Speak Spaniel

Happy Dog's Bedtime Prayer

2009-06-07T16:39:00.000-07:00

Now I lay me down to sleep,

The queen-size bed is soft and deep.

I sleep right in the centre groove

My Human being can hardly move!

I've trapped her legs,

she's tucked in tight,

And here is where

I pass the night.

No one disturbs me or dares intrude

Till morning comes and I want food!

I sneak up slowly, it begins

My nibbles on my human's chin.

She wakes up slowly, smiles and shouts,

"You darling beast! Just cut it out!"

But morning's here,

it's time to play

I always seem to get my way.

So thank you, Lord, for giving me

This human person that I see.

The one who hugs and holds me tight

And shares her bed with me at night.

Author Unknown

Why Old Dogs Are The Best Dogs

2009-06-05T09:28:00.000-07:00

Read this article: Why Old Dogs Are The Best Dogs

Do Not Donate To Peta or HSUS

2009-05-15T22:29:00.001-07:00

Please donate to your local animal shelter directly. Do not donate to Peta or the HSUS!

Click on the link below to watch the video.

http://www.vidoosh.tv/play.php?vid=4360

ECS Embroidery

2009-05-14T18:26:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share a link to a website I have been working on for Bonnie Kost (Jack's owner.) The site is www.mydogmyshirt.com. It is a work in progress, but is fully functional and you can place an order if you would like. She has some lovely embroidery designs for English Cockers.

Dusty's Tail

2009-05-12T13:39:00.000-07:00

At our recent ECSCA national specialty show, I was asked quite a few times why I chose not to dock Dusty's tail. Here is our reasoning:

Pro-

1. He would win more at dog shows.
2. No questions about why we chose not to dock (-:

Con-

1. At six months of age, tail docking requires surgery including anesthesia and stitches.
2. He would no longer have his happy, wagging tail, which he was accustomed to.

Neil and I made the decision that we felt was in the best interest of Dusty, not the decision that was in our own best interest. We also have every confidence that he is of nice enough quality to succeed at shows, regardless of the tail. Some judges may not appreciate the tail, but others will see past the politics of docking to appreciate Dusty's excellent breed type and flawless movement.

It's Where the Obama's Didn't Purchase Their Pup That Matters

2009-05-09T21:26:00.000-07:00

Read Article Here

2009 ECSCA National

2009-05-06T15:38:00.000-07:00

I just returned from the ECSCA National Specialty in Huron, OH. What a fabulous National Specialty!! Congratulations to all of the winners. It is an accomplishment just to place in your class at a National Specialty, where not only are there more than 400 entries, but the entries brought to the show are of the highest quality. I had an absolutely wonderful time. Nationals are such a wonderful opportunity to visit with friends who you may not see again for months or even years. It is also a great opportunity to see dogs in person who you have read or heard about. I saw many lovely cockers and had the opportunity to go over a few stunningly beautiful dogs. Overall, it was a worthwhile trip and I can't wait until next May for the 2010 ECSCA National in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.

The photos below are all of Dusty, Northworth Vail Of Honour, in his 6-9 month class. He was handled by Hillary Wambaugh who co-owns Confetti, Calypso's Just A Parti Girl. I had fun visiting with Hillary at this National and getting to know her. She is very much a "student of the breed" and we had some fun conversations about dogs. Her sister has Beagles and Hillary also has Springers, so it was fun to talk about the differences between those breed and the ECS. Of course, the ECS sounds like the best of the three (-: I might be a little bias, though (-:

Jack x Sienna Puppies

2009-04-21T12:33:00.000-07:00

These puppies are bred and owned by Deb St Myers, Agate English Cocker Spaniels. The sire of the litter is CH Calypso's Fortunate Series Of Events, Jack, and the dam is Quinlan's Burnt Sienna RN OA OAJ OF, Sienna. The black boy, Jasper, is available to a home that will show him in conformation. He is located in Northern California. You can visit the Puppies page on my website for more information.

Dog Legislation

2009-04-13T21:22:00.000-07:00

I don't know how many of you realize this, but there has been an important piece of legislation in WA recently, SB5651. There have been similar pieces of legislation introduced all over the US, including a Bill in New York which will ban tail docking and legislation in certain states which will REQUIRE spaying and neutering.

