Horses and hounds

Hattie and I spent the day at the Colorado Horse Park today watching my guy Zed in a show.  It is an unbelievable facility!

I don't get a chance to ride Zed as much as I'd like, so I have half-leased him to a girl from my barn and they are having a great time.  My trainer rides Zed on my half of the days that I can't make it...which is often...and Ashley rides him the other half.

Zed was a bit of a spaz at the show today, but Ashley handled him like a champ.  He is a grandson of Secretariat and he showed it today.

Hattie took it all in stride and while wary of the very LARGE horses at first, she quickly settled in and had a great time.  I think a couple dozen people stopped to visit with her and it was great socialization!

Hattie meet Zed.  Zed meet Hattie.

Dirty nose.

Looking good Zed and Ashley!!

Ahh....Canadian Flag.

Turq's Blue

I received a picture of Turq with his owner and his BLUE ribbon.  It's way too fun not to share.

I also just got word that Turq's sister "Harper" (Elmingo's Violence On Request) placed SECOND in an Amateur in Canada in her first All Age stake.  Way to go Harper!!

Apples and trees.

The first night I brought Darbi home as a 7 week old puppy, she slept in a laundry basket beside the bed.

Yes, a laundry basket.

She whined once in the middle of the night to be taken out to pee, but never once did she get out of the basket.

Now, many years and many puppies later, I realize how remarkable that really was.  Miikka didn't last 3.2 seconds in the laundry basket at the same age.

Darbi was just that easy and always has been.

While Hattie may not be spending her nights in a laundry basket...it is very much her place of choice for napping.

If we don't know where Hattie is...go look in the laundry room...I promise she'll be in there.

This has reminded me of my first night with Darbi.  Such sweet memories.

Family Day

My new puppy has arrived!!!

Her name is Tealgrove's Hat Trick..."Hattie".  She is an 8 week old bundle of cuteness.

Here is Grandma Darbi hanging out with Hattie at training today.

Darbi  is enjoying her retirement much more than I expected.  She seems to get that she is done the hard training and is happy to be done.  It surprised me a little bit, but I am so relieved that she is content.  I didn't think she'd let go very easily, but I am thrilled to be wrong.

But of course she doesn't want to be too far from the action yet.  She is shown here supervising me running Boomer on a test.

Three generations!!

Meg, in the collar, is the working stiff in the family now.  You wouldn't know looking at her that she had puppies just 8 short weeks ago.  She is definitely happy to be back at it.  She is a great mom.

Darbi still has a camera aversion, but thankfully the daughter and granddaughter are more happy to pose.

And another Darbi daughter, Asia, (Elmingo's Shanghai Surprise - Prize x Darbi 20011) has come for a visit.  She looks a lot like her mom and is a very intense and intelligent retriever.

Yahoo Turq!!

Just last week we put Turq on a plane to go visit his owner for a little while.

Turq decided to go and WIN an Amateur in Maryland while he was on his vacation.

This qualified Turq for the National Amateur to be held in Wisconsin this summer.

WAY TO GO TURQ!!!!

Momma Darbi and I are very proud.

Darbi deserves it.

I decided to retire Darbi today.

That's it.

I had been going back and forth about it for weeks now, as you know.

It's time and she deserves the rest.

It was such a hard decision for me and I agonized over it.  You see, she still loves her job.  More then ever, really.

But her heart was holding out longer then her body.  I was just hoping she'd look at me and say "mom, I'm tired and I don't want to do this anymore".  She never did...she never has.

I had her eyes checked on Tuesday and the Great Doctor confirmed what I knew...she just couldn't really see the long bird anymore.  Her body aches and Old Man Time has caught up with her.

She's not going to be happy about it...no way.  But I couldn't live with myself if she hurt herself running a big test because she's not as strong nor agile as she used to be.  And I didn't think it was fair to ask her to punch 300+ yards, on birds that were barely visible to her, on heart and training alone.

I cried when I finally decided after watching her train today.

It just really sucks.

Anyone who has had a special relationship with a special dog knows it is so hard to say "enough, old friend.  You deserve to sit in the sun and watch the other dogs do the work now".  It's so hard to let go of the fun we've had over the years.  But to keep her going would be selfish.

Darbi was never the world's greatest trial dog, but she is simply the World's Greatest Dog.

Getting closer...

We're getting close to the arrival of my new puppy Hattie!  I can't wait.  Isn't she a doll??

We had a great week-end at the Brazosport trial.  My Libby got a JAM in the Open!!  She's starting to figure it all out and put it together.  She's still a baby and was the youngest dog in the fourth series.  Very proud of her!  A dog's three year old year is a big transition year.  They are too experienced and far along for the Qualifying, but learning the ropes in the Open.  It's a tough year for most dogs.  Time, patience and hundreds of marks and blinds will get her through it.

