Mar 7
2010

As some of you know, Chase has his own web site.  I put it together so folks who wanted to know more about him could visit the web site — they didn’t have to call and listen to me babble on about what a nifty dog he is, and so healthy, etc.  After someone looks at his pedigree and health results and show record, and photos of Chase and his family, if they want to talk to me, I’m available.

One of the best parts of his site is his Journal.  He’s such a busy dog that he only gets a chance to write every four to six months.  When he does, he brings everyone up to date, throws in some photos for good measure.  Today he posted a Journal entry that covers the past six months.  My eight-year old granddaughter has read all his entries and tells me he is really a funny dog :)

G-Ma Carolyn adds the entry and the photos for him — thank you G-Ma!



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Comments  •  Adrienne, C-Myste, Chase, Chase's Site  


Mar 6
2010

The official photographer is here — these are today’s offerings.  Holmes will be six months old on March 19th — but there are no nearby shows until May — oh well . . .

Holmes Looks Like Dad 3-6-2010Definitely Dad’s Expression

Holmes Front3 3-6-2010A front shot

Holmes - Tail Up 3-6-2010Rear – tail up (How embarrassing!)

Holmes Stacked 3-6-2010Handsome Baby



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Comments  •  Uncategorized  


Mar 5
2010

Inca gone to pot 3-5-2010

Inca in the pot - full sun 3-5-2010

Inca in shadow 3-5-2010

Inca - Pretty in a pot 3-5-2010

ps:  This pot usually sports a huge geranium plant from mid-spring until frost.  I’m not sure what to do about that now that Inca has claimed this as her throne.  I like her having a high place of her own.  It’s good for her self esteem.



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Comments  •  Home, Inca, Photography  


Mar 5
2010

This has been the week from Hades.  Nothing bad has happened.  I’d just spent so much time on my murder case and dinking around with the contractors, that finally all my other clients caught up with me.  This week I have run around with a water can putting out fires.  Sometimes it happens like that.  The result?  No time to blog, no photos, no training the dogs.  I plan to put in some hours this weekend to get rid of the paper piles on my desk.  Perhaps next week will be a bit more sane.

I did take Chase to his show obedience class on Wednesday night.  He wants so much to please me, but when I don’t spend any training time in between classes, it’s asking a lot of him to do the entire set of Novice exercises flawlessly.  He sure tries though.  Holmes — well, his Puppy Foundations I class has been a complete waste of time.  The class is good, but we missed three of the eight classes and I’ve done no training.  Poor little man — another dog that really wants to please, but has not a clue what I’m asking.  I am a rotten dog mom!

Yesterday “Tim” was at the house finishing off some of the miscellaneous construction projects.  I’ve also engaged “Poop Busters”.  It’s a company that sends an employee once a week to police the yard.  My person is Sherry who also does the duty at Kip’s house.  She was so excited to meet another group of Cardis — and I’m happy because I will get more Kip reports.  Yesterday Sherry said that she was so happy Kip was at Jim and Sarah’s because he was good for them.  Of course, we knew that.  My two boys were completely wound up by the company.  Inca decided she needed a safe place from which to watch the chaos — I found her perched in a large flower pot.  Hopefully we’ll get some photos of her in her pot.

One of my friends is a pastry chef/chocolatier.  This weekend is the “Chocolate Fantasy” competition.  He’s been making wonderful chocolate confections for the past week, and a while ago dropped off a sample for me.  So, this is being typed while I enjoy a sugar/chocolate high.  He should win the top prize.  I wonder if he’ll have left overs?

Adrienne will be at the house tomorrow so we’ll take some Holmes photos to post.  He’ll be 6 months old on March 19th.  He is a delightful brat.  I so love baddogs!

We are on pregnancy watch for the bitch in Washington State.  Her puppies are due April 19th — I’ll tell you more when we are sure she’s pregnant.  Chase will be bred to another delightful girl at the end of next week.  I’m going to love being a dog Grandma.

I promise a better post tomorrow.



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Comments  •  Adrienne, Agility, Baddog, Blogging, Chase, Chores, Holmes, Home, Inca, Kip, Obedience  


Mar 1
2010

It’s difficult to watch television (even harder to hear it) when Chase and Holmes are epitomizing togetherness — they are seldom silent.  I love watching them interact, I love watching Chase tell the puppy that he’s biting too hard, or teaching him to tug, or playing keep-away.  These two are definitely a bright spot in any day.