Our personal rights in the US are under attack. Normal, ordinary people read about these bills and feel that the laws make sense and prevent puppy mills. In reality, current animal cruelty laws prevent the puppy mill cases such as those that were recently featured on the Oprah show and the recent puppy mill case that was uncovered in WA State. New legislation is introduced under the guise of preventing puppy mills, but the legislation is actually a move to license ALL dog breeders.

Many dog owners do not realize that these bills are pushed forward and sometimes introduced by special interest groups such as PETA and the Humane Society Of The United States. (DO NOT give these special interest groups donations. If you would like to donate to a rescue, please choose a local rescue in your area. You can find many of these by searching the web.) These two groups are special interest groups that do very little to help animals. Their donations go towards paying salaries and funding lobbyists. These special interest groups intend to make dog ownership in the US very expensive and, at some point, nonexistent. For those of you who have owned a dog, you realize that dogs truly are an integral part of everyday life. Dogs were not bred to be our companions, they chose to be our companions. They adore us and we adore them. It is entirely natural and mutually beneficial. Dogs are a part of our families, they help raise our children, they are a shoulder to cry on, and they love us wholeheartedly. Dog ownership should not be something that is meant only for the wealthy.

Much of the legislation that is introduced is touted as being put into place only to prevent puppy mills. This is not true, but is the language used to keep ordinary dog owners from realizing that they are being affected negatively by these laws.

One bill that has been introduced in many cities and states requires mandatory spay/neuter of all dogs and cats and requires a large fee to keep an intact dog. These have a HUGE impact on hobby breeders as many of us not only have our own intact dogs, but some older puppies we grow up and others that may not live with us but we co-own on the hope that they may turn out to be shown or be a part of our breeding program. Large fees to license all of these dogs with the "intact" license can be thousands of dollars. If these bills pass in multiple states, purebred dogs will soon be outrageously expensive to purchase due to the price to keep a dog intact. Also, many people purchase a well bred dog with the intention of possibly showing. These puppies are sometimes kept intact until they are a year of age or older while their owner visits a few shows to see if it is a hobby they would like to participate in. These people, who start with just a little bit of interest in trying out a dog show or two, often go on to become the future of their breed and of the sport of showing purebred dogs. Laws requiring spaying and neutering take away people's rights and the ability for people to make their own decisions and choices about what they want to do in life.

Also, spaying and neutering can have a negative effect on the health of dogs, especially large breed dogs. For those of you, like me, who have never owned a large breed dog, you may not be aware that altering a dog too early in life can change the way growth plates close and can seriously affect the bone growth and development in large breed dogs. Many breeders of large breed dogs are now recommending that dogs not be neutered until after two years of age. Here is an article which discusses the health effects of spaying and neutering: http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/LongTermHealthEffectsOfSpayNeuterInDogs.pdf

Some of these bills put a limit on the number of dogs that a breeder can own. One popular limit is ten dogs. This does not take in to consideration the variables such as the number of people caring for the dogs, the number of hours spent caring for the dogs, the home that the dogs live in, etc. I always tell people that it is entirely possible for someone to have two dogs and one litter of puppies and be more neglectful of that one litter and those two dogs than a breeder who owns 10 dogs and has multiple litters of puppies each year. The NUMBER is not what is important, what is important is the conditions that the dogs are kept in and the way they are taken care of. Animal neglect and cruelty laws are what is needed to take care of situations of neglect, not laws regulating breeders.

There is also a bill recently introduced in New York State which will make it illegal to dock tails on puppies. This is so absolutely ridiculous it is not even funny. For those of you who have not seen a puppy have it's tail docked, you should know that it is done at between 2 and 4 days of age and is very quick and while not painless, is not something that bothers the puppy for more than a few minutes. The puppy's tail is not fully developed at that age. I have docked a tail on an adult dog once and it is something I have sworn to never do again. My dog came home from the veterinarian with about 30 stitches in his tail and I considered it a major surgery. Tail docking on a baby puppy is much, much simpler and is not surgery. Tail docking in many breeds, such as sporting spaniels, is done to prevent injury while working in the field.

Personally, I do not like docking tails and would prefer not to. Currently the English Cocker Spaniel breed standard requires tail docking, so I do dock tails on my puppies. I hope that some day the ECSCA changes the breed standard for the English Cocker so that I can be allowed to leave tails on my puppies and still show them in conformation. I do think, however, that tail docking should remain legal and those who prefer to dock, should be allowed to do so. For the many that still hunt with their ECS, docking tails is a necessity.