And the most fun of all was that I placed SECOND in the Open with one of my favorite dogs that is not mine...Boomer!!!  This second place finish gave Boomer his FC, so he is now FC CFC Backwater's Boomer.  It was such a thrill to run a near perfect field trial in an 80+ dog trial.  Boomer was amazing and it was a true honor to stand beside him.

Tough decision...

I don't know which is more gorgeous...

the amazing fields of Bluebonnets in bloom right now in Texas...

or Gordy.

I'm sure you all remember him as the little boy I kept from the Arson x Miikka litter.  He is now owned and loved by Brad and Diane Clow, but I wanted to show what a handsome boy he has grown up into.

Gordy (Elmingos Controlled Power Play) placed third in the Derby at the appropriately named Bluebonnet trial this past week-end.

Way to go Gordo!!

Thundershirt

Darbi is afraid of thunderstorms.  Poor thing.

She has gotten progressively worse the older she gets.  There is no manic behavior by any means, but she hides, shakes and pants until the storm has passed.

One time, while running her at a field trial, a thunderstorm was rolling through and she couldn't function.  She was swimming around in circles on the water blind and wouldn't respond to anything, so I just picked her up...for which she was very grateful.

I bought this Thundershirt for her and it has been very helpful.  She seems to just relax and not become so frightened.

During last year's Canadian National, a thunderstorm came in right before she was to run one of the series.  I thought to myself "well, this good run is over".  But I put on her Thundershirt as soon as I heard the first rumble, removed it immediately before she ran and she ran a great series!  Then I put her away with it back on.

I have heard of other success stories with the Thundershirt.  I know one trainer that has a nice field trial dog that has chronic bloat.  The dog bloated almost daily and they were at wits end and euthanasia was considered an option.  This dog now wears a Thundershirt nearly full time and he hasn't bloated since.

I know of another dog that is one of the Type A field trial dogs that can be crazy making.  This particular dog frantically barked, spun and...uh...pooped in the crate during training or travel.  The Thundershirt cured the dog of the behaviour WHILE the shirt was on.  No more barking or messes in the crate.  Amazing.

I'm not sure if it works for all dogs...but it seems to work.

Colorful

The Bluebonnet is the state flower of Texas.

They are native to the area, but their abundance in Texas is also a result of Lydon Johnson's wife, through her work with the National Wildflower Center...now the Lady Bird Johnson Wildlife Center.

They are everywhere and amazingly beautiful at this time of the year.  You see them in fields and alongside most roadways in the ditches.

Libby poses in the field right behind where our trailer is...along with my next door neighbour.

She's here!!!

My new puppy was born last week.

I've been waiting and waiting for this breeding.

This little pup will be all mine!!

The sire is FC Fresh Squeezed Juice and the dam is Elmingo's Prime Suspect (Prime x Darbi 2008), a very nice dog I won an Open with in Canada last year.

My very own Darbi granddaughter!!

"Meg" had three puppies, and only one girl, but thankfully I had the spot as "pick" female.  Will be an easy pick for sure.

Here she is...laying on top of her two brothers!

I think I'm going to name her Tealgrove's Hat Trick.  "Gordy" was going to be Hat Trick, but his new owner decided to go with another hockey themed name instead...Elmingo's Controlled Power Play.

Since there are three pups in this litter as well...the same as Gordy's litter...Hat Trick is a fitting name.

Introducing "Hattie".

High Fashion

Libby showing off my stylish new HOT PINK collar strap.

1000 stories

Oh the stories these feet could tell. Every grey hair is a chapter in Darbi's book of life.

Some of the pages are old and faded and some chapters are short, while others long, too long.

Like the first Derby she ever ran where I handled to the go bird in the first series. That page is still eared in her book. It seems like yesterday.

Other grey hairs speak of training woes and mistakes. I didn't know much of anything the first years and she sprouted a few of those hairs, I'm sure, from my many mistakes. She was so patient with me.
Her feet are gnarled and old. She's run many miles, and all because she loves me.
Darbi is limping again. Another injection into her poor, old feet maybe? But the end of trials is near for her....those old feet have almost done enough.

Seminar

The week-end is over...thank goodness.

I organized a seminar for Avery Sporting Dog put on by two fabulous guys...Danny Farmer and Kenny Trott (Luckiest Man Alive).

It was a fun time and I think everyone learned and came away with something.

When the cat herding was over (Danny and Kenny being the cats) and a date was put in place, it was pretty straightforward to manage.  Avery is a great organization and they are very supportive of our dog sports.

We hope to have another one next year, but on a better date that isn't competing with two Texas Field Trials and a local hunt test.

