Getting BIG!

One benefit of working at the Animal Inn is having a key to the place. This weekend, we took advantage of it both Saturday and Sunday. We began building on our Tuesday night puppy kindergarten class that we started last week.

The first order of business was “Sit.” And as usual, a bribe was involved using food. This technique also works with college students; or when you might need something from your significant other. “Buttercup, lets go out for dinner so you don’t have to cook” and that is usually followed by, “What do you want to buy?”

The “Sit” went pretty well with both pups. Rita has a bit more attitude then Sam, but not to be outdone, Sam has the vocal chords. The next exercise was who can pee the biggest puddle on the floor Sam clearly won this one. Even I was impressed, and this from someone who likes to have a beer from time to time.

After the “Sit” was a little heeling. I am not sure what they did would be called heeling by anyones definition. More like a fit or a convulsion on a lead.

At one point someone in the class asked if we got our pups from Dave and Sandy. “Nope. They are mine, this was our litter” Dear old dad here was popping a button over this one.

Saturday and Sunday we had the Inn all to ourselves. We set up some agility equipment, tossed some tennis balls around the floor, and let them run wild. We did the “Puppy puppy” recall from across all three rings, and both pups responded perfectly. One time I did it and even Dawn came running. All those years of cheesy pick up lines and all I needed was the “Puppy puppy.” Who would have thought?

What impressed us both the most was the improvement in their heeling. I get up in the morning and walk them for a couple blocks (Separate) before Dawn gets up for work. It only takes a few minutes per dog, and the results are well worth it. We cant go too far, its cold here in the morning, and these guys are pretty young for long walks. Still, the daily trot is showing some results.

After the free for all, we snapped on a couple collars and worked them at opposite ends of the rings for about 10 minutes each, and then switched dogs. Again, both are doing great.

The highlight was the agility tunnel. We collapsed the thing, and Dawn and I got at opposite ends and called a puppy through. After a little investigation, both pups were bombing through the thing like there was nothing there. By the end of our little session, both pups were going through the tunnel after we expanded it all the way.

We are working on names also. “Paisleys a reasonable amount of trouble by Élan” or ‘Elan’s a reasonable amount of trouble by Paisley” we like for Sam. “I don't mind a reasonable amount of trouble.” Is a quote from the Maltese Falcon for those of you living in a cave. Rita, we are still working on.

Stay tuned!!

C YA

Well,

Sue picked up the rest of the pups yesterday. After they left I sat on the floor where 15 minutes earlier, they were running wild as a group for the last time. I was surrounded by newspaper, toys, gates; all the things that a bunch of pups need to enjoy themselves. Dawn had left. It was just too much. All I felt was empty. “I am not good at this part. How am I going to ever do this again if I fall apart every time a puppy goes to its new home?” I thought to myself. Then oddly enough, I thought, “I hope I never get good at this part” The same thing that makes you sleep on an air mattress for three weeks, makes you put everything else you have going in your life on hold for the welfare of these pups, also makes you fall apart when they leave.

I am wrestling about what to do with this blog. At some point, I will compile all of it from day one in some from or another. Hey Becky. Can you get me published so I can be a famous writer and go live in Paris?

As for now, if Sue leaves the link up, maybe a few posts a week, with pictures naturally,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Thanks everyone for your kind words, and support. And to all the new owners of my first litter: tommyjd@comcast.net

Updates and photos will be accepted!!

ps: grace, calm down!!!

Dogs!!

Tonight, some shots of, CARS!!! Ok, dogs. Some are mine, some for clients, some for fun, and some to meet the hot girl at the end of the lead. (I think I can actually hear Dawns eyes rolling as she reads this.)

Fail

I stared at a blank Microsoft Word page for a half hour, through tears, trying to put something on this page. I failed.

Take good care of your boy. He was a favorite at our home.

Tom, Dawn and Nicole

Pot Licker

After two days and just as many missed service appointments, we are back online. My next assignment according to Dawn is to sit down and write Comcast a scathing letter about their service and customer support. They are going to get it both barrels.

Thanksgiving! For someone who claims she cannot cook, Dawn put on a heck of a feast. I sat around most of the afternoon with my gut hanging out, moaning about fact that I over indulged. Then, I took a nap. Nothing as attractive as a middle aged man with a wife beater on, doing a carbon copy of Al Bundy. A paragon of pulchritude. Contain yourself ladies.

The nap was going well until I was awoken by a scream that would curl your hair. I bolted upstairs like my hair was on fire to find Dawn and Queela, pulling Sherman’s head out of the handle of a pot. It seems Dawn let the tank lick a bowl, and Sherman being Sherman, went nuts and got his muzzle caught in the handle. Naturally, he panicked, and started screaming. He was never in any danger, he just freaked himself out. My heart rate returned to normal about two hours later.

