Empty Nest

Adam is home for the Holidays and I didn't realize that it would be SO hard on the dogs! They are almost as mopey and sad as I am ;)

To rectify this problem we are dremeling nails daily, and two dogs a day get a bath! Lucky dogs :)

Nights are spent with 9 dogs trying to vie for attention with me on the couch. So far I've had a record 6 corgis and Mitcham on the couch/me at one time. Total hysteria!

They do keep a look out around each doorway for Adam. Who knew that just over four months of my life would totally change me, my dogs and my home so much.

Hurry Back Adam we miss you!

St Cloud Day 2

Ava was WB, BOW, BOS again today as the only bitch entered. She is now at 6 points with one major. Brewer moved wonderfully around the ring with Adam today although Brewer had a melt down on the table and pee'ed all over the table and Adam. Aside from that he showed well, but did not get WD or RWD because of that. Adam was frustrated but I told him everyone goes through it. Considering it was both their first show weekend I'm just happy that they both made it around the ring :)

I forgot to mention that on saturday our judge commented that it was so nice to see this breed being shown by all YOUNG PEOPLE! I beamed I think all the way home but I guess age is relative...and he was a pretty old judge lol.

St. Cloud day 1

Ava was the only bitch entered. She was WB, BOW and BOS to Picasso for one point. Brewer being shown by Adam was RWD. I'm just happy neither tripped or fell down in the ring and both looked pretty good if I do say so myself ;)

Two more CHIC Cardigans!

Zoe and Daisy officially are now CHIC members! I've been checking the online database and its official!

Daisy's page

Zoe's page

and the CHIC database page with ALL 22 cardigans on it

Brewer at 9 months

He's not perfect but he's finally nice enough to take a few photos of him :)

I'd appreciate your thoughts. I still think he needs more depth of chest...the same biggest thing I saw also at 8 weeks, but maybe that will fill in SOME. He has fluid movement all ways, pretty head, nice angles, but seems a bit leggy to me also. Am I being too hard? Not hard enough? Missing something completely? I am always up for learning.

Aside from the stellar temperament, gorgeous markings and deep, rich color, he also has other qualities so we'll see how he shakes out. He shows at his first show this weekend in St. Cloud, MN this weekend. 2 points each day. I'll keep you posted!

Minnie photos

Carolyn took some photos of Minnie (Huxley x Zoe) and they are on her blog. her direct link to this post is here:
http://c-myste.com/2010/12/minnie-from-minnie-sota-at-one/#comments

Dang that half mask!

Kinda Neat

I received this from OFA yesterday when my Certificates for the PRA Clear/Normal results for Zoe, Ell and Daisy came back. It was kind of surprised but kind of honored at the same time. now to figure out where to put it!

I'm now just waiting for Zoe and Daisy's CHIC numbers to come. Ell's official hips are going to be done in a few weeks when I have the extra cash. Mitcham's will get done at the same time.

Ell's Champion photo

Well it was worth the wait! :)

Her daughter's photo came today also but I'm not putting that up. It does not do her justice!

How many times is too many?

I did Awards Records from the AKC for Zoe, Mitcham and Ell. They are my three Champions and I was curious how many times in fact they were Winners, Reserve, Best of Winners or BOB/BOS.

I also noticed the number of times they were in the ribbons. In Cardigans, there are usually small enough entries that everyone gets a ribbon. Sometimes not, but very rarely. I compared these records with my own and noticed that in all the days of showing only one did not get a ribbon one day (she was 5th out of 5).

So my question. how many times is too many? how many shows do you enter before you call it quits? I didn't think any of the wins were prolonged...even if I did finish Ell when she was three (but only showed her 3 days in the last 18 months).

Its very rare that you get a dog or bitch that finishes in three days with 5 point majors. It happens, but again....very rarely. Its not a slight at anyone's dog not being good enough, but the odds???

What is a reasonable amount of times? 25? 50? 100? I know some people only show to breeder judges. Or at specialities. The wins when they are won are very respectable. But how often can people do that?

Mitcham was shown 18 times before he earned his CH title. 16 days he was WD, 2 he was RWD. Of those 16 times he was BOW 7 times and BOS 5 times. His three times out as a special (a move up really) he was BOB all three days for majors towards his Grand Champion. He finished quickly, but only had competition in the Dog classes three times. His points were all cross over points. Its hard to finish a male dog in Briards because most people do not keep them.

So what's my point? I don't have one. Just curious as to the madness. I showed both Zoe and Ell 40 some times. Each of them was RWB 14 times and WB 8 or 9 times. I don't think that is awfully many considering I live in an area with not many majors.

As my dogs improve and I am in the breed longer should I/will I only show to breeder judges or at specialties? Will I only show to certain judges and only enter when they are within driving distance? Its thought provoking

I"d be curious to hear what you think about this subject.

A year ago today.......

Happy Birthday to the "Blessed" litter! Ava, Minnie, Pip and LB!

#1 and #2

We are dog people. Talking about poop and pee at the supper table after a day at the dog show is normal. Phone conversations can last hours and we can only talk about feces and urine. Its amazing how excited we get when we have a 'solid poop' or a 'good job' or something.

Adam and my family have been asking how Oliver is, and if I can see improvements. I really haven't been able to see any big strides until Saturday.

Saturday morning he did #1 while squatting like a girl (you know the 'ideal' way for a corgi to pee before he learns to lift his leg?). He hasn't' done this since he went down in the back. Usually #1 happened while he walked or tripped or dragged himself around the xpen outside. I was so giddy I went running in to the house to tell Adam. He was happy for me but he thinks I"m crazy. He's not a dog person yet. At least not like us crazies :)

Sunday afternoon he did #2. Yes he's done it all the time, but again, while walking or dragging himself around the yard. Sunday he actually crouched over like corgis do when they poop. The amount of praise that he did this in this manner was probably a bit overkill. Even Oliver seemed embarrassed and ran the other way to go play with Daisy and Brewer instead of coming to me to get pets.

