‘Rally’ Category

  1. Happy Birthday to Nola, and Smooch, and Udi, and Rhys

    October 20, 2012 by myeye

    Our pretty red girl Nola, her dynamic sister Smoochie, and the brothers Udi and Rhys are two years old today.  So — a little trip down memory lane.

    Leidy and the babies November 7, 2010

    Nola and Rhys – Thanksgiving 2010

    Udi (who definitely looks like Taz) and Smooch 11-25-2010

    Smoochie — all grown up

    Nola — a Teddy Lei photo from last weekend

    So, what have they done.  Rhys and Udi went to pet homes.  I expected that Rhys would be showing in Obedience by now, but haven’t received any word about that.

    Smooch has been a star.  She is Elyan The Evening Echo of C-Myste HT NAP NJP RN BN.  DeAnn Nelson and her husband Rich are giving Smooch a wonderful home with lots of opportunities to excel in every venue.

    Nola is Elyan C-Myste The Times Picayune HT.  She needs a 3-point major to complete her Championship and begins Obedience class next week.  She lives here with her Daddy Chase and her Grandma Inca.  I anticipate she will be bred in the Spring.

    This litter was Chase’s third.  By the time they were born, Chase was in Tennessee herding with Susan and living with Cheryl.  The puppies were raised by big brother Holmes — how he loved these babies!


  2. Happy Barkday, Chaseman

    October 17, 2012 by myeye

    FIVE YEARS!  How did that happen?  Five years ago today, weighing 6-1/2 oz., Chase made his entrance into the world.  He was one of 10 puppies — the last litter for “Alice” (CH Mariel Reese’s Alice Springs ROMs).  His father is the very handsome CH Merrymoon Firestorm.  I selected Chase from a photo at 5-1/2 weeks when he marched across Carolyn Cannon’s yard to meet his older brother through the fence.  I knew I wanted that attitude (and pretty nice little body as well).  I flew to Oregon on January 6th to bring him back to New Mexico — I cannot adequately thank Carolyn and Tom Cannon for letting me walk out their door with him.

    What a fabulous time we have had.  Chase was a “go-and-do” dog from the beginning.  He completed his Championship before he was 10 months old — finishing on August 15 2008 with two 5-point majors and a Group IV on that one day.  He had earned three Bests of Breed (over Specials) and Puppy Groups I and II.  He quickly earned his Canadian Championship (with G’Ma Shelley Camm), his RN, and then his CD.  His health test results were trickling in and they were golden.  Chase went to visit friends Cheryl Kienast and Susan (Shields) Long in September, 2010.  It was his chance to herd — and herd he did — completing his HXAs at the National Specialty in Ohio.  At the Houston National Specialty he was selected as Best Brindle Dog in the Megan.  He earned his VCX in November, 2011.   He came home with me from the 2012 National Specialty and we began playing Agility.  He LOVES it!  In May and June, 2012 he was back in the Breed ring and completed his Grand Championship.  In June we also learned he had been awarded his Register of Merit Bronze.  The ROM is our Parent Club’s designation for excellence in offspring.

    Chase is the happiest dog ever — not so loyal — he’ll go off with anyone and give them his “I adore you” look.  We have so many more things to do together.  We are entered in Agility trials this weekend and again the first weekend of November, he is training for his CDX.  He continues to herd with Ellen Gerwin.  We hope to successfully complete a TD track in January.  Could I ask for anything more of my companion dog?  I do not think so.  He is a pleasure at home and at the office.

    Birthday wishes to all the sibs — Ace, Bogey (Cosmos), Clem, Eagle (Flash), Feather (Lily), Golda (Libby), Heather (Molly), and Jiggers (Pilot).

    A photo by Evelyn Vinogradov taken on September 22nd

    One of my all time favorite shots — again taken by Evelyn

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY Am GCh/Can Ch C-MYSTE BALEDWR PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS CD RN HSAs HIAs HXAs VCX ROMb TT CGC


  3. The Weekend and Another Agility Photo

    October 2, 2012 by myeye

    Evelyn Vinogradov takes great action photos so I’ll start this post with another of her shots of Chase from the Agility Trial on September 23rd.  She will also be at the trials on November 2, 3, and 4 which are outside.  Hopefully we will have a sunny New Mexico day.  Enjoy this smile:

    Simply put, “WAHOO”!!!

    Last weekend was a good one for Chase’s kids.  Lovely Lowri was Best of Breed both days at the Murfreesboro shows.  Baby Dinah earned her first point there on Sunday.  Way out west in Richland WA, Ali (Ch Wellshire Queen of Hearts) was Best of Opposite Sex at the huge Northwest Cardigan Fanciers Specialty under Judge Jon Kimes.  On Saturday and Sunday, her litter sister Nikki (GCh Wellshire Absolut Magic) was Best of Opposite Sex.  Smooch (Elyan The Evening Echo of C-Myste) earned her RA and the first leg of her RE.  I love receiving the reports!


  4. Keeping the Records Straight

    June 14, 2012 by myeye

    As I was preparing the submission documents for Chase’s Register of Merit – Bronze designation, I realized that since the first of January, five of his children have completed their Championships and we added an HT, a High in All Breed Trial, and two RNs, a BN, and a CGC to the list of the children’s accomplishments.  THAT is pretty astonishing.  I am so happy that the people who decided to breed their girls to Chase were rewarded with puppies that are lovely and very smart.  (Most of them have a huge dose of the baddog gene as well, but in my opinion that just makes them more fun.)  Three of his children have been x-rayed for OFA and all three were rated GOOD.  As the puppies turn two, I hope we’ll see more wonderful results from their health testing.

    I cannot wait to see what the rest of the year will bring for us.   Chase and I will go about our training business.  His agility class has been pushed back to June 28th, but we are tracking and brushing up on his obedience commands.  On weekends we keep a phone handy so people can report in on all the grandpuppies.  It’s a lot of fun!

    Now, something serious:  STUD FEES.  Even though Chase is a Grand Champion and has his Bronze Register of Merit designation, I don’t intend to raise his stud fee.  It seems to me that Cardigans are difficult to breed — lots of stuff can go wrong with our little dwarf dogs.  Just to accomplish the breeding costs the breeder in the neighborhood of $1300 to $1400.  To me, that is a lot of money.  Then they have the x-rays when the girl is 8+ weeks along, possibly a C-Section, then feeding and giving appropriate medical care to the brood.  I don’t think that breeding a litter of nice Cardigans should be beyond the means of all but the wealthy.  I also think greed is ugly.  I am personally appalled by the stud fees that people demand for unproven (albeit very nice) young dogs with only adequate health test results.  There’s not much I can do about what other owners decide to do, but I can hold my ground.  I never want money to be the factor that determines whether someone is able to use my dog.  I also reserve the right to just say no if I feel a breeding is not right.  I don’t make my living breeding and raising dogs.  In fact, I have a job so I can afford my dog habit.  Help me stick to my guns.


  5. Good Job Holmes and Anne

    May 25, 2012 by myeye