Three more pups are going to their new homes tomorrow. Sherman is going to his new home in Rochester MN, and Sue is taking Grace and Clark. We are going to miss Sherman around here. He has that intangible quality that is impossible to put into words. Grace and Clark are going to Sue, so we will see these two a lot.

I predict another difficult morning,,,,,,,

C YA

School

The first day of school for me was always an event. A bunch of brand new number two pencils, a half dozen new notebooks, an eraser, a few folders, several book covers, and the resolve to “Do better” this year. Within a month, the pencils were chewed like corn on the cob, the eraser got thrown at some kid in the front row, the notebooks we turned into assorted airplanes, and the book covers had enough profanity on them to get me detention for a month. By the time I got out of middle school, I was an expert at washing blackboards. There was always next year.

The pups did considerably better than I did at school tonight. Sam, Rita and Grace got the attention, like the girl in second period algebra. Everyone was fawning over them most of the evening. I took each puppy into the ring with a show lead on and just walked around. All three pee’d. I tried to get away with a lot in school, but peeing in the classroom was too radical, even for me.

Rita did NOT like the show lead one bit. She fought it most of the time, and was a little frightened until Jill fed her a few kibble. Sam was the best. He managed a few decent steps and actually LOOKED like show dog for about a nano-second. Grace was middle of the road. She was ok with it all for a few seconds, but then just wanted her dad. Smart kid. I can see more socialization is in order. Pups can go through a fear stage at eight weeks, and perhaps that’s what we had here.

Well, enough for tonight. Tomorrow is the last day of the work week for me and then four days off. All this school talk reminds me of the time me and few friends swiped the Abe Lincoln bust from the library and hung it from the maple tree outside school. My criminal career was off to a solid start.

C YA

Personality

The different personalities are really starting to emerge in the pups. In no particular order, here we go.

Ava; when you go down to the pen in the morning, she is waiting like a little lady, sitting on the pillow, alert, and calm. She loves to play, but is more reserved. “Look before you leap” might be Ava’s personality. Unlike her namesake, who drank like a fish, and rolled her Mercedes in France. Thanks to Ava Gardner, the “Gullwing” is no more.

Grace; stubborn, and tenacious. Insists on climbing out of the pen. Not afraid to mix it up with any of them. She also is a bigmouth. You have a screaming puppy, its Grace. Somehow, I don’t see her namesake climbing a wall in Monaco. Too unladylike.

Lana; behavior I would expect from a puppy. Given to bouts of craziness, followed by periods of calm. She also appears to sleep the hardest. The last to wake, and certainly the most vocal while sleeping. My Lana is a lot more reserved than her namesake, whose daughter stabbed her boyfriend to death.

Rita; of all the girls, she is the most active. The term “Climbing the walls” describes Rita. What she has in common with her namesake is beauty. I don’t think my Rita will be “Married” five times however.

Sherman; named after a tank. What can you say about a tank? Describing his personality is difficult. He is just a “Neat” dog. Neat is a technical breeder term for all you newbie’s.

Clark; if there is trouble, bet the farm Clark is involved. Reminds me of a kid on a sugar high. Remember that brat in Home Alone, who runs around screaming? Clark. I see a performance title in this ones future. Agility. I doubt the King would conduct his life in this fashion.

Sam; similar to Lana in temperament. One of the gang, yet able to relax. A tad shyer than Lana, and a polar opposite of Clark. He is staying here with Rita. I can hear the questions already; “Are you two from the same parents?”

Spencer; reserved in a “Lets look before we leap” kind of dog. Like his namesake, solid and reliable. A good solid Midwest boy.

There you go! My assessment!!

C YA

Whoever said Sunday was a day of rest never had a litter of puppies. The poop keeps dumping and the pee keeps flowing. I have been getting the question, “Are you ready for them to go yet?” and to be totally honest, I am not. We are having far too much fun with them, and the poop/pee issue is all part of it. (I am speaking for Dawn and Queela here also. Fatal mistake I know)

Spencer’s new owners called me this morning, and to be honest, it made my day. They said he did pretty well last night. He whined a few times, (Misses his breeder no doubt) and fell asleep with their son on the floor. Photo-op time! They also wouldn’t be against possibly having Sue or I show him a little! Paper/Rock/Scissors for the handling assignment Sue!!

My sister came over this afternoon with her three kids. I think she was overwhelmed. Puppy raising is entirely too messy and chaotic for her taste. This from a woman with three kids under four years old.

And before I forget, here I was thinking I was the photographer in the house. Here we are, Lana and Myself. Nap time.

C YA

I placed my first dog this morning. I was doing ok; until I sat down to write this blog for the evening. Then it all just fell apart.

