Summer has swept by us and left us many warm early fall days. Reports from people who should know assure me winter is on the way and will be a doozey. With leaves on the trees and green grass still under foot the idea of a snow day is appealing. Before we get to snow days there are pickles to make, dogs to show and hay to finish getting in.

On the rescue pup scene I had kennel cough hit my kennel. It has delayed the departure of momma dog to her new home and one of the pups. Currently there are 3 pups and momma still here. I am beginning to wonder if they wille ver leave. The two boy pups are spoken for and in an unexpected turn of events, the only female Yahtzee still waiting for the perfect match. She is a doll and thinks she will grow up to be queen. Despite the temptation to keep her for myself the part of "queen" is already being played by Tilly.

Iris woke me up last night. She was blazing hot and miserable. I took her temp and it was over 105 (normal is 101.5) I gave her some rymadyl and waited half an hour. Her temp continued to creep up. Another half an hour and still creeping up, now at 105.8. As a last measure before I called the vet at 5:30 AM I gave her some antibiotics and began to ice her. Iris who is a hot house flower was sleeping on a ice bag with another ice pack tucked into her flank. Half an hour later it dropped to 105.2 and hour later it finally broke and started to drop. By 9 AM she was at 102.6. With 3 hours of sleep behind me I had her at the vet at noon. Iris presented normal in every respect. She is exhausted but seems fine. WEIRD! I will be watching her like a hawk.

Tonight Carol called so we could discuss ordering an extra dog. I forgot how much fun it was to be in the phone picking out dogs we like. As we hung up her next call was to the haul coordinator. My last words were "God Speed" calling that haul coordinator is dangerous. She has a way of taking us from 2 dogs to 6 and then to 10. Good luck Carol!!

The dog days of summer are upon us. After several hot hot days we now have thunder storms and some much welcome rain. This is a picture of the pups I took one hot day after they ate. I just loved how they were sprinkled like confetti napping all over the lawn.

We just posted a new video of the pups check it out at

www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXuOkLMvFUo

The first pup leaves in the morning. It will be a little hard to see the first one leave. They still seem like such babies...but now is the perfect time for them to leave. They have had their first shot and a round of wormer. They have been weaned for the past several days. Summer has flown by...I hope the dog days last a little longer.

The pups are growing like summer weeds and have learned to use the dog door most of the time. They can start to leave home in a couple of weeks so I am starting to search for the right homes for them.

I have both foster boys at the moment...Yako and Juan. They are a irresistible pair of clowns. Deuce has moved to his forever home with Barb and Kerry in Billings. Deuce and Courtney, their greyhound pup (now 2 years) were fast friends and play a lot.

Included is a picture of Gable in his hero cape. Gable is a blood donor and has given life to several dogs now. One of the gals at the vet clinic made him this cape. He wears it well!! Henderson's have every right to be super proud of their boy!

I have been busy getting pictures of the pups posted on my facebook page and even a video on YouTube thanks to Mr. Muir....be sure to check it out at

www.youtube.com/user/darrinmuir#p/u

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The pups are starting to eat real food now. They don't have teeth yet so they just get a porridge of good holistic canned dog food and water. As you will see on the video they love it!! I have moved them into a inside kennel with a outside run for mom, but tomorrow we will work on getting all the mowers and other stuff out of the shed and turn that into a nursery. They already need more elbow room. The mower shed is covered and protected so should work nicely during the day. I can put down some shavings to soak up the "stuff" and the whole kennel will smell better with the pups outside part time.

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The greyhound picnic was a success and I am happy to report that I kept the commitment I made to myself to enjoy it. I spent way to much at the auction scoring some great things and then I caved to temptation and bought a couple of new collars from Collar Crazy....all with minimum guilt. When everyone left my niece Aubree and I hopped in the huge stock tank to cool off. Pretty soon we were introducing the dogs to the joys of stock tank dipping. We had a great time playing...yes I was doing what I love and loving what I was doing...promise kept.

Anyone who knows me at all knows I am going to tip that raft over...except Aubree. Ah the hazard of innocence!

I did take puppy pictures but have not taken the time to upload them yet. The pups are changing fast now. All of their eyes are open and they are learning to stand and walk. Last night in speaking to a friend she asked "Are you enjoying the puppies?" Because Judy is the kind of friend who sees through fibs, I told her the truth. "Actually" I began "I am not". Confused she said "What? Why?" Well the truth is I have been so busy there has not been time to enjoy anything. It is one of the stupidest things adults do. We get so task oriented we forget to do the things that add quality to our lives. I admit I have had some sadness and worries lately that have weighed me down. But life doesn't stop because we are down trodden or busy. If we miss it we have no one to blame but ourselves. The ironic thing is that this very circumstance is somewhat of a pet peeve of mine. Rushing about spending your time replacing important things with really unimportant things. I preach "You only travel this road once...enjoy it." But I fail in practicing what I preach. I promised myself I would slow down a little.

Today I was hurrying trying to get a bunch of stuff done in order to prepare for the greyhound picnic tomorrow. My niece Aubree and my friend "Saint" Lynn were here helping me muck through piles of stuff and clean clean clean. Aubree came up missing. I was annoyed because the mirrors were her job and they still had dog nose prints all over them. When I found her she and my foster project, Springer Spaniel Gabe, were walking in the creek. She looked up at me with eyes glowing to tell me "We found a tennis ball with no skin and are following it down the creek!" She exclaimed "Its fun!" Damn it!!! In less than 24 hours I forgot to smell the roses again.

Goal for tomorrow...HAVE FUN!

The biggest of the puppy boys, a honey colored guy is the first to start to open his eyes. The pups in general have at least doubled in size. So far mom is keeping up with them. She has free choice of the best food we could find. I can't believe the pups are already almost two weeks old. Today's agenda includes getting some pictures of them.

