A Dog's Life

Finally, some good news..

2009-10-29T18:45:00.005-07:00

Momma Jasmine would like to congratulate her son Speed (Kastle's Go Speed Racer) on attaining his AKC championship on October 23, 2009 at Dalmatian Club of Northern California's Specialty and THEN to top it off he goes Best of Breed the next day over some Top 20 specials at day 2 of their specialty! Who-hoo!

Speed is sired by Ch. Hallmark Lincoln Lego and his birthday is June 4, 2008. He is co-bred my me and Mary Squire-Reed (who also owns/handles him). His webpage can be seen here:

http://www.kastledal.com/Speed.html

Moving, moving, moving...

2009-09-22T08:23:00.002-07:00

We have relocated to the Phoenix area and hope to have a more permanent home to lay our head. Watch the site for a more updated address when we have one...

Jasmine and Lilly have gone back up to Reno, NV to hang out with Mary (Jasmine's breeder and Lilly's co-breeder). Jasmine will be Mary's son Russell's juniors dog (go Russell!) and Lilly will be fostered until I am in a position for them to come home.

Paris (Jemster's Blame It On Paris) will be staying at Barbara Greenspan's house in California where she will be trained and shown by both Barbara and Mary. She will be co-owned by Barbara, Mary, and myself.

Puppy update

2009-08-03T14:27:00.008-07:00

I'm happy to report that Paris will be staying here and joining mom Jasmine and sister Lilly as our resident show dals. Her registered name will be Jemster's Blame It On Paris. Watch for her in the show rings later this year!

Both Lorelai (now called Lola) and Emily will be heading to northern California on Saturday. Lola will be living with her daddy Kemo and Emily will be staying at Barbara's until she can find a home for her. If you are interested in Emily please contact Barbara @ bsgreenspan@comcast.net.

All the rest are still available as of this post.

Hearing Results

2009-08-01T14:17:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to brag that my current litter and I took a trip yesterday to The Veterinary Neurological Center in Phoenix for their BAER test and all seven puppies are bilateral! Results are being sent to OFA. This makes 15 out of 15 puppies for mom Jasmine to test bilateral. Good girl, Jasmine! Who-hoo!!!

Cute Pics!

2009-07-28T15:51:00.006-07:00

From Top to Bottom: Lorelai, Paris, and Emily

The rest of the pics are of Lorelai..

Rory @ 8 weeks (Pet/Available)

2009-07-28T15:23:00.003-07:00

Need to get better pics of her, but this will give you an idea what she looks like. VERY sweet and confident little girl!

Emily @ 8 weeks (Sold)

2009-07-27T19:54:00.010-07:00

Emily will be living in northern CA with a couple that just lost their 14 year-old Dalmatian.

Lane @ 8 weeks (Available)

2009-07-27T19:47:00.003-07:00

Lane was fidgeting while taking the pics so we're going to get better ones soon.

Suki @ 8 weeks (Pet/Available)

2009-07-27T19:44:00.005-07:00

Suki does not like being put up on something (hence the so-so pics) otherwise she loves to get into new things and doesn't flinch when she hears a loud sound. She's even followed a bicycle around in the backyard to see where it was going! She is too colorful for the show ring so she is being sold as a pet.

Paris @ 8 weeks - Staying here

2009-07-27T19:42:00.005-07:00

Paris is our favorite as well as our pick... didn't mean to fall in love with a puppy...just happened. I mean I love them all, but Paris is special. She will be staying here and her AKC registered name will be...

Jemster's Blame It On Paris

Lorelai @ 8 weeks (Sold)

2009-07-27T19:40:00.005-07:00

Lorelai (now Lola) is living in CA with Tony and Nicole.

Luke @ 8 weeks (Pet/Available)

2009-07-27T19:21:00.004-07:00

Luke is the only boy. We were expecting more, but nope. He is very sweet but just watch your pant legs! lol!

BAER testing

2009-07-24T15:22:00.003-07:00

Finally received a call back from The Veterinary Neurological Center in Phoenix and the pups have an appointment on July 31st to get their hearing tested. All can hear and are more than likely bilateral but we have to test them to make absolutely sure.

