I am leaving town on Monday and will be gone for 6 days.  I am already missing and worrying about my dogs.  My husband will be home to care for them but it is just not the same.  He is good to them but not as careful or attentive as I am.  My older daughter is coming over every morning and afternoon to help feed and let them out, so that's really nice.  I just worry that they will get out and get away, or that they won't remember to fill their water bowl, etc., etc., etc.  I know they'll survive, but it sure is going to be hard on mom!

Today I went to an AKC dog show that is being held here. I had originally planned on showing Rex in obedience, but he just isn't ready.  He has had so many allergy issues and we really kind of just put training on hold.  

I enjoyed watching the show and seeing all the dogs.  I, of course, mostly hung out by the poodle ring and I met some very nice people. I got some good insight into the show world and learned a lot.  I have never shown my dogs in conformation, mostly because I don't want to have to do the fancy poodle clip that is required now that they are older.  I wish I had shown them in conformation when they were younger. I have to say that I was so impressed with the beauty of these dogs.  They make mine look very 'plain' and boring.  But after really thinking about it today I realize that at this time in my life I don't have the time to devote to caring for their coats in a special clip like that.  I will just stick with obedience and agility for now, and maybe sometime in the future I will have a pup that I will show in conformation. 

I am so happy that the weather is getting warmner, but I am not enjoying all this mud!   My sentiments, however, are not shared by my dogs - they are thinking that this is just great.  Especially Keisha, my light apricot poodle.  She is a mud-magnet anyway, and she isn't out in the outside play area for 3 minutes before she's covered in it. She runs through it, rolls in it, jumps in it, lays in it.  And she is just so happy with herself!  The other dogs come in with muddy feet.  She comes in with muddy everything!  So Keisha is getting lots of baths!  I clipped her pretty short to make this a little easier on all of us.  She is so cute!

On Friday I got the Canine Good Citizenship certificates in the mail for Rex and Lacie!  I was so proud of them!  Obedience classes and agility has been a lot of fun and they have really benefited from the classes. Rex especially. He was such a timid, scared dog. He was scared of everyone.  He is much more confident now. He's still a shy dog, but he will actually approach people with that bit tail just a wagging!  It warms my heart to see the changes in our boy. He is just so happy - you can see it in his face and his mannerisms.  He is not held back by that extreme fear any more. 

And now we concentrate on Keisha, my monster dog!  She is actually the sweetest dog and so friendly. She's just into everything. Everything is at high speed and full energy with her!  You couldn't find a sweeter, happier, friendlier dog. But she definately needs some classes though - I need to get her out and about more and practice things with some more distractions around her.  The biggest problem with her is her extreme car-sickness.  She's over a year old and it is still a big issue. I don't care how far we go - it can just be a block or two - she urps. Even on an empty stomach. So bringing her to class is not easy, as it's a good 12 miles one way.  Lots of puke to clean up at both ends of the trip, and I can't imagine she feels great after that either. Sigh. It's always interesting with dogs!

And soon I'll have little Zoe to bring to class....

I am so excited - Rex's allergies seems to be clearing up and he is obviously feeling so much better.  His flaky, itchy skin is gone, no more itchy, inflamed ears, no more chewing at his pads.  After numerous suggestions from various people, vets, nutritionists, I decided that one of my vets made a suggestion that really made sense to me. He asked me what I had been feeding Rex in the beginning before he had any problems start.  When I first got him I had him on Nutro lamb and rice.  He said to go back to it.  So I did, and the change was pretty remarkable almost immediately.  He is like a new dog. So Rex will be staying on the Nutro.  Occasionally I also get the canned Nutro and mix some in for a treat and he does well with that too.  His coat is beautiful again and he is full of energy. I'm so happy!!  After all the money I've spent on super expensive foods, vet visits, special shampoos, etc, this is a real treat for us.  Our new puppy, Zoe, is on the Nutro puppy food for large breeds and she is doing wonderfully too. I've heard good and bad about Nutro, but I'll tell you what - I have a Standard Poodle who's been miserable for almost a year.  I think from now on I will leave well enough alone!

