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Memory Photo Shoot - "Opal" ROMC & son BPIS Am/Cdn Ch "Rocky"

With the help of dear friend Mary Lou (and a new lens for her camera from her son as an xmas gift), and a German Shepherd breeder near me, Marilyn, we did this photo shoot yesterday with our two oldest shelties, Shelamo's Party Pack ROMC and her son BPIS Am/Cdn Ch Shelamo's Prospector.

These are some of my favorite ones.

 

 Shelamo's Party Pack & son BPIS Am/Cdn Ch Shelamo's Prospector

 

"Opal" @ almost 15 yrs of age

(Linden Winsong North 'N South x Ch Scotholme Arhope Dyamond)

 "Opal"

  "Rocky" at almost 13 yrs of age

(Am/Cdn/Jap Ch Laureate Explorer x Shelamo's Party Pack ROMC )

 

 

"Rocky" hasn't lost his sweet 'show show' look!

even tho .... with the hardest part in doing this photo shoot being .... as with many seniors, the first to go is their hearing, and now, unfortunately, the two of them are deaf, I think Mary Lou & Marilyn did a great job in capturing the essence of these two.

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New Vet Clinic in Almonte, Ontario

Am pleased to announce that there will be a new vet clinic in Almonte.  It's Mississippi Mills Animal Hospital.

http://www.mmah.ca/

For those of my clients who have used the services of Amanda Mulloy and Mark Van Campen, they have joined forces to open their own clinic.

We here at Shelamo look forward to working with them in their new setting.  They've been our sheltie's vet for 12 years now, and provide the utmost care, compassion, researching our needs, and taking the time to discuss all options when presented with a medical issue.

All the Best to Amanda & Mark in their new venture!

From Mike & Maureen, and our Shelamo Gang ....

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Monster Cute Photo Contest

 'Think we're working hard enough?'

 'Yum, I think we did it Kona!'

Timbit (Rescued Sheltie) and Kona (Dakota x Flirt litter) are working on making honey.

They've been entered in the PetsMart Monster Cute Photo Contest and if they win the owners will donate a portion to Southern Ontario Sheltie Rescue to help more shelties in need.

Please go vote here if you're on Facebook - and every day if you can!

https://apps.facebook.com/monstercute/showentry/1322883

after that photo shoot it was time to relax,

owners & pictures - Rachel & Matt Davidson

(PS  just another reason for obedience classes!   great sit/stays for pics like this)

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Show Training & Off To Practice

Feb 20th was a Family Day Holiday for us, so Mary-lou & Mary Anne & I rented a community hall and took the 3 Tyme girls, the 2 Trixie pups that are being grown out, and Trixie's older bi-black girl Moxi to get some leash & show training accomplished.

Here's the 1st easy way!!! Take the leash trained girl and get the other 3 to follow doing down & backs.

Little Journey decided he'd help his 1/2 sister walk on a lead! Like yah, she's the one trained!

Gem hanging out at the end.

Then we went to put it into practice at the Ottawa Kennel Club Sanction Match. Mary Lou & student Andrea were with me to handle the 3 dogs we took. This was part of Andrea's volunteer work experience and her 1st time ever at a dog show. Wonder if she might think of getting into Junior Handling ??

Couldn't have asked Moxi to handle her 1st ever showing experience any better than she did. She won Group 1st. Gem made it around the ring, not too badly :)

Moxi, steady on the table in the Best In (Match) Show Ring

still showing her heart out after a long day

The Best In (Match) Show Line Up.

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Canadian Winters ~ YUCK

This is what I found when I went to put the dogs out this morning. So much for mother nature being kind. We had a bit of wet snow, a lot of rain/freezing rain all day yesterday and into the evening, and then went into a major deep freeze overnite. The poles just couldn't handle the frozen weight. Going to be a job taking it down, as all the snow/ice is just one big hunk in the middle, and with the windchill at -23C or so, and no extra daytime hands, guess it will have to wait till the weekend with warmer temps. Such a pitty ... and it never dawned on us ... DAH!, we should have removed the tarp for the winter.
Dogs all went nuts at first, woofing their heads off ~ "What is this in our backyard!"

