Puppies on Nov. 15th. and no we didn't take them to Florida. We are just having great weather.
It was their first "grass experience" and they had fun. They are becoming little dogs!"

 

August 13, 2011
It's been a quiet week. Brazen has been missing Leo and is sticking close to his mom, Beauty. I have taken him in to the per store and he is now walking around on a lead. He likes to meet people and and is always a big hit. I can't believe how much he loves the long walks we do as a group in the fields. He sticks with Beauty and runs like the wind on his little legs to keep up. He is 11 weeks old now and starting to look pretty handsome.

I have been trying to work with Abby on the lead. It takes a lot of patience as all she does is bounce and spin. I want to keep it fun, so it is likely going to take a long time. Haven't decided on my next show yet.
 

July 30, 2011
We have had 90 degree weather all week. The Pins have been using their two pools. Every time I turn around another one is jumping in. They are acclimatized to the heat now. We still have our long walks but not in the hottest part of the day.

Leo and my last puppy left yesterday and it was bitter sweet. I had grown very fond of Leo and I actually got a few tears in my eyes. It is a wonderful home with an indoor pool (I am told the Pins will get to go in) and that made it bitter-sweet. This is definitely the most difficult part of breeding.

Ajay, Abby and Stella have their show next weekend. It is six shows in four days. I am hoping that I will come home with at least one Champion. Stay tuned for a show report when I return on Tuesday.
 

, 2011
Had a good time at Erie Shores - Fanta won another puppy group (see her page), Brill finished with 2 points to spare and Stella just needs 3 points to finish. Ajay and Abby participated in two sanction matches and Abby won the group!

Not sure what my strategy is now. I may take Fanta into the States to start on her AKC championship.
 

I have a red boy for sale. He is quite a character. Will put a photo on the Available page.
 

April 30, 2011
This is Happy with his new owner Kyle. He is Ajay and Abby's brother out of Caroline and Al. Kyle has changed his name to Seymour. I think it suits him! Abby and Ajay are staying here and have started their training as show puppies.

Carol's daughter Liza is also expecting around the same time. Not sure what to expect here but probably a mostly red litter. Our cup floweth over!
 

Rosa couldn't be prouder of Romeo. She says that after starting out his training as the class clown, Romeo went on to graduate the top of his class!

April 2011

I leave next weekend for the American Nat'l in Minnesota. I haven't been for years and have started to get excited.
 

May 15th, 2010
Today Beauty is on day 14 of her pregnancy. She has lots of milk and a swollen belly. She is very sensitive between her legs and objects when I try to stack her. Luckily I don't have any intact males on the premises or I would be worried. She has only had one season. I know that Beauty has come up with yet another diversion from showing. If she hasn't had her "puppies" by her next show on May 23,24th, she will win and get to stay home. sigh

My husband and I took Beauty and Silver our standard poodle on a two hour 6 mile walk this morning. Beauty kept right up and didn't ask to be picked up once. Much to Silver's amusement, Beauty tried to attack and kill every horse and cow we passed along the country roads. That girl is all heart.
 

