Blackthorn Dalmatians and Patch Mountain Dalmatians

Today's Picture

2011-10-24T06:34:00.000-07:00

Newest Titles

2011-10-23T07:55:00.000-07:00

And, then there are the latest tracking titles. CH Lucy TDX and CH Violet TDX, both with many other performance titles.

Puppies

2011-10-23T07:51:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to announce that we have a new litter of Dalmatians Puppies. Sire: CH Blizzard CDX RAE and Dam: CH Lucy RN TDX. 9 healthy puppies, 5 boys, 4 girls, all blackspotted. Both parents have all thier health clearances and CHIC numbers. Inquiries invited.

Champion Tracker Maeve

2011-08-02T03:53:00.000-07:00

We could not be more proud. This past weekend at Colby College in beautiful Maine Maeve became the 7th Champion Tracker Dalmatian. This is the highest level of tracking that the AKC offers and is harder than most can imagine. Maeve PASSED on her first attempt, what a huge accomplishment!

Arthur The Corgi

2011-07-28T11:52:00.000-07:00

I've had some computer issues, so haven't been a very good Blogger. Here are some pictures of Carina with my mother's cat and also a picture of my sister's Cardigan Welsh Corgi - Arthur.

Why it is hard to go to work

2011-06-17T09:56:00.000-07:00

The view from my front porch this morning. And why it is hard to go to work some mornings!

Agility Class

2011-06-09T11:13:00.000-07:00

Well, finally went to an agility class last night. We have had a long, dry spell of finding the right instructor in the right place at the right time. My old agility partner Kim Tees is now teaching a great class in Portland - INSIDE! Corey and Spring were great. Corey would have so many more titles if he didn't have such a handicapped handler. Spring did very good considering what little exposure she has had. I see agility titles in her future!

And, the picture - the is Candy - CH Alfredrich Jackson Candygirl CD running a USDAA agility course before the days of AKC agility. Kim and I use to travel to the shows together. Where has the time gone?

Another Corey Son

2011-06-07T09:06:00.000-07:00

New Champion

2011-06-06T11:47:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Ann and Mac Smith on finishing their Corey/Holly son, Derry. He finished with a Specialty Supported entry, all points from the Bred-By Classes at just over a year old. Pictures to be p0sted soon. Brother Nemo was Reserve at the Specialty the day before. What a good weekend at the dog show!

Out My Back Door

2011-05-26T03:33:00.001-07:00

At first I thought my horse had gotten out. This is why I love living in the middle of nowhere.

Violet and Dinah

2011-05-25T16:53:00.000-07:00

Here is one of the last pictures I have of Violet and Dinah - shortly before Dinah's new owners showed up to take her home.

3 - 2 - 1

2011-05-14T14:54:00.000-07:00

Mac/Diesel left Friday, Patrick/Wesley left Saturday. Just Bridget/Dinah left - to her new home on Wednesday.

Puppy Face Pictures

2011-05-13T09:56:00.000-07:00

Puppy Health Check-Up

2011-05-11T06:49:00.000-07:00

Pups went in for their first shots and health check last night. We highly recommend the minimal use of vaccinations for puppies. So many health issues can be caused by over-vaccinating young animals. Here is what we use as our standard. Not the vaccine only has Distemper and Parvo. We do not recommend the more powerful vaccines for diseases the puppies will never encounter. Also, equally important, NEVER give Rabies before absolutely necessary and NEVER in combination with any other vaccinations.

The vet, Dr. McLean at Kind Animal Care, is always impressed with the condition of our dogs, from the young puppies to Linda's old man Wallis. He gave them all highly passing grades. Because he does work out of his house, there is no worry about encountering sick animals in a waiting room. So nice to have his services available.

A Google search of Dr. Dobbs website will provide a wealth of information on raising healthy puppies.

