Visitors Today

We had a Treasure litter over with Sophie coming in from Ct. It was Sophie's mom Karen that brainstormed the visit and we are glad she did.

We have Sophie (Karen), Ty (Julie) and Kona (Kathy). It was great to have them here and the rain even held off for the most part.

We didn't really get much playing in but it was good to see the humans attached to these pups and to see the dogs. They look like siblings but each unique.

I took quite a few photos but won't get to them till tomorrow but here is a few for you to enjoy.

Treasure and Ty (Look at Treasure's expression)Sophie running on the deckTreasure and Kona's backsides (similar backsides)We will have more tomorrow. Thank you SO SO much for coming.

Brie and Colby are now home. We had an immense amount of fun with them. Thank you for sharing them with us!

Great Day

We had a great day with the dawgs, all of them!

What was exciting though was having Brie and Colby with us and watching them swim.

Catch our dawgs and Brie and Colby enjoying the pool in this gallery.

Colby is now coming to me and Nathan for attention and giving snuggles. He is really fitting in well. Both Brie and Colby took to the water quite well.

We had a real blast today but brushing all the dogs after - not so much. hahahaha

We are hoping for no rain as tomorrow night we have Brie and Colby going home and then at 6pm a few of Treasure's pups come for a visit. I will indeed get photos of that!

Now to go lay on the couch, watch tv and snuggle with the dogs!

Brie & Colby

We have had a very busy day. Brie and Colby arrived for the weekend.

Roxie went to the show and didn't get any points but expected with just 2 handling classes. Why just 2? Well, we had all that breeding craziness and no air in the car and in the house so it was a tad non conducive to having dogs travel except on a cool night.

Thta's okay. This will be practice for the real thing but still I had to get her ready and that's a lot of work.

Them when Brie and Colby arrived the air guys were just getting ready to go. We had a hole in our furnace about the size of oh a oversized golf ball. So all the freon was disappearing through there as the system is all connected (heater and air conditioner).

After a bill that was several hundreds cheaper if you paid cash ahem but let's put it this way I could of went out and got a new high end DSLR camera for this cost - one I really want - well we now have air. Due to our heater being 25 years old and a builders special our fan that pumps the air out is under par so it will take a solid 24 hours before we feel it. If I go outside and back in it feels comfie inside - not cool - just not sweaty. Upstairs is not faring as well. I guess next big purchase will be a heater. :-( But we do have air.

I did sweat up a storm washing Roxie, Panda and Logan under those lovely dryers but hoping their next weekl wash is in comfort.

We slowly introduced Colby to the crew. He's much better than the first time we saw him and even the 2nd time we saw him and he is NOT sticking to Brie like glue - bravo Colby. He does like Mugs an awful lot and he loves the garden. He really loves Dennis and tolerates my hugs and attentions almost confused on if he should like them or not. I am pleased at how he is doing but determined to get him to like me like he likes Dennis hahahaha. He was a tad shy when we first met him so this weekend will do him a lot of good. It's all positive conditioning.

Brie is a crazy gal excited and yes Wasabi and Abigail remembered her. She flits through the house like she owns it and was highly curious about the pool cleaner and why it made noise when it came up too close to air.

We are going to let them adjust and then take them swimming tomorrow perhaps.

After Logan and Panda go home we are back in the pool with the dawgs outside with us - a tad bit of heaven and who knows maybe some will join us. We shall see.

Swimming Fun

Pool time excitement is over the top when it comes to Kat. Pool is finally at 85f and we are enjoying the pool.

Kat, Roxie, Mugs, Truffie and Spice all went in today. I bet you after dinner Kat will be back in and so will we. Not the rest as you have to brush and comb each after swimming and I am out of steam.

Sitting in our house the sweat pours off our face literally.

I am not doing well after a lack of a full nights sleep now going on over a week. But we are trying.

Truffie really enjoys the water and so does Spice and Roxie. But no one quite the way Kat does.

