Cooper Party of Five

10 Minutes of Cry-Baby

2011-02-21T13:58:00.000-08:00

So, I'm in Jeff City, MO getting ready to take the MO Bar Exam tomorrow. On the 3 hour drive down here, I was feeling sorry for myself and angry at the world (unusual emotions for me), so I decided to allow myself 10 minutes once here to whine and complain, then get back to work. This my whine forum. So here goes...

Puppy mills all over the world are pissing me off. That people can't see the need for compassion towards an animal that was created by humans, is totally reliant on humans, and is relentlessly forgiving of our flaws is so sad. I typically think people are inherently good, but I do judge people for their inability to feel empathy for an animal. People think animals don't have human emotion, but you only have to spend a week, a day, in our home to see that isn't true. To see my dogs anxiety when I cry, to see their shame if they have an accident in the house, to see their joy when a toy or leash comes out. How can people not see that?

Puppy mills are the reason Gus is the way he is. Why he was so afraid when he came to live with us for 2 months. Why, when placed in his new home, he was so fearful as to break through his leash and run and run and run until no one knows where he is. Why, even if we find him, he won't trust us to approach him and take him home where he can be taken care of. The two months he spent being loved and cared for in my home are nothing compared to the two years of neglect and indifference he learned at the puppy mill.

And then no one seems to care. I've heard more times than I can count that he was just a foster, not my dog, etc... I'm not sad for me, because he wasn't my dog, I had no future with him. I am sad for him. That he is out there in the cold and scary wild, a place he has never been before, dealing with coyotes and cars and all other sorts of things he has never seen before. That he may very likely die afraid and alone, not in the loving arms of someone who cares about him. That if he trusted anyone in the world, it was me, and this is where he has ended up. How can I not do anything I can to help save him from the situation he is in?

I'm frustrated with the dog lovers in Colorado. I expected a community of people to come forward to help find him, but the response has been small. Only a few kind people have come out to look for him. I couldn't imagine a lost dog, especially a Berner, being lost in Kansas City or within a few hours and I wouldn't go out to volutneer to help look for him. Am I so busy I don't have time to do that? That instead of going out for lunch one day I couldn't go look for an hour? Instead of watching tv at night? Instead of staying at a dog show all day, even after my dog is finished showing? I know I would want people to help me look if I lost Jackson, Hilga or Lemon. I know I want people to help look for Gus.

Today driving out of Sedalia, I saw two dogs running along side of 50 highway. Were they lost? Probably not, they were probably farm dogs. SO I didn't stop and pick them up. Maybe I should ahve. I did call the Sedalia Animal Shelter, who told me they didn't do that and to call the Sedalia Animal Control, who said said their Animal Control person wasn't in today and to call the neighboring county, who said they don't have Animal Control so they coulldn't do anything, so I called the Animal Shelter back, who said, well... hopefully the police do something. To which I just about screamed. Its not that the world isn't helping, but that it seems to fighting this effort every step of the way.

Last summer in Sedalia, when Jackson won his major, the day was pretty much ruined. It was pouring down rain outside, we were in the motor home, and there was a lost dog running around on the fairgrounds. A beagle mix. When we talked to the show chair and told them a beagle was lost on the fairgrounds, they were so concerned and told us to bring him in. When we came in dripping wet with a mix, they didn't want to take him. We would have taken him to the shelter, but it was closed and we were in the motor home and didn't live there. One lady actually suggested we let it loose again outside. One suggested the reason I was being so insistent was because we lost (we didn't even lose). Finally, one lady, who had an ounce of compassion, said better not just let him go, one got hit by a car last time we did that. And these are dog people... what does that say?

At the vet on Thursday, sitting in the waiting room with all three dogs, a little dog was hit by a car out in front of the clinic. Someone came in carrying the dog, a very gruesome sight, into a room, but it was obviously dead. The driver didn't even stopped. I felt sad for the dog, and sad for Gus, as that is one of fates he is looking at.

I have to take the bar tomorrow, enough said about that one.

I have to leave my job for the rest of the week to go out to Colorado, and I think this must feel similar to leaving your new born child alone for the first time.

I think that is it. No more feeling sorry for myself. Back to bar prep.

Going Political

2011-01-21T16:07:00.000-08:00

I thought it was about time to post some emails on the blog that I've posted on various listservs I'm on. Most of these emails are responses to fear generating posts regarding the HSUS and puppy mill legislation. Nothing frustrates me more than people in the purebred dog world getting caught up in a fear campaign promoting the idea that if we allow protective laws now, next we won't even be allowed to own/breed dogs. It is a ridiculous concept, that if followed strictly, would prohibit any legislation on any topic. Anyways, here are my recent rants...

During a discussion regarding the recent Missouri Prop B, it was requested that someone address the negative parts of Prop B (as no legislation is perfect). My response was, as follows:

The entire text of the proposed legislation can be viewed at the following web
address:

http://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/2010petitions/2010-085.asp
http://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/2010petitions/2010-085.asp

Issue #1-- Spiral Effect

From my perspective, one of the biggest issues leading the opponent argument has
nothing to do with this legislation or the language contained within it. The ag
lobby is very strong in Missouri (and this includes puppy mills, but more
significantly beef, pork, and chicken commercial farmers on a larger financial
scale). While puppy mills have obvious objections to the legislation (they have
to actually take care of their breeding dogs and possibly reduce profitability),
there is objection from the ag lobby as a whole, who fears the spiral effect.
They don't want to see any legislation (even reasonable legislation) because
what comes next? Next will it be the commercial meat producers who are
regulated? Next will it be the reputable hobby breeder who is regulated? They
are leading a fear campaign based on the concept that this is the first step to
Missourians losing their rights to own pets and eat meat... a concept that is
in no way based on the language in the legislation.

Issue #2--Limit of 50 Breeding Dogs

"Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person may have custody of more
than fifty covered dogs for the purpose of breeding those animals and selling
any offspring for use as a pet." (sec.4)

The issue with this part of the statute is that it picks a random number, 50,
and makes that the highest number of breeding dogs a person can own. What about
the imagined puppy miller who has 300 dogs, 300 kennel assistants, and 20
million dollar facilities? While that is an exagerrated example, it is possible
that an owner could provide reasonable care for 50+ dogs. However, legislation is typically intended to work for the rule, not the exception. Lucky for the puppy
millers, there are plenty of loopholes around this requirement. Some of the
loopholes I've heard (not sure how legit they are) are multiple addresses can be
given for one facility, breeding dogs can be owned by different businesses set
up through whomever is convenient (puppy miller's daughter owns 50 breeding
dogs), in-tact dogs aren't neccesarily breeding dogs, etc... However, despite
legitimate opposition to this part of the legislation, I can't imagine that this
measure would affect a reputable breeder.

Issue #3--Care For Dogs

3. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any person having custody or
ownership of more than ten female covered dogs for the purpose of breeding those
animals and selling any offspring for use as a pet shall provide each covered
dog:
(1) Sufficient food and clean water;
(2) Necessary veterinary care;
(3) Sufficient housing, including protection from the elements;
(4) Sufficient space to turn and stretch freely, lie down, and fully extend his
or her limbs;

(5) Regular exercise; and
(6) Adequate rest between breeding cycles.

This applies to breeders having more than 10 female dogs for the purpose of
breeding, so could potentially apply to a reputable breeder. In my opinion,
most reputable breeders will not (should not) have a problem with #1, #2, #3 or
#4 as their dogs live in the home, are fed and watered every day, go to the
vet when they're ill, and aren't crated 24/7. # 5 may be a problem, as regular
exercise requires "unfettered access" to an outdoor run. I would argue
that this is truely intended for dogs living outside of the home in cages; but
to be fair, the legislation reads the way it does, so that is a legitimate
opposition. #6 requires litters be limited to 2 in an 18 month period. I
believe that goes along the same lines as the AKC or BMDCA requirements (can't
remember where it comes from) that a bitch shouldn't be bred more than two times
in a row, with one resting period.

The other argument here is that the standards are too high. The requirement for
clean water requires water be free of debris in the water bowl (grass blade?
drool?). Granted, that is a legitimate concern based on the reading of the
legislation.

When it comes down to it though, this legislation is not intended to pass out
misdemeanors to hobby breeders whose dogs live in the house and are pets first.
There is actually language in the statute that specifically excludes hobby or
show breeders with fewer than 10 breeding females. It is intended to regulate
puppy mills. I can't think of any reputable Bernese Mountain Dog breeders in
Missouri who have more than 10 breeding females, so the numbers of reputable BMD
breeders that this legislation will apply to are VERY few and far between
(athough I could be overlooking someone). If there is one, then granted there
is a risk that some day they may be inspected and the inspector will find a
blade of grass in a water bowl and they might then be charged with a
misdemeanor. A very low risk with very minimal consequences. In my opinion, a
very low risk for a great reward.

Xmas Part 4: Gus

2010-12-28T13:11:00.001-08:00

Xmas Part 3: The Presents

2010-12-28T13:06:00.000-08:00

Xmas Part 2: Jackson Helps Chris Open His Stocking

2010-12-28T12:25:00.000-08:00

Chris has quite the helper as he opened his stocking this year. Here is the photo series of Jackson double checking all of the gifts to make sure Santa hadn't accidentally put one of his presents in Chris's stocking.

Xmas Part 1: Initial Stocking Excitement

2010-12-28T12:18:00.000-08:00

Gus

2010-12-28T12:15:00.000-08:00

Below is a photo of Gus, our first BARC foster and most recent Berner foster. He is a puppy mill turnover as a result of Prop B passing in Missouri. Most likely, we will see a lot more Berners being turned over to rescue as a result of the new legislation. But, for the Berners that is great news! Gus is a sweet guy who is still getting use to being loved on and the daily happenings of a house. He is progressing quickly though, and his absolute favorite thing to do is snuggle on the bed. More pictures to come later.

More Kitten Pictures

2010-12-28T12:08:00.000-08:00

The kittens have been adopted. I dropped them off on a Friday afternoon and they were adopted within 3 hours. They were very cute, so little surprise there. Jsut thought I'd post some more cute pictures to remember them by!

HBMDC Tracking Event

2010-12-28T12:02:00.001-08:00

I'm a little behind on the blog, so I'll upload a few pictures today. Last month we attended a tracking seminar with the HBMDC. It was a lot of fun, and definitely something we're intereted in doing with our dogs in the future. Pictures of the seminar:

There were puppies there to socialize and play with:

For a while I thought Jackson was a tracking genuis until he ran straight past the end article, and I realized he just wanted to pee on the haybale that happened to be 10 feet past the end of his track. He may stick to obedience for a while.

Lemon is actually our little tracking genius, or she will be with some training. I think it is a good activity for her to do with Chris. She always has her little nose on the ground sniffing out something, so perhaps this is something she will persue in the future.

The Dog Ate My....

2010-11-16T19:26:00.001-08:00

Today Lemon found a wonderful cardboard tube to chew on. I say it was Lemon... Chris claims it was Jackson, but since he doesn't take the time to write the blog and I know my boy would never do such a thing, I can almost certainly say it was Lemon. What was unfortunate was the contents of the tube... It just so happened to be my certificate as a licensed attorney in the state of Kansas, signed by the Kansas Supreme Court judges. The dark spots in the picture below are teeth punctures. I had brought it downstairs last night for it to be framed for my new office, never suspecting Lemon would see an opportunity. Oh well, these things happen. It is still better than the time she chewed up my favorite shoes.

The Kittys Are Here!

2010-10-16T22:44:00.000-07:00

I picked up our two new fosters, tiny and cute little kittens. They're probably only 4 weeks old, barely weaned. They were drywalled into a house and skinny, but they're happy and brave little things. They haven't so much as winced at the Berners. The Berners are a hoot. Hilga is pretty chill about the whole thing. Jackson LOVES them, and we have to watch him closely or else he could love them to death. He wants to lick them and sit close to them. He would love to be a mama, poor guy. Lemon is afraid of them... little 1 pound tiny things. Chris is convinced they hissed at her and the fear is warranted. I can only roll my eyes at our 80 lb baby.

Our bad news is that Lizzy was placed yesterday, then 5 hours later I got a phone call saying it wasn't working out. Her adopter was an elderly man who certainly had the heart for her, but wasn't physically capable of handling her. Sad and somewhat traumatic for Miss Lizzy Bizzy, but she is back safe and sound in our house tonight. Tomorrow a slightly younger couple is coming to look at her, so hopefully that goes a bit better. Fostering through an all-breed rescue is much more stressful than the Berner rescue. At the Berner rescue, our chair is also a breeder, has experience placing dogs and with a low in-take, she is able to be choosey and place dogs in the dogs best interest. At an all-breed, part of what they want to do is move dogs. Despite my reservations about the adopter because I ddn't think he would be able to physically handle her (which turned out to be right on), they still went through with the adoption. We may end up fostering only cats through this rescue. The dogs take a lot out of me... I don't think any homes are good enough for Lizzy.

Pictures of Hilga and Jackson with the no-name kittens (notice Lemon isn't to be seen, hiding somewhere...):

Powell Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-03T18:02:00.001-07:00

Goofy Berners

2010-09-29T13:26:00.000-07:00

Last night was Lemon's first obedience class. She is just starting the beginner's class, the same one that Jackson started a little over a year ago. Strangely enough, there are 3 Berners in her class! There are also 3 shelties and 1 malamute. Last night was mainly a talking night while our teacher gave us information and a what to expect chat. Looking around the room, I was almost in stitches laughing. All three Berners were in a class Berner pose, lying on their backs, back legs spread wide open, front legs flopped over to the side... making themselves right at home in class.

Lemon was a good girl for the most part. She was very flirty with the boys, but at the time of year that can hardly be helped. She also was a bit of distraction during the overview chat as she kept doing her somersault (I just realized I have no idea how to spell that) thing she does into my lap. She looks like she is stretching with her elbows on the grounds, butt in the air, head in my lap. Then the butt starts wiggling and it gets higher and higher until she flips it over, landing on her back, facing the wrong direction, often stuck in frustrating positions that are difficult for her to manuever out of. I'll have to video it sometime. Anyways, a good trick to show everyone her first night of obedience!