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Learning Really Starts to Ramp Up Now

Many people don't know how puppies start out day by day in their abilities, and how it starts to escalate week by week as they mature. Hopefully I can shed some light as we follow Tyme's litter along. I'll do my best to post these changes.

Tyme's pups are almost 5 wks and their abilities to do all kinds of things are starting to ramp up. They can't run, just waddle. They are just starting to explore spaces that are a bit larger, but that can be scary, each time they are out to play they get more confident. Toys are still small as they can't do too much damage with their tiny teeth and lack of jaw power. They don't know how to carry items yet either. Small toys that make noise, like rattles for babies is good. Just like babies, everything goes into their mouths.

They are still at the point that if they are uncertain, they will drop and stop, just as if they were in the wild and a bird of prey flew over head ... get down, stay low and still ... it's in their genetic make-up.

Bite inhibition starts now too as they play fight with one another.

They are still on softened puppy food mixed with baby pablum, although the percentage of soft puppy food is being increased each day. Mom is not with them on a regular basis now, but spends on/off time with them during the day, sleeping in her crate at night.

checking out the taste, texture of a shoe ~ does it squeak, yelp, with this amount of pressure? Let's try it.

human skin ... humm .. what's it taste like?

the MOP!!! funny smell ... texture ... OMG it can move! wonder if we can stop it?
What can I say ... Yes, I'll admit it, between the mop & the broom keeping their life tidy & clean - it's the only bad habit my puppies learn! Owners must 'undo' this once the puppy comes home or they'll help you house clean in ways you don't want. It's an easy fix with consistency.

hummm .... this moves and makes a noise

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Dogs & Snow Fun

Dogs and snow just seem to go together. Yeah, there are the smaller breeds that aren't made for our cold winters ... they don't know what they are missing.
When we get a large snow fall I keep the back pen closed, and when it's done, well it's all fresh for them to play in. Here's a bunch of them just starting to get through it.

Last night we got a few more cm ... it's mostly the younger group getting into it here. The smaller one off to the left is one of our hopefuls, Pumpkin. Ruby seems to be getting the brunt of it all, but then she's one of the play instigators. The visiting dogs have no problem getting into the mix either.

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A FALL MORNING

The morning air is crisp, dew still on the grass, the sun shining over the crab apple tree ... humm the swimming pool needs to be put to bed (that's today's job), grass needs cutting (it's rained as much or more than any other Sept), my plants need putting to bed ... but .... let's let a couple of dogs out for a run ...

YEEEE HAAAAWWW!!!!

Mary-Anne with Rush getting treats, and Chinook heading my way

here comes Chinook ~ always has a happy face on

Rush a galloping ....

Chinook on a TEAR ... it was how fast can I go???

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Morning Dew Spider Web

As I go down our basement stairs to the dog kennel I can see out a window to the front garden. Yesterday morning was a foggy, dewy morning and don't I see a semi-circle of what initially appears to be a clump of loose dog hair. Hummm ... a lot to be dog hair and it's quite a ways from the kennel area. Once outside I have a closer look, and nope it's a spider web! It was one of the most awesome ones I've seen. Not at all the usual kind you see in the octagon form. In the middle was a tiny spider, with a bit of yellow on it. The main web seemed to only be held to the adjacent plants by about 5 strands. I moved what leaves I could without disturbing the form to get this picture.

Just had to share one of mother nature's creations. Don't see it this morn.

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The Simple Things In Life

With 14 pups (8 are from the largest litter we've ever had; combined the most we've ever had at the same age) one has to be creative on many levels. Each day they bring up new puzzles for us, challenges to make life interesting, plus keeping up with the daily rituals. Feed, clean, play, clean; feed, clean, play, clean; and all over again @ dinner time .. feed, clean, play ... quiet time & bedtime.

