calling a spade a spade & losing another one

Last week, my favorite kitty started ailing, suddenly. With cats, they'll be fine one day, and then the next, almost overnight, they are suddenly ill, and that was him. Last weekend he was fine, last Tuesday he had an extended abdomen and muscle wasting on his hips. No one knows for sure why they show no illness until it's too late when they are really ill, but it makes treating them hard to do, because by the time you know they're sick, the disease/illness is so far along, you usually can't do anything but say goodbye.

Unfortunately, it's not something he can get better from. .it's either heart failure or cancer. . .the vet wasn't very optomistic due to how fast he has gone downhill, so is not encouraging me to spend a lot of money just to 'know' what he's sick of. . .he did do an ultrasound, and heart looks normal, but there is so much ascites(liquid in his abdomen), they couldn't get a look at his other organs to see if there were any tumours. He's so weak, exploratory surgery is out, and I'd hate to have him die on the table. I'd rather he passed at home, or in my arms, not on a cold table.

So, it's just a guess, just like when I lost Schatzi the same way, fine one day, suddenly ill the next.

So it's just a waiting game. ..

Up until yesterday, he was being better than past cats(which total 5 I've had to forcefeed) in letting me put food in the back of his mouth and swallowing it. Today not so patient and nice, wanting nothign to do with the chicken I made him, tho he did eat 1/2+ of a can of fancy feast today while I was at work. . problem is, he should be eating about 4 of those a day

Unfortunately with cats, going off their food will kill them faster than just about anything, due to 'fatty liver disease'.(feline hepatic lipidosis) which causes liver failure. . .so you have to forcefeed them. . .it's not a fun game of making a sick cat eat. . .babyfood is the easiest as it can go thru the syringe easier and is a lot less messy than trying to puree cat food into a nice thin mess. I more often than not get more food on me than in the cat, and hate it, hate spendng the last few days/weeks with an ailing pet fighting them. It's hard enough letting them go, watching them get weaker, without remembering how you fought with them.

Unfortunately, the PC world has encroached into the cat world, and if you tell many 'feel good' cat people you are forcefeeding, they ahve conniptions, they prefer the gentler term 'assisted feeding'. . this isn't a child or older relative that has problems hitting their mouth, you are making an animal eat, forcing them to do something they would rather not due, yet they get soooo damn pissy if you point that out. .and I refuse to use the words 'assisted feeding', when I know what i'm doing is forcing them to eat, even if it's for their own good.

And BOY do they get uptight if you refuse to use their PC words "asissted feeding". . I guess it's their way of making themselves feel better for doing something not so nice. . but I'm sorry, a spade's a spade. .cat has no desire to eat, you're forcing it. Why do people have to fancy up things instead of just being honest with themselves??

it sucks. .treasure is my boy, he's only 8. . this is the 4th in the last 15 months. .and he's nto that old, barely 8 yrs old. .. he stepped into the hole Schatzi left back in 2002. It's only a matter of days really, but as long as he enjoys having his ears scritched and plays with the ribbons on a racing blanket I have in the room, we'll keep going, but my pillow will be so empty when it finally is time

getting older

Yippee, another year older

Older I get, the easier I find it to look back and go WTF happened? WTH did that happen??

Friendships lost over stupid sh*t. . .not any one the sole reason of it, all parties involved could've been a little more flexible. .

I also am finding it easier to deal with people I've had problems with in the past. . .long as they don't prove to be fools. Am actually talking with one person who used to be a friend, but the friendship broke. . don't know if it'll ever be a friendship again, but at least the communication line is open and I can hear about my pup she has, even if said pup is almost 10. The door is open, and it's nice that door is open and that I hear about said pup more now than I have ni recent years

Another one has a litter I'd love to have a pup out of, too bad there's no boys in that litter LOl. .

Trying not to be as prickly. . .or easy to go on the defensive. .. hard to do, I have a temper, tho it's mellowed with the last few years. Facebook has been a wonderful, I have gotten to know people I didn't really know on email, changed my opinion(Some good, some bad) on people via facebook, some people will let it all hang out, and boy it can make you see the real them. . not sure why it's different, but have forged some nice friendships with people off of facebook, and got to know people better.

Yet, the older I get, the less patience I get for fools.

Nor do I have a lot of patience for those who enjoy stirring up sh*t.

Unfortunately, there are a few of those in the dog world. . .people with nothing else to do.

Last fall I got caught between one of these people when they called my friend outwest, accusing a local club member of not taking care of his dog at a field trial .. they had my friend upset, sure that Bud had left his dog in distress to go huntmaster, that he hadn't cared about his dog, who was in their words suffering heat stroke. This person had my friend wound tighter than a top over this. Why they called someone 18+ hrs away to complain, rather than pick up the phone and call the breeder, who is local, I have no clue.

My friend called me demanding I talk to the owner, I told her to call the breeder, then proceeded to do just that. The breeder contacted the owner and the field trial chair about the incident.

Truth of it was? Dog runs hot, field trial chair asked him to huntmaster and offered to take care of the dog for him. Dog was not in distress at any time, nor was he a cold hearted b*stard ignoring her. Why did this person feel the need to do that? Who knows. . just makes one shake their head.

So, here's to another year. . may it be better than the last

to feed a dog

Dog food

What a volatile subject.

I can't believe what some people will buy. . $80 a bag of dog food? OMG! I can't justify going out for dinner and spending that much on a meal for ME, even tho i love the restaurant my company has our xmas party at, I just can't do it.

More power to them, but these haughty taughty people piss me off when they dump on people who won't feed what THEY feel is best for dogs. . and the sad thing is, unsuspecting novices get sucked in, and i decided this morning I was going to change my contract to read that any health clearances are null and void if puppy is found to be eating any non FDA approved food.

I have fed over the years since I left home, everything from Old Roy, to Pedigree, to Exceed to now I feed Blue Seal. . When I got Borzoi, I switched to Pedigree, the greyhounds did well on the Old Roy, but I wanted something better for the ZOi. . .but then Rinka didn't do well on Pedigree, so I switched to Exceed. She blossomed on the Exceed. I love the Exceed, but it's too 'hot' for puppies, and a PITA to get since sometimes Sams has it, sometimes they don't. On Blue Seal, everyone's doing well, Touchet's a bit too 'fluffy' but does not look close to her 11 yrs. .. heck, Bonnie's had dogs live to 15-16 being fed only this, so it can't be too bad.

