My sister's birthday

Happy Birthday Teri!

Phil goes home

Phil flew to his new home today. He went to a family that got a Zion/Noodles pup from me a couple years ago. Their pup got in to something a month or so ago and died all of a sudden. Very tragic. Their neighbor and friend got the pup I flew with to Manchester on the 8th. Now these two puppies can play together and grow up together.

Velvet and the kittens

The kittens are doing great. They are getting bigger and more playful all the time. Velvet is such a good sport with them too.



Anybody want a kitten? How about this for a sales campaign: Free cat with every puppy

I'll need to be careful where these kittens go. They are so used to Velvet that they don't know enough to be afraid of dogs.

AHHH, still no power and no computer

At 5:00 a.m. I woke up to complete silence. The generator was out. I couldn't get it fixed and had to end up just leaving it and going to work. Rick came over later and fixed it for me. sigh, I'm trying so hard not to be a helpless female.

The generator is a big help, but I still couldn't use the computer or phone. It is driving me crazy. I'm sneaking in on the computer here at work right now and I am going to get in trouble for it, but needed to somehow let people know. I have no email acess and no telephone. I was in negotiations with a couple of families for puppies but can't get in touch with them. That is what I get for putting all my numbers in my computer data base. I do have a cell phone, but I don't know what those people's numbers are. I was also emailing back and forth with my Lazy River Buddy trying to figure out how I can skip work and go again this year. Ack! They are all going to think I up and skipped town. Well, since I'm on the computer, I might get fired then I can go. Hmmm

Likely won't have power again until Tuesday. I'm gonna have to throw out everything in my fridge.

The power came back on late this afternoon. Yeah, we didn't have to wait until Tuesday. Now I can arrange the transportation for one of the puppies. He is going to be neighbors and best friends with his littermate.

Exchange

This morning I tried to go in to work at 1:00 a.m. in order to be back home for the Rosie exchange at 10:00 a.m. I just could not drag myself out of the house quite early enough. It was closer to 1:30 before I got to work. That meant I wouldn't be able to get home until 10:00. I called my sister and she came down here to wait. Do you even have any idea what I'm talking about? No? I didn't think I explained it. Rosie's guardian family is super busy this week so she (Rosie) needed to stay with me for a few days. Since Bear is stiiilllll here Rosie couldn't stay here. There is an acquaintance of mine who is interested in breeding doodles but she would like some extra guidance. Rosie is going to have and raise her puppies at her house and I'm going to go over and do the stuff that needs to be done (de worming, shots, microchips, etc) and show her. So, Rosie stayed there the past few days to get to know them a little bit. She brought Rosie back here and then Rosie's guardian mom picked her up here.

We still don't have power. After work and after the Rosie exchange I broke down and bought a generator. I've been wanting one for years. We have frequent power outages in our neighborhood. At least once a year we are without power for more than a day. I bought a used one and was so proud of myself. I couldn't get it figured out and had to end up calling Rick to come and help me. He got it working in one pull (of course) and we got the 'fridge and freezer and a lamp plugged in.

Storm

A storm knocked our power out early this evening. Not too long ago I switched phone service. Now I have cable, internet, and phone all with one company. I can't tell the difference with my phone, it is the same only less expensive. Ahh, but now I see a drawback. No electricity means no phone service. Our power goes out frequently here so I have one corded phone so we would always be able to use that during a power outage. Now it doesn't work with this type of phone.

AI for Rosie

Rosie's guardian mom dropped her off at the vet this morning. The poor guardian mom, this is a really busy-hectic week for them and having to deal with all this extra running around didn't help. They are such great sports though and I really appreciate it. Anyway, Rosie got to hang out at the vet until her special delivery arrived. The vet gave her a shot to induce ovulation and then inseminated her with Mar's stuff. I remember way back when, when we did this for Velvet. At that time I was under the impression Velvet was not too happy about not have the real thing; like she felt gypped or something. Rosie did not give me the impression of feeling that way today.

I was really nervous about bring Rosie back to my house today. Bear is still here. I was so afraid they would go crazy trying to get at each other. Not so. Well, not totally anyway. Bear wanted Rosie in a bad way. Rosie, on the other hand, was mildly interested but not overly so. She was only here for an hour or so before I took to her to a friend's house to spend a few days.

The package is in the mail

It is not everyday that I can honestly say "There is a package of semen in the mail on the way to me". Technically I can't honestly say that today either, bummer. The package is going to the vet's office, not my house. Mars' breeder called to let me know Mars was collected from and there here lots of good healthy swimmers and it all looks great. The collection person then properly packaged it up and is sending it express for next morning delivery.

This is all very exciting.

More testing for Rosie

Rosie went back to the vet today for another progesterone level check. Now we know Wednesday will be the day she needs bred. I contacted Gen of Sierra Vista and she will take Mars in tomorrow to be collected from.