Kat swims laps and stays in for quite a long time not even missing a beat. It's a riot. The others go in, do a circle or two or go straight out. Not him. He plays with Nathan and has a grand old time.

Spice is a VERY strong swimmer. I have a feeling she will be side by side with Kat before long. Her strides are deliberate and very strong but she swims with ease. It's hard to explain. I will have to do a video.

Kat did a belly flop today and you should see his face (its in the photos) - ouch that hurt and then he was back at it over and over again.

We needed the pool and look forward to swimming some more tonight. We are hoping to get Fiona and Abigail in tomorrow. We shall see. Tonight - just Kat and us cause grooming one dog is enough even if its just a comb out. :-)

Catch the photos today.

Shady & More

The Shady came to visit and got a bath and blow dry. It was a joy to see him.

He has a character filled face. It's interesting and we caught him smiling while he played with the other dogs.

If you are wondering if he remembered Wasabi and her him the answer is absolutely yes.

He came in the door and was jumping all over her and she fell into playing and correcting him but it was obvious she was pleased to see him. He was pleased to see her.

I hardly get my photo taken with the dogs but I wanted this memory of the Shady one at this age.

He still loves me despite bathing and blow drying him. :-)

We also had Simba go home today and so did Penny.

Next week Phantom and Mugs goes home and Teaser comes to stay for a bit. Paula wants one last litter with her.

We still have no air. They come Friday to replace a part that they say is causing the leak. They can't get the part till then. I air dried Spice today, washed Penny and Shady and now my body is sweating and is spent.

Here are a few photos of the Shady today - a couple of us trying to pose the moving target - we even got him playing with Daddy Phantom.

 

 
Of course we also got Shady and Nathan!

Update on Wednesday, May 23, 2012 at 6:17PM by Darlah

Nathan jumped in the pool tonight with Kat and the pool was 78f. Take a look at the link to see how Nathan reacted to that chilly water. It didn't bother Kat but when I kept saying I didn't catch him in the air and Nathan had to dive in again, he was not a happy camper.

Nathan is outside reading on his ipad and Kat is soaken wet but combed out sitting on him. The duo have a start of another season. It's something only the 2 share. Kat won't jump in when I dive in - only with Nathan.

No Air Day Again

This is Lucy and Ricky (mom and Son) who went home today. They are not our dogs but we know Lucy from when she was a little thing and have always loved her personality but I think that has a lot to do with her human mom.

Ricky is still a puppy under a year old still, I think about the age of Simba.

When Simba showed up, I watched Ricky and Simba play and I truly appreciated that he is just a puppy too. Puppies simply play differently than adults. Sure they all play but there is this wild abandonment that goes on that is actually contagious. Often when a puppy plays with an adult the adult seems to lose him/herself in that puppy play and now you probably understand why I enjoy having pups around.

I have to say Simba is an amazing dog. He is loving, playful and adapts so easily. Whatever his humans are doing they are doing it right as he is so balanced, it's nice to observe.

He still remembers Momma Fiona and he has this warmness with her that is interesting.

I enjoy watching the crew.

Ty was also here today and we rather enjoy this boy. He is a Treasure boy who is another one that seems to just fit and he is a happy go lucky guy.

We have had no air still. They say we have a leak so tomorrow they come out yet again to find the leak. <sigh> I think this will be one whopper of a bill. :-(

I am hardly sleeping with the heat. The dogs are faring better than us.

They say thunder showers tonight and I may sit out in it and get soaked and go to bed that way.

Nathan is at handling class with Roxie, Panda, Lynda and her mom. Me, I am trying to play recovery.

I will be myself when I get some air or it gets cold.

Very Sweaty Day

What the hey is THAT? The pool cleaner was going up too high (needed a weight on it) and was sucking in air and making all sorts of very loud noises. This is Treasure wondering what the hey that thing is that is making so much noise. She didn't like it but by days end it wasn't bothering her. It was as if she forgot this sound. Roxie almost jumped out of her skin at the sound but soon she was not even reacting. This was a new sound to her.