These 2+ weeks of hot/humid +30C weather has also made it a challenge, 5 days of that our a/c went down.

Kate, owner of one of our agility dogs, lent a helping hand to bath pups. It was dunk, dunk then splash, splash in the baby bath and a quick squeegee to let air dry. Thanks Kate!!!!
Here, another day Marylou and I are doing it ... splish, splash another puppet gets done ... always someone to check things out.

"I'll get you from this side then."

I was waiting and watching for the pot to starting rolling ... and yes it did.

Do you see the behind hanging out of the pot? There's another pup inside of it too!

A baby's bath tub on its side makes a nice 'hammock'.

Trying to sneak up on sleeping pups is really hard ... this one I captured through the patio screen door.

"Oh PLEASE, don't take my picture!!!"
(sorry, I'm sold)

Quite time. When evening comes the mosquitoes get SO BAD, it's time for some chew time. I found this view so interesting ... one never stops learning, I tell you ... look at the position of just about all the pups ... their backs are turned inwards, they are facing outwards ... all so not one else can get THEIR chewie!

Nite, Nite .. tomorrow we do it all over again ... and it's supposed to be another HOT one.

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Now Time For Lunch

Never ending ... feed, clean, feed, clean, play, play, feed .... clean again! Just an absolutely lovely day for the pups to be outside. The pack having lunch.

Ring around the bowls

Out in Saskatoon we spotted this whimsical mobile so with the breeze today it's really spinning and giving the pups a good overhead distraction.

Hummm ... said I had other things to do today ... yup, one by one the jobs are getting done ... before we get ourselves ready for a Special evening out.

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Getting Show Ready

Today is brush, bath, blow dry, brush, trim, doing all the pre-show work on several dogs we're taking to the show this weekend.

Our "Rush" has been visiting at our good friend Marylou's, growing coat, doing obedience and just having fun running in the bush with her other 2 shelties. Knowing I was taking him from a 'raw' state he would be the 1st I started on. Once done, I took him out to the pen to shake off ... and captured a few pics of him to see just what I'd accomplished. Here are a few ... with a little playing with some of my new Photoshop brushes - I think he's maturing to a stunning boy.

Shelamo Sugar Rush - 2 yrs of age

He's from our litter of 4 out of Ch Shelamo Sugar Shack, sired by Ch Highledge Irish Cream ROMC.

Now we just have to wait and see whether his genes can produce any pups in our new litter with similar traits.

Well back to more bathing & grooming.

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Website Updates

We've updated our Hopefuls & Litters Planned page ... come have a peak!

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Squirrels In The Spring - Why Barking Dogs?!

Yesterday (same as it is today) is beautiful! Above freezing temps, sunny, just LOVELY ... feeling like spring, altho we know March can go 'out like a lion' and we aren't done with winter yet.

I couldn't figure out why the dogs were barking, down at the back fence in our yard. I finally 'caught' the reason why ...

A red squirrel appeared on our pool's decking ... he sat there eyeing the yard.

He then scurried down the deck onto the snow where there were these long 'holes' ... now what are they? and what is he eating?

It's the bread crusts! Last Saturday, we had prepared over 100 sandwiches for a family funeral get together, cutting off the crusts of the bread and had bagged them to not only make fresh stuffing, but to scatter the rest for the birds & deers. Mike scattered the remaining ones out off our backyard deck, which looks onto the pool and the back end of the dog runs, never thinking the commotion it might cause with the dogs!

The bright sun cast such a glow onto the icy snow crystals that are now forming ... it was like little stars shinning .... So here was this brown squirrel happily gathering and chewing up the crusts, paying no never mind to the dogs barking ... guess they are now used to them.

OOPPPPSSS!!! I've been spotted on the deck!

It's time to high tail it for now ... plus chase another squirrel who was busting in on his 'buffet' dinner.

He'll be back, and I'll know 'cause of the dogs!

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