christmas. 
This is a hard time of year for me as I really miss Len and he so loved Christmas.I should try to get back into Christmas for his sake. 
Maybe this will be the year.
Pictured below is Finn. He is an awesome pup and very smart. I would love someone interested in training to get him. They would have so much fun.

ADDING TO THE PACK

Even for a temporary visit adding to the pack can be challenging. I have taken on two Shelties to help my friend through the winter. The whole routine is disrupted, the new dogs need to forget their old routine and become part of the pack. The puppy does not understand which door to come into and to stay in while the others are coming in. She runs in and then runs back out.I get a treat and go get her which can be a chase, but now as I approach her she sits and I praise her for the sit and pick her up. By this time the others are all in and making their way upstairs. Thankfully Finn has learned the stairs as for now I need to carry the puppy up. She needs to be more settled in before I try to show her how to do the stairs. They can be scary and that she does not need. I am thrilled that she is sitting as I approach her as she will learn the sit quickly. Being Finns sister I expect her to be as smart as he is. He picked up basic training so easily. I love working with hm. Now that Sammy is back I will continue with his house training and hopefully he will make the connection. He is a good boy and wants to please so I am hoping that this time it will be easier for him.In the morning I take my dogs out as I usually do and then Walter on a leash as he gets over aroused with all the commotion of the dogs going out. Once Walter is out I go pick up the pup Deedee and let Sammy out of his crate and they are the last two to go out. Letting everyone out all at once is too chaotic. My seniors have the small dog yard at the side of the house now so they do not have to go downstairs, this is really helpful. Walter and Sammy have accepted each other well for two teenage boys.The one who is really in charge in the house is Keeper and he does not hesitate to let the others know that what they are doing is not acceptable. They all respect Keeper and will back off when he gives a warning. I think by a week the new dogs will be well integrated and will have learned their place in the pack.  I brushed Bling yesterday and took out enough hair to make another dog. They don't usually shed this much twice in one season but it has been a strange weather year and they are all shedding again. Glory is completely brushed and bathed and her coat looks wonderful. 
The inner clocks are going off so I need to get dinner ready, it is a bout 2 minutes before 4 and they know it.

I call them my mob!

TIME SURE GETS AWAY

Went to visit my friend Kathleen, Illusion Farm Shelties, I brought home Sammy and Deedee for the winter. She has a lot of Shelties and needed to take a couple less.Two are going to another friend and Sammy and Deedee will be here. I don't really need two more dogs but I wanted to help. Sammy seems very happy to be back here. Deedee is Finns sister and I will do some training with her. Just some basics,while I continue to work with Finn. I plan to join Susan Garrett's on line training program again this winter. It is a very motivating program. It will keep me on track with the young dogs.
Almost dinner time and every one is sleeping and being good. As soon as I say the dinner word they will be up and raring to go.
The rain is finally leaving and I see some sun, now that it is ready to set. Hopefully my dog yard will dry out tomorrow. The dogs don't seem to mind the wet and rain but I don't like for them to get very wet.I am so looking forward to some warm days, at least a few before winter really hits. Can't believe how the dogs are shedding again. Brushed  out Bling completely today and got a shopping bag full of hair. It is so late in the year for this.
Well I do need to get feeding, they are now getting antsy. 
All for now!

Deedee

BEAUTIFUL BISCUITS

I know this is kind of crazy to write about but I have been on a search for dog biscuits, that are healthy, no additives of any kind and grain free. I think that I have tried every kind of biscuit that there is for dogs. Of course the dogs have tried them and they love them all. Well I wanted something not too big,  no preservatives and healthy ingredients and preserved naturally.
Well I have finally found them, they are called Wag More,Bark Less. They are grain free, have pea flour, canola oil, flax seed, peanut butter and apple. The dogs went crazy over them. They are not too big and not small, some are star shaped with happy faces and others are round with dogs sleeping under a cloud. They look like homemade cookies. It makes me happy to find something that the dogs really love. Funny how little things can mean so much.
Sammy is coming back to visit for the winter months. I am looking forward to seeing him again and maybe I will be able to house train this time. Also Finn's sister is coming to visit too. I will be doing some training with her. I am doing this to help out my friend, Kathleen. Just don't want to get too attached to them. I know that I will. Sammy and Walter will have to readjust to each other and hopefully they will get along well. 
Well it is time to feed dinner and the dogs clocks are going off. They always know when it is dinner time, more so than breakfast time. Breakfast can fluctuate about half an hour or so.
But if dinner is late they sure let me know. Hopefully warm enough tomorrow to walk.
All for now.