Dr. Jean Dodds,

http://www.doglogic.com/vaccination.htm

CANINE VACCINATION PROTOCOL - 2005
MINIMAL VACCINE USE
Note: The following vaccine protocol is offered for those dogs where minimal vaccinations are advisable or desirable. The schedule is one I recommend and should not interpreted to mean that other protocols recommended by a veterinarian would be less satisfactory. It's a matter of professional judgment and choice.

AGE OF PUP	VACCINE TYPE
9 - 10 weeks	Distemper + Parvovirus, MLV (e.g. Intervet Progard Puppy DPV)
14 weeks	Same as above
16 -18 weeks (optional)	Same as above
20 weeks or older, if allowable by law	Rabies
1 year	Distemper + Parvovirus, MLV
1 year	Rabies, killed 3-year product (give 3-4 weeks apart from distemper/parvovirus booster)

Perform vaccine antibody titers for distemper and parvovirus annually thereafter. Vaccinate for rabies virus according to the law, except where circumstances indicate that a written waiver needs to be obtained from the primary care veterinarian. In that case, a rabies antibody titer can also be performed to accompany the waiver request.

Puppy Play Time

2011-05-10T08:15:00.000-07:00

Trying to get pictures of puppies playing with the greatest of Mom's, but it's all a blur!

Lucy - Tracking Dog Excellent

2011-05-10T08:13:00.000-07:00

At the Dog Tracking Club of Maine's Tracking Dog test on May 8th, Lucy was the only dog to pass. We are so proud of her accomplishment!

Puppies Learning Agility

2011-05-05T05:52:00.001-07:00

Puppies in the tunnel. Patrick as the blackest of eyes, but the reflection from the flash and tunnel gives him an unusual look. And the inside of the tunnel is a dark green, so the flash did not due justice to any color scheme.. Then, the garbage can lid became an whole new toy. Tippy boards are to teach puppies to like things that move. This one became a game of "King of the Trash". Puppies are time wasters, but so much fun to watch!

Daisy Wins the TOP 20

2011-05-05T05:46:00.000-07:00

Daisy - Gch Blackthorn's Flower Power - WON the Dalmatain Club of America's Top 20 competion for 2011. This very special event showcases the best Dals of the year, using a grading system against the perfect Dalmatian Standard. And the winner was Miss Daisy. She is owned by Bertha Little, Joan Eversole and Jeff Langevin and always presented to perfection by Jeff. We just could not be prouder! Photo is Dasiy at 7 weeks!

Road Trial Comments

2011-05-02T08:39:00.001-07:00

I just got home from the Road Trial and wanted to make sure I sent out my very heart felt thanks to the DCA Road Trial committee for allowing me to have the opportunity to judge this wonderful event. What fun to watch Dals doing what they were bred to do. To watch the novice dog drop into perfect hock position while the rider was just trying to stay on the horse brought tears to my eyes.

With the addition of a Champion Road Dog title now available, several Dal owners brought out their dogs to pursue those required legs. The level of performance was mind boggling. I started to wonder if I could give out perfect scores. Finding places to deduct even minor points was hard. There were several riders who gave a soft, single command and their dog (or dogs) never moved from perfect position while plowing though grass and mud. To see single commands given and watch the dogs immediately sit or down in the mud was amazing. Because of such deep water and mud and wet grass the speed exercise was a mess. Huge congrats to those exhibitors who got their mounts to canter and a few into a good hand gallop with the dogs running joyfully along side, with mud being flung up in all directions.

The trail conditions were challenging and the layout modified even the night before to avoid the swamps that kept appearing in the landscape. The final loops meant competitors often met each other and there could easily have been 3 or 4 teams any of the fields at the same time. From what I could observe, those wonderful Dals kept in near perfect position and under absolute control for the entire 12.5 miles. The courtesy shown by every exhibitor to their fellow riders was a sterling example of what good sportmanship is about. Yielding to the oncoming rider and making sure the dogs were under perfect control. What great examples of solid temperaments by all the dogs out there.

