GIMME IS FOUR!!

<Tick Tock Tick Tock>

Know what that is? That's the clock ticking on Gimme Laugh Laugh!! That's right, Gimme had a birthday recently and she is now 4-years-old!

She has achieved quite a lot in her four years. At her very first show (an AKC show) she went Reserve Winners Bitch. From there, she just got better and better until she racked up an AKC Championship *and* Grand Championship *and* her Rally Novice title. In UKC she has achieved her Championship *and* Grand Championship *and* her Rally 01 title. She is also an International Champion through IABCA! Wow! She has done a lot in her mere four years of life!

And in May, she of course gave birth to my new best friends forever: Stig, Star, Bueller, Louie, Mercy, Marty, and Val. I love when they come to visit!

Mom tells me she has much more in store for Gimme over the next year or two. She will continue to special her in both AKC and UKC with the hopes that she will get a Group Placement and/or a Best in Specialty show win. That would be so cool! But she also wants to complete Gimme's obedience title(s) (Beginner Novice (BN) at the very least and then hopefully also her Companion Dog (CD)). So, while Gimme has created some very big footsteps for the rest of us poor schmucks to follow, she still has a lot to go herself!! Laugh Laugh!!

Kisses to Gimme on her 4th birthday!! Mwwwwwuuuuuahhhhhh!!!

For all my internet peeps, I hope YOUR birthday in 2013 is special and awesome!

Alf

Gramps

So, we've had some extra humans in the house lately. Dad's Mom and Dad (Gramps and Grams) have been living with us. It's been kind of fun, actually. Grams is kind of boring and doesn't do much (although she does give us table scraps!! YUMMMM!!! Laugh Laugh!!)!

Gramps, on the other hand, is pretty awesome. He's still very active and loves all of us pooches. Of course, he loves Trekkie best (who wouldn't??) but he's always willing to spend time with the rest of us.

Gramps drives a GMC Envoy. Wanna know how I know that? Because Gramps took me to the vet today! I've been doing an experimental treatment for my elbow hygromas - those are those big fluid filled icky things on my elbows. A local vet is trying cold laser therapy for them instead of the usual bandages and/or draining and/or surgery. I have to go to the vet twice a week for at least 3 weeks (maybe more). Because Gramps is bored, he volunteered to take me to the vet for these appointments. It was SO awesome! Of course, Gramps had a bit of a problem getting all of my 148 pounds into the Envoy... but he managed it!!

I love Mom's Dodge Magnum... it's really comfy. But Gramps' Envoy is so windowy. I was able to watch all the world go by. I sniffed all around the inside of the Envoy too! They brought Charlie their bird with them when they moved here to Colorado and it smelled so different! Fascinating... Laugh Laugh!!

At the vet's office, Gramps got me all checked in and then he took me back to the exam room. It is so funny when they do the cold laser therapy!! Laugh Laugh! Because it is a laser, they have to put goggles on everyone in the room. And that includes me!! Being the calm handsome stud that I am, I don't fight the goggles at all. Dad went with us to the first appointment and he told me afterwards that I looked like an alien (with buggy eyes). They kind of remind me of old-time aviation goggles which is why I don't fight them. They make me look even more manly than I already am!

Once we get home, I sack out for the rest of the day. It's exhausting being me!

Hoping everyone has a Merry Christmas with a warm place to sleep and humans to give presents to!

Alf

Not a Puppy Anymore!

Well, it's finally happened! All those cute puppy antics I did when I was just a teeny tiny baby... aren't so cute anymore! They don't work!

It used to be that I could ignore Mom and Dad when they wanted me to go outside and potty by rolling over on my back. Then they would give me a tummy rub! Yippeee!!! But <SIGH> not anymore! Now they just try to get me to actually go outside. But I'm sleeping!! I don't want to go outside. NO! Don't disturb me! And still they keep calling me name. And eventually it turns into that tone of voice. You know the one I'm talking about. When the first syllables get extended and the voice gets lower... <sigh>. Yeah. THAT tone of voice. That's when I know I had better get up and go outside. Guess I'm not a puppy anymore.

And they make me sit for my meals! Used to be, I could dive right in as soon as they started putting the bowl down. I'm a big, handsome, growing boy. I need my food! Laugh Laugh!! But not anymore! Now, I need to sit and wait until the bowl hits the floor. Dad makes me give him my paw. Mom makes me wait to eat. Sometimes it's even seconds and seconds she makes me wait! FOOD! FOOD NOW! <sigh>. Guess I'm not a puppy anymore!

Thankfully, they still let me up on the bed! Laugh Laugh! Those are good times! I don't stay up there long; it gets far too hot. But Dad still plays undercover alien with me. He thinks I don't know what he's doing, but I do! He puts his hand under the covers and then tries to attack me with it. I end up barking and barking at him! Laugh Laugh! I guess I am still partly puppy!!

So, I've learned today that Mom is the disciplinarian, and Dad is the playmate! And he wonders why we (any of the dogs) don't listen to him. Laugh Laugh! Of course, we fool Mom. We only pretend to listen to her. When we can get away with it, we certainly don't! Laugh Laugh! It's such good times!

Happy Undercover Aliens to all my internet peeps!
Alf

In Memory - Mr. Fox

It was a sad day at our house yesterday. To better explain, I'm going to turn the blog over to Mom. She would like to type this up herself.

As has been mentioned in this blog by Alf, Fox has not been feeling well lately. We thought we were over the worst of it when he began eating again. Unfortunately not :-(  Although he's been eating with a very good appetite, he has been having other problems. His rear muscle tone was considerably weakened when he got sick and so he has been having problems controlling it. Additionally, he began walking and standing on the tops of his feet instead of flat.

On November 30 2012 - his 8th birthday - Fox gave up the fight. When we got home from work, Fox was not standing and could not be coaxed into standing using food. Using force, we did get him to stand and go potty, but as soon as he came back in he lay down on his bed and wouldn't get up again. Just as concerning was his lack of appetite. If he wasn't even going to try to eat, we knew he was telling us to let him go.

We finally got Fox into the van and headed off to his last trip to the vet. At the vet, they brought a gurney out and we loaded him onto it. In a very spooky way, it was another sign of problems that he didn't even mind the ride on the gurney. Every one at the vet clinic was very kind to us and Fox as he was helped across the Rainbow Bridge.

We miss Fox terribly but he is now out of pain and running free.

June 1 2012 - Best Veteran in Specialty

  

Getting some love from Mom 

New AKC Champion - May 2008

First AKC point - July 2005

New AKC Rally title -  June 2009

Head shot - January 2012

June 1 2012

November 2012

Getting ready for Christmas - November 2012

Easter - 2012

Just chillin' - April 2012

In Memory of Fox (aka Mr. Fox, Fox Man, Dude, and the hated Foxie):
AKC/UKC/IABCA CH Glaciers Voyager Fox RN BN CGC CHIC
Great Dane Club of America Versatility Award
November 30 2004 - November 30 2012

Giving Thanks

Yesterday was the American holiday of Thanksgiving. A day that is for giving thanks for what you have and appreciating the good in life.

The family - including Mom & Dad and Dad's parents - had a nice dinner of fried turkey, sweet potato pie, green bean casserole, stuffing, and croissants. Too much food for just four people so we dogs got some too!

In the spirit of thanks, I thought I would go around the house and find out what everyone is thankful for this year:

• Mom is thankful for family, friends, and us dogs (of course!!).
• Dad is thankful for enough money to be comfortable, if not necessarily wealthy.
• Fox is thankful for a comfortable place to lay down during the day.
• Trekkie is thankful for the sun to lie in.
• Gimme is thankful for humans who give her food and attention!
• Alf is thankful for the cool temperatures of a Colorado winter.
• Val is thankful for large yards to play in and young kids to play with.

And so from all of us here, we hope you had something to be thankful for yesterday and throughout the year!!

