Hope I have remembered how to download a picture, cause this is precious.  If you’ve never seen a dog’s tonsils, you have to see this pic. 

Well, it was just too hard of a year for me to be able to keep up blogging.  I know now how hard it is to make the time to just sit down and type your thoughts.  Not so easy when so much is going on in your world.  This past year I have lost a sister, a good friend, a million hours of time, and a lot of tears.  I don’t miss the tears.  They are healing, but so is the good ol’ belly laugh.  I prefer that. 

This year has also been very very exciting for my breeding program.  A dog I bred,  but don’t own, Champion Gingerbred Yukon Jack Desiderio, won a Best In Show, followed by him winning Best Of Breed at our National Specialty in San Mateo, then he went on to win the Canadian National Specialty.  If that isn’t enough, he won breed at Eukanueba this month!  I can’t wait to see what will happen at Westminster, especially since I plan to be there to watch.

Several of my show dog buyers have finished there dog’s championship,  done all the health testing, and have bred puppies this year.  A good friend who lives in this area has had 8 puppies out of Desi’s sister.  Another good friend has bred and has four gorgeous puppies out of Desi’s half sister.  Both are a ways out of the metro area, so I am helping connect you with them if you want puppies soon.  The litter of 6 is now 6 weeks old, and the litter of 4 is more like 2 weeks old.  Be sure to contact me if you are interested in a great puppy. 

Rather than go on and on, I will promise to be more consistent and post again soon.

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I have had blessings this year with beautiful, loving puppies to help me get through my loss of my sister.  I have 3 babies, one boy and 2 girls still available and looking for the right home.  Check out the litters page.   nona

My sister Barbara died on March 16th, right in the middle of puppy raising.  Life was duffult for a while.  Thank goodness for friends and family who stepped in and helped.  Beth came home for another 10 days, and that was helpful.  Dorene, my neighbor, was a godsend.  So many people stepped up, that I can’t name them all.  The puppies were showered with attention rather than short changed.

Such lovely and happy puppies.  I love their heads, their markings, their personalities.  I sit at the computer, and one at a time, they pester me to be held.  They are scarfing up their puppy food, using the litter box, and generally being a great bunch.  This week they come in to my family room where they will have a new environment, with sounds and temperature variations.  They get to meet new people, and new situations.  This time is the most precious as they discover so many new things, have more space to romp, and overall develop into the puppies that cannot be resisted.  Can you tell I am in love?

On a different note, my sister, Barbara, has gotten worse again.  She is very congested, on oxygen, and has delerium.  From my previous job I know a lot about the delerium piece, and it is frustrating when the Drs don’t pay enough attention to my concerns or suggestions.  I went to work early today so that I could visit my sister first.  Well, that started me crying.  She asked for me to stay, and I am taking the day off from work to be there for her.  I sure wish Beth were stll here……

You know, I didn’t know how nice it was to have 2 sisters.  One has been ill, as you know by a previous entry.  She remains at Bethesda Hospital, recovering, making tiny strides almost daily.  She has become somewhat irritable at times, and demanding…a symptom of her recovering.  It has been hard to make time to visit her because of my other life.  Yes, my dog life.  With puppies on the ground, I MUST have time to socialize them properly. 

That’s where my other sister comes in.  Just when I was feeling like I was going to fall apart and couldn’t handle it any more, my other sister came and spent the past month with me.  She visited Barbara, helped with the whelping, and kept my house in order.  She did Barbara’s taxes, and loved up the puppies.  She had to go home because she was getting exhausted, too!  Now I have my neighbor helping so all is well.  If only I had known my sister was going to be so sick, I may have planned my life differently.

However, I love my dogs, and I love puppies, and puppy breath.  So, I may have had to plan for the puppies just to keep me sane.  They are over 4 weeks old now, and soooooooo  much fun.  They get excited when I enter their bedroom, and they get mad at me if I don’t pick them up soon enough for their taste.  And OH the lovely kisses.  Sweet, sweet puppies.

HSUS does not operate facilities to place dogs and while many shelters (generally
locally funded) offer dogs for a minimal fee, many others are charging rather
high prices, especially for puppies, much more than just the cost of
spay/neuter.

In regard to ‘our’ purebred stock being over priced, a recent study
completed by a graduate veterinary student from Ohio State reveals that puppies
from parent club members are actually priced less than the average Internet
seller. In addition, the puppies from parent club members have such more
attention paid to health, home, and pedigree but are still priced below the
Internet market. This study will be published soon and has very good
information. I believe we undervalue our parent club breeders, they are not the
source of the problem, responsible breeding is still the correct answer
and the best value for a new puppy buyer.

Dr. Patty Haines
Cincinnati KC

I don’t have pictures yet, but Velvet had 5 babies, and Miki had 6.  Both did well in their whelping experience.  Well, Velvet was last Sunday, so we have the Grammy litter for all puppies but 1.  Of course that was puppy number one.  His name is Camry!  He was born you know where!  This guy was a breach presentation, but looked like he wanted to wave hello before he was born.  I didn’t think she could whelp a leg/shoulder/head as this would be just too big.  And she tried, but couldn’t do it.  So we got in the car to go to the vet with blankets, towels, and a heater on full blast.  I was in the back seat with Velvet in a basket.  She must not have liked the MN winter bumpy roads, cause she got that boy out half way in less than 10 minutes.  She must not have wanted to see the vet much either.  So it was the hind leg that was the one waving, and he had to do a backwards swan dive over her pelvic bone to make his way into the world.  A little fast action and that boy was wriggling around like he had had no trouble with his olympic birth. 

Miki was 2 days later.  Her claim to fame is that she waited till 12:30am to have her first, and till 4am to be done.  I wasn’t the most awake at work the next day.  Don’t worry, my sister is here helping with all that is going on!

That’s what Velvet and Miki are saying.  They can’t fit inot their maternity clothes anymore, and I can hardly lift them!  Well, it really isn’t that bad, but they are carrying at least 5 each.  I haven’t posted much lately about them for a couple of reasons.  My sister has been very very ill since before the Holidays, and I have had to be at the hospital daily to meet with drs, etc.  I have also had to take on paying her bills, etc.  The other big thing is planning for the Nationals.  It should be a daily endeavor for almost a year, and because if my sister’s illness, I have been playing catchup.  Now, finally, I am at least seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, so thought I would apprise you of how my girls are doing.  They are eating well, want to eat big meals twice a day.  Yesterday I felt movement in Velvet.  Miki is probably about 5 days behind Velvet.  I have been preparing their whelping area, again.  I am trying another invention to try to keep mom from burying her babies when she digs.  I think this time I have got it.  Now, I move on to the cleaning phase.  Got to have everything ready for a very busy early Feb.