Him Again

but sadly still no progress 

This may break my heart! 

A Couple Of Photos

 "Professional" photo of Kaiah taken in the group yesterday. I think this must be her best win to date. If there's one thing I have learned it's how much better she "goes" in the big ring. She really did stride out in the group. I felt her change of pace from the smaller breed ring, she just flowed around the ring. I was so proud to be on the other end of her lead!  

Another lovely photo with the breed judge, shame it was only taken with a phone as I really like the photo. He was so complimentary of her and said how close she was to being his best bitch, but I agree that when it's a close call maturity should always win.

Royal Cheshire Show

Super day At The Royal Cheshire County Show. Kaiah stood alone in MP but went on to win BPIB/ RBB and Pastoral Puppy Group 2. Thanks to breed judge James Newton and Group judge Martin Sanders for your lovely and encouraging comments. The breed judge said she was a whisker from Best Bitch, but lost out on maturity. 

Though Loki won Open Dog he didn't cope at all well with the heat - he and me both eh!

Kaiah Pictured above with BOB winner Anita Guy and Lexi and judge James Newton. 

Just had to include this photo of Loki having a Moment at the show!

The Tali Alarm

 The routine has always been the same. We all get up, the troops go out, I prepare their breakfast and put the meals in their crates and everyone shove and push in to their own crates for their breakfasts. Similarly in the evening the meals are prepared at 4.30pm and placed in their crates for everyone to charge into their own safe space for their meal. So when you've done that for what seems like forever it gets very confusing for us and them to break the routine, but for Tali change it we've had too.
Tali needs her vivitonin a minimum of 30 mins before a meal. In the morning it's working quite well she gets her pill in a diced piece of chicken before she goes out and then comes back in for breakfast. Realising it's not there she hesitates outside her crate, but with a little convincing she goes in to wait for it. We have our breakfast, I get washed and dressed and Tali then has her breakfast with her second pill .. the steroid is strictly "Give with food!" Again the diced chicken breast comes in handy as I pop the pill in one of those and put it on top of her breakfast. It doesn't hit the sides! I buy the diced/cubed chicken in the freezer section in Tesco, they are just ideal for canine pills!
Yep the new routine is working well, but sadly not so in the evening. At 4.30pm Tali comes in with everyone to find one lump of cubed chicken in a bowl in her crate, it's enough to get her in but I have to shut the door quickly. I then go off to feed the cats and prepare our meal with the intention of feeding Tali just before we eat at around 5.15pm .. but I forget. I ask Steve to remind me, but he forgets. Poor Tali has now missed a couple of meals as I've discovered her "tea" in the cupboard when I've gone to prepare her supper. I can't leave the meal out anywhere as the cats will eat it, so I came up with a solution .. My phone now has an alarm set at 5.15pm called the "Tali Teatime Alarm!" Believe me it works, Tali would have missed several meals now without it or at least had them very later. After their meals the large group spend about an hour and a half in their crates, my fear of torsion is so great that I can not risk the youngsters running around after eating, and this is just one of the precautions we take to try and avoid it happening. Of course what ever we do, sometimes it just happens! After their meals Nico and Jezi on the other hand just chill in the living room with us, but no running around, rolling or play fighting is allowed!

Today Tali's steroid dose is being reduced again. From 50mg daily three weeks ago, today it has been cut down to 5mg, which will be her permanent daily dose. Long term they say steroids have a damaging affect on the organs. Kiri was on them for 10 years for her MMM, without them she would have died. In the early days we tried taking her off them twice, but the condition returned, so there was no choice! Kiri was almost 14 when we lost her, I can't imagine her 15mg a week did her much harm. (Though the 60mg she was on daily for the first few weeks sure did have some adverse affects and on week three the dose was halved) Anyway here's hoping this dose continues to give Tali the feel good factor she seems to currently have. I'm not cold when I say we don't have long term with Tali, I'm realistic. Shes twelve and a half now, and that pretty old for a GSD. She has already outlived 2 of her offspring and all of her siblings so quality of life and happiness on a daily/weekly basis is far more important than worrying about what "long term" affects this medication may have on her. It was great to see her enthusiasm in Cwm Dulyn yesterday, wonderful to see her still able to swim and there is no doubt the combination of medication is now giving her an enthusiasm for life that without them she may not have. Go Tali go ....