The veterinarian's final comments were that they were all in suburb condition, and it was virtually a dead heat as to who was in the best condition, even including our veteran exhibitor.

The two novice exhibitors were had previously passed their Coaching Certificates and decided that obtaining the Road Dog title might just be an achievable goal. One could see the natural affinity those dogs had to be with the horses and riders, and both riders worked through their nerves to let the dogs do what the dogs do best - be true coaching dogs..

The coaching certificate dog that passed did a very creditable job and maybe that rider will plan to continue on towards a Road Dog title.

Of course, this trial would not have been this successful without the wonderful work by Cindy Ingalls Gootee, Lynn Luikart and the best steward anyone could ask for, Dave Galloway. Dave ran the entrance gate to keep things running on time, ran hundreds of errands I would send him on and smiled the whole time. His horse knowledge and experience paid off when he stepped in to hold horses for some the inexperienced and nervous riders during the stay exercises. I'm sure those exhibitors were sure happy to be able to watch their dogs without the added worry of trying to control horses that would rather have been at the stable with their buddies.

And a special thanks to Peggy Strupp. I cannot express how glad I was to have her there. A person can read the rules hundreds of times and still have questions on certain points. And then this sport has such changing variables that not every situation could possible be covered. I would have been lost without her guidance. The rules have evolved from where they were in the early 1990's and the future is in her very capable hands.

Then, again, a huge thanks to Camp Kern and their staff, most particularly the head wrangler Natalie. Her expertise in matching horses and riders was amazing. When necessary she swapped horses without hesitation or complaint. I think she got about 3 hours sleep Wednesday night. She was at the barn when we left at 9 pm and there when the first exhibitor showed up at 6 am. And I saw her in the saddle and on the course during the entire trial. She responded quicly to every request, from chasing off the raccoon to getingt the judge a horse with the patience to stand still for hours and watch the other horses come and go. I would most highly recommend this stable for any future Road Trials.

Now, to try to do a write up for the Spotter. Wish I could have stayed for the rest of the National. Best of luck to all the exhibitors.

Back from the Road Trial

2011-05-02T08:35:00.000-07:00

Back from judging the DCA Road Trial. What fun in Ohio, wish I could have stayed. Here are some recent pictures of Bridget. She may be available to a show and or performance home. She is quite pudgy in these photos and we did not get the best photos. All the puppies are now on a diet! I cannot keep feeding them like I was feeding a litter of 10! Those are fat rolls over her butt. Hasn't missed any meals! Inquiries are invited.

Puppy Socialization

2011-04-26T11:59:00.000-07:00

With Linda on her way to the National in Kentucky, and my flying that way tomorrow, posting pictures could be a few days.

Puppies Sleeping

2011-04-22T05:40:00.000-07:00

A Couple of Face Shots

2011-04-20T11:02:00.000-07:00

Bridget and Mac face shots at 4 weeks.

After A Long Weekend

2011-04-19T09:08:00.001-07:00

Turning Into Little Dogs

2011-04-15T11:01:00.001-07:00

Grandma with puppies

2011-04-14T06:59:00.000-07:00

Corey Best In Specialty Show

2011-04-13T11:35:00.001-07:00

Pictures For Today

2011-04-13T11:32:00.001-07:00

Today's Photo

2011-04-07T09:25:00.000-07:00

Watching and Waiting

2011-04-06T07:14:00.000-07:00

Raising Dal puppies is no easy task. A friend asked if we had picked a puppy yet - the answer is always no at this stage. Eyes are almost all open, and telling color is difficult for the first few days. One of the boys MIGHT have a blue eye. Then there is hearing. While I'm sure most hear, one of the OTHER boys has me concerned. Waiting, praying, waiting, hoping, worry, worry.

But, they sure are all cute! I opened up the pen to a "peeing" area and they are trying to get the hang of it. Wander in that general direction, sometimes even making it to the papers!

