Darbi vet update

I took Darbi to the vet 2 days ago to try to figure out why she hasn't been herself this summer. She has been eating and drinking normally and acting normal around the house, but sometimes acts as if she doesn't want to train or trial. She has also been limping on and off since January. Every couple months or so.

Blood work was done 2 days ago and I took her back in today for the results and some x-rays.

Blood Work-"perfect"

Chest X-Ray-"perfect"

Abdominal X-Ray-"perfect"

Physical Exam-"perfect"

Left wrist x-ray-not so perfect

BUT, I consider this good news. On the x-ray of her left wrist there appears to be a "chip" or a tiny piece of floating bone. This would explain why she has intermittent lameness and sometimes an attitude of "I don't want to do this". It HURTS...sometimes. When it doesn't hurt, she is just being careful, almost expecting it to hurt. When the floating chip moves away from the joint, she would be pain free, but when it moves into the joint, it would be extremely painful.

So, the x-ray has been sent to a veterinary orthopedic specialist for a consult.

Darbs will be on an anti-inflammatory until we decide what to do, and the vet told me it can be business as usual training wise, unless she is "off", and then put her up for the day.

I've seen this a lot with the racehorses I used to work with, and it can be easily fixed if that is indeed what it is, so overall good news.

Other than the likely chip, her ankle looks fantastic...no arthritis and a very clean joint overall.

I'll keep you posted.

Camping fun

Dottie sent a note to her mother Miikka to say congrats on the win, and how much she has enjoyed camping this summer.

Hot weather fun

My friend Lois sent me some pics of our time in Colorado.

One day it was particularly HOT, and I decided to ditch training to cool off.

NEW FTCH AFTCH

My little Peanut WON one of the Opens at the Alberta Field Trial Club trial this week-end. It was unbelievable.

This gave Miikka her Field Trial Championship and Amateur Field Trial Championship titles.

If you've been reading my blog, you have read about the struggles I've had with her. She is starting to put it all together...obviously...two wins this year. Believe it or not, we still have a ways to go, but man oh man, we are thisclose.

Here is a pic of Miikka shaking between birds of the opening series.

Last bird goes down of the test.

Here is a pic of Darbi on the opening series. Unfortunately she went out on the first test both days. She is NOT herself these days. And she hurt her ankle and was limping badly on the second day, so I picked her up. She then came home to have awful diarrhea and vomiting.

I'm going to get her in to the vet tomorrow to see why she hasn't been herself these past weeks and try to figure it out.

Finally, a pic of Miikka with her BLUE. Kenny has been a godsend for her, and it was so special for him to be there to see her win.

They're home!

Girls are home and hanging out on the back deck with me this morning.

We are headed out the door to spend a couple days in beautiful Banff before the field trial this week-end.

Pics to come later this week!

Second thoughts

I'm thinking that Darbi is having second thoughts about coming home.

She is just as spoiled at Horsetooth Retrievers as she is here, but she also gets FLIERS down there.

Kenny took this pic on his cell phone and sent it to me.

Trial Today

Darbi got dropped after the water blind.

Kenny said she was on line, but too many whistles.

Can't wait to see her again in 10 days.

I'm all settled in the new house, and the dog beds (and human bed) are waiting for them when they get here.

Good luck Darbi

Darbi runs the Open this week-end at the Centennial Trial in Colorado. Kenny is obviously running her and I hope she does well. If she doesn't, oh well, I still have a spot on the bed reserved for her.

Poor Peanut has to stay home as she is not qualified to run a "Limited" Open. It's too bad, as Kenny says she has had a great couple of weeks in training.

"Girls" will be home in 10 days or so. Can't wait to see them. We then run 3 week-ends of trials in a row here in Alberta. Then I "might" run a trial in Montana, and the girls go back to Colorado to run some fall trials in the US.

Plans are moving ahead for the Fall 2009 Shaq x Miikka breeding. She should be in season before the end of September, and she is lined up for a surgical A.I. whether it be in Colorado or Alberta, depending on where she is when she comes in.

Busy week ahead

A picture of Turner Valley, Alberta. A beautiful place to live.

I'm back from Colorado...without the girls. I already miss them, but they'll be coming home in only 3 weeks to run the last Alberta trials of the year.

