Visitors For Nico

 Veela, Kira and Iris

 Iris and Veela

Kira and Nico have plans!!!

Ross And Little George

 George ... "Hey big gob you wanna fight?"

 George ... "Say anything, Me? No never... pleased to meet you Mr GSD."

Ross ... "Now let me just whisper in your ear and tell you a few thing about life short stuff, you need guys like me in your corner .. so be nice!"

CMMRC Horse And Dog Show

Another fun afternoon at a fun dog show .. But very proud that Ross was RBIS at just 12 months and 3 days, beaten by the beautiful Bull Mastiff Chyna! 

I just love the photos of Ross in stance, hard to pick the best one really!

Probably/possibly the center .. or the bottom one? 

Bluebells And Billy

I was really taken aback to discover on the catch up of Country File that every part of a Bluebell is poisons to dogs. If ingested it can cause severe vomiting, diarrhea and cardiac complications. I really am shocked. Of course these have never tried to eat them but a younger Ross may well have done! I knew daffodils were poisonous and a young Sammi did get sick after I placed her among some pretty white flowers for her photo .. the pretty and smelly white flowers being the wild garlic flower. To be honest I think it was the over powering smell that got to her rather than anything else.
Of course given the opportunity I will again take future photos of the dogs in bluebells but now if I have youngsters I will take care that they do not nibble at the beautiful flower. Interesting though .. Miss Sheep who is demolishing her way through the trees in the top field has not touched the bluebells, these animals do know don't they.
Poor Billy seems to be aging quickly. He's now started weeing in the middle room. For 16 years he's been clean and now he seems to have forgotten himself. I don't really know what to do about it, all the practical solutions in a normal household, like put a litter tray in the spot, are not practical for us with the dogs. It really is sad but I do think he's getting a little senile and possibly as is common in old cats there is a deterioration in his kidney function. Bless him he's such a sweet little old man, I guess for the time we have to grin and bare it.
As I mentioned Billy's eating habits have change too, he doesn't have the appetite he had and even the pouches don't always please him. He likes to steal when I'm preparing the dog food. He likes Ross' raw food, including the tripe so now I make sure there's always a little bit extra for him. This morning I cooked him some white fish which went down a treat and he followed that down with butchers tripe dog food from Loki's breakfast. Not ideal I know but as long as he's eating something then I feel better for it.

Bryngwyn Path, Rhostryfan

I waited for the storm to pass, which it did quickly before taking the young guns for their walk. A pleasant change was to walk along the Bryngwyn path back towards Camel. It was just beautiful, but as on previous occasions, cows stop play! Seriously the fencing is ideal for most of the walk until it simply then ends and you have to walk across a cattle filled field. I'm not brave or stupid enough, it was about turn and back the way we came! 

 So Pretty

Morning Walks

 On home ground with Asha, Ziva, Loki and Sammi

 Nico and Jezi took Linda to show her round Talysarn, she enjoyed it but didn't tell them she'd been there before!

A Memory That Could Be Very Useful

Sammi

A friend suggested I try Sammi on Evening primrose oil to see if it would regulate her seasons. Well why on earth did I not think of that? I've used it with the dogs and taken it myself in the past to try and help with hormonal imbalances. I remember it was damned expensive in Tesco but if I was lucky then they were doing three for two. Of course times have changed and now we have Home Bargains locally so yesterday I got 90 capsules for £1.99. Ok they were only 500mgs and I previously always got 1000mg, but that's easily sorted isn't it.
So yesterday as I opened the bottle to add one to Sammi's dinner a memory came back to me, a conversation with the excellent Vet Jill Hubbard. She recommended I try it for Kiri as it was excellent for coat and skin condition. I remembered the conversation so well .. so why in over a decade had I not thought of it? Why had I probably paid hundreds of pounds on potions and concoctions from Dorwest and Yumega when the answer was probably far cheaper and on my doorstep?  Anyway I did decide to google it and make sure I'd remembered it correctly .. yes I had .. just a few recommendations ...

Kiri

"Evening Primrose Oil Capsules for Cat and Dogs by Johnson's are rich in essential fatty acids that help maintain a good and diet, and a healthy coat and skin.The capsules help alleviate dry irritated skin, scurf, dermatitis and other allergy based conditions.The essential fatty acids in Johnson's Evening Primrose Oil"
Even Dorwest herbs themselves recommend "this preparation for show dogs, those breeds with long coats and after a moult or other conditions causing hair loss." (1 x 500mgs per 10kg of body weight)
"Evening primrose oil contains fatty acids found in other foods. These fatty acids can help decrease chronic inflammation. Evening primrose oil can help with conditions such as arthritis for older dogs as well as the pain and discomfort of dry, itchy skin."
So yeah, a bit of information from deep in my damaged brain has been recovered ... I don't think my pot of 90 will last me long so it's back to Home bargains to stock up next time I'm in town!

Last Day Of Meteorological Spring

 Walking with Linda and the young guns where we shouldn't be and seeing things we shouldn't see!

But it was bloody lovely and no doubt we'll go further next time. 

 Come On - open the bloody gate

Comparing The Boys

Sitting here and thinking about the recent boys I wondered what they looked like at 12 months old. Nico wasn't here and I didn't have a digital camera when Louis was 12 months old, so really there's only Loki and Mikey to compare. I went searching the blog and instantly hit a blank with Loki .. I missed his birthday as I was in Walton for 2 weeks and of course my time in the local hospital before that. When I came home it took me a while to get out and about again, but obviously I do have photos of Loki just before he was 12 months,  he won BOB at Merioneth so really about a week or so before. So here goes...

Loki's head has improved dramatically, but really even though he's stood quite differently construction wise you can see that really all he's done is filled his frame and has an improvement in coat quality. The potential was always there I guess. 

I'm absolutely shocked at the photos of Mikey. I swear I don't remember him looking like this but I know he was an adult when he show career exploded. I didn't see it then, but now I know why he wasn't successful as a pup. His head must have doubled in width between 12 months and 3 years, his coat came on dramatically and he had far better hind quarters as an adult than he did as a youngster. 

The 12 month old boy

and the mature male.

I guess young Ross only has the same issues, though currently I see his head is ideal for his size and shape. He needs to fill his frame which he will with maturity .. and here's hoping for a better coat.

(yes it has improved but still needs to come on to finish an otherwise pleasing picture!)

Birthday Boys Walk To Llyn Ffynhonnau

 Of course he took his best friend

 Someone smudged the lens - still a nice pic 

 Doing what he loves most

Happy Birthday Ross