Na zdrowie!!
Alf
 

Where Have You BEEN??

Hi-diddly-ho, neighborinos!!

It's been a busy couple of months! Trying to think of things to blog about can be draining. Who cares what I had for dinner? It's always the same anyway Laugh Laugh!

So, a couple of months ago I thought I would try to have a "guest" blogger take over occasionally. I thought Mr. Fox would be perfect to get us started. Unfortunately, Mr. Fox began getting ill and the whole house fell into a funk. Mr. Fox didn't want to blog, and after asking and asking Trekkie, Gimme-Mom, and even Val, no one wanted to do it! Wow.

So here I am again, trying to catch up. As I said, Mr. Fox has been ill. He's feeling a bit better now but certainly showing his age. And BOY has he gotten really grumpy! Don't try and ask him for anything. He'll just growl a "NO" at you. I sure learned my lesson! It was a long slow road to recovery, but he's back to eating now so I think Mr. Fox will be around for a while yet.

Gimme-Mom has gone back to the showing thing. Something I still dearly want to try but can't yet. Gimme-Mom has been doing pretty good, even garnering a Best of Breed at one show! She tells me she didn't even make the cut in group but she was so happy to be back out showing!

Even Val was out showing before she was old enough! She went with friends Loren & Brian to something called "The Nationals". It's a place where members of one breed get together for a couple of days (or up to a week!) to show in conformation, obedience, agility, Futurity, and Top 20. Val wasn't old enough for most of the events so she and her brother Marty went for Futurity. Their new friend Josh showed them there. They had a ton of fun but brought home no ribbons. Of course, now that Val is old enough to show (can you believe she is six months old already??) there are no shows. She'll have to wait until February. I want to go to Nationals one day. Maybe in 2013 when the Saint Bernard Nationals will be in Nebraska. Something to look forward to!!

Because Gimme-Mom and Mom have been showing a lot again lately, there hasn't been a lot of time for Trekkie or <gasp> ME! And then Mom does nothing but complain about "school" all day long. When I try to ask her what "school" is she doesn't really respond. I had to look it up at dictionary.com:

1. an institution where instruction is given, especially to persons under college age: The children are at school.

2. an institution for instruction in a particular skill or field.

3. a college or university.

4.a regular course of meetings of a teacher or teachers and students for instruction; program of instruction: summer school.

5.a session of such a course: no school today; to be kept after school.

NO wonder Mom hasn't been around much! She's been institutionalized Laugh Laugh!! Just kidding. Actually, Mom has said that she is trying to learn to be a better business-person and earn her degree in the Associate of Applied Science - Business at Community College of Aurora. She has a lot of homework this first semester because one of her classes turned out to be a fast-track class (didn't start until mid-October and is complete mid-December). So, we'll just tip-toe around Mom for a little while!! 

I'll leave you with a picture of my buddy Val and me when she got back from Nationals. She was gone almost 2 weeks!! It's a fuzzy picture but I think you can see I missed her Laugh Laugh!

Until we meet again! Hopefully next week!!

Alf 

It's My Birthday!

Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday to ME!!

Yeah! I turned a year old on Wednesday September 26th. Mom and Dad didn't do anything super special for me, but I did get extra treats and a super special meal (Hamburger! Yummy!).

Hard to believe I'm a year old already. The time has just flown by! Sure, things didn't go as planned (I was supposed to be a Champion by now Mom says Laugh Laugh!). But Mom and Dad do their best by me.

I find it's really hard to write a blog when I don't have the experiences of some of the older dogs. I thought this would be really cool and fun but, as you can tell by the fact it's not updated every week, it's not easy. Still COOL and FUN though!! Laugh Laugh!

And it has been busy even if I've been a homebody. I mean, someone had to raise Gimme-Mom's puppies, right? And I did an awesome job! So glad that one of the puppies is sticking around. And Gimme-Mom just came out of season recently. Whew, was that a tough time to get through! Seriously! I found love everywhere! Laugh Laugh! Or, at least I tried. For a while there, I think I lost all my brains. Poor Mom and Dad. They had to keep a really close eye on me because anytime Gimme-Mom was even near I would lose it. I followed Gimme-Mom everywhere Laugh Laugh! Now that she is no longer in season, I've got some brains back. That makes Mom and Dad oh so very happy! Laugh Laugh!!

Hey, I just had a thought (See? I got my brains back Laugh Laugh!)! What I should do is turn the blog over to Fox Sir, Gimme-Mom, and Trekkie occasionally. At least that way, maybe one would get written more often. And they have ever so much more experience than I do. Little Val probably won't write too often but maybe. She is going to her Great Dane Nationals soon. Maybe she can write about her experiences there.

Thanks for hanging with me internet Dudes!
Alf

The Heartbreaks of Breeding & Dog Ownership

So, it's been a pretty good time around here lately. Especially with the newest member of the family : Val. She is officially registered with the American Kennel Club (AKC) as Voyager Daystar Valley Girl. Mom also co-owns two other puppies from the litter: Marty (registered as Voyager Back To The Future) and Mercy (registered as Voyager Daystar Tender Mercies). The other four puppies went to wonderful homes. Gone to a show home are Star (Voyager A Star Is Born For Carla) and Stig (Voyagers Return Of The Jedi). Gone to loving pet homes were Bueller (Voyagers Ferris Buellers Day Off) and Louie (Voyagers The Terminator). And Mom gained a bunch of new friends!

So, since we are having such a good time, why did I name the blog the heartbreaks of breeding and dog ownership? Well, for a lot of reasons. Dog ownership, without a doubt, has a lot of good points to it. I mean, you own us right? We never talk back, we love you unconditionally, and we are always there for you. But sometimes, it's not so easy.

Although Gimme-Mom had 7 puppies, she actually gave birth to 8. She lost one sometime before giving birth. The reason she had the C-Section is because the third puppy got stuck and she tried and tried and tried to give birth, but he was already dead and she was just exhausted trying to give birth to him. In order to save the lives of Gimme-Mom and the rest of the puppies, Mom had the make the decision to do a C-Section. Thankfully, Gimme-Mom and the 7 puppies all survived and are doing well.

But plenty of things can still go wrong. The puppies are just four months old and growing, growing, growing! And Mom just worries, worries, worries about all the things that can go wrong. HOD, OCD, Pano, Parvo... It's so hard to be her best friend when she does nothing but worry about the puppies and how they are growing. But I'm there for her - all the time!

And then we hear about the really sad news. The breeders who lose the entire litter after birth. Or most of the litter. Or our friend who lost not only the litter, but the Mommy too. That made us cry. Breeding is not for the faint of heart. It can be maddening and saddening and expensive. And we really can't stress this enough!! BREEDING DOES NOT MAKE YOU MONEY! Sure, maybe a litter will or two. But in the long run - when done correctly - breeding does not make you money and can cause nothing but heartbreak!

And so why did I include dog ownership in the heartbreaks? Well, look at me. Mom and Dad love me, I know they do. But what a heartbreak it must be for them. I may never walk normal. I don't know. They don't know. They'll spend thousands of dollars fixing me up and hoping and keeping their fingers crossed. Or, one of Val's littermates. One of his testicles hasn't fully descended. It's there, it just won't stay down. So, they are spending money to fix that. But what if he doesn't turn out as a show dog like he was supposed to? Heartbreak.

Even just owning a dog like us can be heartbreak. Show dog or not doesn't matter. Take my doggy Mommy. Just out of the blue she got sick and never recovered. Gramma is heartbroken and there is no consoling her. Some other friends lost their beloved 9-year-old recently to bloat.

We love you, we'll always love you. But gosh we just can't stick around as long as you. And every time you humans lose one of us canines, it's heartbreak.

Kisses and hugs to all my internet buddies. Hug your humans tight. They need us.
Alf

HORMONES!!

