Funny Photo Of The Day

 Well I found it funny anyway. I suppose a lot of people use their phone and the size of the screens mean they miss seeing relevant things. Only Sammi has both her eyes open here and ears are blowing in all direction. As I use my laptop and love looking at all the faces I found it funny and immediately noticeable. 

Between The Showers

Siska really doesn't like wind in her ears - haha 

Loki now able to make a run for it

Zeus And The Rainbow

Somewhere over the rainbow (well under) 

German Shepherds fly, 

Told to wait for the photo, 

Oh why, Oh why didn't he! (Wait that is!)

Love it. 

Over the cottage, the garden and the boncan where our much missed family lie sleeping. 

There is beauty with every weather.

Zeus And Siska Posters

I love the name Kanani - and it's meaning, 

I just had to add it to his poster.

 

Still not the perfect photo of Siska in stance, but we tried!

Blanik GSD's

Happiest when wet!

Zeus, Jezi, Nico

Shame about the flexi lead, but as I've said, livestock, piss poor recall blah blah

Sammi, Ross, Ziva

Well that's no Angel face Sammi B! 

Kaiah, Orin, Siska

All in together

Liszka And Kyriacos

No one here to help, just me and Mr S. Attraction by Junior cat and other Blaniks. Comments have been made about the dogs feet never being seen in my stance pics - well we have a field, not a bowling green. I guess some people are more pedantic than me. Anyway today they are in a puddle, find me a place with no water ...lol 

Siska has turned her head to look at Steve, not ideal but never mind, you can see her pretty face. Orin looks great, maybe I've not got him quite straight but Steve is not observant and just clicks the button. 

Orin

OMG - Just love this - doesn't he melt your heart? 

As It Went Dark

                            

It just got a little too dark for this photo, I tried to lighten it, but it went blurred! 

A Bed For Orin?

I'm struggling to find bedding for Orin. Like his grandad he shreds vet beds, but Nico only shredded new ones. Old and washed to death are usually left alone, and he never touches the one he has in the bedroom. With Orin any vet bed is fair game! The bed he had with GSD pics on (on the sofa below with a baby Kaiah) has only one hole in it. It's been wash and put on through the Summer and September, but now it's not possible and he's already started on the alternatives. Strangely, he never shreds the vet beds in the living room. Anyway he's a super boy with one annoying habit! 

Orin's PD and Haemophilia tests will take a further couple of weeks to come through. I really hope they are clear as I have someone very interested in using him. The bitch is well bred, out of Dingo, also an Italian import. She is only months older than Orin and has had her health tests done, so it'll be late next year before we can give it a go. I'd love him to get an experience flirty female for his first experience, it always helps. I've learned a lot about managing a stud dog from Nico, who was the best stud dog I've had, hopefully Orin will be as easy and as enthusiastic.

When We Went Out

Very short video to protect the phone

Sammi and Ziva behind me, Ziva about to have a poo... she would.

The boys and Kaiah and Siska in front. 

I Took Loki Too

With high winds and torrential showers Steve chickened out of Loki's first walk. As I've said before, if we are to have peace, then they must go and get rid of some excess energy on days like this. On drier days when the doors are open they potter and play until we go out, but today it's an early walk, then we are all confined to barracks. I didn't go beyond the fields, it was far too windy to risk going further. I was lucky to get Nico, Jezi and Loki walked in relative dryness, but the rest of us got a battering. Beneath the oilskins I was dry but my god it hurt my face.

Loki did well, though skidded onto his face trying to run down the top field. He looked towards me, but I didn't say anything, he was straight up and off. He needs to slow down, but doesn't want to!

Zeus really doesn't like the wind and rain, and his coat really isn't practical for such weather. He takes a lot more drying .. hence I always comment about the practicality of LSH GSD as working dogs!  I always hate the idea of seeing GSD's in coats, the best one they could ever get is the one they are wearing, but now I kind of understand the practicality for a LSH. Anyway the rest loved it, I think it was a new experience for Siska but she's quite the little hard knock like her mum so it was bring it on gang!  They especially loved finding a deep ditch between the old boundary wall and the new fencing .. well new but now needs replacing thanks to the cattle! It would be good to do round two again this afternoon, but looking at the forecast I doubt it will be possible! 

