Stop and Smell the Roses

Over the weekend, Hush and I took a few really long walks. At one point, it got really hot, so we found a clean part of the creek, and I let her get her paws wet. Dogs "sweat" through their paws (they don't actually sweat, but they release heat through their paws), and wading in a nice cool stream can really help them cool off. I try not to let her drink out rivers and streams, but I couldn't pour her portable water fast enough! So here is my little troll under the bridge.


After we played troll under the bridge, we continued on our walk until we got to one of Arlington County's many, many, many parks. This particular park has lovely rose gardens, and beautiful benches where you can sit and relax. We walked around the gardens, sat on a bench, picked and shared blackberries, and then took a nap in the grass together under a large shady tree.



Hush is a big fan of roses. First she wanted to smile with the pretty pink ones. Don't you just love this picture? When I showed it to her breeder she was blown away by how beautiful Hush is looking. She just gets better every single day!



But, Hush still does not have a very long attention span, so it did not take long before she was sick of playing photo shoot amongst the pink florals. Next we came to the yellow ones, and she decided it was time to stop and smell the roses. Of course, with all this trolling, posing and sniffing... we were exhausted. So, we collapsed in a ball of Lydiahushness under a big oak tree, and didn't wake up for over an hour! When we woke up there was a snow cone truck parked on the side of the road, so I bought us each a snow cone. Hush has hers with no flavoring, just shaved ice, but she doesn't seem to mind, and the snowcone salesperson usually discounts hers since there is no flavoring on it. You have to be careful feeding frozen treats or ice cubes, because of bloat, but the occassional frozen goodie is safe... just make sure you supervise your dog, and your dog does not eat the shaved ice too quickly.

Are You There God? It's Me, Hush...

Our conformation trainer seems to think Hush maybe about to go into season. No matter what, her hormones are starting to change, and the boys are certainly taking notice to her. This could be why the Dalmatian went after her in class, and why another dog kept eying her and quietly growling. I’ve been keeping an eye on her girly parts, looking for any swelling and changes, and so far haven’t seen any. But, she has been displaying some skittish and uncharacteristic behaviors, which are signs that hormones are changing. Our trainer commented that the issues we are having with gaiting and movement could very well be Hush trying to guard her butt from the audience of male dogs. Another sign that she might be about to have her first heat.

I spoke with Hush’s breeder, and while a bitch CAN go into season any time after 6 months, she thinks this is most likely pre-menstrual changes, where hormones will start to shift for 1-2 months before the actual heat cycle begins. During this time, male dogs will most likely show an interest in her. She told me to keep an eye on her genitals, and if things feel sticky to just clean her with baby wipes. It is very common for a young bitch to get a mild vaginal infection before her first heat cycle, and if that is developing with Hush right now, that could be why the boys are taking an interest in her.

As far as training and showing goes, with a young dog especially, you don’t want to show them or ask them to do much training during their first heat cycle. Just like with teenage humans, there are a lot of changes happening in a bitch’s body leading up to and during her first cycle. These hormonal and physical changes often leave the bitch on edge, as she is confused about what is happening to her body.

My training club has a rule against training bitches in season, many clubs have this rule, but some allow them to train so long as they are wearing “Bitches Britches” (undies, usually with a maxi pad) to prevent any bleeding, and most importantly, prevent and unplanned mating from occurring.

I can’t help but cringe, as I look at my baby, still so much a puppy, and think about the unscrupulous breeders who breed bitches on their very first heat cycle. I see just how undeveloped Hush is, still a baby in so many ways, her body still growing and changing, and want to kill any scum who would force such a young dog to carry a litter of puppies, when she herself is still a puppy.

Hopefully, we’ve got some time before her first heat cycle is here. I don’t know if I’m quite ready, but I’ll keep a bag of Carob Chips on hand for Hush, assuming dogs have chocolate cravings, too.

Practice Makes Perfect!

Last night was handling class, and WHAT A DIFFERENCE! I’ve been practicing every day for the past week, and the results are finally becoming really noticeable. I focused my practice this week on a few things standing still, forced stacking (where the handler physically moves the dog’s legs into place), showing the bite, and gaiting. I learned last week that Hush is pulling and throwing off her movement when we gait, so to remedy that I’ve worked a lot on loose leash walking when she’s on her regular collar. By revisiting the concept of not pulling and remaining at my side on all walks, this should translate over to gaiting when I put on her show collar and lead.