These are huge feats for him. I can't believe that these 'little' moments are such huge steps now, when they were always taken for granted before.

He's such a goof!

Wednesday we go in for a check up with the chiro/acupuncture vet. We'll see how he's improving!

Its Official!

AKC No.:	DN20661602
Name:	CH Merrymoon Ebonwald I'M A Q T
Sex:	Female
Breed:	Cardigan Welsh Corgi
Variety:
Color:	Brindle & White

Conformation - Awards Processed Through 26-OCT-2010
	CH Number of Points 17 Number Major Wins 2 Number Major Judges 2 Total Number Judges 8

will it ever end?

I am burned out.

And now we only have less than 10 hours of daylight...many of which are too cold and frosted over to finish my clean ups. I need to get done SOON.

I skipped out of Sioux Falls on Saturday after Mitcham was clipped down. Apologies for those I didn't say goodbye to, but work DOES proceed any 'fun' I get to do.

In the week leading up to Sioux Falls I had to purchase a new truck. AND a new trailer. AND two new truck tires. The transmission and brakes and 45 little things on my truck deemed it time to look for a new truck. It had 182,000 miles on it and had a smaller engine than I wanted any more. I upgraded but its still not new. Bigger engine, the heavy half, four doors, etc. The trailer is now a tandem axle and 16 ft long (four feet longer than my last trailer) and 600 pounds LIGHTER! Needless to say I am/was a bit behind schedule and decided to go home a day early. Congrats to the winners on Sunday and sorry I had to miss it, but duty calls!

Mower broke down this week...two belts broke and guess what! NONE in the state of Minnesota to replace them! They had to be special ordered. *SIGH*

Lord help me......

kinda big news....

Ok so im trying to use the blogger app for my phone. Lets see if this works!

Ell won her open bitch class today. Ava won the bred-by class. Then Ell went winners bitch for her second major! It was a FIVE point major and it finished her! !

AKC pending she is now CH Merrymoon Ebonwald I'm a Q.T. Judge was Mr. Donald Buxboom. Now on to herding for Ell Bell!

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Its not a big deal.....but......

Mitcham was only shown 3 days as a move up at the FMKC shows. He was BOB all three days and got a pull in the group on Sunday. While Briards are not shown ever in large numbers, and are small in number (population-wise) it IS kind of fun....its my first dog that is 'ranked' :)

Grand Championship Points Ranking

Events are processed through October 12, 2010.

Rank	Dog Name	Sex	GCH Points
No. 1	GCH CH Ne Orageux's Al Capone	Dog	108
No. 2	GCH CH Celebratia Vintageeightyfour	Dog	86
	GCH CH La Vie Rose Dior-August-Moon CD RN	Dog	86
No. 4	GCH CH Deja Vu All Over Again	Dog	78
No. 5	GCH CH Bella Del Conte Rissoso	Bitch	72
No. 6	GCH CH Dior's Copper Mine	Dog	55
No. 7	GCH CH Deja Vu Mia Chain Of Fools	Dog	53
No. 8	GCH CH Honeycreek's Chantilly Lace	Bitch	46
No. 9	GCH CH Lighting Strike El Xargall	Dog	35
No. 10	CH Sendero's Vodka Cocktail	Bitch	24
No. 11	CH Avant Garde Of The Coastline	Bitch	20
No. 12	CH Victoria's Vicomte Nicolas	Dog	18
No. 13	CH Mon Amies Devil In Disguise	Dog	17
No. 14	CH Suite Car Named Desire	Dog	15
No. 15	CH 'Cause I'M Miss Dior	Bitch	14
	CH Nase Czechmate Moravia Campanella	Bitch	14
No. 17	CH Butler De Bejaune	Dog	13
	CH Reine Dior Diving For Gold	Dog	13
	CH Majestique Brave Heart	Dog	13
No. 20	CH Mon Amies Eloise At The Plaza	Bitch	12
No. 21	CH Deja Vu Mia Cake Walk	Dog	11
No. 22	CH Neorageux's Dark Side Of The Moon By Brairdale	Bitch	9
	CH Aladax All About W.S. Cain	Dog	9
	CH New Sensation Dalido	Bitch	9
No. 25	CH Touche In Cahoots With Deja Vu	Dog	8
	CH Briardale's Camille Lebec	Bitch	8
	CH Be Happy Moravia Campanella	Bitch	8

Ballantyne's first day as a show dog...

...was in Hutchinson, MN with Mr. James Frederickson judging today. It was Ballantyne (AKA Naughty)'s first time at a show where she was entered. I wasn't expecting anything as she was pretty overwhelmed outside the ring with the Chow and Min Pins across the aisle.

Within moments of walking in the ring, the judge started talking to me "show her on a loose lead" and "don't hard stack her or she won't give ears, and won't look her best". He REALLY liked her. I don't take compliments well, but thanked him after every time he said something about her. With ever 'go around' she moved better and looked happier and by the time Best of Winner's came around, She was super happy and moving better than I'd seen her move before.

Elaine with her Jewel was BOB and Ballantyne was BOS and WB. It was just a single point but she beat out the dog for BOW and three other bitches for WB so I'm happy! I had Ava entered in BBE and Naughty was in 6-9 puppy. The Judge commented on Jewel's high tail carriage and made note of it to me with Ava when we were on the table, so I'm guessing that is why she was 2/2 in her class. With her other virtues I would think the carriage wouldn't matter but again, its one judges opinion. Ava and Naughty are SO different that I like taking them both to see what judges will do with them.