The pups are a week old now and all seem to be thriving. I am excited for them to start opening their eyes in the next week or so. I can hardly wait for them to start moving around more and getting to see who they are. Right now they are just puppy potatoes. This week end we will get some more pictures of them.

The dog show in Missoula was Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. I had my girl Pixie entered in obedience. My duties were divided between showing Pixie and doing time as co-obedience chairperson. "Doing time" an accurate term. It is fun but it is a lot of running around and babysitting. I entered Pixie with some reservations as she is not as ready as I would like for her to be. But I kept telling myself you can't swim if you aren't in the water!! Sunday Darrin came to the show to wish us well. Pixie was distracted during warm up but then got progressively better as we worked in the ring. We ended up with a decent score of 193 (out of 200) and a second place. Monday she kept cutting in front of me and doing a lovely free stack unfortunately that wasn't what was required. We still managed to pull of a second place and a OK score. The last day she did better and we got that last leg to finish up our CD title. The days at the show were really long and I am behind in every way here at home. With company coming for the Fourth of July it will be a busy weekend. I think I will suggest we all go to a movie so I can sleep through it.

Wednesday just after we lost Sage I saw an URGENT plea for help from my friend Shauna in Idaho. She knew of an Aussie girl in a high kill shelter about to whelp. She posted her story and picture on Facebook. The sad look in the soon to be momma's eyes broke my already broken heart. Sage's importance in my was life laid open and raw...I met Sage's mom when she had been at the shelter heavy with pups...I could not turn my back on this girl in the same predicament. I responded I would take her if I could get help getting her here. I called Darrin at work and causally asked "Hey you don't mind if I bring home a pregnant Aussie bitch do you?" He responded "No no no no no no!!!" Without missing a beat I said "Oh you are breaking up but it sounds like you are OK with it." As he resigned to this new development he said "You are not bringing them into the house!" We will cross that bridge when we come to it, I have been blessed with a nice big kennel...finding a place for her really presented little problem. Christy (rescue volunteer) started figuring out how to move that momma dog to Montana! There were a couple of bobbles in getting her here or so it seemed at first. A ride was available but not for over two weeks and she could not be released until Saturday at closing. We decided that she couldn't wait for the ride and began to formulate a plan to meet half way on Sunday. When I came in Thursday morning (June 17) from chores there was a call from Christy to call her right away. The first words out of her mouth were "You were serious that you would take her immediately, right?" I assured her I was willing and she said "Oh good she left an hour ago!! She will be in Missoula this evening." Barb from Libby happened to be traveling home from Boise area that day. The animal control officer gave momma dog an "emergency pardon" since they wanted her out of there and she had a ride. I made it home with her about midnight that night. My friend Pam insisted I stop by even at that late hour so she could see her.
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The next day was busy getting her cleaned up and assessed by a vet. Pam and I named her Bliss on the way to the vet. An x-ray showed at least 9 pups. It was clear all of her energy was going into those pups her body weight was not ideal. We were worried that she may not have the energy for a long labor. Her new auntie Pam bought her the best food we could find. Pat bought her the calcium tablets the vet wanted her to have. She had a large worm load so I checked on what I could give her. I object to feeding worms. During that first day she was here I made a quick call to friend CJ who has been looking for the right dog for herself. She has been a dedicated Malamute person but has decided to try something a little smaller. I told her "I have someone I want you to meet". It was love at first sight I am happy to say she has a home with CJ, when she is done with motherhood...pending current Malamute's approval. Bliss responded immediately and positively to having found a secure place to have her family. Her eyes started to beam and she happily greeted all of her new friends.

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Thursday (June-24) I got up early and checked her. Other than not wanting to go out she seemed fine. 3 hours later I checked her again and SURPRISE she had 9 wiggling pups. Those pups must have come fast and furious. Bliss was covered in gunk and the pups were wet and gunky too. I helped her clean her babies and then cleaned her up a little too. Once she was nestled in a fresh bed I called Pat. Pat raised several litters years ago she could offer me guidance as to what and when to feed Bliss to help her recover. Other than a little diarrhea Bliss is doing great. She is a young mother but seems to be tending all of her pups. With the help of some friends Bliss's journey has taken a turn for the better.

I lost my Aussie Sage Monday June, 13. Since she was diagnosed with bone cancer two weeks prior I watched her like a hawk for any changes. Saturday I saw her dip but then she rallied. Sunday she was trotting and wagging her bob tail. Even though she was acting better my heart sunk with the knowledge that the sun was setting on my friend. As Monday wore on her face told me she was tired of the fight. She wouldn't eat even the best foods, her trot and tail wag were gone but she felt good enough to wade in her pool. Over all she enjoyed her time that day in the paddock sleeping on a big bed in the shade with frequent visits from me and some of her favorite pack-mates. Darrin came home early from work and we took her to the vet together. From the moment I carried her into the vet until the moment I carried her out was less than 5 minutes. She was gone from us so quickly. Often I think dogs leave this world in the way they lived in it. Sage always was quick to do everything.
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Sage came into my life before she was born. Her mother was at the shelter ready to whelp. I knew if those pups had any chance at all they needed to be born somewhere else. I brought her home and soon Lucy Blue had 5 little ones. I called them "The Greens" the girls were Sage, Olive and Kelly, the boys Hunter And Forrest. I used to hold Sage on my chest when she was just a little handful of a pup. I could feel her heart beating against mine and I knew she was my girl. From a very young age Sage had that look of intelligence. She is pictured here at a little over 3 weeks and already seemed to know who she was. The name Sage fit her perfectly as she had that old soul wisdom. Life with Sage was wonderful and easy. Sage liked everyone and she was smart, willing and easy to train. Sage always wanted to be the best girl. She liked to hug, her crate was on the second level and when I opened the door she would wait until I came up to the crate then she would softly put her paws on my shoulders and press herself into me. I would snuggle my nose into her soft ears and breathe in her essence. This may be what I miss the most. Although Sage learned everything easily she hated going to shows. She earned some titles but she never climbed the ladder to the upper levels. This was fine by me, Sage had other important duties here at home. I could always count on Sage to help me teach obedience classes. She not only was the perfect demo dog but she would work for other people. Being a lesson dog was invaluable. Many of my students over the years have spent time learning some finer points of handling with Sage. Although not typical Aussie, I was in love with Sage's angular face and hard body. I loved running my hands over her well muscled form. If you saw her run, her gait smooth, low, ground covering and easy, you knew you were seeing perfect form. Sage's lo0k was a balance of wild exotic and complete no frills utility. Sage's heart was a balance of intense loyalty and sweetness.