I am flying out tomorrow morning for a mini-vacation to Quebec City. Just finished packing while Beauty sat in my suitcase and supervised. When she gets up tomorrow I will be gone and Beauty and her friends will miss me terribly. Gaston does an excellent job but their is no substitute for their "mother". Before I leave, Beauty asked me to mention that her father Carlo got an AOM at the National Specialty in Kelso Washington. His owner Jude emailed us with the news. Jude also said that several people approached her at the Nat'l and were very complimentary about Beauty. Beauty is singled out in the States. Jude is going to shows in the summer that will have majors. She offered to show Beauty and finish her. Only drawback is that Beauty would have to go 1 month ahead for a training boot camp to learn to work in partnership with Jude. Beauty is super spoiled and has never been away from home. She is still thinking about it.
Wednesday May 19th Just got home from Quebec City. All the dogs were out in the yard and didn't see me sneak in the house. Gaston let Beauty in the dog door by herself. I was concerned if I went right out in the yard Beauty would get buried in the welcome home. I was in my office. Beauty came tearing up the stairs, chirping and yodeling. She is a very vocal little girl. The more excited, the more vocal. She threw herself onto my lap and for the first time in her life, she watered my knee in pure excitement. Looks like she may have had a couple of her puppies when I was away. There may be hope for the show this weekend after all. Beauty is still bouncing around the house, muttering away.<G>
May 22 Beauty's false pregnancy has subsided some.  She is just very moody and has "milk pads" covering her teats.  I think I will groom her up and show tomorrow anyway.  Just got word that Altanero Red Alert (Zack) is at the show.  He was  high ranked in the Toy Group last year and #1 minpin in Canada.  He just received an AOM at the Nationals in Kelso Washington.  I am curious to see him so Beauty and I will go and give them a run for their money <G> May 23 I have to learn not to predict the outcome of a dog show. Little Beauty took the Breed and Zack BOS. I was so proud of her! Beauty can't believe I am showing off her milk pads.  She looks a bit humiliated but it was nothing that a piece of roast beef couldn't cure.
May 25 I am thinking Beauty needs a dog psychologist. She just doesn't like the show ring. She defeated the number one, red, male, AKC and CKC champ, AOM at the recent American Nat'ls on the weekend. Aside from how exceptional this dog is, it is very difficult for an 11" black female to go over a 12" red male in any event. Ok, so now we enter the Group ring on a high. Beauty would not stack on the floor at all and any time we stopped moving, I was on the floor, bating her and pushing her tail up. A minpin should never be shown with the handler on the floor and this was a first for me. Then she would lag behind when moving and I would have to tug on the lead. I could get her moving again, but she wouldn't hit her stride and just bounced and twisted (she has done this before). I was embarrassed and humiliated. The owner/handler of the dog watched and she must have thought - "What the heck...????" I am not sure if there is any way to get her to show. Right now she is not a pleasure to take into the ring, and I show for fun. I think I will take her down to Texas for a four days of shows with all majors in July. Jude will be there and maybe we can figure it out together. Right now, Jude thinks Beauty is way to spoiled. As I type this, she is curled into a tight little ball on my lap. You know, there could be something to that.
June 11 I had surgery on May 31st so things have been quiet here. The dogs have been feeling quite neglected. My husband ensures they get one long walk per day, but that is a long way from the four walks per day I was averaging. Gaston let Beauty in 72 hours after my surgery. She spent the day with me in my bed. She was so excited that she didn't stop "talking "the whole time. She would come out from under the covers, look at me up close, cock her head and gurgle, yodel, make her cricket sound or just plain whimper. I have heard about people having heart dogs and I had already had Conrad, a pet quality male who died at age 6 of pancreatic cancer. I am fortunate enough to now have the privilege of having two in my life. I have been speaking to Jude and will be sending Beauty to the Whitehouse boot camp. She asked to have her a month before the shows with four majors but we compromised on 10 to 14 days. Poor Jude, I would never presume to tell her how to take care of a minpin but she did agree to a few concessions to keep me from stressing out. I will then go down and see if Beauty is a "show" dog after all. If she still doesn't like the ring, I will bring her home and breed her one time. Although I am keeping my numbers right down, she is just too nice not to see what she can contribute to the breed. Oh my, Beauty as a mother?? - we will cross that bridge when we get to it. Right now Beauty is on my lap, trying to lick my elbows as I type. Pat
June 17. I spent five hours cutting grass on the riding lawn mower today. Every time I turned around, Beauty was trotting behind. Now that is devotion! Right now, Beauty is curled into a tight little ball at my feet, on a comfortable cushion. She didn't even have enough energy to jump up on my lap.