Even with Naughty (still Ballantyne!) being smallish I am very thankful the judge was able to see her virtues (if he couldn't see Ava's) and am happy for her first point! Yippee!

At the first photo shoot with the judge, he remarked again how promising and lovely she was and if I can show her on a loose lead she'll be a fun and winning dog! That made my 3 hour drive each way worth it!

good luck

Good luck to all my friends out in the
PNW this weekend! I expect updates!

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Ava's 3 point major official photo

I've been kind of busy the past 4 weeks (hence the lack of blogging)

Oliver is walking. Fairly good actually. He tries to get up on the couch to which he gets a super stern look and then I lift him up. Goofy boy.

Puppies are growing. I'm so busy working that I just haven't had time to enter any shows or honestly have the desire. Its good to see all my friends but its like pulling teeth trying to get everyone to the same shows ;)

Here is the full photo and one of just Ava. I think she's growing up nicely. All wins from the BBE class.

Ava and Brewer

Here is 'Grandma' with Ava. Grandma was watching TV. Ava was watching herself in the reflection of the patio door :)
Brewer is really channeling Mac's personality. He is SUCH a love and he also loves empty water bottles. He has such a pretty head.
This picture shows his pretty dark eyes...the one above I had to 'adjust' to get rid of the green eye glare. He is such a sweet soul. I wish he would 'grow up' the way I was hoping. So until that happens...you just get candids :)

HE WALKS!

With huge thanks to Erica and her mom Mary, Oliver walked at their homes this past weekend, and when I got home and put him in the grass, he took a few steps!

They were NOT pretty, but he did it! and he kept standing up on his own and he continued to walk!

YIPPEE!!

GO OLIVER GO!

LB (formerly Crockett)

Sharrie just sent these to me. If this first photo could look any more like a Mini Huxley??!! If it weren't for the white markings i would have said HUXLEY in a second.

This second photo took my breath away. Gorgeous head and such a soft, kind, expression. Round eyes.

The rest of him isnt bad either. He is in the perfect home and was neutered on Wednesday due to some marking issues inside the house. While I am extremely happy Sharrie has him, I am a little sad to say the least. For a first litter that wasn't too bad, eh?

Cooking for a friend....

I'm going to be posting this to BOTH my farm and dog blogs AND facebook because its THAT amazing. Seriously. My mentor in cooking and one of my best friends, Briony, has helped me learn to cook for the better part of a decade. When she visits we do more gourmet food that us northern midwest folk may not be always accustomed to. :)

We take photos of our meals and then comment on them. Good memories. Unfortunately these photos do NOT do them justice. My newer digital camera has lost its screen. Meaning it went blank. I can't see what I shooting and I can't change the settings really more than between action, flower and auto. It bites. So please excuse the fuzzy photos. Also the date is wrong on the camera I see now also, after uploading the photos. it really happened today. the 27th of July, 2010. Honest!

I was not trying to impress my dinner guest, but I wanted to make something that I could make easily, in a short amount of time and still spend most of my time with my dinner guest.

I was in the grocery store for nearly an hour trying to decide exactly which direction I wanted to go. No Corinne I wasn't lost, I was on the phone with Briony. I had a set idea I wanted to do: lamb chops, baby red potatoes and asparagus, and then wine and salad and maybe some fruit.

I prepped most of what i could and this is what i came up with:

Munchies: fresh watermelon and cantelope and home brewed Ice Tea.

Salad: Spinach with Feta cheese, sliced almonds, fresh sliced strawberries and a blush wine vinegarette dressing. It was simple and fantastic! Photo is below.
Oh yes. We had a white wine before the meal also, and a nice red wine with the meal. And ice water. Hey it was hot out. Lightly toasted sourdough slices of bread with locally made butter...soft gooey inside with a crisp crust. I love bread so could eat this all the time.

Shetland lamb chops that were marinated for a few hours with some malbec red wine, smoked and sliced garlic and soy sauce. Then they were grilled briefly on my grill and served pink in the middle.

Baby red potatoes pan fried in natural olive oil with sea salt, black pepper and thyme and pimentos, and the 3" pieces of asparagus were added the same time as the pimentos after being started as steamed in the microwave. Maybe took 8 minutes to cook and serve everything. Honest.

Below is the table setting and all the goodies. My friend told me that I was an amazing cook and that he'd eat my food everyday! Success! He also had never had lamb or asparagus or Feta cheese (or a salad like that before) and they were all amazing. He said the lamb was the best meat he had ever tasted bar none and that really made my day! He also said he hasn't eaten a 'gourmet meal' like that ever before, or eaten that well in a long time. Cool, huh?

Open invite to those of you who read this to come over for supper! I love to cook and have house guests. you bring the wine and I'll supply the food and we'll be good to go!

Oliver Update

He's a very happy boy!
These photos are a little dated (ok like a month) but this is our progress. Many thanks for all the emails, calls and Facebook shout outs in concern for the Big O. His Physcial Therapy continues although we've hit our first 'plateau'. He does stand, and pulls himself up, but doesn't have the muscle tone to take steps yet. I can't afford hydrotherapy, so i traded some lawn services for a large circle stock tank. I need to pick it up this weekend and then put a 'de-icer' element in the tank to warm the tank so he can swim in it. I truly believe this is our next hurdle at getting muscle tone back quicker than what we are doing. I don't believe right now we are building any muscle back, but we are not getting any worse.