I am writing this with the hopes that those of you who may not understand or realize that breeders are fighting an ongoing battle against special interest groups will learn something from this post. I hope you will write to your senators and state representatives to tell them your position against anti-breeder legislation when this legislation pops up in your state. This is a battle that breeders cannot fight alone. We need the support of those who own and love their purebred dogs.

Yes, rescuing dogs is a wonderful thing. I send people to rescue groups all the time. However, a rescue dog is not for everyone. A family with young children, a person who knows exactly what they want in a dog, a person who needs a certain size of dog or a dog bred for a certain activity or energy level, a person who wants to hunt with their dog, someone with allergies... these are all people who may need a well bred, well socialized, purebred dog who will develop the look, type, and personality that is written down in that breed's standard.

Please do not make the mistake of believing that these anti breeder bills will not affect you, whether you are a hobby breeder, a pet owner, someone who participates in obedience or agility or just a dog lover. These bills will eventually affect you. Please do not believe that these bills are *only* anti puppy mill. This is simply not true. These bills are genuinely meant to regulate and license ALL dog breeders and to make it incredibly difficult and expensive to own an intact dog.

These bills usually allow for entering a person's home who meets (or is suspected of meeting) a minimum number of dogs (this can be quite a low number) WITHOUT A WARRANT. I find this incredibly scary. Those of you who have visited my home realize that my dogs are very, very well cared for, my house is extremely clean, my dogs are in excellent condition, always groomed and my dogs have tons of toys, exercise, bones to chew on, are fed excellent food, get regular veterinary care, etc. However, if you came to my house on a day when perhaps I am getting home from a 4 day dog show, with dirty dog bedding carted in from my van in bags waiting by the washing machine, dirty dogs because we stopped at the park on the way home for them to play, all my dog show stuff carted inside but not yet put away, and puppies who need their bedding changed, my home is not going to look immaculate. It is rare for all of this to happen at once, but I *have* had those days. Would this be a reason that my dogs should be taken away from me? If I lived in an area with mandatory spaying and neutering, my dogs could then be spayed or neutered immediately without my permission? These are real life situations that are in danger of happening in several states and cities in this country.

If you are willing to help, breeders all over the US will be grateful. For those hobby breeders who feel that this legislation will not affect them, please wake up and smell the coffee. These extremist groups are well organized, well funded, and have lobbyists working for them. We need to become our own advocates.

http://www.naiaonline.org/

http://www.petpac.net/opposition/ar_threat/

http://nonais.org/

http://gaelenscafe.blogspot.com/2009/04/ny-state-assembly-puts-anti-tail.html

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WA_pet_law

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/OR_Petlaw

http://eaglerock814.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=general&thread=33

http://www.americansportingdogalliance.org/

Life is Short

2009-04-08T17:28:00.000-07:00

It seems like so many people I know have problems with their health right now. It is a big reminder that life is short and it is important to make each day count. It is so easy to just go through the motions. Snuggle up with your cocker, call your relatives, have lunch with your friends. Life is too short to be too busy to enjoy it. On the same note, don't forget to have compassion for those around you.

This is one of my favorite songs:

Life With Multiple Dogs

2009-03-23T09:25:00.000-07:00

I was trying to clean my kitchen last night with a pack of English Cockers underfoot trying to "help" and realized that my kitchen reminded me of an episode I had seen of Jon and Kate plus 8 (a TLC show.) My little pack of dogs are quite a bit of work, but they are also so charming and funny. One of them is always doing something cute or worthy of a photo.

Having more than two dogs in a household is always a challenge, but it has it's rewards. I absolutely love how Mocha, Lexi and Jasmine will snuggle up together at night. It is so cute watching them. They may argue over toys during the day and steal each others cookies, but at night, they use each other for pillows and sleep in one little ball.

It is also wonderful getting to know each dog's personality. My own dogs are all so unique in their own way.

Jasmine is such a funny girl... a little bit of a brat, but also so incredibly polite. Sitting patiently at the back of the pack for her cookies, taking everything gently, and very gentle and loving while snuggling.