It must have been intimidating to run under the watchful eyes of Danny and Kenny.  Both are great teachers though and put everyone at ease.  We had 12 handlers and a number of spectators.  I was the one who volunteered to get the bird rack and got sidetracked...as you can see.

There was a morning review the first day of Danny and Kenny's basics programs.  Very helpful to most people I'm sure.  The guys had demo dogs at the actual level of the topic for parts of it.

Basics are everything...this is the NUMBER ONE thing I've learned in the past few years.  Basics doesn't just teach go, stop and come.  It teaches guts.  It teaches try.  It teaches a dog to be a team player.  It trains a dog HOW to be trainable.

A dog will never meet it's full potential with bad basics.

All the review and re-review of Basics doesn't overcome basics that were not done right the first time around.  It is hard to break bad habits, and sometimes impossible.

You have an issue with your dog?  Where is the hole in Basics?  It is truly that simple most of the time.

Basics are everything.

I dare anyone to argue with me on that one...I'd send you to Danny and Kenny for a follow up discussion.

Cozy

We got a new travel trailer.

Yes, we're trailer trash in Texas.  Since it's our home away from home for many weeks of the year we decided we needed an upgrade to something nicer (BIGGER) than what we had.

Darbi likes the fireplace the best.

Shreveport

Had a fun week-end running the Shreveport trial here in Texas.

Miss Libby ran, what I thought was, a so-so set of opening marks.  For each bird, her lines were to the right of the actual lines to the birds.  Not sure why she "moved the test over" in her little head, but it was what it was.  While the wind was blowing left to right, causing her to crosswind and quickly pick up each bird, I knew from a judge's stand point that it wasn't desirable.
They called her back to the land blind... a very difficult poison bird blind with some water.  I was happy with her effort and she ran a decent blind.  It was only decent though and we were dropped.  I knew those opening marks would come back to haunt me.
However, Libbs seems to have gotten over her poison bird fetish and that makes life less stressful for us now.  10 or so dogs picked up the PB in this test and she cast off of it very nicely with the bird on her nose.  I'm sure happy about that.

And Momma D!!!  She finished with a JAM.  She was fabulous!  Someone came up to me and said "my word, she runs like a 5 year old!".  I was very flattered.  She was great in all 4 series, especially the land blind and the water marks.  I think a cross wind on the long retired in the first series kept us out of the ribbons.  3 trials since December and she's been to the water blind twice and finished once.  Not bad for the old lady.

I can't say it enough...every day with her is a gift.

And Darbi's son Turq finished alongside his mother with a JAM as well!!  Atta boy Turq!

As an aside...I have learned in recent years that downwind marks are the only way to go when judging dogs if at all possible.  "Downwind marks and crosswind blinds" is what everyone who I think is wise says.  These poor judges had set up a nice set of marks that started the day off as downwind...but after a couple of dogs...the wind changed.  The marks became way too easy and all because of a little wind shift.  I felt sorry for the judges, but that is how it goes sometimes.  That's okay...they got us back on the land blind.  :-)

The hardest job of them all...

These Field Trial dogs work hard.  Very hard.

400 yard marks as the fourth bird to retrieve.  Long, long water blinds in stiff cross winds.  Etc.

But I'd have to argue that Miikka has worked as hard of any of them in her retirement.

She has raised a village of puppies in the past 3 years.

Now, only two of these puppies are her own and the others are all puppies I bought and re-sold to clients or others.

Miikka is the supreme baby sitter and puppy raiser.  She has taught each puppy to have good house manners, how to play nice and be brave and bold in every situation.  She has set the example to these guys to relax in the house and be bird crazy in the field.

No doubt in my mind that every one of the pups in this picture will be a Field Champion one day.  They are all bright young stars.

And we owe a little bit of thanks to Miikka for all her hard work.

From left to right:

Gordy, Libby, Otto, Willie, MIIKKA, Rip (in front) and Stanley

Missed from the picture but loved by Miikka:

Ahti & Loki

$1

You could have had Darbi for just $1 last week.

Just $1.

Coastal Bend

Very happy.

Luckiest Man Alive (LMA) went to a trial in Texas this week-end, while I stayed home to work some young dogs.

I was worried for Darbi because of her foot and all she's been through.  Plus, LMA has not run her, even in training, for a very long time.

I was worried for Libby because she's a young one and these big Opens can be overwhelming for any dog, let alone a newbie at the Big Time.

Well, I can put my worries to bed.

First/second series was a double, then pull off to run the blind, the pick up the double...that were both retired.  Both Darbi and Libby did great!!  Field was cut from 80-ish to 20-ish.

Third series was a water blind.  Cold honour for single, then come back out to see dry pop, run water blind, then pick up long retired bird that was shot as a single after the water blind.  Kenny said that Darbi did very well, was trying very hard and he was surprised she was dropped.  And NO limping!!  Amazing.

