Low Cost Kennel Help

Wed, 07 May 2008 16:17:35 GMT

I've been working on Pa's house, ever since he died. His house is actually our rental, 20 feet away from our 40 foot travel trailer that we've been living in for the past 3 years...Long story. Lets just say there is a method to our madness, and the proof is the brand new shop we just built, about 30 feet from my front door. Pa's house is the old rental that was on this business property when we bought it 8 years ago.We live smack in the middle of downtown Entiat,WA, which is all of 1000 people so not really very big. our property is set back from the highway, and the business in front of it is the log cabin bar and restuarant. You know your a redneck when the only bar in town is your front yard...
Pa was a pack rat. He carefully wrapped and stored every bit of paper, every box, every old broken thing and packed it away in that house. After a solid month of work, I'm starting to see the walls...There are treasures in the mess, however, so I have to examine all of it before throwing it out, and it's nrevewracking work. The dog yard is between both houses, Pas' and the trailer, so 12 pairs of eyes have watched and recorded everything I do. I mean, you never know: I could have food...
There is a giant kawanis yard sale that i signed up for on Saturday, and i've already packed the back of my 3500 dodge truck full: i'm trying to cram more in. i think my back is going to break!I have no help as Norman is driving Tow truck and Sarah's busy. I look at it this way: it's like Gold's Gym, without the Gold's or the Gym...

getting old...

Tue, 06 May 2008 16:33:41 GMT

Okay, I look at this picture of my friend Eva and I, and I am reminded yet again, that we are no longer 20! (Not you, Eva, you still look fab!It's all me) i can't believe we have been going to dog shows for, gasp, 26 years together, never mind before that. We met at our local Richland Kennel Club when we were 20. That's longer ago then my daughter Jessie is old! Now why do we still not win all the time?! Hmmm....
Yes, in Elma shows last weekend, we were little loser dogs...but, well, it was a fun show and i did get to well socialize 2 puppies, so, not a total loss. And it's always fun to stay at hotel Eva...
The weather is much warmer now, which the dogs greatly apreciate, never mind me. Emmy Lou. our oldest Champion Min-Pin, is in heat again (yikes!) Circus time, as we are not breeding her this time in spite of what the boys say...And they are saying plenty, mostly cuss words 'cause they are not allowed near her...

Recent Picture

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 19:40:49 GMT

Eva and Me

Off to see the Wizard (Judges!)

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:02:58 GMT

Well, in a few hours I'll be off to Walla Walla shows, by myself, as our employee is sick so Norman has to cover, and it the famous Apple Blossem weekend (first of 2), so Sarah is staying home to do that with The Boyfriend. The Boyfriend has a name, but i prefer The Boy until we get to no him better...
Hannah and Her Gang...
Both older boys have graduated and are going outside, ect, generally doing big boy stuff.Hannah seems to be pleased now that her duties have been relieved, and is outside more enjoying the warming days. We have a new puppy, who is bunking in the pen with Tyne. we havn't really named her yet, but she's out of Nicky and her mom is Mario Gomez' Envy. She's exactly like half brother Tyne, who is also out of Nicky, and we're very pleased to have her. Sarah has decided she's hers, sorta to help with losing Polly, and that's fine by me. i want to name her Hamster, she looks exactly like one of those blond fuzzy hamsters the pet shops have, but Sarah is leaning towards kitten ..Hannah is only allowed limited contact at this time as the puppy is very young, tho' i think as she gets older Hannahs guidence will be valuable...
There are 15 longcoat male Chihuahuas entered this weekend, I doubt Nicky will have a chance now that all his front teeth have been stolen, but were going to try...Still deciding if i'm going to sue Dr. Pulls A Lot...Wish us luck at the shows!

