Baby Elsa Is Home

I guess weeks of cage rest may well be harder than the op itself ... 

but worth it in the end! 

Elsa - Nico and Milli's daughter

Following an injury month ago, and in my opinion incompetent veterinary care, little Elsa has today undergone major surgery to fix her damaged elbow at a specialist clinic near Runcorn in Cheshire. I can not believe that catalouge of failures that she and her owner have had to face from her vets. Three vets at the clinic saw and evaluated the x.rays saying there was no bone damage and that Elsa's injury was ligament or soft tissue damage. But as the weeks went on and the pup did not improve her owner insisted the x.rays be sent to a specialist; he diagnosed serious damage to the growth plate on the elbow. This operation was complicated and the damage much worse than had been originally anticipated, but Elsa is doing well. It will coast thousands, but without it Elsa would have been in crippling pain for the rest of her life, so there was no alternative!
Photo of Elsa with Mummy Milli having a bark!

Another One Down

One of the 4 dogs that I have recently liked and researched sadly now needs to go to the back of the queue. Someone who attends the same training class and has nothing to gain or loose by the comment described him to me as "A Nasty Bastard!" Of course we do not always see this side of the dog in the ring and have to take on board what we are told by owners and breeders alike. I will still take a further look at him at Crufts, but knowing who his grandfather is, to be honest I can't now see I can take the chance!
Anyway here is a headshot of another beautiful young boy ... as yet unproven, but there's time! I hope he'll be at Crufts too!

Two Years Ago

This morning I have been unable to get to work again. Though the pain of the sciatica is receding, I'm still struggling to get about and do normal things. I have to admit there have been lots of tears, partly through pain, partly through emotion. Again this morning I found myself feeling very low, feeling sorry for myself and fighting back the tears. I've missed 2 training classes last week, 2 days work (Wages we can not do without) and on Saturday a get together and meal with some old friends which I had been really looking forward too. I'm down to work again on Wednesday, I hope I can make it. No disrespect to my lovely husband who has been wonderful but I am missing the company of others! Anyway I guess there will be no training class for me again tonight, I just hope I can make it to Crufts on Saturday. Not my favourite show, but now I'm entered I'm looking forward to the social part of the day ... and I want to look at boy dogs!

Feeling like the world and his dog was against me I went on Facebook and this post has just come up on my memories ... this was one of the scariest days of my life.

Sammi - 7/3/14

"I'm absolutely devastated, just back from the vets, Sammi has a spinal injury. I noticed after lunch that she was quiet and as the afternoon went on she seemed to get uncoordinated. We took her to the vets and the news has shattered me. She has to have complete cage rest and if there is no improvement in the next 24 hrs then the prognosis is poor. Steve tells me I should try and be positive .... But I'm in bits, I feel sick to my stomach. Whilst throwing her toy around in the living room this morning she landed awkwardly ... We can only think it happened then, though she didn't flinch at the time!"

Sammi Ball In Gob - With Mummy Ziva

So now, still fighting back the tears I feel so so lucky, I'm blessed to have this wonderful young lady in my life. From her individual entrance into this world She has made me smile everyday of her life. Her "showring" successes have been wonderful, but more than anything it's just her, who she is! She's cuddly, affectionate and sweet with of course that touch of mischief that makes her so precious. My Sammi Belle my Naughty Angel stood out in a wonderful litter of puppies and now she stands out and shines brightly in my world!!!

Today's Thoughts ...

With my sciatic still playing up the dogs have yet again had to cope with walks in the fields, but thank god for the fields .. and thank god for a family of canines willing to accept less exercise. 

Finlay hasn't eaten today, not even pilchards in tomato sauce would tempt him ... Still he was happy to plod around the field with his ball and hopefully he'll eat later. 

Summer is pregnant again, but scans show there is only one again, or maybe two. But owners Trevor and Sue are happy to accept what comes and have already said if there is only one again then they will keep the pup ... just to add to their collection. If there is two they would like us to have the other, an offer I have already declined, but finding a super home should not be difficult!

I've been looking at stud dogs again, why is it that everything I like is so far away ...

Meet Champion Yupp Vom Hammelsbacher Hof 

A beautiful mature adult with a great pedigree and lovey progeny,

Oh and he lives in Essex!!!!!

Then there's the young boy - Milano Von Simpor 

Another import out of the famous 2 x Sieger Remo Vom Fichtenschlag,  

probably on paper the most suitable of all the males I've looked at as the COF of the mating would only be 3.3%. 

Not 2 years old till April, this boy has sired pups, but they are only babies! 

And he lives in Newcastle Upon Tyne! 

Blanik Ivana

Just had to share this photo of my stunning Sammi Belle taken yesterday. 

She has grown up to be such a beautiful young lady and now with maturity she is loving and devoted to me. Her behaviour has improved no end and recently her recalls, even with distractions, have been close to perfect. Though I will never become complacent with her and I guess I don't really want her to loose her edge of naughtiness I can see now that "baby girl" is growing up!  

Times

Tali - February 2005 and March 4th 2016

A Super Time In The Snow

 Silly Jezi

 Finlay And His Ball

 Nico

 Tali and Asha

 Sammi and Loki

 Mikey

Ziva, Sammi and Asha

Wake Up It's A Beautiful Morning

My Precious Angel In The Snow

Boys - Loki and Mikey

Boys Boys Boys

I was sad to hear that rumours about the "Louis Lookalike" are true and that the German SV have now posted the new/correct elbow results online. He is elbow dysplastic! The dog has sired multiple litters in this country and my heart goes out to the breeders and owners of these puppies. Not that this will guarantee the puppies will have problems - after all dysplasia is 40 - 50% hereditary. Sympathy must go to the owner of the dog who imported him from Italy with all his health tests in place. He too has obviously been conned or he would not have re submitted the dog for the German scores. (necessary for a working qualification - the German's only accept their own scores/plates!) So he is now definitely not a dog that I can use on Sammi! 

Loki and Mikey 

Ziva is currently is season, day 13 and the boys are going demented! Mikey and Loki are much harder to deal with than Nico. I find that very odd as Nico is the "Stud dog" here, the other two may think they know what it's about but currently have not had the opportunity to prove it! I have been thinking that "maybe" in future I could mate Loki to Ziva. Ziva has had a litter so has time on her hands. Loki is not yet health tested and I currently can't afford to get him done, but 12 months down the line our financial situation may well have improved .. or maybe if Nico get's a stud I can use that cash to health test Loki. At the moment any spare cash goes into the Sammi stud fee fund as obviously my priority now is to carry on my line through her. Anyway Crufts is in 2 weeks, and though I may dislike the show it will give me an opportunity to have a look at the boys currently in the ring! Watch this space!

Nico