Miss Libby did GREAT apparently.  There was a lot going on in that test and it's amazing she handled it all (excuse the pun) so well!

Libby made it to the last series, but alas, it was a bit over her head.  Long flyer last bird down with two very hard short retireds in front of it.  She had to handle on one bird and had a "good sized' hunt on the other.  She did not receive a green ribbon.

Doesn't matter.  I'm very pleased with my two girls.  They both tried so hard and one can't ask for more then that.

Some things never change

Whether we're at home or on the road...

Peanut has perfected her sleeping into a fine art.

...and Rip is taking to his sleeping training naturally.

Big swims and tired puppies

Gordy is growing up!  He's from the Arson x Miikka breeding of 2011 and he will be breaking out in the derby in the near future.  He looks just like his dad Arson and has his mom's sense of humor.  We are excited about him.

Darbi coming back with the bird after two VERY big swims today.

Her leg is doing GREAT so far.  I almost can't believe it.  

We've run a few big land tests with her since she had her foot injected and I cringe every morning expecting to see her limping (she's off her Rimadyl) and there has been no limp.

It's remarkable.

Fingers crossed that it keeps up.

The fun today was almost too much for Rip.  He had to crawl into the 4 wheeler for a nap near the end of the day.  I think he's found his new favorite spot.

The weather has been great in Texas and we're having a great time with our crew of dogs.

Darbi's Leg

I wrote this post a year ago.

http://elmingoretrievers.blogspot.com/2012/03/ahtis-boo-boo.html

It's about Darbi's daughter Ahti hurting her ankle and how I saw the greatest vet ever - Mr. Wonderful Ortho Vet.

Well...I had a long visit with him again today about Momma D.

As you know, her foot/wrist has been bothering her for some time.

You see, Darbi had a similar injury to Ahti many years ago.  It has developed into mild arthritis in her right foot.

We tried a long term arthritis medication with her this past summer that did NOT work at all.  I "lost my dog" is how I put it.  She was lethargic and a shell of herself.  This is why I think she ran poorly on our Canadian trip last year.  We took her off the med and then put her on Rimadyl.  She's not on it every day and we noticed an improvement right away.

Although her limping was very periodic and mild, I wanted to be sure she was comfortable.

At the recent Canadian National, her limping "broke through" the Rimadyl.  She was quite sore by the 9th and 10th series and I knew then that we had to make a plan.  One couldn't tell (nobody said anything to me) when she was going out for the birds, but I could very much tell as she was coming back to heel and coming out of the holding blinds.

I asked the Luckiest Man Alive if I should retire her in December and his response was "that would be cruel".  I know she's old, but she loves it now more then ever.  We only train her on one set up a day and some days not at all.  We run her on the tests that will keep her mind and her marking sharp and she is thriving on it.  She barks in the truck when we pull in to a trial or training grounds.

So...I called Mr Wonderful Ortho Vet and we went to see him today.

As with Ahti, he didn't need x-rays to assess and diagnose Darbi (although I had them).  He diagnosed her with Seasamoiditis.  Inflammation of the seasamoids in her foot.  She also had pretty large arthritic changes in two toes.

Now this is the kicker...
He told me MANY front leg injuries in Field Trial dogs begin as some sort of change in a dog's foot...or seasamoiditis.  With this a dog will change how they put their foot down and it will lead to problems up and down the leg, like shoulder and elbow problems.

It was such a fascinating hour with him that there is too much to write about what I learned.

Our course of action: we injected Darbi's right foot at the two main points of inflammation with a steroid.
I asked him about Adequan and he said "I could pee in her ear for a week and you'd see the same thing as if we put her on Adequan".  Yes, he actually said that.

He told me to take her off the Rimadyl and that I'd see a big improvement in one or two days.

WOW.

If the injection doesn't work, they can also inject with cortisone or Hyaluronic Acid...but he thought I'd see improvement with the steroid alone.

I can't wait to see what happens.

I've always said Darbi will tell me when she's ready to retire.  Her heart is not ready yet and I truly believe that her body isn't ready either.  In the near future, one or the other will tell me it's time.

Mr. Wonderful Ortho Vet checked her out head to toe and was amazed at her condition overall.  Great hocks, good ACLs, good elbows and shoulders...everything else checked out A-Okay.

Every day with her is a gift that I cherish.

Puppy mark

A gorgeous day training today (for January!).

As the sun was going down, we closed the day with puppy marks for Rip.

Warms the heart

We are back in Texas for Winter Trip 2013.

It was cold training today...well, cold to me, but compared to my former home of Alberta, it was downright balmy.

I got a picture today of Ahti and her two "boys".

It really warms my heart.

I just need to find something to warm my feet too.

Merry Christmas!

Taking a little blog break.

Merry Christmas to everyone from Rip!