There are people who look down their noses at this kibble, and some who look down their noses at any kibble. . .glad they have the time and money to do raw diets, I refuse to feed something I'm not sure is balanced to my dogs, and since a friend of mine lost a dog when a turkey neck punctured his innards, I'm even now leary about feeding those, which I thought were safe. Funny, people who feed raw say kibble kills, but raw can kill, and in a more horrendous way. With Umbra, I feed whatever he will eat at this point in time. . .

This website gets lobbed around at how to tell if what you feed your dog is great
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

Yet, I know of dogs(and cats) who have severe problems with this food
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showproduct.php?product=908&cat=3

As well as the fact it's made by diamond, who has had horrid problems with dogs dying from tainted food.

I don't care what anyone feeds, well, long as it's not my puppies, I don't want them on anything specialized unless they have to. The only two pups I've sold that have had issues with diets are the ones who are those 'special' products. One is on Blue Buffalo and has had icky poos all along, the other I think was on Nutro. . and after no foood allergies for 15 months on Pedigree, Exceed & Blue Seal, she suddenly develops it when switched to Nutro. . hmmm

But to step into an argument on dog food is almost as volatile as stepping into an argument on breast feeding. People need to back off, shut up, and let people do what they feel is best. . .I get sick of hearing "you're feeding crap! cuz of XYZ. . ". . my dogs have lovely coats, are in good condition, firm stools. . not so much crap is it?

I've wondered for awhile if these specialized dog foods encourage the breeding of dogs with sensitive stomachs. .and thus you perpetuate dogs who can only exist on the "Very Best Dog Food There Is(From now on referred to VBDFIS LOL). Why the heck would you want to breed a dog that can only do well on one type of food? Seems to negate the desire to breed healthy pets. IMHO, they're not healthy, if they can't handle being on any food than VBDFIS. . just my two cents. And in my opinion, shouldn't be bred.

I know people who feed BARF(Raw) and their dogs do well on them, but I know of others where the dogs can NOT get the nutrients needed out of a BARF diet. . .and do wonderful on kibble.

There are people who thinK BARF is the end all for any problem your dog may have, but it's not. I used to talk with an other breed breeder who only fed a 'natural' diet, she still had food allergies in her dogs. . .

The scary thing is, anyone can 'create' a food, slap a label on it, and sell pet food. Don't believe me, check out the infamous and irreputable 'rescue' Gentle Giants. An actor and his wife, neither of them vets nor nutritionists, create this food and make their rescue people feed it. . .there's a local food the same way, created by someone who doens't have the background, just wanted to make a 'good food'. . alas, without that background, you can mess it up and the animals suffer. .a friend just had a young cat die of sudden onset CRF, he was fed this food. . is there a link? Not sure how she'd find out, but I've pushed her to get off the food yesterday.

I prefer dogs who do well on foods that anyone can get. As a breeder, why would I want to breed dogs who can only do well on expensive food? Especially with the economy the way it is. I can see people giving up dogs if the only food they can eat is a $60-$70 bag of food. . .gas in the car or feed the dog, food on the table for the kids, or feed the dog. . .yep, I know the decision so many have unfortunately had to make.

Thoughts that have gone thru my head recently is that dog breeders would benefit from taking some range management courses.. No, we're not breeding dogs & cats for food, but a lot of their working beliefs do translate over into the dog world. They have no time or room to breed 'lets sees', nor any need for any animal that can not live healthily until its use is done(Whether that's slaughtering a steer or producing milk, or loving a pet).

Farmers breed for easy keepers, especially when you're in areas like Texas(Where I took these courses). You want an animal that can keep a good weight on whatever foilage they can get to, not an animal who has to be fed grain to keep a good weight.. . .and a recent argument on the biggest Borzoi list that you should only feed the most expensive food you can find, makes me wonder if we are selecting for dogs who can only flourish on these fancy foods, vs a good pet that can live off of just about anything (as I don't know many pet only owners who can afford to pay $80 a bag of food like one show person, not even breeder, quoted was the cost of her food). They get these dogs with sensitive tummies, put 'em on a food that firms up their stool and keeps them in good weight, then they breed them. Why?

I hear so many times "my dogs only do well on XYZ Food". . a farmer wouldn't breed a cow that could only flourish on one type of food, they want an animal that is an easy keeper, and so do I. I'd much rather have a dog who keeps a great coat, good weight, good condition on my $25 a bag food than one I had to spend twice as much or mroe to feed. . .and it leaves me with the thought why would you continue to breed animals that can only do well on this food, or this supplement? It makes no sense.

The same philosphy (breeding easy keepers) comes into affect for so much of dogs. . why would you breed a face so smooshed it has to stay in AC? It's not an easy keeper. Why would you breed a coat that has to be kept on wood floors? It's nto an easy keeper.

Not dissing anyone’s choice, but wondering if we are inadvertently breeding animals with more and more sensitive tummies. . .instead of breeding those animals who can live off just about anything and still look gorgeous. I know which one I'd prefer to own

where were you?

Where were you 9/11/01?

I remember clearly that day, or at least, the way it began. Co worker was listening to Howard Stern on her radio. How I hate that S.O.B. The pranks, the stupidity, the obnoxiousness. So when the first report came over his show about the World Trade centers, I swore it was yet another bad prank. It's how tasteless he is, so I didn't put it past him at all. . until people came running into our office, asking if we'd heard.

It was so surreal. News report after news report came in over the radio station, first sounding as if it'd been a horrible accident, and then the 2nd one hit, and the eye witness reports chilled our blood. The memories still send cold chills throughout my body. Who could have the balls to run not one, but two airplanes into the WTC?

And then they collapsed. Tears rolled throughout the office. It was just uncontemplatable the thoughts of all those lost lives. We snuck on to watch video on the internet, horrified and mystified at the evilness of it all.

And then when the plane crashed south of Pittsburgh, it really struck home. My grandparents lived south, nothing was known of exactly where it had hit and I couldn't remember the name of the tiny town they lived in. Were they OK? And again, the thoughts of how could someone be so evil?