Taking pictures of 7.5 week-old pups is like winning the lottery. If you get a good picture you are very, very lucky! Of course, this is my first litter that I'm trying to stack, but when it's hot (oh, like Arizona in July maybe) the babies just want to sleep so tommorow when we get up we are going to try and get better pics of the ones we got today and the ones that we didn't. We're going to try stacking them on cans and see how that goes. Wish us luck!

Emily @ 7.5 weeks (Available)

2009-07-24T15:06:00.003-07:00

Paris @ 7.5 weeks

2009-07-24T15:05:00.006-07:00

We just love this girl. The spots on her back are coming in and should close out her spotting pattern. Her sister Lorelai (red girl) has even less and I don't think anymore will be coming in on her.

Peanut butter bribery - Yum!

She became tired and just wanted to cuddle...

Lane @ 7.5 weeks

2009-07-24T15:00:00.004-07:00

It was getting hot and muggy so we're going to try and get better ones of her tomorrow...

Luke @ 7.5 weeks (Available)

2009-07-24T14:56:00.003-07:00

He is an absolute sweetheart!

Fun pics

2009-07-24T14:47:00.004-07:00

Here are a few fun pics that we took outside and inside.

Emily

Lorelai - "And the lizard went..where?"

Lane - sheet surfing

Short update

2009-07-21T14:02:00.004-07:00

Sorry that I haven't updated the blog but have been busy with a lot of stuff.

I ordered the puppy's combo vaccines last Friday online through ValleyVet. They ship the vaccines out the same day if you order before 2 PM MST, but I missed that deadline by about 3 hours. Bummer. They did ship them out yesterday, however, with 1-day delivery. Tracked the shipment just about an hour or so and sure enough, it shows it out for delivery which means we'll get it today. Yes! 25 one dose vials were only about $75 (that's 3 bucks a shot) and shipping was only $14. I researched other online vet supply stores and saw as much as $29 for 1-day shipping. Oy! And that's on TOP of buying the packing materials (it's included in the shipping from ValleyVet).

They are 7 weeks-old today and we hope to get some outside shots within the next couple of days. Mom is getting less and less tolerant of them trying to "comfort suckle" as I'm sure she's pretty much dried up and gosh darn it..those teeth hurt! I plan on breeding Jasmine one more time next year and then getting her spayed. Haven't figured out which stud dog I'll use, but have a few in mind.

Lilly, their older sister from Jasmine's first litter, has been great with them and is almost a surrogate mom. She still hasn't learned that we are the ones that clean up after the puppies and she doesn't have to do it anymore. Silly girl!

Can't wait until this fall/winter when Lilly will be back out and showing. She is maturing well and should get some more points easily. Of course, I've had to re-socialize her after she came back from the Nationals but it's going well so far.

Lane & Suki @ 4.5 weeks

2009-07-05T15:43:00.007-07:00

Tried to get good pics of these two, but they had just eaten and were the last two to have their pics taken so they were very tired. Will get better pics soon. Both girls are not patched. Rory, their sister (orange girl), was out of commission (i.e. sleeping like a rock) so we'll get her 5 week pics up later this week. She can be found in earlier posts.

Suki (lime green girl)

Lane (yellow collared girl)

Lorelai @ 4.5 weeks

2009-07-05T15:23:00.002-07:00

Red collar girl

Paris @ 4.5 weeks

2009-07-05T15:17:00.002-07:00

No color girl

Emily @ 4.5 weeks

2009-07-05T15:15:00.003-07:00

Luke @ 4.5 weeks

2009-07-05T14:58:00.001-07:00

Recent pics

2009-07-03T11:28:00.003-07:00

Here are some pics that we have taken in the past few days. The orange girl is Rory (patched) and the others are just ramdom (yet very cute) pics of puppies. We will try to get more done today but this gives you an idea just how much they have grown!

Rory

Lime green girl (non patched)

Recent pics, part 2

2009-07-03T11:24:00.002-07:00

Rory, looking cute.

Want some treats, Rory?

Recent pics, part 3

2009-07-03T11:14:00.006-07:00

Rory

"Listen, Mom!" - Emily

4 weeks....