Class began with only one hiccup, another dog eyed Hush while his handler was putting on her armband, and saw that opportunity to try and start a fight. Hush was a bit shaken up, but okay. I wish I could say the experience didn’t happen, but that’s part of having animals, things like this happen, and it gave our trainer and excellent opportunity to discuss how important it is to always keep a watchful eye on where your dog is looking. You do not want to let your dog make eye contact with another dog, and you do not want to let your dog get into another dog’s face. In our case, the Dalmatian had been eyeing Hush for quite a few minutes, and pounced on the opportunity of a distracted handler. It was interesting to see, that even in a very controlled environment things like this happen, and it made me shudder at the thought of all of the people who let their dogs pull them to me and don’t ask permission before their dog’s head is right in my dog’s face. It’s always good to remember that just because your dog is great with other dog that doesn’t mean the same is true for the dog on the end of someone else’s leash.

Once our armbands were secured and Hush had a slew of people love on her and comfort her, we began by entering the ring in numerical order. The other bitches that are normally in class were absent, so I was the only even number, and had selected 24 (the last number). Once around the ring, line up, stack your dogs, and as each dog came out for the judge we were instructed on which gaiting pattern to do. So, I might do the triangle, while the person in front of me did down-and-back. This required us to pay attention to what the judge was saying.

As we stood with our dogs stacked in line, the “judge” immediately commented on the vast improvement she had seen in Hush. Not only was she stacking very nicely (YAY! I’m getting the hang of it, slowly, but surely), but she also was much calmer than she has ever been before, and stood patiently while she was looked over. When it was our turn to come out of the line and stack for the “judge” the hard work I’ve put forth all week was very apparent. We were asked to show the bite, and did so effortlessly, like old pro’s. Gaiting went okay. I knew all of the patterns, but Hush was a bit skittish at the far end of the ring (where we had problems last week). We’ve been practicing outdoors, so we’re going to need to find some indoor arenas to get some more inside experience. General socialization and exposure to a variety of places and surfaces will help with this. During the mock-show we even placed 3^rd, and were provided with reasoning as to our placing! Beating out some really great dogs and handlers made me especially proud.

There is still a lot to work on, but we’ve come a long way… and I feel like the parts are starting to fall into place.

The Road To The Breed Ring:

I am very excited to announce that on January 18^th, Hush and I will be starting Beginning Conformation Class! Typically, the trainer of this class likes dogs to be at least 6-months, and Hush will only be 5-months, but because she will only be teaching the course this winter she is making an exception. I had the opportunity of meeting with the trainer last week after puppy kindergarten, and she is fantastic. She shows Chow Chow’s and is an AKC judge, who seems to be a wealth of knowledge!

So you ask, what is Beginning Conformation Class? Basically, this will serve as an introduction to conformation (dog showing, like what you see on TV when you watch Westminster) for both Hush and I. The class is geared towards anyone who is a novice and has never shown a dog in conformation, or has limited experience. To ensure all students receive individual attention, the class is capped at only 10 students.

The course covers:

• Familiarity with breed standards and their importance
• Canine anatomy terminology
• Proper equipment use for exhibiting specific breeds
• Show procedures and attitude
• Movement patterns
• Ring appearance
• Good sportsmanship

The course is 6-weeks long, and will be the first step in preparing us for the show ring. After this class is over, another class will start on weekends, where each Saturday will be like a mock show to get dogs used to having dogs standing in front of and behind them while being shown.

I can begin showing Hush at 6-months in AKC puppy classes. I already have one show planned on our calendar in June, in Traverse City, Michigan, where as you know, Hush came from. Whether or not this show will be our debut, only time will tell!

The Journey to Get Hush

I have been such a bad blogger! I can’t believe that I have not posted yet about my trip to get Hush, and my first weeks with my little bundle of joyous fuzz!

On Halloween, my only day off in months, I boarded a flight out of Washington Dulles, with a planned connection from Detroit to Traverse City, Michigan. All was set, my breeder, of Nitelite Goldens, would pick me up at the airport take me to her house to meet Hush’s ancestors, then we’d head to Hush’s home, a winery, where I would the litter, enjoy lunch, and a glass of wine before heading back to the airport to fly back to DC. It was a jam packed trip, which started with me up before 5am to primp, out the door by 5:30. My parents met at an airport; as a result, I always look my absolute best when I fly. Four inch stilettos, an adorable dress, curled hair, not an eyelash out of place.