I lived in Syracuse at the time, 5+ hrs from NYC, but we were affected by the days that followed, heck, by the hours that followed. I remember driving home and having the crap scared out of me by the low flying military craft over the apple orchards. Nine Mile Point Nuclear Power plant is in Oswego, a hop an and a jump from Syracuse, and the worries that swept thru the populace, worrying about what the Terrorists were going to target next was contagious. Military patrols increased in the area, it became more common place to hear planes taking off from the Reserves and Nine Mile was kept under firmer lock and key.

Our work building was below the flight plan of Hancock Airport, and I remember an aircraft flying so low over the building that we all jumped screaming out of our cubicles, sure there'd been another crash. Every sound of a plane overhead would make us stop and wait. It took a long while for that sound to once again become nothing but background noise. Even that far away, we could see the black smoke from the WTC.

My grandparents were ok, tho they did feel the ground shake when the plane hit the ground, but that couldn't be said about so many other families. The images and video that came out day after day after day could NOT but affect you. I couldn't watch or look. I'd already lived thru, in bright, vivid living colour, a previous crash (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramstein_airshow_disaster I would've never've thought something I witnessed would be in wikipedia!) and the images of the WTC ripped those memories from the boxes I'd finally managed to bury them in years ago and made me relive them. For someone who was terrified of flying to begin with, this really did not help. Yet ever day we were given more and more horrific photos.

But also, amongst those photos/stories, were photos that touched the heart, stories that that showed we, as Americans, coming together to help each other.

I was lucky, nobody I knew was in any of the four crashes. Friends of mine lost friends, we lost co workers in a branch we had in NYC, but nobody I knew personally. . .but my heart goes out to all families who still miss loved ones on this day, and my thank yous aren't enough for the fire/rescue men/woman who were heroes that day and risked their lives to save so many more that may've died if they hadn't jumped to their duty without thought of their own lives, many who did die.

Where were you that day?

POison Ivy

Well, after 2.5 yrs of living here, I found out, yes, I do have a poison ivy allergy

LOVELY!!!

Off to wash in this poison ivy be gone crap :P

Friday night ramblings

Another week of hell done. . .I am so sick of the drama at work, touchy ass people who get so damn offended over the stupidest things. . .We're not in junior high anymore people, act your damn age.

Umbra looks WUNDERBAR!!! Kari did a wonderful job grooming my hairball and I got lots of compliments on how he looked today. No, he didn't win. . .I am so sick of dogs who are LAME being put up(yes, the veteran bitch was lame according to eye witnesses. . .). .but am tickled he behaved himself for the first time away from mom.

The weather is NOT going to cooperate with us, although I guess It's better that it's 70 and drizzly vs 90 and humid. . .the butterflies are starting to set in, will Gossip behave herself? LOL Who knows, this is my girlie girl we're talking about. Anything goes with her. . .lol. .

Puppies are growing. . .hopefully JOhn'll be able to come down tomorrow and help me take stacked photos. . .hard to do by yourself, and didn't want Kari helping me since she just got back from the dog show. Poor Umbra's in the boarding kennel with an annoying set of bulldogs, so I know he's not happy, but don't want him getting FILTHY in the mud LOL He's just like his papa in being a mudball.

Can't wait to see the two River puppies Vanessa has entered this weekend. . .the boy was scrumptious as a baby, twas between Denzell & Wesley I couldn't decide which one to eat up. . .

Off to bed. . .long day tomorrow between working the kennel and getting Gossip bathed and groomed, touching up Umbra, an d playing with babies if weather is decent. . hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!

Borzoi

Borzoi are sighthounds.
They are hunting dogs.

They were originally bred to hunt fuzzy fast moving things.

It's amazing how many people have Borzoi who want to deny this, who want them to live by their fru fru, ARA correct ways of thinking(Hunting is evil and bad). . .They don't believe in OFC, cuz of the POOR bunny wabbit(as long as said bunny wabbit doesn't go to waste, I don't care)hopefully those same people don't force their dogs to eat a Vegetarian diet.run. Needless to say, he wasn't his usual obnoxious FEED me self LOL

Eros is on a diet. . .(yes, this has something to do with the above topic, I promise). He's been on a diet all his life, much like his mama Kyra, he is a very easy keeper. Unlike Kyra, he is very vocal in his protest of being on a diet. He's a good 90-105 lb dog depending on who's feeding him (my feeding on the lighter end, kennel help on the higher end), but when he's hollering for dinner, he sounds like a chihuahua with balls in a vice. . it's rather funny to hear it come from the moose.

Where am I going with this drug induced rambling?(yes, my sinus problems are still completely and totally kicking my butt). Went to feed him yesterday morning, and found live game in the pen. . .or what's left of it. . .from the wish bone to the end of the wing(wing span of the bird had to be about 5 ft from wingtip to wingtip) lay on the ground, with only the last 4-5 feathers of the wing left on it, the rest seriously gnawed on. . .

I found nothing else in the pen and I looked, trying to discern what my dogs had caught. . .Umbra's the gamier of the two, he'd much rather chase live game, and in fact is the big big reason I caught those kittens last year and placed them with rescue, as I knew if they got in with him, they'd be gone. . .but Eros as I mentioned above, is STARVING. . there's no holes on the two boys, so we can safely assume it wasn't the hawk or turkey vultures, but what was it? We think a big damn crow. . but no way to really tell. . .

How'd they get it? Again, no idea. . did it fly in to eat at their kibble(unlikely, Eros' other nickname is Hoover, just like his mum), did it mistake something in the pen for food? Possibly. . .Borzoi can be fast when they want to, so it's a possibility. . or did a fox or a cat pull the carcass out of the snow/ice somewhere and get too close to the fence and the boys sucked it thru? Wish they could speak and tell me, as it'd be rather interesting to know the tale of how this tidbit got in their run.

Things that make you go hmmm

ramblings

Weather has been horrid. I called in Wed, even tho the Company didn't close down at all(last time it wasn't anywhere near as bad, IMHO, I made it to work, to find out they'd closed, makes no sense hunh?


