Best friends

Loki and Ahti are best friends.

Unfortunately for Ahti, and even more unfortunate for me, is that she will be heading out to be a kennel dog in the next few days.  Time for her to grow up a little and learn that working is the most important part of her day.

She is great during her obedience lessons, and we started with "hold" today.  She marks gangbusters and runs back as hard as she runs out.

I'm going to shed a few tears as we walk the 50 steps to the kennel building, but it's best for both of us.  She's been spending lots of time in there as of late, so the first day will be more of a shock to my system then to hers.

Congrats Eider!

Congrats to NMH Elmingo's Pacific Eider*** MH WCX for finishing the Canadian National Master Hunt Test!!!

I remember this pup well (I remember them all well, but he sticks out in my mind) as I flew him out of Calgary as a wee babe on Boxing Day.

He is from the Shaq x Miikka litter of 2007 and turns 4 later this year.

Eider and John are having lots of fun together in hunt tests and field trials.

Way to go!!!

Cheater, cheater pumpkin eater.

Had a fun time at the Cheyenne field trial this week-end.

Darbi ran a great Open and finished with a RJAM.  She didn't have any bad birds and was super fun to run.  And NO CREEPING or breaking.  The honor was in the fourth series and she watched the birds a little too closely, but didn't move.  :-)

Unfortunately I had to pick up Libby in the third series of the derby.  It's hard to describe the bird, but she was not getting out "early", but getting out way wrong and cheating the water no matter which way you looked at it.

No green ribbon is worth letting her get away with a water cheat.

Funny thing is that her brother Zink did the exact same thing which left Kenny and I scratching our heads as to why these two very solid water dogs did what they did.  They must have saw something that flummoxed them as usually they take too much water.

Whatever it was, we'll never know.

I wish dogs could talk...oh wait...no I don't...or Libby would never shut up.

Peanut is Pregnant!

Miikka had her ultrasound this morning.

She's pregnant!!

Vet saw "6, but probably there's more".

Ultrasounds are inaccurate at best, but a good vet can usually count within 2-3 pups.  Generally their estimate is lower then what is in there.

Can't wait!

Lil Miss Manners

Loki (the Arson puppy I'm raising) has been taught to not be rude when another dog is eating, and butt in to their food dish.

Here she is practicing every bit of restraint she has while watching Ahti finish her dinner.

Miikka's Brace

Miikka got her new brace on Monday.  It is a custom made orthotic made by OrthoPets.

It is a world famous company and I'm so lucky that they happen to be in Denver.

A week ago, they made a cast (mold) of Miikka's leg and the brace was designed just for her and her injury.

She is showing no discomfort while wearing it, and we take it off at night when she goes to bed.  She will be able to be a lot more active while wearing this and it will be adjusted every two weeks as her achilles tendon heals.

When she is all better (8 weeks they guess), then the brace can be used as a "sports" brace for her.

The things they can do nowadays...

Libby on the List

My Little Libby, who mysteriously lost her brain the last two week-ends, was back in full force this week-end.

She WON the Derby, which put her on the US Derby List.  Her littermate Zink was second, thus giving Elmingo a great Derby showing and I'm sure that made Momma Miikka and Daddy Shaq very proud.

Zink now has 27 Derby points and Libby has 12.

Kenny ran Darbi in the Open and they went out in the first series.  It was a tough test and Darbs tried real hard.

I need to break out my camera as I haven't been taking many pictures lately.  Look for some this week.

Not One Bird

I didn't get one bird at the trial this week-end.

Nada.  Zip.  Zilch.

I have to think back about 4 or 5 years to the last time that happened...when Darbi broke in an Open in Canada.

Well, she did it again.  She broke in the first series of the Open.

I'd like to think that a 175 yard flyer is NOT a breaking bird...but nobody told Darbi that.

She.Just.Left.

And to add misery to company, she tried to break AGAIN on the honor when she was ON LEASH.

To say I was stunned, was an understatement.

Darbi is creeping??  And now breaking???  What happened to my dead serious, dead steady dog??  Well, she is having the time of her life...that's what is happening.  It is a fine balance to train a dog at this level.  We have her in the right frame of mind, the BEST frame of mind, that she has ever been in.  But we need to reel her in a little bit...just a wee little bit.  Too much pressure on line and she gets stale...too little...and well, we know what happens now.

And Libby...Little Lunatic Libby.

I picked her up on the flyer in the first series of the Derby.

She was quiet in the holding blind.  Good going to line and watched the birds nicely.  But when I released her, it was akin to a patient escaping a mental hospital without their medications.  She went under the arc of the flyer and ran WAY deep and then started to run around in random places.  I got tired of watching it and picked her up.  Well, my sweet little dog that is so nice in training WOULD NOT pick up and I had to walk out to the field and get her.  The Walk Of Shame they call it...and shameful it was.

This week-end will go down in the Anals of Field Trials (spelling mistake intentional) I'm sure.

But my spirits were lifted thanks to the children of my "girls".

"Turq" (Darbi x Prime 2008) WON the Qualifying at this trial and "Zink" (Miikka x Shaq 2009) was SECOND in the Derby, bring him to a total of 24 Derby points at 19 months.

WAY TO GO kids!!!