Grab an ear 1-28-2010Ear Grab

Nose chewing 2-28-2010Nose chew

Dad play with this 2-28-2010Dad, play with this toy

Sharing 2-28-2010See, it’s a good toy

puppy pillow 2-28-2010I’m a great pillow



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Comments  •  Chase, Holmes  


Feb 28
2010

Sleeping cheek to cheek 2-27-2010

Love u dad - luv u 2 son 2-27-2010

What I wouldn’t give for Chase and Holmes to continue to be this happy together.



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Comments  •  Chase, Holmes, Home  


Feb 27
2010

Last night at the SDOC meeting, I raised the issue of AKC not requiring proof of spay/neuter when assigning competition numbers to mixed breed dogs. These are the AKC regs for the Canine Partners listing. You will note the owner must certify the dog is spayed or neutered or will be when it is age appropriate, and the owner agrees to send such proof to AKC if requested. This differs from the PAL (formerly ILP) requirement that proof of spay or neuter be submitted with the PAL application.

I have the nagging feeling that this “omission” is to appease the breeders of the “designer dogs”.

Permitting mixed breeds to compete at our trials is a business decision for the Club.   However, philosophically I am appalled by AKC’s requirement of spay/neuter proof for PAL (purebreds without registration documentation) and the omission of such requirement for mixed breeds.

I look at what it costs to select the best dogs for breeding, to test for good health, to raise a litter and socialize it properly, and then note AKC, that once was the Champion of the Purebred dog and is now simply the Dog’s Champion, has basically winked and offered the opportunity to mixed breed dogs to be bred, and the puppies sold with bragging rights about their parents’ obedience, rally, and agility titles. I have no confidence whatsoever in the honesty of some who will submit applications for companion numbers, and have no expectation that AKC will require proof of spay or neuter at a later date.

Done with rant for the weekend!  HOWEVER, if you feel as I do, please contact the AKC delegate for your parent club or local AKC member clubs, and direct his/her attention to these regs.  The mixed breed dog owners should provide proof of spay/neuter at the time the Companion Partners number is sought.



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Comments  •  Agility, Dog Shows, Musing, Obedience, Rally  


Feb 26
2010

I was a little late getting home from work.  My dogs know 5:00 and they really know 5:30.  6:00 is time for trouble.

Is Dinner Ready 2-25-2010Inca says, “A girl could die of starvation”

My dinner too 2-25-2010A little puppy just wasting away

They have no idea how bad it really will be.  My neighbor (not the hero to the south) trimmed back his apple tree today.  This fall, there will be no windfall into the dogs’ yard.  Since my peach tree was pruned last week, we will also be short of peaches.  Poor little Cardis.



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Comments  •  Holmes, Home, Inca  


Feb 24
2010

Warm and dry, being the office dog . . . Holmes has recovered from his great adventure . . . and with a new toy to boot!

Happy upside down puppy 2-24-2010

Warm and Dry 2-24-2010



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Comments  •  Baddog, Holmes, Work  


Feb 24
2010

I had two hearings in Metropolitan Court this morning.  They were early settings and I forget to call my reception service to tell them I would be out of the office.  When I returned at 9:30, the phone was ringing and a frantic receptionist said, “We’ve been trying to find you.  Your dog is in the pond and can’t get out.  Your neighbor is trying to climb the fence to get it out.”  I ran out the door — jacketless and pretty frantic.

I pulled into the drive just as my neighbor came around the back of the house.  He had put his ladder up against my 6′ wall and jumped into the yard, gone around the back and pulled Holmes from the pond.  He was going to dry him off, but the puppy scampered into the house through the dog door.  I gave him the code to my garage and many thanks (same neighbor that complained about the barking a few weeks ago.  I’m so glad he didn’t hold that against the baby.)  Chase and Inca were running around the pond — apparently wondering why Holmes didn’t just get out.

