Home from the Nationals

We are home from the CWCCA National Specialty! PHEW!! What a week!!

We had a fabulous National Specialty! We brought home lots of Rosettes and coolers (trophies)! I think the count on Rosettes was 20 at my house, another 4 or 5 at Lisa's house, and then there are those that went to Mandy's house, and Terri's house, and Lisa Phillips' house....

We also brought home 2 new titles!! Yeah for Bugsy---aka--- the dog who could not be trained! Bugsy now has a CD and an RE behind his name~ with placements for each leg earned! He finished his RE with a first place and a score of 99, too! His CD scores were not quite that impressive, but it was good enough for a second place! Bugsy can now brag that he is a balanced dog-- Ch. Xtacee PV Bugsy Malone CD, RE, HIC--- now to get serious with that dumbell and drop on recall... and agility stuff!

Sera (Ch Xtacee Moonlight Serenade) won the 2010 CWCCA National Specialty Brood Bitch class, followed by her beautiful puppies, Morgan and Will-Smith-Jacob. For me, this was the biggest thrill of the National; this is the first time I have ever won this award. Sera also made it to the bitter end in Best of Breed~ but no AOM~ again. Maybe the 3rd time is the charm? Guess I will have to take her to another National to find out? Sera did win the Best Blue Bitch award in the Megan competition for the second time.

Jitterbug (Ch. Xtacee Lifes A Dance) won Best Black Bitch in the Megan- and by the end of the week, had somewhat learned to stand still and bait! Her show career is over; now we can have fun learning rally, and agility, which is her real love anyway!

The Veterans had a lot of fun! Granpa Nicky won the 11 +older class, both in the Sweeps and the regular classes! He really enjoyed being a show dog again- of course, it will take him a week to sleep off all the excitement!

George came back, almost 2 years post surgery, with style. He won the 7-9 Veterans class Sweeps and Regular classes, amid cheers and tears! He loved being in the ring, and moved out with almost the same beautiful foot timing. George was given an Award of Merit in Best of Breed- a fitting end to his show career! Now George can hang up his show lead, next to his AOM ribbon!

Terri Clingerman joined us for the week, with Cricket (Spotman x Dora). However, Cricket opted to leave her hair at home. None the less, Cricket placed in her Sweepstakes class and showed beautifully all week! I think we may have Terri almost converted... she is starting to think about a second cardigan, anyway!

Little LeeLoo (Xtacee the Fifth Element- Sera x Powell)- had a great time, too! She placed in all of her classes, and won her sweeps and her regular class on Sunday at the Del Val Specialty. She is quite the head turner! Such a sweetie!! Her owner, Lisa Phillips, is obviously head over heels in love with this girl!

Morgan did not learn to be a show dog over the week- but he certainly had fun trying! He placed second in a very large 6-9 sweepstakes class, and then I threw him to the wolves and showed him in Bred By Exhibitor against all the adult dogs. He was the youngest dog in the class (6 months, 3 days) and yet he placed Fourth!! Go Morgan!! On Sunday he won both his Sweepstakes class, and the Bred-By class!

And the, last but certainly not least, is Will-Smith-Jacob. Owned by myself and Mandy Bossi (and trained by Caitlyn, of course), WSJ strutted his stuff to win the 6-9 puppy dog class, and then on to Reserve Winners dog.... and BEST PUPPY IN SHOW at the CWCCA National Specialty 2010

I am already making plans for Texas-- and hope to see you all there!

Bringing up Baby Part 1

All of our puppies go to their new homes with a packet of information on diet and early training, and the very strong recommendation that they enroll in a Kindergarten Puppy Training class as soon as the puppy has completed their vaccinations. When I talk to new puppy owners, whether my own, or clients, I stress the importance of early socialization for all breeds, but in particular, herding breeds. We talk alot about the intelligence of the herding breeds, and their ability to think through a situation; as fun as that makes them to live with, it can cause problems if the puppy is not socialized early on!