June 25. Beauty has finally lost all signs of her false pregnancy. She has been running at full speed and using up every bit of our 13 acres. As she is looking good, I decided to put her into another show. As much as I expect her to embarrass me again, the show is only 10 minutes from my house, so hard to pass up. It is also an outdoor show - Beauty's first, so maybe that will liven her up a bit. Hope springs eternal and I keep waiting to see the spark light up in her eyes that says "I'm a show dog!" Cross your fingers for us.
June 27. Well, the date has been set. Beauty will show at Sarnia on July 4th and 5th and then takes off for Jude's on July 7th. Jude will be showing her at Houston. Where is the summer going?
July 7. Beauty was booked to fly down to Whitehouse Kennels today. I guess she really didn't want to go. She came into season on Sunday and developed an ear infection on Monday. I told her not to do anything else, she didn't have to go. What a build up to come crashing down (sigh) It's a typical Beautyism. I have found four AKC majors the beginning of August. I will likely enter her there. The saga continues.....
July 11. The US shows with the four majors at the end of the month, are outdoors. I have been working with Beauty outside to help me make up my mind. She has been great on the table and looks gorgeous when she self-stacks on the ground. Only small problem is her moving. She doesn't move out and strut her stuff. Just lags and requires the occasional tug. When this happens, she looks very straight legged in the front. I went back and looked at the pictures of her moving at the Cleveland Show and almost shed a few tears. I am thinking I might just forget about Beauty for a while and dust off the two girls I was going to place and finish them. They are Caroline's girls, Liza and Ravi, just 10 months old.
Liza Ravi
July 15 I entered Beauty in the Badgerland Specialty and the associated shows. Should be all majors. I will also enter her in Canfield Ohio. I found a handler on the imapinhead list for Canfield, if she is still acting up. His name is Butch. Still plan to enter the Ravi and Liza in an Ontario show that closes tomorrow, so my weekends just got a lot busier.
August 1 Well a week has gone by since we lost our beautiful Ravi. She got critically ill overnight and we rushed her to the vet. She was diagnosed with Addisons Disease and was in crisis. Her kidneys had already been damaged and she was in shock. We brought her home to bury her on our tranquil island, where all our dearly departed live on. First, we let her family say good bye. Beauty said her own good bye. Liza will miss her sister terribly. She went back to Ravi to say good bye almost a dozen times. They were very close. Thankfully Beauty has stepped in and now plays with Liza like a young puppy. They have become inseperable. The wonderful highs and crushing pain of having a dog family.	Beauty saying her good bye
August 15 Well, Beauty has finally convinced me that she will not show any more. At the Canfield shows, aside from a very few moments of brilliance, she looked awful. There was a photographer there, taking pictures. I will post them on her blog when they come in so we can all see how frustrated I am. Even I agreed that she was not worthy of a ribbon. So we are moving on for now. Liza is entered in St Catherine's. She is a finishable pup and it will keep my foot in the ring. Jude White is rushing Keeper up to me as Cammi and Leggy are in season. Keeper will be here tomorrow and I only hope my girls are receptive as they seem to be coming out of season today. if it's meant to be, it will be. So Beauty has two personal bests. She is the nicest minpin I have ever bred and the most under performing. What a disappointment!
August 19 Keeper arrived safely and was able to breed Leggy the afternoon of his arrival. Then today, he bred Cammi. I have also been training Liza for this weekend's show and Beauty's nose has been out of joint. She is aghast that I am paying so much attention to the other dogs. When I had Liza stacked on the table, I noticed that she is also in season. Now I wonder if she will be able to show well this weekend. I am also going to have to be very careful to keep her away from Keeper. Certainly don't want any baby pregnancies. Lots of Minpin juggling going on.
August 22 Well, I broke the news to Beauty today. I was so worried that she would be upset. I told her that I was not going to be taking her to shows anymore. Beauty then did this.           I asked her what she thought she was going to do around here now. Then she did this.       Maybe sometime, somehow, somewhere I might give Beauty another chance but she is going to have to change her saucy little attitude first. In the meantime we will carry on with Liza and hope Cammi and Leggy are full of show puppies. Oh, yes, Liza didn't make it to the show this weekend as she was in full blown season. She succumbed to all the estrogen in the air. sigh
September 4 Well, all the pressure is off Miss beauty. We skipped her second season and haven't entered any more shows with her. There was an AKC show close to me that I almost entered. She tricks me by looking so gorgeous, I soon forget the humiliation of her last show and enter her again and history repeats itself. Luckily the show had just closed so I was saved from continued frustration. It is freezing cold here today, temp dropped right down to 50 degrees. Pins are shivering and don't know what the heck happened overnight. Keeper has done his duty and returns to Jude on Tuesday. He has thoroughly enjoyed his stay and is a pleasure to have here. I am really quite fond of Keeper.         Keeper enjoying his chewie by the fireplace
September 5 Silver has come into season and Keeper is trying to make Moodles. He is one determined little guy. Keeper had just started putting on weight after the girls finished their season but alas he is on the way down again. He will need to go home for a good rest.
