Do You Know? Do You Have?

Do you know what a dog's normal temperature should be???? Lately I've come across more dog owners that do not. Do you have a thermometer just for taking your dog's temperature ... bet you don't!

It's a cheap way of knowing some of the 1st signs if your dog is not well and it should be one of the tools you have in your First Aid Kit for your dog. A temperature too high, signs of infection, somewhere, too low your dog may be going into shock, be dehydrated ... low temperature usually means the dog's body is trying to keep the vital organs safe & warm for some reason.

So what is normal? It's 101.5 F or 38.6C. Too high starts around 102.5 F or 39.1 C. On the low side 100.5 or 38.0 C. Both these high and lows are usually seen when the dog is exhibiting other signs.

If you don't have a thermometer just for your dog, I strongly suggest if you're reading this you consider a stop at a drug store in the near future. You can pick simple ones up for $10.00 - $12.00. I personally like the digital beep ones with the soft tips

Just as of today (which is prompting me to write this), one family has visited 6 different drug stores and none can be found! Why? the stores can't keep them in stock with the H1N1 flu we are experiencing!

How do you take their temperature ? ... it's done rectally just as you would with a young child.

Now that you know ... go and practise too. Find out over several weeks what your dog's normal temperature is.

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Vista's Puppies Are Here!

We're pleased to announce that our Ch Stone Mills Vista At Shelamo delivered a lovely litter of 6, 4 girls and 2 boys for Margaret Pratt of Sharrow Shelties on November 23. She delivered them all within 21/2 hours! Margaret leased her for this litter and will likely be seeing me more often now ... luckily she's only about 10 minutes from us. Margaret ... keep the coffee on!

Pups are only 12 hours old ... don't ask me which ones are the boys or the girls! We didn't disturb them each time there was a photo opt to find out! Here's a picture I took at ringside of the sire at the Ottawa Kennel Club Show this past weekend. He is Am/Cdn Ch Barwoods Jana JFK owned by Nick Joines & Joel McCarty of the USA and shown by Cheryl Pike of MacLaren Shelties in Canada. He went BOB two of the days, plus a Group 2nd.

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Ottawa Kennel Club Show - CSSA Booster

This past weekend the Ottawa Kennel Club held its fall show in Kemptville. There were two sheltie boosters, one for the CC&SSA on Saturday and on Sunday we held our CSSA East Ont/PQ one. Our judge was respected, breeder judge Leslie Rogers from B.C. This booster was organized by Michael (yes, my husband) as he is the present CSSA Director for this area.

Prizes were bagged in the winning colours by our friend Mary-Anne for Best of Breed, Best of Opposite Sex, Best of Winners, Best Puppy In Breed, Winners & Reserve Winners Male & Winners & Reserve Winners Bitch, along with the extras sponsored by Purina.Wagon of Purina goodie bags for the exhibitors.

Ch Blue Merle female waiting her turn for the Best of Breed competition.

The Best of Breed lineup, with Winners Bitch just finishing her down and back.

Leslie Rogers had each of the Best of Breed competitors do what we call 'Grand Standing' so he could evaluate each dog at a distance, on its own, for such things as over all balance. Final line-up with judge Leslie Rogers.

(l to r) Best of Breed (a male), Best of Opposite Sex (a female), and Best of Winners (a male). Best Puppy In Breed was a sable girl which unfortunately I don't have pictures of.

I was scooted out of the ring for taking pictures which (I didn't know) is only allowed by the Show Photographer. These were the best pictures that weren't blurry & that had all the exhibitors together at the end.

AND

The winner of the raffle, a 11" LCD Alurateck Digital Photo Frame, drawn at the end of Group judging by judge Leslie Rogers ... was ..... drum roll please ... Peter Culumovic of Laureate Shelties!!!