He of course thinks confinement to an xpen or crate is hogwash and tells me about it the entire time I am home. of course if i have the TIME, he does sit on the couch next to me/on me or next to my feet if I"m at the PC. I'm starting to panic about winter and SNOW and trying to get him to do his business outside in a timely manner so that neither he nor I will freeze any fingers or toes off (well just toes for him).

Your continued prayers are welcome!

ok ok i'm going

I had my rubber arm twisted into going to Western Reserve again.

There is so much fun at this show that I 'had' to go. There are some 'newbies' going this year that I'm excited to hang out with as well as the regulars. I'll be able to see Ell's littermate Flash and her puppies out of Brett so that will be a learning experience and fun at the same time!

This show is like a mini national with so many of the people who attend the national also attending the WR. Its a three day show with two days sponsored by the CWCCWR and one day by the Lorain County KC. I've entered Ell and Ava and am planning on taking Brewer and Ballantyne with as well so I can get my mentor's thoughts on them as they are growing up. Ava is entered in Sweeps all three days too so that will give us extra ring time training! Look out! :)

I can't wait!

Brodie (formerly Bannick)

Brodie is living in Connecticut with the greatest people on earth! I'm so glad that I was able to find Brodie's parents! They really are the best!

Pip Videos

As promised. Videos of Pip (formerly Alamo) and his sister Snaps. Both videos are a little dated, but he is still cute!

Weights

I took the babies in to get their Rabies shots today.

I also weighed them out of extreme curiousity. My dogs always seem so small.

Brewer weighed in a whopping 19 pounds at just 4.5 months old.

Ballantyne weighed in at 15.3 pounds. I knew she was smaller (always has been) and she'll probably stay smaller like her momma Ell. It'll be interesting to see how Bolin and the rest of the pack weigh in. I know Bannick (now Brody and living in Connecticut) is 19 pounds as well, and Brody was a smaller puppy when he left me. Luckily Brody is also being red raw so the comparison is right in line with my dogs.

Ava also went along for the ride and to get weighed. She was 27.2#. She now weighs the same as Ell. Standing them side by side however their lines are very different. So are their pedigrees. Ava's appetite is like any teenage. hungry ALL.THE.TIME!

Not Missing Me

Here is Forrest with his red-headed step sister in Idaho this past weekend.

Denise and Bolin. I can tell Bolin has a rough life and is missing me tons. At least that is what I keep telling myself ;)

A Hot Summer's Night

These girls are always smiling :). Well AND it was like 88 degrees inside the house. For northern Minnesota that is PLENTY HOT thank.you.very.much!

*note Ballantyne's eyes had to be 'fixed' on the PC. they didn't turn out like her normal eyes, which are a very gorgeous color. She's also looking for a new NAME. Any suggestions?

Brenner (now Scout) update

http://brennercorgi.blogspot.com

This is the sable boy out of Pilot x Ell. He has one of the cutest faces that I've come across :)

Growing Up

Alamo aka Pip was spotted again at a Corgi meet up on Whidbey Island in WA state. I do have several videos to share of Pip and his 'sister' but need to go back to old emails to find them.

He's growing up so fast :) And by the look of the photos, VERY HAPPY :)

http://corgicorner.blogspot.com/

Thanks to Brittany for taking photos of the boy!

Birthdays Galore!

I was away to Oregon when Daisy had her 3rd birthday! She turned on June 20th. We celebrated when I got home with ice cream for 'everybody' (meaning dogs)!

On the 10th is Mitcham's SECOND birthday! Lord knows these two years have FLOWN by, and yet when I'm grooming him (still....I haven't trimmed him!) it seems like eons. He is such a good boy too. We'll have to celebrate with a bike ride (he running next to me) early this morning, and have ice cream when the entire family is home to celebrate (I need help handing out ice cream for all the dogs as they all think that all nine bowls are for each of them (meaning all for one dog)). I'm flying out today to Yellowstone in Wyoming for my cousin's wedding! I've never been there so should be fun to explore all weekend! Monday night we'll celebrate the BHB's bday. Many thanks to my buddy Josh for staying and house (dog) sitting for me while I'm away!

Ah the life I lead....

And now to make the appt for Mitcham's hips/elbows!

Raw Diet question

Ell has had four months since the pups were born (two since they were weaned) and she does not have a stitch of hair on her. While she has been known to have a tighter coat when IN coat, she is just nekkid!

Is there anything in the raw diets any of you have done (or supplements to give her) to get her coat back? I was wanting to show her this summer to get her last major but can't if she is hairless.

Any suggestions welcome!

Keepin' Cool

I just got back from my shenanigans in Minneapolis! so much good food, wine, friends and fireworks! And I didn't have to clean up after 50 people! NICE! I could get used to this!

I got home, let the dogs out and refilled their pool. Sadie and Ballantyne (working on a name change) and Brewer all hop right in. Ell and Ava usually stay back about 10 feet and when they see me, they run away thinking I"m going to put them in the pool. Daisy also loves the pool, but waits until the more rambuncious ones are done. I'm surprised Ell and Ava are so close to the pool in these photos! Sadie loves to bite the hose and pull it around in the pool (or drag it out).

*note the still naked Ell!
Here Brewer and Sadie are playing. I wish I got a video of this. Sadie is SO happy all the time. She cracks me up. Ballantyne is plotting a way to get in and get as wet as possible and then jump on me. And I fall for it every time. ahem.

A little while later...Brewer is too pooped to play anymore. At least for 10 minutes. He has the most 'bedroom eyes' look ever!

Ballantyne asks' Hey! Where did everyone go?!'