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As many times as I have lost dogs each experience is as different as the dogs I have let go. When Sage died the vet started to tell me he was "sorry" I said "Don't be sorry...she had a great life. She knew every moment she was wanted and loved. She never was afraid or hungry." I am so thankful for the lessons I learned with Sage. In Sage's passing there was a strange peace...peace in knowing I had given Sage happiness and she had given the same...peace in knowing I let her go when she asked...peace in knowing she will be waiting for me and once again will offer me that soul fulfilling hug. Until that day, rest well sweet Sage you are deeply missed.

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I love you little Sagey

The sun peeks into my room and before long Tilly bounces on the bed and snuggles with all her might into my neck. Ahhh a perfect start to a perfect....what the hell is that smell? Tilly who is just in from a potty break has stepped in dog crap!! Thankfully it is only on her back feet so not on my neck and face but it is all over the bed (sheets and blankets) and the floor. After accusing me of having no limits with said puppy, my friends will be happy to know I just found my boundary. Tilly is ejected from the bed.

The sheets are washed for about the third time in a week. Muddy paws the cause before but this tops that. Tonight I was racing the rain to get the sheets off the line. Since I washed blankets too it was easier to leave some of the bedding out there while I made the bed. So the process of making the bed with the puppy under foot began. Walking out to the line Tilly is between my feet. I yank the corner of the blowing sheet out of her mouth. Back in the house first I get the puppy off the bed. Then I move the pillows and move the puppy off the bed again. I get my first two corners of the fitted sheet on and move the puppy again. I get the first two corners back on the bed and cast a evil look at poor Tilly and manage to get corners three and four snugged on before I have to get the puppy off the bed. Out to get the top sheet and first blanket. Tilly sits so sweetly while I make the top sheet sail out across the bed. When I look at her to praise her for sitting so politely she is missing. I get the puppy out from under the top sheet. I shake out the top sheet again and get it perfect, it is followed by the blanket. Tilly lands in the middle of the bed while I tuck them in. Her big blue eyes blink at me. Giggling I land in the middle of the bed next to her. Mid-snuggle I notice it has started to rain. Dang it the pillow cases and top blanket are now wet. They can dry on the towel rack in the bathroom before bed time. It may have taken twice as long to make the bed but it only took a few seconds to make a memory.

My aussie girl, Sage, is in a battle with bone cancer a reminder that it is over too soon. I pray for wisdom to help her with this journey. Yesterday she needed a small dose of pain meds for the first time. Cancer is burning up her calories and her smell has changed. I know we are nearing the end. With a broken heart I watch for a sign from her....Above all I will do what is right for Sage. I can not bare for her to be in pain. Let go when you need to but snuggle them while you can...you don't get this time back.

Most Greyhound people know what cat testing is generally but often they don't know what really happens. I recently cat tested Velocity and thought you might find it interesting to describe to you what I do when I cat test.

Step one is to secure the cats in their chain link kennel. They have a crate to hide in if a dog makes them particularly nervous.

Step two is bring in the leashed and muzzled greyhound. The greyhound sees the cats through a fence.

We then watch to see how the hound reacts, in Velocity's case he was curious. Ears up and eyes bright. His interest was moderate. When he showed increasing interest I corrected him with a collar pop and a firm "NO!" He lost interest and began to avoid looking at the cat. I then brought the cat out from the kennel and again corrected him for increased interest. Again he lost interest. Part one of his test was done.

A couple of days later I retest a dog who I corrected. After thinking about it for a couple of days some dogs decided they really ARE interested in the cats. They respond by being turned on as we come into the cat zone. If this is the reaction they are failed and labeled not cat safe. In Velocity's case he glanced at the cats but showed no reaction to them. When the cat was brought out of the kennel he again looked at it but lost interest. After about 5 minutes of not responding in a negative way to the cat he was then labeled "cat correctable" which means he may be able to live with a cat with proper introductions and supervision.

When I cat tested Run she went into hunt mode almost immediately and the cat knew it. He immediately hid in his crate and would not come out. Cats seem to have a sense for if a dog is dangerous to them or not. Run earned the title of not cat safe in a matter of seconds, the whole test was less than 15 seconds. For the next two weeks she ran to the door we went through to visit the cats and checked to see if she could get to them. Run is gamey, meaning she goes into hunt mode easily. Some dogs don't seem to have any reaction to the cat at all. In fact I have seen my cat go from hiding to actually coming out to rub against the fence by the dog who isn't reacting.

When cat testing greyhounds the safety of the cat and hound are paramount. The greyhound is never off lead and is always muzzled. Even IF the cat comes out of the kennel the dog is carefully restrained and the cat has a place to hide. I personally never use the term "cat safe" I believe greyhounds have been bred to hunt for so many generations we are just not going to override that completely. In addition our testing is not limited. It does not test the greyhound loose with the cat or outdoors. A cat streaking across the yard is very different than the same cat curled up on the couch. There are lots of cats living happily with greyhounds...but that may have something to do with the cats having nine lives thing.

