Big News from Up North

Team Jordan (Sparklers) is on a serious roll, racking up the working titles so fast that it is hard to keep track. Her latest is quite the Accomplishment (yes, with a capital A) — the Canadian Kennel Club’s Draft Dog Excellent (DDX).

In the USA, draft titles are through breed clubs like the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America (BMDCA). In Canada, drafting is done through the Canadian Kennel Club, which has a draft program that our own dear Aysha described as “batshit” (as in crazy hard).

I pulled up the Regulations and Aysha’s comment is not actually hyperbole.

The requirements for DDX are very challenging and include working from behind the dog, a backpacking portion, three judges, and my personal least favorite — the dog may never sit or down during the majority of the test.

I thought the Americans had the corner on that whole Protestant work ethic thing but I guess our neighbors to the north are also a bit hard on idleness.

Anyway, Team Jordan passed that test — on a hot day, no less — before her 2.5 year old birthday. It is entirely appropriate to be super impressed and blown away by this young team.

As Dianne noted in her Facebook post — Jordan is aptly named: Kaibab’s Just Watch Me. This girl has been worth watching since she was tiny. She is something special.

I am grateful to Dianne for ensuring that Jordan is living her Best Life and realizing her deep potential.

CONGRATULATIONS to Team Jordan on this significant title and all it represents!

Decisions, Decisions

rePete requested equal time on the blog.

This is Daisy.

Let me give you a glimpse into the heart and mind of a Breeder. Since Daisy lived with Galen and Bethany for her first 2.5+ years (we co-own Daisy) — and may well return to them when they have a suitable housing situation — I am struggling between the desire to get various titles on Daisy or breeding her in August.

If I do titles first, I will not be able to breed her until Fall 2020 when she is 4.5 years. This is because our breeding plans always consider the National Specialty — we will not have a litter if it means missing the Specialty. And so it is this August or skip a cycle and breed Daisy in Fall 2020.

This is Claire.

I am in a similar boat with Claire. I either breed her soon or I wait until Fall 2020.

This is Sparkle with a scraped up nose — more on that soon.

Sparkle has not gotten pregnant — twice. Both times were high tech so semen quality could be the issue but I am concerned, to be sure. She is about to be six and so I figure I have just one more chance to breed her — that will likely be November.

I do not want to ever again be in a position of having such a wonderful girl and only having one litter from her as she nears the end of her reproductive life. That said, two litters is my limit with a girl but I want that second litter from Sparkle, who is the total Berner package — with a sparkly bow. And now we are down to the wire…

But what if I breed all three girls in the next few months and they all get pregnant?!

Think 101 Dalmatians.

What I have decided is this — Claire will be bred when she comes in season, which should be within the next six weeks. Hopefully I will know the status of her pregnancy before Daisy comes in season.

If Claire is pregnant, Daisy is off the motherhood hook for now. If Claire is not pregnant, Daisy will be invited to create my next puppy.

Sparkle will be bred in November regardless.

All that means show plans are up in the air — I do not compete with pregnant girls, and we stay home when we have litters. For someone who loves to plan, the uncertainties associated of what can we do when? is a bit disconcerting — but no doubt, good for me.

Breeding dogs well is definitely not for the faint of heart — for all kinds of reasons.

The Word of Summer

Montana’s summer is really quite lovely. To me, summer means early morning dog walks, bike riding with Dear Husband, lakes and rivers, dog training, and just enjoying the ability to be outside and doing stuff (as opposed to being outside and doing stuff — and freezing our fannies off).

Sparkle and I are working on Utility exercises — this is Directed Jumping.

In this exercise the dog starts with the handler. The handler sends the dog to sit on the opposite side of the ring, facing the handler. Then — on a signal from the handler — the dog takes one of two jumps, ending up sitting in front of the handler. All that is then repeated, utilizing the other jump.

It is a complicated exercise, and so I have it broken down into Least Trainable Units and am working these individually at this point.

Sparkle may not be the most precise and exact obedience dog, but you won’t find a happier or more willing worker — and she is quick to grasp concepts.

Her Bestie, Pete, likes to help with our training.

And speaking of cats…

Poppy is now quite deaf and not likely to win the Feline Congeniality Award anytime soon (or ever) but she continues to enjoy the life she chose by showing up at our house all those years ago.

The most recent version of Chippy is also industriously enjoying summer.

Summer is the season of Play.

Claire

What kinds of things are you doing to ensure a playful summer?