Temperment Testing

2010-09-23T22:05:00.001-07:00

So grateful for our Hilga-girl. Tonight Lizzy needed to be tested to see if she could go to a home with other dogs. I figure if a dog doesn't like Hilga, they pretty much won't like any other dog. Hilga is slow moving, calm, happy to see another dog but not desperate to approach, a little weary of growling, but still wagging. Couldn't ask for a better helper in figuring out our fosters and their personalities.

Our House Guest, Miss Lizzy

2010-09-22T14:09:00.001-07:00

We recently started fostering for Animal Haven, and Lizzy is our first foster through that organization. I picked her up last Saturday, and hopefully she will be in her forever home by the beginning of next week. She was a puppy mill mama, so it is slow going with socialization issues. But, she is an absolute darling, loves to snuggle and get loved on. She is considered a "big girl" at 20lbs. Its fun having a tiny little dog around the house for a while.

Training Lessons

2010-09-14T19:41:00.000-07:00

Lemon starts beginners obedience at the end of September. I slacked off with her as a puppy to focus on conformation, trying to avoid lessons in sitting, laying down, etc... in hopes of having a dog that was easy to handle in the conformation ring. Low and behold, I learned my lesson with Jackson that the better trained your dog is in all aspects of obedience, the better they understand what you want from them, and the better the conformation dog they are.

Jackson is now out of the conformation ring (for the most part), and getting ready to very, very seriously focus on getting his first obedience title. Lemon is also working on getting ready for her beginners obedience class. Techinically, she doesn't have to know anything before we go in. But, I think it is very helpful if she at least understands the basics... sit, down, stay, come.

What was really fun tonight was training with both dogs using the dumbbell. Jackson and I have worked (not hard enough as it is the most difficult task for him and therefore the least fun) for a year on dumbbell retrieving and he barely will hold it in his mouth still. Lemon is my little toy/retriever girl, so while we started small (her holding it), in her first training session she was already picking it up off the ground and placing it in my hand. To make those strides in the first lesson (versus the first year) is just a reminder of how some dogs have different strengths.

But, after taking that teaching approach with her, I decided to try something different with Jackson. I decided that maybe trying to get him to just hold it wasn't challenging enough or didn't convey the purpose (what I wanted him to do) sufficiently for him to understand. So we took a big step. It involved me and him sitting on the floor together, me rolling the dumbbell a few feet away, coaching him towards the "get it", and surprise, surprise... Jackson can retrieve the dumbbell too. It was just a reminder that when you do something over and over again, sometimes it is best to step back and try a different approach.

CH Classique's Original Moonwalker RN

2010-09-13T11:58:00.000-07:00

As of September 11, 2010. Love our boy so much and have had so much fun getting that CH in front of his name.

The Eccentricities of a Rescue Dog

2010-09-10T13:51:00.001-07:00

There are many different qualities about my relationship with Hilga (joined our family at 3 yrs) and my relationship with Jack and Lemon (raised from puppies). There are many times when Chris and I are befuddled by Hilga's quirky actions, whereas we typically know or can determine the source of Jack and Lemon's quirkiness. Even three years into our life together, Hilga continues to retain tendencies that are bizarre to us, and that over time, we've come to accept as just a part of who she is.

#1. Bedtime

When Chris and I went on a week long spring break, we got an email from our friend, Kate, who was watching the girls and the house. She asked, "is there some kind of word or command that you use at night to get Hilga on the bed?" I responded, "there isn't, but if you figure one out, please let us know."

Hilga loves to snuggle, and she sleeps on the bed EVERY single night, and she has since she's lived here. However, every night it is like a brand new, anxiety-worthy endeavor. Chris and I get into bed, occasionally Jack or Lemon will jump up and settle in, and Hilga starts the pacing. She pants heavily, running from one side to the other, sometimes for 20 minutes, before jumping gracefully and gently on the bed. She then sneaks up to either my pillow or Chris's and gives a few sniffs, just to make sure she is in the right bed. How embarassing if she were to fall asleep in the wrong bed? (Not that there are any other beds with people in them here). After she makes sure that it is us in the bed, she lays down, calming immediately and goes to sleep.

Chris and I have speculated to great extents what this is all about. For monthes, we tried to sweetly convince her to just jump on up. She won't do it. We tried teaching her a command. She won't do it. We worried that maybe it was painful for her to jump up (but we catch her on the bed all day long). We've finally settled on the idea that perhaps in her former home, she wasn't allowed on the bed. If you know Hilga and what a good girl she is, and how important being a good girl is to her, then it is easy to imagine that even three years later, that idea is still so deeply set within her that it is a moral struggle for her to get on the bed at night.

So, every night, for 20 minutes, Hilga runs side to side around the bed. Chris and I ignore her. She eventually jumps up and settles in. Sometimes it is what it is and it is just easiest for everyone involved to let her do it her way.

#2. Fear of Pillows

This dog is terrified of pillows. Picking it up and moving it will send her scurrying from the room. Adjusting one beneath your head will get you a very wide-eyed look. Did her previous home torment her with pillows? Who knows, but being careful with pillows is one of those adjustments we've made in our lives that we do now without even thinking about it.

I'll have to finish the rest of the list later. We love our Fishy-Dishy, and it is intriguing to wonder what she went through in her first three years that shaped her into the beautiful, gentle, sweet girl (not without her quirks) that came to live with us three years ago. But now, off to finish packing for Des Moines dog show!

Lemon-Doodle

2010-09-10T13:45:00.000-07:00

Swimming Lessons

2010-09-07T09:28:00.000-07:00

Swimming lessons this summer were exciting to say the least. Of our three dogs, Jackson LOVES the water. He likes to wade and he likes the excitement of swimming, but oh my goodness is he bad at it. At the lake, he paddles with his front feet above water (shallow enough he likely can still touch), making this horrible face, and it is all just a panicky frenzy. But like I said, he loves it. Lemon LOVES water, chasing the sprinkler and hose, getting in the shower, but she doesn't like to get in the lake or pools. Hilga... once, we picked her up in her life jacket, set her up to her elbows in the lake and she froze like a statute, the tide slowly started to carry her out and she never moved, just floated along...so needless to say we've given up hope on her.

The first thing we do with swim lessons (thanks to my parents for pool usage), is get them to calm down in the water. Frenzied swimming is never good. So we hold them up against us until the thrashing stops, then they get to swim a little bit. The pool helps us see the problem... that they don't paddle their back legs... at all. Their rears just sink to the bottom while their front feet splash above the water. So Chris will hold onto their front legs while they paddle with their back ones (think little kids doing kicking exercises at swim class).

All of this really doesn't help that much, but maybe it helps a little bit. And it is certainly fun to participate in (albeit slightly dangerous...I usually leave covered in scratches with possible tears in my swimsuit) and fun to watch. I should have prefaced all of this with the fact that Berners don't know how to swim naturally... they have to be taught (for the most part). That has certainly been our experience. Even after swim lessons... I'm thinking they will probably still have to wear their life jackets in lake water where they can't touch.

Rescue Heartache (with a good ending for one guy)

2010-09-07T07:40:00.000-07:00

This is a blog I've been procrastinating writing. Chris and I do what we can to volunteer with the HBMDC rescue (occasional transport, foster), but in all honesty, it isn't like there are hundreds of Berners pouring into the rescue every year. This is a testiment both to good judgment on part of breeders and Berner rescuers, and more significantly, a breed that isn't that common. As the breed becomes more common, as they are more often on sale in pet stores and byb, rescue numbers will inevitably climb.

Chris and I have had tough fosters before (Polo and Hannah come to mind), but those dogs have been physically healthy (at least healthy enough) when they came to us, just REALLY fearful from lack of socialization. The dog pictured below we didn't foster, all I did was drive him from Wichita to North KC. I spent about 3 hours with this dog, but he is the one that is lingering with me, making me lose sleep at night, motivating me to do more... not because of him necessarily (he gets a happy ending), but because of the class of dogs he represents and how hopeless the situation appears for that class of dogs.

His story... Brute (now Sirius) lived with a woman in TN. This woman never treated her dogs very well, and rescuers had pulled dogs from her before that were starving. It begs the quesiton why some people even get dogs? Anyways, woman decides to move, and "asks" her son to come take care of Sirius until he can find him a new home. Son does not do this. Sirius is left tied up in woman's yard, uncared for (except just enough to survive on from neighbors) for the majority of the summer (think how hot it was).

Good hearted dog people who also do rescue take him from the yard and he is in horrible condition. Emaciated, COVERED in ticks (handfulls of black tick soot or whatever it is called...unbelievable amounts), but still sweet as can be. They take him home to OK for 2 days, contact HBMDC rescue who is willing to take him. I am taking my bar exam, but follow the emails, volunteer to go pick him up the day after and take him from Wichita to North KC.

We did the transfer in Wichita, and I was shocked to see what he looked like. I've never seen a dog in that bad of shape in person. He clung to either car (not picky) to soak up the A/C. When we walked him, he calmly clung to our legs, wagged his tail... to be perfectly honest, I think his temperment was more solid/friendly than any of my 3 dogs who would not be thrilled about getting in a car with a stranger (except for Lemon who would be crazy).

On the ride from Wichita to North KC, he laid in the back floor of the truck and didn't move for the whole trip. He never once stood up, didn't look out the window... just laid in the same position, sleeping off and on. Throughout the trip I would reach back and poke him a little, just to make sure he was still with me. When we got to North KC (met a transfer who would take him the rest of the way to Des Moines) and I got him out of the car for a potty break, I was shocked all over again to see what he really looked like. But again, he clung to me while we walked around the grass, and was as sweet as you could ever hope he would be. I was afraid someone would call the police while we were there, but no one did... Hopefully the reason was it was obvious he was on transport, not that people didn't care.

The pictures below show how thin he was. But there was something about touching his coat that really brought home just what bad shape he was in. His coat was coarse to the touch, sunburned red, and you couldn't touch his coat without feeling the handfulls of grit and dirt, caused by fleas and ticks. However, Sirius was taken to the vet who runs the HBMDC rescue, got healthy, and ended up in a wonderful home.

Unfortunately, after leaving Sirius in North KC with the vet tech, my day did not end. Chris and I drove to rural MO that evening to pick up the motor home (which had been broken down a few weeks back, different story) from a tow yard. The tow yard was at a man's house, the man wasn't there yet. Chris and I step out of the car, and don't make it more than a few feet before we start hearing dogs barking. I walk to the outside kennel and see two labs in separate runs. They are thankfully well fed and have water, but their runs are filled with feces and... they live in runs. After spending the day with Sirius, I shake my head but remind myself that at least they seem healthy enough.

About an hour later, a cat comes limping out from the tow yard ("must have been bit by something"), with a foot that has obviously been flattened by something. The cat is yowling every step it takes, and I'm looking at this guy telling him he needs to get the cat to the vet. He dismissively says he will... a certain kind of rural mentality. At that point, I'm looking around and off into the distance at his neighbors in rural Missouri... wondering how far away I am from the closest Sirius, tied up and slowly starving to death, how far I am from the closest puppy mill... 20 mile radius? 10? 5? 1? Probably.

I don't think the people are bad people by any means, but they have a mentaltiy about their animals that I don't agree with and that I hope will change in the future. I'm not surprised by that... my folks grew up in rural Missouri, and while their perspectives have certainly evolved throughout their lives, when remembering visits to grandparents as a child, it is easy to see that the people in their community continue to have a different perspective on animals.

I read a line in a book recently that stuck out to me, so much that I just flipped back through the book to find it, and then was surprised at how unremarkable it actually is. But the quote is from a vet in a fictional book, "This is Maine. We have people who still think that taking care of a dog means chaining it up in the backyard and throwing food to it once a day." I don't know anything about Maine, but I do think that expresses the problem. People lack compassion for dogs and their needs, which are both physical and mental, because they don't see dogs as thinking, feeling beings. Those of us who have close relationships with our dogs understand that not to be the case and have a very different understanding of how deeply they feel.

I'm not saying you can never have an outside dog. I don't think it is ideal for the dog as they won't be getting the necessary socialization, however I think an outside dog that recieves daily attention, clean living space, clean food and water and vet attention is okay, and certainly in a better situation than most. I understand that some dogs enjoy living outside. Some dogs are true working dogs, not pets/companions, and so they live outside. If they are being used in the way that they were bred for and are being challenged and mentally satisfied through their work, then I think that is ok.

I'm not quite sure where this blog is going, other than to get out all the frustrations of the past few weeks. But, I'll end with this story and my response. The Berner-L was up in arms a few weeks ago because a man drove to the mall, left his golden mix and chihuahua mix in the car, they over heated and the golden died. By up in arms, I mean there were threats of a planned seige upon his home... really enraged by what he did. I never responded, but here is what I wanted to say...

Granted, he made a stupid mistake... perhaps didn't know how quickly cars heated? But I strongly doubt he maliciously brought his dogs to the mall, then left them in the car so they could die a slow death in which they would draw attention to other mall-goers at which point he would be arrested and charged with animal cruelty. The more likely scenario is that he brought his dogs along for a car ride, didn't understand how quickly cars heat up, then was shocked/grieved to find out what happened. At the end of the day, my feeling was that while of course you shouldn't leave a dog in a hot car, at least he cared enough about his dogs to bring them along for the ride. Its a little bit of a sad and jaded place to be (especially since I'm not really the jaded type), but at some point you start to measure people's bad acts towards animals against each other... saying this is really bad, this is kinda bad, this isn't perfect but better than kinda bad, etc... and the whole situation is really overwhelming. It is getting more difficult for me to think about the individuals rather than the situation as a whole, which is much more disheartening.