All seemed well as I sat in my seat on that first plane, but soon, the trip from hell would unfold. First, my second carry on, the size medium Sherpa bag, did not fit in the overhead bin. I decided to plane side check it, knowing it would fit on the next flight, and I could rearrange my other carry on. However, Delta failed to give me a tag for it when I plane side checked it. The next thing I knew, my flight was pulling away from the gate, only to have to go back to the gate because of mechanical failures. The mechanic took his merry time fixing the plane, stopping half way through to go get a bagel and cup of coffee, yes; I watched this out of my window. Needless to say, we were delayed, very delayed.

When I arrived in Detroit, I raced off the plane, eagerly bounced up and down as the person unloaded plane side checked bags, waiting for my little Sherpa so I could grab it and race to my connection, praying under my breath my connection was also delayed, knowing if it was not, I had already missed it.

After all of the bags had been set beside the plane, I inquired about mine; he picked it up, and said, “Oh, this one?”

“Yes!” I squealed as he taunted me with the pet carrier.

“I need your ticket,” he responded in an authoritative way while examining the carrier very closely.

“Don’t worry; there isn’t a puppy in it, yet…” I said while digging through my cluttered purse for my boarding pass. By this point in the trip I was quite experienced at fielding inquiries about where the puppy in said puppy carrier was. I found my tattered boarding pass and thrust it at him. My heart was racing; my nails were digging into my palms as the dismal reality of missing my flight was setting in.

“No, the baggage ticket, you were given plane side in Washington,” he explained.

“I wasn’t given one; I checked it very last minute.”

Because of FDA requirements, he cannot give me back my bag. If I would like it back, I’m going to have to go to baggage claim in Detroit to retrieve it. I want to scream; I want to shout, “I’m not going to blow up a plane with a Sherpa bag!,” But realize, if I wind up in jail for attempted terrorism, my boss will probably fire me for missing work two days before the election.

I race towards the gate, hoping to find a kind Delta representative to give me my puppy carrier and get me on the next flight to Traverse City. I think to myself, I’m in the right state; it can’t be that hard to get me there. I’ll just be an hour or so late. Wrong, so wrong. The next flight to TC was schedule to depart in three hours. I called the breeder in a panic; she was waiting in baggage claim at Traverse City for me, and assured me that no matter what, I would have my puppy today, even if it meant Hush meeting me at the airport.

The rest of the trip was a blur. I literally ran miles through the Detroit airport – at one point Tweeting that I had a new found respect for “Workout Barbie,” as blisters began to blanket my feet. In the end, I was booked on a flight that would put me into Traverse City five minutes before I would have to board my flight back to Detroit, and then back to DC. Delta offered to put me up overnight, but they wouldn’t be able to get me to DC until 10am, with two days until the election, that would not work. Because technically, my flights from TC back to DC were a separate return trip, I could not check in and acquire those boarding passes until I landed in TC. My puppy carrier was now being checked through to Traverse City. I was a nervous wreck, but a nice Delta employee assured me Traverse City is a tiny airport staffed with very nice people. If I told them as I got off my plane that I had to run to baggage claim to get my checked bag and a puppy, and would be on that flight, the last flight out for the night, they would most likely be very accommodating.

When I landed in Traverse City my feet were bleeding, my once perfectly curled hair was disheveled, my side bangs clung to my sweaty brow, my dress was wrinkled, I had coffee stains on my purse, my eyes were dark and haunting from lack of sleep during an election and mascara tear stains. I walked off the plane, in a zombie like state. I began explaining my story to the woman working the counter at the gate.

I think Traverse City airport is in an alternate fairy tale universe.

“I’ve already checked you in. Here is your boarding pass.” The kind lady said at the gate, before I had time to finish explaining my sob story.

“Your puppy is waiting with that lady right over there,” the fairy godmother Delta employee comforted as she waved her magical wand in the direction of a woman sitting by the gate, holding a puppy carrier and waving at me.

I was confused. How did this woman with my puppy get through security? I ran up to the puppy woman, Marie, the lady who owns Hush’s mom. I had so many questions. She pulled Hush from a carrier. As I walked toward her, the gate attendant explained she was personally pulling my checked bag from the plane, so I would not have to go through security.

My little Hush popped her head out of her carrier. Marie was so kind, with a bag packed of everything I might possibly need on our journey. My flight was delayed, again, but I didn’t care.