Wednesday Morning

2011-03-30T16:13:00.000-07:00

Getting out the door to go to work is getting harder by the day! I just had to stop and take these pictures this morning

Sunday March 27

2011-03-30T10:57:00.000-07:00

Grandparents Richard and Linda came for a visit on Sunday and took these pictures.

Puppies 10 Days Old

2011-03-28T06:03:00.001-07:00

Individual pictures can be seen at the website, but here are couple of shots from the Whelping Box.

Best in Specialty Show

2011-03-28T05:59:00.000-07:00

Corey gets to add BISS in front of his name! Friday night, at the Dalmatian Club of Greater New York Corey was BEST OF BREED! There was an entry of over 40 Dals. We couldn't be more pleased. Huge thanks to his handler Linda McCartney-Roy.

1 Week Old

2011-03-25T05:59:00.000-07:00

Today they are 1 week old. They are growing by leaps and bounds. With only 5, Violet has plenty of milk and is doing real well. She now has a bed of her own right outside the whelping box. She can lay there and watch over them, but doesn't need to be directly under the heat lamp. Let one of them cry, though, and she immediately gets in the box to make sure all is well.

Grammy Linda comes over most days and we talk and gossip while both sitting in the box with Violet and puppies. We need our daily "puppy fix"

Had a local horse club meeting last night. Only a small club of "older" riders, mainly interested in doing trail rides in lovely Western Maine. We have a ride scheduled for Poland Springs and one for Andover. Should be lots of fun and laughter, with no real competition in place. I get enough of that at the dog shows!

Starting to See Spots

2011-03-24T11:56:00.000-07:00

Puppies

2011-03-21T08:30:00.000-07:00

Boy, finding time to do a blog is a whole lot harder when the puppies are at your house!

Thursday was a LONG night. 3 boys were born at the house, then hours of straining with no puppies. An emergency C section ended up with 1 more boy and 2 girls. All are doing great, except the smallest boy is struggling. Hope he makes it, but as I have been told by the best "Raising puppies isn't for the weak of heart". Fingers crossed our little guy pulls through. Violet is the best of mothers, showing she always tries her hardest at any task asked of her.

Pictures will follow when I get the &(*&_ camera to work. Needs new batteries, but I can't open the access part. Running out of patience when I have so much to do!

Violet - 10 days to go

2011-03-05T16:17:00.001-08:00

Violet Starting to Show

2011-02-24T11:56:00.000-08:00

Violet is starting to definately show there are puppies on the way. Here she is sitting on the bed she stole from Saturn.

Puppies due Mid-March!

Tango in the snow.

2011-01-30T07:42:00.000-08:00

Here is a gorgeous head shot of Tango in the snow. Funny that Connecticut and Massachusetts have more snow than we do in Maine. Let's hope that trend continues and we have an early spring.

Can't wait to get out in the fields and work on tracking. I'm hoping to get Spring's TDX title this year.

Violet on the Couch

2011-01-19T06:08:00.000-08:00

Violet has come for a visit. You can tell how stressful that is for her. Here she is sleeping on the back of the couch. Because this is a choice "spot" the back cushions are permanently smashed into the perfect dog bed.

Such a hard dog life!

Bed Time

2011-01-09T11:22:00.000-08:00

Saturn and Spring on the dog bed, note Saturn resting his nose against the heater cover. Old Man Saturn wears his special coats during the cold winter months.

Saturn and Carina in the Snow

2010-12-28T06:31:00.000-08:00

End of Year Wrap-Up

2010-12-08T11:21:00.001-08:00

Well, we certainly have had a good year!