But enough negative blogging for the day. Remember that for Sirius, all is well, and that sometimes it is important to look at the individual cases. Even one less dog sitting in that type of situation is nothing but a success. On a happier note, next blog with be swimming lesson pictures!

Bewildering Love Triangle

2010-08-13T14:05:00.000-07:00

This bewildering competition, HSUS vs. HumaneWatch and the common love interest, animal lovers, has me totally flabergasted. Of course there are more players, including the agriculture people, the PETA people, the hobby breeder people and I'm sure the list goes on and on. Here is my understanding.

You have the HSUS. A LARGE national animal advocacy group (companion and wild). They make a LOT of money in donations each year, hundreds of millions. Some of that money (NOT MUCH) is contributed DIRECTLY to shelter animals in need (maybe 1%). A larger (but still NOT MUCH) percentage (maybe 2%) is spent on employee salaries. The rest of the money appears to go INDIRECTLY to the animals through campaigns, advertising, litigation, legislation, lobbys, etc... To me this is the most beneficial use for the money, because I think it is better to fix the problem then to continue to save the animals that result from the problem. However, the HSUS may not be completely straight forward in fund raising efforts that the money is not going DIRECTLY to that particular otter shown in the video clip. An even larger problems is that there are MANY who suspect (I still haven't discovered the source for this suspicion, adds to the flabergastedness) that HSUS is just another PETA... an animals RIGHTS organization rather than an animal WELFARE organization, with the ultimate goal for humans to lose all rights to animals (no more pets, no more meat, etc...). As I mentioned, I just haven't seen any proof of this myself as ALL of the efforts I've seen from the HSUS appear to be in WELFARE.

Next up you have HumaneWatch, an organization of what I can only assume to be the agriculture lobby (but also somewhat deceitful in that they don't come out and say that), that is WATCHING the HSUS with a critical eye and promoting the idea that the HSUS is an animal RIGHTS organization. Today to support that argument, they cited articles on topics such as Ohio legislation which requires NEW farms to provide space for livestock to TURN AROUND (HSUS was involved in the creation of the legislation). That doesn't sound like the end of meat as a food group, but rather a SMALL implementation of BASIC animal welfare. They cited an article in which a judge (at the HSUS's urging) denied hunters the right to hunt a particular kind of wolf in a few states...a wolf that just a few short years ago was endangered and specifically populated for regrowth of the species. Again, it sounds reasonable to postpone hunting for a few years so that when hunting does start up again, there are still sufficient numbers of wolves to keep the species from going extinct. THis group does point out the FLAWS of the HSUS on occasion as well... pointing at complicated number figures that the reader can't understand but the HumaneWatch guarentees to be "unethical", pointing out the difference between the HSUS and local humane society's and blaming the HSUS for any confusion between the two, condemning their use of funds for lobbying efforts rather than individual animal care, etc...

Obviously you can tell what side I'm on. I haven't seen any proof that the HSUS is an evil organization that wants to take away my rights to own dogs. All I have ever seen the HSUS do is promote cases and legislation that are focused on animal welfare, not animal rights. Is it possible they have a secret motivation for animal rights? Absolutely it is possible, but in the mean time they are staying focused and raising societal awareness on issues of animal welfare. For that mean time, I'm totally on board (and they have a LONG way to go before we will lose our rights to own dogs). So it sounds like I am pretty straight on my opinion, right? But, this is where we get into the third part of our triangle... the animal lover.

I know many people from our dog show world who I respect a GREAT deal who are on the HumaneWatch bandwagon. I think they are pretty smart people and I know they love their animals. So what gives, where is the discrepency? What do they see that I don't? The answer is that I don't know and it is somewhat of a taboo subject...money, politics, religion and the HSUS... so I am not likely to find out anytime soon.

Many of them are reputable breeders (not puppy millers), and often the HSUS promotes legislation with puppy mill focus that could end up effecting hobby breeders (although usually hobby breeders are so small compared to puppy mills the legislation overlooks them, so I think it is a fear of the regulation concept). Yet, these are people who are very anti-puppy mill. So what are our good, ethical breeders willing to give up to put a stop to puppy mills? That is a different topic for a different day, but I know they are willing to make some sacrifices. Anyways, I would still love to relaly understand what draws these people to HumaneWatch, and when I find out, I will blog it.

But it still begs the question... why do some animal lovers choose HumaneWatch and some choose HSUS? Are people being scared into assumptions promoted by ag lobbiests and HumaneWatch? Afraid of losing their right to own a pet? Afraid of losing the right to eat meat? Afraid of losing the right to breed? On the other side, are they being conned into donating by the HSUS in a belief that the HSUS represents something it really does not?

And I think the problem ultimately arises when you have two extreme groups. You have the HSUS which promotes welfare (I'm going to say welfare because I haven't seen evidence otherwise) at the cost of American's rights to make decisions about their own property (legally animals in America are property), at the cost of increased prices and economic effects. You have the HumaneWatch (lovingly referred to as the ag lobby) who don't want their property rights taken away for any reasons, particularly the reason of animal welfare (or perhaps animal rights disguised as animal welfare).

I'm starting to discover a life lesson perhaps: extremes are never good. Should animal's welfare suffer at times to promote a better economy and American health? It breaks my heart to say so, but perhaps it should. There is ALWAYS a bigger picture to consider. Most likely if the American economy and health is in a better state, American's animals will be as well. Things tend to work that way. Should American farmers operate under a basic legislated standard of care so that animals are guarenteed minimum welfare goals? Probably, being able to stand up and turn around doesn't seem like much to ask for. I think it is often the goals of extreme organizations to lead their followers into believing that there is no middle ground. But there is always middle ground, room for compromise, room for give and take.

So that is the rant of the day. I really need a job!

Haiti Animals

2010-08-10T15:43:00.000-07:00

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/08/06/haiti.animals/index.html?hpt=C1

The above is a link to a CNN story on the animals in Haiti. It is a story that is fairly unsurprising... animals in Haiti are recieving vet care from charitable animal organizations. This is obviously beneficial to animals, but also to people so far as their good-producing animals go and to decrease the spread of disease.

What gets me about these articles is the comments sections, and I know from experience that I should NEVER read comments, they just make me upset. But the consensus from this round of comments seems to be a rather typical (in my opinion, non-sensical) response that frustrates me. People disapprove of these efforts to care for Haitian animals because they feel that while humans are still suffering in Haiti, ALL efforts should be focused towards people...people first mentaltiy. I understand the concept, but like I said, I think it is non-sensical.

People have different qualities and qualifications that make them eligible to volunteer in certain areas. Many of the volunteers on the specific project referenced above are veternarians. Is it right, does it make sense, to say that veternarians shouldn't help animals in Haiti because people are still suffering? There are many human doctors doing NOTHING for Haiti, but because they haven't volunteered for the "wrong" organization (haven't volunteered at all), they don't get criticized. What kind of society do we live in where people have to be defensive of the good and charitable work they do, often defending that work to judgmental people who do nothing, for the simple reason that the judgmental people don't "approve" of how or to whom help is being given. Give me a break. I think there are too many problems in this world and too many many people capable of making a difference (many of whom chose not to) to be picky or critical about who does what.

So, this is me rolling my eyes at the invisible commentors sitting at home (not volunteering), criticizing those with their sleeves rolled up in Haiti doing what they can to make Haiti a better place to live (for both the people and the animals). Rant of the day is over.

Jackson's Website

2010-07-16T07:55:00.001-07:00

Now that Jackson has his RN, CGC and hopefully soon, his CH, he has a website on his breeder's page. Dawn made a beautiful page for him at: http://www.classiquebmd.com/Jackson.html.

For other news... I've started working on the 2009 blog to photo book project. It is actually REALLY easy with Booksmart, a program that you can download from one of the photobook webpages. Looks like the "scrapbook" goal may be met after all!

Exciting Weekend--Jackson Achieves His Goal!

2010-07-12T13:22:00.000-07:00

Jackson finally achieved his goal this weekend. He got to take a nap above-the-cab with his papa. But more on that later.

Jackson and I also achieved another, less significant goal (in Jackson's mind at least). Jackson got his second major this weekend. That means he only needs one more minor point to finish his championship. Then he will be: CH Classique's Original Moonwalker RN, CGC. We've been saving the last minor point in case a major fell through at some show, so hopefully it won't be too tough to put that last point on him. It will, however, be bitter sweet, as I will really miss showing him in conformation. But, it will be on to focus our minds towards the versatility title.

Lemon also had a great weekend. Her temperment is just as sweet as can be, and the judge's love her for it. Everytime they come back over the top of her body, she is craning her neck back, face in the air, body wagging like crazy with happiness. The judge on Friday gave her a kiss on the nose he thought she was so cute. In addition to being a bundle of sweetness, she also is becoming a nice conformation girl. On Sunday she took the major reserve, a nice compliment when she is amongst a group of lovely bitches.

Congratulations to Mike and Orvis who recieved points on Friday! To Dawn and Patsy who recieved points on Friday! To Gary, Penny and Spencer who took a major (and on a puppy!) on Saturday. And to Layal, who finished Liesel this weekend by taking both majors Saturday and Sunday. The Berner group is great. Supportive and fun. We were thrilled to meet a few new faces this weekend, and had a great time bbqing out with everyone.

On Sunday, the atmosphere was somewhat special...for me of course as Jackson got the major, but I think for everyone there. There was quite a crowd of Berner people, being that 26 Berners were entered. But the crowd grew even larger. The Berners were the last group in the ring before lunch, and all the other rings finished before us. Everyone in the building had kind of migrated that way. When Jackson took the boy's major, a big cheer went up. It gave me goosebumps, and made the judge jump a little, but it was such a nice reaction from our Berner friends. When Layal took the girl's major (and Lemon reserve), another big cheer went up and the judge turned and addressed the crowd, commenting on how nice the selection of Berners was at this show.

When we all went into breed, she went over the specials and addressed the crowd again, commenting on how nice the dogs were. The big group of spectators was cheering. I haven't seen that kind of thing before at a show, so I was glad we got to be a part of it in addition to getting the major.

To explain the photos below... We didn't take any photos of the dog show, oops. But we did get evidence of Jackson's weekend highlight (not the major). Ever since Chris and I started sleeping above the cab (less dog hair), Jackson has also wanted to sleep above the cab. He is somewhat indignant/pathetic that he has to sleep either on the dinette benches, the floor or one of the two twin beds in the back. So he stands on the dinette with his feet on the bed over-the-cab silently pleading to be allowed to sleep with us rather than suffer such a trauma as to be forced to sleep in one of the other options. We have pretty much ignored these pleas for compassion...until Saturday morning.

Saturday morning, while Jackson stood with his hind legs on the dinette, trying to climb into the bed above-the-cab (no way he could get up there on his own, poor guy) I promised him that if he won the major, he could go up there. Well, he didn't win the major. But he was beautiful and expressive and tried his darndest, so Saturday afternoon he was allowed to climb up in the cab and take a nap with his papa. A good lesson in enjoying the smaller pleasures in life. It may have been my favorite part of the weekend as well, as it was about the happiest, most content he has ever been. And...I guess the restful slumber did him well as he went on to win the major on Sunday.

My two favorite boys:

Everyone was very tired after a long Saturday:

This isn't actually from the weekend, but I thought it was a super cute photo of my girls, snuggled up together:

Gardner Show

2010-06-17T09:01:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back we were in Gardner for a show. I totally forgot to post pics, but here they are. Thanks Mom for taking pictures!! That was the show where Jack got his RN. Jeff and Diane were there as well, so there are some pictures of those strange golden colored Berners.

Diane w/ Ruckus who took a Group 2 on Saturday:

Me with Fisher who took Best of Winners both days. He definitely taught me something that weekend about handling. On Saturday I was struggling with him because he didn't want anything to do with me. On Sunday, Jeff was watching me bait him and made a comment about the teeny, tiny pieces of chicken I was giving him. I tried giving him a big chunk, and it was love! With the Berners, I give them such tiny chunks, that sometimes they don't even notice if I don't give them anything at all.

Jackson watching the goldens show before he goes in for rally:

Jack in rally:

The motor home set-up with Jeff and Diane:

Grooming Jack:

Showing Lemon:

Petland and Puppy Mills

2010-06-16T11:29:00.000-07:00

One of the things that makes me saddest in the world is the thought of puppy mills. A dog, any dog, but for the sake of convenience, lets say a Berner... hunched over in a cage, unable to stand up all the way because the cage is too small. Her waste is in the cage with her and on her body. Her food, thrown in the cage in the morning, may be in her waste. She is hot in the summers when there is no air conditioning. Her puppies may freeze to death in the winter when there is no heat. She doesn't know what grass is. She's never been to a vet. She's never been held and loved and pet. Etc...

Petland is one of the places that encourages the practice of treating animals in such a cruel way by buying the puppies that she is producing and selling them for outrageous prices in the store. For that reason, I don't even like to drive by a Petland, it makes me so unhappy. For a while, some stupid Petland mascot stood on the corner advertising "Puppy Sale" on my route to school. After the third morning of being upset and considering having an "accident", I changed routes to school. I don't like to eat at the Applebees that is next to the Petland because I have to see Petland on my way in and my way out.

Chris and I have talked about this many times, and just recently I was pondering a thought that I probably wouldn't ever follow through with. Instead of selling puppy mill puppies (often mixed breeds that aren't AKC registered anyway), why not buy puppies from a shelter, then sell them at the petstore (with the shelters blessing of course). This would depend on the area you're in... Some cities have puppies being euthanized every day, some cities have shortages of puppies in the shelter. Some shelters use puppies to draw potential adopters in. There could be a million problems with the idea... I haven't thought it through from beginning to end, but it is a concept. I think most people by now realize Petland sells puppy mill puppies, but they go to Petland because they want a puppy and its easy. Is there a difference between a mutt puppy and a purposefully bred mutt puppy? No, not from a puppy mill. Is there a difference in the social stigma? Maybe it won't be registered by some ridiculous kennel club created by the puppy mill agenda that registers mixed breed dogs, but it also won't have the puppy mill stigma. I think its an ok trade off. But, enough about that.