Just by virtue that the puppy has left its littermates, it has gone through a traumatic experience. I like to send my puppies home between 9 and 11 weeks of age, so this is a fairly pliable stage for them to make this transition. Its very important that the new family keep up with lots of positive reinforcement in the puppies life!

One of the things that I have adopted is a chart that I include in the New Puppy Packet, for the owners to hang on their refrigerator. This chart is divided into 1 week intervals, and there are 24 items on the list that I feel each puppy should be exposed to at least one time each week. I expect that each family member make a committment to helping the new baby have a positive exposure to the new experiences. Some of the items on the list include: Babies/Toddlers; Uniformed people; People in hats; bicycles; shopping carts; strollers; slippery floors; people with Loud voices. By the end of the 25 weeks, if the chart is followed properly, each puppy would have been exposed to all 24 items a minimum of 7 times. If the puppy is upset or unsettled by something, I advise the new owners to NOT comfort the puppy- but ignore the reaction, and either just stand or sit there and let the puppy think it through, or distract the puppy with something else. The worst thing you can do is to baby a puppy that has become frightened! This just reinforces the fear!

Another item that is in my New Puppy Packet is "5 Easy Tips for Training"- a simple guideline for teaching your puppy to enjoy walking on a leash. As a Vet Tech, and having taught KPT and Obedience classes for many years, I am amazed at how many dogs just do not know how to walk on a leash without pulling- and how many dogs just simply do not enjoy being put on a lead! This should be the most FUN thing for your dog! "Wow! Mom {or Dad} is putting on my special clothes to take me with THEM!! I can't wait" should be their attitude!! All too often I have been told that owners have had to drag their dog out from behind the sofa to put a collar on their dog so they could bring them to class! How Very Sad!!

Using my method, the puppies are introduced to light collars and a light lead from the day they go home to a fun game in the house! They learn the "dance" that we call leash walking! Its always positive- its always fun- and they learn that when they pay attention to mom and dad, there is praise and treats involved- and mom and dad are just the greatest things in the world!

I always insist that puppies go home on a weekend, and recommend that at least one family member plan on taking a few days off to stay home with the new baby. There is nothing that will set a new pet up for failure faster than rushing housebreaking. Young puppies have limited control over their bladders and bowels. It is simply cruel to expect them to remain clean and dry in a crate for more than a few hours at a time. In addition, puppies need food and water throughout the day!

I use a crate attached to an exercise pen for keeping a young puppy whenever I cannot be at home. In the crate, I will place the puppies' bedding, his water bowl and his food dish and favorite chew toys. At the very farthest end of the ex pen I will layer "pee pads" or newspaper. This allows the puppy the opportunity to "go" away from his bed; you don't ever want to force your puppy to have an accident in their crate.

However, when I am home, the ex pen is folded up- and I use the crate for naps and feeding. The rest of the time, the puppy is either in a small area with baby gates where I can watch them for the "signs" that they have to go potty, or on a 10 ft lead attached to my belt loop- so that I am always within sight of my puppy. I frequently take the puppy outside to the potty area, and repeat the magic words that I use to exercise the puppy- and praise them lavishly when they are successful- and take them instantly inside. I always take the puppy outside the same door, and have a cluster of sleigh bells hanging from the door handle, which I let the puppy touch with their nose or paw as I go through the door.

As the puppy develops control, they will soon learn to run to the door, ring the bells to go outside- but you need to listen for those bells!!

Most of Bringing up Baby is common sense! They are very smart; in fact, they have the mental capacity to learn everything they need to complete their Utility Degree training at 8 weeks~! The trainer just has to break it into small enough sessions for their reduced attention span! There is no such thing as a Cardi puppy that can't be house trained- or can't be trusted in the house. Most of the dogs with bad house manners are the result of sloppy training as a youngster.

By being diligent those first few days and weeks at home; by socializing your new puppy carefully, and by teaching your puppy to love being with you, you are building a foundation for a long and wonderful relationship!