2009-07-01T13:06:00.004-07:00

Litter announcement for my Jasmine X Kemo litter appears here: http://www.edalmatians.com/July/18.html

Have been trying to get nice 4 week-old pics of the pups (I can't believe they are ready to go to their new homes in just one month. Time sure does fly.) but things keep coming up. Will try to get some tomorrow **Crossing fingers**.

I may or may not keep a puppy from this litter. I don't know. Depends on which of the non-patched girls are show quality and which one the stud dog owner chooses for her pup.

Now, what I'm REALLY looking for is a nice liver show male, but since I have a rule of not keeping closely related males in the same house with my females (he would be Jasmine's son and Lilly's half brother) and the fact that not only did Jasmine produce only one male this last litter (okay, so it was Kemo who took care of that one)...who was black spotted...and patched...it wasn't in the cards. Again. *sigh* Hell, I'd even go for a co-ownership with the other person keeping the pup at their house, we share show and health testing expenses, and I get breeding rights for bitches of my choosing. LOL! Like anyone would go far that! :-)

Anyway, getting back to the litter...the temperment on these pups are to die for. They are sweet, and loving pups! They think the mop is a plaything and we are the best things in the world. ;-)

Red Girl @ 3 weeks

2009-06-26T12:14:00.003-07:00

Here is the Red Girl (Lorelai) at 3 weeks. We keep trying to get pics of the puppies but they are sleeping and eating most of the time so hopefully we'll get them in a more festive mood. :-)

Being this cute should be illegal!

Show side

Lorelai, non show side.

Lorelai, face shot

Oh, and not to be outdone...here's one of Paris (non colored girl)!

Puppies...almost 3.5 weeks old

2009-06-26T11:30:00.007-07:00

Here are some candid shots of the litter that were took today. They passed a milestone of puppyhood as well today...their first meal that wasn't mom's milk! Soaked some puppy kibble overnight, added a little more water in the morning to make it moist and set it down. You would've thought we had brought them the nectar of the gods or something the way they ate it. We watched them to make sure nothing got caught, but everything went smoothly.

Enjoy the pics!

Paris (no color girl) sleeping

Think she trusts us?

Paris, relaxed and dreaming.

L to R: Emily, Lorelai, Lane (her collar is being repaired), and Luke

Rory (Orange Collar Girl)

"Ah! There's lunch!"

Luke and Paris

"Cuteness ahoy!"

2 week-old photos #1

2009-06-17T14:21:00.004-07:00

Here are some 2 week-old photos of the puppies that we took today. As you can see the spots are really starting to come in. Their eyes are open and they are just so funny as they try to play. There is nothing more funny that a tiny puppy growling in play. Some have captions, some do not. We will be getting in colored collars so we can identify the puppies easier very soon. Until then, enjoy!

2 week-old photos #2

2009-06-17T14:18:00.003-07:00

2 week-old photos #3

2009-06-17T12:39:00.008-07:00

More 2 week photos.....

Rory

Emily

Paris

Luke

Luke again

2 week-old group photo

2009-06-16T15:18:00.005-07:00

Here is a pic I snapped today (the date on the pic is off). All seven of them are there...you just have to look real hard. Will be taking individual pics tomorrow and posting them here...

They have discovered "the others" i.e. the other puppies in the litter. I've seen a couple puppies try and eat their own leg, one puppy had another puppy's head in it's mouth and decided it was a good time to chew on their sister, and we even saw one take it's conterpart's neck and try to shake it in play. Of course, these are very uncoordinated attemps, but they are still cute.

2 weeks-old tomorrow...

2009-06-15T19:19:00.002-07:00

The puppies are 2 weeks-old tomorrow and all are fat and healthy. The only boy, "Luke", is looking to be the first in everything...first one born, first one to have his eyes open, the first one to play...he is a sweet, sweet boy that will be a fantastic companion to whoever gets him.

So far all the puppies are looking like they will have brown eyes which is what we want. The spotting is coming in and getting more prevalent every day. So far it is about what we expected but we'll be putting up two week pics very soon.

Just ordered a set of puppy id bands in a set of 12 colors made of fleece. They are made by a Golden Retriever breeder in MI and her website for them are here:

http://www.whelpingidbands.com

These don't come with velcro (that's why they only cost $8.00) but I figure I can cut to suit and then just add my own velcro or whatever is best.