September 18 Well, Beauty seduced me again. Weeks of watching her look gorgeous has weakened my resolve and I again entered her in a dog show. She will show two days at the end of the month in Monroe Michigan. Just watch, I'll be blogging on Monday what a brat she was and how humiliated I was. Some people never learn. We have good news and bad news on the new litter front. I can confirm that Leggy is pregnant. She is not quite 35 days and has a nice little belly. I am hoping for her usual five puppy litter. We found a new picture of Twist and Shout, that we added to the litter announcement on the Patapin site. He looks like a stunning version of Leggy. Very similar in type. Can't wait. The very disappointing news is that Cammi didn't take. Keeper was servicing both girls at the same time. Cammi got the most and the best ties. I am now wondering about infertility. I am determined to succeed with this one of a kind breeding. Never had a fertility problem before. Now the research begins! Leggy on day 34. September 19/10
September 23 Beauty had a typical week. On Tuesday she snatched Oliver's favourite bone and ran into her crate. I will have to check. She must have a huge neck and jaw muscles by now as she is always prancing, head up, with things that weigh almost as much as she does. Well, after standing there and trying to intimidate Beauty for 10 minutes Caroline (who is huge, a big bully and top minpin) charged right into her crate after the bone. Fearless Beauty spun in a tight circle and attacked her. There was a terrible fight going on in the crate. I couldn't see them but there was lots of loud growling,  and crashing. As I was running over, Silver, the standard poodle (the peace maker) pulled the crate right out of the bag. Then she pulled Carol, by her neck, right out of the bag. The other Pins fell into their pack instinct and were all fighting with them as well. Silver couldn't stand this and started to carry Carol away by her neck. I grabbed Carol from Silver's jaws and she was so mad that she had smoke coming out of her ears. I put her in a crate to cool off and found Beauty at the back of her crate trying to stay away from the other Pins who were still trying to kill her. I put them out and closed the dog doors. Then it started and didn't stop until the next day. Beauty was whimpering and holding her paw up daintily. She snuggled into my armpit and the whimpering lessened but didn't stop. I had to go out and tried to put Beauty down. She shrieked and back paddled to stay in my arms. I am sure you know by now how the rest of the day went. Beauty went with me while I ran errands. Then I carried her around as I did my chores. Every time I tried to put her down she repeated the same terrified behavior. So, I put her down in the house without the other dogs. She sat there, held her paw in the air and whimpered. When I put her in her crate, she cried pathetically - and we all know that Beauty has me wound around that hurt paw. So she sat on my knee while I ate and watched TV before bed. I put her down before putting her to bed in her crate. She cocked her head, held her paw, whimpered and clearly couldn't walk. I went to bed worrying about how much damage was done to the paw, prepared to take her to the vet if it persisted. The next morning, I opened her crate with trepidation. Beauty bounced out and raced first to the door to do her business. Then it hit me! I was carrying around Beauty the Diva. I knew she was a Diva but didn't know how dramatic she could be. I swear I almost had a heart attack when the chaos was going on and barely slept from worry. Just a typical day with Beauty. I had to remind myself of why I am still so taken with her, so I looked at these. Beauty just being a beauty Beauty's ribbons from just one day of showing before she quit on me Will tell you more about Beauty's week tomorrow. September 25 The next day, Beauty escaped from our heavily fortified walking area. I have had 13 acres of four board fencing covered with mesh to keep the Pins in. Then we went around and laid boards, cement blocks and rocks at the bottom as they soon learned to slip under the mesh. We thought we were safe but Beauty is skilled at finding the tiniest gap and slipping thru. Then she tears thru the bus, torments my neighbours small dog by barking nose to nose thru her patio door. When she tires of that she returns to my front yard by going along the side of a very busy road. Then I get home and my phone is ringing - I know it's my annoyed neighbour. She has succeeded three times. I see this as Beauty the risk taker or even scarier, Beauty has a death wish. Have I aged 10 years? You bet. I am determined to stop her and she is determined to have her little fling. Will I win? I sure hope so. The there was the day when there was a major storm brewing. The winds were high and there were rumblings of thunder. Beauty was the only one who went for the walk. The other "sensible" Pins stayed behind. Beauty ran and jumped after blowing debris like she was having the time of her life. She brings fearless to new heights. Can you see Beauty? Now that Leggy is pregnant, Beauty gets to see what a real pregnancy looks like. Of course Leggy is eating more frequently than Beauty and I am pampering Leggy more. Beauty is still figuring out how she can put a stop to that.
This is Leggy on day 47