Cwm Dulyn It Is Then

It was just far too hot to walk again today, but after no walks yesterday the troops are getting restless! The walk to Llyn Ffynhonnau isn't too long, but the thought of that climb back up from the lake in this heat was just too much for me. Well there was nothing for it .. 3 trips in the van to Cwm Dulyn for a swim, a paddle or to just lie in the lake with your ball! 

I was initially wary with Tali and kept her on the lead till we got to the lake. (A 5 minute walk) But she was great, she had a paddle and a swim and loved her trip out. Considering it's less than 3 weeks since her attack of Vestibular syndrome she is doing so bloody well. Yes her world me be on a slight tilt now, but she's great. Honestly she just doesn't care and if she topples over she just gets up and keeps on going. 

 Jezi

 Nico

 Tali swimming, Asha and Ziva

Ziva cooling her belly

 Thank God Tali doesn't know what's behind her 

 Sammi, Kaiah and Loki

Sammi stalking Kaiah who'a already by the lake
"Cwm Dulyn" is translated to valley of the black lake - easy to see why!. 

Heart breaker At 6 Weeks

I'm saying nothing, just hoping! 

An expression that has melted my heart. 

This Could Even Make Me Pray ...

... I who Never Ever Ever Prays
Well maybe not, religion hasn't found me yet, and has never given me comfort. I believe in compassion and kindness and this doesn't always go hand in hand with religion, though it should! Anyway it's just a line from a Marc Almond track called "I who Never!"
So just as you think there's a chance of the dream coming true somehow the knife gets stuck in again.
Decisions have been made regarding the pups - The breeder is keeping sable no 1, because he was the first born and she has no interest in showing. The breeder of the dam is having both bitches. So sable no 2, my dream puppy is available for me, but and it's a HUGE "But" sable 2 currently has no teticles. The other 2 have them but theirs are still high up, but the huge difference is they are already there to drop.
This morning I'm feeling quite deflated really, now I know I can have him, but without balls I don't want him! 😞 There simply is no point taking the chance. I've done so much reading about testicles recently I'm becoming a bloody ball expert. Haha I can't deny it I've fallen hook line and sinker for this pup, he is what I want. But without his bits he simply can not give Blanik the future I was hoping for, and I have to be sensible about it. Head must rule heart! The breeder will give him a bit of time, well if they are not there in 2 weeks there is pet home waiting for him, and they are probably praying his testicles don't come down!
A mutual friend went to see the litter yesterday and she messaged me to say he's awesome and that the photos don't do him justice. She feels that it would be a travesty for him to go to a pet home, but equally she couldn't feel anything there at all!
Trying to keep myself from getting involved has been impossible. I hear friends who try to protect me and say, "don't get your hopes up," but those who know me well will understand that I'm already emotionally attached. I think about him so often during the day, I make plans and have dreams. I can't help that, it's who I am, who I've always been.
So the next visit is Thursday, the owner of the sire is going to see them then too. Even if like me you don't pray .. then will those bits to be there for me by then .. because honestly I can't take much more of this, the waiting is bloody killing me!
Hopefully I will have a new photo to add to this post later .. for now this is the little heart breaker  a couple of weeks ago at 4 weeks.

Stud Enquiry

"I have a female German Shepherd that I would like to breed. Sorry about the specific pics, its just that I want the right stud for her. Can you take some pics at his eye level from all sides of him including some full front pics of him and some full close back rear pics of him standing? How big is the bottom of his feet? His paw pads Or a pic will do? Please only him in the pics. Thanks! Also need a pic showing me that he isnt fixed. I am just trying to becareful is all for I have been tricked before. Please understand.? All pics of him standing please and not to close up. Even for the pics showing me that he isnt fixed from the back rear of him standing at his eye level by lifting his tail all the way straight up and taking the pics not so close up but a little further back. Please no sitting or laying down or laying on his back. This goes for the pics show me the he is not fixed."