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Trixie Pups Getting More Mobile

"Trixie's" pups are getting more mobile by the hour! Their 'output' is also, and mom can't keep up with all of it ... smile ... oh the joys of raising pups! So yesterday I figured it was time to break down their whelping box area so they could start to travel to a potty area. They took to it well, travelling back and forth to their papered area (can't see it in this pic but the tri girl in the front of the photo is headed there).

They will be 4 wks on Saturday and with their puppy teeth starting to show it is time to add puppy mush to their diet. Oh, should that be fun, as they plow thru their first meal! They will now learn the clink clank of their metal feeding bowl and we'll really get to know what kind of 'voices' they have.

"Mom's" job, is just about over, now we humans have to kick into high gear in all aspects of raising them.

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Summer Dirt - A Fall Clean-up

After a summer of street walking in Ottawa, it was time for these 2 to get their fall clean-up. "Toffee" on the left is a sister to our "Opal" (they are 11.5yrs of age), and on the right is "Sheena" a "Rocky" daughter. These 2 cuties are owned by the Cutler family.

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Remembering - On Our 100th Post

It's now 11 am on Nov 11th, Remembering ..... those that have gone before us for freedom around the world.

Lest Us Forget

and our 100th post.

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New Flooring - Bit Of This Bit Of That

This past weekend was spent putting our "Canine Suite" back together. We needed extra muscles, to say the least! Besides all the computer 'stuff', filing cabinets, bookcase, a fridge and freezer, a couch, Mike & I couldn't do it ourselves ... age you know.

Here's what our living room & kitchen looked like through-out the renos.

Friday evening, Saturday & Sunday we enlisted help. Here is the start of our computer room with Travis doing the connecting under the desks. Time, nor trying to find where I'd set the camera didn't lend itself to taking many more.

Sunday our 2 nephews helped. Once done, it was puppy play time. Alexander holding the Trixie pups that were 3 wks old.My sister & her husband came out for dinner; Karen with the bi-black girl and her 'look-alike' stuffed dog. OK, the stuffed one has a bit more white!

Last night, now just over 3 wks, the pups got to christen the new floor in the puppy room. That's a back end slipping, not an 'accident' happening.

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Just For Fun - Herding

When sheepherders want to have fun .... check out this link!

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1137883380?bctid=17075685001

Amazing Border Collies at work and play.

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Trixie's Pups, Today Are 3 wks Old

Many have asked as to how Trixie's pups are doing, and wanted pics but with not being on high speed it just didn't lend itself to sending pics to everyone. They are 3 wks old today. Last Thursday night we found time to take a few pics. Here is one of the 3 of them, which I think will be the last time I can handle all 3 together in my hands as the blue boy is a porker at just over 2 lbs, with the other 2 girls closing in the 2lb mark. Their weights are beginning to spread out more and more with their age. It's been awhile since we've had an AOAC litter, so it will be a learning curve in capturing the faces of the two black girls.

They are now starting to mouth each other, trying to stand up and little barks when mom doesn't get in the box to feed them on time.

Must get back to real work, that of moving all our STUFF back into our 'Canine Suite' after its reno.

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Back On High Speed!! YEAH!

Well after 2 wks of renos around here, the 1st thing to get set-up was the computer, so last nite was fiddling with all the cables, cords, connections, power bars ... you name it! I was smart this time and each end got a label on it so when Mike sends me under the table to check THIS wire, it can be identified.

Can't tell you what a relief it is to be on high speed as most days on dial-up (country you know!) we only connected at 26 k/s, and one day it was 21 k/s.

We will be spending the rest of the weekend, with heavy muscles hired to finish moving all the items back where they belong. Some redecorating with newer smaller items, storage cupboards (one never seems to have enough!) are planned, we just haven't figured it all out yet and have to go shopping for what we want.

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CASINO - 2nd CD LEG

Today, Mary-Anne and "Casino" obtained their 2nd Novice leg towards their Companion Dog title. To top it off it was with a 1st place! Congrats again ladies!

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