Vet visit

2009-06-05T16:29:00.002-07:00

The puppies went to the vet today to get a checkup and dewclaws removed. I could hear their distress after they took them in the back, but when they came back for us to take home they were quiet as can be, almost like nothing had happened. The vet put on some antiseptic where the dewclaws had been which was good. Of course, Jasmine was fawned over by the techs which she LOVED. We got home safely, the pups were put back in their whelping box, and everything was right with the world again.

They are such easy going puppies and loved to be held. Can't wait until they open their eyes!

Puppy update

2009-06-03T10:48:00.002-07:00

Jasmine (Ch. Kastle's In Your Dreams) whelped a litter of eight puppies on June 2, 2009. The sire is Ch. Esquires Tactical Aviator "Kemo". We have:

1 boy (patched)
7 girls (2 patched and 1 stillborn)

All are black spotted and it figures that when I'm looking for a male my girl produces LOTS of girls!!! The remaining seven puppies are very healthy, eating like nobody's business, and mom is also doing well. She is a very good mom. :-) They have an appointment at the vet Friday morning for a checkup and to get stuff taken care of. She started around 5 PM yesterday and didn't end until around 2 AM. This is Jasmine's second litter and Kemo's first. Pictures will be on my website sometime soon (i.e. when I can get pups away from mom for a second).

Sorry it's been so long...

2009-05-12T16:24:00.009-07:00

..but I've been dealing with a sort of personal issue. I won't get into it since I'll just sound bitter, not that I don't already, but suffice it to say it's something that will stick with me for a bit.

In other news, Jasmine is doing well and new pics are posted on the website which shows her at 40 something days gestation....

I've also entered Lilly in the last two days of the Mission Circuit shows in Pomona, CA next week. Here's hoping for majors!!

2009-04-18T11:30:00.003-07:00

I've entered Lilly in the first two shows of the Mission Circuit (Los Encinos Kennel Club, Inc. and Antelope Valley Kennel Club, Inc. ) May 22& 23rd. I have also asked for and gotten three days off of work so I can go. When I get paid next I'll enter her in the last two shows (San Fernando Kennel Club and San Gabriel Valley Kennel Club). Hopefully there'll be majors there.

Jasmine is getting bigger and bigger as the weeks pass. I have to start getting together my whelping kit. She has a vet appointment in early June for the babies to get their dew claws removed. Do you actually think I'd be doing it? Hardly. Ewww....

There might be big news on the Doberman front. I'll keep whoever reads this posted. ;-)

Maybe...maybe...

2009-04-13T15:39:00.003-07:00

It has been a couple of weeks since Jasmine was bred to Kemo. A couple days ago she seemed "down" and "depressed" so I think she has been going through the doggie version of morning sickness. Also, she has not left me alone, always wanting attention, and from what I understand that's exactly the behavior she exhibited when she was pregnant the first time so I think we may have puppies in the oven. :-)

Lilly is home and did absolutely nothing at Nationals. Didn't even place in her class. I have decided that I am not going to send another dog to Nationals unless I am there. So many people are too worried about their own dog that I think I'll stick to more local shows and Specialties. $60 in entry fees wasted not to mention travel expenses. Huge thanks to my sister Paula for accompying Lilly and it sucks that she had a migrane for five days while she was there. Put a damper on her experience, but at least they got home safe and sound.

Congrats go out to Kay Purchiss, Paula's traveling buddy, and her Best Junior and Best in Sweeps win with her male "Gibson" (Z’s Nspird Back In Black). I've met Gibson in person and he's just a wonderful dog. Like Lilly I don't think he's ever met a stranger. Perhaps a future boyfriend for Lilly? *wink* Lol!

I may take Lilly to the Mission Circuit in Pamona, CA in late May. Four shows in four days and there are probably going to be majors there and Lilly needs both majors still. However, it'll be close to Jamine's projected due date (May 29th) so I really don't know at this point. We'll see.

Once Jasmine has weaned her pups and everyone has gone home I'll take Jasmine back to obedience classes and get some titles on her.

Jasmine is home!