Slide show of Wadena

Here is a link to a slide show from the Wadena tornado. I knew many of these homes that were affected but interestingly enough, NONE of my client's homes are in these photos and they were some of the worst hit.

http://secure.smilebox.com/ecom/openTheBox?sendevent=4d5463304f5445304f544d3d0d0a&blogview=true&campaign=blog_instructions_directurl_makeyourown

http://seocc.co.cc/search/wadena+tornado+shots

http://wcco.com/slideshows/wadena.tornado.damage.20.1758598.html



I also have an email with loads of photos I need to put on shutterfly or something so everyone can see them. OR hit me up and I'll email them to you :)

Happy 4th everyone!

Wiped Out

Such a hard life it is being a puppy. I wish some days I could nap and eat and lounge around like a puppy. Not a care in the world....and someone to take care of me! :)

Wadena's Tornado

While I was away at to the Black Sheep Gathering in Eugene, Oregon (28 hours straight there), there was and F4 Tornado that was in Wadena. It started in the park across from my very large senior apartments that I maintain year round yard maintenance. Over half of the apartments are a complete loss. All the trees are gone. The garages and some living quarters are gone. I was away.

The city did not let any IN or OUT of the city for four days and after two of them, allowed only those with permits from their county courthouse to get in. I am finally able to go in tomorrow and try to start helping my clients dig out. Lord knows with all the rain the grass will need to be mowed. Along with tree cutting/trimming, bagging up of all the insulation. piling of debris.

I'm going to be a very busy boy the next week or so.

Oregon was fun! I got to see my Zoe x Huxley pup, Minnie while I was out there, and her owner Missy. I also got to see Carolyn and Emily too. Mandy had a 'thing' on sunday so I couldn't stop to see her, so I didn't get to meet her yet. You'll have to check my farm blog for some photos when I get caught up (both tornado and sheep gathering).

For those who are curious go to www.wadena.org for some other photos of the tornado or google it on facebook.

Its finally official!

CH Reine Dior Diving For Gold - DN22241603


Conformation - Awards Processed Through 29-MAY-2010

CH
Number of Points 15

Number Major Wins 3

Number Major Judges 3

Total Number Judges 8

Ebonwald's Because I Said So

Without making excuses she appears short necked, but really doesn't appear so in most of the other photos I have. Unfortunately she isn't standing as nicely in those :P

I'm wanting a different call name for her. Her puppy name was Ballantyne, but I honestly hadn't planned on keeping her this long, until she turned out so well. Suggestions? I like the name Naya for her (kind of like Naughty). She is extremely mouthy and has to tell me what she thinks of everything, especially when I let her outside, inside, out of crate, in to crate, walking to grandma's house, walking back, sitting on the couch, walking to the kitchen...well you get the idea. She also LOVES me. Bolin is more like her mother Ell. She's independent. Ballantyne is to an extent but has to check in with me regularly.
Ears look narrow here but I assure you they are not :P
her registered name will indeed be a testament to her vocal abilities :)

Ebonwald's Brace For Impact

Ebonwald's Brace For Impact, aka Bolin, at three months. I think I'll keep her ;)

Update on Oliver

As we left you last time, he was just able to have feeling and stand briefly on his own feet (with some help in getting him to stand up).

I went to the three day Fargo show and came home to find that Oliver was WAGGING HIS TAIL! This is a huge ordeal! Not only can he wag his tail but he is now able to stand for several minutes at a time. We are doing the physical training now to help so he doesn't loose any more muscle tone.

He is an extremely happy boy and is able to pee and poop outside on his own accord.

We will continue with the PT and standing exercises and when he wags his tail that just means the world to me. I'm so glad he is getting better and so glad that he is happy.

He's my big goof :)

movement photos

I had some video taken of my girls the other day. We played it on the TV and I took photos of the screen. Hopefully this gives you an idea of the girls I have.


A very naked Ell
I'm pretty sure this is the closest I have to perfection, fluffy and all :)

Fargo Supported Entry

I had a quick moment to sit down at the computer.

I wanted to thank EVERYONE who helped to make the CWCCA Supported Entry a huge success its first year! I really appreciate everyone who helped donate for trophies, entered dogs, and drove the sometimes long distances to get to Fargo to support it. Without your willingness to do so, it would not have been as big of a success as it was.

The FMKC members were excited to see that the Supported Entry brought in such a large entry and are banking on other breed clubs to follow suit and make the entries worth while in Fargo. It was the first S.E. show and it went really well despite some anxiety on my part. Many thanks to the FMKC members and our show chair who helped during the show to make sure it went smoothly, Mary, Janelle and Lois you ladies rock!

I really hope that next year will be just as successful and hope to make it a yearly thing with breeder judges and Cardigan friendly judges. I have a list from last year that you guys had sent me for the show chair to pick and I can add names to it if you request some one special :)

Again many thanks to everyone who entered and congratulations to all the winners! I was really happy to just be a part of it, in and out of the ring and I hope that the mileage doesn't scare you away next year :)

Melt down

Hmm. I'm starting to do the melt down.

Having never done a Supported Entry, or a dog show chair position in the past this is all mind boggling.

First of all there is no 'list' of things that need to be done for a S.E. At least I never got one.

In passing, during several conversations with different people I keep finding more things that need to be done.

Oh. JUDGE'S gifts??!! really??

A CWCCA MEDALLION? Oh, that was supposed to be in the premium? Now to track one down and get it here by Saturday.

Special rosettes? hmmm

The towels I was to get embroidered ...well... only 3 were done today. They were wrong. They won't be done until Thursday late afternoon. I LEAVE Thursday at noon. I hope they are right.