It is hard to tell if Spring is springing or mostly wallowing around with her friend "Winter". We seem to go from almost summer temps to snow in the course of a day. Although spring may be fickle spring things are happening. I can dry towels and sheets out on the line every few days. I never have been convinced that sheets dried outside in the wind are worth the effort. This spring I read some one's blog about how to her that was a true sign of spring...fresh spring wind blown sheets. Inspired by her words I decided to buy some pins and give it a whirl. It has been so wonderful I am getting my PJs out on the line too. The sheets are crisp and smell fantastic. The only draw back is I can not hang sheets on the line that I don't think of that scene in Deloris Clayborne where her employer is yelling from the window "Six pins Delores! Six pins, not five!" Poor Deloris is out there in the cold wind wrestling the sheets onto the line with her cracked and sore hands. Kathy Bates plays Delores and is completely believable. Just once I would like to put sheets on the line and not think of that....forever changed by Stephen King Movie.
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I also have been driving and have been taking Tilly with me in the cart. Which we both have enjoyed...except that one day when the neighbor dog was charging us and she decided to jump out between the pony and the cart. She quickly learned that was not in her best interest. The stupid neighbor's Lab was running the fence and barking like a maniac. Which caused the neighbor to come barreling out of his house screaming at his dog and trying to catch her so he could beat her. With one hand I controlled the pony who was bouncing around trying to keep an eye on craziness of barking dogs and people. With the other hand I was dragging Tilly back into the cart and knocking my whip out of the cart. Once I got the puppy back in the cart and the pony away from the chaos I dropped a rein which required some yoga like contortions to regain. Just as I was saying "whew crisis averted" the wind came screaming down the down the canyon smacking both me and my pony in the face. Then it started to rain. Having had my fill of "fun" for the day we wheeled around and headed back to the safety of home!

I read in dog books that dogs were supposed to wait politely for us to go through doors first. Before I met Izzy I thought that was some kind of law. But Izzy didn't read that book and didn't give a damn what it said she always rushed ahead of me. At first I corrected her but after a couple of years I gave up, honestly breaking that rule never hurt us. Looking back at my time with Izzy I realize that there was precious time lost trying to do everything right. She was a wild puppy but I spent too much time trying to control her. Don't get me wrong it isn't like I have a lot of regret. Sharing my life with Izzy was amazing. She could make me laugh and bring light even on my darkest days. I loved her quick and funny little way of thinking. But with Tilly I see myself not worrying about what the books other people wrote say. I spend more time loving her puppy antics and almost no time worrying about what rules other people live by. Having traveled both roads I highly recommend throwing the rule book away. Embrace the fullness of the quirks, the laughter and even the tears.
As I began to realize Izzy's time with me was coming to a close my heart begged her to stay. "Please, please don't leave me" was a mantra I rarely uttered but that rang inside of me with every breath. After she died I looked and looked for signs of her spirit lingering but found nothing. Still my heart kept up the plea that she stay with me. Tonight after dark I headed out to pull the the dog towels off the line. Dusk was with me he was clowning around and even got into the ditch and laid down. I kept a close eye on him in case he got chilled and had trouble. As he stood in the ditch he kept locking eyes with me and I would ask him "What's up Big Guy?" When he was done with the ditch and safely back on land I went for the towels. As I stepped into the shadows heading to the clothes line I saw movement dash by my right side nearly cutting me off. I lurched to avoid stepping on the dog. I looked one way and then the other and there was no dog under foot or anywhere near. Dusk was standing in the light 30 feet away ears up, eyes bright and grinning at me. We locked eyes again and he seemed to be saying "did you see her?" I knew it was Izzy who once again rushed in front of me. Call it a ghost, a memory or a fluke...no dog training book covers this. I realized Izzy had been with me all along and now she has entrusted my care to Tilly. She rushed in front of me her whole life and now finally she rushed on to the rainbow bridge. Another step of letting go...and yes I am embracing it.

I love watching the relationship between a dog and their owner. Tonight I taught a tracking class. In the class is a 12 year old Great Pyrenees. I met this dog almost two years ago when her owner started her in a basic obedience class. I suppose most people wouldn't bother training a dog during the tenth year. But the spouse of this gal had been training a Tervuren puppy and the Pyr and her owner felt left out. Suz, shyly asked me about starting Kenzie (the great Pyr) and I encouraged her. We would let Kenzie tell us how much she wanted to do. As it turned out Kenzie loved it and within a few months Suz and Kenz were hitting the ring in Rally obedience. They earned a rally title with a few nice class placements and have been dabbling in the regular obedience ring. Tonight she tried tracking for the first time. I have a mental snap shot of the two of them jogging up my green hill grinning at each other after a nice second track. I was standing with a couple other students and I marveled at how much Kenzie had changed and how proud I was that Suz keeps working her even at 12 years. "WHAT?! She is 12?" said one of the students. "I thought she was 5 or 6" I looked again and you know she really does look 5 or 6 years. Learning and being useful has helped melt the years. Better to blossom late than not at all!

I am working with another student whose dog is blossoming right before my eyes. She just adopted a 6 year old Rottweiler girl from Missoula Animal Control. She said the moment she saw that rott she knew she they belonged together. Despite the Rott carrying 150 pounds on her frame built for about 90 and despite the immediate need for dual eye surgery to correct a double dose of cherry eye AND hypo thyroidism...it was love at first sight. The way I see it with all that baggage that big black dog didn't have a snowball's chance to make it out of that shelter...but she did! This week I can see big changes in her. She has lost weight and her face looks completely different, there is light in those eyes. I laughed as the owner told me when she takes her girl out for a drive people look at her corvette with their eyes and NOT their hands. But the biggest laugh was when the big rott girl flopped on the floor and the owner started rubbing her and telling me how much she loved this dog. The rott was blissed out legs akimbo, lips flopped back almost to the floor and ears open like a pups. It was then I spotted the real charm of the scene. Her toenails are as big as my little finger and every one of them is painted a dark shade of red.

I love dog people!!