2009-04-06T15:11:00.004-07:00

I picked Jasmine up last night at Tucson International Airport. There was no one at baggage services for Continental so I asked the nice people at USAir who were right next to them for directions. They just had me stand around the corner where they bring out bulk baggage. Jasmine was the first one they brought out (they had three other dogs on the flight) so I was able to sign for her, paid for one of those SmartCarts, put her crate on it, and headed off to the car. I pottied her before she got in the car because I'm sure she had to go (she did). All in all I was at TIA for about 45 minutes.

Also, yesterday was Jasmine's 4th birthday!! We stopped at a McDonalds on the way home and she got a plain McDouble and we shared my fries. She LIKED that!

Today she was following me around constantly wanting attention. I keep patting her sides going, "Hello! Do we have babies in there?" We'll know in about a month...that's when you can palpatate for puppies. You can also do an ultrasound at the vet's but either it took or it didn't so in my mind it's just extra money that doesn't need to be spent. Plus, not knowing how many pups are in there adds to the suprise on whelping day.

Thanks to Kemo's co-owners, Tony and Nicole Field, for taking such good care of Jasmine while she was at their house and also to Barbara Greenspan of Esquire Dalmatians for helping make this happen.

Jasmine is getting switched over to puppy food and I'm giving her daily doggy vitamins to help the puppies grow strong. I figure you need to always assume the breeding took because if you don't then the babies could lose out on essential nutrition.

The bitch classes at the National are being judged tomorrow. I'll be on pins an needles hoping for a call that Lilly got Winners Bitch. It'll be fantastic if she did but I'm not holding my breath.

General Stuff

2009-04-04T11:04:00.004-07:00

Paula and Lilly arrived safely at the show site in KS yesterday (Friday). Sweeps isn't being judged until Sunday and the bitch classes are on Tuesday. I paid my cell bill so I could get updates from the show as well as being available in case Kemo's co-owners need to contact me about Jasmine's return trip.

Speaking of that, Jasmine will be arriving home tomorrow at 9:30 PM at Tucson International Airport which isn't too far from me. Can't wait!!!

Puppies!

2009-04-01T18:18:00.005-07:00

Jasmine was shipped to northern CA a few days ago to be bred to Ch. Esquires Tactical Aviator and I received an email yesterday that the stud dog owners were able to get a breeding done. They will try again tomorrow. She was bred on day 12 and will try again on day 14. From what I've read days 11-14 are a female's most receptive times and the best time for her to conceive. Last year when she was bred it was on day 13 and day 15 (I believe) and she had 8 puppies. This breeding is to help out the stud dog owner to get better spotting and it's a good match dog to dog pedigree-wise. That, and it will help me get my Doberman puppy that I've waited YEARS for and the timing has always been off.

In addition, $670 of the puppy sales will go towards the 501c3 fees for both Southwest Dalmatian Rescue and Canyon State Doberman Rescue and the incorporation fees for CSDR.

Tomorrow Lilly heads off the the Dalmatian Club of America's National Specialty show in Lawrence, KS accompanied by my sister. It will take two days to drive there and I'm crossing my fingers that she will do well. She is entered in the 10-12 mos Sweepstakes and 9-12 month puppy class.

I'd be over the MOON if Lilly got Winners Bitch and Jasmine came home pregnant.

Back Home

2009-03-02T18:24:00.002-07:00

Lilly is back from her adventure in Phoenix where she picked up 3 AKC points (2 pts. yesterday and 1 pt. today) - all from the BBE class. She won her class the last three days and received the following placements:

Scottsdale Dog Fanciers Association - 1 (03/01/09) : Mrs. Elaine Young - WB/BoW/BOS*
Scottsdale Dog Fanciers Association - 2 (03/02/09) : Ms. Sandra Goose Allen - WB/BOS*

No majors for Lilly and I'm bummed (the major broke on Sunday) but this was the first real competition she's had and she did great! All errors were completely my own and I'm hoping to have some pics from the shows up on my site soon.

All three show puppies from Jasmine's first litter are now AKC pointed. Lilly's brother Speed (Kastle's Go Speed Racer) has 9 points with both majors and her other brother Rex (Kastle N Hallmark Racer "X") has 4 points with one major. I'm hoping to get Lilly to the Dalmatian Club of America's National in early April so she can pick up a major.