NO ONE in the upper midwest does engraving for water buckets. NO ONE. Closest place? New Jersey! And its 4-6 weeks waiting. Thank goodness for improvising!

My order from PetEdge still isn't here and it was shipped on Thursday. From Iowa. To Minnesota. REALLY? I could have drove down to get it.

Silent Auctions, raffles, pot lucks, reserved grooming, bathing area, judges seminar, shuttles for the judges, proper paperwork to CWCCA AND AKC AND Onofrio. I'm really glad I"m not a show chair. Sheep and Pigeon shows are a breeze in comparison! And no one hates me if I do those wrong! :)

New Champion!

Pending AKC approval (of course!) I would like to introduce to you my 2nd Champion, CH Reine Dior Diving for Gold, aka Mitcham or The Big Hairy Beast!

Mitcham needed 2 single points to finish and did so today by going BOW for two points! YAHOOOO!!

He's entered in Fargo all three days so I did move him up to Best of Breed. Once I get his certificate stating he is a CH, I'm trimming him down to 3/4" so I don't have to groom him for a LONG TIME! I'll start working on his obedience, agility and herding stuff immediately!

Phew! I'm so glad that the grooming is nearly over. did I mention that already? :)

I didn't enter tomorrow as I am working my aunt's greenhouse Sunday/Monday so no more dog show news until NEXT weekend!

Luck and Fun!

Well. I figured this is my 3rd conformation show in the past 10 months. My how time flies!

I entered the "big hairy beast" hoping for a cross over major to finish him. he needs only 2 points!

I entered Ava for training practice for the Fargo shows. there are only 2 bitches so only one point, but its more for practice than anything. She less tube-y than before so who knows. If I' m correct, the other bitch is also a Carbon grand daughter so he won't have much to choose from :0

I also entered Zoe. She's back in coat, good condition, and the judge is the gentleman who gave her her first four point major. I guess its sort of a 'hey look she's finished! thanks!' kind of entry. I'm not expecting to win, as there are four bitch specials (no male specials) so its more or less of a thank you entry.

I entered all three goons again in Fargo to support my Kennel Club and the CWCCA Supported Entry. As it turns out, if Mitcham doesn't finish tomorrow, he has three more chances in Fargo as there are bitch majors all three days! Fingers crossed he finishes in the next two weekends. Then he is GETTING SHAVED!!! :D Then we will do herding and agility!

i really wanted to enter Ell at the Fargo show but she is completely out of coat and still needs to gain some weight back. She's getting the same amount as Mitcham, so she should start to bulk up pretty soon. She is tight coated anyway, so to see her without a stitch of hair on is amazing...its nice to see structure but it makes for a hideous (but loving) dog :P

Raw

Just did a day trip for more raw food. I need a bigger chest freezer...and a tub!

120 pounds of chicken necks
40 pounds of chicken backs
40 pounds of beef kidney
40 pounds of beef liver
40 pounds of femur bones (for the dogs to chew on and me to step on in the middle of the night)
120 pounds ground beef (with organ meat ground in it as well)

So without the bones its 360 pounds of meat. I sometimes also get ground chicken, ground chicken necks/backs and turkey necks, but I like to 'switch it up' a bit.

My entire bill for the 400 pounds of meat/bones was around 230.00. Without gas that was approximately 57 cents a pound. I was paying nearly 2.00/pound for the Evo and my dogs liked Evo, but it wasn't so easy on their tummies! Evp, if I got the same amount in weight would have cost me over 800.00 dollars! Yikes!

yes I do have cottage cheese, veggies, fish, salmon oil, missing link etc that I use as well and that is not added to the cost, but I also don't feed all of those things all the time. And i gave a lot of that in addition to kibble anyway!

Oh and i have farm raised eggs that I collect each morning from my 'girls' and the dogs thank me for giving them something else yummy to eat!

Both my litters have been raised on raw and I have got to tell you the litter box and the pooper scooper outside are cleaned WAY less than when I was raising a single puppy on kibble. All that filler in kibble just isn't good!

I'm disappointed in the Delta Society changing their rule on raw diet. While I understand their concern, I would think that the people have a higher risk of getting pneumonia from the people who work there or visit there, than getting salmonella from dogs that eat raw. I also think that I could get struck by lightning or win the lottery (which by the way is less likely to happen then the lightning hitting me!), but those chances are pretty low. Maybe higher than the salmonella transfer between species.

I believe in miracles!!

For those not following Oliver on Facebook.....

HUGE PROGRESS TODAY!!!

This morning early I got up to bathe and blow dry Oliver. His urinating inside has all but subsided, preferring to wait until he's outside. I was bathing him and held up his rear between his legs, on the belly side. He seemed to have some feeling in his feet and was squeezing my arm with his inner thighs. Interesting I thought. It must be spasms. Or my imagination.

Same story on the grooming table. Weird. I thought.

I brought him to the Acupuncture/Chiropractic vet Dr. Brad in Casselton, ND, about 120 miles each way, but closest certified vet in that area (same place he was for his 3 day DMSO treatment). They asked his progression and I said..well i 'thought' i felt some stuff, but wanted them to try it.

They pinched his webbing in his feet and Oliver squirmed and thrashed wildly! Same for the other foot! The vet got what I call a 'permanent grin' or 'permagrin' at this point and was nearly yelling his findings out of excitement! They then stood him up and UNASSISTED, he stood there for a good thirty seconds before they had him sit again! HE DID IT ON HIS OWN! Dr. Brad was crying and both techs were on the verge of it. I was weeping. I couldn't help it. It was joy and unending love for this dog. They never cease to amaze me. I have only planned for the worst and so anything better than that, is good, but this was WAY ABOVE ANY HOPES! I wept for a good half hour after that, just because I was so overcome with joy, love, amazement and thankfulness. I am truly blessed with an amazing dog and a God who loves me and Oliver.