The new dogs are here and are wonderful. This week has been hopping for the Tripps who not only spend almost every waking moment tending those hounds but have been running back and forth from one vet appointment to the other to get the whole gang ready for homes. Some have already been spoken for!! It is hard to pick a favorite out of the group. Master is nothing short of eye candy. He is brindle on one side and the other side is nearly free of stripes...cool markings!! Of course I love Ducky's son Velocity and I am now fostering him, I would love him even if he was not "family" He is happy, sweet and a rich red brindle. Deuce is a cream puff. He looks a little rough right now but once he is in a home he will really blossom. Deuce wants to be someones best buddy he is happiest when he can touch you. Then there is Aerosmith...such a love he nearly melts into you and he has those dark soulful eyes...sigh. He is really a knock out and I love his easy going way. And we haven't even started talking about the girls!! Silly Gilly is bouncy, fun and covered in crazy little spots. It is hard for me not to fall head over heels in love with that bright personality. Baby is exactly that, a baby so quiet and wants to snuggle into your pocket and she is tiny enough to do it. July is somewhere between Gilly and Baby. She could be babys' twin so tiny and brindle but fun loving and upbeat like Gilly. Pebbles is pretty soft and innocent. She will need a steady home that can help her grow up past her insecurities. Be sure to check out the picture on the web site
www.gparockymountain.org/available.html
Another great bunch of greyhounds for Montana!!

Computers make me CRAZY!!! I have spent the last hour and a half trying to pay my stupid credit card bill on line. It has always been an easy thing but today my card company decided to spice it up a little and make it nearly impossible. UGH!!! On the other hand computers off set the pure frustration with the joy of being in touch with far away friends and family. I joined Face book finally and in the past month I have found several people I longed to find. It was such a thrill to find my collage pal whom I have looked for many times over the past years. So I guess I deep down love my computer despite the moments of wanting to kick it to the curb.

Most of you have probably heard that the dogs that were going to come in this week end had to wait an extra week while the hauler was repaired. Unfortunately for me the delay means I can't be there to greet them. I have a dog show that weekend which I have committed to go to. Hmmm maybe I only need to go to one day of the dog show. I hate to miss the greyhound fun.

Tilly the pup is growing and really leggy right now. She is a smarty pants and I love it. I honestly can not believe what Darrin and I let her get away with. Who knew a old hardened dog person like me could let all the rules slide. When she comes tearing back into the bedroom after her morning potty break and leaps on me....do I bounce her fuzzy little butt off the bed? No I grab her and snuggle in with her in my arms. When she sits between Darrin and I on the couch it is like neither of us even remember that dogs are not allowed on the furniture. In some weird way it pleases me when Darrin greets me with a "hi" and looks at the little princess and thrills "TILLY!!!" Yep we have gone soft.

Dusk had another chest x-ray yesterday. There is slight improvement...although the mass is still there all the secondary inflammation is gone. So we will keep him on meds another month or so and check him again. My 9 year old aussie girl Sage had to go in too. She has started peeing her bed and I noticed her straining to pee. I worried she might have bladder stones but on her x-ray nothing showed up and her urine is free of crystals. For now we are treating her for a UTI....hopefully that is all it is. It is a good thing my vet gives me a bit of a frequent flier discount!!

We have been enjoying some of the warmest days in April history. I have been able to make good use of my clothes line. I answered my own question of if sheets dried on the line are really that much better. The answer is YES!!! They are indeed worth the extra work.

The Spring Fling at the mall was fun. I was there about 3 hours and handed out at least a million brand new brochures. I figure anyone who pets the dogs for more than 30 seconds needs one. Huge thanks to the Grabbers for printing these up and having them ready for the spring events. Also thanks to Laura for putting the Spring Fling together and to all who took time out of their day to show off their hounds. I shared my time at the booth with first Laura and greyhound Abby and Mark, Melissa and greyhounds Rotini and Zeke. Then later with Vicki and greyhound Mamma Ducky and Hank, Katherine and greyhound Lemon. I took 3 of my 4 girls in. Iris was good but was ready for a nap after an hour. Tava was pretty nervous, I tired to let Darrin take her back out to the van but she was NOT leaving the other hounds, so she stayed. Run wore one of the donation coats and was great at getting top dollar. The girl knows how to work a crowd! I saw more than one person put a twenty in her coat. After about an hour we actually had to empty her pockets. A very good problem!! When ever Run saw serious petting going on she was on her way to horn in on it. At the end of my shift I decided my life would not be complete without a picture of the gang with the Easter bunny. Tilly was in the van so Darrin brought her in we trooped over to give the poor guy in the bunny suit a thrill. Actually it was pretty clear he wasn't a dog person, all he really wanted was not to be touched. ICKY dog germs. Once I got the pictures I laughed out loud at how his friendly bunny face translated to a look of horror. His little mouth looks like he could be letting out a little scream. So now the hounds and I are ready to crash and Tilly...well she is still running full tilt. I have got to go take that stupid squeak toy away from her!! "SQUEAKAH SQUEAKAH SQUEAK!!" I need Advil.

Another of Ducky's pups is heading our way. Nitro Velocity who is a litter mate to Nitro Tiny Tim (now Rudy of SD). Carol managed to wrangle a spot for him on the next haul in April!! Cleo is visiting Billings and a potential home. Cross your fingers that cupid is flying low.

Everything here is pretty peaceful. Dusk is doing well, but looks like he will be on antibiotics for a very long time....perhaps the rest of his life. Tilly is growing and still a DELIGHT. The new cat, Malarkey is settling in. He goes outside some and thankfully he sticks around...especially since I just spent money to have him neutered.