We have a new puppy!!  (Check out our site for pictures!!)  She is an 8 week old Standard Parti poodle that we named Zoe.  One site said that Zoe means 'life' and another one said 'full of life' - boy, does that fit!!    She is just full of the dickens.  She is a very confident puppy and just seems to go with the flow and takes things in stride. 

The other poodles and Jazzy have taken to her very well.  They are very tolerant of her baby pranks, such as grabbing on to their hair and giving a good yank.  Poodles are good disciplinarians - those big paws just give her a smack once in a while and she straightens up!  They are amazingly gentle and patient with her. 

So it's back to puppy stuff again.  It's only been a year, but how quickly you forget!  Thank God for crate training.  She is already doing very well.  She is quiet at night, sleeps for about 6-7 hours, and then we go outside and she does her business.  She's a very easy pup.  I took this week off from work so I can be home with her, and it's going very well. 

Why another poodle???  Well you see, I have a disease called MPS.  It is not curable and those who love me have learned that they just have to be understanding.  And really, suffering from this disease isn't all that bad. Thankfully, my husband is amazingly understanding and wonderful about it.  MPS = Multiple Poodle Syndrome    I have it bad...

Today was such a fun day.  Both Lacie and Rex took their 'Canine Good Citizen' tests and passed with flying colors!!  I was so proud of them.  They are the nicest dogs and so much fun to work with.

Next it is Keisha's turn. We are now working on beginning obedience with her and she's a quick study.  She really catches on to things very quickly. My problem with her is that she is so easily distracted. It's hard for her to focus on me when the world is so full of interesting things to look at, chase, chew, and explore!  What is very helpful is that she is very food-motivated!!  I just have to keep a good supply of tasty treats! 

Keisha is such a happy dog.  She just be-bops through life with a sunny disposition and mischeif in her eyes.  She doesn't mean to get into trouble - she is just so curious, and life is just so full of fun things to look at and chase and get into and chew and tear apart...

Tonight I wanted to trim Keisha's top knot and face, but I didn't really want to give her a full bath, so I just washed her from the neck up!  That was interesting but went very well.  She had just gotten a bath last week but I didn't finish grooming her.  In the meantime, she had a rawhide that somehow got into her topknot, making the hair a bit sticky/crunchy! 

Anyway, she looks so darned cute.  She has the biggest brown eyes and when her topknot is trimmed up nice she looks absolutely angelic and innocent and so sweet.  Keep in mind that looks can be deceiving and that little one frequently not so angelic! Last night she nudged a drawer open on my computer desk and took out all the pens, pencils and markers!!  Thankfully I caught her before the chewing started.  I can only imagine the permanent black marker all over her light hair - not to mention my carpet and tile. 

I get such a kick out of the difference in my dogs' personalities. I just love watching them and seeing how they act and react and interact.  Fascinating. 

I don't know if I could pick a favorite.  They are all such a big part of my life and fill my heart with such joy.  Each of them loves me and enjoys being with me.  I feel the same about them.  I am so blessed.

Took Rex to agility class last Thursday and he did so well!  After 2 weeks off because of a severe allergy/itching problem I wondered how he' be, but he seemed to totally enjoy being back to work.  He is such a fun dog.  (He is still itching around his eyes but I'm thinking perhaps he is finally getting better.  I'm almost afraid to say that.)  He sure got tired out in class.  Towards the end he was so tired that he ran into the tunnel and when he got to the middle, he laid down and didn't budge.  That was that - he was taking a siesta!  Everyone in class was laughing and the instructor had to hit the outside of the tunnel to get him to move.  His butt was dragging, tongue hanging out - definately ready to go home. 

When his class is over I will enroll Keisha in beginning obediance.  I am so looking forward to working with her.  Keisha has a totally different personality than the other two poodles.  She is my wild one - full of energy, always into something, and just too busy to settle down for too long.   She's a lover though, and I think she'll just love being in class.  She is a very resonsive dog and very quick to catch on to new things.  She is also very food-motivated, so treats will be a BIG plus with her. What I really think Keisha would enjoy is agility.  She is so high-energy that I think something like agility will really be enjoyable for her.  She has a quick mind and seems to enjoy figuring things out. 