Lexi is the most athletic... a very energetic and funny girl, who has the agility of a border collie. Yet, she has an on and off switch that is amazing. She can go from a game of wild and crazy fetch to sleeping next to me quietly on the couch in seconds. She is a totally charming dog to live with and tries very hard to please. One of her cutest traits is what we call the "jello dog." If she gets in to trouble or thinks she might possibly get in trouble, she falls limp to the ground like a pile of jello. You pick her up and she is like jello in your arms. It is so funny that it is impossible to get her in to trouble for anything.

Mocha loves to chew, chew and chew some more. She is only a little over a year old, so I am not sure if it is a developmental stage or not. She only chews on appropriate items, though, and we make sure to provide her with endless items for chewing. She loves to eat, and is a "gator" dog when taking cookies from your hand. She is super easy to train, very smart and will do anything for a cookie. Every time she wins when playing fetch, she gets on the couch and barks a muffled bark with the tennis ball in her mouth. It is hilarious as she might as well be speaking English; it is so obvious she is telling the other dogs "ha ha, I got the ball, ha ha, I'm faster than you guys."

Marcus is a gentle, sweet, loving dog who loves playing with the girls and loves to be in the house following me around. He is like a mini golden retriever. He is, overall, just an easy-going guy who goes with the flow. He also totally and completely worships his litter sister, Taffy.

Taffy is totally in to athletic pursuits and does not care for dog shows at all. If she were a human, she would be involved with soccer and softball and never wear any make-up. I commented to someone recently when we entered her in a dog show that I felt like a mother making my daughter take ballet classes (-: As a dog, Taffy adores playing with a tennis ball, going to the dog park and swimming.

Sophie is a princess.... but the smartest, most intelligent and willing to please dog. She is a total delight to train and loves to work. She does not play with toys like the other dogs, but instead has a few "special" toys she considers her babies and she is always carrying one around. If you take one out of her mouth and throw it, she is absolutely shocked as she does not think her "babies" are for playing fetch. She does, however, like us to take her "baby" and hold it and admire it and then hand it back to her. She gets sooo happy when you tell her what a nice "baby" she has. When she had puppies, I was not surprised to find that she did a lot of picking them up and carrying them from one side of the whelping box to the other...

Wincent likes most things... fetch, swimming, etc, but his primary interest in life is only one thing... GIRLS. He is crazy about them and slightly obsessed. His most interesting quirk is that he will bury any bone or treat you give him in the yard. He cannot have bones or treats outside for this reason (-: It is pretty funny to watch him carry something around the yard, though, as he is very serious about finding just the right spot to bury his treasure. He covers every inch of the yard looking for that perfect place.... and then if you call him in to the house, he runs out to find and unbury his treasure so that he can take it inside with him.

Common Myths about owning multiple dogs:

1.) Getting a second dog to keep the first one company- If you do not have time for one dog, trust me, you will have even LESS time for him or her with a second dog in the picture. Dogs prefer their human's attention to the attention of other dogs.

2.) When you have more than one already, adding another dog is "no big deal." This is sooo not true. At our house, we can totally and completely tell the difference between six and seven dogs and we can also tell each time we have a visiting dog. Each dog is a full dog's worth of work, no matter how many you have.

Benefits to owning multiple dogs:

1.) The dogs DO help each other to get more exercise. My crew, at least, all play and wrestle with each other and they do wear each other out. When dogs visit here to play, they always go home tired (-:

2.) The dogs learn social skills from each other. My dogs all "speak dog" very well. This can also be learned by providing regular off-lead play time with other dogs when your single dog is a puppy.

3.) Multiple dogs means there are many more moments of cuteness and laughter. It is a lot of fun watching them play together and seeing their different personalities.

The downside to multiple dogs:

Multiply the cost and energy requirements by the number of dogs you own.

1. ) Work x (insert number of dogs here.)

2.) Training x (insert number of dogs here.)

3.) Cost x (insert number of dogs here.)

4.) Toys Required x (insert number of dogs here.)

5.) Attention Required x (insert dogs here.)

Dog Park Trip

2009-03-15T22:21:00.001-07:00

We went to the dog park last Thursday. Lots of fun (-: I took the majority of my crew and met Jennifer with Halo and Chloe and Cathy with Ginger and Ryder there. We had a great time and a nice visit while watching the dogs play.

The Dog Place

2009-02-07T19:03:00.000-08:00

Here is an absolutely fabulous website that someone shared with me recently. Lots of great articles on different pet training issues, how to choose a dog breed and find a breeder, and articles on dog shows and information for those interested in training for and competing in the different canine sports. The Dog Place

Simon and Huey Treats - Now Paws Gourmet

2009-02-05T00:01:00.000-08:00

Well, this might not seem blog worthy to some of you, but it sure is to my dogs!!!