The Spring Fling at Southgate Mall is this SATURDAY in Missoula.
PLEASE consider sharing your hounds with others. Sign up by going to http://www.gparockymountain.org/ The schedule is looking awfully blank. While on our web site be sure to check out the great photo of Elaine and Doris looking like fashion models...what a great shot!
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Poor Iris. She lays in one dog bed and is quickly followed by puppy Tilly who has a super squeaky rubber toy in her mouth. Tilly happily squeaks her toy time after time...at least 10 squeaks per second. Iris gets up and goes to the other bed. Tilly happily follows "squeak squeak squeak" Iris sighs and lays down and Tilly give the toy a little toss, it lands just under Iris' nose. Tilly takes the toy and rolls around in the bed next to Iris. Iris gets up and goes back to the other bed. It takes just a moment for Tilly to realize she is being left. Iris stands in the bed looking hopeless as Tilly lolls around on her back kicking her legs in the air and twisting. Iris is determine now to get this bed to her self. She waits until the pup is distracted then wedges her whole body into a bed that was meant for a 20 pound dog. No room for puppy to share that bed....of course Iris getting out of that bed may require someone to pull the bed off her rump. Before you feel too sorry for Iris I should tell you she has her own version of playing with the puppy. She plays that greyhound favorite "You run so I can catch you and make you stop". Tilly thinks it is a stupid game but if Iris will play with her she will play whatever Iris wants to play.

Dusk had another scare last week. More than a week ago on Saturday he went from feeling pretty good to feeling crummy. I could see him wilting almost before my eyes. Once again his temperature spiked. I called the vet and we started him on big doses of antibiotics again. I was in contact with the vet all week end and Monday I took Dusk in first thing to be checked. Another x-ray showed that the mass in his chest is still growing. I spent the next several days staying with him as much as possible. I canceled some classes and made every effort to be there when he needed me. I nearly made the appointment to let him go more than once. Thursday evening he was breathing labored and seemed to be fading. I was certain we would be taking him into the vet first thing in the morning. I got up during the night to check him and he seemed like he was sleeping comfortably. I got up early to evaluate him so Darrin knew if he was going in to work or calling in late. But Dusk seemed like he was actually feeling better and Darrin headed off to work. From then on Dusk seems like he has been actually doing well again. He packs his toys around, barks at the neighbors dog and has a good appetite. I don't know exactly what is happening in that chest of his but I am thankful he is again feeling like himself. Today he even did his favorite move....a somersault in my lap.

Other than annoying the other dogs, Tilly is doing super. She is so smart and learns so quick. She already has a list of things she knows. Darrin and I both are really enjoying her. The weather has been nice and I have been able to get my pony out for a drive or two. Apple seems to like the drives as much as I do. It is fun to watch him moving right along with his ears up and a prance in his step. The doves have been able to go out to the flight cage during the day which is so nice after the long cold months. And the cat....well Sigh has a brother now....although he doesn't know it yet. We were up in Ronan yesterday looking at an armoire I decided not to buy. The woman's porch was covered in cats. She said they were feral strays. She told us many of them showed up after a house in the neighborhood burned down. She had been trying to tame them in hopes of finding them homes but said she hadn't had much luck. I had noticed this cream colored cat when we pulled up. He actually walked towards us when we approached the house. When he came right up to me and I scooped him up...so much for feral. The lady raised her eye brows in surprise and said "Please take him". I looked at Darrin and asked "Well?" Darrin said "He seems to like us". The lady ran for a box before we changed our minds. The cat was far from relaxed but he let me hold him and then stuff him in a box. Next thing we knew we were heading home with a stinky, dirty feral cat in a box behind the drivers seat. Thankfully the box stayed closed. The cat has been dubbed Malarkey and will head to the vet on Wednesday for his rites of passage into pethood (neutering and shots). He isn't super friendly but hopefully with the help of a smallish cage for a few days and good stinky food I can win him over. For now I am happy he used his litter box and hasn't tired to scratch my eyes out. Hopefully he will blossom now that he has a name and belongs somewhere.

Yesterday I was out in short sleeve scrubbing out crates with all the doors wide open and the sun streaming in...today we got snow. I kind of love the fickle ways of spring.

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I have gotten to meet some of the new greyhounds. I helped take them to the vet this past Saturday and get the girls spayed and ready for adoption. Ringer is a sweet and silly dark brindle girl who caught my eye right away. Thankfully she is spoken for. April is a very pretty black as she can be, dainty but fun loving girl. She has those fun fly away ears that never seem to be in sync. Little Ann is so pretty she takes your breath away with her shiny eyes and black mask on her fawn coat. Since they all had healthy teeth we were able to take them to the low cost spay clinic. We can get all 3 done for about the same cost as for one girl at other vets. The catch is of course that you have to be your dogs nurse. You monitor them during and after the surgery. We take advantage of them being knocked out and clip toenails and clean up teeth a little before they really come around. After the girls were done we loaded them up in Tripps truck and headed home with them. Peeking into the back of the truck it looked like some sort of slumber party gone wrong. The greyhound girls raise their bobbing heads and peer with half open eyes. They recovered nicely and are now waiting to be spoken for. I also got to meet Buster...I could have fallen in love with him. He is very pretty and has a sweet way about him. He is a smaller boy and seems like he will grow up to be laid back and have that easy to love greyhound temperament. He is another great dog from Nitro kennels.

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Perhaps the prize of all the available dogs is Pokey. He is a nine year old black boy who was handed over to us when his owner had a life style change and moved east. He had great care during the 6 years she had him. I am sure it was heartbreaking to let him go. Carol brought him over and we took some pictures of him. While playing with him he showed us that he knows some obedience. He walks on a loose lead. You ask "sit?" and her parks it. You say "down" and he plops down eyes bright. You say "treat" and he almost bursts with excitement. This boy is a GEM!! Here is a picture of him "working" for a treat.
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My pup Tilly is becoming the darling of Hot Cha. It amazes me that such a young soul can work such wonders with my old broken heart. She has brought back a lot of joy that has been on hold since Izzy died. What is better is everyone seems to adore her almost as much as I do. Dusk doesn't always like other dogs, but he has been quick to become the pup nanny. He plays with her and lets her climb all over him and chew on him. She uses the dog door and if she goes out Dusk follows her to keep an eye on her. Even Darrin seems smitten by her. I took Tilly for her first herding lesson. We put her on ducks. You start pups with ducks because they move easily away from the dog and because they won't try to intimidate a youngster. At this point we are just checking to see if she has any natural desire to herd. Tilly did really well for her 9 weeks of age. When one duck went the wrong way she surprised us by going back for it and putting it with the others. It is so cool to watch a dog do what it was bred for.