Take good care of your boy.

C YA

Milestones

Milestones. Your first crush, (Judy Anderson) your first car, (Monte Carlo) when you lost your, (Car keys) I BET you thought I was going somewhere else with that one didn’t you? And placing your first pup. (Spencer)

Is he going to miss his littermates? Is he going to miss us? They say dogs scent for life. I believe it. When my 11 year old Dal sees Sue, or Sandy Kopet, he goes berserk. Obviously he had a great experience with these people. What will the next thirteen, fourteen years of his life be like? We did the best we could socializing the pups, and spared absolutely nothing in time or expense to make sure they got a GREAT start. When I decided I wanted to breed, the first order of business was convincing Dawn. Her biggest concern was tomorrow. Placing pups in new homes.

More work than you can imagine went into raising this litter. And it’s not just THIS litter; all responsible breeders devote this much time and energy to raising their litters. We are no exception to the rule, unless you count the three weeks I slept on an air mattress, driving everyone nuts with worry.

Now we hand them off to someone else. So to all you new owners PLEASE continue what Dawn, myself, Sue, and Bonnie started. Read the information in your puppy packets. Sue put a lot of effort assembling these for your benefit. They are full of information.

And please pay particular attention to what you feed your new puppy, now, and for the rest of his life. The section on urate crystals is of the utmost importance.


And remember. If you have ANY questions, or concerns, CALL. Call me, call Sue, but call.

Take care of your new Dalmatians. They are the best breed in the world.

I am getting off my soapbox now, I’m getting dizzy.

Picture night!

Camp!

The pups are home from camping with Sue. Everyone had fun and as far as I can tell, and nobody got homesick. I went to camp once when I was a kid, and hated it. The food sucked, the cots sucked worse, and the camp counselor was a jerk who thought he was training us for some communist invasion. We were about twelve years old.

It was cold outside when I picked the pups up from Sues this afternoon, and the pups got a chance to ask themselves the same question I have been asking myself for a number of years. What are you doing living in this state? Within a month, we might have enough snow on the ground to actually lose a puppy in a drift. I’m thinking Florida or California.

The first puppy placements are going to happen this weekend. Spencer is going to Joe, Kay, and their son, Marko. Marko will enjoy having a puppy at home. What goes together better than a boy and his dog?

Sherman will be going to Deb and her family in Rochester. I have a bit of a soft spot for this guy, as my first Dal is a patch. He was also the first to walk, first to escape the whelping box, first to take a dump on my living room carpet, etc.

I hope the new owners will keep in touch with me throughout the life of these dogs, and send lots of photos often. Sending my first litter of pups out into the world will be a difficult proposition.

I never had children, but if I had, I would be the father cleaning my shotgun at the kitchen table when the boys came over to take my daughter out……..

C YA

Camping

Camping! The pups are spending the night at Sues, so I don’t have any material. EEEK!!

Should I write about the Dachshund??

See you tomorrow!

C YA

Lots Of Thanks

I am happy to report Boji had a safe trip to Iowa, care of Karen. (South Street Dalmatians) She is staying a few days with Ronna, (Whirlwind Dalmatians) and then on to her new home in Nebraska. These jet-setter girls have the world by the tail. (So to speak)

Now might be a good time to thank some of the people who have helped me with this, my first litter. This is not in any particular order so here we go. Bonnie Rose. Always supportive with information on previous Boji litters, what she has done in the past, what to expect, and some kind words for me yesterday when I dropped Boji off. It helped, and continues to help. I was a wreck. Rick Miller; BAER testing, with perfect results! Mike Ritchie and Becky Loader; Support and just being GREAT friends. Give Abbey a hug for me. We are going after the last major once the dust settles down here. Colleen Christianson and Sandra Kopet; The obedience “Wing” of the club. Maybe you gals can assist me in a performance title? Karen Moore; Boji delivery and care. I had no worries you would get her there safely. Ronna Hill; MOST important. Finding a great, not good, home for Boji. Something I agonized over, and imagine, will, for quite some time. Cheryl Bryant; Your good nature and emails the first few weeks of the litter, I always looked forward to them. The ability to make someone at ease is a gift. I just scare the hell out of people. Cathy Vesley; Always the voice of reason to me. Sandy Slattum; I think I have an idea what a good shoulder is! Your job however, is just beginning. Helping me put the polish on my first homebred dog. And last but not least, Samantha Strand; your ability to pick up soiled paper, and actually ENJOY it, is an inspiration to breeders everywhere. Sue, Jess, Dawn, and Queela; you deserve more than a few sentences of my lame writing.

The pups seem to be doing ok without Boji around. I wonder if they mistake the resident dogs for her. If they think Gomez, our Mini-Wire is their mother; we are going to have to check their vision, never mind the hearing.