Simon and Huey dog treats recently went out of business. This is certainly a cause for sadness, however, their treat recipes were purchased by Paws Gourmet, who is now manufacturing them. I was concerned that the treats would change for the worse, but I just visited the Paws Gourmet website at http://www.pawsgourmet.com and I was very impressed. In fact, now I want to try some of their other gourmet dogs treats. Maybe one of my dogs needs a special birthday treat from me, lol. I also purchased a 1 lb tub of the Paws Gourmet training treats at the Portland Dog show in January and thought they seemed exactly the same as the Simon and Huey treats that we have used for so long.

If you have not tried these treats, you should give them a try. They come in 6 ounce and 1 lb resealable tubs and each treat is about the size of a pea. They are excellent for training puppies, but I use them for training dogs of all ages.

Injustice

2009-02-02T14:00:00.000-08:00

I got this poem as a forward, but thought some of you might enjoy reading it...

Injustice To Our Ladies
Author Unknown

You've bred a bitch, a winning thing,
And make her a Champion of the ring.
She's sound, she's lovely, a joy to see.
You want to breed her carefully.

Taking lots of time, you look around.
The stud must be both typey and sound.
You study pedigrees till you're blind,
Faithfully building the litter in your mind.

Several possibilities appear,
You write to all, and wait to hear.
Some write back, "My dog's the best".
You never hear from all the rest.

You choose the one you hope is right,
Although the stud fee's out of sight.
You breed your bitch...the die is cast,
The next nine weeks don't go by fast.

Of course, the lady whelps in the middle of the night
With luck and care, all comes out alright.
The next eight weeks you fret and strain,
Feed and scoop and try to train.

You take such care with home they get,
This one a show dog...that one a pet.
The new owners call with problems dear,
You're on the phone for half a year.

At last, the grand moment you've longed to know,
Your lady's pups have come to their first show.
They all look fine, not one a dud,
Then from behind you comes, WOW...nice pups...who's the STUD!"

Pregnant Sienna On The Beach

2009-01-29T13:52:00.000-08:00

Here is Sienna (owned by Deb St Myers) snoozing on the beach when she was 7 weeks pregnant. She is due any day. She was bred to Jack, Ch Calypso's Fortunate Series Of Events.

Puppy Socialization / I Miss Baby Puppies

2009-01-28T23:58:00.001-08:00

While browsing the Puppy Prodigies site, I found this great page about puppy socialization: http://www.puppyprodigies.org/Socialization.htm

I absolutely, wholeheartedly, agree with everything written on this page about socializing puppies. The point of socialization is for puppies to be introduced to new things in a POSITIVE way. It is not socialization if your puppy is not willingly participating. Use a lot of praise and treats while socializing your puppy.
__________________________________________________________________

On another note... you may have noticed my recent preoccupation with puppies (or may have heard about it if you talked to me recently!!) I miss puppies!!! Deb, if you are reading this, I might have to drive all the way to CA for a dose of puppy breath once Sienna's puppies arrive (-:

I miss having tiny baby puppies in my house. I miss playing in the yard with little four week old puppies who are walking all over their ears and bunny hopping across the yard. I don't miss the puppy clean-up, LOL, but I really miss the puppy breath and all of the "puppy's first" experiences that are so fun with each litter.

Puppy Prodigies Video Clips

2009-01-28T20:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.puppyprodigies.org/VideoClips.htm

Take a look at these video clips. I found them fascinating. I will have to see what types of tricks I can teach my next litter of puppies. Sit, down, and roll could be taught to an eight week old puppy pretty easily, but I am interested to try targeting, speak, give five, and turn/twist with a puppy that young.

Pet Puppy Grooming

2009-01-25T21:22:00.000-08:00

Jennifer and I had two pet puppies visit us for grooming when we were at the Portland Kennel Club shows last weekend. Willa (No Collar girl, Clover, from the K Litter) came with her family, the Kerns, and Scout (Red Collar girl, Lucky, from the K Litter) came with her family, the Englerts. Thank you to both families for bringing them to the show for a visit. It was so lovely to see both girls. It is important to see what we are producing in our breeding program and it was a great weekend to visit as Jennifer was the co-breeder of the K Litter (she is Chloe's co-owner and primary caregiver lol) and it was nice for her to see the puppies at an older age.