These dogs are so much fun.  I love going to classes with them.  Lacie and Rex were the best dogs in their obediance classes and it's just a blast to see them suddenly catch on and 'get it'.  They move with such grace and such a bounce in their steps.  They are a joy to watch. 

Tomorrow is grooming day, at least for two of them.  I hope to get all 3 done in the next couple of days.  I have been a bad mom - I haven't been brushing them like I should and I have some matts to take care of.  I feel badly about that; life has just been very crazy and busy lately.  So we will attack those and get everyone prettied up and looking nice. 

Keisha has such a thick, wooly coat.  Her topknot is just unbeleivably thick.  Right now it is hanging over her eyes and looks horrible.  Time for a new do for that little girl!  She has the most gorgeous big brown eyes. When she is groomed she is just adorable.  Her eyes are her best feature. 

Lacie and Rex also need their topknots trimmed.  Lacie has very fine, silky hair so her topknot has to be kept a bit shorter to keep it looking nice.  Rex has thick curly hair - his topknot is pretty impressive.  He has a wonderful coat to work with.  I sure wish I had gotten him at a younger age so I could have shown him in conformation as a young pup.  Now I'd have to get a show clip and I just don't want to do that. 

Right now all 3 dogs are chewing on bones.  I got some nice ones from the butcher and the poodles are thinking they're in doggy heaven. 

 

 

Rex has been in beginning obedience, rally and agility classes over the past several months. I worried that it might be too much for him but he seems to absolutely love going to classes.  He strives to please and he's just a blast to work with.  If I even just walk towards his show leash he bounds for the door! 

I entered Rex in a Rally trial tomorrow and Sunday in Minneapolis, MN.  I've been pretty excited about it - this is a first show for both of us and I figured Rally would be a great way to break into it and learn a lot.

I took Rex to class on Wednesday night and he was so distracted and so naughty that I was just embarrassed and frustrated and couldn't figure out what was with this guy.  He has been doing so well! He was just not himself at all. At one point he even tripped me in class and I actually fell on the ground. I learned that I do not fall gracefully or quietly!  The other people weren't sure whether to laugh or what, but laughter won out for all of us. 

 Rex has been battling what we think are food allergies.  I switched him to a new food two weeks ago and his loose stools and infected ears cleared right up.  However, his eyes and face have still been itching him.  After my fall I was sitting with Rex and I was looking at him, and I realized just how bad his eyes really were that night. I have never seen him look so miserable. They were swollen and red and almost raw from his itching them.  My heart just broke for him.  I hadn't realized it before class because I came home from work, let him out, and then we took off for class right away.  With his longish top knot and coloring, it's hard to really see the skin around his eyes unless you are really looking at them.

I brought Rex to the vet yesterday and he gave him a steroid injection and put him on a 10-day course of pills.  We just need to get this inflammatory process to stop.  We are giving this new food another few weeks and will then evaluate how he is doing.  We stayed home from agility class last night and will be missing the show this weekend.  I'm so disappointed, but Rex just isn't himself and he still itches.  I need to give the meds time to work and him time to just relax and heal.  He is such a good boy and I hate to see him going through this.  There will be another time for us to show. 

 

 

Rex finished his beginning obedience class and he did so well!  At the end of the class competition he took home the blue ribbon and a frisbee!  I was such a proud mommy!!

Now Rex is in beginning agility.  Is that ever fun!  He's such a fun dog to work with, although he really was not on his best behavior last week. We went from his training collar to a flat collar and he decided that obedience was not what he was interested in.  He's a big, strong dog so it was a battle of not only wills, but strength.  This is not really his fault so much as mine.  We have not worked for a couple of weeks because it has been so blasted cold.  There's no where to work him.  So I have to be realistic in my expectations. 

I entered Rex in a Rally trial in 3 weeks.  He probably isn't really ready but I think it will be fun and we will learn a lot.  I wanted to go anyway to watch the obedience trials so I figured what the heck.  We'll give it a shot and see what happens.  It will be fun.  IF Rex is a good boy!  We will be practicing, practicing, practicing.  No matter what the weather does!!

