I was back in Virginia the past two weeks while Ellie was being bred. Unfortunately I couldn't stay the entire time- had to come home for work issues. But the two short stays I had there were filled with wonderful images. Here are some of my favorites:
The first image is one of Ellie's co-breeders (and the stud-dog's owners) standing in the family room of their home next to the indoor kennel. She is trying to figure out and keep track of which dog she has given Frontline to. She is using her memory of where they are kenneled to keep track. Thre are sixteen Border Terriers swirling around at her feet, glad to be out and happy for the attention. She reminds me of Santa Claus with her elves! A true mother hen with her brood. Saint Francis of Assisi comes mind as well. She dotes on her dogs- the young ones full of promise, the middle aged ones still raring to go, and the elder "statesdogs" needing a little more time and a little more love. She and her partner are truly credits to the Border Terrier breed and all dog-dom!
The next is of Ellie enjoying "summer camp"! She is running full tilt toward the meadow where she had previously seen the squirrel. Tail stiff at the ready, flying over the grass and ground, bounding through the leaves. A sight of rapt attention and pure joy! When you see them this way, you know what a blessing they are and why God made them.
The next is the home of my friends. Just beyond the road, next to a grassy meadow and in the middle of a wooded glen, the dignified home stands. Strong and solid but without any hint of pretense. Hewn stone walks and steps lead up to the entry. Lovingly furnished- full to the brim with Border artworks, mementoes and treasured memories. A cozy family room downstairs next to the kennel combines the best of home, hearth and heart as evidenced by the Wall of Champions- framed pictures of each dog winning and their AKC CH certificate below. Throughout the home, Best of Breed and Best in Show ribbons hang beside beautiful Border Terrier art pieces. A private place where two people's lives are being defined, shared with their dogs and filled with love.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Happy Birthday!
Today is my Ellie's second birthday. And also the birthday of the three sisters and one brother in her litter. I dont know exactly where the one sister and brother are, but her other two sisters are in Virginia and doing fabulous! "Tilda" is owned by her breeder and the stud dog's owner. She is a finished CHampion earning four majors on the way. Absolutely the nicest of the litter with the prettiest head and with a wondeful owner. "Reed" is owned by another of Ellie's co-breeders and she has three majors under her belt- just looking for a few minor points. What a family!
Happy Birthday to them all!
Ellie had some special steak tonight- NY Steak Prime cut. And she got four new toys to play with and share with Kate and Devlin.
Happy Birthday, my sweet Elllie! You are two years old, barefoot and I hope PREGNANT!! But in whelp or not, you're my little girl and my snuggle bunny in bed! I love you lots and lots!!! Thank you for a wonderful first two years! They have been a blast!
Thanks forever to her breeders!
Happy Birthday to them all!
Ellie had some special steak tonight- NY Steak Prime cut. And she got four new toys to play with and share with Kate and Devlin.
Happy Birthday, my sweet Elllie! You are two years old, barefoot and I hope PREGNANT!! But in whelp or not, you're my little girl and my snuggle bunny in bed! I love you lots and lots!!! Thank you for a wonderful first two years! They have been a blast!
Thanks forever to her breeders!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Summer camp
My youngest girl has been at "summer camp" the last ten days. No, not your normal summer camp; she has been back being bred and staying with the stud dog's owners at their beautiful kennel and home. I had planned on staying there as well for the duration of her breeding but some work issues forced me to make two round trips. One to take her and make sure she was settled in, and a second to pick her up and bring her home. Alot of red-eye flights but well worth it.
The people who she stayed with were absolutely fantastic and wonderful. They cared for Ellie as one of their own and kept me informed daily on what was happening and how things were progressing. That they were one of her co-breeders was not significant- they treat all their breeding clients superbly. Their home and kennel was beautiful and located in a gorgeous wooded area with an open meadow and a nearby lake. Their hospitality was fabulous.
Ellie got a chance to meet alot of new BTs, chase tree squirrels around and up trees, dig in big piles of leaves, and explore a whole world of new smells, sights and sounds. And besides all the fun things, new experiences and other doggies, she even got to have sex at camp! Summer camp was never like that in my younger days!