It is funny how things seem to happen in some sort of cycle. Just when I finally had been able to start to write about Izzy and my years with her there was a mass discovered in Dusk's chest. That was 4 weeks ago and things looked bleak for him. Of course I was frantic to make him comfortable and let him know how treasured he is. During this I got word through a round about source of a pup available up north of me. I was not looking for a pup but I was curious. Her picture revealed an usual similarity between her and Dusk. But the breeder told me that she was probably spoken for. I tried to put her out of my mind. Then things started to shift. A 2 week x-ray showed unexpected improvement in Dusk's mass. He actually seemed to be feeling better. On the heels of that I got word the pup was available and she could be mine. I was surprised by the wave of emotion that hit me with this news. I had decided logically I could live without her BUT somehow she had wiggled into my heart. I knew she was my family. I was pretty sure Darrin would have me committed somewhere when I broke the news I was looking at a pup. Not just any pup either this one was not a rescue...my first non-rescue ever. She has a performance pedigree. Bred to be versatile and willing to work with her owner. Much to my amazement Darrin gave me the nod and a few days later we were on our way north to meet her. It took a couple of days to decide on her name but of course it was the first one I thought of, Tilly. She is smart as a whip and bold as she can be. Today I took her up to herd ducks for the first time. I am in a stage of exposing her to all the things we may want her to know during her life. It is not training it is simply exposure. I have not gotten many of my dogs as pups so this is has been really fun to watch her learn and see her enthusiasm for life...that enthusiasm is contagious. I feel like someone turned the light back on in my world. Today would have been Izzy's 16th birthday...and although there will never be a dog like Izzy for me. I can find love in new ways and it is satisfying in a new way.

I know it is a little nutty but I do hope we get at least one more snow storm. Most of the Montana snow has been east of the divide. I usually get in one good walk with the pups on a snowy day and so far this winter I have mostly missed out. There were a couple of short ones with small flakes but I want lots of snow and flakes so fat you almost have to call them snowballs. When the air is thick and sound buffering as a quilt and no one else is out.

Monday I took Dusk to the vet. We did a x-ray and Dusk has a mass in his chest which looks pretty bad. If you didn't know Dusk he wouldn't have even looked sick. I was telling Judy, about discovering Dusk had a temp on Saturday and I started him on baytril right away. She wanted to know why I took his temperature at all. If my dogs seem a bit off I put them on the grooming table and give them the once over. I run my hands all over them, look them in the face, smell their breath, and look for anything that feels wrong. To my hands he felt hot...in particular I put my fingers in his ears and a hand on his inner thigh. If your hands are sensitive you will be able to get a sense for if they seem hot. Of course if you don't know what your dog feels like when they are normal it will be hard to tell when they feel hot. If they feel questionable, I break out the thermometer. I often check temp just to be sure anyway. If the dog has been outside his ears can be cool and there still be a problem. Dry nose is no more a indication of fever than chapped lips for us...it means nothing. Every dog owner should have a thermometer for the dogs. Nothing special just a good digital thermometer from Wal-mart. I like digital because it is easier to read, won't break if I drop it and tells me when it is done. Yes, you have to take a dog's temperature rectally. I really wanted one of those nice ear thermometers BUT unfortunately because of the shape of a dogs ear canal they are inaccurate...so why bother. Once you have a thermometer write on it in big letters "DOG" on one side and normal dog temp on the other (101.5 give or take a degree either way). Taking a temp is not hard. You get your thermometer, a paper towel and a dab of Vaseline and act like you know what you are doing. It is normal for there to be some resistance but don't shove. Often you have to kind of hold it in there. When it beeps take it out, with paper towel ready, wipe and read. I follow up with a wipe down of peroxide. If your dog is a little high, write down the temp with the time and check it again in a hour or so. If it keeps moving away from normal call your vet. Anything under 100 degrees, over 103 degrees or that is changing is worth a call right away. But again if you don't know what is normal for your dog it is going to be hard to tell exactly how elevated it is. Take your dog's temp a few times for two reasons, so you learn how and so you know what is normal. If you are nervous about how to do it have your vet or a vet tech show you.

Dusk seems to be holding his own. He is eating well and responding to the medicine. So maybe some of the mass was inflammation. My vet wasn't too hopeful but my Aussies have beaten the odds before...and Dusk is a master at beating the odds.

Tonight was spent doing a non dog thing...weird. I went to a junk auction. I went last week too and because it was a full house I ended up sitting on a pallet of Versace carpets. I shutter to think what my seat was worth in dollars but I can tell you they were really warm and comfy. We left before the rugs sold last week but one rug from the huge stack was back tonight and it sold for $1500. Last week was the bankruptcy sale of the Moss Mansion on Flathead lake. It always strikes me as sad when old mansions lose their contents. I bid on a Springer Spaniel bronze but chickened out as the price soared. Had the bronze been a greyhound I would stayed strong. I fell in love with a huge armoire. I mean huge!! It was probably 12 feet long and 5 feet tall. It was absolutely beautiful. It sold last week but was resold tonight. Darrin was sure it was because no one could move the beast. I rolled my eyes and told him I was certain it was exactly what I needed. The bidding started and I started raising my card. Each time I bid Darrin let out a pitiful groan. In a weak moment I stopped bidding and it was gone. SIGH!! I had to walk by it as we left and was kicking myself, meanwhile Darrin was smug at the hard work he saved himself. I did come home with some spode china. My idea was to resell it on ebay BUT I really like blue and white dishes so I think they will stay. On the up side the plates are small, don't eat or poop and never need a doctor.
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One of my good friends visited this past weekend. I love visits from my dog friends!! She showed up with her pack of pups and we spent a couple evenings in the training room. With the wood stove bleching out heat we really got down to running our dogs through their paces. It was fun to get the dust knocked off my old brain and get back in to training mode. Time to set some goals for the upcoming year. Ingrid also took a some of great shots of a couple of my pups. Here is my baby boy Brink...who really isn't much of a baby as he heads towards his 3rd birthday. She really captured his sweet silly hippy way...oh and his fantastic ears!!