I never did leave an airport that day, I spent 20 hours running from gate to gate, mastering the art of going through security, and going from pure elation over getting my puppy after 3 years of waiting, to total meltdown over lack of sleep, work related stress, and having all of my travel plans come tumbling down around me.

But, when I finally limped off the plane in DC, exhausted, a sense of calm came over me. This was the best Halloween of my life, and I buried my face into a warm fuzzy ball of fluff, and shed a tear of joy.

Incredible Article on Proposition B

The below article is from the Humane Watch, and I recommend everyone read it. This article proves that Missouri's Proposition B will weaken animal care laws currently in place in Missouri. The solution should be enforcing current laws, educating judges, educating the public and hiring more inspectors (currently there are 12, to inspect over 3,000 animal breeding facilities each year) - not re-writing the law!

Oct 14 2010

Putting on an Act in the “Show Me” State

As Election Day draws near, we're hearing a tremendous amount of emotional chatter (both here and on Facebook) about Missouri's "Proposition B" initiative, a ballot question financed almost single-handedly by the Humane Society of the United States and heavily promoted by HSUS CEO Wayne Pacelle.

Farmers in the Show-Me State are paying attention, connecting the dots to HSUS’s larger goals. And this year's controversial political darlings in the “Tea Party” movement are also making noise.

The question of whether or not to crack down on "puppy mills" is a self-answering one. As with "factory farms," the term itself is designed to be pejorative. But while Prop B has generated a lot of debating "heat," not much light has emerged. And that's because most people (on both sides) are getting emotional instead of using their heads.

Emotional ballot campaigns like the one HSUS is waging seem designed to discourage people from actually reading what they're voting on. And it's unreasonable to expect the average voter to place a ballot initiative in a meaningful context (historical or otherwise).

But that's what is needed most, especially because Prop B isn't really very different from the animal welfare laws and breeding regulations that are already on the books in Missouri.

The Missouri Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA) has posted a helpful document comparing, section by section, the text of Prop B with current Missouri laws and regulations. It’s one of several versions of this exercise that we’ve seen, which indicates at least that there's someone with his or her eye on the ball. (The Columbia Missourian actually printed, in article form, a line-by-line comparison last week too.)

One section of the MVMA's document caught our eye in particular. "Prop B" would require dog breeders to provide:

• Sufficient food and clean water;
• Necessary veterinary care;
• Sufficient housing, including protection from the elements;
• Sufficient space to turn and stretch freely, lie down, and fully extend his or her limbs;
• Regular exercise; and
• Adequate rest between breeding cycles.

Sounds good, right? But Missouri already requires:

• Wholesome food and clean water.
• Must have an attending veterinarian; adequate veterinary care, health and husbandry; and provide socialization of animals.
• Addresses aspects of housing (primary, temporary, indoor, outdoor and mobile housing) and animal transportation including: type of structure, building materials, surfaces; maintenance, cleaning, pest control; employee training; shelter from extremes in temperature and weather; ventilation, humidity, lighting; water supplies, drainage, electric; and storage areas.
• Sufficient space to allow each animal to turn about freely, to stand, sit, and lie in a comfortable, normal position and to walk in a normal manner.
• Each animal must be given opportunity for regular exercise with an exercise plan approved and signed by attending veterinarian.

There are really only three major differences between current law and Prop B. The first one is the above-mentioned requirement for “adequate rest between breeding cycles.” (Who defines "adequate," anyway?) Number two is making sure dogs can stretch (as opposed to being able to turn and lie down).

These could easily be implemented by a simple bill (or a much shorter ballot initiative). Instead, HSUS is using things like food-and-water requirements as its main talking points to play hide-the-ball with the real meat of its proposal.

Here's Wayne Pacelle last week, speaking to KFVS-TV12 in Cape Girardeau:

We're just talking about giving them vet care once a year, giving them a little bit more space, giving them clean water, good food. These are the basics. Any responsible pet owner would think that these are the most elemental obligations of keeping animals.

Absolutely, Wayne. Everyone agrees. That's why it's been state law since 1992.

But what many Missourians might not agree with is the third difference between Prop B and the Missouri "Animal Care Facilities Act." The way we read it, the biggest "new" ground HSUS is trying to cover is the portion of Prop B that says breeders can't own more than 50 dogs. (To be precise, that's dogs over 6 months of age that aren't spayed or neutered.)