What this past is really about is this article (may have to copy and paste, not sure how to add a link):

http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/glenellyn/features/x1336925259/Local-pet-shop-switches-over-to-adoption-only

Basically it is a Petland that has stopped selling puppies. Instead, they are using their space to adopt out rescue dogs. Brilliant, right? I don't know how they're doing it... if they're profitting from it, if it is more of an adoption day type thing, if the dogs are living in the store, etc... It isn't exactly my idea above, but it is close. I think the pet store should be allowed to profit from it... why not? And allowing them to profit from it would mean that more stores would be encouraged to do it. You can still do good while being a capitalist.

Hopefully more Petlands make the switch. It would be a HUGE step towards ending puppy mills.

House Updates

2010-06-11T13:01:00.000-07:00

We've been doing some redecorating lately...so much fun! I don't really have any pictures of it yet, but I will. We finished the downstairs office last week and we're shopping for new family room furniture. In the meantime, the flowers in our yard have been blooming beautifully. As soon as they do I run outside with scissors to kill them and bring them into the house because I love having fresh flowers in the house!

The picture of Jackson with the football highlights the new *red* rug. Yes, that is right. I put some color into the house and am slowly bringing in other pieces of color. And an extra plus about that picture...how cute is my little football player?

Every Year I Get Older (and so do my Berners)

2010-06-10T08:56:00.001-07:00

**Warning that this is slightly depressing**

Chris and I flew rather quickly into the world of dogs. Since we jumped in, we've brought three Berners into our family, two of which are show dogs who came to us as puppies and one who came to us as a rehome/rescue at three years old. Chris and I both had dogs growing up, but they were family dogs that were not our responsibility. We've fostered dogs and cats off and on for the past 7 years. I've spent more time and effort learning about Berners, dogs in general, training, feeding, general health, etc... than I even want to account for (time when I probably should have been studying...like I should be now!). So it is somewhat shocking (in a non-shocking sort of way) to reach this point and realize that we haven't actually come very far, and for some things, only time is a teacher.

Jackson is our first Berner, and he will be 4 in August. On one hand, my heart sinks when I think about him being 4 years old already. By the time I'm 30, Jack will be 9 and an old man. It is difficult to imagine Jackson as old... as anything other than our crazy, enthusiastic, energetic boy. The hope is he will still be healthy and crazy at 9! On the other hand, I feel surprised to realize we've only been in the breed for 4 years. Hilga was our second Berner. She joined the family at three years old when Jack was about 1 year old. She just turned six at the beginnning of May. And of course, Lemon is the baby at 18 months and our third Berner.

What I'm thinking about is that despite our experiences over the last 4 years, despite all the time I've spent researching allergies, supplements, different foods, ear treatments, shampoos...you name it and I've probably spent some time searching for the perfect answers for my dogs... in the next few years, there is going to be SO much more to learn.

I've never been responsible for a dog over the age of 6. More importantly, I've never had a Berner over the age of 6. In Berners, year 6 is when we start the "old dog" phase. It is a sad, sad truth in the breed that the average lifespan of a Berner is 7. Seven. Typically the cause of death is cancer. For the past 4 years I've learned everything I can regarding how to best care for my healthy, young dogs. I've just now started trying to wrap my head around the idea that within the next 4 years, I will most likely be forced to learn everything I can about caring for an older dog, caring for a dog with cancer, or making quality of life decisions.

Hilga is a picture of health right now (as in if you took her picture, she would look like a very healthy dog). Her allergies are the best they've ever been. Her ears are the best they've ever been. She is moving really well, barely can see any effects of her mild hip dsyplasia. However, in the past, Hilga has had a handful of mild seizures. She also has leg tremors. We've never been overly concerned about these things, attributing the seizures to her severe allergy problems (never seen them when she is healthy allergy wise). And the tremors don't really have any impact on her quality of life. But lately she has been waking up in the middle of the night, panting heavily, so heavily that even I (heaviest sleep in the world) wake up.

We went to the vet who checked her out and ran blood tests which came back perfectly fine. The vet thinks it all might be connected, and suggested we might see a neurologist if we want to pursue it further. So we have several options... xrays of her lungs, neurologist to find out about her brain, medication for her anxiety, or do nothing.

So what do we do? How far do you go to diagnose a healthy, happy dog for occasional heavy breathing? If we found something serious, how far would we go in treatments? Its an interesting question, and one that we're encountering for the first time, thankfully with time to sort it out and consider all the options. I'm sure in the years to come, we'll encounter it more often and in more difficult situations. Not looking forward to that aspect of ownership.

One of the crazy things about having a dog to begin with, is that people get into it knowing just how badly it is going to end. Of course there are some endings that are worse than others, but as opposed to our human relationships (or perhaps a relationship with a tortoise or a macaw), we start loving our dogs knowing our hearts will end up broken. I think that later in life, I will look back at myself as totally innocent about the pains of dog ownership during this period of my life. Right now, its been 4 years. Lets hope the innoncence phase lasts at least another couple of years (if only it would last forever!).

Goofing Off in the Moty-hoty at Specialty

2010-06-03T20:20:00.001-07:00

Casino Night

2010-06-03T20:15:00.000-07:00

Hilga's Day at Specialty

2010-06-03T20:10:00.001-07:00

Lemon's Day at Specialty

2010-06-03T20:08:00.001-07:00

Jackson's Day at Specialty

2010-06-03T20:00:00.000-07:00

Pre-Specialty Pictures

2010-06-03T19:44:00.001-07:00

National Post #2

2010-06-03T19:31:00.000-07:00

Ok, so where did I leave off? I think I'll start on Thursday... Thursday was the busiest day at Nationals for us. We got to the show site early, as Jackson showed around 10:00 in the Amateur Owner Handler (AOH) class. We got him beautified, then took him in. There were only 7 in his class, so it went fairly quickly. He showed beautifully (other than the fact that I had him stretched ridiculously for a big part of it) and got a third place ribbon! It was a big ribbon! After that, we went inside and Jackson did his first leg of rally novice. He passed, but as I said before, I wasn't happy with his focus. He got another big ribbon for that though!

Thursday afternoon we gave Lemon a bath and a dry down. Then we went to dinner with friends, and then to the health auction. The auction was a lot of fun. We met some more great people, saw some cool Berner items, and watched people bid. We didn't get involved in the bidding this year, but I'm thinking next year we may be a bit more active!!!

On Friday, Lemon showed early in the morning. I was worrying that she would pull one of her crazy stunts and embarass me, but she is constantly reminding me how much she has matured in the past few months. She showed beautifully, but didn't get a placement or anything. I was just happy to see her have fun showing, as there were 40 dogs in our class, and we were probably out there for an hour. Luckily she didn't pee or poop...and some days I consider that a success in itself!

As soon as Lemon got done showing, we started packing up. Before we left, we got the chance to hook Jackson up a cart. Very fun, and I'm nagging a bit at Chris to make a cart for us! It will take a little bit of getting used to for Jackson (very odd to have something following along behind you when you walk!), but I'm sure he'll get the hang of it in no time once he has a cart of his own.

On Friday night, we stopped at a casino just East of Des Moines. It was a really fun night. We were able to stay for free in the truck/RV parking. We went in, gambled a little bit, lost some money, had some drinks and then went back out to go to sleep. Woke up Saturday morning and finished the drive.

On Sunday, I graduated from law school (almost with mismatched shoes) and then we enjoyed lunch out with family. It was a crazy week, but so much fun. Next year the show is in California, a few blocks away from the beach. It is a REALLY long drive... so we may not be taking the motor home and the dogs. But, while it is always fun to show your dogs, its also fun to relax, watch, and take it all in. So maybe we will do that next year (and go to the beach one day!). Pictures to follow.

Classique's Original Moonwalker RN

2010-05-23T15:45:00.001-07:00

Jackson got his first title this weekend, and I put my first title on a dog at the same time! Jack got his third leg needed for his rally novice title. We have a long way to go, as he is struggling with focus in new settings. If he was able to perform in competition the way he performs in class he should be able to get perfect scores. Instead we're barely sqeaking by... or at least in one of the tests we barely squeaked by. In his second leg he got 3rd place out of 7...not too bad but I still think it should have been better! We'll just keep working on rally for a while and try to figure out the focus problems. But...for now we're celebrating a title!!!

National Post #1

2010-05-17T07:06:00.001-07:00

Where to start? I'll put a few posts up, trying to include some vents from each day from the past week with pictures to follow. My grandfather passed away on Friday, so Chris and I decided not to leave for Oconomowac until Tuesday afternoon following the funeral in Preston, MO. Before the funeral, we spent a day at Pomme de Terre State Park. It was a lovely state park and the first time we've stayed at one. Unfortunately it was raining quite a bit so we didn't get to do too much, but while walking the dogs we saw plenty of wildlife: a beaver, jumping fish, geese, deer and lots of birds.

Tuesday we started the drive for Oconomowac and made it to the campsite around 2:00 in the morning. Poor Hilga is all nerves in the motor home and sat for the entire 11 hour drive, never laying down or going to sleep. I could tell she was feeling stiff the next few days when she was limping around, but she is feeling fine now. We were supposed to show Lemon in puppy sweeps on Wednesday, but ended up deciding to pull her. Instead, we slept in on Wednesday, checked in at the show, set up our grooming area, watched some events, did some shopping, checked out the team obedience, and just relaxed and enjoyed ourselves. Wednesday evening we set up a practice rally course at the campsite, which Jackson and his friends Zac and Mac practiced with him. Then we enjoyed a bbq with friends, despite the rain.

Happy Birthday Gafilkafish

2010-05-07T09:29:00.000-07:00

Our little Hilga was 6 years old yesterday. I remembered this year, even if I don't post on the blog. She is already leaving her days at a "good dog" behind and starting her days as a fussy "old dog." Last night she was the fussiest when having her nails trimmed...not the norm if you know Hilga (verus Jack and Lemon). So anyways, we're so glad she is healthy and happy as she starts her 6th year!

One More Day

2010-05-06T15:49:00.001-07:00

I thought I would be going crazy with excitement when we were only one day from leaving for specialty and vacation, but as always, time has gotten away from me. I spent the week leading up to finals (2 weeks ago) bragging to my law school friends that I had no finals during my last semester of law school. I then have spent the last 2 weeks writing like crazy to finish my writing requirement (thesis) that I procrastinated a bit on. That means it is Thursday afternoon and my paper has still not been submitted. The motor home is not cleaned or packed. The groceries have not been bought. The dogs have not been groomed...in fact their shampoo has not even arrived (I guess Fed-Ex lost track of time as well). The house has not been cleaned in preparation of my graduation bbq on the day of our return. The yard has not been mowed in preparation for a week away from the house. The new motor home parts have not been installed. And so on... I may be up late tonight, but I fully plan on having all of those things done before 5:00 pm tomorrow afternoon. Lets hope Fed-ex shows up at some point...

9 Days Til the Specialty

2010-04-28T15:06:00.000-07:00

Tonight is our last obedience class before our last obedience class before we leave for nationals. We are still trying to get in our one rally course per day, although have had a little bit of trouble recently due to the rain. Poor little Lemon still hasn't gotten her fair share of prep work for conformation. I keep trying to convince Chris to show her in conformation since she has so much more fun with him, but it seems like a losing battle. I find Lemon to be significantly more challenging to work with than Jackson. Jack and I have been taking classes and working together since he was a puppy (almost 4 years now...wow they grow up fast), so he tends to get immediately what I want him to do. Lemon on the other hand... sometimes we're not on the same page. And since Chris and I aren't always on the same page, I'm thinking that maybe Chris and Lemon are on the same page???? See Exhibits 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 for evidence supporting that theory.

Same Page Exhibit 1: Love at first sight

Same Page Exhibit 2: Snuggling together on the couch

Same Page Exhibit 3: Working Together on a Project

Same Page Exhibit 4: Gracefully Gaiting Together During a Fun Match (you won't find a picture of Lemon looking anything like this in a REAL match when I am handling her, that picture would be of her jumping along like a kangaroo while I look annoyed and try not to trip over her)

Same Page Exhibit 5: The Trust Drive--Chris closes his eyes while Lemon tells him where to go

And the Bloopers Reel (sorry Jack)

2010-04-27T12:37:00.001-07:00

Potential Superstar

2010-04-27T12:28:00.000-07:00

Jackson was in another photo shoot a couple of months ago, and I just got the CD with all the pictures from the shoot. We are lucky to have such a kind photographer who is willing to share his photos with us. Now, his pictures haven't techinically been used yet on any products (that I know of), but they are lovely pictures just the same. I have no idea how long the process takes to put his picture on the box, so who knows if we will ever see his smiling face on a shelf somewhere... but for now, a sampling of his pictures:

A Happy Ending

2010-04-23T08:12:00.001-07:00

On Monday I was driving home from school, had just turned on to Murlen (only 40 mph, but gets some traffic) when I saw a dog running down the sidewalk. He stopped, turning to look over his shoulder at a woman jogging by. The woman stopped abruptly upon seeing the dog, ran out into the street, giving the dog a wide berth, then back onto the sidewalk and continued jogging. I shook my head, rolled my eyes, and turned the truck around to go check out this dog. By the time I had the truck turned around, he had taken back up running for his life down the sidewalk. I was able to pull into the grocery store parking lot about 100 yards ahead of him. I stood close to the sidewalk, and when he got close, I called him, thinking he would keep on running by. But, his eyes lit up and he ran straight to me...grateful that a human finally realized SOMETHING was not right here!