Feeding time is evolving, as the pups are getting larger. We now split them up four and four. They are getting too large for one saucer bowl, and if someone gets elbowed out, it’s tough for them to get back in. We know its time to eat however by the whining and cage rattling. It’s like dinner time at the local lock up. All they need are a few coffee cups to rake across the cages. (The warden here is a bit of a soft touch however)

And before I forget, thanks to everyone who has been reading this blog. It’s my first attempt at writing anything, other than my name on a moving violation. I will admit to one thing however. I write this in Microsoft Word for one reason. Spell check. If there WAS one thing I enjoyed about school, other than chasing girls around it was reading. A bookish nerd. That’s almost as attractive as a thirty five year old living with his parents. (Another thing I managed to accomplish) Perhaps I SHOULD have gone into insurance,,,,,,,

C YA

Home

I dropped Boji off to Karen this morning. She is on her way to her forever home. I thought I was tougher than I am. She deserves more than a couple lines here, and when I am able, I will. But not today.

Testing one, two three. (FourFiveSixSevenEight) The pups were BAER tested this morning. BAER stands for Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response. Not Beer And Everclear Rules. The results were outstanding. Everyone hears out of both ears. We suspected this for the last two weeks. There has been enough pan dropping, whistling, and random noise to keep a person awake for, well, two weeks. Dawn tried to get Rick (Avalon Dalmatians) to stick the probes into my head, as she suspects I might be deaf. I defy you to find a woman that doesn’t think her husband is deaf. Say something interesting and we hear just fine. “Can I buy a new _____” doesn’t really register.

We had more visitors this afternoon also. The pups are really in socialization mode now, as we are having a lot of people visit. I used to live by a house that had this much traffic coming and going and I highly doubt it was because of puppies.

Sue explained to the couple this afternoon about how the reputation of our dogs has suffered in the past with the release of the live action “101 Dalmatians” movie. The message went from “These dogs are not for everyone”to“These dogs are not for anyone.” She does a great job at explaining things. When I try, I just end up sounding like Forrest Gump.

This afternoon’s couple is interested in Agility. Every time I walk by an Agility ring, there is a Border Collie running around like a ten year old on a sugar high. I would love to see a pup from my first litter compete. (I would NOT be like the goons you see at a Vikings game with purple face paint, cheering on the team. You people need a hobby.)

After the last of the visitors left, I put the pups back in their pen for an hour to let them rest. We still had a little photo shoot to attend.

Later in the afternoon, we took the pups to the photo shoot. A friend of mine is in the process of learning studio photography. He is one of the better bird photographers I know. Studio work however isn’t neither his nor my area of expertise.

The pups didn’t like the car ride today. A couple of them got sick, and most of them whined the entire ride. (It was only a 15 minute drive) It was pretty obvious they had had enough for the day, what with all the testing and visiting. We didn’t push it and were not there long at all. Just long enough to get a group shot.

So without further adieu, us. Dawn on the left, her daughter Nikki center, and the guy on the end is your author, and first time breeder.

Friday Night!

A busy weekend ahead for the pups, but not before a busy night Friday! Sandy stopped by this afternoon, to see the pups, and offer another opinion on what her picks might be. The pups were a little more cooperative this afternoon than yesterday. The operative word here is little. They would still rather be chewing the chair legs. Sandy helped me with stacking a six week old puppy. Since I am an extremely quick study, within two dogs, I was ready for Westminster. And truthfully, within two dogs, I managed to at least stop the clumsy ham handed approach to table stacking. No small wonder I finished our Mini-Wire Dachshund, with a specialty win to boot. (Shameless brag)

We evaluated fronts and shoulders this evening. Lots of talk about angles. As a matter of fact the entire conversation takes me back to geometry class in grade school. I was ready to dig out the protractor, and start tossing words around like isosceles and acute cotangents to impress the girls. It didn’t work then, and I doubt it would work now.

We took a break from all this to have a couple pizzas, and catch up on things. Sandy is pretty busy with the Animal Inn these days, as Dave is out with his special Apple. Apple is a dog in this case, not fruit. We don’t get much of a chance on Tuesday, as the place is six deep with dogs, kids, parents, trainers, and poop. Let’s not forget the poop.

Linda also stopped by this evening to see the pups. We have been communicating via email for a few weeks, and she was able to come by this evening. It’s always nice to have a new face for the pups to interact with. True to form, they untied her shoe laces, bit her nose, and fell asleep on her legs. Whatever the secret is for this ability to instantly sleep anywhere is, I would love to know.

Tomorrow, we channel Elvis, and we have a few more pictures done!

C YA

Picture!!

