He May Be Fat

But You're Ugly And Jamie Knows It! 

Sometimes the joke just get's so stale that it turns sour! 

I think you'll need a bigger tongue to get all that yogurt off R. Junior

So when does the mouse go into the scouse? 

My little chap has not been 100% the last few days. Nothing horrendously wrong or obviously we would be at the vets .. but I'll keep an eye on him.  

Kids Out

Looking forward to a dry and cold week .. 

Zalu, Sisco and Sammi

Today I had a message from Zalu's owner. She was so concerned that Kaiah and one other bitch had missed to him that they decided to get his sperm checked. All is fine with the boy, to be honest I never imagined it wouldn't be! His sperm are numerous and healthy, but his owner felt she needed to check. How honest can you be? .. I'm so grateful. They have also suggested that next time we take Kaiah for 2 matings 48 hrs apart, theoretically of course it is the better option .. but it would be exhausting and I would need help! She said that nearer the time we could have a chat to make sure we could get everything possible covered to try and get Kaiah in whelp .. I will also find out about the herpes injection .. I used it on Krizzie after she missed to Rangmore Arko and it is quite an important Vaccination to consider when breeding. Maybe I should discuss it with the vet for Sammi B too?
I've found some more photos of Sisco from Crufts, they are not the best but it gives people who have not seen him an idea.  On saying that finding his health tests and survey listed is bloody impossible .. unless you speak Italian. I know they are in order as would be his DNA profile, you can not compete at the Sieger without them, but I'm damned if I can find them. I'll just have to ask nearer the time.
My recent situations with both these males and their owners have proved to me that there are decent, honest people in this breed. People who will give you a little leg up when you are falling down and people who don't just want the money and sod the consequences. Sisco's stud fee is dearer than Zalu's and both are a fair bit more than Nico's, but at his age it's past the time to put the price up.

I don't know when Sammi B will come in season, Kaiah is regular as clockwork, Sammi is a law onto her self. Sometimes she goes 5.5 months .. sometimes 7 months. She was last in season on 15th of June and before that in late December, (about the 20th) so theoretically she should be in season in about a month. I would say from the quality of her coat that I'm about right for timing .. as you can see from this photo mid October she has been moulting for about 6 weeks, her new coat is now considering coming through. She usually gets a good portion of the coat back before she comes in season. Ah well watch this space .. or not as the case may be nearer the time!

Good Kids

There have been a lot of tears this week, like I said I never knew before that I could grieve for something that was never there .. but I can only think I felt the same when Tali, Krizzie and Nikki missed. The only difference being that this time we were bang on time .. in their days it was guess work!
I walked with my friend today and I realised that maybe I shouldn't be moaning and complaining about my life. My heart goes out to my lovely friend who only just manages to get by, I really wish I could do more for her .
I have to admit I was so impressed with Kaiah and Ross today. Little Gracie displaying a lot of nervous aggression and both read her correctly. I was particularly impressed with Kaiah .. hair and teeth flying at her .. another bitch too and Kaiah did not retaliate. Ross was initially taken aback as nothing has ever bitten him before but he too handled it magnificently. Yes great kids, great characters  .. both of them.

A Special Walk With Friends

 Photobombed!

Beautifully Autumnal

So Who Is Sisco?

I've written so much about Zalu and really his sable daughter to Kaiah is still the dream dog, but Sisco is no second fiddle! I mean this dog is not a .. "Oh he'll do then!"  If anything he is a dog with more of a breed record and more successful progeny, but he is older.  He's a dog I looked at for Sammi last time, and also considered for Kaiah. Sisco took my breath away when he won his class at Crufts last year, I said then and maintain now that he really should have won the CC that day. He was V1  British Adult Sieger in 2016 and he made breed history in the UK this year by siring both male and female British Adult Siegers - Xibor Chase and Natalie di Casa Gregori. Sisco was the Arden Grange/Our Dogs Top Producing UK Sire of 2018. (Based on progeny success not the amount of progeny)
As I'm sure you've guessed Sisco was imported from Italy and now lives near Nantwich, he has successful progeny In Italy as well as in this country. His son Jumbo Mater Domini was also imported from Italy and is a top winner and producer in this country.
His owner gave me the option to use Chase or Sisco as Sammi's reputation as the mother of that "Top bitch" had preceded her .. thanks to JT who to be fair has always been at me to use Sisco "on the mother" .. and that without seeing Sammi!  He said in his opinion that Kaiah was the best bitch here since "Camri" (Nikki to you and me) and probably even better than her .. indeed a compliment from the man who handled Nikki and chose her as pick of the litter all those years ago. JT has seen Sammi since and was less gushing about her but did say that mother and daughter are very much alike!
So here we go again now .. waiting for a season and hoping it doesn't clash with Christmas .. can we not cancel it .. just for this year?