Conditioning is not a one time thing.

We have had a very hot and sticky day. I am actually sitting here sweating.

I wet most of the dogs and let them air dry. They don't come out nice and fluffy but they do come out soft air drying. You just have to remember you need to thoroughly brush and comb them and then brush then again after they are dry.

I did dry Jazzy as he went home at noon. Despite the heat he was a happy boy. I need to learn to be happy despite the mounting things life has thrown at us these days.

The dawgs didn't sleep well in this heat and neither did I to be honest. They were all on the bathroom floor cooling off. The tile is cool and heat rises. The only one in bed with me was Fiona hogging the water pillow that was chilly.

I am so hot that the pool no longer feels freezing to me. Now that's a tad ridiculous as your hand goes numb if you leave it in there.

Tonight Cocoa and Zack go home. As you can see I let them air dry and just finished brushing and combing them out. I do believe they were quite happy with this airing out business.

They wouldn't be if we had the air conditioning on as then they would have been cold but this was enough to take the curb off this heat business.

Here are a few photos taken today.

Terra and Risa Chillin'Wasabi, Treasure & AbigailFiona, Phantom & Penny Looking for a Cool Spot

Looking forward to night fall and sitting outside. :-) I bet you the dawgs are too!

Oh My Gad

Jazzy

What is a human or dawg supposed to do with these set of circumstances. Let's see we couldn't find anyone to open the pool until end of June earliest so us with so much pool knowledge (NOT) took the cover off. Everything and anything that is going to go wrong did and is still.

We can't get the heater going. We are trying. Well, Dennis is trying now. I give up.

We do have the pool cleaner going and the pool is looking half clean but its taking up so much crud that we have to empty the basket every half hour or so. It looks cleaner than it is in this photo.

The pool water is ICE. I may lay my feet in it tonight and fall asleep that way if I only could.

We have no air conditioning and its supposed to feel like 30c tomorrow. We got a new air conditioner last year but Nathan can't find who we bought it from as we need the receipt to get it serviced. It can't get fixed at least till Tuesday due to the holidays. Please let a cold wind come in.

Daddy's Grooming Job (side ponytail)The dogs seem to be faring better than us. I am keeping them cooler than I manage to keep myself.

I still have 1 dog to demat. Rest was groomed.1 dog completely dematted at least I think so. I will comb through him again tonight if I have the strength. I have till Tuesday morning though for them so I have time.

I have 3 dogs to wash and I may take the grooming table outside cause who wants heaters on them inside without air? Oh boy...

Dogs are not running around so they are feeling the heat and I get that but they have ice water, cool towels to lay on etc.

No matter how hot it is out Jazzy wants to be outside. He LOVES outside more than any dog I know. It doesn't matter if he's just with 1 human or with a crew of dogs, just let me stay and enjoy.

Jazzy goes home tomorrow so he will be getting a bath along with Cocoa and Zack. I may wash, let them air dry and then blow them out to minimize the heat and keep them cooler. They won't come out as good as blowing and combing/brushing constantly but with this set of circumstances I think that's the way to go for them too. Don't get me wrong, they will look good just smoother the other way.

Hope the rest of you are having a better weekend. This has been a test in patience.

Crazy Hot Day

The air is on but I am still sweating. I have a couple of dogs to get serious knots out of (not mine) and I suppose I will do it while I am watching tv after the dawgs are fed. I started doing it on one yesterday - far from done. <sigh>

The water is still going into the pool. It's not up and running yet. It was a chore to fold the cover up and get it into a bag. Water is still running to fill the pool up and Nathan keeps hand skimming it.

At this rate maybe by Monday. The dogs are adjusting to it bring opened. Kat wanted to go swimming but Nathan had to tell him no.