Tonight was picture night! Sue and Jess came over, tripod in hand; to take some stacked photos of the pups. Between the two of them, they have a little more experience than I do at stacking a six week old puppy. They work together, Jess placing pups, and Sue shooting photos. I just stayed the hell out of the way. “A mans got to know his limitations”

I started to take photos also, but when I am taking pictures, I worry about lighting, and all the technical crap like F-stops, composition, etc. Sue and Jess were discussing all the things they were seeing while they were evaluating the litter. There was just too much to learn while they were discussing the merits of this dog verses that dog, so I abandoned the camera. And besides that, it was a poop and pee fest. “Bucket Boy” would be a good description of my duties.

I just learned Boji will be going to her new forever home on Sunday. More on that tomorrow. Me and Boji are gonna hit the couch for a bit.

C YA

Six Weeks

Six weeks! No field trips today, just Dawn, Nicole and myself. Sorry this is so short, but I have not slept for the last four nights. Insomnia.

I am going to try again right now!!

C YA

Field Trip

Field trip! Dawn took the pups on a field trip this morning to her place of employment. She loaded up all eight of the pups and took them to the insurance agency where she works. The pups pooped and pee’d all over the place. Naturally, this appeals to me on a “That’s what you get for your outlandish rates” level. Tomorrow, I think I will take them to my cable company, my doctor, and my utility company.

Boji still does feed them daily, but she doesn’t say in the X pen long. It has now become a “Job” to her. The look on her face tells me, “Dude, I am only doing this because this is your first litter. If this were anyone else, they would be on their own” All this means is in addition to owing Dawn and Nicole, I am going to be in debt to Boji as well. It’s a slippery slope people.

Upcoming events are formal “Stack” photos on Thursday. That’s dog lingo to all you neophytes. Imagine the nuns at my grade school poking me in the back and telling me to “Stack” instead of stand up straight, and you have an idea what we are talking about. Saturday, Rick is coming over to do the BAER testing. He is going to put tin foil on my pups head and channel Elvis or something. Actually, it’s a hearing test. Unlike my youth, the pups have not had their ears subjected to Led Zeppelin at levels that would rattle the fillings loose in your head. And later Saturday, we are going to a photography studio a friend of mine owns and take a few pictures. He is an Airedale owner but I don’t hold that against him.

Gotta scram. I got home from school late, and I have a few tons of newspapers to change. The place smells like the state fair.

C YA

Enough.

Enough talk. Lets look at pups tonight!!

First Evaluation

I managed to accomplish two, that’s right, TWO things this morning. I picked up the yard, cut the grass for the last time this year, and washed my truck. Picking up the yard and cutting the grass are one in the same activity, unless you want to shoot dog dung 30 feet out of your mower. The rest of my time was occupied with the pups.

Today was the beginning of the serious evaluation of the litter. Sue has been evaluating pups for 40 years. I have been evaluating pups for one day. I can get a little intimidating if you let it. It seems everyone has been doing this for 25 or more years.

The pups had a fun day. While they were running amok, Sue was evaluating movement, and structure. I was following behind with a roll of paper towels. These dogs really pee a lot.

Evaluating pups isn’t all that different from evaluating an adult. What you see at six weeks is a pretty good indication of what you will have as an adult. Sounds like I know what the hell im talking about ‘eh? Sue does a great job at explaining what to look at. I have an idea of what I like in an adult dog, now all I have to do is visualize that in a mini version. Kind of a “Mini-Me” situation. (Sorry, but Austin Powers cracks me up)

The GSD shoot went well yesterday also. I will be then first to admit, I don’t know the FIRST thing about a correct GSD, but I have been around enough to know a nice photo when I see it. (Shameless plug for yours truly)

Well, I need to take more puppy pictures this evening. So I gotta scram

C YA

HELP!!

Who are you going to vote for in the next election; will Lindsay relapse; can Britney get custody of her kids again; what puppy will Tom keep?

I am going to need serious help. I know as much about evaluating five and a half week old pups as I do vector calculus. Ask me about photography, (Stick with Canon) cars, (Mercedes Benz makes a nice roadster) guitars,(Fender) and I can help you. But picking a puppy from a litter you spent three weeks sleeping on an air mattress next to?

Part of the hang up is I don’t have a firm grip on what will correct itself when they get bigger, and what wont. Will the toe out problem get better when they get some chest? How straight of a leg is too straight? Is a cow hocked puppy going to get better? How about feet? Ear set? Top line? And tails! What about tails!

Tomorrow, Sue is coming over and we are going to put the pups on a grooming table and start evaluating. Rest assured I am going to ask some embarrassingly dumb questions. And just when you think you are getting a foothold on this puppy raising thing.