Rosie is cycling now. Today she went to the vet for a Progesterone test. The results of that test will tell us where she is in her cycle. Since we will be doing AI (artificial insemination) with shipped chilled semen, we have to know exactly when to breed her. Rosie is an F1 Labradoodle and the stud we are using is Mars, a mini Poodle. He lives in California and is part of Sierra Vista's program. Bryony and I got to meet him when we went out there several years ago. He was just 8 weeks old and sooo cute.

Speaking of being all grown up...

My little Jill started Kindergarten today.
Just waiting for the bus, how exciting!
oooo, there it is. It is so big.
Such a big girl.

BitterSweet

Whaaaaaaaa nooooo, say it isn't so. Liuda called today. She is going to be quitting. She is...um....in a family way. That is so exciting and I'm thrilled for them. They are going to make wonderful parents. I feel so motherly towards her, like I watched her grow up. When she first started working for me she had only been in this country a few months. She spoke broken English and didn't know our customs or holidays. Now here she is, speaking very well, understanding and celebrating our holidays, married and starting her own family. *sniff* I'm so proud of her. ....but...but...I'm going to miss her more than I miss...oh wait, I better not finish that sentence. That wouldn't be very nice.

The puppies are flying out the door today!

Man, what an uncomfortably busy day today was. This was supposed to have been my day off, but I ended up going in to make rounds with the Psychiatrist and working with him. I didn't get home until 1:30 or so. I had to hurry home and get puppies ready to go home. Three families came one at a time and overlapped each a bit. The last one left after 9:00 pm. Corky went home. She moved in with the Late Baby JR's (AKA Riley) mom. She is going to have great fun there. Miles and Jim went to their new homes too.

Lacey and Da Vinci's puppies are 8 weeks old

Lacey's puppies are 8 weeks old today. *sniff, they are all grown up and ready to fly the coop now. Uh oh, does that mean I let one go home one day early? Oops, Sshhhh, don't tell anybody.

First Class Puppy

This morning I got up at 2:00 AM and left for the airport at 3:00 a.m. As I was checking in at the terminal I decided to go ahead and upgrade to first class for the first leg of the trip. Why not? I've never flown first class before and thought I'd treat myself. Well, did I mention that I accidentally forgot to report to anyone that I was bringing a puppy on board? I really should have waited until they called for last call to board before getting on. That way Miles (the puppy) could have some extra time running around in the bathroom (that is a pretty good place for pups to get out and get some exercise in an airport). But...what good is to fly first class if the others don't get to see me being the first on, and if I can't sit there in the big comfy seat sipping on juice while the commoners are boarding? So, silly me, I am the first one on. We ended up in the very front row. The front row is not the best spot to sit when attempting to smuggle a happy wide awake puppy. Usually I carry the pups in a special pet back pack that is pretty big. Thank goodness I bought a new pet bag that is smaller and looks more purse-like. I was sitting there with one hand discretely stuck in the bag to try to keep the pup quiet, and pretending to calmly read my book that I really I have open just to try to hide my wiggly bag. Can you imagine what my heart rate was when I heard the pilot say "I hear puppy noises. What is making those puppy noises?" Asking the stewardess: "Is there a puppy on board?" The stewardess came out, looked around, and went back in the cockpit and said "There isn't any puppy out here". I should get an Emmy for my cool performance. I was so glad once the plane started moving. Even if they figured out Miles was there, they could stop the plane and make up get out on a cloud. Just before take off I put my bag behind my legs under the seat. Believe it or not Miles settled down and was calm the rest of the way. Well, except for when he was managed to push open the bag with his nose and try to climb out. I sat most of the way sitting forward with my elbow on my knee, holding the book on my lap and discretely danging my other hand down to keep checking on the pup. Whew! We made it to DC undetected. As far as flying first class...hmmm, that was an expensive glass of orange juice. I think I'll stick with the commoners next time. The next leg we were sitting in the very back row by the window. That was a perfect spot. There was a young mom holding a 10 month baby beside me and two unaccompanied children sitting in front of us. Perfect. Miles sat part of the way on my lap and the rest of the way in the bag under the seat in front of us. He was a perfect gentleman. I do want to mention that this airline does allow small pets in the cabin. It just makes the trip ever so much more exciting to "sneak" him on.

Miles new family was so excited and thrilled that they hugged me and gave me a kiss. Aww, how nice. His new mom is also a nurse and is also planning on training him to go to work with her.

The return was delayed so they changed my flight, then they changed it back, then that flight was canceled so they changed it again. After hours of waiting, I flew to DC (was in the front row but not first class), had to run to find the shuttle that took me to the next plane, ran to the plane, and just made it before they closed the door. Whew! I was in the front row but not first class on this flight too. Finally made it home just before midnight.

Velvet is still going to work with me every day. She is really tired today. Yesterday we worked the day shift, got off work, zipped over to pick up Corky and Phil, picked Jill up from school, ran home made the arrangements to send Miles to NH, did other puppy stuff, then went back to work and worked 10:00 pm last night until 7:30 this morning. I really thought Velvet would just sleep at the nurse station. Poor thing, she did doze a little, but she followed me around most of the time. She sure slept the rest of the day.