WB = Winners Bitch
BoW = Best of Winners
BOS = Best Opposite Sex

Graduation Day

2009-02-23T14:39:00.010-07:00

Jasmine graduated from basic obedience class yesterday and I officially became a member of Old Pueblo Dog Training Club. Next classes begin March 18th but I don't know if she'll be going as she is in the beginning stages of her next season. This is a highly anticipated season and if everything goes well she will be bred to Ch. Esquires Tactical Aviator within the next couple of weeks. Mmmmmmm puppy breath! More than likely I'll sign up another dog for basic obedience or handling class and just take them. In the meantime I'll continue training her and we'll be ultra-sharp when we return for classes in the fall.

This Thursday is the Dalmatian Club of Greater Phoenix specialty show. Lilly is entered in the Bred By class. I always get very nervous a few days before a show but I'm mainly worried that I won't remember everything I'll need for the show(s) or I'll look like a dork. We don't show on Friday but are entered in the shows on Saturday-Monday. Hopefully we'll come home with some points!

Week 7

2009-02-15T16:49:00.003-07:00

Took Jasmine to week 7 of her basic obedience class. I'm a bad mommy...I do very little training with her during the week yet she picks up and things VERY quickly and remembers them. Have to work on the way she has her body positioned on downs. She tends to do the frog and stays in that position. I have a feeling that she will reposition herself if she has to stay down a long time, but we'll see. Graduation is next week so I guess I have to actually practice with her. The week after Lilly and I head up to Phoenix again for four days of showing. Should be some majors in there. Wish us luck!

Shows are over...

2009-02-09T11:40:00.004-07:00

Got back last night from last weekend's dog shows (day 1& 2 of Sahuaro KC in Phoenix, AZ). Here are the results for Dalmatians:

Day 1:

Entered: 2 class dogs, 1 class bitch, and 1 bitch special

Actually showed: 2 class dogs and 1 class bitch

Results: Lilly won her class (of 1) and got Best Opposite Sex.

Day 2:

Entered: 1 class dog, 1 class bitch, and 1 bitch Special

Actual: The class bitch. Yep, we were the only one who showed.

Results: Lilly got the whole shebang....1st place in her class, Winners Bitch, and Best of Breed.

Okay, I appreciate the fact that she was deemed worthy enough by the judges to give her the ribbons, but it disappoints me that there wasn't ANYONE ELSE THERE! I want competition, dammit, even if she didn't win a thing.

Oh, well, I was there mainly because I entered and I thought it'd be rude not to show up, and to use it as a benchmark on what I needed to work on for future shows. Lilly was in season so she wanted no one near her back side ("Excuse me! Do I know you???") which made the stand for examination difficult, but she moved very well on the down and back as well as the go around so I'm happy about that. She also was well-behaved for the most part and didn't understand why she couldn't say hi to all the dogs.

I decided to take her in for Group on Sunday. After talking with a couple of people I figured it would be good experience for the both of us. Lilly did really well (except for the examination of course) until I ran out of bait and she became bored. Those two combined makes for a Fun Day For All (TM). Not only that, but she finally realized that there was a dog behind her (Dalmatians usually go in first for Non Sporting group) and kept looking behind her and then sitting towards the end. Needless to say, we didn't get anything in group. :-(

Note to self: When taking another dog in for puppy pop in classes make sure to let them know the puppy is not to sit when giving treats. End Note.

Next shows are at the end of the month in Scottsdale, AZ.

2009-01-27T19:19:00.003-07:00

Lilly definitely came into season a couple of days ago. I'm hoping she'll be out, or nearly out, by her first shows. Jasmine's personality gets more lovey-dovey when she's in season, but Lilly's really hasn't changed that much. I was worried that the relationship of mother and daughter would change once Lilly came in, but it hasn't. Except maybe that Jasmine wants a lot more attention now. I'll take that over two bitches fighting any day.

We are planning on breeding Jasmine to Kemo (Ch. Esquires Tactical Aviator) when she comes into season next. You can see their page here.