All Out Before The Rain?

 Not quite, a soaking on the last walk! 

Orin and Siska air scenting - they get it from Sammi!!!

A Year On

This time last year Kaiah was in season. She was mated on the 8th of Nov (I think).

So much excitement, hopes and dreams. A year on and I have a hamster! LOL Siska's mouth is always full of something, be it a toy, shit, grass, mud, stones, anything, and of course the concern is she swallows most things! The vet was certain that the large ulcer in the back on the roof of her mouth was caused by something she swallowed weeks earlier. It must have scraped the roof of her mouth as it went down, at the time it was bigger than a 10p piece, but already healing nicely. Last week at the show she was shitting tissues! I know now that she grabs them out of my hoodie pocket and instantly swallows them. Why? Just why Siska? I have to confess she still also grabs me, there is no malice in her at all, she just can't control her mouth when she's excited! She will also sit in the evening, almost falling asleep with my hand in her mouth. When she's overexcited she's wild, completely nuts, as a teenager should be. In calmer moments she's so cuddly and affectionate, quite a darling to be honest, though that may not be good for her reputation!

I usually write about changes at the end of the year, but this morning I can't help but think back. Things were so different a year ago. Asha was here and doing very well, Zeus was living under a different name in Derby, and Isla?  Feck knows where Isla was! We miss Asha so much, such a calm sensible girl, unless there was food about! Haha. Other show exhibitors loved her thieving ways. I'm sure a lot more people than we know of lost food to Asha out of their open bags. (careless left open I hasten to add) Meal times are so different here now, so much calmer, and no one clock watches quite as accurately as Asha did!

I didn't like Zeus' original pet name, for me it was a name for a Boxer, or a Bull breed, but it's not my place to tell owners what to call their dogs, after all it is their choice. I cringe at one of the names used on one of the pups, I often think how can they call that beautiful puppy by that name? Anyway when a dog comes back I have to decide if the name given to them is one I can live with, Storm was, Simba was ... Buba wasn't, so I changed him to Buddy. If I am changing it I have to find a name that is similar, though Zeus is spelled nothing like Bruce the sound was similar enough for me to be able to use it. Though I like the name Zeus it would not be my choice of name for a dog, it's so popular ... but I needed a name that worked, and it did/does. There are two dogs in Orin's age class with the pet name Zeus ... and we have a Kai! 

The weather forecast for the next week is pretty dier, rain and wind most days. I went out in full farmer regalia today, Oilskins don't look pretty, but they work. It's still do-able to go out, just a taste of what is to come I'm afraid! Mostly these don't give a damn about the wind and rain, but Zeus is not too keen. This photo made me laugh, eyes closed, ears back, "Please turn the wind down." Oh mate you ain't seen nothing yet!

Walking

Our first walks on the mountain in about a week. Steve suggested he came with me, but I declined. Ok I struggled a little with the jolts from the flexi lead, and now I'm a little stiff, but I'm Ok and everyone is happy. 

No people, no dogs, no sheep, no cattle, no dirt bikes - perfect!

Photo Of The Day

Kaiah in full flight, not a paw on the ground 

 and it looks like her eyes are close!!!

Siska Posters

 I've been continuing to try and make posters. Orin's is coming along really well, maybe if I'm careful it'll be good enough to use. Anyway here are a couple more I made that are simply for practice and experience. 

Yesterday afternoon, I got this far and was going to try and cover the grass on her feet with the black thing, but then I lost it off the program and lost my patience too. 

In the evening I tried again. No not good enough to publish anywhere but here, but at least I'm learning about the program. 

