Baby Meerah Was Fab

                           

Well she was a star, onwards and upwards baby M. 

Beti At Midland Regional

Yesterday was the first time in the ring for beautiful Beti since July and though not back in full coat she held her own to SG3 in JB. Lovely critique from the German judge Christian Schalk (SV) and thanks to Stephen Cox for doing such a super job with my little whirlwind, his encouraging words left me emotional! A super day with great friends and beautiful dogs followed by a cuppa at Jane's on the way home!!!! Huge Congratulations to all the winners, but special congratulations to Ian with Kiaan SG1 in JD and Sharon with Lucca SG1 in Adult Dog (LC) 

To the best of my ability, I've got the critique for Beti. I've listened over and over but there's one sentence that I just don't understand. "Typeful female. over middle size, middle strong. I like the straight back, the croup could be a little longer, correct angulation front and rear and she shows good movement. Congratulations"

A photo of one of the breeds top handlers admiring his charge yesterday. His opinion meant so much - and wow he was very complementary. 

Welcome Home

                 

Ears - OMG - nothing to say, only that it's a normal part of growing up and I guess amusing to look back on!

My brother arrived yesterday to spend the weekend with Mum. She was sent home from hospital on Thursday evening without a diagnosis I guess. On Monday Mum had a fall/passed out in the house late at night and had to drag herself to the phone in the hall to get help. She was on the floor from 10.15pm till about 1am when Steve and I finally managed to get in.. (her doors were locked with keys inside the locks) The ambulance finally got there at 5.50am and took her to hospital. After the initial examination, she was in a chair in A&E until late on Tuesday night before she finally got a bed on a ward. After driving to Tremadog to get her some supplies, I must admit I was shocked to get the call on Thursday afternoon to say she could come home. I spent the evening and night with her before my brother arrived yesterday lunchtime.  

My mothers house is spotless, for me uncomfortably clean and tidy. I find it difficult to relax, but when I come home I do sometimes wish I could have a nicer house, but my choice is to live with 8 dogs and 6 cats in an old cottage on the hill. I just can't imagine life without my animals, though I have to confess it was almost like being on holiday to get up at 8.15am, go downstairs, make us both a cup of tea then sit on the bed relaxing and drinking it, that could never happen here! Of course I got a huge welcome from team Blanik when I got home, but I was a little taken aback by such a huge welcome from Zeus! 

My Boy

Love this photo of my stunning Orin, missing them all so much tonight as I'm sleeping in Tremadog with Mum. I forgot the painkillers for my side, but I'll find something I'm sure. My brother will be here by tomorrow afternoon so I'll be back in my own bed tomorrow night. 

Sisters

Seren

Meerah

Ears

Funny how they collapse at around 12 weeks - 3 months isn't it. Teething which will soon be starting won't help, but we'll get there.

Meerah 

Siska

Beti

Orin

Puppy's Broken

No refund available!

Marley And Seren

Old Eyes

Steve and I had both observed a difference in Loki's eyes recently. A bluey/green tinge that is more obvious in some lights, it is the kind so often seen in old dogs. I've said before he's 9 months younger than Sammi, but physically he is the older dog. Dogs senior years are estimated as the last 25% of their life span, if you are lucky they sail through most of it till all of a sudden you realise you have an "old dog," others, like Loki, have issues before they get there. 

The eye changes are not obvious unless you live with him, or it's pointed out to you. Ian was quite shocked yesterday, I think it shocked him that he hadn't noticed it, and when he did .. well you can't unsee it. Tali had nuclear sclerosis, it didn't really make much difference to her life, when sight changes gradually I guess it's not questioned. 

Anyway, I guess I will ask the vet to check Loki next time we go in, there are other conditions that can affect eyes, so a diagnosis may be a good idea. 

Meerah Pic

Well I managed to take these myself, but there's nothing close up as I can't bend. 

12 Weeks

No headshot of Meerah today. I had planned to put her on the bench and get something nice, but I've done myself a mischief lifting her to be weighed, I think I've pulled a muscle in my side. It bloody hurts, for the first hour I could hardly move and every breath was painful. Hourly ice packs and painkillers have helped a little, but it's still very very sore. I think the carer will have to be cared for today! 