Thursday, the driveway looked like this. . lovely hunh? Sheet of ice. . .in fact, fell thru said ice and sliced up the back of my achilles tendon, didn't realise how bad until I took off my shoes and saw the bloody sock. . hurts like hell. . was late for work, but finally got it. . .

Nice ice skating rink hunh?

and it's slowly, slowly melting. . there really is nothing more fun(NOT) then chipping frozen poopsicles out of melting ice. . lovely. Now it's watch it or you'll bust your ass falling on ice or slipping in mud, LOVELY!

On top of that, feeling under the weather, freaking sinuses. . .nothing like going to a seminar and not being able to concentrate cuz you feel like complete and total CRAP. . .glad I went, a lot of things were clarified with the new AKC rule changes. . .I like them a lot!

Ah, the Joys of breeding. .

How is it, the idiot down the road can throw his dogs together and wham bam thankyou ma'am, they have a breeding and with little to no problem they have puppies?

Grins' girlfriend is in season. There were two that were being bounced back and forth, and although this isn't the one I prefered, she is a nice bitch none the less. She runs, the entire litter does, he improves her tank wide front, tho they're both moderate in the rear. Unfortunately,(fortunately? LOL) they're both full speed ahead personality LOL I've already got a name picked out for my studfee puppy LOL there might even be a blue :) YUMMY!! Hope so, her papa is a dilute.

Anyway, day 13, and nothing LOL. . .so much for the books. . .Does NOT help that we're attempting to do this when it's been 20-40 out, and I've still got this damn cold, tho now it sounds like it's trying to settle into my lungs, OH JOY!

It does make me laugh about the guy who'd wanted to breed to Dei but when nothing came on day 12, he swore something was wrong with his male and gave up. . .I got her bred, but it was day 17-21, nowhere near day 12. Only time'll tell if it took. If it didn't, she'll be spayed. She's already eight. . .granted, she's a young 8. . .LOL. She is unusually bitchy, put Gossip in her place. . so that's a good sign LOL Kyra only ever was bitchy when she was pregnant. .

We had visitors last weekend, and they didn't believe Touchet was 10. . yes, my golden girl turned 10 last weekend. And she spent it playing with the babies and flirting with Stardust :) Such a silly golden snausage she is. The longetivity of her lines is one of the reasons I wanted her, her father lived to be 12.5, her mother the last time I talked to Fern was still going at 12.5+.

Think Gossip & I are going to go hiking Sunday, maybe I'll take Dei, i'm not allowing her to rip roar around the yard, she has a bad habit of launching herself onto dog houses, which is bad on ice, so she's not getting a lot of excercise. She doesn't mind, she'd rather sleep in the house anyway. Loch Raven Reservoir is a wonderful place to walk, just been too damn cold to do much of anything, but it's supposed to be mid 40's this weekend, almost a heatwave! And with nothing else to do, sounds like a good plan. Get Gossip back in shape for this spring :) And keep Dei in shape.

Next weekend is a seminar, and picking up the 30 gallon salt water tank I'm being given. Coworker doesn't have time for it anymore, goign to try and figure out how to set it up as refugium for the 55, adds additional filtration as well as a breeding ground for the copepods my little Dragonnette needs to survive. . probably spend the next two weekends cleaning the tank. Salt water is a lot harder than fresh, not as bad as I thought it'd be, but it can be a PITA. . .especially if you don't keep up on the scraping of the algae. . need to get some more snails. . .expensive little hobby it is, but we enjoy it.

Bonnie's got a handyman tenant, which has me tickled pink. He's going to fix the Aframe, build a teeter for me, and with his help, I'm going to fence in an area at the top of the hill to work Gossip on the property :) Don't do it now, as I don't trust her off leash with all the damn bunnies and deer. it's nicely shaded up there, so it won't be too horrid come summer, but when it is, I can always go to Forest Hill and use that place. It'll be nice to be able to set up my weaves, which are currently in shambles, and be able to work them religiously. . .will also be able to setup jumps, with the shade it doesn't need quite as much mowing. . .I can't wait.

And wishing there was more rally in the next month. There's a hound show next month, I'd love to take Gossip and Umbra too, but it's NORTH Jersey, and weather this time of year is a huge ass crapshoot. May try Syracuse, see old friends, and show her there. She's looking nice, except for those damn spots. .

vet speaks out on PETA & Westminster

Couldn't've said it better. . PETA sucks, PETA is the Nazi's of the new world, please please please do not donate money to PETA.

Permission to crosspost: Only if you copy and past in a new e-mail and don't just forward~!!!!!!

Thank you Libbye Miller DVM for stating:

"Adorable mixed breeds" get cancer, epilepsy, allergies, heart
disease, and orthopedic problems just like purebreds. I see it every
day in my veterinary practice but mixed breed dogs aren't tracked like
the purebreds so they have a reputation as "healthier" that is actually
undeserved in many cases."

It is so sad that a lot of folks, including young veterinarians these
days, buy into the "hybrid vigor" baloney. The vet schools have been
infiltrated by the Animal Rights Extremists, who are teaching them this
junk science in order to push their agenda.

All animals have a certain amount of genetic load, which is to say
there is absolutely no animal without some genetic problem of some sort
of another. Know anyone who wears glasses? Has allergies? Thyroid
problems? Weak knees? Flat feet? A skin condition? Arthritis? A gap
between their front teeth? These are all genetic imperfections.

No human is genetically "clean." Neither is any individual of any
species on earth. So this idea that dogs should not be bred because
they might have a genetic problem, and that breeders are somehow "evil"
for breeding them, is ridiculous. Every single individual of every
single species has at least a few genetic conditions.

To use PeTA's logic, all breeding of all kinds (including having human
babies) should halt immediately. And to be honest, Ingrid Newkirk (the
woman who founded PeTA) does believe exactly that. She thinks that
humans should become extinct, along with dogs, cats, etc. This
ridiculous scenario is precisely what she would like to see happen.

So folks, if that is what you want...if you agree with Ingrid
Newkirk's whacky views, send your hard earned money to PeTA. They will
help to ensure you are not able to own a dog or cat or hamster or any
other pet in the future. They will see to it that you can't eat meat or
fish or eggs or any type of animal-based nutrition. They will work to
shut down places like Sea World, the zoos, etc. so you cannot observe
the many wonderful animals on the Earth. Eventually, once they
accomplish these things, they may turn their efforts to making it
illegal for humans to procreate.