Enjoy those first few weeks- its a lot of work- but its a magical bonding time!

People are AMAZING!!

I am consistenly amazed at people- in general. Not always in a good way, mind you!

The end of last week, we x-rayed Splash, in preparation for the breeding to that Southern Gentleman; a breeding I had been looking forward to! I kind of got suspicious that all was not well when Hubby didn't call me and tell me how wonderful the x-rays looked by mid-day. When he didn't answer my text at 4:00, I started to get concerned- and my fears were realized when he came home and put the x-rays up to the light.

Yep- Splash is Dysplastic. Not your Very Typical Cardigan Chondrodysplastic Subluxated but no signs of DJD kind of Dysplastic-- Not even the shallow Acetabulum that we are seeing more and more of in our breed... Splash is bilaterally subluxated with marked orthapedic changes at 31 months of age.

Well SHIT!! Mom {Wednesday} has been spayed... Sis {Tosia- the dog that was SUPPOSED to be bred to Southern Gentleman} is dead... NOW what do I do???

Of Course, Splash is an incredibly Agile dog. She has never had a moments lameness- she runs and jumps and plays and sits up to beg! She has as much stamina in the back yard as Jitterbug- flies up the steps in nothing flat- and has the most fun jumping the obedience jumps in the yard! No muscle atrophy- not even any irregular muscle development. She is not a great moving dog- but she is straight in the stifle so her movement is quite stilted. Never ever did I or any of her co-owners hear any popping or snapping or any of those "typical" sounds of dysplastic dog.

But, being ethical, after many phone calls, emails, and sleepless nights, I decide that Splash is to be spayed and go to a forever home...

MEANWHILE... I recieve an email from a puppy person, who has a puppy from my March litter- puppy is just 8 1/2 months old:

"It is with much distress that I write to you today to let you know about our XXX. She has been diagnosed with moderate to severe bilateral hip dysplasia"

WTF??? Wait a minute!!! So I continued to read on-- popping sound--- no lameness--- original xrays by local Vet-- Sent to Cornell---

WAIT--- Vet is recommending :

TPO surgery IMMEDIATELY-- on both hips at 6 week intervals--- to give this dog ANY kind of normal mobility into adulthood???

To the tune of almost $8,000 bucks!!!!????

HOLD ON!!!

So- when I got done with my initial panic- and after talking to hubby AND pulling their contract {since naturally they are requesting a full refund of their purchase price etc. etc.} I sent them an email that said we would require a second opinion at our expense, and copies of all of their medical records to date on the dog.

The records came and so did the xrays. Now- if you aren't used to looking at chondrodysplastic hips, you may look at these and say- well- ok. But let me tell you- I WISH Splash's hips looked that good!!! Hell-- I wish MOST of my dogs hips looked that good!!! Yes, she is slightly subluxated!! There is absolutely NO evidence of DJD- the hips are well seated; the acetabula are well formed; these are good xrays!

I was fully expecting to see xrays MUCH WORSE than Splash's!

The medical records have NO MENTION of any lameness at any time in the dogs life. There is one reference to a slight popping noise in one rear leg on manipulation, which is why the owners brought the dog in to be seen.

Thats IT!!! Nothing Else!! No lameness at any time... No dislocation... No pain on palpation... No muscle atrophy... No irregular muscle development... No irregulararities in gait... NOTHING! Except a healthy young Cardigan with very typical, slightly subluxated hips and an over reactive owner, a Local Vet that isn't comfortable with orthapedics and Surgery Happy Cornell-God-Vets.

Now... Why would any ETHICAL Veterinarian suggest cutting up a perfectly functional hip, on a spayed, companion animal? What would make them jump to surgery FIRST, without ever recommending nutritional supplements, dietary management, exercise considerations, etc.?