upcoming shows

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:52:38 GMT

Well, the stakes have just been raised with Nicky...i took him in on Tuesday for a simple wart removal, and tooth cleaning. This is (was!) my regular vet. We discussed that Nicky was a show dog, at lenght, and how to only shave a little hair from the foot because he had 2 shows in Walla Walla this weekend. i signed a release form with my number on it, expressing clearly that i was to be called if anything unusual happened. i went about my day with no phone calls, so went to pick him up at 5 and got the biggest shock of my life...Where his front teeth, upper and lowers, between the canines, had used to be, was...nothing. A bloody hole. empty air. I was so shocked i couldn't speak for a moment, but Sarah did, and boy, did she let him have it! i of course started to cry because i do that under stress, i hate it but can't help it...he had no excuse. Mumbled something about all the front teeth being absessed (not true, he was just at the 4 day show in lewiston and i and 4 other judges would have noticed this!) he gave us no antibiotics, which he would have if that were true. All i can think of is someone made an awful mistake, and he's choosing to cover it up instead of coming clean. And i got a $400.00 bill on top of it!
Norman called a lawyer dog show client of Sarahs, and were going to sue. i can't let this go! As a finished Champion, i could, possible, have sold him overseas for $10,000.00 or more. his uncle CH. Burgundy Li'l Warhawk went for a reported $19,000.00. His reletive CH. Camolot went for over $10,000.00. i know of a lot of Burgundy dogs, of which he is one, that were sold for more. now, by pulling his front teeth for no good reason, that vet ruined him. he will never, ever finish now, unless a miracle happens and i'm not going to count on it.
Being a huge optimist, and cheap (hey, he's already entered in the next 4 shows!) i will try. I got his show record from AKC, showing all the judges that have put him up in the past, and i'm going to watch for them and maybe, just maybe, fingers crossed and all the stars are lined up correctly and i'm wearing my cross, maybe one will see fit to finish my Nicky. I added up my expenses so far with him. his 14 points, 2 majors cost me $1034.00, just in entry fees, not to mention gas, food, lodging...yes, ouch! And you can bet your patootie i'm sueing this vet! I may not win, but I'm sure gonna try. i just can't let this go...Marie

Better mood

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 04:05:06 GMT

Okay, no more sadness. We're done with that...here is the Moses lake dog show update for last weekend: those judges are cruel! And I mean that! Saturday i went reserve winners. How mean is that to someone who just needs 1 lousy point to finish?! Sunday the judge kept switching me first, then second, then first...still didn't win. Curses to you! Oh, well, Norman put the first point on his Min-Pin puppy girl Luka. it was great: he needed that win after all the bad things that have happened to us lately. The building erupted win the judge pointed to him, I think all out dog show friends were watching. I didn't know Norman could turn that bright a shade of red...That night he and his buds Ken and Tye sat around and did shots and generally caused lots of noise, which I'm sure the motorhomes on either side appreciated. Ah, the fun of dog shows....

Polly

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:51:50 GMT

We lost 1 of our old dogs yesterday, very tragically. I found her alone on the floor, and I suspect she seized as there was signs of a struggle. She had heart problems and a history of this, but still...Sarah is heartbroken. she had gotten Polly when she was 3 years old, and Polly was 6 weeks.She had wanted to carry Polly down the isle when she graduated from High School in 2 years, but now that's not to be.Both of us cried all night. I don't know what to say, how to comfort...Norman is more stoic, but it's easy to see even he's shaken and upset. We still have Gizmo, who's 15, but for how long is anyones guess. life is to fragile, and sometimes to sad.I tell myself to love the ones we have, while we have them, but the words sound hollow even to me. This is to close to Pa's passing, to much for a little girl to bear...I wish i knew what to do. And ironically we leave today for Moses Lake dog shows. Maybe that's the key...keep busy. Maybe. Sorry if I sound depressed...

afterthoughts

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 16:48:34 GMT

Almost forgot to thank the staff and owners of Hotel Eva, in Tenino, WA, for their wonderful hospitality which is, of course, my best friend Eva Kopf and her wonderful Jam Schipperkes. Without you we would have drowned in the freezing rain that fell all weekend at the show, not to mention froze our collective butts off. Did you know it's possible to pull out a crate cart, set up nine crates, grooming bag and sundries, all with bungie cords in place and be pulling through the front doors of the show buildings in under 4 minutes? Standing in a frozen, windy downpour is great motivation....

Our lives go on...