A few modest questions:

1. Who's going to enforce this law? Is the Missouri Department of Agriculture planning to outfit hundreds of inspectors with sonogram machines and train them to determine whether or not a dog is sterile?
2. What if two breeders decide, in the interest of efficiency and economic common sense, that they want to merge their operations. Will they be permitted to keep all of their animals?
3. And, for that matter, what's to stop a larger breeder—there are those who do things right, we're told—from splitting into two, three, four, or even more separate legal entities in order to escape the "cap"?
4. HSUS is fond of calling Missouri the "puppy mill capital of America." If this is true, and that distinction developed while the Missouri Animal Care Facilities Act was in force, why should anyone believe that conditions will improve just by passing another law?
5. One last thought: the Missouri "Animal Care Facilities Act" requires dog breeders to feed their animals "at suitable intervals of not more than twelve hours." Prop B, on the other hand, says dogs must have access to “appropriate, nutritious food at least once a day.” Why on earth would you want to weaken the feeding law from twice, to just once per day?

The bottom line is that HSUS is trying to establish the precedent of setting limits on the number of animals a businessman or woman can own. That shouldn’t comfort Missouri farmers and ranchers who are in the business of producing egg, beef, pork, cheese, milk, or chicken.

Meanwhile, the animal rights group is building up its name recognition and political credibility with a mostly redundant ballot initiative. (In at least one case, the new law would be weaker than the existing one.)

This is all a pretty neat trick, like lobbying for a bill that would ban child molestation if the victim is a redhead.

“There ought to be a law!” Oops. There already is.

If this sort of idiocy had more proponents, we might see New York City passing the “Taxi Fare-Jumping Prevention Act” to stop tourists from bailing out on their cabs without paying. Maybe Washington, DC could enact an “Anti-Lock-Picking Referendum” to stop home-invasion robberies. Floridians could vote on a “Magic Kingdom Mascot Protection Act”—you know, to stop Disney visitors from kicking Mickey in the Jimmies.

You get the picture.

Ironically, we noticed this on the Prob B campaign website:

There are over 200 rescue organizations in Missouri ready and willing to take surrendered breeding dogs and find them loving homes.

That's good to know. But just don’t expect HSUS to fund those shelters. It has future ballot initiatives to save up for.

The Flight is Booked

I bought my plane ticket today to go pick-up Hush. I work in politics, as you know, and I've been putting in 12-16 hour days for the past 6 weeks, 7-days a week! It's been brutal to say the least, but on Sunday, October 31st, I have the day off. If my boss decides to change that, it's too late now, because I've already booked a flight to go to Michigan and pick up Montague's Don't Tell Daddy aka "Hush"! In the meantime, the breeder is taking Hush to the vet to get an up-to-date Health Certificate, it has to be within, I believe 10-days, of flying, and includes info like our flight numbers, as well as proof that she is in good health.


I am ecstatic, to say the least! Hush is getting pretty big, so it is imperative that I fly out immediately to pick her up, otherwise she won't be able to fly in the cabin. The breeder helped me select a good airline to fly, based on her personal experience flying numerous show dogs all over the country, and we are going to be flying Delta. In order to fly in the cabin, I had to purchase a Sherpa bag, in size Medium, and it will be a tight fit for Hush, as she is now 9, almost 10 weeks. Sherpa brand bags are airline approved, and the medium is the largest that is allowed under the seat in front of you for transporting an animal on a flight. Did you know only a certain number of pets can fly on each flight? Because of this, it was important to call the airline and book a flight that had not already met the animal quota before purchasing my ticket.

As a back up plan, we have a small airline crate, and should she not fit in the Sherpa, she will have to fly in cargo in the crate. The weather is perfect right now for a puppy to fly in cargo, and at such a young age, this shouldn't be a traumatizing experience, if we end up needing to.

I will be bringing a leash and collar, so she can stretch her legs on our layover. I'll also bring a pee pad, though she will not have had any food or water prior to the flight. I'll bring some food in case of an emergency, and bowls, too. I'll have to find out whether or not I should give her water on our layover, or withhold that until we land in DC Sunday night.

This is the best Halloween of my life, and it hasn't even happened yet!

Here's Hush

I know that you are all just dying to meet Hush, I know I am. While I haven't met her yet, there is now an actual real live puppy named Hush. She was pick of the litter when the litter was evaluated, and the breeder says she looks exactly like her grandmother, CH Birnam Wood's Expedia.com, did at that age.