Or more importantly, why would anyone consider putting this puppy through the pain of the surgery, the risk from the anesthesia- and the increased risk of osteosarcoma; the possibility of permanent lameness; the risk of nerve/muscle damage; the possibility of incontinence for the remainder of the dogs life-- if the dogs is not now- nor has it ever been- in any pain?

Had this puppy's xrays proven to show evidence of coxo-femoral dysplasia; had this puppy's records shown that the puppy was in pain; had suffered hip dislocation; had difficulty with mobility- anything at all that would have suggested that this puppy was not going to be able to live a normal COMPANION life- Gus would have done whatever treatments or surgeries were necessary to make this dog comfortable- at our cost.

I have a dog here, Chase, who the OFA failed at 2 years. He is this puppies great Uncle. His 2 year xrays are not nearly as nice as this puppies are. We never did a thing to Chase's hips, surgically. As are all of my dogs, he is on GlycoFlex. He was never allowed to get fat; he always gets lots of free run exercise. It's kind of ironic- he has never had a dislocation- or any hip lameness-or any major lameness at all. {Except when he jumped off the deck and went down in the back... but thats another story...} He has a little bit of trouble getting up and down stairs these days... but then... He will be 15 in a few weeks.

I think he's plenty of proof that just because a dog- particularily a chondrodysplastic breed, such as a Cardigan, is radiographically "dysplastic"- it doesn't require surgery to have normal mobility and a great quality of life- well into their senior years!

Chase- at 14.5 years-

Puppy Updates-The Pinks

This is Opie- the "white" puppy. At 6 weeks, he is getting some color- the color surrounds both eyes- he is a very light- "soft" red. He also has brown pigment! It may darken- his eyes are really nice and dark- but I am not holding my breath!

Of course, he is probably one of the better puppies, structurally! Damn that Murphy's Law!! He has attitude to die for, as well!

Lucy- the clear red bitch- is a deeper red. She has black pigment nose, eye rims and mouth- and nice dark eyes. She would pass well for a red Cardigan bitch- and she is very well put together!! I have tossed around keeping her = I have always wanted a good red Cardi bitch-- have owned a few not-so-good ones, and Lucy is by far better quality than any of the red bitches I have owned in the past-- BUT-- She isn't REALLY a Red-- genetically-- she is black!!

The judges would never know- but I would know- and it has the potential of wreaking havoc in my breeding program-- or someone elses down the line...

What do do?? What to do??

The Babies are Here!

They're Here!

The much awaited Powell x Sera litter has arrived! Sera delivered 8 beautiful babies in 3 hours and 22 minutes (from first to last) with very little fuss or muss!

Like her mom, Vi, Sera is a Wonderful Mom Dog! She is keeping the box very clean, and puppies are plump and warm and quiet. She is so proud of herself!!

I was more than a little suprised, however, when puppy #2 arrived! Instead of the expected black or blue head-- out comes a WHITE head-- Upon drying-- and closer inspection-- I discovered it was actually a RED head!

W T F ???

Ok- I admit it-- My first thought was-- SHIT--- Since I wasn't there for the breeding-- (Sera was bred in Texas) I thought that "someone" let another dog get to Sera! I was FREAKING!! Then I thought for a second-- realized that Powell was bred by Lisa Phillips-- who had the first "known" Pinks... and Sera goes back to some of the older Joseter stuff...

Ta Da... "WOW... I have a Pink Puppy from a Blue to Black breeding" said I

As I grabbed for my cell phone (needed to talk to someone about this one- ) out comes puppy #3-- and it is another PINK--

Calm exterior is GONE-- Panic begins to set in--

Oh My God!!! What do I DO if my ENTIRE litter is NOTHING but Pinks???

My lifeline person (Thank you, Cindy) talked me off the ledge... and in due time, another black puppy and 4 blues were born...

So-- the final count is:

1 black male
1 black female
2 blue males
2 blue females
1 clear red male
1 clear red female

Watch for photos and updates-- I posted on SC-L-- and have gotten all kinds of advice on what I need to "do" with these puppies!!!

Let the fun begin!!