At the Blackthorn side:

CT CH PatchMtn C Pepper N Paisley RE OA OAJ NF OAP OJP RD
Open Standard Preferred Agility
Open Jumpers With Weaves Preferred Agility

CT GCH CH Blackthorn Coreopis of PatchMt RN NA NAJ
Variable Surface Tracker
Champion Tracker
Grand Championship

CH PatchMt Spring Thyme at Blackthorn TD
Tracking Dog
Championship

As breeder:

GCh CH Blackthorn’s Flower Power - Grand Championship, #1 Dalmatian in the country

CH Dapper Dan’s Dancing at Blackthorn RE - Rally Advanced, Rally Excellent

CH Black Thorn’s Lucas Legend RE NA - Rally Excellent, Novice Standard Agility

CH Blackthorn Violet of PatchMt OA NAJ - Open Standard Agility

Springfield Photos

2010-12-07T12:49:00.000-08:00

Here are the pictures from Springfield Mass shows in November. Spring - me showing - was Best of Breed on Saturday, Corey was Best of Opposite Sex. On Sunday Corey was Best of Breed and a Group 4, Spring was Select Bitch. Corey is shown by his best friend, Linda McCartney-Roy, professional handler.

Springfield Shows

2010-12-03T08:10:00.000-08:00

Pictures are pending, but we had great fun at the recent shows in Springfield Mass. In addition to breed and obedience, this show is billed at the largest indoor agility trial in the US. While I did manage to run Corey in 3 classes, alas, no qualifying scores. Poor boy just can't multitask like his mother could. Guess we'll concentrate on agility only trials in the future.

On Friday, Daisy was BOB and Group 4, and Spring was Select Bitch for her first Grand Champion points. Half sister Lucy was Winner's Bitch, Best of Winners for her first major. Corey was not entered.

On Saturday, Spring was BOB - what a thrill! Daisy was Select Bitch and Corey was BOS. Corey's puppy Derry was Winner's Dog for his first 2 points, handled by Ann Smith.

On Sunday, Corey was BOB and a Group 4, while Spring was again Select Bitch. Daisy wasn't shown on Sunday.

What a fun time. I'm was so pleased with how well Spring show and behaved. I showed her in the classes and Linda McCartney-Roy took her in for group. What a big thrill for Spring - lots of noise and plenty of other dogs to be fascinated with. Let's hope for more experiences like that in the future!

Grand Champion

2010-10-12T11:41:00.000-07:00

WOW - at the shows in Pennsylvania and New Jersey this last weekend Corey was awarded Select Dog at all 3 shows he was shown in. He is now an AKC Grand Champion. AND the only dog of any breed to also be a Champion Tracker. I couldn't be prouder of this boy. And huge thanks to Linda McCartney-Roy - his awesome handler who made this happen in 3 weekend of shows together! What team they have been.

He is now:

CT GCH Blackthorn Coreopis of PatchMt RN NA NAJ Canadian CH TDX

Finger Lakes Show

2010-10-04T11:20:00.000-07:00

While this photo was not taken at the Finger Lakes show, I wanted to post it. Corey and Spring sitting at the Cape Cod Shows.

Sure had mixed results at the shows on the Finger Lakes in beautiful central New York. COLD and WET = MUD and miserable conditions.

I showed my sister's Cardigan Welsh Corgi - Arthur. What a nice puppy. She has done a really great job starting her first show dog. He was solid and confident on the grooming table and happy to let the judge exam him. Still needs some polish to be real competitive, but very nice start. Now to let him mature so when we do show him some more he can win! Arthur sure was friendly, happy and out-going even under noisy tents and around more dogs than he has ever seen in one place. Love his temperament.

Dal judging was a very mixed bag. Thanks again to my sister for helping me keep things in perspective. Only a dog show, and only that one judge's opinion on that one day. Corey did end up with 1 Select Dog award - for another major and 4 points towards his Grand Champion title. Up to a total of 18, all 4 awards have been majors.

And Spring was very competitive on Sunday shown at the last minute by my friend Stephanie. Maybe we'll keep her out and about some just so I have something to show to keep myself busy.

Cape Cod Shows

2010-09-22T08:47:00.000-07:00

What a good time we had on Cape Cod!