Dr. Brad said when he called me with Oliver's prognosis after the three day treatment he said he was pretty down. He is usually the pep talk that the owners needed and when he called me I was HIS pep talk. He said that by listening to my determination and love for the dog on the phone that he was able to wrap his thoughts around Oliver possibly getting better. Today made his day. HIS WEEK. It sure made mine!

I realize that this is just a baby step, but a huge one! And I need to take each day at a time. But this is huge. I never dreamed he would stand again. Now the rehab starts. Strecthes, rotations, standing, etc. Dr. Brad truly believes it is now just a slipped disc and that YES it can come back...and at any time, but he thinks with proper rehab and not over doing it when he does regain his ability to run, that he should be fine for a very long time. Let's have our fingers all crossed for that.

But in the mean time, I am prepared if he does plateau and doesn't get to the point of walking again. Or Running, or not 100%. I'm prepared for it and ok with it. So every day that he gets better and improves I'm thankful and blessed.

Dr. Brad also said that because its only been 16 days since he went down and he is already so amazed at his improvement, that things look REALLY good. He said typically dogs that have these conditions that look like IVDD, they take 2-3 months to start to regenerate nerves and such. he also doesn't think he'll be a spine walker as he has deep pain, and have sensations in his legs and feet.

Gosh this is so mumbled/jumbled I don't know if I've covered everything!

OH! He told me to hold off on a cart for four months...to see if Oliver doesn't need it. he doesn't think he will.

PRAISE GOD, JESUS and thank YOU for all your thoughts and prayers. They sure helped the Big O and me get through this stressful two weeks. We are very loved. And we are very blessed. Dr. Brad said between Oliver and my extremely positive attitudes, we should be FINE :)

YEEEE HAAAW!

DM result for Daisy

Daisy is N/N normal (clear) for Degenerative Myelopathy! One less thing to worry about when choosing her potential studs. All I have left to do is send in her DNA test result for PRA (she was clear/normal also) and she will be a CHIC dog. All I have left to test for is Patellas, which I don't foresee an issue with.

Oliver's DM test results should be back within the week.

Updates!

Oliver update: Its been 14 days since he went down in the back. I thought our Acupuncture appt was LAST wednesday (like the vet wanted) but the appt making lady decided I apparently didn't NEED to come in last week. UGH. So THIS wednesday we are going up to have him checked out. Ell is also going for a routine quarterly check up. The chiropractic vet is the 'corgi curse' or so they've told me. He said he's NEVER seen a corgi come in that didn't need adjustments (even if they were just in for shots or checkups). I'd like to have the other dogs go but the first visit they do xrays of the spine in several films and they have a 'new pet exam' and fee amongst many other things...totally around 300-400 per EACH DOG for their first visit. I'm sorry I just can't do that.

Anyway. Oliver has a sling now thanks to Auntie Sarah. He also still loves to do the 'wheelbarrow races' across the yard to Grandma's house. He loves to sit on the couch with her and let her scratch him and pet him all over. He's kinda spoiled. And very sassy yet. If you dare to quit petting him, he sure lets you know that that is NOT acceptable and he moans and groans and woofs and squirms about. Silly boy.

Zoe is in full blown heat. She had her hussy butt up against the fence for Mitcham to sniff. He sniffs and walks away. WHAT A GOOD BOY! Needless to say they are now on opposite sides of the house (one on the east side dog pen, the other in the front yard. Lucky for me Mitcham doesn't wine and stop eating like Justice did. And Oliver can't hump anything with his rear out of commission so he's of no help for heat detection any longer either!

I figured Daisy was due to come in to season so today when I finally got around to taking her in to the vet for a weight, she weighed 32.7 pounds. I asked the vet to swab and culture her. Um she's also in full blown heat. About two days away from ideal breeding time, but she is already flagging and standing for my vet to take the sample. She's not even hardly swollen. Zoe looks like a bee stung her back there....a really BIG bee!

The four remaining pups got their 2nd DHPP shot today. Bella leaves tomorrow for Pittsburgh! That leaves me with the trio of terror. Actually they are all very sweet, smart, and mellow puppies. I'm really tickled with them!

Sadie and I missed our chance at an Agility trial in Fargo this weekend. The closing date happened on the 5th of this month, while I was still dealing with the initial shot and emotion of Oliver going down, I obviously didn't have that on my mind and missed the entry. Oh well.....no rush I guess with that!

Ell is 'over' the puppies, but she does play with them a lot. I'm trying to save what little hair she has left and trying to put her 2 pounds of weight back on so she's back at 28 pounds. I wanted to show her in Fargo, but there is just no way she is even competitive at this 'post puppy' stage.

Ava is getting lots of leash and table time in preparation for the Fargo show. I hope I don't trip over her or have to drag her across the ring. And I hope those huge ears stay up when the judge asks for ears instead of the 'why the HELL are you making me do this?!!" look she gave me tonight. 'le sigh'

Yep, you were right.

Boy I'm so glad I have such great friends and mentors in this breed. I know nothing! :) They told me I'd have second guesses at this age.

The pups are 10 weeks old. I should probably let you know what's going on with them >:)

Bannick, the brown brindle male, is now Brodie and is living in Connecticut! His new family even went 'raw' with his diet and I promise to post some of the awesome photos they sent me! His family is an awesome couple! I've been so lucky placing my puppies with such great people!