Brink - 1-2010

Photo by Ingrid Rosenquist - Psycht Photography

A little mouse colony has decided that my kennel is Mecca for Mice. On the rare occasion a mouse does come into the kennel it usually does not stay long. It leaves either of its own accord or heads home to Jesus via sighthound or cat. But this group of mice were smarter than average and they decided that warm rooms, snuggly dog beds, dove food and stray kibble made for a nice place to spend the cold winter nights. The cold actually made their odds better since Sigh, my faithful mouse eradicating cat was in his kennel basking under the heat lamp during the below zero weather. I don't know exactly how many were in the nasty rodent pack but at least 3. I know this because I know the details of their demise...or almost demise.

The first to go was the fool who let Tava run up on it and scoop it up and take it into her crate with her. At first I was in hot pursuit of Tava but as I neared her crate I started to lose heart. What if she didn't kill the beast? What if it was only wounded? What if she had already swallowed it? A million "what if'"s run through your head at those moments. Even now I am shuttering at the mere thought of the experience. Thankfully when I finally got up the nerve to look, the mouse was indeed dead bit neatly through but not mauled or smeared around. Removing Tava from the crate I could take out the bed, mouse and all and dump said mouse into the garbage and the bed into a washer of bleach.

The second mouse was the stuff of nightmares. I was cleaning the kennel, when I was done the shop vac was full. I was toting the bottom out to dump and then...I saw an awful little flash of movement. Stifling a scream I ran to the garbage and dumped, lint, dog hair, dirt and possible mouse into the garbage and slammed the lid shut. I didn't even want to look. I figured if I didn't see it for sure then I could convince myself it didn't exist. That night was garbage night. Before I knew it, Darrin had the garbage sitting down at its pick up spot and the next morning it was a done deal. The vacuum mouse was gone. I dragged the garbage can rattling and bouncing up the driveway, then went about my business. A couple of days later I found another bit through dead mouse in the kennel. A quick sweep of my broom and it was in the dust pan and I headed to the garbage. When I yanked the lid open I saw that awful scurry. Could it be vacuum mouse managed to survive the garbage being emptied?!! Cringing, I was too curious and had to look. Yep there it was hunkered down next to a piece of newspaper that had stuck to the bottom. UGH!!! Now what? I can't let the stupid thing starve in there for a whole week and I certainly was not brave enough to kill it. I vetoed the notion of putting Sigh in there to kill the mouse. I can't imagine he would forgive me for "throwing him in the garbage" no matter the reason. So I did the only thing a lion heart like myself can do, I knocked the garbage can over and ran like hell. When I went back to pick it up the can several hours later the vacuum mouse was gone.

The mouse problem seems to be back in balance again. I don't see them or smell them and the cat is out and putting on weight.

Happy New Year!!! I hope you all made resolutions you don't intend to keep and maybe a couple worth hanging on to. For the past month I have been battling a stupid cold. This is the worst one I have ever had...and yes I did visit with my Dr. about it. Why is it when you have a cold it is like you have a sign on you "please boss me around". I can't tell you how many time I have been told to; "Drink lots of water, take vitamin C, don't take vitamin C, use Zicam, use Musinex, go to bed, and eat chicken soup". "What did your doctor say?" "What does your husband think?" "Are you eating enough chocolate?" OK, OK I made that last one up....wishful thinking. It is getting better but it is taking a long time. I should be better in time for my period to start....Now I have regressed to feeling sorry for myself. And why not? A month is a long time to have a cold.

Tonight I was giving my girl Sage a bath. The water was warm and I was happily sudsing her washing away all that itchy loose hair and dog smell. I glanced at her face and she had a vacant look in her eyes. Sage clearly was not having the fun I was, she had checked out. If your "Happy Place" is the place you take your mind to when you deal with things you would rather not deal with. Sage was there. It made me wonder if I was part of her Happy Place. Tonight I probably wasn't but what about other times. What about when she is in her crate in the van or at the vet, she is fond of neither. Am I part of her Happy Place then? Does she think about the times we snuggled on the couch or laid in the grass together? Does she think about my hands cupping the sleek shape of her head? Does she remember the millions of treats I have shared with her? Does she see the light in my eyes when I watch her? Sage has been part of my life since, well, before she was born, nine years ago. Her mother was a cute little Aussie girl who was at the shelter ready to whelp, I knew that if those pups were going to have any chance they needed to be born somewhere else. Mamma Lucy Blue came home with me and had 5 pups, of which Sage was one. Sage laid on my chest when she was just a puppy potato. We shared breath and heartbeats. She was solid muscle even before she could hear or see. I thrilled when she offered to retrieve almost as soon as she could walk. This was going to be my obedience dog extraordinaire. As much as Sage loved training she hated showing. She retired early and prefers to be a home body. Which suits me fine, I love having her here. Now days Sage has very little stress in her life. But maybe she goes to her Happy Place just to relax, like I do. I hope I am in her Happy Place, she certainly is in mine.

Photo by Ingrid Rosenquist - Pyscht Photography