Isn't she just the most amazing puppy ever? We're currently arranging a time for me to go to Michigan and pick her up! I am just ecstatic!

Of course, here are some more puppy butts. I'm not sure which butt is Hush's, but she's in there somewhere!

A Puppy Update

I spoke with my breeder recently, and the puppy temperament tests will be performed this weekend, and evaluations will soon follow. The temperament tests will be the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Tests, and the Volhard scoring and interpretations will be conducted after all of the tests have been performed. From there, the breeder will be able to combine physical structure and movement evaluations with the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test findings to determine placements with future homes.

Like many responsible breeders, my breeder thoroughly interviews each future puppy home, and makes selections of the puppy that will best suit each homes needs and expectations. This is much better than allowing puppy buyers to pick the puppy themselves, because the breeder knows the personalities of the puppy so well, after being around them for many weeks. It could be disasterous if a family wanted a mellow puppy, and picked the puppy themselves based on which was the most relaxed puppy in the bunch, and ended up with the wildest, who happened to be sleepy that day from lots of activity. Spending just an hour with a puppy is not enough to know the in's and out's to the puppy, and allowing the breeder to select a puppy for you based on your wants and needs and the Volhard findings will result in the best possible match for you and your family.

Because I want a show dog, the aptitude tests combined with the evaluations will show us which puppy the personality needed to succeed in the show ring, and the physical structure that is closest to being an ideal specimen of the breed standard for an optimum show potential puppy. I highly recommend checking out the link for the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Tests and learning about these temperament tests, they are truly fascinating!



I'll keep y'all posted when I learn which puppy will be my Hush! In the meantime, here are some puppy butts to look at. Are they not the cutest little fuzzy bums you've ever seen?!?! These particular butts are from a previous litter this breeder bred.

What's In A Name?

What’s in a name?

Well, if you are talking about your future show dog, a lot. Many breeders will use a “litter theme” for each litter. For example, the litter theme may be “cars or travel” or, the theme may be “bodies of water” or even animals. From there, the new owners of the puppies come up with the registered name. For example, “Kennel Prefix Four On The Floor.” Litter themes are handy, because they enable an informed dog fancier to quickly know which mating a particular dog came from, and when a breeder has been breeding dogs for over 30 years, this comes in handy. When litter themes are used, the breeder will always insist that the name start with the breeder’s kennel prefix, and then the puppy buyer can pick the rest of the name based on the theme.

At times, a breeder might not have a theme, and in those cases the breeder will most likely insist that his or her kennel prefix be used to start the name and owners will typically come up with names having to do with both the sire and the dam’s registered names. For example, Kennel Prefix What a Hoot may be bred to Kennel Prefix Legally Blonde, and the owner may decide to name the dog Kennel Prefix (decided upon by the breeder) Legal Laughter.

Once the registered name has been selected, the puppy buyer will come up with the dog’s “call name”. Much like show horses have registered names, and barn names, dogs are the same. While, most breeders will allow you to pick any call name you so desire, it is generally assumed that should you pick a call name that has been used on a different puppy the breeder has bred, that you ask the breeder’s permission. For example, if in 2006 the breeder had a litter and one puppy had the call name Mikey, if you wanted to name your puppy Mikey, it is proper etiquette to ask for permission first.

Many dog owners, particularly with dogs that compete in a venue, will want the call name to have to do with the registered name. For example, the father of my future puppy is Nitelite’s Who’s On Deck, with a call name of Crew. My puppy’s grandmother, on the dam side, is Birnam Wood’s Expedia.com, call name Zoom.

I love coming up with names for dogs and horses. A lot of them are somewhat politically incorrect, and I just laugh at them, knowing they will never be used. But, I also have a lot of fun coming up with names that actually will be used. I have a long list of names that I like, that I may use at some point in the future.

One such name is Kennel Name’s Don’t Tell Daddy. I’m not going to divulge the litter theme just yet, but it looks like I will get to use this name for my puppy!!! Once I came up with that, I decided to start thinking of relevant call names, and my favorite, and I believe the one, is Hush.

I really hope that I am able to name my puppy Kennel Name Don’t Tell Daddy, and call her Hush! I absolutely love this name combo! Don’t you?