October 2 I just got back from having a wonderful time visiting my family in Sudbury. Beauty welcomed me with her usual enthusiasm. Gaston did a good job of keeping her on her diet and she is looking great. We are all set to go to the Monroe show tomorrow. I will be shocked if Beauty actually bothers to strut her stuff for me. Hope springs eternal. Right now, I am in the process of bringing in a spiffy black puppy boy. Hopefully he will be fun to show and also be a handsome mate for Beauty. I have my fingers crossed that she will be a better mother than show dog.
October 3 Beauty shocked the bejeezuz out of me today. She showed (one day only) in Monroe MI and took best of winners for a 4 pt. major!! I think Beauty heard me telling everyone this was her very last chance. Since she loves everything about dog shows, except showing, she decided to step it up a notch in the ring. No, she didn't go full out - she wasn't the gorgeous creature who flew around the BIS ring in Cleveland. But she gave enough that I will take her to shows. Can't ignore that last major. So here we go again. I wonder how long she will hold out before she lets me have that last major??
October 8 Things are getting exciting at Patapin. Our new boy arrives on Wednesday. Since our early days, I have never been able to purchase a Pin that fits the Patapin standard. I am told I will love this stud-in-waiting. Stay tuned. Then, if Leggy doesn't burst first, she will have her pups next weekend. I am thinking six little pups or three giant pups! Fingers crossed for blacks. We are enjoying our peaceful Thanksgiving weekend with family and then gearing up for what's to come. I entered Beauty (and new boy - sight unseen) in four AKC back to back shows. I am told to expect majors. Dare I even think it or could I be coming home with Beauty, the AKC and CKC Champion?
October 10 This day just goes on and on. We were walking the dogs after supper and just as we entered the second 6 acre walking area, Oliver and Belle spotted a raccoon and rush up and caught it, with the Pins in hot pursuit. The big guys had it on it's back and the Pins were going in for the kill. I could just see the terrified raccoon trying to rip Leggy's belly open with its claws and barred teeth. Leggy is our hunter and was going to kill that thing if it was the last thing she did. Something I have always known is that if you can't control your environment, you must be able to control your dogs. I backed them all off and dove in and grabbed Leggy. She fought like a hell cat and jumped out of my arms and ran right back for more. I raced back and pulled her up by her neck, she tried to jump again and I caught her mid-belly and squeezed to hold on. Then I ran back to the kennel with her. She was bouncing in my arms as I ran and frothing at the mouth, while still fighting to get out of my arms. The pack mentality had taken over and Leggy was enraged. I put her down in the kennel and looked down at my frothing, barking maniac. Was this the bitch that I had been treating like a piece of china??
October 20 Some of you may have figured this out but my wonderful webmaster has been away. I am just going to do one catch up blog as I am taking care of puppies. Gaston is taking that over and I am leaving for a 4 day show in Illinois tomorrow morning. I am showing Beauty and Beauty's new friend JJ. JJ is my new black male that is out of Carlo, the same sire as Beauty. He has hackney like I have never seen before. JJ is just 9 months old and the day after I picked him up at the Detroit airport, I took him and Liza to a Sanction Match in Tillsonberg. We were an awkward team but JJ took breed and went on to a Group two. We stood behind Mel Beach and one of his perfect poms <G>. Liza went WB and looked very nice. I will finish her along with JJ in Canada. I am leaving early tomorrow morning with Beauty and JJ. I hope to finish Beauty who only needs one major and get some points on JJ. We have been practicing but still have a ways to go. Look for my show report sometime after I return on Monday evening. Leggy whelped a litter of 6 in 2 1/2 hrs. on Oct. 14th. Sadly, one perfect, beautiful black boy was stillborn. I worked on him for more than 30 minutes. Another black boy faded away in 24 hrs. One black boy had a white spot on his chest, so Tyler gets his black boy! It was the only deposit I took. I am left with a perfectly marked black girl, a red girl and a very dark mahogany boy. The pics are on the Litter update. I'm in heaven!
October 26 Got home from the Springfield show late last night. It was hard to leave Leggy and her puppies. Gaston agreed to keep up their socialization program if I wrote everything down for him. Gaston's list looked like this - 3x a day handle each puppy and lay them on their back and rub their bellies, hang on tight and swoop them thru the air in a big figure 8, up and down, and in a circular motion, blow gently in their faces, put their feet and tail in your mouth, put them on the floor and on a vinyl piece of shelf liner, massage their feet and tails and brush them gently with a nail brush, brushing their coat both ways, their bellies and the soles of their feet. When I got home I couldn't believe how much they had progressed and how much they had grown. I took these photos today, which was day 12. I took over the socialization today and added a cold pack, a spray bottle filled with water and a pure alpaca matt to the routine. This continues until their ears open and then I add auditory stimulation as well. The show was very enjoyable. I met Cathy Beasley and she entertained me the whole time - fun woman. I even had my handling complimented by Saturday's Judge - she said that I presented my dogs well and I was very relaxed. That was basically all the good news. I decided that JJ wasn't the right match for my breeding program and he