Risa is hanging out with this face as if to say when will it get cool. Don't get me wrong. It is cooler than outside but not cool.

Don't get me wrong we are enjoying but I got so much on my plate this weekend with the pool (planted some items), a pond that needs to be opened and dogs dematted that I want to go to bed and wake up tomorrow with it all done. heh Fat chance!

The dogs enjoy the planting, the hose, everything but dematting. Off to feed the dogs so I can get back to it. I need another water pillow. heh The one I have is for tonight.

Hope the rest of you are having dawg friendly fun daze!

PS: Dogs love frozwn chicken broth. It's a yum treat!

Well I am Not Sure

We called our pool place and they said we could open you in July. Cute so Nathan and Dennis took the cover off.

It was a huge job. Risa just watched and watched.

We never opened our own pool and due to no winter per se we had hardly any water and the water we had is rather dirty so tomorrow we get to shock it.

Nathan is not a handyman. He's used to using his brains and sorely wants to get back in the job market. I am the sand this, paint this, fix this type.

Tomorrow we may have enough water in it to test the pool equipment but then again maybe not. It's obvious we need a new liner but hoping next year not this.

What a cleanup job this will be.

I am the pool person so it will be me that gets the equipment going or then again maybe it will wait till July. Time will tell.

Our air is on but it doesn't seem to be blowing cold air. It's a brand new unit as of last year so it should be working but hey this is a long weekend so if something goes it always happens on a long weekend don't you think?

I washed Logan and won't see Logan or Panda till Tuesday. We watched Idol and it ought to be interesting to see who wins next week. The dogs sat around with us.

Zack and Cocoa are coming anytime and Lucy and Ricky are already here. I have some serious grooming to do on a couple. <sigh>

My plan is I do the serious grooming and Nathan does the rest - yeah right but we shall see.

We didn't sleep so well last night. About 130am someone was scratching on the bathroom door. It seems Spice closed it on herself. Then when I got up to investigate she thought it was playtime. I don't think so! I couldn't sleep by then so I ipadded a game but I shouldn't have.

The dogs took naps off and on all day making up for it. Me, I need an energy drink and a house to be cooler.

Tomorrow I just want to chill with the dogs and watch the pool fill but I doubt that will happen. I have a closet I need to clean that may take me 3 days before Fiona has pups.

Last night Risa decided my pillow was hers and not really mine. I noticed that at 130am when I was in one small corner and she was sprawled out all over the rest.

I think we will all need ice paks and cold pillows tonight. Maybe I will throw in a wet towel or two into the freezer so I have more cold items for the dogs. Nathan says the air is on so NO windows open. Something about letting good money go out the window. Oh well...

Another long night, I suppose. I wonder what game I can finish on the ipad yet again.

Feeding Multiple Dogs

I hear about people placing their dogs in all sorts of different rooms for feeding but unless a dog that is visiting is adjusting we feed them all together.

Why and How?

We monitor so there is no stealing. Yes, some would try and we don't usually have to say a thing as they know they can't. It's a body language thing.

By feeding them together they do not become food aggressive as we make sure they each get their own meal, no one else gets theirs and they 'get' that what is theirs is theirs and what ism't theirs isn't.

I find it to be a valuable lesson for all.

It all works.

We had a low key day. I spent most of it outside with the dogs. I even groomed outside.

Heat is coming this weekend. There is no pool open so we will have to turn on the air. hehehehe

Interesting Day

No power. Got a lot of work done. Forgot I couldn't dry a dog after washing his underneath. No I m on Nathan ipad she has my stick for cellular service. He nagging me to use it and enough... Hahaha

Doing blogs on n iPhone is insane.

I varnished part of my hair. Dogs are sick of not having that part of the deck but tomorrow they will. The table is drying.

The dogs are enjoying us laying around with no power. Off to cuddle with Havanese and play a game on my iPad that doesn't need Internet connections.