If you don't agree with their extremist views, wise up and start
supporting those who truly do love, care for and enjoy interaction with
other species here on our little blue planet.

The fanciers of the breeds, those you see exhibiting their dogs at
Westminster and other dog shows, work very hard to eliminate serious
genetic conditions. They screen their breeding stock with every
available test. They research pedigrees before breeding into other
lines, to check for similar clearances in those animals. They
contribute money to research organizations to further the work being
done to track down genetic problems. They contribute blood, cell
samples, etc. from their own animals to help with DNA and genome
studies. They have made great progress so far, and they continue to
work hard at it.

Are there unethical breeders? Certainly, there are. Just as in any
group of humans, you will find the good and the bad. United States VP
Elect Joe Biden, for example, managed to find a not so good one when he
got his new German Shepherd puppy. I don't know who did his research
for him, but they obviously didn't do their homework if they were
looking for a responsible breeder. Joe has the right to get his dog
from whomever he wishes, but if he was trying to set an example of
purchasing from a responsible hobby breeder he went off the track this
time. That's too bad, but it was his choice.

Unfortunately, breeders like that may be a lot easier to find because
of their high volume and high profile. If you are looking for a nice
family pet from a breeder who will be there for you forever, you need
to do due diligence. You won't get that from a pet store. You won't get
that from the guy selling dogs out of his pickup truck in the WalMart
parking lot. You won't get that support from a high-volume breeder,
either. Yes, it takes a little more time and effort to find someone who
really cares and does all the work to breed the healthiest, happiest
puppies possible and then stands behind those puppies.

This is a living being that will be part of your family, hopefully,
for many years. Isn't it worth a bit of effort to find a breeder who
will be there for you and that puppy forever?

And guess what? Shows like Westminster are a very valuable resource
for finding breeders who do care and who use the best possible
practices, as well as for learning more about the various breeds.

Bravo to USA Network for broadcasting the Westminster Kennel Club show
all these years. May they enjoy continued success through the ongoing
inclusion of such programs. I will be eagerly watching this year's
show!"

Dr. Libbye Miller
Elizabethtown, KY

www.swissstarsaints.com

Things a going on

Can someone explain to me the common sense of creating a night time medicine, that ONLY lasts 4 hrs? By the time you can fall asleep, you've been tossing and turning for an hour, and then by the time you feel crappy enough to wake up, the previous dosage is already gone, and you have to toss and turn until the new dosage kicks in. .it makes absolutely NO sense to me at all. . .

I think I may've finally recovered from jet lag, only to be waylayed by a bugger of a sinus problem. . .

Vacation was typical of a vacation. .fun, stressful, went too fast, frustrating. . funny, when I got on the plane to head to Vegas, put on my ipod, and 1st song that comes up in the shuffle is ZZ Top's "Viva Las Vegas" LOL. boy I sure do miss my family. .Bubba is a handsome little boy. Yaya is a brat, but aren't most almost 9 yr old? Bubs is a little booda bellie boy, can't believe that 4 month old baby weighs in at 20 lbs, and J is growing into a handsome teenager. . Linnie is a brat, as usual. . .17 going on 7. . .

Disney was fun, albeit 5 days there is a long damn time. . .only one mishap and maybe one day Yaya'll forgive her Aunt LOL. Vegas is actually tolerable this time of year, a little chilly some days, but otherwise, not miserable. .but too damn brown. . I couldn't live there, the lack of colours in the desert is sad to me. . as we drove to Anaheim all I could think of was how blah it was out there. . if you live in the desert and love it, great, but don't get angry with me because I don't like it. I like my greens and yellows and reds and purples. . even the occasional whites LOl

Was amazed in Anaheim that flowers were blooming, from day lillies, to birds of paradise, to roses, but there were days where it was warmer home than it was even in California. Unfortunately, Marie & my schedules did not overlap at all, she was on the East coast when I was in California, would've loved to've seen my buddy (and Gossip's other momma)

The wind in between Vegas & Anaheim is strong and amazing. We saw half of a double wide ripped off its trailer and the trailer itself further down the road, looking like toffee some child had played with then tossed away. boggles your mind to think of the strength of the wind that ripped those hold downs apart. Mom told me there are some days that stretch of road is closed down to any and all semi's, due to the force of the wind. Just amazing. Nothing but flat desert, nothing to break up the wind, so it hits like a freight train.

While I was away, Eros got a thorough grooming, and looks really nice. Bonnie's groomer did a lot better job than I would've, I'd've got frustrated and hacked away, because he's a PITA, and managed to get some herbage entangled in his britches. . .but Mary is soo patient. . .but of course, with the way vacations get away from you, I forgot what day it was, and missed the dog show entry for him. .damnit. Oh well, Kari has time to work with him, and I have time to get him into better shape.

And oh well, it allowed me to spoil myself for the first time in like ever. . .I was bad, never spent this much money on myself on anything but a dog. . .I bought myself two late Christmas presents. . a HP Photosmart printer(Does it all, printer, scanner, copier, photo printer), and even more tickled a new Nikon Coolpix p80. . .haven't had energy(due to being sick) or weather(been horrid) to play with it yet, but I can't wait :) Jim helped me pick it out, since I had no clue what I was looking at and he's a photographer geek :) So it's a really nifty little camera

Ramblings & puppy pictures

So much I want to do, only one me to do it with LOL

While thinking about not having a competitive coursing dog, i realised it's a good thing LOL there's not enough time in the day right now to do what I want to do with the dogs I have now lOL I'm hoping by next summer, Gossip'll be ready for the Agility ring, as well as Obedience LOl, that on top of showing her and Grins, who has time for a competitive coursing dog? If i get the need, I'll borrow Focus, or Crivens or Carrot. . LOL but I truly expect my weekends to be full next year anyway, so nothing to worry about.