Honestly, I don't know what is happening! Mom and Dad yell at me all the time because I hang around with Gimme Mom.... and Trekkie... and Val... and Mercy... and, well, ANY girl that comes across my path! I LOVE THEM ALL!! I can't help myself!! They are all so bee-a-u-tiful!! And so distracting. Oh my! One look at them and I can't think of anything else.

Trekkie, as you know, is my first love! She came with Mom & Dad to pick me up from Gramma. She's "older" as she is almost 6 years old. And she tells me that she has had that operation to make her not have babies. But I don't want babies, I just want loooooooooovvvveeee.

Gimme Mom, of course, is one of my housemates. She is a Great Dane and the mother of Val and Mercy. The puppies are only 12 weeks old but I love them too! They are girls aren't they?? And of course just stunning and lovely and girls and fun to be with and girls and ... wait, what was saying? Oh, right. How young they are <sigh>. I shouldn't be this excited to be with them, but they are GIRLS!! But they are so young. Dad just called me a child molester :-(.  I think he was joking, I'm not sure.... I'm not even sure what he meant. But I think it's because I won't leave the puppies alone. But look! LOOK! Look how cute, adorable, snuggly, and kissable they are!!

Don't YOU just want to love all over them??

I can't believe how distracting all the girls are! I want to be with them all the time! And hold them down and lick them to death <Laugh Laugh>!

Mom and Dad say it's because of my age - I am 10 months old now and maturing. They say I am getting hormones. I don't know if I like this part of maturing! But then again, I do <Laugh Laugh>. I don't like it a lot because I get yelled at all the time to "Leave Them Alone!!!" and "NO!!!!". But I'm happy I'm getting older and leaving puppyhood behind. I want to be an adult!

And did you know, that Great Dane puppies have their ears cropped? This is a surgery that the puppies go through so their ears stand erect. That is why they are wearing tape on their ears in the picture here. I love licking their ears. And of course when I do, I get even more "Leave Them Alone!!!" and "NO!!!!". Something about if the ears get wet then they won't heal correctly because the tape will have to come off and be started all over again... But I love the girls and then the tape gets all gooey and Mom and Dad have to redo them (again).

And don't forget Trekkie! Trekkie loves me back! I know she does! Who could not love a handsome, young, stud like me? I don't care if she can't have babies! She's a girl and my heart and I can't live without her. Unless Gimme-Mom is in the room. Then, and only then, will I probably give myself over to another other than Trekkie. But maybe not.... If I could have them both.... And believe me, I have tried and tried!! Laugh Laugh!!

I know Mom worries about what will happen when Gimme Mom comes into season again. She hasn't come into season since the puppies were born and this next one will be the first since I "matured" and got hormones. I'll try to behave, I promise! But just let me near Gimme Mom just once... that's all I need <Laugh Laugh>.

See? You see the dilemma I have? So many girls, so little time, so many hormones!!

Happy Dreams internet pups! I'll be dreaming of GIRLS!!

Alf
(Rest In Peace to my Mommy - BISS GCH Copper Mtn's Windstorm HOF)

OH! Those Puppies!!

Well! Gimme's puppies are almost 8 weeks old now and boy do they get into trouble! They run around and act like madmen (and women)! Little escapees too! The girls were getting out of the whelping box weeks ago; it took the boys a little longer. So Mommy and Daddy took the whelping box down and created a puppy room instead. It did not take them long to figure that out and so that had to be adjusted too. Sheesh! Now you can't walk into the puppy room without moving aside a 4-ft high xpen and the door to the crate. HA! You little buggers! Get out of that! Oh, wait. I don't want to issue them a challenge.... Hmmmmm....

So, although I'm older now I certainly don't remember being that bad as a puppy! These guys poop and pee all over the place. When they get into the living room they go behind the couch and start chewing on wires and cords and whatever they can get their little teeth into. I think the curtains are next!! Not me though! I remember being Mr. Perfect Puppy! Laugh Laugh! That may just be my memory though! Laugh Laugh!!

Right now as I write this, they are in the kitchen sounding like a herd of buffalo as they run through the kitchen into the puppy area and back (again and again and again). NOTHING is safe from these puppies! Not even poor lil' ol' me!! Laugh Laugh! I love the little goobers though and will miss them when they are gone. Even if they did start deciding that I could substitute for Mom. But OW! Those are not nipples!! This is what I do when they get too out of control by me:

Gotcha you little goober-face! Laugh Laugh!!

Mommy and Daddy keep saying how nice it is that it is sunny and warm so the puppies can spend a lot of time outside. They've been  wishing too hard for that I think as it's been really super hot around here lately. I know I already blogged about that but I just want to say that we've had rain for the last couple of days here and cooler temperatures. Most (if not all) of the fires burning in Colorado are 100% contained! Those firefighters working the lines deserve everyone's eternal gratitude!! They saved Colorado Springs - our second largest city!! - from burning down!! From Boulder & Ft. Collins to Durango, the western slope by Grand Junction, and the eastern plains by Limon. There have been terrible fires this year. And those firefighters got them contained before the rains showed up!! THANK YOU from all of us Coloradans!!

Of course, now that we have rains we have flood warnings in all the areas affected by the wildfires <sigh>. Please take care all my friends who are in these areas!!

Now, getting back to the serious stuff (ME!!). I know a lot of you are wondering how my leg is doing. It still bothers me and I still limp. Mommy and Daddy say that no surgery can be done until my growth plates close and that will be when I'm at least a year old - maybe older. I continue to see Jennie the Physical Therapist weekly and work on the underwater treadmill. And Mommy and Daddy are making plans for me to see Dr. Lewis for xrays when I turn a year old and then we'll go from there. Right now I'm 9 months old so .... 1 year is 12 months... 12 minus 9 is .... Dang It! Math has never been my best subject ... 3 months! There. Got it. Laugh Laugh!! And let me clarify that when I say "bothers" me, I don't mean it hurts. I just don't walk on it properly and so my movement is funny and I worry about stepping on puppies and slipping on the floors. And I find it hard to get up. And that bothers me!

Wishing everyone safety and quietness and loving arms to hold you when its not!

Alf

OH! This Weather!

So, when I left Grammy's house, the weather was nice. Sure, there were some warm days but nothing - absolutely NOTHING - like it is here at Mommy & Daddy's house! Wow! We have already been seeing temperatures in the 90's and it's only mid-June! We had temperatures in the 90's in April and May. Now, Mr. Fox and Gimme Mom may not care too much. But believe you me, Trekkie and I care!

Sure, Mommy and Daddy have air conditioning but they didn't want to turn it on too early in the year. Daddy does nothing but complain about the cost of it. So, the months of April and May were tough months to get through. Now that we are in June and the temperatures are staying above 80 most days, the A/C is on. When it works <sigh>. Boy, has that been a project for everyone! First, we had to get someone out here to do some preventative maintenance on it. Then, we had it running for just a tiny bit of time and the fan motor started dying! O.M.G.! Will I never get comfortable again??!! It's hot hot hot around here!

OK, it's getting more comfortable. The A/C is on now again and Daddy soon won't have a reason to complain about it. I hear we are getting solar panels from Solar City to help us. The solar panels mean that we won't be paying Excel Energy bunches of money. YEAH! Maybe that will mean I will get more toys or treats! Yeah! Yeah! That's the ticket! I bet I'll get more toys! Or treats! Yummmm!! Laugh Laugh!! But until then, I guess I (we) suffer through the hot temperatures. Yuck! I'll be sure to give an update when the solar panels get installed.

Thankfully, Mommy & Daddy sometimes leave the back door open at night for Trekkie and I. It's cooler at night but we have to worry about Gimme Mom's puppies. We don't want them to get too cold and they are close by the back doorI, so it's kind of a Catch-22. For now, I guess we (Trekkie and I) will just continue to wake Mommy up at 4:30 in the morning (give or take a half hour) so she can let us out then! Trekkie does a good job of waking up Mommy. She walks over to the bed and starts panting in Mommy's face. Works like a charm!! Laugh Laugh! I suggest all my internet buddies give it a try one night! Laugh Laugh!!