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 16:30:25 GMT

Hannah is disgusting. Really. For such a darling little dog with such a pretty face and cute little mannerisms, she's really gross. She eats poo like it's candy, licks the bottems of shoes and sleeps in the garbage.I'm forever pulling stuff out of her mouth.That's why I havn't taken her to any shows lately, I can't deal with it. Hopefully she'll grow up?!
last shows in Elma, WA on April 5,6 were a unbelievable. Thank you judge Margie Hamilton for the 2 pt win with Nicky! We are now officially in the 1 point club, just 1 (count ;em 1!) point to go to finish his Championship! Yeah! And Isidora, good old pregnant Isidora took 2 pts both Sat and Sun for 4 more points to add to her totals, by going Winners bitch both days! Romi took 1 point Sat, and 2 pts on Sunday to add 3 more points to his totals! yeah! And both Min- Pins lost! Boo! oh, well, can't win them all...

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:34:53 GMT

They came in a big yellow ambulance to take him away, my Father-In -law. We knew this was coming:but it's still very hard for the living to prepare for the dying. He's been in the hospital all night on morphine, still hanging on, but it's coming and even he can't stop it.And this morning, the sun is finally out, the strange snow has stopped and the air is warm. A good day, my husband says, to go...Godspeed, Pa...

time to climb up on my soapbox,,,

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 19:42:07 GMT

Thats it, I just have to say my piece about the selling of Chihuahua puppies, or any puppies, for that matter. Nothing wrong with it, I've done it, we all have, or we would have dogs coming out of our ears...With the advent of the Internet it's easier then ever...Okay, i admit this because it's been bothering me for years. Lots of stuff about me bothers me, things i should have done, could have done, most definatly shouldn't have done...I like to think I'm a good person, but...one thing over the years is I have learned much, with much cost...When I think about the past, and the small souls that i've held in my hands, i wish, wish I had been kinder. Kindness was not my middle name back then, and I am most sorry. I firmly believe in karma, good and bad, and what comes around, goes around. You must treat the world and all souls in it, as you would want to be treated. Or it will bite you in the butt. I know. Butt, bitten.
I really don't breed to much it's expensive and heartbreaking, so I only do it when I want a puppy of my own. Or two or three.I will sell a puppy that isn't what I need, but only after much thought and care and the puppy will not be a tiny 8 week old infant! An 8 week old puppy is an infant. An experienced breeder working with their own bloodlines, can somewhat tell how puppy will turn out, but no one has x-ray vision and I'm certain i'm not magic so God knows I've been wrong. This breed is a toy breed, so has it's own fun bugaboos like hypoglaucemia, which sometimes won't show up until weeks later. Hypoglaucemis is fading puppy syndome in which for no apparent reason puppy quits eating, grows sluggish, sometimes gets diarea or sometimes not, and will die. They seem to lose interest in their enviroment and suddenly have no will to live. I have seen a lot of this over the years, and knock on wood I've never lost a puppy to it. But if you just don't know, puppy can be gone in the blink of an eye. Sure, taking puppy to the vet will sometimes save it, if they recognize it for what it is, but $800.00 later there is still no guarantee of a live puppy .Not to many puppies get this, but's it;s commen enough to deserve a warning and should be watched out for. Patellas can go in an older puppy without warning, and since this is hereditary and can happen even if both parents are free of it, it should always be guaranteed against by any honest breeder. Patells can also go do to an injury, so a vet must be consulted, and then of course the breeder is not resposible. Hearts can be checked at 8 weeks but must be re-checked when puppy is older, This is also hereditary and should be guaranteed against. Thyroid is hard to detect until pup is an adult, and this is a grey area. I don't personally guarantee against this, I feel the buyer has to take some responsibility and wrong or right this can't be pinned on the breeder as long as both parent dogs are free of it. And if you as a breeder buy a puppy that doesn't work out, and you resell it, it will be older and vet checked at time of sale for all health problems and be free of same and since you did not breed it I believe buyer beware and you are not responsible for any hereditary health problems which might rear up in the future. Which is a big reason I don't ask a ton for puppies,it's just to much of a wild card. Whew! That's enough to scare anybody off of breeding!
'Nuff said, I'll climb down now. That's why I'm scared to do a lot of breeding, I don't want my butt bitten anymore! And If a breeder would just keep their tiny infants until older this would all be self-eliminating and commen sense would argue this would be the best course to follow. But, we, being human, can't resist a proffit while the other can't resist an infant and God help you both that it will all turn out okay in the end. I've learned to pray...