I am expecting Miikka to come into season in only a month or so and it is confirmed that I am going to breed her to FC AFC Wood River's Franchise...a repeat of the 2007 litter I had. I am very excited and plan on keeping a puppy for myself. The pups from the first litter are doing fantastic.

I am moving next week to a house I purchased in Turner Valley, AB. I am SOOO excited. I met with the landscaper this morning and the back yard is going to be re-done with the dogs in mind so they can have their own "airing yard".

It's a new house (only 2 years old), so not much to do to get it up to par.

Turq & Week-end

Another fun week-end at the Colorado Women's Retriever club trial in Walden, CO.

Poor Darbi had to stay behind due to being in season. I missed her.

Kenny WON the Open with "Arson", a very cool young dog owned by the nicest people on the planet, Brad & Diane Clow.

Miikka went out in the first series of the Open and after the water blind of the Amateur. She is really starting to put it all together and was running the best she has all year. Still some work to do with her, but she has come a LONG ways since January. I was SOOO proud of her.

Turq is doing fantastic. He is off the table and finishing up his force work on the ground now. Kenny really, really likes him and says he hasn't made a wrong move yet.

Here are some pics of him doing yard work this past week. He will start force to pile and 3 handed casting in the next week or so.

Still here

Went to a trial this past week-end in Granby, Colorado. It was great fun.

I lost Miikka and Darbi both on the first series of the Amateur. They both had a difficult time passing the backside of the flyer station to the VERY long retired.

Darbi SMACKED the first series of the Open. A huge Quad with an out of order flyer. I was SO proud of her. Only 30 dogs of 90ish got called back to the second series.

In the second series, she was running a real pretty land blind and at the very end, Kenny needed one more whistle to put her on the bird and when he casted her, she couldn't see him as he was backlit. He was casting and casting and she just sat on the hillside. I felt bad for her as she tried so hard, but thems the breaks and I'm so proud of her efforts.

Darbi came into season the very next day, so it was all for the best anyhow. She won't be running any more trials until she is out of season. Miikka is entered in the Open and the Amateur this upcoming week-end, so fingers crossed.

Here is a pic of an Elk we saw on the drive to the trial. The road is the "highest continually paved road in the US" and it was WAY up there in the mountains. Notice the snow. We must have seen over 200 elk.

Here is Dave Winters running FC AFC Perpetual Dizzy Daisy. She also came into season this week.

Darbi and I running a marking test.

Miikka's favorite spot in Kenny's house. Laying on the bench and watching the world go by out the window.

Back In Colorado

I arrived back in Colorado at 1am this morning.

LONG drive.

For those who care, the "shortcut" to Great Falls is indeed a very, very longcut.

Hot down here, in the high 20's at least. Girls were happy to be back and jumped right into the routine again without batting an eye.

My friend Lois from Alberta also came down for some training.

Here is her and her dog Indy.

Kenny running Darbi's baby-daddy Prime. He looks great as ever.

We ran a triple as 3 singles and then a BIG water blind. I was very pleased with how the girls did all day. I'll take pics of my crew tomorrow or delegate it out to someone.

Turq is almost done his force fetch and he is doing fantastic. He has a great attitude. We ran him on both land and water marks today and he looks good. He is more of a wild man then what I'm used to, but he makes me laugh, and I love that more than anything.

Blog Lazy

Sorry for the lack of blogging lately. It's been busy around here.

Not much for news either.

Turq is doing fantastic in Colorado and is flying through force fetch with his tail wagging according to Kenny.

The girls and I are heading down there on Monday to run a few trials and get in some great training time.

I can't wait!! I'll have lots to blog about there I'm sure.

Turq's New Adventure

Turq flew to Colorado today and arrived safe and sound. After a few days getting used to his new environment, he'll start serious training.

I'm going to Colorado in two weeks and will see him soon.

"Mark"

Harper (Prime x Darbi 2008) getting ready to run a mark in Alaska.

Saturday Morning Walk

Snapped some photos with my iPhone on our walk this morning. Beautiful day!

Turq met my friend's dog on the way home from the walk. He is certainly a big boy!

No Miikka, I'm not throwing that for you. And people wonder why my shins are bruised.

The girls teaching Turq the fine art of the river patrol.

Another ribbon

Congrats Matti!

Two trials, two placements.

I was informed by her owner that the first double she ever ran in her life was the week before!!

I asked him if I could have my dog back.