Got pics of some of the kiddos i thought I'd share. .
Mr Dandy, out of the Hawaiian litter. I am so glad this boy has finally found the perfect forever home. His first home bailed out after his owner got severely ill, 2nd one wasn't willing to deal with a young busy dog(hell, he wasn't at her house more than 12 hrs before she decided she couldn't deal with him, geez), but this one is a charm. She's had Zoi before, but this one fits her personality. .very sweet, very laid back. . .that entire litter has a wonderful temperament.

Mr Loki AKA Mielikki's Can't Stop Me Now JC, with his daddy, who's really sick, have my fingers crossed he comes thru surgery 100% Di.

Here's Dickens AKA Dickie Doo(Mielikki's great expectations), Loki's nephew. . he hopes to join cousin Gossip in the Obedience ring next year, sounds like he's as smart as she is, just a bit more willful where she's much more interested in working for mom. He's out of the rose litter(Umbra X Storm), in fact, the puppy mama broke when he was 7-8 wks old, but you couldn't tell it. His newest buddy is Jake, not bred by me, but a pretty puppy none the less.

Ms Hecate, (Mielikki-windhaven's Wicked Rumour) from the Gossip litter, is very loved and very spoiled up in Canada.

I can't believe how gray Ms jezebel has gotten. . .OTOH, she is 6.5+. . I know KC loves her dearly, do miss her now and then, but I make sure to give my buddy Brazen or his brother Jammin some lovin when I see them racing, tho it's their sister Chillie who makes me drool, now THAT'S a Greyhound

This is Dicken's sister Minnie (Mielikki's Minnie Mouse), spoilt and loved dearly in the south. I love getting pics of my kiddos, no matter if they're show pups or just loved and very spoiled pets.

And this is Ms Gossip telling me she can too fit in the suitcase and should be going to Las Vegas with me damnit ! LOL She's not dirty, BTW, that's all the damn ticking she has. .there are two colours I hate: ticked and piss yellow/paper bag brown Borzoi. .so of course the fates had to curse me and give me the best bitch I've ever owned/bred in a colour I can't stand LOL

Misc Ramblings of a cold mind

I am SOO DAMN ready for Vegas. . .it is currently below freezing, and even sitting at work, I can't get warm. . it's for the PITS!! And I REALLY hate the taste of coffee, blech.

Did nothing but work with Gossip this weekend, yesterday was too damn cold to go coursing. . .I had no desire to anyway, neither did Bonnie. . As I told her, if I had a hot young dog, I'd feel different. LOL. Gossip's getting better and better with her flip returns. . .may have to give her two commands, but since with Rally you can it's ok. Just have to find a third show to do the final leg next spring, as there's nothing at the shows in january, no shows within easy driving distance in the winter in Feb, so March is the earliest. . oh well.

As i was looking at show shows, I realised I've become out of touch with the judges, I have no clue on most of the judges, what they like or dont' like. But the last time I SERIOUSLY looked at judges was when I finished Umbra back in what, 04? Got some shows lined up for next month. :) And emailed the agility instructor to see when that starts back up.

Other than that, worked on the tank and went to the Aquarium society meeting, picked up a BRIGHT BRIGHT yellow Wrasse, stands out in the tank, love it. . and a couple more corals. Finally have the Cyanobacteria controlled in the tank, lowered the salinity and made the star polyps much much happier. The Duncan's are soooo tiny and cute and were so happy with the brine shrimp buffet I gave the tank on Saturday, as were the ricordias. It's soooo interesting to watch these tiny little organisms, makes all the work you put into it worth it. Eventually I'll have a bigger tank, when I have lots more money. LOL The purple mushroom coral I got is HUGE, probably 3 inches across. Looked at getting a nice bright yellow Watchman goby, but at 1 inch long, the Lawnmower Blenny would eat it, mistaking him for a funny looking algae LOL. . .may have to set up a refugium and grow him and the Mandarin out until they're big enough to survive. Need to get over to a friend's house and pick up some more live rock as well as her Tang & damsels she's rehoming.

Other than that, took Gossip to a rally run thru, if she's not bouncing off of walls, she should get that second leg of her RN :)

the season

Thanksgiving is the season of thanks, and I've got so much to be thankful

My family is healthy for the most part, and we've all got roofs over our heads

My friends are healthy

I am healthy. Asthma's not as bad as it once was, still there unfortunately.

Yeah, we've all got aches and pains, but it could be much much worse.

My animals are healthy, Pandora's doing well on her thyroid meds, can't believe she's going to be 15 in a few months. Touchet is still as silly and goofy as the day she stepped out of the crate, 5 yrs ago. . .

I'm thankful I know who my true friends are. . it took my life going into the shitter to bring the scumbags to true light, but now they're out of my life. Maybe I can get the asshole magnet surgically removed from my backside since I do seem to attract some good ones. LOL. But now I'm surrounded by good solid friends, and know who I can trust and depend on. . .

I'm thankful to have the Zoimobile, it's proving to be a good little car. . even if it is 11+ yrs old. . been worth the investment in it.

I'm thankful to be in an area of the country where so many doors are open to me.

I'm thankful that the divorce is over, and the next step forward of my life will begin, with the third shortly behind it.

I'm thankful I have a stable job, may not love it, but it is stable in an industry that is growing. I do not have to depend on the economy and worry about my job like so many others are doing. I'm appreciated and not taken for granted, always a good thing in the job.

Hope all my true friends had a wonderful, safe thanksgiving

week in review

This has quite literally, been the month from hell. .

Work has been busier than hell. . which is a good thing, albeit exhausting. .I get home and have no energy. Doesn't help the weather turned cold, and fast, no fall at all, just bam, bundle up weather.

Then get home, work with Gossip. . and this week it's been repaint PVBC's specialty signs. Not sure how old they are, but they looked horrendous. . I took the 5 worst ones and have been repainting and touching them up. They look 100% better all ready, but still need some real work, but that means taking them apart and making it easier to do so. . right now they're glued, but if we can get someone with a small drill bit, we could just screw the borzoi & shield and lettering in, and when somethign breaks, it makes it easier to replace them. ESPECIALLY when you can't find the same font as the rest of the letters are. Also makes it easier to paint in closed quarters, hard to repaint the middle of the O or the B without getting the letter blue or purple or gold. . will suggest it to the club, it'll definitely make it easier to keep them spiffy looking. . .