The weather has also wreaked havoc along the entire state. Many, many forest fires have started already this year - and it's not even forest fire season yet! That's usually later in the year. It's not only been hot, it's been really dry. Awful, awful! The biggest fire of the year is burning right now near Ft. Collins. More than 50,000 acres are already burned and the fire is only about 15% contained. It's been burning for 7 days. So many people and their animals need help. The Red Cross (http://www.redcross.org/), The Salvation Army (http://www.imsalvationarmy.org/), and Larimar Humane Society (http://larimerhumane.org/) are all accepting donations for evacuees and victims of the High Park Fire.

Speaking of the puppies, I suppose I can give a quick update on them too. Because they are just adorable! I love them soooooo much! And I can tell they love me Laugh Laugh! They all play with me!

The puppies are 4-1/2 weeks old now and range from 8 pounds to 11 pounds!! They are growing so fast! It will be a long time before they are as awesome as I am even if they are cute now! Just a couple of weeks and they will be gone. I will be so sad! Hopefully we can babysit them occasionally or see them at the dog shows! They will be my buddies forever!

Well, I'd better get back to shedding my heavy puppy fur! Laugh Laugh! I realize I've lost a lot of it already in the underwater treadmill (which I still do at least once a week) but this hot hot hot weather is making me lose and fast!

I hope every one of my internet buddies has a cool house to stay in and a warm human embrace to love in!

Alf

Quick Update

There has been so much going on!! For a while, it was so busy around here! I went and saw my favorite vet Dr. Beth Lewis again. She watched me walk around and around (and around and around) and said that no, she didn't think I had a neurological/spine issue. And she cleared me for more physical therapy! I loooooooove my physical therapy!! And Jenni loves me! But of course, who could resist me?? No one I tell you. No one. Laugh Laugh!!

Daddy has taken me to work a couple of more times which always makes me happy! Sooooo many people to see and stop and pet me and love on me!! And of course, we go to Home Depot all the time during Daddy's lunch hour. And so many MORE people to see and stop and pet me and love on me!! But Daddy tells me that I am no longer welcome at his job because it's not "professional". Oh whatever. I might not be professional but I sure am super-cute and what else really matters???

And there have been so many people around the house! Yeah yeah. They come over to see the puppies but they stop to see me first! They have to because they can't resist ME!! Laugh Laugh!

But the puppies! Oh how cute and adorable they are! I love the puppies! I love watching them and sniffing them and watching them some more! The puppies are just 2-1/2 weeks old but they are starting to walk around. Earlier today, they walked around and checked me out! They were SO CUTE! At least, they were until they started trying to nurse on me. And they've got teeth already! Poor Gimme!!

So there has been so much going on! It's hard to say what all has happened! Wowzer. I guess I'd better update more often so I don't forget what's what!

Thanks for listening and have a GREAT time!

Alf

Howya Doin'?

Boy, say one little thing about being bored and next thing you know... it's busy busy busy!

I've been going every week to see the physical therapist. Having a good time and last week I was on the underwater treadmill for 15 minutes!! FIFTEEN WHOLE MINUTES!! Boy was I tired when I was done! But it was a good tired! Daddy says Jenni has to clean up all my hair when I get out though. I guess it's springtime in the Rockies!! Laugh Laugh!! I am blowing coat and Mommy just can't keep up. 

I've been for slow walks around the block to help exercise my leg, and of course my exercises. Although Mommy and Daddy have been slacking a bit on the exercises. Bad Mommy and Daddy! I guess they have an excuse since there is a lot of other stuff going on around the house!! Good thing Daddy has taken me to work again recently!! And to Home Depot and PetsMart!! I love both those places! And everyone there loves me; Me; ME!!! But of course. Because how could you not love all this??

Daddy has been working on his favorite project - remodeling the downstairs. The bathroom is almost complete! The tiling is almost done and then Daddy can attach all the fixtures and it will be useable!! Mommy is SO HAPPY! She can't wait until there are two full bathrooms in the house! I don't see what all the excitement is about. My bathroom is the entire outdoors! I suppose the neighbors would be shocked if Mommy started to use the outdoors as her bathroom... that's too bad. But oh well. Laugh Laugh!

Mommy has been busy because Gimme Mom finally had her babies!! She has 7 suckling kids - 3 girls and 4 boys. I've peeked into the room where they are and she looks so content with them. But they are so tiny! I am quite sure I was not that tiny when I was little. And where is all their hair? I know that Gimme Mom has no hair but I figured that it just all fell off. I don't get it? But it's made Mommy very tired lately. And of course Gimme Ma'am has not had any time to spend with me and that makes me sad.

Good thing that Trekkie also has no one to play with. Hmmm, that sounds wrong. See, Trekkie normally plays with Gimme Ma'am too! But now that Gimme Ma'am is Gimme Mom she isn't playing with us. All she does is spend time with the little squeakers. So Trekkie <heart> has to play with ME!! And she is so fun to play with!! Play, play, play. OK. Maybe we don't play all day long. But we do play and it's so fun! It makes me so happy that Trekkie finally knows I'm alive! Laugh Laugh! It's great to be busy again!!

That's about it for now! I'll leave you with a picture of Gimme Mom and her babies and wish you all someone to play with!

Alf

They Listened!!

I have the best - the absolutely very BEST - Mommy & Daddy in the whole wide world!! As you know, I was recently whining because I was so bored. Mommy and Daddy listened and now I'm not so bored anymore!!

First, they took me to a new, special vet. She is a doggie orthopedic specialist. She made me feel funny and took some x-rays of my knee and leg. She confirmed that nothing was broken but she thought I had had a bout with HOD (hypertrophic osteodystrophy). Mommy couldn't believe it at first because HOD normally affects two legs at the same time; and usually starts in the front legs first. I am the right age and I am a large, fast growing puppy though... So Dr. Lewis had their radiologist take a look at the x-rays as well. And they said the same thing. I had had HOD. Hmmmmm. I guess that explains the unexplained swelling I had in my leg that we all thought was an infection. And why I didn't really play the last time I was at day care. Scary. It kind of explained a lot of things! I guess I'm just an unusual puppy for getting it in only one leg (and a rear leg at that!). But then, I knew I was totally special from the day I was born! But we were still looking at the possibility of a torn cruciate ligament too.

So Dr. Lewis recommended I see a physical therapist and start underwater treadmill work. Mommy immediately made an appointment for me and boy was THAT interesting!! And fun! Don't get me wrong! It was actually kind of fun! Jenni is really cool. And before we started the treadmill, she showed Mommy some exercises that I should be doing to help me strengthen my leg. And then she put a harness on me and walked me into this box. When the door was closed, it started filling up with water. Mommy was right there with me so I didn't panic at all! She kept saying what a good dog I was <blush>. It was when the floor of the box started moving that I got confused. Notice, I didn't say panicked! Not once did I panic! I just wasn't sure what to do. So I started walking. Mommy was at the front of the box calling my name and encouraging me too. That helped. It seemed like forever, but Mommy says it was only 8 minutes when the walking finally stopped. And then the water drained out and they opened the box and smothered me in kisses! And Jenni dried me off a little too. Jenni used a towel for this trip, but they even have a blow dryer for those that prefer it. Especially in the winter when it's snowy that is probably a good idea!!

Here I am on the treadmill.

My goodness, aren't I studly? Wow. Sometimes I just amaze myself!! Laugh Laugh!! Ladies, please! I am still too young!! Laugh Laugh!