Well you just have to laugh don't you, it's a good job it's not the first of April. Nico declined to have photos taken of his bits .. and I decided to not answer this idiot! Seriously it's either a joke or a pervert isn't it!

Thinking About Names

My Lovely Gran with my Rottie - Sultan 

If a puppy isn't coming in 2 weeks, then one will be in 6 weeks or 6 months and I've been looking at baby boy names for a while. It gets so bloody hard. I want a name that suites the breed and one that will suite an adult dog, not just the cuddly puppy. I hate names like Max, Saxon and Rex, to name but a few. I want a name that's reasonably original, well not one that is commonly used in pet dogs, or one that I associate with a particular dog/cat anyway. I've only done that once with Riley after a stunning cat that I had called "Mr Riley" at Freshfields, I can't see me doing it again.
I guess I could never use the same name for 2 dogs in my life time, but lots do. My Grandmother called both her Rough collie and her Sheltie years later "Sandy,"  and a L/C I sold from my first litter was to be Jet number 5! I've had a Mikey would I use Mickey?  Finlay would I use Flynn or Blade - Blaze etc? Maybe I would as I have used Nikki and Nico - Louis and Loki, which are similar but of course a few years apart.
I'd love a name that has something to do with George, but not

George itself. There's only room for one George in my heart. After saying that, the "G" litter all had registered names that began with George. Asha is Blanik Georgette and Mikey was Blanik Georgious - George's real name. I've also used Blanik Hippy for Ziva, Hippy was one of George's dog. I just can't think of a name that would be suitable that I associate with George. Maybe something will come to me!
I also need to think about the sound of the name as well as it's meaning. I like Remi, but calling it could it get confused by the canine ear with Sammi? The same with Zito and Ziva, especially as I shorten Ziva to Zee, and that would be my problem with "Lewis" it may get shortened to "Lou" and that would definitely not work!  I don't mind shortening some names, but object to others, shortening Sammi of course is punishable be death! The meaning of names is quite important. "Raff" another name that appeals to me means Red Wolf - now that's nice and unusual unless you watch Holby city!
My other issue is how other will pronounce the name, I never expected the hassle that I get with Loki, even last night I found myself correcting someone, politely of course. Though what I want to say is, "it not fecking Lockey .. it's Loki, Norse god of trickery and mischief, and have you not watched the bloody films?" But I don't!

Kiri McTavish and Louis (Lou)

The registered name could also affect my final choice of name. I would never have thought of the name Kiri, but when we picked her up and heard the name we both loved it and it stayed. Of course Steve must also like the name, and I have a list of names that we have been through but agree on very few. He likes Troy, I hate it, I like Reese, he doesn't .. etc. But I guess we both like Tyler, Zito and Jaxen, Tyler could not be shortened, Tye/Ty is another of my pet hate names, Zito as I said is a little close to Ziva and that leaves Jaxen .. shortened to Jax is quite nice too. No decisions have been made and I still spend time googling names of boys, of Norse Gods and "unusual dog names." I have time, something else may well stand out before the puppy arrives, or we may have to wait to see him to decide!

10 years ago

With the death of 4 dogs in 6 months, 2007 was one of the worst years of my life, but this was such a happy day, one of the most memorable and treasured of my adult life. Manchester City Stadium in the pouring rain, alive, buzzing with happiness and love - and now so much sadness.
I never listen to him anymore. I have tried and did manage a few songs around the time of the funeral, but no, I never listen to him anymore. Maybe one day I will again .. but not now, not today or tomorrow and I doubt not someday soon. 

It is 10 years since Dexi, Seffe, Jay and Krizzie left us. 

(Dexi being the first in June, quickly followed by my lovely Seffe in July)

10 years since I almost lost Steve to Anaphylaxis 

Thankfully we are still here to tell the tale and remember the good days as well as the sadness!