So, been busy, got home last night, put another coat of paint on, painted the Zoi as well as final painting of the backgrounds, and bathed and groomed two dogs, finish painting, take it over to Bob's. And get everything ready for an early AM departure. Sweeps at 9. . .Regular classes at 9:30, and OB at 11 . . goign to be tonight. . and probably sick on Monday, it is raining, so glad I'm not driving lOl Hope Carol Spritzer doesn't mind polka dots, cuz she's going to get an eyefull of Gossip's in the rain, OTOH, can't hide anything on a wet or naked dog. And then even more fun of doing OB in the rain. .will probably ahve to rewash Umbra for Sunday, OH JOY!!! Poor back.

Had a successful practice Last Sunday, even if we were fraught with equipment failures. . Bonnie just had both motors rebuilt, yet her motor wouldn't work, and something in mine(I can't spell it lOL) wouldn't kick in. Borzoi bob and Kathy's SO managed to put the two working bits together, worked for a bit, then that bit broke. Bonnie ran out and got another one, and we managed to get everyone thru once before the switch broke. .YARGH. . didn't get to run all the zoi we wanted to, but everyone who paid got a run.

First got a REALLY nice run, and allowed me to catch her easily, so she will be coming out with me this fall. Tip got to run, and also looked nice. Then we ran Kathy's Luthian with Reba to give Kathy confidence that Luthian'll ignore a well behaved dog running with her. Wanted to run Dei & Gossip, but will have to wait til next time.

I have to decide which FTE's I'm taking (Bagheera, First, Tip, Carrot, or Focus) next weekend LOL. Borrowing Bonnie's van so Idiot, err Eros can go, and I can work on re-box breaking his hairy butt. If Carrot & Focus are like their brother, they'll box break EASY. . .Bagheera's a moose, so that should be interesting LOL Hoping his 'Grandma' Comes, told her she could help me break him LOL Vickie hasn't seen him since he was knee high to a grasshopper, now he's knee high to an elephant and built like a tank, with a goofy sweet temperament

And counting down the days til I'll be home for xmas, warm & sunny Vegas. .

what you do when there's nothing else to do

Spend this weekend brushing & bathing dogs. .Grins got done Friday, and my other 5 today. . damn, between the two boys, I could choke a wooly mammothy with the hair I swept up, and they're still YAKS. OMG. . Also brushed out Scirocco & Eros, who now looks a lot less like a Saint Bernard, boy does that boy carry coat, the sisters Scirocco & Dei now look like salukis LOL Hey, it's cooler to do work with outside, right?

Gossip is finally starting to slow down, thank heavens, she was getting down to her skivvies & polkadots LOL Not that she ever carries a lot of coat anyway. . .but want to show her some this fall. . And Kani may be my first bred by girl to not go NAKED after a season, thank heavens, since she goes in every 5.5-6 months.

Took G & G & Dei to Agility on Tuesday. The girls did decently, listened pretty good considering Gossip & I have never worked off leash before. . Grins, OTOH, thinks the name of the came is to bulldoze his way through the jumps LOL. . what a shit. .and the collapse tunnel was a trip. . threw his toy in, he went halfway in, and then laid down and refused to come out. By the end of the night tho, both G&G were bolting through it at a decent speed.

Dei really pleased me, she's getting better at listening to commands. . problem is with the humidity she shuts down after working for a little bit. Will hose her down this week and see if that helps. . Gossip & I start Rally classes tomorrow if they're held, depneds on if there was enough interest. She should be fun to do Obedience, she's a happy hyper dog, while Dei is more relaxed and doesn't get "UP" unless she has the zoomies.

Oh. . yeah :) Grins' daughter did really really well recently. She won the UCBSC ASFA Grand Prix BIF award if I remember right last weekend of July, Vanessa says the trophy is HUGE!! I am so tickled for her that Novel is such an awesome running girl for her. . .

And otherwise, we just wait for the weather to get cooler so we can get out more. Get Eros into shape and work on some more titles, Maybe get Dei's JC on her(hopefully), maybe take her for a try this coming weekend, if the weahter is nice. . but if it's like it was this weekend, nope, no how. . just about every girl Bonnie owns has come in, many of them a lot earlier than expected, of course, the only girl of mine I'd like to come in early won't LOL That's ok, gives us time to work on our Obedience & find those last 2 GRC points for her :)

this & that

So this girl I was so hoping for, so looking forward to, gets to my friend's house, and is a freaking spook. terrified of her own shadow, terrified of the other dogs, hid in her crate all weekend, not coming out even when nobody but the hubby was home, and Al's not a loud guy. so scared of Gossip's brother, she attacked him and he hid in his owner's room all weekend.

OH well, it happens. . knowing the situation she came out of before going to this woman's house, knowing she hadn't even been leash broke by 10 months, I had wondered if she'd be ok mentally. I know of other dogs who came from the same situation who never were ok. So when the owner changed her mind because her daughter hadn't stopped crying, I had no problem letting her go back. . I don't have the time or energy to deal with a dog like that. .did it once before, and it was a pita and a long process. And I don't need to put all that time in a dog only to find out she's unfixable, then what do I do? Or even worse, think I fix her mind, and find out it's genetic. Temperament's too important to me, and that's a nightmare I don't need.

Oh well, back to the drawing board LOL. Fern offered me a girl to replace Touchet,so not like I don't have other options! Wish I could afford to fly out and hand pick a girl like Marie did. May have to check into that. It's unfortunate Touchet's look alike sister never got bred, I really like what Touchet X Races gave me, only one of them is truly a pet, and it doesn't matter to his owner, Ashley loves him. I warned them when they picked him out as a baby I couldn't promise anything, and they understand.. . but Fern's got two nice young girls I really like. May have to call her tomorrow.

I got photos of Raven (Mir son bred by Terry Steele & Billie Thibeaux) at his new home: Hawaii! It's so neat to see him in his army uniform. From what Billie told me, he's got his grandmother's temperament. One of the reasons I refused to give up on Kyra's get, is that wonderful temperament. May he do his breeder proud :) From the pics, looks like he's settled in quite well, the ham.

