Solo and Gail

I had Solo to the vet yesterday for his Lyme titer ~ he was on doxycycline most of last summer for Lymes disease and we're following up now. I figured it would be a good opportunity to check Gail's weight while we were there - she weighs 71lbs at 9 months. I'm very pleased at how compact she is ~ she's very sturdy yet agile, with a lovely head and good teeth. She does have a lot of coat for my taste and my hope is that as she matures and her adult coat comes in there will be less of it!

We had Solo entered in obedience trials over the weekend but pulled him since he was just too obsessed with Trouble being in season. I thought it was too much to ask of him to breed and trial at the same time. We've entered him in a trial in Lubbock, Texas while we're in the southwest ~ very adventurous for us!

Jetta and her boy!

Gale and her Dad

Oh that Gale!

Stormy

Stormy is doing well. He does a pretty good heal and sit. I am having trouble with the wait/stay, but we are working on it. I have not made puppy class very often this last month. We are working on the down when healing, and he is getting that also. I think that he is finally over the water spilling stage - thank goodness. He is a busy little boy. My nursing home people keep asking me to bring him back in to both of them. Will do it at Christmas for sure. When I
get my butt back up to St. Cloud we will do obedience 1. It doesn't
start until 7:15, and then it is 11 when I get home. I have not heard very good things about the obedience in Spicer. We use "that'll" do all the time. He loves attention and to be petted.

They had Bouvier's on Dogs 101 on Sat. night. They were the end of the show. Did a good job, and really stressed the fact that they are not for first time owners, and need obedience training.

Spike update

Egads, Sunny...I've allowed a month to go by! Living at 7,000', it's a long trip, down to any """quality"""puppy classes...so must stick to what's available, up here. If you know a web-site, for a highly respected puppy class, in S.CAL....I'd like to review it. I'd be very interested to know what skills your classes taught.

Meanwhile, I enrolled Spike and me (3rd time for me), into our local class....which was cancelled, due to an early winter.

So....Spike does some things very well: sit, stay (he'll sit and allow me to stop car, open gate, drive through, then close gate), doesn't eat until I give the command, come (usually), and the biggie: Don't bite...my command for any licking, at all, or nipping.

He pees and poops on command. He's much larger, already, than our adult, Kate. Kate, at once, began teaching him how to defend himself against coyotes. That's what started Spike's habit of wanting to play with me, like he's nipping at coyotes. SO...that's why I'm pleased he now responds to no bite, which includes his love of licking my hands.

He's very, very bright.

Has tried to challenge Kate for Alpha....but she'll have none of it....and now he's reluctant to enter their shared kennel (a smallish room), unless he feels he has her permission.

His color I find most fascinating....looks like a black dog who has been lightly sprayed with rust paint. Or a man whose wife has given him a bad hair-dye job....that looks burgandy/rust in the sun. I'm so curious to see how his coat evolves. I quite like it. Didn't have his ears docked.....perhaps putting him at risk, with coyotes.

Just last week, we began allowing him to roam the entire 24 acres, with Kate. She's very protective, and won't allow him to get too far away from her. She's always scanning the horizon. He's a comical fellow. Very affectionate. And cocks his head, with one ear up, and one flopping down.

I'll get a weight on him, soon. A close friend has become our local, VCA vet/surgeon, and now, 34 yr. old head of the clinic. I asked him if Spike is over-weight. John laughed, and said, if you have to ask, the answer is probably yes. But, he came out to the car, and declared, "He's fine. He's just having a growth spurt."

We all feel he's one of our best dogs, ever. We love him, so!!!