But no. That wasn't enough! Dr. Lewis called Mommy back and said she would like to "tap" my knee to verify that the fluid she saw on the x-ray wasn't bacterial and causing me to still be sick. So Mommy went back and Dr. Lewis made me feel funny again. And then I started snoring. Or so I'm told. I am quite sure that I don't snore! The results were that it was not bacterial so that is good! However, Dr. Lewis said since I was knocked out a little more than the first time she did notice a lot more play in my knee as compared to the first time. This means the cruciate ligament might be totally torn after all. This bummed out Mommy & Daddy a lot. But no surgery or anything will be scheduled for my knee at this time. I am still too young and growing. So hopefully the treadmill and exercises will help build up my muscles and we won't need surgery at all.

In the meantime, Daddy took me to work with him again! Yeah! I do love going with Daddy to work! Everyone there loves me and pets me and hugs on me!! But boy am I tired at the end of the day!

And then the next day Daddy took me to Jenni and I stayed on the treadmill for 10 whole minutes! I am getting good at that!! I don't like my exercises much though. I make it really difficult for Mommy or Daddy to help me with them. I've been getting around good on three legs. I know I should use all four, especially if I'm going to be a TOP DOG like Mommy wants me to be. But I have to get my kicks in somehow, you know?? Laugh Laugh!

And lately, bunches of people have been over at the house too! Gimme Ma'am Soon-To-Be-Mom has been hogging all the attention, but they've had time to pet me too! It has been busy! Whew!

So that's it for now internet friends! If it stays like this I'll have plenty to blog about over the upcoming weeks! So keep an eye on this space!! Here's hoping you have a place to be warm, comfortable, and loved too!

Alf

I'M BORED!!

First off, let me say a BIG CONGRATULATIONS to Gimme Ma'am! Mommy & Daddy took her to the vet where they did an ultrasound on her and found babies! Gimme Ma'am will become Gimme Mom sometime around May 14 or 15. Mommy & Daddy are pretty excited about this news although so far I don't think Gimme Ma'am really is. She is on restricted exercise (Hey! Just like me!) and I don't think she's enjoying that so much. Her exercise wouldn't be restricted at all if she didn't like to throw herself down on the ground and let the rest of us pounce all over her! I guess that could be bad for the babies....

In the mean time, I'm BORED!! Bored, bored, boooorrrrrreeedddd <SIGH>. Mommy and Daddy won't let me do hardly anything! No running in the yard, no going to training (and who thought I would ever miss training?? Laugh Laugh!!), no trips to Bass Pro Shops or PetsMart... BORING!!

BORED!

 So I've been secretly getting back at Mommy and Daddy for this. Well, maybe not so secretly. I think they have figured me out.

First, I wake them up every morning between 6:00am & 6:30am by jumping onto the bed. I can't actually get all the way on the bed so I just throw my front legs up and insist that they get out of bed and help me onto it. They are very well trained so of course they do! I then pant and be restless to be sure that they don't actually get any more sleep. I know Mommy thinks I'm hot but I'm fooling her. I just want attention and to be unbored! Laugh Laugh!! Plus, it freaks out The Parents because their old boy Doozer (UKC BIS Veteran-AKC/UKC/IABCA CH Sleephollows Doozer v Voyager RN CGC and a Top 20 dog in 2008) used to do that after he got the bone cancer. I know it's cruel but I'm BORED!!

What else? Hmmmmm, on the rare occasions they let me outside in the front yard with them, I follow every stranger who walks by making Mommy and Daddy have to chase me Laugh Laugh! I know I shouldn't because of my leg but it's so funny watching The Parents run after me!! And sometimes the strangers stop and say HI to me - which is my second goal anyway. Yipppeeeeee!!

Yep, it's a hard life being bored. Because you know, when puppies are bored they get destructive. And that's the third thing I've been doing! Paper, paper products, that kind of thing. So far, no electronics but we'll see. I quite enjoy chewing on the wood chair leg that Mommy sits in while she feeds Trekkie. It is starting to look like a beaver is trying to cut it down to make a dam! Laugh Laugh!!

Paper towels, paper napkins, paper tissues... Mmmmmmm all are SO SO yummy!! I don't know why The Parents haven't gotten pictures of that yet but they haven't. I'm sure I will give them plenty of opportunity to do so! Because I'm B.O.R.E.D.!!

Today, Daddy was working on the basement remodel and left some KERDI Waterproofing Band (used to seal the seams & waterproof showers and bathrooms) lying around. OK. He left a whole bunch of it around. He turned to look for it but it was gone. Of course it was... I had taken it and spread it all across the kitchen floor!! Yay Me! Good thing Daddy thought it was funny too! This is Mr. Fox Sir from years ago when he was young. He tore a toy apart and spread it all across a room. So this kind of gives you an idea of what that looks like...

And Mommy and Daddy know I could be so much worse so they don't really get too mad at me. Like I said, so far I've not chewed up any electronics or really any shoes (except my one designated shoe... but that might be because shoes are always in the closet out of my way!). Gimme Ma'am is a "sucker" and you should see what the comforter looks like! I don't do that. I tried rocks but that was short-lived. Hurt my teeth too much... I love plastic bottles but I wait until they are empty and one of The Parents gives it to me.

I could quite probably go on and on (since I'm bOrEd) but I wouldn't want you to be bored as well. So I'll quit for the evening. Hoping every one of you out there has a way to stay busy and not be bored!!

PS - No, Trekkie never tore anything apart! She is just not that kind of a girl!!

Alf

A UKC Dog Show

This past weekend, Mommy went away for days and days and days. OH! It just seemed like forever!! I am sure it wasn't really that long (forever) but to us dogs, it sure can feel that way!! It turns out that Mommy went to a UKC (United Kennel Club) Judge's Education Seminar. She was in Hickory, North Carolina (wherever that is! All I know is she is still complaining about the flights!! Laugh Laugh!)! She is waiting for the information on the UKC website to be updated but she is now a UKC judge!

As I did with the AKC shows, I will explain a UKC show....

In UKC, you must also be 6 months old to enter (whether it be conformation or obedience/rally/agility or whatever). Some shows include a non-licensed puppy class call Novice Puppy and you only have to be 3 months old for that. But not all clubs offer it and it's just for fun. You can't get points towards your championship.

Anyway, once you are old enough, you can enter a dog show. There is paperwork to fill out and money for entries to be mailed in. Wow. It is getting more and more expensive for Mommy to show me! Whew. Maybe it's a "good" thing I'm not showing right now...???

The UKC (United Kennel Club) is the largest registry in the world and has registrations from every state and many countries not in the US. While not as well known as the American Kennel Club (AKC) they are older. Every year they host their UKC Premier in Kalamazoo Michigan. And they have lots of events. Not just conformation but also rally, obedience, agility, dock diving, lure coursing, weight pulling, and terrier races. They also have what they call the Total Dog contests. The dog (like me) must compete and win in conformation AND compete and qualify in a performance event. At the Premier, those Total Dog qualifiers then compete in groups and a Total Dog Best in Show!!

Anyway, once you have entered a UKC show (and you can enter the day of show!!) you wait for your turn. Unlike AKC shows where you can only pre-enter so you know exactly how many of your breed is entered and what time - at UKC shows you go to the show early and just wait for your class.  The breeds are split into boys and girls and then by classes. The UKC classes are: Puppy (for puppies between 6 months & a year old), Junior (dogs from 12 - 24 months), Senior (dogs from 24 - 36 months (or 2-3 years), and Adult (dogs over 3 years old). Breeder/Handler is a class for handlers (or a member of their family) who have bred the dog they are showing. Mommy can't show me in this class since she didn't breed me; she only owns me. Gramma Rhonda or Grandpa Keith could though since they bred me. You will not find a professional handler in UKC unless they are showing their own dog. UKC discourages the use of professional handlers!!   Once all the boys have been judged, all the winners of the classes go back in for a final time. One of these dogs is chosen "Winners Dog". That is the only male of it's breed that will get points towards its AKC Championship. A Reserve Winners Dog is also chosen (If, for some reason, the dog that got the Winners Dog points is disqualified from showing, then the Reserve Dog will get those points). THEN, the whole thing repeats for the girls until you have only one girl who has been chosen Winners Female.