The K Litter and J Litter turned six months old that weekend, so Happy Birthday to all of you.

Here are a few photos of me with Willa right after she was groomed.

Both Willa and Scout looked fabulous after they were groomed. They are obviously loved by their families and very well cared for.

I always do a free first groom on my puppies, both pet and show, so if you have a puppy from us or adopt one in the future and live close enough to visit or meet up at a show, be sure to contact me to plan a time to groom your puppy.

Sienna's Ultrasound Photo

2009-01-12T20:15:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share this photo that Deb St Myers sent me of Sienna's ultrasound. Sienna is Quinlan's Burnt Sienna RN OA OAJ OF. She was bred to Jack, Ch Calypso's Fortunate Series Of Events.

Disappointed

2009-01-12T13:12:00.000-08:00

Well, I am very sorry to say that Taffy is not pregnant. I have guessed that was the case for a while, but as today is Day 57 and there is no tummy growth, I am sure we are not expecting puppies. This is so sad as I was very much anticipating this litter. We did a surgical insemination with fresh chilled semen which was shipped here from Indianapolis. The prospective sire, BISS CH Jerabee Hoosier Sunset "Sunny", is an older dog who has made some lovely puppies in the past. I am sure the litter would have been lovely, healthy and sweet tempered. Anyway, breeding has it's ups and downs and this has certainly been a down.

If you have inquired about a puppy recently and did not receive a reply, I am sorry that I have not responded. I was not sure whether we were having puppies or not, so I have put off responding to inquiries until I could be sure one way or the other. You might try visiting www.englishcockerspanielbreeders.net to see if you can find a breeder near you who is expecting puppies. We will not have a litter arrive until perhaps late summer.

Over the Counter Flea Treatment

2008-12-18T12:21:00.000-08:00

I received this link on one of my e-mail lists and thought it was worth sharing. Please DO NOT use over the counter flea treatments such as those sold at grocery stores and pet supply stores. Please use quality products such as Frontline Plus and Advantage, which can be purchased from your veterinarian or an online retailer. These products are more expensive, but are MUCH safer for use on your dog. Read the article that I posted a link to below for more information.

http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/pesticides/articles/entry/1080/

We did get snow!

2008-12-17T22:27:00.000-08:00

Well, we did get a bit of snow, but not as much as I would have liked.

Here are a couple of photos of the dogs playing.

Marcus, CH Calypso's Element Of Surprise

Lexi, Taffy, Mocha and Jasmine

Praying For Snow

2008-12-13T23:22:00.000-08:00

We are praying for snow!!! My poor cocker crew loves to play in the snow and we have yet to have any this year. We have snow forecasted for tonight. Hopefully, we will actually get some!!

Not Enough Time In The Day

2008-12-04T01:11:00.000-08:00

Those of you who do not own/show/breed dogs may not know what a time consuming hobby the "sport of purebred dogs" is. I was joking with a friend today that I need a new hobby... perhaps collecting rocks?? LOL My dogs are always needing something done.... nails trimmed, a bath, dinner, a haircut, some snuggle time, a trip to the vet here and there, structured exercise, training, and the list goes on. Neil and I try to make sure that they all get some individual attention, which isn't always easy. Sophie is our "bed dog" and gets the most one on one attention. Jasmine goes to obedience class and agility training with me each week. The boys, Marcus and Wincent, have been training for Rally Obedience with Neil, which they think is *great.* Mocha and Jasmine are headed with me to a show this weekend, so they will get some special one on one attention, which I am sure they will enjoy. My dogs love traveling to shows, especially when I only take one or two of them with me. It can be really difficult to find the time each day to stay caught up with everything, especially at this time of the year. I have also had Jack visiting here for the last week as he had a "girlfriend" visiting. I will post some information about that on my website soon... Well, enough complaining for now. I need to get some sleep as I have a busy day planned tomorrow. I have to get Mocha and Jasmine groomed and ready for the show this weekend. Think good thoughts for us. Hopefully, we will do well. I am sure we will have a good time.

Also, if you read this blog soon, Lowe's has Petmate dog crates (similar to 200 Vari Kennels) on sale for $18.00. I have never seen such a low price on these crates. They have free shipping as well!!! http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=256632-73671-21181&lpage=none