I realized he was an older guy, gray faced, and boy was he hot from all the running! It was a warm day, and with a totally black coat he was panting like crazy. He had a collar on, but no tags. I called Chris to get the Olathe Animal Control number. He asked me several times if the dog was really lost. I do have an unfortunate history of finding "lost" dogs in their own front yard, putting them on a leash, calling their owners on my cell phone, then having disgruntled owners coming out the front door or from the back yard on their phone looking at me like I am crazy. Once, in Manhattan, I found a little dog in our unfenced backyard. He was wearing a rabies tag but no ID tag, so I called the company, gave him his rabies number, they gave me his owners name, then I looked up the name and phone number online, called the owner. Owner lived next door and had just let the dog out to potty. It turned out I had stolen their dog for 20 minutes. Hmmm...do good intentions count for anything? How was I supposed to know they lived right there? Anyways, I assured Chris that this one really was lost, no owners in sight!

So, I called Olathe Animal Control from where I was, and they said they would be out to pick him up in the next few hours. I always figure the first place people will check is the city shelter. We drove around the neighborhood for a bit, scaring random people by pulling up next to them and asking if they knew who he was. No one did.

So we came home and sat in the shade in the front yard. Had some water, got to know each other a little bit better. I took his picture:
and posted it to Craigslist as a found dog. I also put it in the KC Star. He was obviously loved by a family, with trimmed ears and feet, and a lovely temperament. I hoped it was just a matter of time before they found him. Animal control showed up (very nice by the way) and he had to suffer the indignity of riding in the back. I requested he be allowed to ride in the front, but something about legal blahblahblah (damn lawyers). But, it was air conditioned (I checked), so hopefully it wasn't too bad of a ride.

I thought about him all week, wondering if I should call and make sure his family found him. Then wondering what I would do if they hadn't found him... So I didn't call. But boy was I glad to receive this email last night:

"I want to thank you so very much for your assistance with Chipper. Not only did he get out, but he lost his tag in doing such. We were frantic in looking for him as he is a much loved member of our family. We actually called Olathe Animal Control and was told that they did not have a dog matching Chipper's description. We found Chipper from your ad in Craigslist. Chipper is back home with us tonight. I cannot begin to tell you how happy we all are to have him back home. Again, thank you so very much for everything you did. It is greatly appreciated."

Oh, the warm fuzzy feelings I got reading that email! Chipper is back home with his family. A happy ending! I can imagine how I would feel if one of my dogs was ever lost, and I can also imagine how one of my dogs would feel if they were lost. I hope that someone would do the same thing for them.

Rally-O, Nationals Here We Come!!

2010-04-21T20:47:00.000-07:00

I am getting very excited for my first Berner National. We have our moty-hoty spot reserved, our route planned, our dinners booked, our dogs registered, and the moty-hoty cleaned and in tip-top condition! Now, we are on to the important stuff...which is getting the dogs ready. The goals being:

1. All 3 dogs looking good. Somehow Lemon never blew her coat during her first season, however Jackson did... For the next month, we'll keep the house cold, supplement fish oil, yogurt, eggs, etc... to get those coats full and shiny (hopefully)!!

2. Lemon ready to show in conformation. This has been an ongoing struggle, as bounding, jumping, swan-diving off the grooming table, throwing temper tantrums, wiggling, butt-wagging and gaiting like a hunchback are all very serious hobbies of hers.

3. Hilga ready to be a great spectator and cheerleader. She is our moral support. I'm kicking myself for not entering her in the rescue parade (which isn't technically a parade but a photograph wall...but still). But, she won't know the difference and will have fun looking on from the sidelines!

4. Jackson ready for rally (and me ready for rally as well). This will be our first competition in rally or obedience, so we are very excited. No offense to Lemon, but it is much more fun and fulfilling to practice obedience with Jack than conformation with Lem. I don't need nearly as much patience and we get a lot more accomplished. To get ready for rally I made signs and we've been doing one Novice course a day (several times), and hopefully will continue doing so up until Nationals. He is doing great, and is even doing every course off-leash for one run through. Very fun and exciting to see him having fun at obedience! We should be ready to compete in obedience fairly soon! Soon we'll start traveling to more conspicuous locations to set up our courses...he needs distractions! That is our biggest problem.

Below are pictures of our sign-set up in the back yard. For those of you who don't know, in rally you follow a numbered course in a heel, and each number has a sign telling you what obedience act to perform (like sit, down, heel 360 degrees, etc...). I printed the rally signs off, put them in plastic paper protectors, then bought small garden fencing, cut it into individual posts, then clothspin the sign on the fencing. I also have numbered cones that sit next to the signs, although they aren't pictured below. Fairly easy, and makes for great practice. The hard part is finding practice courses!

Landscaping When Everything Must Be At Least Two Feet Off the Ground

2010-04-21T20:25:00.000-07:00

Jackson, my dear, sweet, sweet boy, brings many challenges to our lives. I, for the most part, embrace his "enthusiasm" and understand he has the best of intentions. But, there is one thing I've been struggling with lately. Landscaping. When we moved into our house, there was this lovely row of little pine trees lining our back fence. They were full, plush from the ground up and green as can be. However Jackson also moved in, and he started his "watering" campaign immediately...

Jackson's theory is that the higher up the tree you "water", the more fun it is. If Jackson leans WAY to one side (I'll have to take a picture of that because it is a sight to see!), then he can hit just about the 2 foot mark. Some days he "waters" all of the trees along the back fence. He also enjoys "watering" the flowers and the barbaque grill cover, but those are different stories.

For three years now, Chris and I have been going out in the backyard, standing with hands on our hips and frowning at our pine trees. Over those three years, the trees started out drooping a bit on the bottom, then the needles started turning brown, then the needles started falling out. After three years, every single tree had a 2 foot ring around the bottom of dead, needleless, brown branches.

So what do you do? Replace the trees so Jackson can ruin new trees? Tear out the trees so Jackson has more direct access to the crazy dog behind us that barks like a maniac through the fence all the time? Hardly...

So I made a decision. I was going to turn our regular old little pine trees (that probably isn't even what the are...but close enough) into ornamental bushes. I carried the electric branch saw thing to the backyard, brought the powercords out, stepped back, put the saw down, went and got Chris, then had him cut the branches off. (Sometimes I get a bit too enthusiastic at projects like this, and I probably would have ended up cutting all the branches off until all that was left was the tree base, sticking up like a pole along the fence.) So, Chris cut, and I stood by saying "cut more off," and he rolled his eyes at me, reminding me that you can always cut more, but you can't put it back, and I rolled my eyes at him and said "cut more off." Ultimately, this is what we ended up with. I kind of like it. Thank you Jackson for being my landscaping inspiration!!!

A Very Snowy Weekend!

2010-02-24T19:39:00.000-08:00

As I posted last week, we were in Des Moines this past weekend for a dog show. There was a major for the boys both days, but no such luck. Jack is so close to getting finished, we just have to keep trying! I was so proud of him though. It was definitely his best show so far. He looked beautiful and showed wonderfully! I wish I had some pictures of the show, but here is Hilga being cute/anxious in the front seat of the moho during a stop on the trip there:

More excitement came from the non-show parts of the weekend. We hit bad weather on the way to Des Moines. I guess up north on I-35 when the weather gets bad they don't allow tow trucks to come in. That means as we were driving, every few miles we would pass wrecked cars, cars that had run off the road, cars upside down in the median. Very bizzare to see, and very spooky! Lemon gets a tad clingy to Hilga when we get anxious:

We made it to Des Moines safely, although with a ton of snow! It was a pretty cold weekend in the moty hoty, but the dogs were loving it!

On the way home, we hit more bad weather. I set up all the crates in the back for extra safety for the dogs, but they could still feel my anxiety on the trip home. Hilga threw up twice. We had a very scary incident where we hit a patch of ice on I-35 and didn't think we were going to get stopped in time to avoid an accident. After that, we decided to call it quits for the night, and we pulled over at a truck stop in Cameron, MO.

After that, things got better. We went and got dinner and drinks at the truckstop bar, "Bar" as you can see from the sign. We were able to plug a space heater into the big sign, but got pretty cold as Chris wanted to save the propane for a "real emergency." But, we ended up having a lot of fun hanging out in Cameron. By Monday, the roads were fine and we made it home without a problem (except for frozen poop, which I won't go into.)

She's My Shi-poo-pi!

2010-02-24T19:00:00.000-08:00

I guess it is a bit of a blogging night, but I was just thinking I should post this. Chris and I saw this on Family Guy (although I think it is actually from Music Man), and we'll sing it to the dogs to get them riled up. Well, one day I was actually wondering what the song actually means, looked up the lyrics and realized that Hilga is in fact our Shipoopi:

Now a woman who'll kiss on the very first date is usually a hussy

And a woman who'll kiss on the second time out is anything but fussy

But a woman who'll wait til the third time around

Head in the clouds, feet on the ground

She's the girl he's glad he's found

She's his Shipoopi

Shipoopi, Shipoopi, Shipoopi The girl who's hard to get

Shipoopi, Shipoopi, Shipoopi But you can win her yet

Walk her once just to raise the curtain

Walk around twice and you've made certain

Once more in the flower garden

She will never get sore if you beg her pardon

Doremefasolasi, dosilasolfamiredo

Squeeze her once when she isn't lookin'

If you get a squeeze back, that's fancy cookin'

Once more for a pepper-upper

She will never get sore on her way to supper

Doremefasollasido, sido

No little ol' Sal was a no-gal, as anyone could see

Lookit her now, she's a go-gal, who only goes for me

Squeeze her once when she isn't lookin'

If you get a squeeze back, that's fancy cookin'

Once more for a pepper-upper

She will never get sore on her way to supper

Doremefasollasido, si do

Shipoopi, Shipoopi, Shipoopi The girl who's hard to get

Shipoppi, Shipoopi, Shipoopi but you can win her yet

http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjazkgtcrms

Just a Dog

2010-02-24T18:36:00.001-08:00

Someone recently posted this on the Berner-L, and I love it so thought I would share:

It's Just a Dog

From time to time, people tell me, "lighten up, it's just a dog," or, "that's a lot of money for just a dog." They don't understand the distance traveled, the time spent, or the costs involved for "just a dog."

Some of my proudest moments have come about with "just a dog." Many hours have passed and my only company was "just a dog," but I did not once feel slighted.

Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by "just a dog," and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of "just a dog" gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day.

If you, too, think it's "just a dog," then you will probably understand phrases like "just a friend," "just a sunrise," or "just a promise."

"Just a dog" brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust, and pure unbridled joy. "Just a dog" brings out the compassion and patience that make me a better person.

Because of "just a dog," I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future.

So for me and folks like me, it's not "just a dog" but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment.

"Just a dog" brings out what's good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day.

I hope that someday they can understand that it's not "just a dog," but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being "just a man or woman."

So the next time you hear the phrase "just a dog" just smile... because they "just don't understand."

-Author Unknown

Des Moines

2010-02-16T12:18:00.000-08:00

Headed to Des Moines this weekend for a major! Its going to be a cold weekend in the moho!!! Wish us luck!!!

St. Joseph Show

2010-02-07T19:26:00.000-08:00

This weekend was the St. Joseph show. It was my first show without Chris, as he was getting his scuba diving certification this weekend. The conflict was due to bad planning and bad communication! Luckily my parents were able to make it out both days to help with grooming, carrying, and cheering, and Kate was able to make it out on Saturday to watch some as well. Thanks to all three for coming out to St. Jo!

I was only showing Lemon this weekend, so that made the whole thing quite a bit easier than it would have been otherwise. It may not seem like it, but Jack can be a bit of a handful sometimes. :) Anyways, Lemon didn't win anything this weekend, not even a second place. But, she had fun and she didn't know she lost, so all in all a fun weekend. On the way home today I stopped at the Legends to run into a store really quickly. Of course my fear about the dogs getting stolen kicked in, so I was really hurrying to get back to the car. Lemon ALWAYS sits in the front drivers seat when left in the car by herself. I was walking back to the car and she wasn't there! Unheard of for her to stay in the back when no one is making her, I had a bit of a panic. When I got to the window of the drivers side, I saw she was curled up in a little ball in the drivers seat asleep. How cute is that?

Along those lines, the fact that a Berner can curl up in a seat of a car deserves mentioning... I'm a little concerned that she is going to start struggling in shows now for two reasons. She just graduated to the 3rd older puppy class, 12-18 monthes. Technically, it isn't a puppy class anymore, but just 12-18 months. I call it a puppy class because it makes me feel better. First of all, the judges now know there is no way she is 6 months, or even 9 months, either of which could explain her small size or crazy temperment. She is a teeny little thing, but very well proportioned and has very nice bone. With other smaller bitches, she doesn't seem undersized, but if we end up at a show with a lot of tall or doggy bitches, she seems teeny tiny (which was the case this weekend). The other problem is she is still cooky, although getting better. But not getting better in proportion to how old she is getting. Judges don't tolerate "silly puppy" behavior quite as much when they are over 1 year. Unfortunately, Lem is still very much in the "silly puppy" stage. Part of her problem is just how happy she is and how much she loves people, which I'm so grateful for that it is difficult to complain about. But she is definitely still a wiggle worm as that tail gets started going when the judge approaches.

On the positive side, Jack got his CGC on Saturday. I drove Lemon home after she showed and then went back on with him. We got there two hours early, and did obedience heeling, halting, down, etc... for about an hour off and on to wear him down a little bit. He did a great job, passed with flying colors. Now to get ready for real obedience!!! It is so much fun, so I can't wait!

We'll be in Des Moines in two weeks. There is a 4 point major in dogs (11 dogs), so if Jack were to take winners dog one day out there he will be a champion! Of course, that would be a REALLY big win! There are only 5 girls, so a possibility of a crossover. That would be a really big win for Lemon as well. So, on the to do list for the next 2 weeks is get the motor home up and running, get the dogs beautiful (which they already are of course!) and get everyone trained up! No more silly puppy routines!

