Birthday Week: Pozy Clarkia

Normally I do all the litter before my own dog but Kitsap is off camping and so his update will be forthcoming, making room for Pozy Clarkia today.

Baby Pozy Clarkia

Pozy is (almost) all the dogs I have loved rolled into one. Abra, Maize, Halo, Cadi, Sydney — Pozy Clarkia is their direct descendent. This means Pozy is also related to Asia, Zoey Sparkle, Claire, and Capella.

Pozy with mother, Daisy, and Great-Auntie Harper B

Pozy is treasured for her connections but also for herself.

It is easy to forget that 12 months is still a puppy. Pozy is 84 pounds and filling out, with a lush coat that makes her look even bigger.

But Pozy is still a puppy, and one whose puppyhood was detoured by the pandemic and also with the arrival of the Bright Stars and Moonshadows. I joke that she has gone feral — that is not quite the truth but I acknowledge her first critical year took a hit with the ten plus ten. How could it not?!

I learn things with every single dog, and that knowledge makes me train the next dog in new ways. Pozy’s most recent training accomplishment is that she can be leashed and walked outside without any dramatics. No spinning, barking, joyous but insane drama when it is time to go someplace.

Those with multiple high drive dogs will understand both the feat and the need for such behavior. One of my 2022 Specialty goal is to be able to calmly walk Capella and Pozy together.

Like so many of her littermates, Pozy is in training for various things. Her main thing now is tracking but that will wrap up in late-June as the summer heat changes the green grass to dry fields. She also is working on obedience, agility, and the whole beauty pageant thing; I hope to show her in conformation in the fall

Like her siblings, Pozy is very, very smart. She is also easy to live with, happy, very trainable, and just a bright, charming girl. I adore her.

Pozy Clarkia — born for adventure given her dramatic arrival and amazing survival in the parking lot of a Tractor Supply store, and carrying the name of someone lost to the Covid pandemic when we thought 10,000 dead in the USA was appalling and terrible and unacceptable; now it is almost 600,000.

Unimaginable.

We won’t forget.

Happy Birthday to my beloved legacy girl…

Birthday Week: Kjempe

Birthday Week continues with a happy update from Kjempe (Paintbrush).

Marija sends us this fun report:

“As Mary-Ann knows, this is my first Berner - special gratitude for her, entrusting me with one of her pups. Having researched breeds exhaustively, I would wager that Kjempe not only lives up to all of the characteristics that make this breed so great, but surpasses them in the categories of intelligence, silliness/playfulness, patience, kindness, happiness, and best friend.

Kjempe, ever-observant, is always taking in his environment - a scientist of sorts - putting this world together, rather astutely :-) As detailed in commentary for his littermates, he is highly intelligent, LOVES the snow, an athlete, and can run really really fast! I haven't concluded yet if he likes the water. He'll put his feet in, but never wants to go all in. I think he may take after Daisy.

Our busy year together includes several training classes from puppy basics and obedience to loose leash walking building on dog/owner communication, and currently canine good citizen with the test and certification the first Monday in June.

We moved to a new property where Kjempe has 2 acres to play, and have been busy planting trees, bushes, flowers, watching sunrises, sunsets and the stars, and of course daily chores like getting the mail (Kjempe is always eager to carry something back to the house), training, playing tug and fetch, learning some basic agility, going through tunnels, and herding cats when its time for everyone to come inside ha ha!

This winter I introduced Kjempe to cross-country skiing where he had no concerns around the skis and seemed to enjoy it. Next year we will start training for skijoring.

Every morning Kjempe sits and waits for me to make my latte so he can have a pupaccino. We take walks or hikes almost daily, meet friends at breweries, shop together at places where dogs are allowed, have picnics in the park, and can't wait to attend some outdoor live music hopefully this summer. He loves people and always has a friendly greeting. My nieces especially love to visit, or we will venture to their house for an overnight stay.

This summer we will head up high for some hikes where it is nice and cool to escape the Colorado Front Range heat. We are both early birds, though some days, he prefers to sleep in a little longer than me. Kjempe and the cats do yoga with me in the mornings on the patio, which is very peaceful. He is a good brother to the kitties, though I sometimes think that they just tolerate him as only cats will do. ha ha.

Kjempe is a great side kick, companion, and best friend. He makes me laugh with his silly antics. I think he will do excellent in agility as this past Tuesday on our hike, while I tucked the leash up for him to cross the wet areas while I skipped rocks/used log bridges, he decided to use the bridge ahead of me! Took me completely by surprise. On top of that, he proceeded to jump logs that were across the trail and had a lot of fun doing it. There is a foundations of agility class that we are looking into after CGC.”

I had the pleasure of spending time with Kjempe and Mariya when I was at the Specialty, and I could not be happier with the lovely life that those two have together. Lovely person, lovely dog, perfect match.

Birthday Week: Zeus

Today we hear about the Life and Times of the Mr. Congeniality of the Wildflowers — Zeus! Penny sends us this report:

“It's hard to believe a whole year has flown by since we anxiously awaited the arrival of the Wildflower litter and were overwhelmed with how precious and perfect each puppy was. We knew we would be so fortunate if one of them became part of our family, but we never could have imagined how Mallow would fill our hearts so completely. I'll never forget receiving the word from Mary-Ann!

Baby Zeus

Zeus (Mallow) immediately became the center of our family's universe- our son, Raymond (now 9), and daughter, Ada (now 6), have never stopped doting on him.

Looking back through our photos is bittersweet, seeing how he's grown this year. It's just like with your children when you see them everyday and don't notice how much they have grown until you see a photo! Wow!

Over the last year I have been fortunate to be able to telework. Each morning after the kids go to school, Zeus is ready to "go to work"- which really means laying at my feet under my desk while I type away at the computer.

We enjoy walks together and he loves the beach. Fetch with his orange ball continues to be his favorite game in the yard...and sometimes keep-away from the kids, too...or keep-away with my sock…or shoe.

Zeus has never met a person or dog he didn't want to be friends with, but no one holds a candle to his best friends Georgia & Patty and his sister Buttercup.

We have been so very fortunate to live near enough to Georgia, Patty & Buttercup to visit frequently and to take classes with Georgia. Zeus and I are really loving Scentwork right now. He is doing great with inside and outside searches and I can tell he enjoys it. Plus he gets to romp in the hayfield with Buttercup! It's most definitely the highlight of his week- and mine, too.

Just like when he was a puppy, he is a happy and friendly guy- full of love. He also loves to nap and still thinks he fits in our lap!

Happy Birthday to all the Wildflowers and best wishes to everyone! Thank you for welcoming us into the Berner community. We are so grateful for all the support.”

Thank you so much, Penny and family, and also to Patty, Georgia and Buttercup. Zeus is a great example of how a puppy can be a community builder to the benefit of all involved. Well done, Zeus!