Once both Winners have been chosen, they both come back into the ring for Best of Winners competition. At this time, the judge chooses between these two - and these two only.

Immediately following the choosing of Best of Winners all the dogs that have already won their Championships come into the ring. They are not split into sexes. ALL Champions come into the ring together. From this group of dogs, a Best Champion and Reserve Best Champion is chosen.

Then the Grand Champion class comes into the ring. From this class, only one Best Grand Champion is chosen.

Finally, the Best of Winners, the Best Champion, and the Best Grand Champion come into the ring for Best of Breed competition. At this point, the judge will never have more than 3 dogs in the ring to choose from. The judges are encouraged to choose the BEST animal no matter what class it comes from.

This dog then gets to be the breed representative in the Group competition. There are eight groups (Companion, Guardian, Gun, Herding, Northern, Scenthound, Sighthound/Pariah, and Terrier). Groups are typically judged as soon as all the breeds are judged for that group. Once a winner has been chosen from each of the eight groups, those eight dogs then go on to Best In Show.

One dog is chosen Best In Show and one dog is chosen Reserve Best in Show. Gimme Ma'am tells me that she has won Best in Show twice, and Reserve Best in Show three times at UKC shows!! Mommy has also had another Great Dane Best in Show winner (Tia) and a Doberman Best in Show winner (Isis).  Mr. Fox Sir has multiple Group Placements and Doozer (Mommy's first Saint Bernard) won the Group once. Wow! Lots to live up to!!

It turns out, that you need 100 points to get a UKC Championship. You get 10 points for winning your class (even if there is no competition), 15 points for going Winners (again, even if there is no competition), and another 10 points for going Best of Winners (here, there must be competition). However, it's not as easy as it sounds!! Because you also must have three wins with competition!! This can come during breed judging (a class animal defeating a Champion for example; or a Best of Winners win).... or you can do it during Group judging. If you place in the Group (first through fourth) but there are more dogs behind you, then you get a win with competition. For example, if there are six dogs in the group, and you place fourth, you have defeated two other dogs and so you get a win with competition. However, if you win first in your Group because you are the only one in your Group... that is not a win with competition.

To get a Grand Champion in UKC, you must defeat any combination of at least 3 Champions/Grand Champions at least 5 times. So if there are 3 Champions and you win the Champions class five times you are a Grand Champion. If you are the only Champion but there are 2 Grand Champions and you win Best of Breed 5 times, you are a Grand Champion too!!

Points are the same no matter what breed you own & show or where in the country you live. It is much more simple than the AKC in that respect!!
 
Sometimes I wonder how Mommy keeps this all straight!! Laugh Laugh!!

So there you go, a very quick tutorial on UKC dog shows. If you want more information, Gimme Ma'am says go to http://www.ukcdogs.com.

Here is a icture of Gimme Ma'am winning Best in Show last year. Doesn't Mommy look SO happy??

 Happy Showing all you little dudes out there!!

Alf

A Breeding Takes Place

Yeah yeah. I know. It's been a while again! It's hard to find things to write about when I don't go anywhere! And Mommy and Daddy don't let me go anywhere since I'm still not walking correctly. They think I need to walk on all four feet to be walking correctly. I think I hop, jump, skip, limp and I'm good! I've been getting around pretty well!!
Anyway, we talked to some people and I got a nice massage out of it... and it sounds like everybody thinks I have a partially torn cruciate ligament. That's basically a torn muscle of my knee. It will take weeks and weeks of not a lot of exercise (or so I'm told). Yuck. I'm a puppy!! I need to play and play and play!! But I can't right now :-(

In the meantime, since I can't go anywhere, Mommy has decided to do a breeding. OK. She probably had already decided on the breeding but that timing sure was coincidental wasn't it?? Laugh Laugh! And no, it sure wasn't me that was being bred. Right now, I sure don't have any interest in that at all. In fact, Gimme Ma'am was in season and I barely even noticed. I sniffed, sure, but it meant nothing to me. Fox Sir is interested, but he's been neutered so he can't do anything either.

Gimme Ma'am (her full name is UKC Best In Show, AKC Grand Champion, UKC Grand Champion & UKC Rally01, IABCA Champion - Daystar Voyager Gimme Heaven - Rally Novice, Canine Good Citizen, CHIC#76689) came into season March 3. Mommy took her to the vet on days 5, 8, 10, and 12. On day 10 her LH had surged and on day 12 the vet said she should be ready to be bred via artificial insemination (AI) on day 14. Mommy took her to the vet on that day and she was bred using trans-cervical insemination (TCI) using frozen semen from IABCA Best In Show, AKC Grand Champion, IABCA Champion - Baysides Just Another Day in Paradise - Canine Good Citizen. His call name is Sean and he lives in California with his Mommy & Daddy - Vince and Joan Mulligan.

Trans-cervical inseminations are done by endoscope or the “Norwegian catheter”. The rigid endoscope is more widely used than the Norwegian catheter, and has the considerable advantage of providing the operator and the bitch’s owner with a view of the actual deposition of semen in the uterus by way of a TV monitor. Those skilled in the use of the Norwegian catheter can get excellent results as well. Trans-cervical semen depositions do not require any sedation at all in nearly all cases. The important difference between a trans-cervical insemination and a surgical implant is, obviously, that the trans-cervical does not entail the risks of general anaesthesia and surgery. Unless there is a pathological condition of the uterus, there is no benefit to doing a surgical.

I had to look that last paragraph up on the internet. I'm getting pretty good with this whole computer thing, eh?? Laugh Laugh!!

Mommy will take Gimme Ma'am to the vet in a couple of weeks for an ultrasound to see if she is pregnant. I sure hope so! I would love to have some Great Dane puppies to play with!! Puppies, if there are any, would be due mid-May and will be all fawn. I guess I would have to call her Gimme Mommy instead of Gimme Ma'am if that happens huh??

I'll try to update more often but my life is just really boring right now! Now it's off to bed. Night Night Dudes of the Internet!!

Alf

Owwie!!

Hello all! Long time no talk to! So sorry about that, but last week I injured my leg. I must have blocked it from my memory because the only thing I remember is Mommy coming back home from a short trip away and I was just lying there looking at her. She didn't realize anything was wrong at first but then she realized I was having trouble getting up and when I did get up I didn't put any weight on my back left leg. Owwwwieeeeeeee!!! She immediately rushed me to the vet where we saw our favorite doctor (I know, it's a vet, how can we have a favorite?? But Dr. Mills is pretty cool!) who declared it was a bruise or sprain but nothing broken. They did carry me over to the xray machine and they took pictures of my bone and it proved what the vet said: Nothing broken! That's good. But the pain! Oh the pain! And then my leg started swelling and swelling. This was bad and so Daddy took me to the vet again. We saw our 2nd favorite vet who declared it was an infection. He stuck a needle in me and stole some of my precious blood for testing. Daddy kept saying "27,000 when it should be 1,200? Wow". I guess he was talking about my white blood cell count. My body was truly trying to fight that infection, that's for sure! And again, after looking at the xrays, this vet declared nothing broken. Daddy came home with all kinds of pills for me to fight the infection and help bring the swelling down. Unfortunately, one pill makes me thirsty and one pill makes me want to pee so we've had a looooong couple of nights since that visit! But I'm up and around and feeling oh so much better!! I still am not walking on the leg but that's because it still hurts. You know how it hurts if you bruise or sprain something!!

I don't think I should have let Mommy know I was feeling better though. She said I was stinky and she gave me a bath! YUCK!