2009-01-25T16:44:00.003-07:00

Lilly will be shown at the following shows (confirmed):

02/07/2009: Sahuaro State Kennel Club, Day 1
02/08/2009: Sahuaro State Kennel Club, Day 2
02/26/2009: Dalmatian Club of Greater Phoenix Specialty
02/28/2009: Supersitition Kennel Club, Day 2

All are in Phoenix and she'll be in the Bred-by-Exhibitor class. Shows down here and in Yuma are usually at the end of the year. We are planning on showing on both days of Scottsdale Dog Fanciers Association shows (02/29 & 03/01) as well but entries close 02/11/09 so I'll be using my next paycheck to cover the entry fees. Yay, budget!

Lilly is doing well and went to her puppy pop-in class again. There is no class next week and the weekend after are the Sahuaro shows so I don't know if she'll be back. I know I will with the next puppy in tow, but that won't be for awhile yet. Me sad. :-(

Jasmine went to her 4th week of basic obedience. We were doing great until about 45 minutes into it. She got bored and so did I. I tell ya, being happy is tiring!!

2009-01-17T14:08:00.004-07:00

Here are a few pics of Lilly that I took at the park earlier today. I wanted to get her away from the backyard and into a more realistic show setting to practice. She did AWESOME and even had a little distraction while some kids were saying hi to mommy Jasmine (sister unit Paula was there with her) and we practiced. She's a fool for the kibble. Her first shows are indoors and I made sure to practice wth her on concrete in addition to grass. I'll try to get some more pics of her with her head down so you can see her shoulders better, but the battery died in the camera before I could do it. We tried to get some video too but that didn't work out so well either...

Lilly goes back to her puppy pop-in class tomorrow and Jasmine is in week three of basic obedience.

Training..

2009-01-06T11:11:00.000-07:00

Did a little bit of obedience training today with Jasmine. We were to practice our concentration exercise ("watch me") as well as the sit. Since she is a trained show dog she has the concentration thing down pat. Her sit is very nice as well so I plan on lightly training her since she is solid with both. Next week I know we'll have to work harder but this week will be an easy week.

Lilly is coming into season for the first time. I don't think she has a clue what's happening to her and she has begun to snap at some dogs which I've been getting after her for. That kind of behavior is not acceptable at my house and I think she's getting a clue. When I take her to her next pop-in class it may be her last as I want to keep her safe and a public area is not a place for a bitch in season.

I need to get stacked photos of Lilly. She is looking so nice and thankfully she should be out of season when she's shown for the first time.

Today

2009-01-04T16:24:00.002-07:00

Got home from work this morning and got the dogs ready. Lilly went to Puppy Pop In class at Companions for Life Center from 9-10 AM. She's almost "aged-out" at seven months-old...she can only go until she's eight months and then she's too old. :-) Came back and got Jasmine ready to attend her first basic obedience class through Old Pueblo Dog Training Club. She did very well. The only problem I had was that she wanted to play with the other dogs and some didn't want to.

It was interesting...Jasmine got to the park and her demenor changed. Outdoor dog shows are usually held at parks or fair grounds so when she saw the wide-open grassy areas and all the other dogs she suddenly switced "on" and was ready to show. She was also acting like a SUCH a puppy and running like a mad woman all over the place at times it was nice to see her joy. For Tucson it was soooo cold and not to mention raining so after class we went through the drive-thru at McDonalds and got her a plain McDouble for being such as good sport about it.

The plan is getting at least a CDX and CGC on Jasmine as well as agility titles. I am sooo lucky that I got such an awesome dog.

Focus...

2009-01-04T15:56:00.000-07:00

People have many passions. One of mine is animals. Specifically, dogs. I have Dalmatians and hope to add a Doberman (or two) to my home in Tucson, AZ. I love to show dogs both in conformation and performance. My dogs are as follows:

Riley: 9 1/2 year-old Dal male. He's neutered, liver/white, and can be a stubborn little bastard. Wouldn't trade him for anything.

Jasmine: Is three and three quarters year-old Dalmatian female. Black spotted. She is an AKC Champion and is currently in obedience training. I'm hoping to get obedience, agility, and flyball titles on her.

Lilly: Jasmine's daughter. Black spotted. Just turned 7 months-old today. She will be shown in both conformation and performance.