Now we wait a few weeks and then will get a sonogram done to see what we have "in the oven". I had charted her previous heat cycles and this one was pretty much similar in timing. She was bred three times about 36 hours apart and I think she was pretty well covered. We are very optimistic, hoping for beautiful puppies and thrilled with her and so thankful to our wonderful friends. I won't mention any names here but they are long-time Border Terrier people and are truly a credit to the breed and all "dog-dom". Their dogs are their family and are well cared for; young, middle-aged and elderly. Ellie and I are so blessed to have them as the stud-dog's owners and as friends.
The people who she stayed with were absolutely fantastic and wonderful. They cared for Ellie as one of their own and kept me informed daily on what was happening and how things were progressing. That they were one of her co-breeders was not significant- they treat all their breeding clients superbly. Their home and kennel was beautiful and located in a gorgeous wooded area with an open meadow and a nearby lake. Their hospitality was fabulous.
Ellie got a chance to meet alot of new BTs, chase tree squirrels around and up trees, dig in big piles of leaves, and explore a whole world of new smells, sights and sounds. And besides all the fun things, new experiences and other doggies, she even got to have sex at camp! Summer camp was never like that in my younger days!
Now we wait a few weeks and then will get a sonogram done to see what we have "in the oven". I had charted her previous heat cycles and this one was pretty much similar in timing. She was bred three times about 36 hours apart and I think she was pretty well covered. We are very optimistic, hoping for beautiful puppies and thrilled with her and so thankful to our wonderful friends. I won't mention any names here but they are long-time Border Terrier people and are truly a credit to the breed and all "dog-dom". Their dogs are their family and are well cared for; young, middle-aged and elderly. Ellie and I are so blessed to have them as the stud-dog's owners and as friends.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Two Master Earthdog Titles on the Same Day!
I'm catching up on some posts I wanted to write the last few weeks, but have been too busy with work and breeding my youngest bitch to get written.
We had a SPECTACULAR weekend at the BTCR Earthdog tests in early May. My two oldest BTs , "Kate" and "Devlin" both earned their Master Earthdog titles the same weekend! They have been sitting with two ME legs for awhile while I finished getting certified as an AKC Earthdog judge most of last year. I would judge or apprentice at an ED test and not be able to run my dogs. This year I dedicated to the dogs and their having some fun getting the RATS!
And, boy, did they ever! They hunted during the walkup as nice as I could have wanted and they both found the rats first and marked them well. Kate had one minor issue with the digging during one unsuccessful run (she backed up) and Devlin wanted to come back out and see me on one test (but made it back in and to the rats in time!). I worked Sunday AM with Kate in a small section of tunnel above ground. I baited her with some chicken as she came through the tunnel section. And as she ate (while still inside the tunnel section) I scratched and clawed on the tunnel section top and, in general, made a big racket above her head. If she stopped eating or backed up, the chicken disappeared. We did this about four times. Next run she had no problem with the judge's digging! I'll post a picture of them getting their qualifying ribbons shortly!
We had a SPECTACULAR weekend at the BTCR Earthdog tests in early May. My two oldest BTs , "Kate" and "Devlin" both earned their Master Earthdog titles the same weekend! They have been sitting with two ME legs for awhile while I finished getting certified as an AKC Earthdog judge most of last year. I would judge or apprentice at an ED test and not be able to run my dogs. This year I dedicated to the dogs and their having some fun getting the RATS!
And, boy, did they ever! They hunted during the walkup as nice as I could have wanted and they both found the rats first and marked them well. Kate had one minor issue with the digging during one unsuccessful run (she backed up) and Devlin wanted to come back out and see me on one test (but made it back in and to the rats in time!). I worked Sunday AM with Kate in a small section of tunnel above ground. I baited her with some chicken as she came through the tunnel section. And as she ate (while still inside the tunnel section) I scratched and clawed on the tunnel section top and, in general, made a big racket above her head. If she stopped eating or backed up, the chicken disappeared. We did this about four times. Next run she had no problem with the judge's digging! I'll post a picture of them getting their qualifying ribbons shortly!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Why We Show Our Dogs
Been out of town for a few days so behind as usual! The BTCR (Border Terrier Club of the Redwoods) held our Earthdog tests a couple of weeks ago. The AKC rep, Barb Tiegen, was there. Nice lady!