goes back tomorrow. What can I say about Beauty, except that she was Beauty. She twisted, roached and walked on three feet most of the time in the ring. I had a male exhibitor watch Beauty in the ring on Sunday for me. The Judge dumped Beauty. The "watcher" said that when she was on the floor, her topline looked like a flat bed trailer, used for very heavy loads. huh?? That's what you get when you ask a man to do a critique. The Judge was chatting with a group of minpin exhibitors during her break so I took Beauty up to her and asked what she saw. The Judge told me that she was lovely on the table and had a beautiful head. She went on to say that the whole time on the floor, Beauty was very roachy and had a rolling topline. The Judge said that she knew from the table that she had a good topline so she kept watching her. She wanted to use her but just couldn't do it as Beauty never straightened out on the floor. Then the last day Beauty showed like a dream and went BOW, defeating the dog that had gone BOW the three previous days. Of course there wasn't a major on the last day so Beauty and I will have to do this again. Beauty loves her trips to dog shows where she has me all to herself. I swear, that is the last time I will let her see the Judging schedule as she has known how to calculate majors for some time now! When I was at the show, Gaston texted that Oliver had come home frothing at the mouth and smelling like onions. He said he didn't know what animal he had tangled with but he was sure Oliver ate it. I asked him if he was sure it wasn't a skunk and he said he didn't know what it was. The next day he said Oliver smelled even worse and he decided it must have been a skunk. I asked "and he ate it??" Gaston said he didn't eat it but it sprayed Oliver in the face. I told him to spray his face with C-Dox, an odour eliminator and towel him dry. He texted back that he now smelled much better.
October 29 JJ left yesterday and got home safely. I should have known better but I finally learned my lesson. I will never, ever purchase another Minpin. I am just too uncompromising on quality. Now I am on the stud search, as JJ was supposed to be my stud. I have no males here. Beauty doesn't seem to miss JJ. She is very much an "it's all about me" bitch. I am in no rush to pick up her last major. I will look for a show in Michigan, near home. When I went in to socialize the puppies this morning, the black girl had her eyes wide open. The black boy's eyes are cracked open and the others are shut tight. I added a small Wahl trimmer to my bag of tricks. I find that if you introduce them to the sound and vibration early, they don't freak out when the time comes to groom them for a show.
October 30 I am gradually re-introducing everyone back into the house. To start, I put up baby gates and confined Pins and Poodle to main level. Leggy and her pups are upstairs. Today is the first day everyone was allowed upstairs. Leggy's room is propped open about 4" with a 10' weight, which allows her to come and go. I am working in my upstairs office and Liza is curled up on my knee with the others curled up in their dog beds around me. The rest, of course, doesn't include Beauty. Right now she has her nose in the 4" and is telling Leggy exactly what she thinks of Leggy not letting her enter. Her noises vary from puzzled, unhappy, inquisitive and down right angry. She could burst right in but is intimidated by the Leggy-Bear protecting her cub-puppies. When I went down to document Beauty's harassment of Leggy, she defied me. I told her that it was a good thing that she didn't embarrass easily as I was putting these pics of her being a brat on the Beauty Blog. Actually, the pics reminded me of what Beauty looked like at the first three days of the Springfield show! The pups are 16 days old today and all their eyes are open. The black's eyes opened three days before the reds. Interesting.
November 4 The puppies turned three weeks today and are they ever fun. They started "barking" on Tuesday and aren't shy to express their opinion. They love their playground and come out to play 3x a day. I have also become the Puppy band and merrily serenade them with a flute, birthday noise maker, plastic drum, whistle, and a squeaky. This is interspersed with a crunchy plastic bag. I blow on one of those "birthday snake things" and zip it right down to their noses. They don't even duck their heads. Leggy lays with her head on her paws and watches all this with a bemused look on her face. If she could talk, she would be saying; "Whatever." When I get them up in the morning, they start "toddling" in circles with their heads held high, when they hear my voice. Of course, Beauty is no longer the cutest thing around here anymore. She doesn't seem to mind too much as I have filled the gap with lots of evening lap time and special treats - most favourite of all, the much worshipped pig's ear. Despite the fact that I have taken advantage of the beautiful weather and have increased the length and frequency of the dog walks, Beauty has managed to gain weight. I have found an AKC show that looks promising at the end of January and Beauty will have to go on her diet before that one. My goodness - Beauty is a yoyo dieter! I am probably messing up her little metabolism. Maybe Weight Watchers will give us a call. Being a Spokes-Pin is right up Beauty's alley.