When we got off work, I took a nap for a couple of hours, then got up and got Miles ready to go home. I just can't ship him. It is supposed to get up to 100 degrees tomorrow. There are a couple of early morning flights that he can go on before the weather gets too hot. ...but...what if a flight is delayed...what if a cargo guy is having a bad day.... No, I just can't take that chance. I'm going to fly to NH tomorrow and take him in the cabin of the plane with me. I'll have to leave really early in the morning.

Today was Corkyand Phil'sturn to have surgery. They did really well of course.

Thinking about going home

It is time to start getting Lacey's puppies ready to go home. They will be eight weeks old this week. They need to have their pictures taken for their books and it is time to put the books together. Today I took a bunch of pictures of Kay and Murphy and talked on the phone with the family to help them decide which puppy is best for them. These puppies have such similar dispositions with each other. There isn't one that really stands out as being the definite alpha or low man on the totem pole.

Full day

Today Velvet stayed with me all day at work. She was perfect. She was on leash for about 1/2 hour then I took it off. She stayed right with me. Once when we were in a resident's room I put her (Velvet, not the resident) in a down-stay so I could run down the hall to grab something. When I came back she was right where I told her to stay. I was so proud. A couple other times I put her in a down-stay outside a resident's room so I could go in without her. I'm paying close attention to the people's verbal and nonverbal cues to know who would prefer not to have a dog get close to them. Anyway, each time Velvet stayed right where I told her to. It is so wonderful that all that training I have put in her is paying off. Really though, yes the training is essential, but her nonflappable disposition is most important. That is not something that can be trained or taught, it is just her. I love her she is the best. With Lacey's (Velvet/Koby daughter) third litter, I will probably breed her with Da Vinci again just so I can keep one of the puppies. Hmmm, maybe not. Velvet will only be 9 yrs old and still have another good 4 or 5 years. At any rate, somewhere along the line I want to keep a Velvet grandpup. One that also has DaVinci in him would be perfect.

First day at work

This morning as I was leaving for work, instead of giving Velvet a pat on the head and telling her to have fun today, I got her leash and brought her with me. I was loving it and so was she. Velvet actually got to go to work with me. How excellent is this? She did wonderfully. I kept the leash on her and she followed me everywhere. She was just as cool as a cucumber. Nothing bothered her. She sat nicely so people could pet her. I felt kind of guilty that I was getting paid for this. Isn't that the perfect job though? The kind that you love so much that it feels wrong to be getting paid for it? Combining my Velvet with my old people, love it! I took her home after three hours. Didn't want her to get too exhausted or overwhelmed on her first day.

Yet another trip to the vet

We have been to the vet everyday so far this week. Today three more pups had surgery. Today I paid $1000 toward my bill and still owe another $950.

Jill and I took Velvet to work again this evening. We went a little earlier this evening so some of the people were still up but most of employees, except the nurses and aides of course, were gone. It was a little busier and she got to meet some of the residents. One of the nursing assistants sent us in a room to see a lady that had just gone to bed. I was really surprised at this request. This lady rarely comes out of her room, and spends most of the time in bed. She doesn't talk much. When we went to the room, the nurse aide asked if we could bring in a big dog to see her. She said "yes of course, please do", then she threw back the covers and sat right up without any help. Her whole face was smiling and she looked so happy. Now, I have seen this lady everyday for the past two months and I would not have recognized her had I not known that was her. She looked so happy and was moving so well. She started feeding Velvet some Goldfish Crackers.

This lady's roommate (who tends to be crabby and has a very colorful vocabulary) sleeps with a stuffed bear. She held up her bear and called out "isn't this the prettiest bear you've ever seen?". My Jill, my five year old daughter, went over to her and visited. The resident brightened up. Sigh, I'm so proud of my girls.

Velvet got a job!

The nursing home where I work is very pet-friendly. They have had several failed attempts at having a facility dog. One dog they had was a little hyper and didn't get let outside consistantly. Another one they had specially trained just didn't have the right disposition for the job once there. Another one was there for a few days and started growling. They (the people in charge) didn't do a good job at all of selecting the right type of dog. One dog they found as a stray, another they picked up at a shelter, and another was given to them. I completely understand wanting to rescue a dog, however, being a nursing home dog takes just the right type of dog. At my nursing home there are 80 residents right now. On the day shift during the week there are 39 employees (that includes dietary, housekeeping, office people, and all the others) plus always visitors. It is loud and very hectic. The right dog for the job needs to be totally unfazed by yelling, smells, and occassionally getting her tail run over by a wheelchair. Velvet is the girl for the job. She is bomb-proof.

Velvet went to the vet for her annual exam and immunizations. She is healthy and ready to go to work.

This evening, about 9:30 p.m., Jill and I took Velvet to the nursing home. We went this late on purpose to get there after everybody was in bed and most of the employees were gone. I wanted Velvet's first trip there to be a nice quiet calm visit to just make a quick walk through so she can see it, smell it, and meet just a couple of people. It went well.

Buttons, one of Bessie's pups, went home today. He is so absolutely adorable that I can't believe he is only just now getting a home.