On Friday, the Dalmatian Club of Southern New England had their first of two regional specialties. There were about 50 Dalmatians entered each day. Spring was awarded Best Senior in Sweepstakes, and then was Winners Bitch/Best of Winners for 4 points. Dad Corey was awarded Select Dog – kind of like First Runner Up in the beauty contest. That gave him 5 points towards his Grand Championship title.

Then on Saturday, Spring was Best Senior and BEST in SWEEPSTAKES. She was, also, again, Winners Bitch/Best of Winners for 4 more points. That was enough points to complete the requirements for her AKC Championship. Dad Corey was awarded Best of Opposite Sex, again for 5 points.

On Sunday Spring was shown as a Champion. She is just a little too young yet to compete at that level of competition. Corey was again Best of Opposite Sex, another 5 points.

Spring showed wonderfully. She was so calm and steady throughout the 3 long days of shows. Wagged her tail and trotted around the ring happy and confident. What a fun dog she has been. She is now:

Am/Can CH PatchMt Spring Thyme at Blackthorn TD

Super Weekend

2010-09-13T06:26:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a great weekend!

At the big circuit in New Jersey Daisy WON the Non-Sporting Group show, and picked up 2 more Best of Breed wins over big entries.

Saturday at the shows in North Conway NH Corey was BOB, Group 2 with his new handler Linda McCartney-Roy.

Sunday Morning at the University of New Hampshire campus Spring PASSED her Tracking Dog test - on her first attempt!

And then, Sunday Afternoon Corey was again in the Group ring with his new best friend Linda and WON the Non-Sporting group. His second group 1 - YEA!!

Spring in August

2010-09-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

Spring has been having a fun month. First at the shows in Fitchburg on Sunday she was WB/BOW for her first major. That gives her a total of 8 points so far. Then, we have been to the tracking fields. With the very HOT weather she wasn't at her best, let's hope for cooler weather for the upcoming tests.

New Champion Tracker!

2010-08-08T05:41:00.000-07:00

On August 1st the Dog Tracking Club of Maine held its second Variable Surface Tracking Test at Colby College in Waterville Maine. To PASS and add to his name, Corey is now CT CH Blackthorn Coreopis of PatchMt RN NA NAJ. It is one year to the day that his mother, Carina, passed her test at this same site. Both had drawn Track 1 – now I will always be happy to be the first to go!

To show how difficult this test is, the pass rate is about 5 percent. In the 15 years the test has been around, only about 248 dogs have passed. There now 6 Champion Tracker Dalmatians, quite an accomplishment for our breed.

Corey is the ONLY Dalmatian who is also an American/Canadian Champion, not to mention those agility titles he shares with his mother Carina.

To become a Champion Tracker a dog has to earn their Tracking Dog, Tracking Dog Excellent and Variable Surface Tracking Dog titles.
To add to Corey’s credits, he has passed all three tests on his first attempts, and has also passed his Canadian Tracking Dog and Tracking Dog Excellent test on his first attempts. Maybe we will now try for their Urban Tracking Dog titles. (Karen Hopmans – want to offer that one in conjunction with a Canadian National?)

Corey wowed the gallery with his near flawless performance, pulling me down the line like he was on a mission. At each of his articles, cloth, plastic, metal and that final wonderful leather, he threw himself to the ground, so proud of what he had found! We have worked hard to accomplish those “indications” and I was so pleased when I saw how excited he was to show me his finds. He did 648 yards of grass, dirt, asphalt and mulch in 14 minutes. A record for the 2 judges, Mary Thompson and Ed Presnell.

I love all the compliments I receive at these events. Things like “Boy, are all Dalmatians such great trackers”, how wonderful his temperament is and what a great working dog he is. He was so focused to the task at hand. Who says you can’t work intact boys in performance events?!? One visiting judge said she had heard great things about my Dals before the test and was so pleased to see all those nice things were true.

