Tonight’s report from Susan.
“Well, I did finally get to work Chase tonight on ducks. I didn’t think I would be able to, but I got done putting up the first two panels of fence before dark. Chase did fine working the ducks. I got down on one knee several times to praise him and he really got off on that. He was able to put the ducks away – and actually helped. That got him more praise.”
Yep! I’m going to have to get him some ducks of his own. Inca also likes to herd, so it’s probably a great investment. When we were kids, my grandmother used to buy us (we were seven strong) a pass to the nearby swimming pool. That was everyone’s birthday present for the year. Ducks may be the group gift at the new house.
Inca is today’s office dog. My new office mates think she is sweet and cute, plus cannot get over those little 3″ legs going up and down the stairs. My office is now up 22 steps. We have counted them. (I tell myself it is good for me.) Inca has navigated the stairs 15 times today. Apparently she feels an obligation to be each person’s office dog for part of the day. So she spends time in Matt’s office, and then moves into Jennifer’s, comes back to flop on my floor, goes downstairs to keep Debi company, then hangs out with Haley. When someone comes in the front door, she goes down to greet the guest. When someone opens the refrigerator (which is downstairs), she has a hopeful attack and heads down. She’s not nearly as stiff as she was for the few days following the dog fight, and this exercise might be good for her.
Cell phone photos — forgive the quality, please.
Leidy and Chase were bred last night and tonight. Though this is only day 8 from when she first showed color, Chase found her slightly boring this evening. Based upon the 12.5 Progesterone reading on Wednesday morning, she probably ovulated on Monday night or Tuesday morning — so yesterday and today all the puppy eggs should have ripened. Time to start counting. Puppies are expected on Tuesday, October 19th. I just want a cute little Chase/Leidy daughter to show in Bred-By. Possible colors: reds and brindles for sure — and maybe some tris. Okay, little Leidy-Lou — now it’s all up to you.
Leidy’s mom, the indefatigable Inca, is healing well. She’s trotting a bit, not struggling when she goes up and down the door step. Nothing impairs her appetite. Holmes is in Colorado with Wendy, playing happily with her Akitas. They’ll be in Topeka Wednesday evening for the four day/5-show cluster. Chase will visit Dr. Larry on Thursday to get his hall-pass so he can hop his Delta Flight to Atlanta on Saturday morning.
Tomorrow morning the two teenage boys are supposed to be here to help take everything out of the garage so I can decide what stays and what becomes yard sale fodder. I think a lot of “stuff” can go away!
Inca is alert this morning. She’s walking better (though in obvious pain). She had no problem demolishing her dinner last night or eating a meatball full of drugs this morning. She is at my friend Carolee’s Boarding Kennel/Grooming Salon today. She’s in the Salon ensconced in a big crate. They’ll take her out to the grass a few times today and give her water. Holmes is also at Carolee’s, but he’s in the regular Day Care section. It wasn’t doing him any good to be at home with Leidy in bloom. So, Chase and Leidy are continuing their courtship and I am at the office trying to make some money.
For those that inquired, yes, Chase will be signing autographs at the Atlanta Show. He’s flying in on Saturday. Susan and Cheryl will pick him up at 1:30, and Sunday he will be renewing friendships — look out Janet and Laura and Jeri and Heidi. Chase never forgets anyone that he has met. So even though the 2009 National was long ago and far away, if he sees Laura’s lap, he will head for it. I wish I’d had a camera when he launched himself into her lap in Topeka and flipped over for a belly rub. He then tried to leap high enough to kiss Janet’s chin. Even with his third birthday coming up in mid-October, he’s not moved past the silly stage to regal. Actually, I’m not sure he ever will. I am going to miss my funny boy, but know he will have a blast with the Bluefox family and will love learning to herd.
Well, you could probably get a nice puppy . . . or you could donate to your local ER Vet and pick up one moth-eaten red Cardi girl who picked a fight with her daughter. My kitchen, laundry room, half-bath look like the set for The Chainsaw Massacre. Leidy and Holmes were fine — though covered in Inca’s blood (add on another $100 for their baths today). Chase had not a drop of blood on him nor a hair out of place. I know he cheered them on: “Chick Fight! Chick Fight! Never stop a Chick Fight!”