Booth, the tan pionted male with the narrow blaze was chosen by Connie Whan, to be a show pup and he is living with Cindy Ferguson. I guess if Connie, who's been in the breed 30+ years should know a good puppy right? :) It was really an honor for Connie to come to ME of all people and ask for a puppy! I know Cindy is going to make a great home for him and Connie is her mentor so I look forward to great things with that boy!

Bolin, the red female is still here with me, but she is going to go live out west for awhile. NOT permanently :D More on that later when its appropriate.

Brewer the tan pointed black male is my boy and he's staying here to see how he grows on. I'm nervous and excited about this boy (nervous because I really want a nice tan pointed male...its my favorite color/pattern) and his pedigree is pretty awesome :P

Brenner, the sable boy is going to a 'pet' home. I use the term loosely. Carrie and I are wanting to show him, but her husband is not wanting an intact male in their home. Despite the 100's of reassurances that he'll be fine and isn't a lab (their other breed), I don't know what else to say to him. Any suggestions? They only live 30 minutes from me so I'm tickled that he'll be so close. Brenner is the dramatic one, and the most snuggly, just what she wanted :)

Ballantyne the black/white brindle pointed bitch had a possible show home, but I haven't heard back on that, so she's going to grow on with me. Her personality is the one that sticks out from the rest, and her face is pretty much just there to make me melt and say 'yes, how many treats do you want?' Her big brown eyes and her bright brindle patches just stick out at me. And she reminds me most of her mother.

Bella the red brindle girl has had a lovely inquiry which I hope works out for her and that family. Such great people and I can't wait to see what transpires from this. Bella is the most laid back and sweetest puppy in the litter. They won't be disappointed!

At 8 weeks the puppies were evaluated at the National (shame on me I know) by many long time and well respected breeders. While I knew deep down who I wanted to run on, I had some great advice and input from the breeders and my mentors.

Now at 10 weeks, the pups look totally different and they are MOVING instead of hopping to and fro. Brenner, the sable boy really moves well and I can't get that image out of my head. ALL.DAY.LONG. I haven't seen a dog move like that here at my place and he was stunning. Will he keep it? Hard to say. This is all learning for me and I'm just honored to have the opportunity to watch them grow. Brenner and Ballantyne have such nice, clean movement, easy coming and going, that they make me stop what I'm doing to watch them. They are the only ones i've watched so far, but if they are already sticking out, that must be a good sign.

I think in the future I'll do the 'obvious' pets at 8 weeks, grow the others on until 10-12 weeks and then make my final decisions then. I'm having a hard time deciding and those close to me have told me that with such a uniform litter, that it would be. I'm being knit picky. Such problems I know :)

Back to work tomorrow! Its finally stopped raining long enough to get some work done!

Dog Weights and tick/flea control

Since the only scale i have on the farm is a gigantic cattle scale (that does pounds in 25 pound increments) I loaded up the motley crew for weights and headed to my second home, the vet clinic! I wanted to know weights mostly for tick/flea control Frontline products...

Here are the weights:

Mitcham, 22 months - 59.1 pounds. Gosh he is ALL hair!

Oliver, nearly 5 years - 35.5 pounds. He is extremely lean and fit. Not overweight and heavy like another blogger is saying is why his back went out (and that its my fault nonetheless!)

Sadie, 5.5 years - 30.5. She is about a pound and a half too big yet, so we'll stick with her diet

Zoe, 3 years old - 34.4 pounds. Barb P and i were always nervous she'd never be big enough...lol. I think she still has some 'baby weight on' and I'd like to see her back at 32, so she'll join Sadie on that diet'

Ell, 2.5 years old - 25.7 pounds. She needs to gain back about another 1-1.5 pounds to be back at pre breeding weight. She put a lot of herself into nursing those pups!

Ava, just over 5 months - 20.3 pounds!!!! She looked like 14 pounds, but she's already 20 pounds. She'll be bigger than her mother then, as Zoe was 18-22 pounds not until she was 12-18 months old! Ava is a tube right now...long and lean. Could be her high metabolizm and her raw diet.

I forgot Daisy at home (no seriously) so she'll go back in this afternoon and I'll have a current weight on her. She was about 30 pounds last time she went in.

Aside from having Guinea Hens for tick control, what does everyone recommend for tick/flea control? I was going to use Frontline but gosh that gets so expensive.

Its official!

Qwaynt's Midnightforest Sadie RN NAJ - DN08798402

	Rally - Awards Processed Through 25-APR-2010
	RN Number Different Judges 3 Number Qualifying Scores 3

Such a Happy dog

Taken yesterday. He is SUCH a happy camper, even without his rear working. His heart is full of love, unconditionally to me, and for that I will try my hardest for him. I love the big goofy O.

Not much improvement on the movement side, but he waits for me to pick up his rear legs and then he starts to run with his front legs! I have to keep up with him and I'm glad I have a sling coming (thanks Sarah!) so I don't have to bend over so much :) Both of our spirits are up.

Its just a lot with 5 puppies left that I have to carry out to potty AND Oliver. Its not a lot more work, just more in my mind mentally to go over.

Its worth it :)

Newest Hopefuls

Well after much discussion and soul searching these are the two kids who are staying here with me. Third time is the charm for a tan pointed male right?? :)

This is Brewer

Bolin

I had several people at the National try to steal, beg, borrow or plead with me that they must have that red girl! While I'm tickled that they liked her so well, I think she'll be staying here :)

I was really pleased by the comments of the dozen or so folks who went over the puppies with me. I really appreciate all of your comments, both positive and negative, and with such a great group of pups, made the decisions even that much harder.

I'll write more about the National and pups later, but wanted to let you all know what was going on with the puppies :0