Snorting puppies...

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 15:55:13 GMT

Tyne snorts a lot. He always has, and he really gets going when excited. It's reverse sneezing, usually nothing, and in his case it is nothing, but when he first started this I kept remembering a Chinese crested puppy I had bred years ago that did the same thing. In her case she had an elongated pallete (spelled right?, spell checker has no clue) It's a hereditary deformaty of the soft tube and area around it in the throat, ranging from very mild to life threatening.In this other puppy it was life-threatening, and of course this was my middle daughter Jessie's puppy. We had to put the puppy down as there was no cure and she was suffering. I started to do research on this and found to my horror this particular line of Cresteds had it in the gene pool. It's a tricky thing, and in mild form seems like allergies.So off little Tyne went to the vet, and no, that's not why he sneezes a lot. my vet thinks it's just because he has such a short nose.
Chihuahuas are a typical man-made breed. They cannot survive in the wild (ever seen a pack of wild Chihuahuas running down prey?That would be one for the blog...)We breed in skeletal and soft tissue deformaties like bulging heads and eyes, that fun soft spot, square bodies and as short a nose as can fit on the face, and then we worry about hereditary defects. The whole dog, if bred for the show ring, is a defect!Most have to have c-sections for whatever reason, most, not all, but enough that it's become normal in this breed.
i guess this is why I'm so frustrated with Nicky, not with him, with judges perceptions of him. He has health tested excellant for eyes, hips, he has no soft spot and his thyroid tests came back great. He's fertile, virile, has no fear and shows like a Special. He's compact, beautiful and to standard, and has a long, thick white coat. I have 12 points, both majors on him, as of last November where he took back to back Best of Breeds for 2, 3 point majors.Since January he has been in 12 shows, and recieved 2 reserves. And I know why. When he was 4 months old I bought him and his sister from a breeder of Jan Lots Burgundy line. They are out of CH. Burgundy li'l Bernard O'Vannoy, and there Dam is Burgundy L'il Nikky, a Millers Nigal Tykeson daughter. Both are wonderful, his sister Cloe just needs a 3 point major to finish, and there litter brother Teddy finished last year.Tyne, by the way, is Nickys' pup. So what's the all-fired flaming problem with the judges, about Nicky?! I'll tell you: When I bought Nicky and Cloe, Chloe thought it was great fun to chew on brothers' ear. So, he has scar tissue on that ear that causes it to go up and down for no apparent reason. I've tried everything to stiffen the tissue before going in to show, and he lives in moleskin secured with skin bond on the ear between shows to train it. He get's calcium, and Show Stopper multi-vitamins, extra milk and cheese, you name it, I have done it, including icing it before going in. Sometimes it's up like a rock, always when his head is trained up to look at me, and there is only a slight bounce when going around the ring.I know this is why he's not finishing. I mean, come on, judges! With all the horrible deformaties in out breed, your picking on this excellent example of a long-coat Chihuahua because his ear sometimes bounces?!
Sorry. i'll quit raving now. If anyone out there can think of a trick to get the ear up for the five minutes or so we're in the ring, please tell me. And you can't feel it or see it on the ear, it has to appear natural.
Hannah and her Gang: Mouse still sleeps with the gang at night, but goes outside like a big boy during the day. And none of them give a flip about ears...Hannah likes to get into the toilet paper rolls when I'm not looking, and scatter bits of white paper all over the house.And her ears are straght up while doing it...

