Monday, March 28

I'm sure the question on everyone's mind is this - What do you do with all that fur?  The answer, according to Heidi, is you pickup leaves. 

Heidi loves being outside.  The last few weeks, Ken has been doing a lot of work out in the yard.  Heidi likes to be out there with him.  When she finally comes in the house, she either has a nose and paws covered with dirt - the little digger, or, she has leaves in her fur.  The Viburnum leaves seem to have a special  quality that makes them stick right in the fluff, and makes them difficult to remove. 

Heidi has also started playing frisbee, but only when Izzy is in the house.  When Izzy is out, there's now way she's going to let a frisbee go by, so Heidi is content with running and getting in Izzy's way, which irritates the heck out of Izzy.

Heidi the leaf picker-upper

Monday, March 21

Well, it's been a busy couple weeks.  I have temporarily misplaced my camera charger, so no photos.  But, since Jim & Gail sent photos, you can see Smokee.

As for Heidi,
Last week we had our first agility class.  It was a preview class which introduces a small tunnel and the A-frame set low.  Mostly it's an evaluation to make sure the dogs and owners are ready for agility class.  Heidi did great through the tunnel, and was good at the obedience items (suprised me).  The first time over the A-frame she was a little reluctant.  After that, she went over it, but was still a bit unsure.  Official classes start next week.  We're very excited.

After class ended and all the other people left, our friend Mary Rose, who was one of the instructors for class, got her boxer Malcolm out.  We let them both off leash to see if they would play.  They instantly started the chasing game, using the entire building space to run.  Once around Malcolm would be chasing Heidi, the next round, Heidi was chasing Malcolm.  Next time around, Heidi runs up and over the A-frame during the chase (so much for being unsure about that obstacle).  They ran and ran and ran.  Malcolm is Heidi's new best friend.  We're hoping for more play time in the future with Malcolm. 

Smokee update from Jim & Gail:
We had a very busy week for losing teeth. Smokee lost at least 8 teeth since last Sunday!! He has I think only one puppy canine left on his left upper to lose.

We are teething most of our middle teeth but I think they are all coming in. No wonder his focus last week was so bad!!

Smokee after being fluffed

Smokee all tuckered out from class

Monday, March 7

Stumpy

Heidi was outside playing today, and came back in with a bloody foot.  After a quick exam, I found that she had broken a toenail.  Of course, it was dangling, so off to the vet we went.  The vet had to trim the nail back to the break, and since it was bleeding, she got a bandage wrap.  I was told to try to keep her from chewing on it, and they gave me a special plastic thing to keep it dry.  So, what does little Heidi do as soon as we get home, she chews part of the bandage loose, and then sticks it in the water dish.  Hope the bandage can stay in place at least until tomorrow - we'll see.

Why didn't they wrap it in pink?

Saturday, March 5

Puppy Play Time

Here's the video of Tug and Heidi playing after the puppy match.  Sometimes it was hard to figure out which was which, they look so much alike, and they were moving fast.  At the end of the video, it was Heidi who decided to go play with the bigger puppies in the other ring. 

Saturday, March 5

Puppy Match.

Today was Heidi's first show.  Our club sponsored a puppy match for keeshonden only.   Heidi did great.  First, she got to have some play time with about 5 other puppies, which she quite enjoyed.  Then was meeting time.  Heidi was a bit peeved that she had to stay in the crate the whole time, but she endured.  Then, finally, it was time for the match.  After some grooming, she entered the ring in the 3-6 month puppy class.  She won her class - OK, so I admit it, she was the only one in her class- still, she did great in the ring.  She even let the judge look at her bite.  Then she got to go back in the ring to compete against her brother Tug, who won the 3-6 month puppy dog class.  Heidi won best junior puppy (sorry Tug).  After showing completed, Heidi and Tug got some play time (video on that later).

Tug also did awesome at the match - he's such a handsome boy.  Crystal showed him, so it was the first show for both of them.  We'll have to wait and see if Crystal gets hooked on showing. 

Heidi's first show

Wednesday, March 2

Time just flies by.  It seems harder now to keep up to date and to get pictures.  Could be the number of classes in the evenings - one night Heidi has reliability, one night Moon has agility, and one night Izzy has agility.  Or, it could be that making quilted backpacks for hospitality bags for the upcoming keeshond national is just sucking up all the time. 

Anyway,
Congratulations to Smokee for graduating from puppy class.  Not sure how they got this photo, I doubt that Heidi would sit still with a graduation cap on her head.

Graduate Smokee with proud papa Jim