C YA

Effective dog management. A typical morning. Wake up at 3am because Boji is downstairs barking. Not whining, barking. Might as well get a drink of water while I am up. Maybe a snack. Return to bed and wonder is she would like to sleep in the SUV. I got a new Trailblazer last week. She might like it. Nix that idea. I like my neighbors.

Fall back to sleep for about 2 hours of tossing and turning. Perri, our 10 year old is a bed hog. At five, get out of bed, and turn off the alarm before it makes that obnoxious white noise they call an alarm. Want an internal alarm clock? Try 13 dogs.

Walk downstairs, yawning, and scratching, step on a bone; get another drink of water, quick look in on the pups. Trip on the X pen, tip over the baby gate and wonder why we don’t have goldfish.

Go downstairs, start the toaster.

Take Boji from the X pen, move all the pups into another X pen. Feed Boji, let her outside. Start cleaning. The floors a mess, the pups are a mess, I am a mess. Put newspaper down on the floor, read the headlines from a week ago: The Red Sox won the series? Has hell frozen over?

Move pups from auxiliary X pen back to main X pen. Clean auxiliary X pen. RUN upstairs, fire alarm screeching from toast burning. Decide McDonalds isn’t THAT bad for you.

Go say good morning to resident dogs. Give the toaster another shot, while getting the food from the refrigerator for the RAW diet. Feed resident dogs. Let Boji back in, let others out.

Put Boji downstairs, install baby gate to keep resident dogs and mom safe, secure, and separate. Let resident dogs back inside.

Take soiled linen from “Dog Room” open washer only to discover it’s full of wet clean clothes. Toss them in drier, start washer, and wonder when the washer and drier are going to give up the ghost. Who doesn’t need another bill right?

Is it too early for Tanquery & Tonic? If your not careful the above picture is your destiny.

Until later today,
C YA

Weekend Visitors!!

The weekend has arrived. The weekend is here and that means one thing. Visitors! They have the social calendar that would make a millionaire heiress jealous. Its one party after another, complete with paparazzi.

Tomorrow, I am going to go take some photos for Jess of some GSDs. I have a small and fledgling side gig taking photos. I have managed a couple weddings without getting slugged by the bride and a couple graduations without an irate mother telling me I made her child look like Jabba the Hutt. But I prefer photographing dogs. (I had originally written that I preferred shooting dogs, but changed it before I was flooded with email about my verbiage.)

As for the pups? They are doing great. We printed a crib sheet with all the photos of the pups on it so we can figure out who is who. Kind of like the Irish family down the block where I grew up. Thirteen kids, and a couple sets of Irish twins. Try telling me mom didn’t print a crib sheet.

We moved the X pen upstairs to get the pups into the higher traffic area of the house. If a non dog person came to this house right now, they would think Dawn and I have flipped our collective lids. X pens in the dining room, crates in the family room, dog food bowls all over the kitchen, and toys EVERYWHERE. We also have baby gates between most every room in the house. It’s like a segregation unit at a prison. Have you ever stepped on a bone at 2:00am in your bare feet when you’re downstairs having a late night snack? The heck with the South Beach Diet. Try the bone on the floor diet.

C YA

Almost Friday,,,

Last night was Halloween. One of the neighbors came to the door looking for trick or treats, or Dalmatian pups. I doubt he would be saying this is he knew how much cleaning up the pups are at this stage of the game. Making a mess has become their stock in trade. If they are not peeing, they are pooping. And when they are finished with THAT activity, they shred newspaper.

They do have a limited activity level. We shuttle them between a couple of X pens we have set up in the house. When one is full of pups, the other is empty. Empty in a sense that there are no dogs in it. What it IS full of shouldn’t be too difficult to figure out.

Just when you think you might be out of the woods in the worry department, and you have conquered one source of apprehension, another one is on deck, just waiting to pummel you into submission. This week’s topic? Placing the pups. I know they are going to good homes, and I know Sue has done a good job with the interview process. But handing over one of the pups from my first litter is going to be tough. I think I would much rather have a root canal.

Well, I gotta run. Time to feed the pups. It looks like the food fight from Animal House here after the nightly feeding frenzy. Actually, if you were to believe Dawn, and who does, they are neater than I am at the dinner table. I don’t by it. I don’t get food in my hair.,,,,,

C YA

70 Degrees!!

I don’t know what your politics are, but Al Gore be damned. It was 70 degrees here in Minnesota, October 30th. And dummy me put the convertible away for the winter.

Today was the day the pups got to walk in the leaves and green grass. We took them out two at a time. It’s getting tough to keep track of them unless they are in a confined area. It reminds me of “Festival Seating” at concerts years ago. Open the gates, and a ton of adolescent kids with a belly full of Boones Farm rush for the best seat. This was a GREAT idea.

