A hopefull introduction/announcement

[gemy]

Dara at 4.5 months old or so, is finding her voice.... Ouch! She is practising her warning bark. Her voice trembles up and down the octaves. It is quite funny to hear. She has only vocalized a few times, but then today when I was dropping her off for her 1/2 day boarding n training, a lady surprised her by coming out to the car ahead of us. She did her warning bark and three steps forward to meet the "threat". And then back to me for re-assurance - such a sweet lass

She came home exhausted even too tired to do her mid-day walk... first time ever.

She is now travelling very well in the car, as she has learnt to associate car travel with lots upon lots of fun things to do.

She is quite the jumper, she can leap from the floor up to my shoulder area, and btw she does this behind me (the scamp) as she knows I will correct a frontal jump quite quickly. I don't like it, but at least it is in the kitchen where the floor is very non-slip, but also hard surface

Dara is now about 21" tall and weighs 40+ lbs. She is still tracking for 26+ inches and at least 90lbs.

She had her second set of puppy shots with no adverse reactions. Full Blood Panel will be done at around 6mths, and shortly I will bring her in to do PennHip evaluation.

[gemy]

WE are home now. All my beasties fed, walked, watered, and loved upon.

Of course the housework is still left to do

Dara did so great in her training today! We have graduated to the next training step in heel! Her focus on me is very good. I for the first time had her off lead in a quiet park, and I was quite nervous about that. But my trainer said no worries. We played games off lead, she to find me, and me to create great whooshes of joy when she did! Also the long distance come command. Then great fun of play!

It was a very happy and joyous training day for us both! I am amazed at how my long time trainer comes up with different training exercises that play to the team involved. She is just great!

I have some chest building exercises to do, and some more training exercises to practise.

Great lovely sunny and warm day for all

[lisaly]

I love hearing each of your updates about Dara and feel sheer joy at the love you feel for all of your pups. You have built a beautiful bond and trust with both your trainer and your pups, and I believe that respect allows you to train your pups so beautifully.

[gemy]

Poor lass had diarrehea yesterday at 1/2 day boarding 3x they told me. So she was supposed to have some shots today but we held off. SHe had a bath last night as she had soiled herself

she has some meds for it, and I bring her back in Friday or earlier if the meds don't relieve diarrehea. Thankfully I already have some chicken cooked up all I need to make is more rice.

I have to recheck her vet records - I think I need another booster

Razzles' Rabies titer was $289 wow that is an expensive titer! He got his lepto shot and did just fine with it!

[lisaly]

I hope Dara is feeling better and that Razzle feels his perky, inquisitive self after his vaccine. Your love and enthusiasm for Dara is so contagious and endearing. She could not have found a more loving, protective, fun home. I am trying to give my Katie the special kind of life that you give your pups. Thanks for your inspiration and help always.

[gemy]

Dara did great at the vet today. We finished the Lepto lyme series, and she met a very friendly 2.5 yr old Golden Retreiver. She now weighs 56lbs. Just Rabies to go now. And we will get a full baseline blood panel done 2wks from now.

I am very pleased with her social skills both human and doggie. It is of course early days as she is only 7mths, and their true guard personae won't come into full force until at least 2yrs old and sometimes later. But everyone in the waiting room thought she was a beauty and they had great fun petting her. Which she loved

WE hope as always to get swimming this wkend, but 2 of the beaches here are Red Flagged, so I need to search internet for other nearby open to doggie swimming spots.

I muse on her temperament - and still I think she is a much softer dog than Magic, pretty owner sensitive. She has great enthusiasm and a lovely energetic dog!

I also think she will be coming into heat in about a month from now. Hopefully by then Vlad our foster will have found his for-ever home.

[lisaly]

I love how much you love Dara and all of your pups. I am just so happy that Dara brings you so much joy. I look forward to seeing your photos and videos when your pups are at the lakeside cottage. I hope Dara enjoys dock diving and that Razzle gets to dig and see lots of ducks (with a nearby boat for you).

[gemy]

First year shots are finally done. Diarrehea seems to be under control for the time.

My next worry is she seemed to be going into heat, and then stopped I have had dogs with split heats but this is the first time I experienced this.

Boys were very interested, her vulva was swollen she gave all indication she was entering into her first week of heat, and then everything seemed to back off. Vulva reduced in swelling, boys backed off of interest..... Instead of their interest heightening....

Scratching my head, and will talk to my mentors to see what they have to say.

[gemy]

Darling Dara, is entering into adolescence - and gawd help me outlast her! Talk about being a brat, and exactly on time too, as Magic started at 8months old and it lasts in my breed until at least 2 yrs old. She will be 8months tomorrow.

She wants to continually climb up onto Mommas lap, and trust me she has to use the arms of our big chair and sprawl over my legs and chest to get it done. THen she sees my Yorkie climb across my shoulders and lay nestled into the back of my neck. What does she want to do? WHy the same thing! Except she just doesn't understand that she can't fit but it doesn't stop her from trying.

And her mouth Lord love a duck! You spend months teaching bite inhibition and no mouthing, and you think you have succeeded then adolescence starts and you are back to square ONE. It is a breed pre-dilection for sure.