My puppy at two weeks old :)

The puppies are doing great. Very healthy, and very vocal for their age. You can see this in all of their open mouths in these pictures. The already have nice heads, good bone and substance, and their coats feel like mink they are so soft.

Their eyes are starting top open, and look at those cute little nails. At a pretty young age, the breeder will start getting the puppies used to being handled, having nails trimmed, and other basic things that will become a part of the puppies life once it arrives at its new home. Their open mouths show their vocalization, which is a good development sign to see at this age.


You can look at a Golden Retriever puppy's ears to see a close idea of what color the puppy will be as an adult. You'll notice in these photos the ears are almost always darker than the rest of the puppy, as the puppy grows into a dog they will darken and match their ears.


The short fat otter-like tails are a very good sign that these puppies will be well balanced with nice structure. Long, stringy tails usually result in a lanky less balanced dog. I am learning so much about puppies and what to look for as this litter grows and I communicate with the breeder.


The breeder thinks this puppy might be the one for me! She is very beautiful and really the standout in the litter!

Puppies!

Mandy taking a little break

With Anna's passing, I have not had much time to blog. I meant to post these pictures over a week ago, but then my life was turned upside down.



Here are the puppies, my pup is in there somewhere, at 3 or 4 days old.

Mandy has been a great mother, and the puppies are all healthy and doing well!

I can't wait until I get to meet my little wiggly puppy! I'm counting down the days!

These pictures always put a smile on my face!

Meet my puppy!

I present to you, MY PUPPY! The litter was whelped this afternoon with 5 girls and 4 boys. This photo was taken when the puppies are just a few hours old, and it's so exciting for me to know that one of those little fellows is my next dog, and my first show dog!!!



I am so excited!!! I love how mamma, "Mandy," looks so proud of herself in this photo!

My Future Puppy

As you know, the litter I was hoping to get my first show puppy from didn't go quite as planned, and there were only two puppies. Well, that same breeder told me about a breeding that took place using one of her stud dogs. The breeder gets pick bitch as a stud-fee puppy, but is being kind enough to offer pick bitch to moi!

Well, I got a Facebook message today that the litter is currently being whelped!!! So far there have been 4 girls and 3 boys born, and it seems like there might be a few more on the way!

This is a repeat breeding, and the first litter produced beautiful puppies. This photo is of the puppies from that litter. They are so cute!

I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed in hopes that everything works out as planned this time around, and I will be getting my puppy in 8 weeks!!!

A Grooming Tip

I recently learned that you should never brush a dry Golden Retriever, because brushing a dry coat can damage and break the coat. When I learned this, I was shocked! How could so many books I've read on Golden Retrievers not disclose this seemingly simple detail?

As soon as I learned this I was worried that I'd only be able to brush Milly when she is soaking wet during a bath, but that just didn't seem right to me. So, I asked a couple of breeders and a few groomers what this new fact meant to pet owners like me. I was told that you do not want to brush a soaking wet Golden Retriever, but wait for the coat to dry some. Between baths, you can simply mist the coat with a spray bottle of water before brushing!


I started doing this about three weeks ago, and I've been amazed at how much shinier Milly's coat is. I picked up a cheap pink spray bottle at my local pharmacy, and filled it with Falls Church city water. I then added a small squirt of conditioner (that had already been heavily diluted with water) to my water in the spray bottle. Voila! I can now safely brush Milly without worrying about damaging her coat. I know many of you have Golden Retrievers and other long haired dogs, and thought I'd share this with you.

I simply mist Milly all over and then brush her. If any areas get dry, I re-mist her with my spray bottle. I highly recommend doing this, and have found it really makes a difference in how easily the brush or comb moves through her coat.

HAPPY GROOMING!!!

The Puppy Hunt Takes a Bad Turn

I've been trying to keep you all in the loop on my puppy hunt, and shared my trails and tribulations of the puppy search with you. Recently, I've been sharing my joy, anticipation, and excitement about a specific litter which I hoped would contain my first show puppy.

As you know, I am the second in line for a puppy, but I want a show quality puppy. Well, the mother delivered today, four female puppies, one was stilborn, so there are three healthy female puppies. At this age, there is no way of knowing which ones, if any, will be show quality - you have to wait for the puppies to grow quite a bit to do evaluations, and I am second or third in line (I forget) for a show puppy. If there aren't enough show quality puppies, I won't be getting one from this litter, which is a real possibility.