A few of the pups were a bit apprehensive about being outside. They didn’t quite know what to make of the grass, the yard, or the leaves. And a couple, like Sherman, and Clark thought this was the greatest thing in the world. Within minutes, they were off exploring. This gave me an excuse not to rake this year. After all. The pups need some leaves to romp in.

Feeding continues to be a riot. “Bowl Diving” is the order of the day. Clark is a little on the small side, so we are making sure he gets his share and half of Spencers, who now resembles a spotted sumo wrestler. (Try not to hard visualize that.)

We have kids coming to the door by the bus load, so I gotta scram.

C YA

Quickie,,,,,,,,

This will be brief. School tonight! The pups are all doing well. We took them outside this afternoon for the first time. More on that tomorrow. Also, I hope you all recovered from that rambling diatribe of last night.

If you have been following this blog from day one, you might be interested in knowing I have all the entries from the first day. Sue thought it might be a neat thing to compile all of them and put them into some kind of hard copy. I have to admit, I am intrigued by the idea.

I am exhausted. Boji is still BARKING several times a night. GRRRRRR.

So for now.

CYA

The Back Story

The back-story. A conversation I had with Sue yesterday made me think of a good topic for this blog. Or, it might bore you to death and make you gag. Either way, here we go.

As far back as I can remember, I have wanted a Dalmatian. When I was a kid there was no possible way we were having one. “Too big” and “They shed” was the response from my parents. So, they purchased a toy poodle, painted his nails, and decorated him with bows. Cute you say? Not even close. It was a male. This event scarred me for life. Small wonder I didn’t end up a cross-dresser.(Poodle people, no offense)We actually had two of them, and in all fairness, I really loved my dogs, despite the fact they were drag queens.

Skip ahead to when I purchased my first home. I would have visitors, and friends come over and comment the place was decorated in “Early Dalmatian.” Knick Knacks, plates, a few photos, you know. The kind of things that over- run your home if your not careful. “Where’s the dog?” was the usual question. “Don’t have one.” Was the response. I think back to this time, and with all the dumb decisions I made at this time in my life, this was quite possibly the only SMART one I made, NOT getting the Dal. (Actually, when I think back to this time in my life, it’s a miracle I am here to write this blog.) I was simply not home enough, and not ready for the commitment of a dog.

Skip ahead a few more years and here I was, married. (We will put this one in the bad decision column) I was old enough and settled down enough to get the dog of my choice. Somehow, I knew enough to go to a dog show and talk to a breeder. I usually went to the show in downtown St. Paul, simply because I loved dogs. But this time I went with a purpose. Someone pointed me in the direction of Sue, who told me about the process of getting one of her dogs, the interview, and the litter that she had planned, and so on.

So I got my dog, and all was good. (Well, not ALL. The marriage was a train wreck) I was contacted by Sue when my dog was approximately six months old. The Holly Dazzle parade was looking for 101 Dalmatians as an entry for one night of the parade. This thing goes on for about two weeks, every night around Christmas. Naturally, I went. And naturally, my dog barfed in the front seat of my brand new, new car smell Silverado. Great. This was going to be a riot. I have dog barf on my lap, my wife is yapping about something in my ear, I am going down a one way street the wrong way in downtown Minneapolis, and it’s about Eighty below zero outside.

Anyway, my wife was busy snapping pictures the entire time I was walking in the parade. When I look back at these photos, who might be in them? Sue, Tim and Sandy Kopet, and Dawn. (Among others) If someone would have told me this night that some of these people would be among my closest friends 11 years from now, I would have accused them of being drunk.

When my marriage went south, my wife and I split the house. She got the inside, and I got the outside. I also got the dog that I had waited years for. What was I going to do with nowhere to live, and a dog in tow? I contacted the breeder, Sue. I explained my situation, and she found someone to board my dog until I got where I was going.

Enter Tim and Sandy Kopet. They have a littermate to my dog, CH. Paisleys Masked Marauder Am/Can. CDX. (L) “Killain” They agreed to board my boy Zeus. I moved back in with my parents, (An adult male in his thirties living with his parents is real impressive on the dating scene) and would visit my boy a couple times a week, and usually leave there in tears. Boy. This was NOT in the playbook.

Once I settled into the home I am in now, my dog was returned to me, in great shape, and I was ready to get on with things. I don’t know if I ever have ever told the Kopets about how grateful I am to them for what they did for me. They never asked for a single thing in return for this act of kindness.

All I can say is THANK YOU. If I can ever return the favor, in any way, I will.