November 9 The pups are now 26 days old and have moved into the family room and into their own pen. They love to snuggle into their soft, gray elephant and sleep under the ultra-red lights. The roam up and down and have started wrestling awkwardly with each other. They grrrrr when they play. Leggy comes and goes and takes good care of them. They are now eating canned puppy food, 3x per day. They circle around their bowl and devour the soft food. Of course, they still prefer mom's milk bar and Leggy doesn't let them down. They are just beginning to get their own personalities. The stag boy has developed dry, flaky skin and I have been rubbing him down with emu oil. He seems to enjoy it. Two more days and they will be a month old!
November 12 Leggy and her 4, one month old pups were determined to have a nap in a very small cube. As you can see from the progression of pictures, they all climbed in but before they could settle down, they started falling out. While they were out, two pups started to play fight on Leggy's head. Then they had to climb back in again. They made it back in and everyone got a solid grip. Then they all fell asleep! All in........ .... falling out.... ....play fighting on mom's head.... ....getting back in .... ......made it back in..... .....now we can go to sleep. The puppies are becoming very entertaining. I am in the process of selecting names and hope to have them by my next entry. The early socialization paid off and the pups are fearless. They enjoy their soft food more every day but still pin Leggy down for a good nurse. They have teeth now (I could tell by the look on Leggy's face as the pups nursed) and it won't be too long before she puts an end to their milk bar. Beauty wanted me to tell you that she is well aware that her blog has been hijacked by the puppies and she is not amused! Now I am worried that she will pull one of her stunts just to get back into the loop. <G>   December 4 We had our first snowfall today and out came the coats. Poor Al is in the pink coat but he didn't seem to mind. The pictures pretty speak for themselves. Here they come Five out of six Pins Digging for mice Nice pic of Al and Carol I have never seen this before. Al had a nap while Carol dug for mice. I'm still laughing!
Beauty even took the opportunity to remind us that she is the Diva. She made sure I took her picture while she posed in her favourite leopard coat.
And yes, the puppies have reached a new milestone. They are coming out to the kennel and love it by the wood stove. Beauty also got into this picture. She was sure you would never even notice the puppies. <G>
We were reminded that this was belle's favourite weather. She stayed out until she was almost completely covered.
We have had a busy January. Some good and some very bad. Al got Cammi, Leggy and Caroline pregnant but poor Cammi got pyometra. She was deathly ill and had to be spayed. We are just thankful that she made it. Leggy and Carol are due in early February. We are so impressed with Al that we purchased him and he is now a member of the patapin family! We got the pups cropped  and the tattoos done.             Ting, now Romeo leaves for his wonderful family on Friday Lots more news but will try to catch up in future blogs. Jan 16/11
January 21 We are having a really cold winter. I now put a turtle neck sweater on each Pin and then their ski coats over them. Everyone walks happily up to about 8 degrees below freezing. However, when it is more than 2 degrees below freezing, Beauty refuses to walk as her feet get cold. She follows for about 20 yards and then stops dead in her tracks. If I don't rush right back and pick her up, she starts to whine and pick up each foot and hold it in the air. Of course, I relent and scoop her up and continue the walk. Beauty surveys everything from her lofty perch - Diva that she is. Right now it's minus 15 and only Silver, Oliver and Belle are loving it.
Romeo left today and it was bitter-sweet, he was an amazing little puppy. Romeo's good bye photo is on the home page. Even Romeo made it out into the snow and the poor guy got rolled by Beauty.
Now that the show pups ears are healing up it's time to train, train for that first show. There are two sanction matches coming up and weather permitting, Brill, Stella and Fanta will get introduced to the show ring. Now that should be interesting. Leggy and carol's bellies are growing and carol will be the first to whelp any time around Feb. 4th. Hopefully Al will be a good combination and we will have gorgeous, show-stoppers. Here is a photo of Al and Caroline, during the time he was breeding her.
January 29 The sponges came off the puppies today. Depending on your sense of humour, it was pretty funny. They hadn't felt their ears in over two weeks. They would shake their heads and then run scared of what was slapping them in the head. It took a long time for them to get used to them. For the first time, I noticed that Beauty was looking slim and gorgeous. I was afraid that her eyes would turn orange before she finished her pumpkin diet.
We have tons of snow. Belle, Oliver and Belle spend all their time outside playing. They love the snow. When we are in the kennel, Oliver sleeps outside the door, guarding us.
Silver is way overdue for a grooming. The place I go to has no water right now. I barely recognize her.
February 6 It has been a crazy week. I will never forget Feb 1st. My husband Gaston had a triple bypass
Carol whelped three pups and another major storm hit the Sarnia area.
Today the sun is shining, Gaston is home and the pups are thriving so things are definitely looking up. More later.
February 13 Things have progressed over the week. My husband feels better every day but it will take a long time. Caroline and Al's pups are thriving. I socialize them twice a day. I noticed yesterday that their eyes were starting to open. I took this pic today while they were nursing. You can see them peeking out.