Animals in Haiti

2010-02-01T16:35:00.000-08:00

The animals in Haiti are also suffering from the results of the earthquake. If you want to donate in order to help Haiti animals, go to this webpage:

https://www.bestfriends.org/donate/Haiti.cfm

Breed Specific Legislation

2010-02-01T16:17:00.000-08:00

At KU Law, I am the vice president of the animal law club. Last week, we had a speaker in regarding breed specific legislation. While it doesn't necessarily apply to Bernese Mountain Dogs, it was a very interesting topic. And as my dad quoted to me when I was telling him about this, "...then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak out." So, it is an issue that concerns all of us dog owners.

A VERY short summary of some of the more interesting points... Breed specific legislation doesn't work. Statistics coming back from places such as the UK, Spain and the Netherlands that have enacted breed specific legislation are showing that bite counts are not down, but rather still rising. Like many of us have always suspected, bites are more related to living circumstances than a particular breed of dog.

A few reasons why breed specific legislation doesn't work: it doesn't improve safety/reduce bite numbers because bites are more related to living environments, its a really expensive solution for a really small problem (dog bites aren't even on the same radar as car accidents), breed identification is very difficult (see below).

A few ideas that would actually work towards reducing dog bites and injuries/deaths caused by dogs: containment laws, no-tethering laws, abuse prevention (one of the highest related factors to dog bites was domestic violence), spaying/neutering pets.

One of the reasons why Pitbulls are all over the news is due to breed misidentification. The term Pitbull encompasses a handful of AKC recognized breeds, as well as some mixed breeds. Go to the webpage and see if you can pick out which breed is the Pitbull:

http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html

Not easy to do...

Happy Belated Birthday Lemon!!!

2009-12-30T19:52:00.000-08:00

Lemon turned 1 year old on December 26th. Poor thing's birthday got a bit overlooked in all the Christmas hoop-lah, but she got plenty of hoop-lah with the whole Christmas celebration so I'm sure she is okay with it. We're excited to hit the year mark. She is still itty bitty baby girl, although slowly maturing!

!

Kansas Blizzard

2009-12-26T21:31:00.000-08:00

A blizzard hit Kansas on Christmas Eve, and it's still snowing 2 days later. Very unusual weather for Kansas. I can't remember ever having this much snow, and the puppies are loving it! We're having a hard time getting Lemon to come inside! You can see from the pictures that the drifts in places are at least 3 feet deep. It is a hoot watching them bound, wade, roll, and just lay in the snow.

Papa's Birthday

2009-12-26T21:26:00.000-08:00

The puppies got Chris a birthday card for his 25th birthday to thank him for everything he does for them (play, buy food, etc...). You can see what the card says below. After Chris got the card in the evelope, he showed it to Jackson, who, very uncharacteristically, grabbed the card, ran into the other room and started shredding it to pieces. I'm worried I may have been putting words into his mouth...

Halloween (better late than never)

2009-12-26T21:22:00.001-08:00

Holiday Etiquette for Dogs

2009-12-17T19:09:00.000-08:00

Saw this on one of the list-servs and thought it was cute:

Holiday Etiquette for Dogs

1. Be especially patient with your humans during this time. They may appear to be more stressed out than usual, and they will appreciate long comforting dog leans.

2. They may come home with large bags of things they call gifts. Most of this stuff is not for you...

3. Be tolerant if your humans put decorations on you. They seem to get some special kind of pleasure out of seeing how you look with fake antlers.

4. They may bring a large tree into the house and set it up in a prominent place and cover it with lights and decorations. Bizarre as this may seem to you, it is an important ritual for your humans, so there are something you need to know:

--Don't lift your left on the tree.
--Don't drink water in the container that holds the tree.
--Mind your tail when you're near the tree.
--If there are packages under the tree, even ones that smell interesting or that have your name on them, don't rip them open.
--Don't chew on the cord that runs from the funny-looking hole in the wall to the tree.

5. Your humans may occasionally invite lots of strangers to come visit during this season. These parties can be lots of fun, but you have to mind your manners or your humans will lock you up:

--Not all strangers appreciate kisses and leans.
--Don't eat off the buffet table.
--Beg for goodies subtly.
--Be pleasant, even if unknowing strangers sit on your couch.
--Don't drink out of glasses that are left within your reach.

6. Likewise, your humans may take you visiting. Here your manners will also be important:

--Observe all the rules in #4 for trees that may be in other people's houses.
--Respect the territory of other canines and felines that may live in the house.
--Go easy on the kids in the house.

7. On December 24th, a big man with a white beard and a very loud laugh may emerge from your fireplace in the middle of the night. DON'T BITE HIM!!!!

Belleville Results

2009-12-07T08:35:00.000-08:00

Jackson is now major pointed! He took a major on Sunday, so now we only need one more major and one more minor point for him to finish! Lemon, despite having a gimpy week, took major reserve on Sunday as well, which is pretty exciting! Congrats to Tracey and Chan's puppy girl Ziva who took a major both days and BOB on Saturday. Pretty impressive stuff for a little girl!! Very fun weekend in all, and great to get together with all of our Berner friends. A little bit of a stressful trip home... we didn't make it more than a block when a belt broke in the motor home. Chris did something under the hood and we started a nerve racking trip home, driving into snow! BUT, we made it safe and sound. Now the Berners are resting up from a long weekend of being beautiful (and crazy), and I'm getting the book out to get ready for finals!

Belleville

2009-12-04T10:41:00.000-08:00

We're leaving in a few hours for Belleville, and I'm hoping Jackson comes home with two majors to his name. It has been a stressful week, with the show being the weekend before my finals start and Lemon injuring a front leg on top of it. As Lemon is needed to make the major, we've been doing everything possible to get her leg better so she'll ready for this weekend (and of course so that she'll feel better). Poor thing has barely been out of her crate all week, but it looks like her limp is gone, or at least almost gone, so the rest has been good for her.

More Pics from Springfield

2009-11-30T16:27:00.000-08:00

Lemmie showing on Saturday, still working on stacking. She seems to hold still better with a target:

Diane and handsome Fisher man:

Teasor looking beautiful for her point:

And Ruckus, gorgeous as always:

What judge wouldn't place all three of them? In order, Ruckus as Best of Breed, Fisher as Best of Winners, Teasor as Winners Bitch:

Lemmie getting ready for the fun match:

Chris getting ready for the fun match:

Jackson getting ready for the fun match:

One of the goldens looking on, so cute:

Jackson at the fun match:

This is Lemon's 1/2 sister at the fun match:

Lemon and Chris, showing their stuff:

Cute, cute St. Bernard puppy:

Newfie pups:

And my cute, cute pups:

Antlers Chews

2009-11-18T19:35:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting antler chews for the dogs for a while, but they're expensive! One of our friends who hunts found an antler naturally dropped in the woods and gave it to us! Chris cut it into three pieces, and the dogs LOVE them! After a day of hard chewing, they're no worse for the wear. Lemmie is a tad annoying, as she wants all 3 pieces, or at least whichever antler Jackson has. Poor Jackson...

Another Modeling Picture

2009-11-18T19:33:00.001-08:00

I got the disc in the mail today with all his pictures on it. This one is my favorite!

Sample Photo of Jackson's Modeling

2009-11-17T13:03:00.000-08:00

Springfield Show

2009-11-09T16:53:00.001-08:00

We were in Springfield, MO this last weekend for a show. Only Lemmie showed, and no big wins this weekend. We did have a blast though. Jeff and Diane were there, and they swept up all the wins in goldens on Saturday, and went on to group. All of the pictures below are from the fun match, which was great. More pictures to come eventually. Chris took in Lemon and they had a lot of fun together. I took Jack in since he was throwing a temper tantrum out in the moho. He didn't quite understand why it wasn't about him this weekend!

One little piggy...

2009-11-04T19:56:00.000-08:00

Definitely some creepy eyes, but here is Lemon's piggy costume. I've got more pictures of the three of them together that I haven't uploaded yet.

2008 Halloween!!!

2009-10-27T08:15:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd post some pictures of last years Halloween (although I probably shouldn't since we are reusing costumes this year). My mom is making Lemmie a piggy costume this year so she'll fit in!

Update

2009-10-26T08:31:00.000-07:00

Not too much going on lately. 2 weekends ago we were in Dallas visiting friends. Lemon got to take the trip with us and enjoyed her first dose of smothering attention from Chris and I while Jack and Hilga played with my folks for the weekend. We stayed in Diane's apartment in Irving, where Lemon was lavished with tons of attention from neighbors and on walks. Fun weekend for her, but no pictures.

This past weekend we took the moho down to Manhattan for KSU Homecoming. Had lots of fun with friends, and hung out with Chris's sister Danielle. The pups were glad to tag along and enjoyed their first KSU tailgate. Lemon was sporting her purple KSU jersey (she is still small enough to fit into it!), and we loaned her to one of our friends who walked her around and showed her off (i.e. pick up girls). Anyways, fun weekend for everyone! Although a bit crowded in the moho with 3 dogs and 4-11 adults at various points.

We're planning on heading to Springfield to show Lemon November 7th/8th.

BIG CONGRATS TO MURPHY, JEFF, AND DIANE WHO WERE BIG WINNERS IN THE VETERANS SWEEPSTAKES AT GOLDEN NATIONALS YESTERDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lemon's First Point

2009-10-12T11:38:00.000-07:00

We had a really fun weekend showing in Lawrence on Saturday and Sunday. We drove the moho down, and had quite the set-up with Jeff and Diane as our neighbors. Most dog-showers bring x-pens to set up around their moho to keep dogs in. Chris and I decided to go the classy, more flexible route and use green (green is much classier than orange) snow fence. Even after my practice run (done in the Cooper's yard), it was a bit of a challenge to get everything set up to perfection. But, it worked out great! We shoud have taken pictures...

Friday night, the 4 of us did a toast to at least someone getting points on Saturday, which just didn't happen. Between Lemon, Jackson, Fisher and Teazer, no winners at all, even with an overwhelming fan base. (Thanks to mom, dad, Kara, Jim, Rita, Danielle and anyone else I'm forgetting that came out to watch!!) Lemon did get reserve, and she won her puppy class, which meant she went on to puppy group, where she got second. I was convinced by Saturday night she was destined to only take 2nd place for the rest of her life (not that I'm not happy with 2nd place!).

Sunday things got much better. Fisher took Winner's Dog! Lemon got her first point going Winner's Bitch. She was very cute, and is finally stacking and letting the judge check her teeth (big winner in itself!). The judge pretty much said she wanted to put Lemon up for Best of Breed, but she gave Jack the cross-over and put Jackson up as Best of Breed. Jack went on to group, but didn't do anything there placement wise except be very well-behaved and beautiful (minus a very short barking incident).

We are having a few issues with barking in the ring. If you know my dogs, that isn't hard to imagine. It always gets a few laughs when they bark, and I'm trying to convince my dogs they are models, not comedians. It isn't a big deal to bark once or twice, as long as they are cute and not totally distracting. The best bark of the weekend was in puppy group, the judge was making cuts, and said "I'll keep the Bernese", which Lemon followed with a very low, cute bark. Everyone laughed. That I'm okay with. Jackson barking on the down and back during group with the grown up, professionally handled dogs in the ring... not a fan of! But poor Jackson, what can you do when you've got that much personality?

Trust (or lack of)

2009-10-01T18:14:00.000-07:00

Chris will occasionally carry Lemon around the house on his shoulder, so I took a few pictures because its cute. Lemon loves it, look how relaxed she is:

Chris thought he would try Hilga as well. She isn't quite as trusting as Lemon is as you can see from the pictures. Ever since she came to live with us, if you do something with her body that she isn't comfortable with, she stiffens up and resists. We call it going into rigor mortis (a little morbid I know). When you try to push her over on the bed, she stiffens her legs and pushes back. When I trim her feet (I flip them over on their backs to trim their feet with their heads in my lap), her legs go totally stiff, straight up in the air. So, we weren't surprised to see her go all rigor mortis when Chris lifted her up on his shoulders.

Chris thought it would help if he walked her around a bit... it didn't:

I challenged Chris that he wouldn't be able to carry Jackson around because he was too big. Chris said that of course he could! I'd like to point out that I was right. Jackson thought he wanted to play too, but I think he realized pretty quickly that he prefers all 4 feet on the ground. I said he was like the fat girl from the Friends episode. She wants to dance on Ross's feet because all the other little girls are doing it, but she weighs to much. So sad... :

Chris sizing up Jackson...

Yep, not gonna happen...

Amazing Feat

2009-09-29T07:29:00.000-07:00

Lemon has amazed us for 3 nights in a row now (yes 3 nights, so it is a bit unbelievable I haven't caught it on camera yet). I got the dogs bones, and Lemon just goes crazy over them. She LOVES her bones. I let her chew on it for 15-20 minutes, and then I take the bones away and put them on the fireplace mantle to be enjoyed at a later date. Lemon, knowing they're up there, started out putting her feet up on the hearth (am I getting my fireplace vocab right? hearth is the thing you can sit on...) and sniff the air for the bones. But THEN, she figured out that she gets a teensy bit closer if she just stands, feet in the air and sniffs for them. So that is what she'll do, just pop up on her back feet, paws in begging pose, little nose in the air, and stand there, swaying back and forth for a few seconds (and if you really think about it, a few seconds is a long time). I find this incredibly unusual behavior for a Berner, at least compared to the 2 Berners we have. Berners aren't typically known for that kind of agility. Chris, of course, thinks his little girl is "brilliant", "talented", and "just the cutest thing ever," among other over the top adjectives. I'm going to have to start agreeing that she is at least smart enough to be coniving. Whenever she does this cute standing manuever, Chris gets up and gets her bone for her. "Ohhhh... Pito wants her bone back, doesn't she?"

Plaza Art Fair

2009-09-27T13:53:00.000-07:00

Every year in Kansas City, the plaza hosts an art fair where vendors from all over the nation come display their art on the streets of the plaza. It is always fun to walk around and see everything. This year, we took Hilga with us. The plaza was packed, but she did a great job and everyone loved her.