Please keep this litter in your thoughts and prayers. I've been wanting this for so long, and working so hard to obtain it. I know that whatever happens, happens for a reason... but I still really hope my show puppy is in this litter.

I'll keep you posted as the puppies age, and their potential is revealed.

On a happy note, I'm going to enter this giveaway over at Prissy and Preppy Flamingo! You should, too! Make sure to ENTER MY GIVEAWAY, too... I'm extending it a few more days!

My Possible Future Puppy

Last week I had a brief online chat with the breeder I hope to buy my first show puppy from, assuming all goes as planned. She let me know the bitch is showing signs that she will soon be in heat, and in the next few weeks the breeding should take place.

I've been searching for so long for the right breeder that I'm ready to prepare for my puppy! I can't do any shopping yet, as no breeding has taken place, and a lot can go wrong between now and the puppies being born. But I can learn as much as I can and prepare in other ways. I want to make sure I do everything right with this puppy, but I'm pretty sure that will be in possible and I'll make plenty of novice mistakes. Right now I'm trying to prepare for this puppy, and map out a course of action.

When I get the puppy, at around 8 weeks of age, I will want to immediately enroll in puppy kindergarten. I'm looking for a class with an emphasis on obedience, but nothing too intense, as these are babies. I want something with a puppy play session after class, and also educational aspects. I've found six dog schools offering these classes in my area. A big part of my decision on which school to use will be the class schedule. I want to enroll as soon as I get my puppy, and these courses tend to be run on 6-8 week cycles.

After puppy kindergarten I want to continue with obedience work, and I've found a good school for this in my area. The only problem, is the puppies need to be 6 months or older before enrolling. I might end up taking some other class at a different school after puppy kindergarten, but before my first "big dog" obedience class.

I will most certainly need to take conformation classes, also called handling classes, so both the puppy and I will be prepared for the show ring. I've found four schools with-in a reasonable distance of me (these are all much longer drives than the puppy kindergarten and obedience classes) that I will look into. I'm thinking I will call each dog school/kennel club that offers these classes and ask if I can audit a few classes before I get my pup. That way I will have a feel of teaching styles, and will know what will be expected of me and my pup. One of the kennel clubs that offers these classes also offers a weekly "mock show" where you pay $7 and can practice everything you would do in a real show ring, complete with someone putting their hands on your dog just like a judge would. This is very appealing to me, and I think I'd enjoy taking advantage of this after a month or two of handling classes. These classes start between 6-10 months of age, and are geared towards the adult dog.

I joined the Golden Retriever Club of America (GRCA) and have already learned a lot, but I will also be joining my local Golden Retriever club. Through contacts I plan to make with my local club, I should be able to get some recommendations about good instructors to use.

I have been hesitant to post much on my potential future puppy, and the breeding, because I just don't want to jinx myself, but I can't hold it in any longer! I won't reveal the dam and sire's names until after the breeding has at the very least been confirmed, and possibly not until the litter is born, but I'll share pictures of the parents! All of my possibly future puppy's grand parents are at least AKC Champions, some are also Canadian Champions. All great grand parent's of my hopefully future puppy are either American or Canadian Champions, and in some cases both. In fact, in both the pedigrees of the sire and dam it's hard to find a dog that is not either a Canadian or American Champion for many, many generations. Note: I am using the terms AKC Champion and American Champion interchangably in this post, all American Championships are with the AKC.

This is the dam. I love how she is not at all overdone, and has beautiful correct structure. I also love her head. The dam has pointed in AKC, and both of her parents are Champions.


And here are some pictures of the sire of this planned litter. The sire is an American and Canadian CH, as are both of his parents. Isn't he simply breath taking? The combined pedigree of the sire and dam is sure to produce amazing puppies! I am so excited, and pray every night everything works out with me getting a puppy.




I hope you enjoyed the pictures! I'll share the pedigree when the time moves closer, and of course, I'm going to need my reader's help picking a name at some point down the road. The litter will have a theme, for example, a fire theme might have puppies named Kennel Name Fire and Ice or Kennel Name Can't Stop the Fire. An animal theme litter might have names like, Kennel Name Otterly Crazy or Kennely Name Making Ewe Laugh. A lot of times the registered name will be reflected in the call name, for example, Kennel Name Can't Stop the Fire might have a call name of "Ember", but you don't have to follow that rule with the call name. A call name can be whatever I'd like it to be.