Once I got settled in this house, my Zeus was in desperate need of some obedience training. So I enrolled him at the Animal Inn. (Where I now work one night a week) We went through the beginner obedience class with Dave Slattum instructing. He wondered if I might be interested in joining the local Dalmatian club. (I am now the treasurer) It sounded like a good idea. There were a lot of people there with a LOT more knowledge than I had about Dals.

So one day, I am need of some dog food and I stroll into my local pet store, and there is this woman working there with a liver Dal, flopped down on the floor, eating a bone bigger than my leg. “That’s Madison” she said. So, being the social, charming, individual I am, I told her I had a Dal also, and was attending the Animal Inn for obedience. She not only knew of the place, she went there herself. “My name is Dawn”

“My name is Dawn” The rest as they say, is history.

So now you have the back story of how I ended up with 13 dogs in my house. I warned you, it was gonna make you wretch…….

C YA

The fast food approach.

Boji has taken a new approach to feeding the pups in the last few days. She stands up. She walks in the X pen, and puts this look on her face like a bored teenager. It’s like a drive up window at the fast food joint, but there is only one thing on the menu, milk, and zero chance of getting the damn order wrong. In, out. Wham, bam.

Following a meal, the pups usually lie down and sleep. Not unlike myself at thanksgiving dinner. What’s next on the agenda for these guys, a Dallas Cowboys game? Maybe catch a few AKC commercials and a growl at Caesar Milan.

When they wake up from the nap, within five minutes, the place smells like a locker room. Overwhelming. How a four pound dog is able to generate this much stink should be a research topic at some university.

Paper patrol continues, as does the saucer feeding. Certainly one of the highlights of raising a litter. When Dawn rings the dinner bell, “Puppy puppy puppy” they come running in like an Olympic athlete, jumping hurdles, running over the top of one another, and plunging into the saucer. Someone is going to pull a hamstring.

Laundry also continues at an alarming pace. I have gotten lacsidaisical about sorting however. I now have pink socks, and underwear. Most of the pups don’t mind, but Her Serene Highness The Princess of Monaco demands clean WHITE bath towels. Can you imagine if we had an Elizabeth Taylor in the litter? Eek!

I am including a collage of head shots taken today. Digital photography is the only way to go. If your still shooting film, your still listening to eight tracks, and listening to disco. Keep on Truckin’ folks!!

And remember to click the photos for the full size view!!

C YA

Two in one day!!

I am going to post twice today. It’s appropriate that I post a few photos of the resident dogs. They are as affected by all this as we are. Look for the “Normal” post this evening, minus the editorial from last night.

While I am a new at breeding, I am not new at photography. All these are digital shots from a digital SLR.

And without further adieu, Our dogs. The shot on the stairs, with Perri, and Gomez was simple. These two will hang out together for ever. The shot of Daisy and her toys, (We didnt name her, she was a rescue) is typical. She isnt happy unless she has ALL the toys. The final shot, Perri and Zeus, took about 12 hours. Getting two dogs to pose exactly like you want takes a staggering amount of time.

And we are back on the air!

Satire (noun)
1. The use of wit, especially irony, sarcasm, and ridicule, to criticize faults.
2. A literary work that uses satire or the branch of literature made up of such works.

This definition brought to you by Encarta Dictionary: English (North America) sounds official doesn’t it? Actually, it comes bundled with Microsoft Word. Aint it cool getting something free?

From the “For what it’s worth department” This blog was never intended to be ANYTHING but a tongue in cheek look at a novice raising his first litter. It’s not supposed to be particularly accurate from a clinical standpoint, and it’s certainly not educational. There are a million web sites, and books out there at your disposal. I would be more than happy to post a few links to Amazon.com for books I purchased. They have a GREAT humor section too. *hint-hint*

And on a side note, my father never laid a hand on me. He never had to. I was a perfect son who got all “A’s” on his report card, dated the head cheerleader, was on the honor roll, honor society, honor system, prom king, captain of the football team, hockey team, baseball team, Church volunteer, cub scout, boy scout, eagle scout. This explains why I weld pipe for a living.

Now. On to the pups. We wormed the little guys Thursday. If I live to be 100 years old, it will be ok if I never see that again. Ugh. Dawn was so disgusted this became “Mans work” That’s ok. Dishes are “Women’s work” along with cooking, cleaning, vacuuming, housekeeping, etc. (When she reads this, I’m dead)


We have had a lot of children come over to see the pups. The neighbors have a one year old, and she couldn’t decide if she liked the pups, me, or the Payless shoe box. So much for THAT social experiment.

The pups respond well to everyone. I have no benchmark to compare them to, I’m NEW, REMEMBER!! But to me, they all seem like life is one big spring break. (Minus the Jimmy Buffett tripe)

I gotta run. Boji is crying, the pups are whining, the resident dogs are barking, Dawn needs help,,,,,,,,,,,,,

C YA