Hoping this is not a long outage or we are in trouble.

Update on Wednesday, May 16, 2012 at 7:16PM by Darlah

Well, the tv is on. The table outside may be dry. Nathan got rid of the poplars out front that I found. They were rather large. My front garden now looks semi-weeded to the keen eye and okay for those without one.

The dogs rather enjoyed outside today after the rain stopped. It was rather cool and seeing I have my tropicals out - go figure.

Penny and Jazzy are wonderful fun each in their own way.

While the power was out we all snuggled in the furniture outside with a blanket and lots of pillows. It was mighty comfie and now I have to remember to bring it all in.

Now we are watching Smash again (2nd time for me - 1st for Nathan) surrounded by the dogs. Him with some on the couch, me around my chair as I type.

Ah - heaven!

What a Day Indeed!

We really had fun even though I had work to do. We played in the hose and I took treats and threw them up in the air so Terra could catch them. It's a game we play and she is usually VERY good at it.

Every now and then she drops one and rhe gang celebrates and descends.

We also had the ducks come into the backyard today and Shoshi and Risa went CRAZY chasing them out of the yard. Shoshi sees it as her job to chase the ducks away but the others join in.

Jazzy, who is visiting watched with high curiosity as if they had gone nuts. Simba and Penny joined in and ran with the crew to chase them away.

Did I take photos today? Just a couple.

So much to do, so little time.

Oh and Roxie had to be bathed as Nathan is at handling class with her.

No Grooming Day Over

We are in for a busy day and Nathan says why do you not want to go to the club meeting tonight? I will be exhausted if he ever finds the sander.

We have grooming, plants to be dug up and moved, dogs to play with and have fun with and....

Fun Penny is coming!

We shall see how the day really unfolds.

Update

The Wasabi blog got an update from Mia!

What a Day

Well it started with rain, ended with sunshine. The dogs helped me repot plants, weed out one section of a bed (got way more to do) and they LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the smelly compost, go figure.

There goes my day of leisure. Nathan got a nap after he went and got me lunch and went out and got me a calla and canna lily from someone who was selling them cheap off craigs list. The canna went into my water feature. I need more for my front pond and other water pot. I will keep looking as this is the time people are dividing their plants.

I really wanted a quiet day doing nothing but fun. My deal was when I saw these 2 mature plants I told Nathan I would wash Jlo (remember he promised to) if he would go get the plants. I should have included him repotting too but maybe they would still be sitting in bags if I did. :-)

Tomorrow if we have sunshine I will sand the picnic table.

Jlo came out great. I am pleased with how her coat came out. I hope her owner is too. Tomorrow I get back to grooming my crew and Phantom and Mugs.

We thought Phantom and Mugs would be going home but Paula got in a 4 year old Havanese that is dog aggressive. She is retraining him. Something about encouraging the dog to be a guard dog - not good.

So between 2 babies, Envy another baby and this dog she got in she has her hands full so we have a delay in the duo heading back home.

Some people complain that they are bored, me I just want to catch a breath sometimes. hahaha

I am so glad Fiona can now be in with the rest. Segregating is not fun.

Lazy Day

We went to the garden centre. We got a multi-coloured hibiscus and wait till Dennis finds out it can't stay out till the end of the month. He's already asked me for a list of the plants inside so he could see which he could place out. The answer was none.

But I bought a few gerbera daises and some petunias, a tomato plants, lettuce, green beans, bok choy - tiny plants that I am going to put and see if they ever become edible or if they outlast the dogs' curiosity.

Remember some plants are poisonous. If you like those particular plants then pot them and put them up. You can still enjoy their beauty from a safe spot.

I need to repot a few plants. I am not highly motivated. I need to do a lot of things but I am in a funk. It's that inbetween stage where I know nonstop work is coming so I need to get a lot accomplished but not today - rain is coming or so it looks like.