I had a short discussion with Barb about the results of one of the tests by one of my dogs. I will ALWAYS remember what she said to me. We were talking about how one of my dogs didnt get a qualifying leg that test. She said to me,"What did YOU think of his performance? How did he hunt in your opinion? Were YOU proud of HIM?" And then she said, "Do you think he cares if he gets a green ribbon or not? Did HE enjoy himself?"
What a great response from the AKC rep!
The next day, both my dogs earned their ME titles!! I was so proud! But the high point of the weekend was the comments from Barb. Earthdog is alive and well if the thoughts she expressed are what the AKC, the judges and the dog owners are thinking!
I had a short discussion with Barb about the results of one of the tests by one of my dogs. I will ALWAYS remember what she said to me. We were talking about how one of my dogs didnt get a qualifying leg that test. She said to me,"What did YOU think of his performance? How did he hunt in your opinion? Were YOU proud of HIM?" And then she said, "Do you think he cares if he gets a green ribbon or not? Did HE enjoy himself?"
What a great response from the AKC rep!
The next day, both my dogs earned their ME titles!! I was so proud! But the high point of the weekend was the comments from Barb. Earthdog is alive and well if the thoughts she expressed are what the AKC, the judges and the dog owners are thinking!
Monday, May 3, 2010
They're ALL Companions!
Someone the other day asked me about prices for puppies and whether there were price differences for a companion dog versus a show dog. I told her I priced my ALL my dogs the same. I could tell you the pros and cons of each scenario in terms of "costs". For example, a show dog has training and showing costs: entry fees, handler fees, travel and hotel fees, etc. But who exactly gets the benefit of a dog being a "show dog"? I've never met a dog that gave a hoot about the ribbons or the CH title.
A breeding dog may have a full AKC registration but also has increased potential of getting a uterine infection, prostate cancer, breast cancer, reproductive disease, C-sections, or even loss of life during whelping. Dog breeding, like horse breeding or similar activities, is fraught with high cost and risk of loss. Yes, a companion dog has to be neutered or spayed, and gets different colored registration papers, but, again, does the dog care? And, except for breeding and showing, these dogs can participate in all the other activities of any other dog. We can go on and on.
The thing that struck me most profoundly was that no matter what their "early career" may be, showing, breeding, companion, performance, search & rescue, or whatever, eventually ALL our dogs become companions. They may take on new careers as they get older such as therapy or baby-sitter or just be fireside, trailside or couch companions. But they all eventually become our companions and friends.
I also remembered something the breeder of my "Kate" told me the day I was blessed to get "Kate". She said that her goal as a breeder was to breed the best companion dog possible. If some were show quality or breeding quality, that was a plus. I had forgotten her words until the other day. Her thinking was so enlightened.
The answer to that person's question is that it really makes no sense to differentiate dogs as show versus companion. We are all breeding companion dogs, or we should be. While their early careers may be varied, all their latter years are spent as devoted companions to us, as we should be devoted to them. What they did or accomplished in their younger years becomes but a memory for us. What they give us as our companions goes way beyond and is much more valuable than any price.
A breeding dog may have a full AKC registration but also has increased potential of getting a uterine infection, prostate cancer, breast cancer, reproductive disease, C-sections, or even loss of life during whelping. Dog breeding, like horse breeding or similar activities, is fraught with high cost and risk of loss. Yes, a companion dog has to be neutered or spayed, and gets different colored registration papers, but, again, does the dog care? And, except for breeding and showing, these dogs can participate in all the other activities of any other dog. We can go on and on.
The thing that struck me most profoundly was that no matter what their "early career" may be, showing, breeding, companion, performance, search & rescue, or whatever, eventually ALL our dogs become companions. They may take on new careers as they get older such as therapy or baby-sitter or just be fireside, trailside or couch companions. But they all eventually become our companions and friends.
I also remembered something the breeder of my "Kate" told me the day I was blessed to get "Kate". She said that her goal as a breeder was to breed the best companion dog possible. If some were show quality or breeding quality, that was a plus. I had forgotten her words until the other day. Her thinking was so enlightened.
The answer to that person's question is that it really makes no sense to differentiate dogs as show versus companion. We are all breeding companion dogs, or we should be. While their early careers may be varied, all their latter years are spent as devoted companions to us, as we should be devoted to them. What they did or accomplished in their younger years becomes but a memory for us. What they give us as our companions goes way beyond and is much more valuable than any price.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