And her JUMPING. She has a natural affinity to jumps, anywhere, everywhere, she takes great Pride in Jumping. Momma does not want her to jump! She is too young, and it is too harsh on her growing joints. THe only saving grace is she is growing evenly up and has very good dense bones.
And her ladyship knows front on jumping to Moms is NOT Allowed, now she sneaks up behind me and leaps!

She was walking easy on lead, and even heeling correctly, now how-ever we don't know either. It is where I want to go, when I want to go MOMs!

She is a dominant gal, and is trying out her tricks on me. She already has the boys buffaloed. But hey they are males, what can I say

Shades of Magic. So now we are at she doesn't walk up the stairs ahead of me, is not allowed up onto my lap or chair, unless invited. She is being hand fed her food. And earns every mouthful too

Hubby is in love with her, and that means he spoils her. She has him wrapped around her big paws

I swear she deliberately tries to pick on my socks, my purse, my shoes, my clothes to take them, chew them, and hide them! I have yet to see her gleefully run with hubbys sock in her mouth or his shoe!

If you own Blackies, you will need the Serenity Prayer for Dog Owners

God grant me the serenity to accept that this will change
To change with my dog as it grows and learns,
The wisdom to know what to do when,
And the faith we both can get through this

---------------------------------------- ALLDOG----------------AMEN

[gemy]

We took Dara today to the Farmers Market. Mom shopped and hubby had her on lead. She did Fantastic, Strange folks, children other dogs etc. Such a good girl she was.

She had many compliments - quality does tell even to the novice. We had as usual what kind of breed is she? She is a rare breed, but folks here seemed to know she was some sort of breed.

I was tickled pink about her attitude and performance there. And of course loved all the comments about how beautifull a dog she is.

[lisaly]

I love your version of the Serenity Prayer for dogs and reading your posts about Dara. She is so obviously loved, and she sounds like she has a wonderful temperament. I'm looking forward to seeing new photos and videos of her.

[gemy]

I am entering Dara into her first fun conformation match on Sat the 13th of Sept.

She is getting a touch up groom tomorrow and I might take her in again the week of 8th.

[gemy]

Of course it would have to be. She is going to have a dense, beautifull show coat, with lots and lots of undercoat!

Two and 1/2 wks ago she had no under coat. Now she has it in spades! I have just spent 1 hour on one side of her body removing a lot of her undercoat and the associated mats I need to finish the other side because we are going swimming tomorrow!

I had forlornely hoped she would have the old style coat. The very coarse outer guard coat with little undercoat. But she is going to have undercoat in spades! As of yet her outer coat is still soft and puppyish. And her coat is right now mixed and at an awfull in between stage. Poor gal that means many more hours on the grooming table as we keep her mat free!

Right now she looks like a Black Beauty! With all the brushing and the undercoat removal her hair is gleaming a deep coal black. You see the undercoat grows in as a kind of "greyish" color which dulls down the black outer coat.

Anyhoo, just preparing for the Sept 13th sanction Match, where we need her coat in gleaming condition for the judge!

And for any-one that is interested to show groom a Blackie from start to finish takes at least 3-4 hours and that excludes the previous show cutting of the coat! It is very time intensive.

There is a way to blow dry the coat to enhance their outline or silouhette. And then you can judiciously snip errant hairs to show a neat outline. Their paw pads need to be trimmed so that when they are gaiting the whole paw pad is clearly visible. Their beard needs to be trimmed to enhance the "block" like outline of their head. The coat is trimmed to show off their angulations, but should not be sculpted....

Awh well I go on....

[gemy]

Dara did super super well at the FArmers Market, she even had a toddler lifted up to sit on her back! Every time I looked back, hubby had a small group of folks around him and Dara, and she was getting petted and ooh'd and awed over. She was gentle with the kids, and even the kid that stuck his hand in her mouth

She had her bath and is presently air drying a bit before I do the blow dry out of her coat. But Magic was a bad boy, apparently when she was released from the washroom she ran down and jumped up on the grooming table, and Magic took exception to her being on *his* table. He basically head butted her under her chest and nearly lifted her clear off the table He got a time out for that one!

There is the usual tussle of wills going on. Both dominant dogs, and mostly as Magic is a full male and Dara a full female, she gets her way. But not in all things according to Magics world view. I do hope we will settle down in the next year. Magic as a senior boy is getting old and slow, but his nose is a bit out of joint, as he sees me training with her daily, grooming and such. He gets his own walks and training still, but he senses the difference. Little things like she is constantly being stacked and examined at home. Up on the table 3x more than he is for grooming.

Magic litterly cries when we go outside to train without him, it doesn't matter that I take her back in to the house, and then go out with him, and it doesn't matter if I reverse the order either. He is my spoiled elder, used to in his early days 100% of my attention.

Anyhoo this is my life right now. Lovely weather here today and Dara is growing into the spectacular female I had dared to hope for

[yorkietalkjilly]

I just feed off reading all your Darla and Magic posts. She sounds absolutely lovely and your life and activities with her - and Magic and Razzle - sound like such fun - okay - and out and out work! But that's what having dogs is all about - giving them the best lives they can have and training and keeping them and their intelligent minds busy working, exercising, playing and cuddling even if we work ourselves down to the nub.

I wish I could get your posts on this thread on audio book and just lie back and listen! I've lots of audio books and love to just lie down, rest my neck and back and eyes and listen to anything I can about dogs. You need to put this in book form, too, one day down the road.