Although I’ve had the pond all the time I’ve had dogs, this is the first time one has gone swimming.  Holmes’ little short legs wouldn’t get him up on the step and then out.  It isn’t deep enough for him to drown, but it’s below freezing here.  The baby got soaked and was very cold.  I wrapped him in big bath towels and got the worst of the water off, then bundled him off to the nearby Petco where he is having a warm bath and being thoroughly dried.  It’s another not-at-all-dull day at my place.

A Little Cold for Swimming 2-24-2010



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Comments  •  Baddog, Holmes, Home  


Feb 22
2010

Tom and Carolyn were on their way back to Orygun by 7:30 this morning.  Tom has caught a cold so Carolyn was at the helm of their C-Mystery blue Element.  We had such a nice visit.  We played with dogs, went to Old Town (ask Tom to show you his kaleidoscope which is truly stunningly beautiful), watched/photographed the sunset over the valley, cooked a pork roast steeped in green chile, had green chile cheeseburgers at the Owl Cafe.  Last night Carolyn and I worked at completing information for dogs already listed on The Cardigan Archives.  This morning we made a valiant attempt to finish off most of the “King Cake” sent to me by my Louisiana client.  Their cooler is packed with almost 10 pounds of frozen roasted green chile and dog meals for two nights.  There is a variety of new T-shirts.

Phoebe was packed into the car with Alice and Molly.  Bye Feebs — I’ll miss you, funny girl.  Thank you for giving us Holmes and Watson.  Having only silly Holmes, the Dink, and Chase seems like very few dogs.  I’ll get over that feeling soon.  I wish I’d win the lottery so I had more free time to spend with friends that wander to New Mexico.



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Comments  •  Alice, C-Myste, Chase, Holmes, Inca, Other dogs, Phoebe  


Feb 21
2010

Carolyn has posted some “family” portraits over on her blog. Tom was the official photographer. Here is one of the gazillion photos he took of the Holmes puppy today. Holmes is just such a cute baby!  That’s Carolyn’s shirt and hand in the photo — I had the cheese which engendered that intense look.

Holmes at 5 months 2-21-2010



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Comments  •  C-Myste, Elyan, Holmes, Home  


Feb 21
2010

Watson and Alden went to a beginning tracking seminar yesterday.  Alden had an auditing spot, but when someone dropped out, jumped at the chance to take the working spot.  Little Watson has a good nose and is understanding this tracking game.  Alden sent me this video clip of his very first track.  Enjoy.  Good dog, Watson!



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Comments  •  Dog Friends, Puppies, Tracking  


Feb 19
2010

Puppy ears 2-15-2010He’s 5 months old today — and dreadfully cute



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Comments  •  Baddog, Holmes  


Feb 19
2010

This morning I used paint thinner to clean up smears of Liquid Nail — those highly paid construction guys don’t have to clean as they go.  Fah!  The new faucet has a pull out spout, but the plumber plugged the dishwasher in through the middle of the faucet coil — so I had only four inches to pull out.  Down on the floor, flashlight under the sink — sure enough.  I unplugged the dishwasher, and plugged it outside the loop of faucet coil.  Duh!

But!  We are down to needing toe kicks, deep drawers inside one cabinet, a half shelf, a couple of spacers, and paint on the upper cabinets in the laundry room.  The doors on the new cabinets are not an exact match to the old, so Tim will take them away next week and run his router down the edges.  I put away two boxes of miscellaneous stuff.  There are four boxes to go, but I need the drawers and a shelf to get the contents where they belong.  The switch for the oven light was broken while my range was stored — the light is now on, and only on.  I’ll get the contractor to fix it next week.  The front yard still needs to be weeded, the umbrella and chairs for the back must be hosed down.  I still have four or so hours before Tom and Carolyn arrive so I can get it done!

Here are some before and during and after photos.  The dogs preferred the part where there were no cabinets or appliances in the way of their fun:

empty empty emptyEmpty, Empty, Empty

It is a speedway 2-15-2009It’s a dog race track

Should be a vanity hereShould be a vanity right here

There once was a toiletThere once was a toilet on the ground floor

The sink will be here - someday 2-15-2010There will be a sink here (and a new water line)

new deep sinking sitting in counter top 2-17-2010It’s a deep sink — just sitting in its counter top space

New sink - a different lookIt’s all hooked up — the new look

New bathroom vanityA peek at the new bathroom vanity



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Comments  •  Chores, Dog Friends, Home  


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