No fractures, sutures, staples, but shaved spots all over — and Inca is sore. She’s not sore enough to miss a meal, but she’s sore. Poor little girl!
Leidy will visit Dr. Larry tomorrow for a progesterone test (day 5). On Friday morning very early, Holmes will be traveling to Greeley — which is lucky because he has stopped eating and barks all day — “she’s m-i-i-i-n-e”. Monday we will do another Leidy progesterone test. Thursday Chase will have his pre-flight check up because on the 28th (assuming Leidy is bred) he is flying to Atlanta where Cheryl Kienast and Susan Shields will whisk him off to herding camp.
A note to place in the “nobody would do that” category. The ER vet called me at 2:00 AM to tell me they’d not yet had a chance to clean up all of Inca’s wounds. Did I need to know that at 2:00? So, I couldn’t go back to sleep. I am cranky!
My dogs are barking when I leave them at home and it’s annoying the neighbor. Although I don’t let them out before 6:30 in the morning, when I am fixing their breakfast at around 6:00, they bark — with the summertime windows open, my neighbors can hear them. Holmes is at the vet’s being debarked as I type. Leidy (who can have a very annoying bark) is at the office with me. Chase and Inca (who has been debarked) are at home. I love my neighbors and am distraught that we are annoying them. I really can’t deal with the issues any longer. Since I intend to grow old with my dogs, it’s time for me to move.
I contacted a client who deals in real estate in outlying areas. So, hopefully, I can work a trade of my townhouse for a house on an acre in one of the surrounding, dog friendly counties. I’m hoping for Valencia county which is south of Albuquerque — no canyons to drive through to get to the office. It will be a half hour to and from work, but otherwise everyone will be more comfortable. The dogs will have room to really run — and — maybe I can get me a tractor [say this with a cracker barrel accent]! I also want a BIG garage or barn. I have only a one car garage at the townhouse which is not enough for all my junk. I can create an agility field so we can all play, and I can set up a couple of dog runs to separate the critters when they need separating.
More later.
The baddogs received a package from Julie and her gooddogs as part of Paws It Forward. We love it — thank you so much! Now it’s our turn to pass it on. The first two commentors to this post will receive a special box from the baddogs containing items the baddogs really want to keep for themselves. The winners will then get to Paws it Forward to two more lucky bloggers,
Look — it’s addressed to the Baddogs
Oooooh! Cool stuff inside.
Chase grabbed the toy — Holmes wants it
But eventually Holmes prevailed
She’s a little bit grayer on her muzzle, she’s getting some white around her eyes, but otherwise, she is the boss, the red goddess, empress of all she surveys. We’re so happy to have our red girl here to decorate our clothing, to tell the other dogs off, to race around the back yard and through the house. The Dink is special and sweet.
A happy 8th birthday to the rest of the gang: Meghan, Denzil, Cennie, Penny . . .
I don’t let the dogs out in the front courtyard because the few remaining flowering plants would go the way of their ancestors. Today, however, I spotted an iris in full bloom, grabbed the camera, opened the front door and everyone escaped.
The bloom that started it all
Holmes says, “So, what does it do?”
Chase keeps track of the boy
Leidy asks if it might be dinner time
Inca says, “It is dinner time. Come in.”
No trip in the past 18 hours has been uneventful. The drive back from Las Vegas included travel through gorgeous sunshine, rain, blinding snow, and sleet. The trip to the airport tonight included a stop at a sobriety checkpoint right before the exit to the Sunport — fortunately, I had not downed wine before I headed south to pick up Leidy. So, the cops let me go.
The flight was on time, Leidy was glad to see someone who knew her name. I rescued her, put her in the car, called Jenn to let her know Miss Leidy was in good my hands, and we drove home.