People just absolutely love Berners, and there probably wasn't a minute that passed the whole time we were there that people weren't asking: "what breed is she", "is that a bernese?", "is that a bermese?", "I just love tri-colored australian shepherds", "isn't she small for her breed?", "is she a puppy still?", "can I pet her?", "does she shed?"

And I said: "bernese mountain dog", "yes", "yes" (n vs. m, who cares?), smile for the australian shepherd comment, "yes, shes a bit smaller than our other two", "nope, she is 5" (Hilga certainly didn't mind people thinking she was younger than she is), "of course you can pet her, she is VERY friendly, even if a little overwhelmed", and "YES".

It is so good for Hilga to go out in situations like that, and she really did do a great job. She loves pets of any kind, even if she is more of a 'let people approach me' kind of girl. People are so interested in the breed, and I love going out and talking to people about them. I dropped the HBMDC and BARC name a lot. I also love any excuse to get the dogs out and do something interesting with them. It was a BIG night for Hilga.

Anyways, I have a couple pictures. They didn't turn out great, but here they are:

Wanna Be a Super Model

2009-09-22T09:39:00.000-07:00

Jackson just got back from his first modeling gig, posing with a girl for a flea prevention product called Comfortis. I was a little nervous about how he would do in a strange setting with all new people, but he did a great job. I'm sure he felt a little comforted that his friends Gary and Moritz were there. He was very friendly and outgoing with everyone, and he even had to pose while his mama stood in a different room out of sight!! Hopefully I'll get some copies of his pictures in a few weeks and post them.

Pictures: Gray Summit Group on Friday

2009-09-21T22:13:00.001-07:00

Gray Summit Show

2009-09-20T20:05:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a GREAT 3-day weekend showing in Gray Summit. It was our maiden voyage for the moho, and she made the 5 hour trip with ease. We had a bit of a rough start as the pups were very surprised by the rattling when we first took off. All 3 tried to climb over/under the front seats. I ended up with Lemon at my feet on the floor board, Jackson in my lap, and Hilga trying to climb over the back of my seat. Jackson finally figured out that he could sit on the bed in the back and look out the window (one of his favorite things to do, what a smart boy), and luckily Hilga and Lemon caught on to that concept for the trip home. Because Chris had class Thursday night, we didn't get to Purina Farms until 4:00 am Friday morning. We got in a few hours of sleep before we set up for the weekend.

Friday:

We decided not to show Lemon. She was a little grouchy after not getting much sleep, didn't want to come out of her crate to get groomed... And we figure 3 days is a lot showing for a puppy. Since we want to keep it fun for her, we let her rest on Friday. It was actually really peaceful only showing one dog. Doing the hand-off between Jack and Lemon gets me a little flustered, because Chris has to bring the dogs over, I have to get new treats, switch my armband, etc... all in time to get back in the ring with the right dog. So, it was relaxing to only have Jack. Well... it would have been relaxing, but he was girl-crazy this weekend. 3 of the Berner girls were in season, so he was very anxious, very determined, and VERY interested in what the girls were doing. It made showing him a challenge, but he still did great! I feel like we reached the next level of handling this weekend, where we aren't totally lost on what we're supposed to be doing anymore!! On Friday Jackson took Best of Breed, which was a big accomplishment as there was some good competition this weekend. The judge was very excited about him, which we appreciated, since we think he is great too!! After group the judge came up again and told us what a wonderfully sound Berner he is (of course, the judge didn't think he was great enough to put him up in group, but we appreciated the compliment anyway!!!). I'm sure part of the problem in group was the soundness of the handler!!! Although... Chris was kind enough to tell me that while we weren't perfect, neither Jackson nor I stuck out like a sore thumb in group. Chris was able to take some pictures which I will post tomorrow!

Almost forgot, we did have one funny incident in group. The Saint Bernard in front of Jackson was peeing on everything, so Jack wanted to follow him and remark the spots as his own. Well, I was really watching him since they really aren't supposed to pee in the ring. He was DETERMINED that he was going to pee on a pole and was pulling me over. I grabbed him around the stomach to pull him away, accidentally applying pressure to the kidney area, and he let out this big yelp (probably out of frustration more than anything that he wasn't getting to pee where he wanted) like I had kicked him in the gut or something. The people watching looked at me in horror for "abusing" my dog in the ring, or maybe because he was so out of control trying to pee on everything... anyways, they were horrified. The good news is I'm at the point in the ring where we're having fun, and I don't really care what the random watchers think!! If only they saw him today when he tried to mark our umbrella while we were standing watching the newfie's show. Unfortunately the umbrella was leaning up against my leg... After that I thought he probably deserves a good punch to the kidney every now and then (not that I ever would!!!). Like I said, with all the girls in season (we'll blame it on them), he was a little out of control this weekend with his macho manliness. Even more out of control than usual.

Saturday:

On Saturday Jackson took Winners Dog, and Lemon took Reserves. Lemon didn't get a point, but it was a nice acknowledgement from the judge, and we were glad to see some interest in Lemon. She was very cute this weekend once she got groomed up. She will definitely benefit from some handling classes, but I'm very excited to show her in Lawrence. The most fun part of Saturday was seeing all the Berners that came out!!! Not only did was have 9 Berners in the show, Jackson's brother, Chief, our old foster Hannah along with her Berner friend Penny, and Lemon's 1/2 brother Ozzy all came out to watch and BBQ afterwards. It was GREAT to get to spend some time getting to know people I'd only emailed with prior to this weekend and meet dogs that I've heard so much about!!! I was going to take a lot of pictures at the BBQ and completely forgot!!!

Sunday:

Jackson took Best of Breed again, and Lemon took Reserves again. The judge showed a lot of interest in Lemon and we may have been close to getting her first point, but she was a wiggly puppy and did not show very well. Again, she'll benefit from conformation classes!!

So, that is a pretty good sum-up of our weekend. We LOVED having the motor home. Made the show a million times more fun and less stressful. Can't wait for the Lawrence show on October 10th and 11th. I'll post some pictures tomorrow.

Labor Day Weekend Socialization

2009-09-09T13:59:00.000-07:00

I was very happy with Lemon this weekend. She took her first boat trip to an outdoor restaurant down at the Ozarks. First, she pranced right onto the boat like she has been taking boat rides every day of her life. She was never nervous or afraid, just stood on the floor, looking over the side at the water below. Fabulous! This was also her first time going to an Ozark restaurant, which tend to be especially crowded and loud on holiday weekends. Again, she did a great job. Tail never stopped wagging. She greeted every person who approached her happily and enthusiastic to recieve pets. It is a relief to have such an outgoing, happy-go-lucky Berner. Hilga is always open to pets, but gets very nervous in new situations. Jackson lets people pet him, but he typically never enjoys touches from strangers. He always looks at me like "mom, who is this person touching me????" Little Lemon goes crazy when anyone approaches, I worry she'll take off in flight her tail is wagging so hard.

Retraction

2009-09-02T09:06:00.001-07:00

I retract anything good I said about Lemon last Tuesday. In the last week, she chewed up my FAVORITE pair of shoes (very cute Madden Girl gray and black checkered peep-toe pumps). She had three accidents. She destroyed one of our kitchen rugs. She resorted back to eating poop one day. She is still VERY much a puppy.

Transformations

2009-09-02T08:29:00.000-07:00

I was thrilled to get an email this morning from Pat Stokes, Hannah's mom. I knew when I was fostering Hannah that it was going to take a VERY special family to adopt her and bring her out of her shyness. We knew it was going to be a long process and patience, understanding, and unconditional love would be needed. Hannah ended up with the perfect family who has given her all of those things. She has been with the Pat and her husband for almost a year now, and is looking absolutely wonderful. These pictures alone show the amount of care that she has been given this last year, and the difference a loving home makes. She looks healthy and happy, and from what I hear from Pat, she is coming along very well with her shyness problems.

Even from my limited experience, I know that rescues (especially from puppy mill situations) can be very difficult and heartbreaking. This is one of those situations that reminds us all that the risk of heartbreak is worth helping these dogs along into loving homes.

Hannah's before pictures:

Hannah's after pictures (I think the differences speak for themselves):

Show Pictures!!! (Thanks Mom!!)

2009-08-26T17:21:00.001-07:00

Lemon is growing up...

2009-08-25T20:54:00.000-07:00

I certainly do my fair share of complaining about Lemon. I love her to death, but she is her papa's girl, and she picks on Jackson and Hilga endlessly. I'm not necessarily a puppy person. Yes, they are certainly cute. But, there is a lot to be said about bringing a dog like Hilga home (potty trained, never chewed on anything, invisible leash and all of that good stuff). Puppies are a certain challenge, and I feel like it takes a while for their personalities to develop in a way that makes them distinct. I remember with Jackson, I couldn't wait for him to reach that year point. I thought at the time I was just excited to see what a full size Berner was really like (since he was our first). I thought with our second puppy, Lemon, I would enjoy the puppy stage more, not wanting her to get older. I'm finding there are a lot of reasons why I'm not sad to say goodbye to puppydom. Not that we're there yet, but I can tell we're getting closer!!

We definitely had our struggles with Lemon... the most obvious being that it took her about 5 months to pick up on potty training. But, I can now officially say that she is house-trained. We have finally reached one month of no accidents (except for one potty accident that I am not including because it's my tally and I get to do it how I want).

She has finally stopped running back to our closet and gleefully prancing back with a prize (one of my favorite shoes) in her mouth. In fact, she barely ever plays with anything but her toys (although she does a good job of destroying those).

She no longer eats poop (at least when we're watching...and her breath isn't giving her away, so I'm going with her no longer eating poop). She does sometimes gaze longingly at it with her nose within inches (a little too close for my comfort), but is happy to leave it with a slow warning "Lemmmmon". No longer am I chasing her through the yard with her tossing poop in the air (where it once landed on my arm).

She's her papa's girl. Her antics (which make me roll my eyes because she is such an attention hog) always make him smile, even when he is fed up with the craze that having three huge dogs can bring. When he's pulled the coffee table in because he needs space from the dogs, and Lemmie crawls up the other side, runs and leaps on his head, all he does is laugh.

Speaking of running and leaping on things, she is our little Torpedo dog. No one is safe from the zoomies, which always end with a leap onto a lap, into someones legs, or if you're a guy, straight into the crotch.

Despite the broken leg scare (actually just a bruise) that happened on my birthday, we've spent far less time at the vet with her than we have with any of our others. Every time Jackson looked at me wrong his first year, we were at the vet. I like to think we were Dr. Shelor's favorite clients. We were certainly single handedly supporting his practice. It's amazing how fragile Berner puppies are for such big dogs. You can really tell when they start to reach a more solid point sometime after their first year. Before that, if they run too fast (which isn't that fast), they're almost certainly going to take a tumble, go to the vet, and so on. I think it took Chris a couple $100 in vet bills before he realized I wasn't just paranoid, not that he would ever take any risks with his little Lemmie's health!!!

Now that she has mastered potty training, she doesn't have to sleep in her crate at night anymore! There is absolutely nothing she loves more than the fact that she gets to sleep on the bed. Her favorite place is the pillow. Every night Lemon and I battle it out, because the strict rules of the house are dogs can only lay on top of the sheet. We try for some kind of dog hair control, not that it makes any difference. By the time we fuss and fight over which part of the bed she has to lay on, the dog hair is flying.

She has finally learned that she is supposed to sit in the back seat of the car. I don't spend the 3 hour trips to the lake (the WHOLE 3 hours) pushing her back where she belongs anymore. We're probably down to about 30 minutes.

For a puppy, she has amazing recall! Jack had a mind of his own when he was a puppy, especially when it was time to stop playing, which often resulted in us chasing him down when he was off leash. With Lemon, if you just kneel down and call her in a happy voice, there is no place she'd rather be than right there with you!

I finally feel like I really know her, although her personality is of course still developing. She is a HAPPY puppy. She isn't as selective in who she loves as Jack and Hilga are, which is really nice to have, especially when you already have dogs who can occasionally be shy. No worrying when we go places that she might be freaked out by something. She loves all people. No worrying that she'll back away from a judge, just worried that she'll clobber him with kisses. She wants very much to please us. She loves to play. She loves to snuggle. She loves food!

Next on the list of things for her to learn are all about showing... Stand still for exams. Stacking. Gaiting without her nose on the ground, looking for treats other handlers have dropped. No sleeping in the ring. Hopefully we'll have all those things ready by the time she enters the 9-12 mth puppy group!

Kansas City Dog Show

2009-08-24T07:19:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend at the KC Dog Show! Jackson got the cross over point both days, which brings him up to 3 points!! Lemmie is still a squirmy wormy and was the big loser of the weekend, but I think she is having fun. I'm loving her tempermant at the shows. She gets so excited when the judge comes over to check her over that her whole body is quivering, tail is wagging so hard her whole body is wagging. THAT, we can work with!!! Pictures to come...

Happy 3rd Birthday Jackson!!!

2009-08-12T19:03:00.001-07:00

The old Swiss saying regarding Berners goes "3 years a bad dog, 3 years a good dog, 3 years an old dog, and the rest is a gift." Jack has certainly enjoyed his first 3 years, but you can definitely tell that he has matured this past year. We woke up yesterday morning and had a talk about how our expectations have changed now that he is 3 years old! Suprisingly, he continues to bark at us. I have a feeling no matter how old he gets, that will still be Jackson! Every morning he wakes up with crazy excitement to start a new day. We typically appreciate him for his spirit and enthusiasm for life (I do better at this appreciation than Chris). Couldn't love him any more!