As you can see, I am still most handsome even wet but I was not enjoying myself! Mean Mommy! I give her my best pathetic look and she continues to bathe me!! AND THEN!! OH! And THEN! She picked me up and carried me to the grooming table and started the blow dryer! I can't stand the blow dryer but she insisted it was too cold for me to dry naturally. UGH! But I guess I'd better get used to it. Mommy says that she is still sure that I will be a show dog. We may not start showing at 6 months old... we certainly have to wait for me to start walking on all four feet again... but I think she wants to wait until I am 110% recovered. Anyway, when I decided I had had enough - and Mommy's back was turned - I jumped off the table. Huh! There! But I'm sorry Mommy that I don't remember exactly what happened :-(  

So, it's going to be a slow show year for us I guess. I'm not going to be starting right away and Gimme Ma'am is on temporary leave because she is being bred. Trekkie has all the titles she is going to achieve and Fox Sir is retired. Mommy occasionally mumbles about Veteran's Class with Fox Sir but that is a couple of months away and, as you can see, things can change quite quickly!!

Now that I'm feeling close to myself I'll be on more often again don't worry internet friends! Plus, we should have lots of updates as Gimme Ma'am goes through her breeding and whelping. Can't wait to have little Great Danes around here to play with!!

Alf out.

An AKC Dog Show

Over the weekend, Mommy took me (and ONLY ME!!!) to a place where there were lots of dogs and people running around. She said it was called a "Fun Match". It was quite hectic but I handled it like the trooper I am (in other words, I fell asleep unless someone wanted to pet me). Much too quickly, Mommy woke me up and we then proceeded to run around! And a stranger checked me all out (and laughed because I am so darn cute). He gave Mommy a couple of dog biscuits (YUMM!) and we went and sat down again. When we got up again, we joined a whole bunch of other puppies. Breeds like Akita, Samoyed, Bernese Mountain Dog, and Portugese Water Dog. And we ran around together and then another person examined me from tongue to tail. In the end, we didn't do anything beyond that.

Turns out,  a Fun Match is for practice for dog shows! Because, as handsome as I am of course I am going to be a Show Dog! But if that's all that there is to it, I don't know if it will be that exciting. Gimme Ma'am had to set me straight about that!

Over the last two days, she has been to a real dog show. And without me, the most handsome dog in the world! How could that be? Well, let me try to explain it (like Gimme Ma'am explained it to me).

I'll start with the easy part: I am too young. At a dog show, you must be at least 6 months to enter. And that includes conformation (the beauty contest part), obedience, rally, agility, tracking, or whatever. I am only 4-1/2 months old right now. Well, almost 5 months. But still too young. I guess they would be embarrassed to have such a young studly puppy such as myself go Best In Show over all those experienced older dogs. I can't really blame them for that.

Anyway, once you are old enough, you can enter a dog show. There is paperwork to fill out and money for entries to be mailed in. Wow. I didn't know it cost money! That could get expensive I bet!!

Focusing on the AKC (the American Kennel Club - the largest and most well-known kennel club in the United States. They host the AKC/Eukanuba dog show every year and Westminster Kennel Club which is also on TV, is an AKC club) here is what happens. After the entries are in, you get mailed a confirmation and judges' schedule which lists how many dogs of your breed are entered and what time they will show. You arrive on the correct day and time and and ring ... and then wait for your number to be called. The breeds are split into boys and girls and then by classes. There are puppy classes (for puppies between 6 months & a year old) and a class for dogs from 12 - 18 months. Bred-By Exhibitor is a class for handlers who have bred and own the dog they are showing. Mommy can't show me in this class since she didn't breed me; she only owns me. Gramma Rhonda could though since she co-owns me with Mommy. Another class is called Novice and that is for Novice dogs who have not won 3 first places in that class. Amateur Owner-Handler is for people who have never taken money for showing dogs. Yes, there are people (Professional Handlers) who do this for a living!! American Bred is for dogs that were whelped (born) in the US of A! Open is for any dog over 6 months old, but mostly it's used for more mature dogs. Some breeds, like us Saint Bernards, might have the Open classes split in some way. Saint Bernards are split between long hair and short hair. Great Danes (like Gimme Ma'am) are split by color (Open Fawn, Open Brindle, Open Black, etc...). Once all the boys have been judged, all the winners of the classes go back in for a final time. One of these dogs is chosen "Winners Dog". That is the only male of it's breed that will get points towards its AKC Championship. A Reserve Winners Dog is also chosen (If, for some reason, the dog that got the Winners Dog points is disqualified from showing, then the Reserve Dog will get those points). THEN, the whole thing repeats for the girls until you have only one girl who has been chosen Winners <gulp> Bitch. (Bitch is an OK word in the dog world, as it means female dog, I swear!).

Once both Winners have been chosen, the dogs that have already won their Championships (like Gimme Ma'am) come into the ring. They are not split into sexes. ALL Champions come into the ring together along with the two Winners. From this group of dogs, a Best of Breed is chosen. It can be any of the dogs in the ring for Best of Breed. This is a high honor to have happen. Plus, this dog then gets to be the breed representative in the Group competition. There are seven groups (Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting, and Herding). Once a winner has been chosen from each of the seven groups, those seven dogs then go on to Best In Show. Only one dog is chosen Best In Show and Gimme Ma'am tells me that Mommy would really love to have a Best In Show Dog!!

It turns out, that you need 15 points to get an AKC Championship. At least 6 of these points have to be from "major" shows - or shows where there are enough dogs that you earn 3, 4, or 5 points all at once. So you need two majors. AND you need theses points under 3 different judges. So you need multiple people to think you are beautiful. That should not be hard for me!!

Points are figured by the breed (you need fewer Saints to make a major than you do Great Danes, for example), the sex (boys typically (but not always) need fewer entries to make a major), and where you live (Saints in Colorado have a different schedule than Saints in Maryland).

Wow. This all be so confusing!! I'm not sure how Gimme Ma'am learned all this but I bet she had help from Fox Sir! And because of that, I'll leave it for now. That is a very quick tutorial on AKC dog shows. If you want more information, Gimme Ma'am says go to http://www.akc.org. OK. That one I know she got from Mommy Laugh Laugh!!

Before I go, let me post a picture of Gimme Ma'am winning Best of Breed last year. Doesn't Mommy look SO happy??

Later Gators!!

Alf

SO Tired!

Training, playing, working, playing, training, playing. Oh my! Does it never end? And I end up SO TIRED <yawn>. It snowed last week - a lot; about 16 inches or so here where I live. So we didn't go to training on Saturday or the fun match on Sunday. Instead, Daddy took me to work with him on Monday. ALL DAY <yawn>. Nicole stopped by and so did Ashley and so did Santana. In fact, they kind of came by all day long.  Laugh Laugh!! We also stopped and said "HI" to the lady serving coffee and lots of customers. We went to Home Depot at lunch time and we said "HI" to lots of people there too! Then in the afternoon, it was Nicole, Ashley, and Santana again! Laugh Laugh! By mid-afternoon I was sleeping and you could not have woken me up for anything. Maybe dinner. But dinner wasn't there. Daddy practically had to carry me back to the van to go home. I was in NO SHAPE for training that night and so Mommy went to train with somebody but it wasn't me!

Tuesday, Daddy was home all day and we (Gimme, Trekkie, and I) played a lot in the backyard. Until we got too tired and came back in the house <yawn>. Oh my. Wednesday was Day Care and then Thursday Mommy worked from home so we got to play outside a lot again. The ladies at Day Care (Carol & Tamra) told Daddy that I didn't play as much as I usually do. Of course not! I'M TIRED!!

I need my sleep! Who do they think I am? Gimme? Gimme can go and go and GO! Then she sleeps for an hour and she's ready to go again! I can't do that. I need my sleep! I am SO tired <yawn>. I am so glad that there is nothing going on Friday. I can stay home and catch up on my sleep. Gotta get ready for training on Saturday and a fun match on Sunday!