That's okay. I may lay on the couch and play with some dawgs and chill and maybe I will actually fall asleep. We shall see.

Right now the dogs are trying to get me to hand them a chip or two. They do look adorable trying.

Some days it's just a good thing to do!

PS: Be still my heart. Wasabi is full out playing with her daughter, Spice. Did I have a camera - well yes but did I pick it up? No!

Bath Times

I washed Risa today.

She feels and LOOKED magnificent.

By the time we got the camera she had rolled, messed up her hair 5 ways to Sunday till we gave up. Oh well, I know she was cleaned.

This was our attempt at taking her photos after her bath. It says a lot about her personality. Doesn't matter how old they get, that personality usually shines through.

Really, do you think she was trying to tell me something?

In the middle of the night when I reach out to touch a dog I usually know who I am touching by the feel. It's easy when they have had baths but not as easy when you do several in a day.

Today it was only Shoshi, Risa, Panda and Logan. Panda and Logan do not live here so tonight when I reach out and touch a dog do you think I will be able to tell the difference between Shoshi and Risa? Of course and that's not a fair one as they have entirely different hair.

They also have different personalities. This was Shoshi after her bath.

No rollovers - just what do you want mom?

Cooper is Home

Well it's a dry day - no mud. I still had to wash Spice, Treasure, Kat and Truffie. You should see the room I am grooming in - disaster city. It too will get cleaned but it's one of those rooms you clean it and 15 minutes later after grooming it's a mess. I wish I was one of those people that had a place for each thing and shelfs everywhere and a desire to be poifect. (Yes I spelt that wrong on purpose.)  Yeah right - on what planet.

I pick up this brush, that comb, another brush, this grooming spray and I am doing laundry at the same time and well it's interesting. When I wash, I throw this towel down on the floor to be washed and as towels are dried I fold them halfway and throw it on a pile. Nathan brings a pile of laundry in just because I am there. I used to roll the towels up so they looked nice but as time goes on who has time? I half fold the laundry that Nathan brings in. It never gets done but the desire is there similar to my clothes closet. HA!

I looked at myself today with my hair going every which way in a groming jacket and realized I take care of the dawgs better than me. I have to laugh.

Oh boy and tomorrow I will have Panda and Logan and as a special treat for Linda for Mother's Day Panda will get washed. Logan I do each Friday but Panda's not due till next week. But for Mother's Day I figured it would be nice to send them home smelling grand. Happy Mother's Day to a grand lady. Thnx for loving Panda and the Logie Bear.

I will see who else I have the energy to do.

Phantom returns tomorrow and I have a feeling he will need a bath too. We shall see. We have Jazzy coming to visit this weekend and we get to see Penny a Fiona daughter on Monday.

Oh and Nathan pulled out 90% of the dandelions on the front yard. That means I have to weed. Gee maybe that will be my Mother's Day.

Here are a few photos taken before party boy Cooper went home. I hope you enjoy.

Still, no matter how hard the day is the dawgs just give me a smile. I am not sure what I would do without them. It's not just ours that reside with us but all the pups and all the moms and dads and brothers and sisters and families that love them. That's what will make my Mother's Day special knowing that the dawgs are loved! Thank you all for making this year's Mother's Day special by being just you.

Cooper Arrived

This is how Roxie felt. She has been playing nonstop with Raylan and Monty and then when the Cooper arrived she played a bit, laid down and did a grouch thing - leave me alone I need some DOWN time.

She rested and played a bit more but I see even Cooper is taking a needed nap.

It's so unlike Roxie but you can see she would be very satisfied to lay on Daddy's lap and watch the end of the Voice or whatever else he had in mind.

Cooper arrived and was ready to play, play, play and Roxie has been doing that for days. But she found her fun and Cooper found his fun with another party guy, Logan.

Then the rain set in and they all took naps. It's been a wet and exciting day. Here are a few photos of Cooper playing.