Last Thursday night I got a crisis call and went to see a pup that I was told was dying.  It's a 4 month old Doxie/Beagle cross and absolutely adorable.  But that night she was just plain pathetic.  The people told me that she ate an entire large roll of toilet paper.  This pup is just maybe 10-12 pounds and after looking at her I found it pretty hard to believe that she ate that much toilet paper.  She had thrown up 4 times with blood in her vomit.  When I got there they had stuck her in the tub with no towel, no blanket.  Just put her in the tub. She was shaking uncontrollably, her breathing was labored, and she was drooling profusely.  But that little tail wagged the minute she saw us. My husband and I bundled her up and took her home. 

 Poor little girl.  I truly did not think she was going to make it through the night, but there was no way I was leaving her there to die alone in a cold hard tub.  We fixed her up a nice soft bed in a crate in the bathroom.  It's the warmest place in the house and I needed to keep her isolated from my pups.  I called the vet for advice and he said to give her pepto bismol then and again an hour later and to leave her be and see what happened.  From what I described he figured she ate something that had her stomach upset and hopefully wouldn't cause a blockage. 

 I checked on her throughout the night and at about 5 am we heard this horrible howling and crying.  I ran in there and she had pooped. It was long and when I picked it up with some toilet paper, it was hard as a rock.  So of course, you do what you have to do - I pulled it apart (lovely way to start your morning!) and found that it was a large piece of plastic.  The edges weren't real jagged but I'm sure that, judging by the size of it and the sounds she made, it hurt like the dickens coming out. 

 And that was that.  She was so much better. We fed her a small amount of high quality canned food and she literally inhaled it.  She has steadily gotten better, is eating well, and she is running around all over the place, full of energy. She's thin and ribby but actually not too bad.  I know she has round worms and I gave her her first worming.  I'm reasonably sure she hasn't been vaccinated at all so she is going back to the vet next week for a checkup and shots. 

 What a sweet dog.  It's so sad how desparately she wants to be loved.  Breaks your heart.  When you reach for her she cringes - literally drops down and just shakes.  You know she's been hit.  I know that she was kicked, thrown across the room, picked up by the scruff of her neck and tossed aside, and hit.  And she's only 4 months old.  This couple has two very young children who pull at her, fall on her, drag her around, pull her ears, etc.  Then the parents get mad when she growls or cries out, and she pays for it. She has known nothing but rough handling and nastiness.  Yet she is just so loving and sweet.  It's just so amazing and so heartwrenching.

I have a home for her already.  A gal I work with came to see her tonight with her little Doxie and they just hit it off immediately.  I know this woman very well and I know she is a wonderful person who treats her animals very well.  Hallie (she named her tonight) will have a wonderful home.  And the best part - I'll get to see her!

Keisha is my light apricot Standard Poodle. She is my "get into everything", "roll in the mud", and "attract every piece of dirt possible" poodle. With the warmer temps and melting snow the poodles have been really enjoying being outside in their pen for short periods of time.  But oh my gosh, Sunday my little apricot girl was soaking wet and covered in mud after only 10  minutes outside!  What a mess.  But she was a happy mess!  She just wiggled and waggled all over, so proud of herself and so happy!  So it was into the tub for that little girl.  After a nice bath and drying session I decided that I might as well groom her since she was getting kind of shaggy anyways.  And then I discovered that my #4 blade was too dull to use. Sigh.  So, I used a # 7. I don't usually like to go that short but I figured it would be easier to clean her up and what the heck - if I hated it, it would grow back.  Well you should see my girl!  She is just lovely - she feels like crushed velvet, silky and smooth. I scissored her legs so they're a little longer, and she is just adorable.  Everyone who has come in has commented on how much they like her like this.  It will be her summer cut I think, since she is so hard to keep clean.