Carol is a proud and attentive mother
The weather is above zero and the dogs are spending more time outside. Leggy's puppies are growing like weeds. I almost have their ears standing on their own. We are taking them to Super pet today to continue their show training.
February 26 February is ending with another big storm. Can't wait for the snow to be gone and some warm weather. Right now I am training the pups at Super Pet, 3x per week. They are progressing well. Fanta is doing the best and is a natural show girl. Brill has decided to go hysterical and have a melt down every time he sees another dog. Not sure what that is about. he has never had a bad experience. If we can't get that under control, he won't be much of a show dog. Stella is cute and high spirited. She bounces along when she moves. For some reason, her topline looks a bit roachy unless she is completely relaxed. She is maturing very slowly but I am in no rush to get her into the ring. Their first show is a small local show, the third week of April and then on to the American National. I can drive this year so I plan to bring Beauty, Fanta, Brill, Stella and Carol's pups. I'll have my hands full!
Carol's pups are downstairs now and cuddled up to their soft red bear. Fanta, Brill and Stella had a gray elephant, shown earlier in the blog. They are starting to move around and play fight with each other. They are quite vocal and grrrrrrr and bark when they get excited. I am worried the big, dark boy will be too big to show but time will tell.
I heard from Ting/Romeo's new mom Rosa. She sent a picture with him sitting on her daughter's back. He is growing like a weed and they couldn't be happier.
March 5 I am not meant to have an easy time getting back into the ring. I took Brill, Fanta and Stella to their first handling class on Monday and their behavior was scandalous! The barked non-stop, spun in circles, tried to attack the other dogs and ran away from the people. I was pretty shocked when you consider that they have spent hours in Super Pet in over a dozen visits. Brill was the very worst, completely uncontrollable. With their first show not 8 weeks away and the Am Nat'l soon after, I am panicked to get them bomb proof. I found another handling class in Michigan on Tuesday night, so they will go both nites Hopefully it is only a matter of time. I am really scratching my head as both parents are confident and laid back.
Carol's pups are thriving. Considering I have not been able to wean them yet. This is another first for me. I often find my pups snacking out of mom's bowl near the end of two weeks. They dive into their own good right away and never look back. I never remove the mom to force weaning so I guess it's up to Caroline. I am told moms will get uncomfortable with the teeth and push their pups away. Carol must have tough tits! <g> This is the big boy snuggling with Carol. He is definitely a mamma's boy.
March 12 Carol and Al's pups are growing up fast and I am enjoying them. They are finally weaned but still snack off mom during the day. Carol was happy to return to her crate at night and join her kids when she gets up. They has been a change of plans for Beauty. I did say that Beauty will do anything to avoid showing. Well, she came into season yesterday which messes up her Windsor show next weekend. This was a practice show for Beauty to see if I should take her to the Nat'l. Beauty is unpredictable at the best of times and will be in full blown season by next weekend, so there is no point. We are expecting the "perfect stud" to fly in next week and remain very grateful for all the reputable breeders who will send me their boys so my ladies don't have to travel. Beauty's show career has been suspended until after she weans her first litter. Maybe this will result in her maturing and finally getting that last US major. It would be such a shame to not finish her now. Stay tuned for the name and pic of Beauty's mystery stud.
March 12 Well, things have changed. I had entered beauty in a 2 day show and didn't take her yesterday as she is in full season - just imagine how bad she would be in the ring. I did take my puppies to socialize them. There was a new breeder there with an American bitch. her girl was timid and I told her I would groom up scraggy Beauty and bring her today so she would have something to show against. I decided if she looked as bad as I thought, I would bring her home and breed her. Much to my amazement, Beauty showed like a dream. It was like she turned the clock back to her puppy days when she was kicking butt. We are now home and instead of breeding Beauty, I am going to continue with her show career and do my darndest to get that last AKC major. Then next season for sure. The 3 pups are looking like they will be ready for their first show in mid-April. My cup runneth over!
April 22 Brill, Fanta and Stella went to Chatham for their first show. They only turned 6 months the day before the show started. Fanta did amazing, obtaining 9 of the 10 pts required for her Championship. She defeated Specials and finished off the last day with a Group 4! Stella only defeated Fana one day but that day she also defeated two Specials for BOS! Brill took winners dog one day for 3 pts. Now it's on to the American Nat'l in two weeks. Can't wait. Al and Carol's big boy found his forever home today with Kyle in Trenton. Abby and Ajay are getting their ears cropped on Friday and are accompaning us to the Nat'l to show off. They are maturing into lovely show specimens. We are very worried that Beauty's pregnancy didn't take. Then next week should resolve it once and for all. Fingers crossed. Stay tuned.