The Conclusion Is Sisco

Fransisco Di Casa Gregori

Thanks to kindness, friendship and a raving review of "the mother of that top bitch," we are going ahead with breeding from Sammi at her next season. I'm not sure whether I'll write about it .. it may all be too raw, but it may not  .. but at least there is now something to focus on. 

Planning Ahead

Ok, the brain never stops does it.
The options ..
I was going to mate Sammi in August, why don't I do it now instead?.. Yes now as in her next season which is due within a few weeks.
Well the first big hurdle is the financial implications.  A Stud fee is between £400 and £700 and with Kaiah's costs I simply haven't got it. Of course I could use Kaiah free mating and take Sammi to Zalu, but it was never my intention to use Zalu on Sammi ... and I have to admit I don't fancy a trip to Suffolk in December.
Kaiah is the better bitch, but Sammi produced Kaiah and mated to the right dog she could produce that quality again. But who is the right dog? There is nothing on the doorstep is there. Merlot and Sammi produced so wonderfully in Kaiah, but the boys had testicle issues so I would be unwise to repeat that mating. I adore Jackie's Marco but sadly he is not health tested so is not an option. Sammi also needs an experience dog that is not easily put off .. she's not keen on this sex idea!
I wonder if there are any owners of stud dogs out there who would be willing to allow me to use their boys and pay if the bitch conceives? Or even pay half upfront .. I would do it for a friend or someone involved in the good of the breed, but of course that involves trust and that is something lacking these days isn't it.
If Nico had the stud that was lined up for him then we would be laughing, but I've heard nothing further from that lady either so that can not be relied upon. I know my parents would lend me a portion of the money ... but really getting on for 52 I like to stand on my own feet the best that I can.
The Conclusion - well there isn't one. Just lots of ideas and thoughts and at least a few weeks to get it sorted!

Dreams Of The "K" Litter

I can't deny it I'm absolutely heartbroken, and I can't move on until I've got it out of my system. I need to cry, to scream, to mourn the loss of what I had hoped would be. So many dreams and plans. Months and months of thinking of not much else and working the future around my dream. With my hopes raised so much on Sunday night we even decided on a name .. a totally new name and one that would only be suitable for a sable bitch .. but that was my dream.
Why would a fit health bitch mated at the optimum time not conceive? No worries I don't expect an answer as we'll never know. What we do know was she ovulated and that she had a text book mating to a fit health dog who is producing well. The rest will be a mystery.
I can't stand to look at Facebook, so many people with puppies .. Yes I guess I'm jealous, but I'm also pissed off. Some people have litter after litter and here's little me trying to do it right, trying to be respectful of my bitches and the breed I love and we get knock after knock. After all our last litter was over 3 years ago and that was not plain sailing was it! Mind you I'd sooner be back in that situation than where I am now. Which of course brings us to the fluid bag ... what is it?  Is it an embryo that is being reabsorbed? If not then what? I can't possibly believe it's a live pup as Kaiah hasn't shown signs of early pregnancy like Sammi did. But what the hell happened here on Sunday night then? I wasn't that flaky to be seeing things, something was drastically different. If there are any changes than we will take her back for another scan .. but honestly due to what I've seen here I can't imagine that will be happening.
I wish I'd entered Kaiah at LKA now, but with cost of over £800 already spent on "The litter" I just couldn't afford to take a chance and spend any more. Oh and I wish I'd entered her in Stafford so she could give young Kasey a run for her money, but there you go! I had hopes and dreams and for the time being they have all gone out of the window. Hopefully in 6 months I'll have the stomach to face doing this again because right now I sure couldn't go through it again.