HAPPY WINTER

NOT READY FOR THIS

I know that everyone is feeling the cold and the wind that makes it even worse. My gates were frozen this morning and had to take a shovel to loosen them. The water bucket was solid ice.
The young ones are out for a few minutes this morning, they seem to handle the cold fine. They run and play which keeps them warm but I feel cold just watching them outside so they will be in soon. Enough time to take care of business and then will be in. They are still blowing coat and it does not seem to matter. I am going to do more brushing this morning, trimming nails and feet so that when we get real snow, the ice and snow will not accumulate between their toes. When the hair gets too long on their feet I call them snowshoes as they really pick up the snow. I guess that this unexpected winter will be with us for awhile. I miss walking on the trail with Rose and Finn. Finn needs the training and Rosie needs the exercise to drop a few pounds.
Maybe by the end of the week the temps will moderate and I can get out there.
I need to get moving now with Walters on line trick class. He does the hi five beautifully and he loves to do it. I think next I will try teaching him to sit pretty and then the touch command. 
I think too that I will work with Finn also. He is so smart and loves to learn. He has just managed going down the stairs and he is so proud of himself. He has been coming up for some time but going down is scary and took him awhile. Now I don't have to carry anyone down and that makes life much easier. Thankfully the sun is out and sure hope that it warms up some.
You would think that with all the brushing I do I would get caught up, but it just keeps coming. It would be nice to have a whole house vacuum that would just suck up all the dust bunnies, which really are sheltie bunnies!!
Out to get the young ones, they will be full of it this morning for sure, but thankfully I have Keeper and he is my discipline helper. Such an awesome boy.He keeps the young ones right in line. Hope you all keep warm and don't leave the dogs out too long.

This is Girly and she is in charge of all the Shelties, they really respect her.

Blowing Coat and It Is Winter!!!

This morning it was 28 degrees and just plain cold. And I still have dogs blowing coat. It has been a strange year for coats, seems like they have been blowing since August. I needed a jacket and gloves to clean the dog yard this morning and boy it was cold. The dogs love it, they run and chase and play, they had a blast. Next spring I am going to enlarge the dog yard so they can run full tilt. It is so much fun watching when they get the zoomies. Last night they were in and out of the dog houses and over the dog houses. I will do some more brushing today to get rid of any loose coat. Then hopefully they will start growing their winter coats. Normally when Shelties are in full coat, under and outer coat they are quite warm and can handle most any weather. Finn has lost all his puppy coat and is pretty naked, it will be awhile before he has any coat to warm him up. He doesn't seem to mind at all, just as full of it as all of them. I think this cold makes them feel good and they just get real frisky. 
I visited my friend Kathleen yesterday to help her with some on line record keeping. She will be going to Florida the end of the month and now Sammy and possibly Woody who is a son of my Walter will be spending the winter with me.Only four months so will not be hard to have two more for those four months. Woody is just a little older than Finn so they should have a great time together.
Walter is going in for his OFA hip x-ray next week and fingers crossed that they are good. His father has excellent hips so hoping for good or better. This is part of the testing we do with our breeding dogs, so that we can guarantee healthy pups. Two of the most important tests are  the eye certification and hip x-ray. Another test that is good for all dogs to have is the MDR1 which is a medical drug resistance test. If it is normal then your dog will likely be able to tolerate most drugs without problems. If it is not normal then there could be medications that you would need to be careful using with your dog. This is an important test for any dog.
Need to get busy since I took yesterday off. Thankfully I am ready for winter except for lots of coats to brush. 

SNOW BEFORE YOU KNOW IT

LEASH WALKING

When I went to visit my friend on Friday I took Finn with me. The little stinker would not walk from the car to the house, not far at all. He sat and would not move. Well we have a vet appointment tomorrow and I know he is able to walk from the car to the door. So today we took a nice long walk on the trail. A few little pieces of chopped up roast beef made all the difference in the world. He was not good on staying on my left side but that will come in time. Every so often I would call him front and have  him sit. He did quite well with that. We did meet some people on the trail and he was a little unsure and then decided that they were fine and even wanted to jump on them, he knows the word off and came right off. He was behaving so well. We walked for a good half hour and I really enjoyed the progress he was making. I plan to get him out every day that we have good weather. This little guy is so tuned in to me and has so much potential. I have to find a class this spring for basic obedience and eventually a beginner agility class. I think that he would love it.
Rosie is usually my walking partner and she was pretty upset that I did not take her this time. I had to be sure that Finn walked well enough before I take two of them. Rosie loves to walk with me and gets pretty bent out of shape when I leave her. Tomorrow if the weather is good I will try taking both of them. I am so excited with Finn's attitude and I am really looking forward to training him. He has that spark in his eye and can be very intense. I plan to start him on tricks along with Walter. Pups grow up so fast, you don't want to waste any time and put training off, I am so glad that I started him at 8 weeks and worked him through 16 weeks. That is the time that their little brains are like sponges and they don't forget.
Now to continue on and bring him to his full potential, it is going to be a really fun journey.