The Boys Are Back In Town

 Sammi back out with her boys at Cwm Dulyn

 Today we took a different route, 

over the styles and all the way into the "Cwm"

Stunning, stunning place

 Yes a super time had by all

Finlay's Food

A young Finlay 

It's becoming increasing difficult to get Finlay to eat. After eating half a meal in the last 48 hours I knew I had to try something different this morning. Pilchards in tomato sauce did the trick! But my problem is that adding tasty bits to his food seems to make him loose. Washing down his bottom and knickers at 10 pm is really no fun. (Please remind me of this if I ever mention keeping a long coat from a future litter!) I add yogurt and tree bark to his food to try and keep his digestion working correctly, but at the moment it really doesn't seem to be working! My only thought now is to buy white fish and add that to every meal. Surely that can't cause upset and may persuade him to eat?
He has lost a dramatic amount of weight, which some old dogs do, but this loss of appetite is not something I've really had to deal with before and I worry there may be something more sinister going on. Steve and I had discussed taking him to the vets, but while he's happy to go for his walk and generally plodding on we will take it day by day. With a dog of his age what really can they do to improve quality of life without putting him through distressful procedures? One thing that does come to mind and I think we should discuss is the b12 injection, though it hasn't improved Tia's appetite, it did help Louis eat, so it maybe something to consider .. or even preds (steroids) may help. Maybe a rethink is necessary .. I'm just so puddled about it all. Sometimes knowing what the right things is to do is quite difficult!

Beautiful But Bitterly Cold Day

 At Afon Seiont 

 On The Quarry Walk 

Back At Llyn Cop

click the photo to enlarge

Day 30

All the males are quiet. Loki has eaten his breakfast for the last 3 days so this morning we decided to try them with Sammi again ... still no go! 

What the bloody hell is going on???? 

Anyway I've been playing on my photo program and have managed to get three lovely photos from one original. The one of Asha in the nails post, this one of Sammi and my favourite, the one of Tali below. Just a bit of cropping and some colour adjustment :) 

The original ..

Those Nails!!!

Well I just can't believe it, I've managed to cut Asha's nails. Until you've seen it you can never imagine the fights we've had over the years about cutting those nails! Her ability and strength in the fight without showing aggression is unbelievable. Aggression simply isn't in Asha, but brute force and determination is one of her strengths at nail cutting time! 

Previously she's been to the vets and been sedated to have them done, but the last time a friend did them for me. Now that was one battle, but we did win. Anyway I suggested to Steve we try one a night as physically neither of us can hold her for the other to do them in one go. I got the clippers out and without any trouble I cut one, then another and a third ... sadly before I got to the fourth she started to pull her leg away. Now that's where it goes wrong, if she pulls away as your cutting you cut into the quick and it hurts and bleeds. But with a little help from Steve we got the fourth done and let her be for that night. 

Doing the second front paw on the second night was a bit more of a challenge. This time she put up more of a fight and even started to shake, but with a little time and patience we got another 4 done. The back nails are fine, so now we have both the dewclaws to do but they are not too much of a problem really. 

I guess the problem goes back to Nikki, she didn't have the best feet, they were flat rather than rounded with the nails growing out and not wearing with walking. With generations the feet have improved, Ziva and Sammi having the best feet here, therefore never needing their nails cut. But unfortunately, many others including Asha and Mikey need regular manicures. Mikey's no trouble he just let's me do it, but for Asha it has always been the biggest trauma of her life! 

More 3 x 3 Photos

Now I think I must be more imaginative and get some different style photos! 

Caleb In Cwm Idwal

After a long hard day at work nothing could make me smile more than receiving photos of one of our "kids!" Beautiful photos of Caleb out and about in Cwn Idwal. He's Nico x Ziva son, (Sammi's litter brother - Nick) Owned by Arthur Jones and family.
Arthur tells me "I Met a guy in the caffe at Llun Ogwen who breeds GSD but the straight back version. He was a South African dude and he was well impressed with Caleb, best looking shepherd he had seen in a while is what he said. And struggled to understand why I've never showed him. Kinda made my day de."
Yeah me too!

Three Walks

 Tali, Asha and Sammi at Llyn Cop 

So well behaved today, even with charging collies and terriers -super girls, very proud.

 The other six got to go to Rhostryfan, 

and were all well behaved and had a great time

Today is day 26 since Sammi started her season and we tried to re introduce her to "her boys" sadly it didn't work. They were over interested, pushy and forceful and she was obviously intimidated, tail tucked tightly between her legs and panicking! Ah well try again tomorrow. 

We All Went To LLyn Cop

Though obviously not all together! 

Ziva with Loki and Mikey 

Sammi out with Tali and Asha 

Jezi, Finlay and Nico 

 For some reason the pics are back to front, my first walk was with Nico' crew. Finlay fell onto his bottom 3 times going from the cottage to the van and I started to worry as to whether I should take him or not. But once we had arrived and the initial stupidity was over and done with he did really go quite well. I only did the shortest route round but they had a great time! 

Opting to take Sammi with Tali and Asha worked well, well once I had got them across the road. Asha is so unbelievably strong and not being used to much lead walking she pulls like an idiot, combine that with Sammi's limited lead behaviour and I struggled for those first few minutes. But off the lead they were all a treat, Asha even playing with Sammi a little today and Tali full of the joys of Spring to be there without Ziva. I swear she checked who was in the van before deciding that she was coming with us! 

They boys and Ziva typically had a great time and where a pleasure together. But as we were coming back a man started coming towards me. I put the three on the lead and looked up to realise he was heading straight for me. "What a fecking idiot I thought!" I stopped to adjust their collars and looked up to see the man now only a short distance away .. Ohh hell, it was Ian! I just let go of Loki's lead and let him jump all over him! Ian was waiting for Tracy who was working in the village (she's a home carer) and had bought Tasha and Bella up with him to go for a walk after she'd finished. He'd seen me walking in the distance and came to say "Hi." He walked back to the van with me where Tracy soon joined him and Bella and Tasha then got to go to Llyn Cop too!
Having gone through three pairs of Muck/snow boots in 6 months I was fed up of wet feet on dog walks. Paying more than I had ever paid for shoes/boots in my life I ordered some Merrell waterproof boots from Amazon. Fed up of wet feet I ask only that they do what it says on the box! 2 days after they arrived Amazon sent an e.mail to say they are now on sale, I made the mistake of looking ... I don't want to talk about it! Today according to my phone I walked the dogs for 7.28 KM - about 4 miles so the boots had their first day of walks. Yeah, warm, dry and comfortable, ask me again in 6 months ... they better still be!!!
So I have a camera who tells me .. "Brighter conditions are required to get the results you want!" Oh Ok I'll just move the fecking cloud and let the sun out shall I? I have a phone that tells me to be more active! Well Mr phone, I'm glad your pleased I walked 13047 steps and did a distance of 8.20 km today and thank you for my badge which you've added to the other 23 you've given me ... but just for your knowledge I don't carry you everywhere with me, Somedays I do take more steps than you realise .. So there!!!!! Rant over

 I spy Rhian and Blaniks... says Ian and Tracy! 

Tasha and Bella

Jezi Having One Of Her Many Upsideown Moments

Our Class Clown - Such A happy Girl!