Update from the Romance Dept

Actually, not too much to report just yet. Ellen has done a couple of AI's between Rocky and Lauren. Won't get too graphic or descriptive, but Lauren is not that receptive and Rocky is not that enamored of her just yet. I e-mailed Ellen the rather sketchy info (I fell down in the record keeping department) I had from her breeding last year and it's probably not just time yet. The new year should bring the results we want!

Does Not Play Well With Others

Our blue merle, Mosby, has not been behaving himself this week-end and poor Twister is bearing the brunt of it. Generally, I can let all the boys play together, just need to be careful when I introduce new toys. That went well on Friday and Saturday I decided to give out an extra round of treats. Perhaps the boys were too crowded by the gate when I gave Twister his cookie, but Mosby went after him and had him on the ground in a flash. Cyclone would not tolerate his brother being bullied and promptly joined in the fray. Tucker wisely ran to the other end of the yard!
I got everyone separated and except for some tufts of fur wafting in the breeze, no injuries. I put Mosby back in his kennel, thinking some time apart would make everyone friends again. This morning, I let all the boys out and once again Mosby went after Twister. No toys or cookies involved this time, so I'm wondering if one of the girls might be coming into season. The puppies are maturing although they don't always act like it or realize it sometimes. I saw Tucker cock his leg for the first time and he seemed as surprised as I was!
Mosby is spending another day in his kennel and seems glad to do so. Twister is such a gentle, loving guy without a mean bone in his body, but he is probably the biggest and strongest of the puppies, he just doesn't know it. He was always the whipping boy of the litter, even little Fiona would bully him around. I think Twister may have unintentionally banged up Mosby during today's melee and Mosby needs to rest his body and his feelings!

Christmas Joy

New toys, treats and a long week-end of playing in the yards makes for a perfect Christmas!

Happy Holidays!

Here We Go Again!

Lauren is in season! Ellen and I have made breeding plans and I think Lauren will go to Ellen's this week-end. We are going to breed Lauren back to her father, CH Bo-Dandy's Rock Solid, ROM. A litter of puppies should brighten the late winter doldrums!
I had been teaching Lauren a few tricks for a possible library program. We've been working on her walking between my legs, then jumping up against my chest for a kiss on the nose. She likes to jump up, but has been quite stubborn about consistently doing the leg portion of the trick. Looks like we'll have to postpone that part of her training as her belly will hopefully be swelling! We can still work on another trick, sitting and "waving". My friend at work and I had been devising a very elaborate routine to use for storytime programs in February but now we'll have to wait until we get back into our remodeled library in early summer--plenty of time for Lauren to get her figure back and learn all her tricks!

Fiona Update

Pat recently sent a picture and update on Fiona:
"She is filling out nicely and looking like a beautiful girl. She is a wonderfully intelligent and spunky girl and she is now able to sleep up in our bedroom at night (with a gate at the stairs). She likes being treated as an adult very much. We recently put up our artificial Christmas tree and we knew that the lure of ornaments would be too much of a temptation for her (but not Duncan), so we decorated only the top half of the tree. It works for us. Duncan, who just turned three, loves her companionship and they play together very well."