Omaha Dog Show

2009-07-13T21:24:00.000-07:00

Jack got his first point this weekend in Omaha! He took winners dog! I'm still trying to catch up on all the dog show lingo, so I hope that is right. I handled him for the second time, and for the first time all on my own. It was a little crazy trying to figure out what exactly to do and when to do it, but luckily all of the other Berner handlers were very nice and helpful. All 5 of us had a blast in Omaha for the weekend. Lemon was very tired by the second day and was definitely lagging during her show time. Hilga got to see Kathy and a lot of the people who knew her back in Des Moines before she came to live with us! They were all happy to see her with her tail wagging! Jack was wonderful and beautiful as always! Unfortunately, we didn't get very many pictures since Chris was handing off dogs to me and it was all very confusing. But, here are the pictures we did get:

Hilga and Lemon snuggled up on the car ride to Omaha:

Chris enjoying the hotel life (hard to tear him away from cable tv):

Jackson all gussied up for the show ring:

Hilga and Lemon enjoying our new luxury sized crate:

Lake Weekend

2009-06-22T18:05:00.001-07:00

Jeff is SOOOO 50!!!!

2009-05-25T17:13:00.000-07:00

We had a big Cooper birthday celebration at the lake this weekend. On May 29th, Jeff turns 50 and I turn 24. The pictures should explain it all. More pictures to come of general Memorial Day weekend fun!

Jim's tribute; inspired by Jeff's "Rita is 50" and Chris's question "Rita is so what?":

Amazing cakes (Murphy and Jackson heads):

Wait... were there 2 cakes? Oh no, this is a cheese ball creation (there is a 24 cheese ball as well):

Shrimp Daddy's Celebration:

Lemon's First Show Exposure

2009-05-19T11:57:00.000-07:00

We took Lemon out to a show in Gardner this weekend just to get used to the environment. It can be pretty overwhelming, even for a well-socialized puppy. People and dogs everywhere, blow-dryers going, tables clanging, etc... She did great! Chris and I were so proud of her. Her breeder was there showing one of her dogs, and Lemon's sister was also there! They were so cute together and looked a lot alike! Pictures:

Lemon is a hoot/annoying in the car. She has quite the sense of entitlement and thinks she deserves to be up front with the people. In a compromise, we sometimes let her climb on middle console. She lays spread eagle with her tummy on the console and her back feet hanging off the back:

This is Dawn's boy Forrest getting ready to go into the ring for best in breed (which he won):

Here is Lemon hanging out with her sister Lily:

And a picture of Lily up close, don't they look alike?

Here is Forrest in Group:

And some of the other dogs in group:

BIG Great Dane:

Lemon talking to the camera:

Beautiful Day in KC

2009-05-11T15:26:00.000-07:00

We had a PERFECT weather day today. So, after doing some yard work, I pulled the baby pool out to let the dogs play for a while and then we got the grooming table out to practice with Lemon. Jackson loves to splash around and dig at the water. Lemon is still making up her mind. I hope she likes water since we spend so much time at the lake. Jacks LOVES the grooming table, Hilga tolerates it, and Lemon still doesn't know what to think. She is not a fan of the dryer, but seems happy enough to be up on the table and getting attention. Pictures...

This is Jack cooling off on the new tiled laundry room floor. Chris is glad someone around here appreciates his hard work!

Happy Belated 5th Birthday Hilga!!!

2009-05-10T22:22:00.000-07:00

Our Little Girl Is Growing Up...

2009-04-23T15:28:00.000-07:00

Darkening legs and just the slighest bit of grown-up hair on her tail. Puppy fuzz will be gone before we know it!

The one is for Sarah!

2009-04-22T07:53:00.000-07:00

My friend Sarah has been giving me a hard time about not posting lately, so here is a post of pictures, and hopefully I can get back into this! I'm not really the scrapbooking type, so I was hoping I would be able to keep up the blog, and then use that to make a scrapbook of her first year eventually (ahh...good intentions).

If you want to put clothes on them, you've got to do it while they're still small enough that they make clothes to fit them (she really is our "top dog"):

You think he wants some attention?

Lemon does the cutest thing. She loves to climb up on the fireplace and lay down. You makes a great decoration:

Sorry, the camera is on some weird setting for all of the next pictures. But, you can see how big she's getting. Chris and I were comparing pictures yesterday, just looking at how long her legs are compared to the little stumps she came with at 8 weeks:

Getting close to too big to pick up, but not quite yet (and Chris claims he can still pick up Jackson if the need ever arises...for Jack's sake I hope it never does):

Look how big she is! There are a couple pictures just like this earlier in the blog if you want to compare:

Playing outside:

The next picture I am thrilled about (not the picture, but the situation)! When we had Hannah, our foster, Hilga was like a different dog. Her and Jackson had never played together (not for lack of trying on Jack's part). When Hannah was here, Hilga was playing and happy, and just really came out of her shell. When we placed Hannah in a home, Hilga had a set back, and was probably a bit more mopey than she was to begin with. I was hoping by adding another little girl, Hilga might perk up a bit and play. At first Hilga wasn't really sure about the little thing we brough home, but now she is playing! Just last night I caught Hilga and Lemon playing tug of war with a toy. That was only the second time I have ever seen a toy in Hilga's mouth! So this is a picture of all three of them playing in the back yard (you can see Hilga is right in the mix):

And this is a video of them playing a little bit. You can see how happy Hilga is:

Easter

2009-04-22T07:49:00.001-07:00

For Easter we did a little treat hunt. They LOVED it. It was so funny to watch how quickly they caught on to the game and how good their noses are!!

The anticipation:

Phone Pictures

2009-03-23T09:42:00.000-07:00

Obviously I'm a little bored at school today, so I decided to upload some of the pictures from my phone onto my computer. Sometimes there just isn't enough time to run and grab the camera to capture those naturally cute moments. Luckily I usually have my phone close by! These aren't neccesarily recent...

Lemon's first trip to Lowes:

Lemon sweetly resting her head on Hilga's foot, right before she bites it:

Our snuggly Hilga getting loved on by Chris:

All three (I love it when Lemon curls up against their stomachs and between their legs):

Half in, half out, too tired to care:

Snoozing back to back:

My First Unchie Munchie Day

2009-03-23T07:42:00.000-07:00

The Coopers had a tradition while Chris and Danielle were growing up to have an Unchie Munchie day once a year. Everyone would take a sick day, each family member would pick an activity, and the whole family would spend the day together. Some of the past activities I've heard about were tasting each of the 31 flavors at Baskin Robins, having a picnic, planting flowers, getting a massage, and the list goes on.

Anyways, over Spring Break, I got to experience my first Cooper Unchie Munchie day. Chris took the day off work on Friday and we headed down to the lake Thursday night to meet up with Jim, Rita and Danielle.

We spend a good part of the day down at Bagnell Dam before heading back to the lake house. Activities were: Rita--Old Time Photos, Kelli--Haunted House, Jim--best burgers ever, Danielle--arcade, Chris--hike with dogs (luckily he decided not to go with the polar bear plunge, although we were all ready for it!).

The Haunted Hotel...surprisingly spooky for being the middle of the day:

Skee ball at the arcade:

Random Lake Attraction that we walked by/very big tree:

Hiking with the pups:

The whole gang (7 total, a little crazy perhaps, but keeps us on our toes!):

Grooming!

2009-03-23T07:26:00.000-07:00

Lemon got up on the grooming table for the first time last week. Things have been crazy with school for a while, so I as thankful for a day over spring break to give the dogs a bath and groom them. There is nothing Jackson and Hilga love more than being up on the table and getting some one on one attention. Hopefully Lemon learns to feel the same way about it (since she'll probably be spending a lot of time there!). I groomed Jack and Hilga, then put Lemon up for just a few minutes, combed her a little and gave her lots of treats. She did great! Now we've just got to get her convinced that trimming feet and nails is as much fun!

Jack and Lemon

2009-03-15T16:06:00.001-07:00

Lemon's First Bath

2009-03-14T22:42:00.001-07:00

No one is happy about this bath... (Chris thought I should maybe put down the camera and be more involved with the holding, scrubbing and rinsing rather than the documenting of the moment). But, she was clean and fluffy when it was all over and done with.

Making Progress...

2009-03-14T22:21:00.000-07:00

Once again, it has been a while since the last post, so lots of new pictures. Lemon went to the vet on Thursday and weighed 18lbs, doubled in weight since we brought her home. Just this weekend she seems to FINALLY be getting potty training. I think part of it is that she has learned to walk down the two steps to the backyard, so instead of getting carried to the potty spot, she walks herself. It seems to have made it kick in to her brain where the potty spot actually is, and she is going to the door now when she has to potty! Pictures...

Lemon with her Papa:

Helping Papa with the laundry room trim:

How cute is this?

Beautiful boy:

Everyone hanging out in the yard:

Hilga's classic pose:

Jackson hanging out with Uncle Spencer:

Lemon snuggling up with Jackson:

Puppy play:

The best natural pose ever, I only wish I could have gotten closer before she moved!

Lemon:

Best Buddies

2009-03-05T19:29:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted my pictures in a while, so some of these are from last week and some are from this week. It is amazing how big Lemon is already, and she'll only be 10 weeks tomorrow. It is fun watching her and Jackson learn to play together, and we're so happy for Jackson that he finally has a playmate. Hilga has finally learned to tell Lemon to get off when Lemon is darting between her legs and biting her. It is the sweetest thing. Hilga opens her mouth really wide and gently places it on the back of Lemon's head with an agitated notise (not even a growl). For the most part it works. So, I am happy they have found a way to peacefully sort things out! Pictures...

Last week Lemon went to visit my dad at the office. She met A LOT of new people and had a great time running around and getting into trouble.

Laying sweetly with Hilga for the time being:

Cuddled up with Jackson:

Jack and Lemon enjoying the beautiful day:

Lemon's First Big Snow

2009-03-02T14:14:00.000-08:00

Weekend of Firsts

2009-03-02T07:45:00.000-08:00

Chris and I headed down to his parent's lake house this weekend with Jack, Hilga and Lemon. Jim and Rita weren't able to go, so it was just us and the dogs at the house. It was Lemon's first trip to the lake. All in all she had a great weekend. For a puppy it is a really exciting and stimulating environment. Lots of new sniffs, the actual lake, lots of tools around the house that are new and different, etc... I am so mad at myself because I forgot our camera, but hopefully we'll get some pictures from Jeff in the next few days that I'll post.

On Saturday, Chris and I went to Preston (about 40 mintues from the lake house) to visit my grandparents. Chris's uncle and aunt, Jeff and Diane, live down the road and Jeff watched Lemon for us while we were gone. Jeff and Diane have a house full of goldens, and they are the perfect pack to socialize a puppy in. It is important for Lemon to learn that she can't be as abrasive with all dogs as Jackson and Hilga allow her to be, and this was a great opportunity for her to be put in her place and given limits in a safe environment. Jackson also spent a lot of time with the goldens as a puppy, and I think it was really good for him, although he proved to be very resilient to any 'lessons' regarding being abrasive. So anyways, it was Lemon's first golden experience!

It started snowing about the time Chris and I left for my grandparents, and by the time we got back about 4 hours later, the snow had really started accumulating. When we left the main road to head towards the lake house, I was terrified. These days, I can be a little tense in the car anyway, but when the anti-lock brakes kick in and we hardly have any control of the truck, I freak out! I was just glad the dogs weren't in the car. Somehow we made it back to Jeff's house to pick up Lemon and went in and talked for a few minutes. It continued to snow. Jeff lives at the bottom of a long, very steep hill that we have to go up to get back to our lake house. The truck would not make it up! We ended up having to leave the truck at Jeff's house, grab Lemon, her crate and our coats and hike back home.

Jackson and Hilga (who were left at our lake house) were so excited to see us coming down the hill. Jackson was jumping at the door and...knocked the dead bolt into the lock position (we learned our lesson about carrying a key with us!). Chris and I just kind of looked at each other in disbelief. We started checking windows and amazingly (we couldn't believe this), one was actually open. So, we were able to get into the house after only about 20 minutes of panic. In the meantime a huge chunk of snow fell out of a tree and landed on Chris's head. I had to giggle.

So, Lemon got to enjoy her first snow. And it was a real deal first snow. We must have gotten 6 inches. She loved it! We had a hard time getting her to come inside. It ended up being a beautiful day, and it was kind of fun being snowed in for the day. It was my first time getting snowed in somewhere! We ended up making it out of the neighborhood Saturday night in Jeff's big car to go to dinner, and Lemon slept peacefully in her crate for almost 3 hours while we were gone!

The snow brought out an interesting side to Hilga. Our perfect, velco dog lost her invisible leash yesterday, another first. I was so shocked the first time she flipped me the bird that I wondered whether she was starting to lose her hearing. With me calling her name, she trotted away from me and down the ravine over to the neighbors at the lake house. Of course, once I started after her she came right back, but she ignored the recall. Then, we were all out playing in the back and she ignored me again. When we got home from the lake, everyone jumped out of the car and we were all walking inside and I looked around to do my three-count and only had two. Hilga was actually across the road in our neighborhood which is just unheard of. It isn't a busy road, but even Jackson knows you don't cross the road. In the two years we've lived in our house, this is the first time one of the dogs has gotten that far away from us off-leash in our neighborhood. We always make the trip from the car to the house off-leash, and I was shocked that it was Hilga who pushed that boundary. For now I'm hoping she was just having an off day (a snow day if you will), but I will certainly be paying close attention to her for a while.

We took Jack and Lemon down to the water before we left and she got her toes in without really even noticing she was in the water. Lemon's first water experience! Jack waded in up to his knees, but I'm sure the water was pretty cold so he didn't go much further. Hopefully Lemon likes the water like Jack but is a better swimmer!

Sunday we walked down to Jeff's to pick up the truck (all 6 inches of snow were almost gone by Sunday afternoon) and took Lemon with us to hopefully tire her out before the ride back to Olathe. She walked great on her little leash. When we got close to Jeff's, all the golden's came running to the fence barking and her eyes got wide and she turned right back around and started up the hill the way we'd come. It was pretty funny, especially since a few minutes later, after she realized they weren't going to trample her, she was right up at the fence barking at them.

So anyways, that was a really long post without even a single picture! But, it was a really fun weekend and an exciting puppy weekend. I'll try and post some pictures later on!