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:32:04 GMT

Okay, I must have taken a wrong turn back there, this isn't my house...Norman, tho 'sick as a dog and caring for his Dad, has still managed to pull off a lot of work. The shop builders will be here on Wed. and things are all turned around. We're exposed! My wall of wrecked cars and old rose bushes are gone, replaced by this empty space.And you can see right ento the dog yard, Yipes! I'll have to block that somehow...we're legal, iIhave a kennel license and all, but I get so tired of the inevetable questions: Are those for sale? For free? Why do you have so many (I have 11, counting the Min-Pins)Traveling and letting the crew out for potty breaks is fun: I'll give you $100.00 bucks for that one! (points at my latest Champion) or they ask if I'm with a carnival and look around for the rest of the trucks. No, no, I'll have to block this wide open space with something...
I'm getting used to losing with Nicky, so used to it I'm actually relaxed and just playing with him in the ring. Still hoping...And Pan took reserves both days (drat!), but my brood girl isadora went Winners Bitch and best of Oposite over the Specials(Champoin) girl for 2 points! You could have knocked me over with a feather. And good ole' Isaak went Winners Dog and best of Winners for 2 more points, and he did it in front of his family! he's one of our client dogs, and it's always good to win in front of the client...he also went reserve the day before.
Sunday was a cold, drippy day. Reminds me again why I live in Eastern Washington. Mud, rain, cold water and wind, not pleasent, and this is why people hire me to show their dogs so they can sit on a nice warm couch and watch Friends. S'okay. S'way we make the big bucks (yeah, right!)
Hannah is pissed. Her boys are growing, and it's all she can do to keep them in line. Mouse will need to go in with the bigger boys, he's twice her size now and plenty able to be outside once in a while.Fred and Tyne can stay in the baby pen with Hannah, but even they are growing...

On the road again...

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:11:26 GMT

So, today Sarah and I are off to Bremerton Dog shows. No Norman, no Pa. Pa is getting worse, his cancer growing and his dementia taking over everything. We don't think he's strong enough to travel anymore. it's to bad, he got such a kick out of Seattle shows and watching his granddaughter win.We don't mind, we'll make do in the truck as we've done many times before. I actually like Motel big Truck: feels safe, like sitting in a fortress looking down at the passing scene.
This weekend I've got the rosery, my biggest cross, and my earth symbol. Somthing has got to be good luck for Nicky!

later that evening

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 01:22:43 GMT

They say there are no aithiests in foxholes. Well, I don't think their are any at dog shows, either. I was looking around Saturday morning, waiting to begin, and watching people in the rings next to me. You could feel the tension.This guy in a big plaid jacket was doing the down and back with a Jack Russell terrier . Face tence, he had one hand controlling the dog, and the other in his pocket. Probably fingering a rosery. I could imagine him bargaining with God:"Please, please let me win this, I promise i'll be better, I'll leave so and so's thinning shears alone this time, please, I'll only have one beer tonight instead of six...I'll bring a baggie for the dog doo instead of leaving it in the dark and walking off! I'll quite throwing off so and so's dog by whistling at it! I 'll take down my fake handicap sticker!!!" then, he loses...oh! He put up Champoin so and so backed by Big Money! That blind so and so! stomp,stomp...I find I do a lot of praying in the ring myself. I've lost so much with my Nicky lately, if I thought throwing salt over my left shoulder, wearing garlic, and knealing on a rug to Mecca before going in would work, I'd do it...
Thoughts on Hannah and her Gang: Her bossyness thinks, of course, she should eat first and the boys, last. Fred and Mouse will barge past anyway, risking her wrath, while little Tyne barks his head off on the cushion in the corner...And speaking of clean dog cushions, were does it say in the manual that all clean cushions coming in must be peed on? It's a rule. First Hannah, neatly marking a spot. Then Fred and Mouse, squatting just anywhere wihch irritates Hannah to no end so now she must snip at them and go re-mark. Tyne pees at will and then lays in it. And sleeping is a chore: Hannah herds the boys one way, then they other, no, not there, lets' go over here. by the time she lets them lay down the little guys are just exhausted...If I go into the bathroom at night, it is nice to see Hannah peering up at me over her sleeping herd, as if to say all is right in her world and in ours...

home again

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 23:52:32 GMT

Home again.I drove 950 miles since Friday! Can't be doing that to often, gas is to expensive But it was worth it. Pan picked up a 3 point major on Saturday with a Best of Winners, and Best again on Sunday for 2 points, he did so well, I was very proud of him. Our Client longcoat boy Isaak took the 3 point major on Sunday! yay! And Sparkle and Isadora each got a reserve winners, tho' i have to be very careful not to upset Isadora as she is bred to lancelot. Thank you Carol and Denise for letting us stay at your beautiful home in Salem, we had a lot of fun, you guys are great hosts! And I love all your Chihuahuas...their boy Mikey, who is related closely to Pan, took the 3 point major on Saturday in longcoats
Never enough time. I would have liked to visit with people and the place more, but it's always rush, rush when your showing. I have to figure out a way to do this cheaper, gas prices are a killer...i found gas in Salem on Sunday for 3.75 a gallon and was way excited, that's 35 cents a gallon cheaper then at home! terrible....
Still nothing on Nicky, i have to figure out a way to get that left ear to stop bending at the old injury site, it;s a fault in Chihuahuas and why he isn't winning...I keep it in tapes between shows, but it's not helping. i've tried hair spray before going in the ring, works sorta but not good enough. Guess i have to just keep trying...