Lacie and Rex are waiting to be groomed. I have another blade coming and this one going to be sharpened. I will trim them with the # 4.  Lacie had her bath and is silky soft too, but long.  I am looking forward to getting her trimmed up - she's such a beautiful girl.  Rex is next.  He will be getting his bath in the morning and hopefully my blade will be delivered tomorrow too.  He has class tomorrow night so it would be nice to bring him all groomed and looking spiffy. 

I so enjoy these dogs. I cannot imagine my life without them. They do keep me busy, that's for sure. But I love it. My husband, kids and grandkids enjoy them as well, which is always nice. I do sometimes wish I hadn't picked a breed that needs such intensive grooming though! 

Well, I'm heading to bed. What that means is that I will climb in to bed and all 3 poodles will jump up there with me!  My husband will wait a while and then come in.  The poodles will then maul him and get their pets, and then they'll jump down, one by one to sleep on their mats.  It's funny because none of them sleep up there all night long.  They just visit at first and then head to their own beds. It's nice that they don't have to be in their crates at night any more. I love having them in our room.

G'night all!

What a nice Christmas we had. My daughter and I spent lots of time baking and just hanging out together (she's 15); we had lots of time with family, great food, lots of laughter. We enjoyed the dogs and they enjoyed the festivities and all the company. They were well-behaved and a joy to have around. 

Tonight my husband, daughter and I just sat around and watched movies, ate popcorn, and relaxed. It was really nice. I brought up some grooming supplies and ended up cleaning out ears on all 4 dogs and brushing out the 3 poodles. They enjoyed the attention although the poodles do not enjoy getting the hair pulled out of their ears! They're good about it though. We do it often enough that it doesn't get too bad.  I've never in my life seen such hairy ears though. I guess I didn't realize how much hair they actually got in their ears. Lacie, my black poodle, has HUGE ear cavities.  Just amazes me.

Tomorrow I might bathe the poodles, although I don't think I'll do all three.  That is so time consuming. Drying and brushing out takes forever.  None of them need a groom right now, but they are dirty and nails need to be trimmed and dremeled.  Guess I'll concentrate on nails and bathing Keisha, who is absolutely filthy.  Rex has class tomorrow night so perhaps I will bathe him too.  I don't know.  I think I'll just play it by ear.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas!!

 

I am so proud of my boy!!  We switched from the Thursday night class to the Wednesday night class because the Thursdays just didn't end up working out; I would have had to miss 2 classes in a row and I just didn't want to do that.  Anyway, we went to class on Wed and it was really fun.  They were a week behind our class so we got a repeat of class #2, which was just fine with me. 

The week before the instructor had us introduce our dogs to the concept of 'down'. Well, Rex was having none of that. Long story short - at the end of the class, I was sweating bullets and he was still being very naughty and stubborn about the whole thing.

Well, we practiced all week long and it became a game.  You know, I read somewhere that brown poodles are considered the clowns of the breed.  That is the truth, let me tell you.  Rex now thinks 'down' is the best thing ever.  He literally throws himself down and it's just hilarious.  

In class on Wed night he did so well that the instructor told about our previous weeks experience and pointed out how practicing really makes a difference.  Then she had me demonstrate with Rex.  What a proud moment!  He was so good. He is so full of exhuberance and joy - he just prances along beside me and is so darned cute.  Then we went to the doggy store and we practiced in there too.  He did good but he still cringes away from people when they try to pet him.  His fear issues are deeply ingrained.  I hope with time he gets better - won't be good at a show if while standing for exam he cringes away from the judge and runs behind my legs!!

This morning I took him for a long walk and he did very well, although he'd love to surge ahead and just explore.  He was pretty good though (training collar always helps!). 

This afternoon I am taking Lacie to town for a walk and then Keisha will go with my daughter and I when she walks her dog after school.  Takes a lot of work to get these dogs exercised every day!  I let them out in the pen to run this morning for a while and they ran full bore around that thing for 10 solid minutes!  They just had a ball.  It's really cold so I didn't want to leave them out there for too long but they sure enjoy themselves. They absolutely love the snow.  I try to let them out in the pen twice a day for 10 minutes or so.  Rex and Keisha don't seem to mind the cold but Lacie is ready to come in. 

Have a good day everyone!