YAY!!!! PEARLIE AND DANA!!!!!

A very big congrats to Dana for finishing Pearl's CPE Agility Championship!!!!!!! So now Pearlie Girl is...

C-ATCH ARCH-MX StoneCircle Ice N On The Cake FDCh, AKC RE, ASCA RN, RS-E, GS-E, JS-E, NADAC TN-N, AD,AG,AS, CDSP CDX-C CGC

Also for finishing Ziggy's CPE Level 1!

Congrats to Anne and "Layla" for their awards at the ASCNE ROM Banquet!

Congratulations to Dana, Pearl and Ziggy!!!

APDT Rally:

http://apdt.com/rally/pdf/2011/2011_Top_20_Overall.pdf

http://apdt.com/rally/pdf/2011/2011_USA_National_Rankings.pdf

2011 Top 20 Overall: Pearl is #9 

2011 ARCH-MX Title earners: Pearl is #8

2011 ARCH-X Title earners: Zig is #1

CDSP Obedience:
http://www.companiondogsportsprogram.com/index_htm_files/nationalranking.pdf

2011 Top 20 Novice B: Pearl #14

2011 Top 20 Open C: Pearl #18

Also for earning Ziggy's three ASCA Novice titles in 2 trials and with a High In Trial Novice Award!

Getting taller and TALLER!!!

Nicky is going to be one big boy! Last week he and Spinnie went to Dr. Judy Herman and Spin weighed in at 31 pound and Phoenix at 21 pounds. So I think it is likely he will be quite large since he isn't even 4 months. Spin still beats the snot out of him, but that probably won't last too much longer.

No, we aren't digging in the mud....(much)

Spin sprained her foot pretty badly tearing around with KD in the back yard a couple of weeks ago. She is on the mend and getting back to her terrorizing-self. 

If you keep watching me I can't be BAD!!!!!

A tired baby is a good baby!

Spin loves her new brother!

Well, she loves to beat the crap out of him. This is her version of love.

Hey, Spinnie leave those on him! We may need to use them some day!

"He doesn't need legs, does he mom?" 

Yes, Spinnie. I think he does needs his legs.

Some day and that day will be soon...I will be bigger than you. You will be very sorry, Spin!

This is Phoenix's favorite place. Sleeping with Papa.

Phoenix AKA "Little Nicky" has arrived!

Roy had quite an adventure traveling to pick up the newest member of the Lupien family, but he has arrived safe and sound! Not the puppy I expected as you can see from the previous post that this boy is not the same one. He is however a fantastic little guy and we are having a grand time with the little fellow. He has already made his presence known with the ducks and not in a good way either. A mouth full of tail feathers was  pretty exciting for  him and he was sure he did not get quite all that he really needed. Should be a handful once we actually start trying to do some training. He is a very bright puppy, which really makes it fun. He is active, but not hyper which I do find in the working lines to be the norm. A lot of the show lines I have had over the years seem to be more hyper. They want to play, play, play and if not then they want to chew or destroy a lot of stuff. The working lines seem to be more content to hang and are happy to go for a walk or do barn chores and watch over their domain. They do play to some extent, but they don't seem so into other dogs as wanting to be with you and helping around the house. Seems over the years I am tending to sway more to these types of lines. I like their "uniqueness". They have more character in type and style. The show lines are all starting to look the same to me. Probably because they are all using the same studs and lines in every breeding. I hate when people try and make a breed so uniform when it wasn't breed for looks, but for a job. I am beginning to appreciate what's between the ears and not so much what the ears look like. I used to think I was kind of a dog snob, but I have found I am much more tolerant than a lot of breeders as far as the wide range of what is acceptable within the breed standard and really it is all a matter of a person's interpretation of what moderate is. I would argue most of the dog's in the breed ring are not moderate at all in my opinion. Not on bone, coat, head type, etc.....I have owned both types over the past 20+ years. There are qualities I admire in both. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and well, brains...I guess that depends on how smart the owner is. ;-) I've seen some darn smart dogs with some pretty dense owners. Some days I may fall in that category. Maybe more than I wish to admit.

Really shouldn't we be more concerned with healthy gene pool rather than making it a popularity contest? Genetic diversity is not always such a bad thing.

Now, that is one RED dog! As he matures even the white strip on his chest will become less noticeable. I do love the pigment in the working lines. He is a tri, not a bi. He just has very little visual copper. I like the little spot of white on his chin. It looks like he has been drinking milk. :-) 

He has the most intelligent and expressive eyes for a baby.

I have big plans for you handsome! 

Roy is pretty smitten with the little guy. He sleeps on Papa's head. Hey, you are supposed to be MY baby boy!

2012 New Year, Bad Baby, New Baby

I am wishing a very special 2012 to all. Hopefully better than 2011. Seems like all I did was work. Either in my job or around the house. I didn't get to do to many dog related events this year, but did have a very cute litter in July. Most were placed in very nice homes. Except for one. Bad baby, red girl. Imagine that. :-)

Wild eyed, trouble-making "Spinnie". Good thing she is small. Six months and not even 17 inches. Small enough you can pick her up and haul her bad butt off when needed. That is if you can catch her. She will come if she thinks you are mad enough or something in it for her. Puff is pretty sure she should find a new home. She will not leave her poor tail alone and I can't tell you how many times I've had to save Puff from a bad baby attached to her like a tail eating Piranha. 

Classic Spinnie. Would you want that attached to your butt?

Yum! Puffa's tail is tasty!

Run! Puffa! Run!

Next weekend Roy will be flying to Denver and then drive up to Cheyenne, Wyoming to pick up my Christmas present. A new bloodline. "Phoenix", a red tri baby boy. I am ready for a working bred baby. My boys are getting older and I would like another male. I think he will be a nice addition to the house and be interested in doing some stock work especially on cattle. Hopefully he will fit in the soft crate for under the seat or Roy will have a not-so-fun time returning home.  

I really like his moderate trim. I think he will be a handsome guy! He is that nice rich chocolate-red rather than the red-red. If you know the difference in the colors of Aussies you know what I mean. ;-) He is a blend of a variety of bloodlines. Some pretty old. Should be interesting. 

The past couple of weeks have been really crazy. I've had four extra dogs for the holidays. Myst and Casco. Maggie and Sadie. Their parents went somewhere much warmer and more hospitable than Maine for the holidays. Three 6 month old littermate puppies make me want to pull my hair out. They think they have to bark at EVERYTHING! Feeding time is pretty interesting. Good thing I have many rooms and the way the house is set up I can rotate them into several areas when I have to run errands. Since I don't have kennels it works out pretty well. I am ready for all the hairy children's parents to come and  pick up their kids. I bet that is how people with daycare feel at 5 o'clock.

Journey and Zigman!

Congrats to Anne for handling "Journey" to her UKC championship in one weekend! You are starting to become a PRO!!! Maybe I will send all my dogs out with you????

Also to Dana and "Zigman" for earning his APDT Rally Championship! He is one special little guy!