He said no.

Re-Visiting Dottie

I love getting e-mails hearing about how the "puppies" are doing. Hard to believe they are all grown up now.

Dottie dropped a line the other day to say she's doing great!

Holy smokes, does she ever look like her mother. Spitting image. I wonder if she snores as bad as her mother does too.

Dottie is from the Shaq x Miikka litter of 2007.

Lethbridge Trial

Man oh man, it was a HOT one in Lethbridge this week-end. Gross hot. "This ain't fun anymore" hot.

The "girls" did not have the best showing this week-end.

Miikka tried her guts out on the first series both days, but struggled with the short retired both times. Poor Peanut. It has always been a weakness of hers. Funny enough that the short retireds were her strongest birds when she won two weeks ago.

Darbi went out after the water blind on the first day and finished with a Certificate of Merit the second day. Her blinds were good, but her marking was not up to her usual standards. Not sure if she is lacking confidence, not feeling well or she was just suffering in the heat, but it is something I am going to pay particular attention to in the coming days and weeks. Her blinds have always been her weak point, so maybe she is just out of balance right now as we've worked so hard getting her blinds to a higher standard.

My new dog Turq (Prime x Darbi 2008) was the star of the truck oddly enough. He finished SECOND in the puppy stake. He was an orangutan to run and he made me laugh out loud. I felt like I was taking a snorting bull to the line. Time to get the boy going on obedience work.

Pictured here is Matti, who finished SECOND in the Junior this week-end. She is the Shaq x Miikka pup who finished third last week-end. I got a chance to see her run the last series and was impressed with her focus, drive and tractibility. She was fun to watch!!

Also congrats to Meg (Prime x Darbi 2008) who finished FOURTH in the puppy stake this week-end in Ontario.

I get the same amount of pride when the pups I've bred do well, as when my own dogs do.

Emma

Meet Elmingo's Second Chance, "Emma".  She is from the Tiger x Darbi litter of 2006.

Emma was named Second Chance for a reason and she taught me a lot as a breeder.  I sold her as "pick" female at 8 weeks old to a guy in the U.S.  The guy talked a good game and I fell for his lies.  Emma was flown to her destination and low and behold, the cheque bounced.

After some persuasion involving law enforcement, the pup was delivered by the guy to a local field trial pro who offered to take in the pup for a short time until I could get her back to me.  Emma was full of worms and did not look well.  Turns out she was purchased by said guy to be used as a brood bitch, and not be trained as a field trial dog as he had told me.

Enter Todd.  Todd is friends with Yankee's owners and said he would be willing to buy Emma after a 30 day trial period to be sure she was not sick or injured after her brief sojourn in hell.  Todd met the field trial pro half way and took her into his home.

And the rest, they say, is history.

Emma has Master Hunter passes in VERY limited tests (2 a year) and Todd wrote in a recent e-mail that he is "proud to be her partner".  

I learned many lessons from the sale of Emma.

Indeed she has had a "Second Chance" and I think she's a pretty lucky dog.

My New Dog

A friend and I went for a walk with the dogs in Bragg Creek and it was a beautiful day.  

Darbi is seen here enjoying the crystal clear waters.

I bought a new dog this week.  His name is "Turq" and he is 7 months old.  Turq is from the Prime x Darbi litter of 2008.  Turq will be headed to Horsetooth Retrievers in Colorado in 2 weeks to begin his training.

I don't know much about him yet, but so far he is friendly, happy and fun to be around.

Here is the dog walking gang.  From left to right: Miikka (picturesque as usual), Darbi ("she beats me, I swear she does"), Maiya (the cousin from a previous blog owned by my friend Mike) and Turq.

Maiya had a fun time chasing Turq with his stick...around and around and around.

My new family.  Darbi, Turq and Miikka

He's a handsome dude isn't he??  I'll keep everyone posted on his progress.

Way to go Matti!

Congrats to Elmingo's With One Twist!

Matti got a 3rd place in the Junior this past week-end in her very first field trial!!

Matti

Miikka's daughter Matti (Shaq x Miikka 2007) sent a congratulatory e-mail and this updated photo.

She is a real looker!!

Peanut and her ribbon

So proud of my Peanut...

Back in their spot

Darbs and Miikks are happy to be home.  I'm happy to have them home.

They are now back surveying the Highwood River on a daily basis.