Anyway back to the important stuff, little miss is 11.2kg ( Beti was 10.5kg - Siska was 9.2kg ). From now on I'll be weighing her monthly, but one thing for sure, I won't be lifting her again! Actually some lead work and training are called for as yesterday she had a tantrum in the field, she did not want Ian restraining her with the lead to stand her. Ian didn't let her have her own way, but in the evening she also got stroppy with me because I wouldn't let her run around with Beti. So I guess someone is going through a phase of pushing her luck, as most of them do, how we handle the situations will lay the groundwork for the future now, she simply can not have it her own way. 

I'm hoping Mr S will get me a nice photo of her later, but considering his photography skills, well we'll see!!!

Mother And Daughter

 

Tears And Sadness

It's been a horrendously emotional few days. For reasons I'll explain, I've been tormented by memories of Kaiah again. Last night I lay awake for hours, every time I closed my eyes I saw her standing there in that vets consulting room, those black eyes and the intense, somewhat concerned expression on her face as I walked away. I could never have envisaged that that would be the last time I'd see her, I never even said goodbye as I full-heartedly believed I would be picking her up again in just a few hours. Will the actions of that day haunt me forever? I have been better recently, distracted by the puppies, I was even able to get through her birthday without a total meltdown. Last night in the dark I cried, trying so hard to keep it in as not to awaken Steve, but equally hoping he'd hear and wake up to give me a hug, even after all these years, nothing soothes the wounds like a Steve hug. Anyway, eventually I fell asleep, but it didn't get better as those thoughts entered my dreams.  

Last week a lovely friend lost her beautiful GSD bitch, Gina. Gina was 14 months and had gone to thevets for Xrays, but like Kaiah, Gina did not come round from the anaesthetic. Gina was one of Beti's class mates, we'd holidayed together at the Sieger, such a lovely girl with everything to give. My friend said she's trying to get her head around it, I can give her no comfort as I guess you never do. As I've said before, in my case anyway, self forgiveness is not an option, I have tried, but it simply is not an option that's available for me. RIP dear Gina, you will be missed. 

Beti needs her health tests doing. I'm terrified, I just can't face it, and if I had been building up the courage to get them done, well feck, now I've completely lost my nerve again. To carry on in this world of GSDs, I will have to get these tests done, but I've no idea how I'm going to face it! I will look into testing her for MDR1 before the scoring. "Multidrug Resistance 1,(MDR1) is a genetic mutation that makes dogs more sensitive to certain drugs. It's most common in herding breeds, including German Shepherds." So yes, that has to be the first plan of action.

The Young Ladies

Beti coming back into coat,

 here's hoping she's looking good enough to show next weekend. 

Getting baby Meerah used to the neighbours 

"I'm not scared see!" 

The Past

If you have spent time looking through the pedigree you may have realised that Blanik B and C litters are not anywhere in the family tree. To be honest, sadly the combinations were not good enough, and a leap from A to D was the best way forward. In both cases I was naive and took advice from my peers, not realising really that their advice was in their self-interest and of little benefit to me.  Anyway, that feels like a lifetime ago, and information and advice seems much more readily available now. I'm currently very happy with the type of dogs that I have, but let's never forget the ones that have got me here!  

Deeanna, Excentrik, Astra, Rover, Camri, Frankie.

I'm quick to point out that I didn't breed "Rover," stupid name, that's why I usually just refer to him by his pet name,  "Jay!" 

Just So You Know

I hope you can follow it!

Sammi's Family

Her son, granddaughters and great-granddaughter.  

Playing Pics

Posing Pics

Medical Report

I was gutted to miss going to club with Meerah last night. Such an important age to see and experience everything, and with nothing again now for 2 weeks, well that an important opportunity missed. Mum is still very unwell. By yesterday I was feeling "off" myself, and now the dreaded norovirus has been mentioned by the doctor. I must admit from what I've read, certainly in my case, it's not really classic symptoms, but if that's what it is then spreading it would be unwise. Mum is waiting on results to confirm one way or another, but whatever it is, I hope that if it carries on they'll be able to help her sooner rather than later. I have some of her symptoms in a milder form, which developed between 36 - 48 hrs of me being in her company, so it's highly likely whatever she has is catching. Currently, I feel nauseous, have stomach cramps and a stale taste in my mouth. I woke up yesterday to those symptoms as well as a headache and aching legs, but though those symptoms have now gone, I found it hard work exercising the dogs .. my legs were weak and heavy. Anyway, I found places to sit, but when you do that, why do they just hang around instead of going off? (Well most of them, the usual suspect just does his own thing!)