New Balls Please

You wouldn't believe how much I stupidly paid for these Scooby do balls online, then to find them in B&M for less than half the price, I feel robbed! lol Anyway we got a couple more and cringed for a good hour whilst Ross killed the squeak in them. They still love them as now they make a squishing noise! Mini me got a ball on a rope, and Zeus got something similar, but sadly it broke in minutes. Steve has tried to fix it, so far so good, we'll see!!!

Archie Bach

Isn't he just Purrfect! 😻

Zeus And Orin

Steve and I split the exercising again today. He took Loki and afterwards went off with Zeus to the field. I joined them, Zeus doing his own thing, as he does. He is just so happy throwing that ball about, he gets so carried away he sometimes forgets to have a wee. We both admired his beauty, his hair ruffled from blowing in the wind, what a stunning dog he is. Steve said again that he wishes he could have found a home all for himself .. with maybe another dog or an Archie as a mate. It's too late for that now we couldn't part with him, we adore him, and we try and do the best by him. He's fed on time, he's walked, he gets to run in the field, he has his own toy box and bed, he's warm, he's safe and most importantly he's happy. He accepts his routine and is chilled and relaxed, never aggressive or unsure of himself. Though the fireworks last night were an exception, but an understandable exception. I know I'm repeating myself, but we just have no bother with him, he's just a happy relaxed clown of a dog. I can only conclude that they simply were the wrong people with the wrong lifestyle for Zeus.  Now I must believe that a dog can be two versions of themselves in two different environments. This is Zeus' kitchen ball, the rubber ball on a rope is strictly for outside use! 

Orin is looking stunning, sometimes I just can't get over how he's turned out. Of course he always caught my eye, as he's maturing he's so impressive. As I've said before he can only get better. I've now got the kit to do his haemophilia test, and Katrina has suggested that if I want to offer him at stud that I test him for PD too, so I've also got the test to do that. PD is Pituitary Dwarfism, the test is to check if he carries the gene that produces it. Dwarf GSD's are not just small Shepherds, they have huge health problems and most live quite miserable lives, so testing breeding stock can only be of long-term benefit to the breed. Cross everything the tests come through clear now and maybe someday there could be little Orin's about!

Fireworks

 A lie in till 8.30am is practically unheard of here, thanks guys it was lovely. Only the odd "yip" from Orin after 8am, but one "Shut up O" worked. Another dirty rainy, windy miserable morning so I guess they too were not bothered about getting up. 

Last night Zeus had a bit of a meltdown. It was before 7.30pm and he was in the middle room with the door open to go out into the garden. Steve had gone out to the yard to fill the coal bucket when fireworks exploded. Ok they didn't last long, but they were very close and very loud, 7 of the dogs were out. In the yard Sammi barked at them, the others seemed oblivious. I went to check on Zeus and he was practically stuck to the living room door. He continually jumped on me nervously, but I ignored the panic and just went to close the outside door. I just said calmly it's Ok now and I left him to it. I would have imagined he'd have been out when the first fireworks were set off, poor lad. The worse thing you can do is fuss about it, trying to cuddle them to reassure them only reinforces the fear.  I checked on him again about 10 mins later and he was calm and relaxed. Steve also went to sit with him through Eastenders, he was fine, though he was very unsure at going out for the last wee at 10.30pm

Later Nico also behaved oddly, he wasn't nervous, just unsettled ... I can only put that down to the fireworks too. There certainly seems to be nothing wrong with him anyway! I don't want to spoil anyone's fun, but come on, licensed events on 2 weekends of the year must be the way forward! 

I have reduced Loki's steroids further. I'm now trying 12.5mg every other day, let's see how we go eh! If this works then next time we need a prescription I may ask for 10 mg tablets ... here's hoping! 

The cat is back next door, they have made him a bed in the barn and went to buy cat food for him. There still has been no reply on social media, such a shame. At least he'll be warm, dry and fed now! 

Some Of Todays Photos

Two dogs and two cats

Archie, Isla, Jezi and Nico

Zeus

Loki