May or may not decide to be masochistic this weekend and take Grins to a funmatch. . he has two speeds, dead asleep and full speed ahead. Basically depends on how much energy I have lOL I also plan to take Chantilly as they're having a LGRA practice, need to know if I have a new dog to run this fall :) NOw if I could only get her to agree to letting me take out Tip or First. . .I'm afraid i'm conditioning Reba for just sprints, and she'll be hitting coursing this fall :P AM may be tehre to see if he'll run :)

Other than that, may try the agility place again: )

July

I hate July

It's too damn hot to do anything
Too damn humid to move much

Granted, we don't get as hot as Vegas, but it's too damn hot for me. Watching the work on my computer last night had me sticky just standing there. . ick ick ick.

Could do dog shows, if ANYTHING I owned had coat, HAH! LOL Dei jumped up on a dog house in a puff of white hair this weekend

Started to Spray paint the contacts on the agility equipment last night, not going to be a quick job LOL Aframe has 42 inch contacts on both sides. glad I bought 3 cans of green. Was waiting for BOrzoi Bob and wife Sally to show up, he had a program to help my computer run faster. They requested a quick show, so Dei did everything but jumps & weaves for them. . .Silly hairless white girl. If I can get to bed at a decent time(We were up til 10:30 running the program on the computer, found 1600 little things in the registry that got deleted, wowza), I'll start working on it in the early A.M. when there is no humidity, only DUMB DEER! There's three sets of moms, and 6 babies(1-2-3, yes triplets) on the grounds, and they're not afraid of humans.

Had to take the Zoimobile in yesterday to get a tire patched, guy asked how old the tires were, that the tread was great, but the sidewalls were dryrotting. .I told him considering the car only had 35K on it in 11 yrs, I'd wager they were the original tires LOL. Get that done, and get it a checkup. Guess that's one reason to be glad July is a down month, LOL. . I have the money to do this.

Trying to figure out if I can travel this fall . .I would really like to pit Gossip against Sammy, but unless I can get another driver just no way in hades. .. I can't do that kind of driving on a Friday or Sunday night. . .other dog I want to see her against is way out West, but his owner told me last year he didn't think he was as fast as Gossip. IT'd still be nice to see in person. I'd also like her to run against Bartleby and a few others in his area. Would also like to run her against a few of Sally Barron's dogs. Quite a few of these dogs are way impossible due to distance :P Let alone the fact I don't want to do that to my little car. It's gotta last me a few years :) Wish Bonnie had more energy to do things more.

the tiers of the dog world

Was thinking last night about the people in the dog world due to the shit someone close to me is going thru because of one of the EVIL people in Borzoi. .and realise most of them are not evil or nasty, quite a few of them I wouldn't trust further than I can throw them for various reasons, but most of them are good.

Only two Breeders are truly evil. .both have wished evil things on others. .funny, they both purport to being religious, and the golden rule there is "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you" as well as "Let He Who Is Without Sin Cast The First Stone". The one wished my good friend Pat Hardy had died on the table when she had her cancer surgery, the other has been caught numerous times laughing over my misfortune and the misfortune of any others who she has whatever cause to dislike. They both lie to suit their fancy and to fit their bill, both are used cars salesman. . .sickening sweet as long as you do what they want you to do.

Then there are those who I don't respect or trust. . the reasons there are a myraid, from admitting to breeding 10+ litters a year in order to get a certain colour out there,to breaking their word, to treating their puppy buyers like crap or not caring at all when they respond with a health issue. This group is bigger than the first, but not a huge population in Borzoi.

Then there are the "Good" people. Overall they are decent, you may not agree with their principals or their breeding philosophy, or maybe you do, but they themselves are good people. They stand behind their dogs, they are respectful, they don't fall into the BS the first two do. . . They are here to breed their ideal, they don't do the political bullshit of trashing all others dogs. They're just good people.

Then there are the Angels, bigger than the 1st, smaller than the 2nd & 3rd. They reach out to those in need, always have a good thing ot say to anyone, never try and stir up crap, just very sweet, loving people. I am so tickled to have two of them in my life. . .and love them both dearly. . but others have dipped into my life in the last 2 yrs to help out, to give a helping hand, a shoulder to cry on. . .All but the 1st group has this in them, just doesn't show up as often as the last group.

Just some thoughts on a hazy Tuesday morn

More random thoughts

The last few months have been amazing watching Gossip get back into shape. She's not quite at 100%, but by the time racing comes back to this area, she should be.

Bonnie had told me that a dog with a flexible topline can go through some amazing changes, you can make them do amazing things with their topline (she showed me some photos of an adult dog she was able to do some amazing things with his toplines, heck it's why after a certain stage, I try to get self stacked photos of puppies!), and if they've been sick or crate bound it can definitely affect their topline as they lose muscle mass, and I've now seen that once again, she's right. It was a lot easier to see with Gossip vs Grins, as she was NEKKID. lol Grins has never been nekkid, my grey Tribble boy. She doesn't have a lot of topline anyway(built a lot like a good racing greyhound), it's just what I like, but it's not flat. .in the midst of her 7 month down time, it went flat. Now she's muscling up, and her topline is coming back :)

Now, after 6 wks of good hard running, it's coming back. Just in time for her coat to go again LOL

Heard back from the local shop with the agility room you can rent. Debating now on taking a class or just renting from them every other week. The class would be a good thing, could have help working her with the damn weaves,the only thing we'ev not mastered yet.

Took Dei out front after taking down the dog walk and the teeter last night. The look on her face when she tried to ignore me and go do the dog walk was hysterical, but, otoh, she did listen to me yesterday and I got her to do three jumps in the row, and gave her the aframe as her reward. May try and get up earlier in the day(ugh) in order to work her in the morning when there's no humidity, 10 minutes outside showed it was more humid than it felt, ick! Yes, Landon, I will try and get you more video of the doggy playing LOL

Had to go to Wallieworld last night, and made the mistake of walking thru the garden center. Found two star lillies in colours I've not seen before: White & Yellow. And I had to buy them LOL Yes, garden centers have become as bad as fish stores for me lOL I love my star lillies, and lost so many of them in the move, it's nice to find them again. So they're waiting to get planted in my garden ;)