Well come on ... let's go!

Pinchmill Annika

Blanik Kyriacos x Toilers Ashla

Beti's sister Polly looking fab, she's looking better than Beti at the moment, but Beti is coming back into coat and will soon be blooming gorgeous again. So proud of these Orin daughters. 

No Changes

An early morning call from Mum yesterday had me going off to Tremadog. She was ill and had managed to get a doctors appointment for 10am, but she was too ill to go herself so I went down to take her. The Doctor examined her, took bloods and gave a prescription. I then went into town to get her some things. Whilst waiting to be served, the green-eyed monster walked in. We had not seen each other since 2019 but instinct made me smiled and said "Hi." The stared I got back cut right through me, but stupidly I still thought I hadn't been heard, so I said "You OK?" A reply was mumbled I think, but then feelings were made clear as a back was turned to me .. I tried to be courteous, to be the better person, but I won't again. I guess as life goes on you learn who your friends are and someone who blames you, and your friends, for their own mistake, someone who falsely thinks you could treat them so badly are not worth your thought or efforts. If only it was that simple for me, I've been awake since 6am pondering about it all again. I just can't believe a friend, as they were at the time, could believe we would have planned to do something so unkind ... well hell it could never have been planned and as I've said so many times if the same scenario happened again I just can't see how any of us could have done anything differently! 

Today I went back to Tremadog, Mum is still really not well, but at least the bloods came back as normal for kidney function. If that had been abnormal they were going to send her straight to hospital. We don't really have a diagnosis, but a few ideas have been thrown into the mix. Anyway thanks to Linda for looking after baby Meerah today, I gather she was a very good girl. 

Visiting

Meerah was initially a little taken aback by the open fire in Carrie's house, but at this age she was soon over it. She also was concerned by Tasha barking in the kitchen, but again settled, all lessons in life. Though she was tired, she enjoyed herself in the house and garden.

11 Weeks Today

10 Kg today, so she's overtaken Beti now who was 9.5kg at 11 weeks. Obviously Siska was smaller as she was the tiny tot of that litter at 8kg. 

Loving this photo of Beti and Meerah last night.

George Michael - Outside (Official Video)

Sandra Scapellato : "Today, we celebrate the 26th anniversary of the single "Outside" released on October 19, 1998. Written and produced by George Michael as the first single from the 1998 collection Ladies & Gentlemen :The Best of George Michael. George wrote this single in response to his arrest in a public toilet in Beverly Hills in 1998 by an undercover police officer for "engaging in a lewd act", his arrest was part of a sting operation aimed at entrapping cruising homosexuals. George refused to be shamed over his sexuality for this reason he released the single "Outside". He new very well how to handle an uncomfortable situation getting out from it in a positive way with such a great sense of humor, laughing at himself, with a brilliant video clip and song that he used humour to poke fun at the incident. The video ends with an important and final message that says everything, "JESUS SAVES All Of US. All". George found a very clever way to answer to all those media and paparazzi that tried to destroy him for his arrest, but they failed. He left the media speechless."

26 years - WOW.  I was cooking breakfasts at the Ozanam Centre the first time I heard it. Still makes me smile.

Meerah Says....

Meerah - "Daddy Lucca came to visit me today, we had lots of fun till they tied me to a string 😮 I've never been on a string before. They said I should stand still, I said No, but I liked going round after the rat on a stick!!! "

Seriously, her impromptu training lesson went really well. Put on a lead for the first time and then expected to go round the ring, it was all done with toys and treats. The videos that Sharon took with me attracting will not load, but this was the third video on my phone, 5 mins in so and yes it was a success!!! 

A still from the video

The Quiet Before The Storm

Bumping Heads With Orin

Stunning photo of my bessie boy today. This was after we had a run in, well an accident. I sat forward on the chair to put my wellies on when he and Siska ran in. At speed, he ran into me. All I can think was that I lent forward as he was coming past and we bumped heads. My glasses flew off and I literally saw stars, the pain in the side of my head and nose was so intense that I thought I was going to be sick, it was the left side of my head so I didn't go into a complete meltdown. Before you ask ... Thankfully Orin was Ok!