Chintimini kennel Club shows this weekend:Oregon, here we come!

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:55:33 GMT

So, how much work does a small dog need to get ready to go to the dog show, compared to a big dog! Lots more! Just like small people...Chihuahuas require enormous amounts of effort, let me tell you! Sarah was done with her great dane Penelope long before i was with my 8 small ones. Bathing, clipping, spiffing, hauling equipment out to the truck. It's no wonder my surgury site is all red and painful. We leave at 7 in the morning, and first I have to drive to Ritzville and pick up my smooth coat Chihuahua Isadora from Brenda, who went home with her last week to be bred to Lance, when i picked up Mouse Then, swing around and backtrack up I 90, past Ellensburg and over Snoquamie Pass, over 18, onto 5 and head for Salem, Oregon, where were staying with friends for the Alboney shows this weekend.About 10 hours in the car, maybe...this is usually when I decide to quit showing. . But I never do.
More on Hannah and her gang: I've noticed that she herds the boys like sheep. If their doing something she thinks they shouldn't, she herds them away from it. She decides when they eat (food is always down, so not a tuff decisn) She decides when they play, when they nap, ect. Pack behavoir Of course, she's just naturally bossy, and it's funny when she gets mad...She sounds like a bee, a big, angry bee. A big, bossy, angry bee. But she's too small to hurt anyone, and I really think the boys would be lost without her. They all sleep in a fat heap, piled around her and over her. And there she is on top of the heap, one eye open for danger, guarding her boys....
Hannah is not entered this weekend or for awhile, she needs to grow up a little. Nicky, my white longcoat Chihuahua, is still searching for those elusive last 3 points to become a Champion. maybe this weekend?! Pan, my smoothcoat brindle male , is sitting at 9 points, isadora, the girl that we just bred, has 6 points, Romi has a 4 point major, and Issak and Sparkle are still working on first points. Both the MinPin puppies are entered, Radar and Luka. So, it's off to the show in a cloud of dog hair we go! Maybe we'll do some winning...

puppies...

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 16:30:18 GMT

Puppies...for the sheer mess they make, sometimes I wonder if there worth it.I have 4 little ones in a small pen in our bathroom, because they are simply to small and fragile to go outside. Hannah, tho' technically not a puppy(she's 9 months old) is very small, 2 pounds, and she is definately the ringleader. Fred, he's about 5 months old, is still smaller then Hannah, then there is Mouse, my new blue and white longcoat boy that I got from Brenda and Mellissa, he's about Hannahs size at 4 months. Tyne, my youngest, (13 weeks) is my smoothcoat boy out of Nicky and CH. Boo, he's almost Fred' size.very cute, very messy...Hannah is the boss, undisputed, I think because she's female and the boys just naturally follow her, and she's the oldest. If someone starts a rumble, she finishes it, planting herself in the middle and growling menacingly. Tho' I think it's hard to be menacing when your tiny and so cute...But the boys don't think she's cute. They back right down...They are so much like human children, it's scary, and because there right there in the bathroom of the 40 foot travel trailor that were living in until out shop/living quarters are built, they are right in the middle of everything.Both doors stay open, so they can see from one end to the other. Everytime someone comes in or out, or better yet, has to use the bathroom, four little faces are planted at the side nearest and 8 beady little eyes are glued on the action. a little disconcerning when your going to the bathroom to have a cheering section watching your every move...
We have lived this way for 2 1/2 years. trying to keep our towing business viable.This year I finally got financing to start work on the shop, so we can move the mechanical part of the business indoors and make more money, and maybe next year we can start on the house part.We own our business property, there just isn't a building here yet.The property is on the highway, 97A, in Entiat, directly behind the Log Cabin restuarant . Like I always say:, you know your a redneck when the only bar in town is in your front yard...We should be on the Jeff Foxworthy show, we would so make Redneck Yard of the Week...I have to laugh about our living situation or I would go crazy.