Inca sighed — “another dog?” Chase said, “Hmmm, how does she smell?” Holmes said, “Oh, oh, oh let’s play.” I gave our new resident some tripe — to make her feel welcome — and we are getting ready to pile into bed.
I’m Holmes, I’m glad you’re here, I’m really cute
Why do you have these boy dogs? Are they staying?
Leidy is flying in Friday night. Jenn says she looks glorious, so off to Onofrio went her entries for the May cluster. I’m glad she’ll be here starting on a weekend so I can figure out which dogs like which dogs — or don’t. Hopefully Inca will tolerate her daughter, and Chase will not find it necessary to kill his son. I suspect it will be a bit of a zoo for a while.
Saturday I’m picking up extra meat and organs and bone stuff so I can make up TV dinners for Chase’s trip. I’ll put a meal and supplements in each little bag, label it for a day of the week, and put all the Mondays in one larger bag, and all the Tuesdays in another — you get it. Then there will be one large bag of breakfast packages only. Brock and Angela have room in their freezer so will store the box of Chase’s TV dinners until May 18th when Wendy will take Chase and his meals off to Colorado. Since she doesn’t normally feed raw, this will save her some anguish and make sure Chase’s diet isn’t altered while he’s with her. It’s kind of like packing up school lunches for the boys . . . takes me back.
I’ve been checking blogs every hour to glean news from the Nationals. I wish I were there.
I’ve been posting irresistible puppy photos and not talking much about my homedogs.
We have lots going on because I am playing training catch up. Chase will be entered in breed at the Rio Grande/Coronado Kennel Clubs cluster in mid-May. At this point in his show career, we don’t have to do much for conformation except grooming. Now obedience, on the other hand, requires some focus and lots of practice. There seems to be a shortage of both around here. So Chase and I have been behind the 8-ball, trying to recover lost ground. Wednesday we did a Novice run-through and Chase would have qualified. Tonight we did another run-through, and again we would have Q’ed (with an even higher score). Chase tries so hard to do what I ask and after the run-throughs this week, I can feel a lot better about all the entry money.
Holmes is another case altogether. He’ll now stand still while we look at his pretty scissors bite, and (fortunately) he sets his front feet by himself. However, he shares an affliction with his dad. When a person comes walking up, the tail just has to wag, and sometimes that starts moving the body — next thing you know, we are not stacked at all.
There is a match this Sunday and again next Sunday. Both boys are going to the rehearsals. Fingers crossed that they are prepared for the real event. I’m ready to put “CD” after Chase’s name, and to see if baby Holmes is a show puppy.
Inca is just glad that she’s off the hook for this series of shows.
We were gifted by Dennis the Vizsla Dog on his Sunday Awards and Meem Show.
Someone at Elyan must tell seven beautiful things about herself. That would be Inca, the Red Goddess:
- I am a stunning natural redhead.
- I have beautiful brown eyes.
- I am the empress of all I survey.
- Chase and Holmes bow before my beauty
- I like to herd sheep (and goats and ducks)
- I sleep on the furniture during the day and on the bed with Penni at night
- I am always hungry, but that’s how I keep my svelte figure.
Thank you Dennis for acknowledging my beauty.
Since all my blogging friends are beautiful, I offer the award to any of them that can think of seven beautiful things to say about themselves.
Laurie over at The Daily Corgi decided to begin this week by featuring a group of Baddogs. They just-so-happen to be the Baddogs on which I dote every day. Thanks Laurie for bragging on the furry kids. Janet was right — on March 14th she noted some owners just cannot help gushing about their four-legged (with tail) household members.
Holmes has been such a good boy in the house (since the contractors gave it back) that last night he was allowed to sleep on the bed with Chase and Inca (and me). He had a little trouble settling down — couldn’t decide against which body he should snuggle — but eventually he did and we had a generally uneventful night. Chase explained in no uncertain terms that HE has the extra pillow and that HE puts the bottom of HIS jaw on the top of my head. Holmes was content to sprawl so that part of his body was against Chase and part was at my back. One extra set of licks at 6:00 AM, but that makes the day start even better. What a good baby!
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