PS - A fun match (so I'm told) is like a show but it's just for fun and training. UGH. There's that word again. Training. At least this time it was paired with fun!

Alright, well nighty-night internet friends <yawn>. I'm off to find a cold spot to lay down in and go to sleep!

Alf

My Name is Alf

I love Mommy & Daddy, but I really just need to say this. My name is Alf. My name is not FrankenAlf (because I had a sore on my muzzle). My name is not AlfenSprout (I'm not even sure how that one happened)! And my name surely is not Alfie (YUCK)! I may be able to tolerate Alfred... at least that one is close. But overall, I just prefer Alf.

I don't understand the humans idea of a joke I guess. Gimme is "Monster" or "Gimme-Girl" or "Gimme-Do" or "Gimme-Dane". Fox is "Dude", or "Mr. Fox", or "Handsome". Trekkie has to tolerate "Trekster", and (ick) "Peanut". And she also has been labeled "Dirty Girl". She only gets one name even close to her real name!

Really, I mean just really. We have names. Fox, Gimme, Trekkie, and Alf. Can't you humans just use those? Do you think the others are funny? Or cute? Do you wonder why we don't respond when you call us? We don't know what to respond to! What is the fascination with changing the names? I have overheard Fox being called Foxie (NOT by Mommy or Daddy thankfully). Foxie? Wow, yeah. THAT sounds masculine doesn't it? Poor Dude... I mean poor Fox! Dang. Now they've got me doing it!

Well, I hope all you internet friends have someone to call you names! Somehow, the humans think that is part of showing love!

Alf out

Look At The Size of Those PAWS!

So today Mommy drove me and Gimme Ma'am to visit with some of the people she works with. They all thought I was quite handsome (hmmmm, they said "cute" but I know they meant handsome!) but one thing really stuck in my head. After admiring my awesome good looks they almost always said "Look at the size of those paws!". Now, I'm not self conscious of the size of my feet but boy if I was!! I think I would be afraid to walk out the door!! Look, my feet are my feet and I am hoping to grow into them. But I'm only four months old. What do you expect? Tiny Poodle paws? How could I walk? I expect that when I'm full grown I'll be around 170 pounds (that's just guesstimating). I have to have big paws to carry all that weight! I'm also a Saint Bernard! We were bred to find lost hikers in the Swiss Alps. My large feet help me walk on top of the snow (like snow shoes). So leave my feet alone!

And while I'm at it, here are some other questions that seem to constantly come up:
1) What does he eat? Food, like you do!
2) How much does he eat?  I would eat until I popped so Mommy and Daddy be sure to feed me twice a day and only enough so that I'm not hungry but I don't get fat.
3) Does he drool? Yes, I do. A properly built Saint will drool. If you find a "drool-less" Saint they are not correct!
4) Where does he sleep? Anywhere I want to! But usually in the kitchen during the day and a crate at night.


Gimme Ma'am had to put up with a whole bunch of other questions and comments. Things like:
1) He's HUGE! Well, he's a she and actually quite average sized for a Great Dane female.
2) Where's her saddle? Seriously, you think that's funny or Mommy & Daddy haven't heard that before?? <sigh>. Even I've heard it before already. Laugh Laugh! There is no saddle. It would break her back.
3) Do you call her Marmaduke? No, that would be silly.
4) Does she bite? Mommy would not have her out here if she did!

Mommy and Daddy are very active in Breed Education. We big, hairy, drooly dogs cannot live with just anyone. So Mommy makes sure that we are all well-socialized and we go as many places as we can! We stop so people can pet us and ask questions. We participate in many Meet The Breeds events. Yes, Mommy gets tired of the same silly questions sometimes. She is working on some new answers for you :-)  But we will continue to be out there so that we let people know that that cute puppy is going to be 140-180 pounds and may not be what you are looking for! Dogs are not impulse buys! Please do your research and buy from a responsible breeder. Then someday, maybe, you'll have a too-cute-for-words puppy like me!!

Alf

That T-Word Again

Hello friends! It's been another long week. Whew! Mommy and I did not go to any training on Saturday and I was actually very bummed out. I like going and playing with my friends. The training part... well, let's just say I'm still thinking about it!

However, Mommy did take Gimme someplace on Saturday and Sunday and she came home very happy Sunday afternoon! Then on Monday, she took Fox with her instead. And she came back home even happier!! Now, I like to see Mommy really happy so I had to ask Fox & Gimme what was going on. So they told me when we went to bed. What?! You didn't know we dogs talk to each other? Oh, sure we do! All the time! That doesn't mean I listen to what they have to tell me (if I did, I'd be potty trained by now. Laugh Laugh!)!

Anyway, Gimme told me that she went with Mommy and hung out at an Obedience/Rally trial for those two days. She said all that training that we do results in titles that we earn that we can put as part of our names. Gimme very proudly told me that she is now known as AKC GrCH/UKC GCH & UR01/IABCA CH Daystar Voyager Gimme Heaven RN CGC CHIC#76689. But thankfully, I can still call her Ma'am! I don't have to learn all that name (because that's a mouthful)!  Fox then said that he was also with Mommy at the same trials on Monday! Can you believe it? Fox is 7-years-old and still expected to do obedience!! But he kind of smirked at me and said "Yeah, but who spent time on Monday all day with Mom huh? Wasn't you little boy.....!!". Oh, wow. I think I get it. Anyway, Fox said he is now known as AKC/UKC/IABCA CH Glaciers Voyager Fox RN BN CGC CHIC#60062. I just call him Sir; Yes Sir!  Trekkie chimed in too. Trekkie??! My first love? She does obedience too?? Yep, she said her full name is UR02 Sleepyhollows Starstruck Voyage RN CD CGC. She actually prefers Trekkie to Ma'am so that's what I call her.

Wow. So training actually results in making Mommy happy and lots of titles. Hmmmmm, I thought, maybe I should rethink this whole training thing.

And then Monday night we went to training again, only this time we took Daddy so he could watch too. But wait. What's this??!! Son of a MilkBone!! Mommy is watching and Daddy is training with me! Holy smokes and put the box away! I didn't know Daddy did training too! OK, well, he's not as smooth as Mommy so I guess he needs some work too. Together, I know we'll do great! I want some of those titles too!!

For my non-dog show savvy friends, here is a rundown of those titles:
GrCH or GCH - These titles are earned by being beautiful. You know all those dog shows on TV? Those are dogs that have earned their Championships (CH) or the next level Grand Champion (GrCH or GCH). Mommy apparently likes to show in AKC events (American Kennel Club, the biggest and most well-known dog registry in America), UKC events (United Kennel Club, the oldest dog registry in America although not as well-known), and IABCA events (International All Breed Canine Association where you get written critiques!).
UR01 & UR02 - These are UKC Rally titles. Level 01 & Level 02.
RN - An AKC Rally title. This is the Novice (or first) level.
BN - Beginner Novice title (AKC). This one is kind of a step above Rally but it's not quite traditional obedience.
CD - Companion Dog (AKC). This is traditional obedience with off lead work and everything!
CGC - Canine Good Citizen (AKC). This one is a great title for all kinds of dogs to get! You don't even have to be purebred!! There are 10 tests you have to pass to prove you are a good dog. Many cities give discounts on licenses for this one!
CHIC - Canine Health Information Center. This one is not really a title. What is means is that the dogs have been tested per the guidelines of the breed National Club. Saint Bernards don't participate in the CHIC program which is why Trekkie doesn't have one. She has been health tested though!

There are a lot more things that humans can do with their doggy buddies including tracking and agility and OH! Just all kinds of stuff!! More information regarding Obedience, Rally, AKC, UKC, etc... will be coming in future blogs. I'm getting tired now.

But OH BOY! I want to get started! It all sounds like fun!! Later, internet friends!!

Alf