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 07:32:49 GMT

Home again, very tired, hard to drive so far home when you get up at 330 AM! Sat. Sarah took Best Opposite and 2nd in Juniors with her Dane, i took 3 reserves on various dogs, Sun Sarah again took a Best Opposite, and put a 4 pt major and a Best of breed on our client dog, Romi. yeah, Sarah! i've come to the conclusion we all need more training on the dogs, 'specially the Min Pins! To expensive to go to these shows without being better prepared...We took Pa with us, Normans' Dad, he's really going downhill. Alzhimers...(spelled right?) All the way home he kept trying to bail out of the car while we grabbed for him and I swerved all over the road. It's a wonder i didn't hit something.it would be funny if it wasn't so sad...Marie

Quest Field:We are here!

Sat, 08 Mar 2008 01:43:19 GMT

We're here...all the RV's are situated in the far left corner of the parking lot, like we have our own strange little village...dog people everywhere. What makes this different then most parking at shows is the occasional wandering bum. Scary. They don't tend to bother us much, what with the Dobie and Sarahs' Dane, thank goodness.But it's something to watch out for.
I'm in a lot of pain. The operation went well, but it still hurts. Tomorrow will be a Hydrocodone day...I feel like a walking advertizement for modern prescription drugs. I've decided to show Princess after all, I don't know why I never did it before, she's beautiful and walks well with wagging tail going 90 miles an hour. Funny how we get hung up on the dogs were currently working on, and fail to see the others waiting in the wings. Maybe it's the drugs, allowing me to see outside the box. The little blue boy is great, I'm so glad I got him.And tomorrow if all goes well Logan will go home with Pam as my trade for Fred. See how complicated this showing thing can be?
I have to tell this story: So we go to Ballard, to this Norwegian food store we always go to. Norman and his dad, who is with us this time, are Norwegian. So, afterwords we go around the block, to the yarn store, ect, and I go into am consignment store while they go back to the truck. I pick out a sweater, pay for it, and as I'm leaving this loud, larger lady comes storming up to me "That's mine! i came back for it" I shrug, and try to leave, and she loudly yells at the owner, who is her friend, "I came back for that sweater, and she won't let me have it!" Now remember, i had major surgury yesterday, I have a 5 inch gash under my left arm.So, the owner sails over to me, and snatches the sweater out of my left arm, hurting me terribly, and gives it to the loud-mouthed fat lady! "Here's your money back" she snaps at me, and gives my sweater to her! Well, If I hadn't been so doped up, and in agony from the pain in my surgury cut, i would have decked her...honestly! But instead I just left...what would you have done?

Seattle kennel club shows coming up...

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 02:23:25 GMT

Hey, since this is the official 'dog blog', and I am now your official 'dog blogger', that's what this will be about.And since we go to a lot of shows, well...This weekend is Seattle Kennel Club , at Quest field in Seattle. Huge deal for all of us dog people, but probably a yawner for the average person. I love it! There are tons of venders, little places to shop for dog related items,very much fun for yours truly.Competion will be fierce, as this show attracts some really good dogs, and some not so good. I'm ready! I need just 3 single points to finish one of my male Chihuahuas, and i'm wanting to do this very badly. i have client dogs in, all 3 which should do well, and Sarah, my 15 year old daughter, has her Great Dane female in both Breed and Juniors.Fun, fun! Since I am also the low cost kennel help, I'm in the loop for basic care, but hey, thats most of the fun , the day to day stuff. it will be hard for me this weekend, tho', as on thursday at noon I'm having surgery, but I'm still going to be showing...Maybe if i bleed all over I'll get the pity vote and win?! hey, whatever works! And I got my new boy today, he's a blue and white longcoat from some top breeding, out of Mellissa Vannoy and Brenda McGlaughlins' excellent bloodlines (thanks, guys!) his name is Mouse, and we are very excited...So, from the low cost kennel help, hearafter known as LCKH, i will keep you informed of our progress. Now I have to go scoop...