And, a very, very special Thank You to my very best friend, Linda McSherry. Corey was first alternate, and Linda withdrew Maeve so Corey could have his chance to shine. I owe her big time – and now it is Maeve’s turn to add CT to her name!

Weekend Brag

2010-07-19T07:14:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend we had!

First, at the Vermont circuit shows, Daisy - GCH Blackthorn's Flower Power continued her winning ways, picked up 3 more BOB wins, with a Group 4 on Sunday. VERY small entry of specials only. Daisy is owned by Bertha Little and Joan Eversole and expertly presented by Jeff Langevin.

And at an agility trial in New Hampshire her siblings:

Am/Can CH Blackthorn Violet of Patchmt Am/Can TD NA OAJ qualified in both her Open Standard and Open Jumpers courses on Saturday to finish her Open Jumpers titleand get a second leg on her Standard title. Violet was run by Linda McSherry.

Am/Can CH Blackthorn Coreopis of PatchMt Am/Can TDX RN NA NAJ qualified in Open Standard to pick up his second leg. Corey would have qualified on all his runs if his inept handler would quit sending him over the wrong obstacles and through the wrong tunnel entrances! I had such great attention and he was so tuned into me. What a good boy he was all weekend.

AND, most importantly, not to be left out, their mother:

CH CT PatchMt C Pepper N Paisley (with her many titles) qualifed in her Open Jumpers Preferred run to finish that title. That gives Carina a total of about 23 titles in AKC and CKC events! Now she can just relax and enjoy trail rides for a while.

And, never ones to be bored, Linda McSherry and I got to meet and evaluate the puppies for the Corey and Holly litter. Their pictures can be seen at: http://blackthorndalmatians.com/HollyCoreyPups.html.

We couldn't be happier with this litter. Complete trim, dark, dark brown eyes, good hearing numbers, pretty puppies. Thanks Ann for bringing them all the way to New Hampshire and special thanks to Karen Rochin for flying in to see the litter. It was a great visit.

And, anyone interested in doing agility in New Hampshire in the summer this is a great site - at least in my opinion. Indoor sports complex, huge creating area, rings on padded artificial turf and most important Air Conditioned! Thank you Yankee Golden Retriever Club.

http://blackthorndalmatians.com/HollyCoreyPups.html

New Puppy Blog Site

2010-06-01T08:55:00.001-07:00

Follow the Holly & Corey puppies at Ann's blog site:

http://mapleleafdals.wordpress.com/

Thetford Mines Canada Shows

2010-06-01T08:52:00.001-07:00

Thetford Mines Canada

May 29 & 30th

Patch Mt's Springthyme at Blackthorn, "Spring" an 11 month old puppy bitch owned by Sara Pruyne and bred by myself and Sara earned her Canadian championship title in 3 shows. She went BOB, Group 2, Puppy Group 1 twice on Saturday and once on Sunday to finish her title in two days! Spring's sire is "Corey", Am/Can Ch Blackthorn Coreopisis of Patch MT TDX, RN, NA, NAJ x "Maeve", Am/Can Ch Patch Mt's About Time Am/Can CD, RE, TDX, OA, NAJ, CGC. Spring finished her Canadian championship under Canadian judges Sandy Gelinas, Alan Bennett and Michael Gelinas.

Meanwhile at the same shows her mother "Maeve" earned her Canadian CD title in 3 shows with a two 1st placements and one 2nd place.

Maeve also finished her Canadian championship title on the Sunday afternoon show by going WB and then BOB over a special under judge John Rowton. She had only needed a single point to finish.

We love going to these shows because although they are nearly 5 hours away you can do 4 shows in 2 days and the trip takes you through some of the most beautiful parts of Maine. Unfortunately it required driving home after dark in a very remote mountainous area where there is no cell phone reception and you can regularly count on seeing wildlife. We saw a moose, a bear and a porcupine but arrived home safely.

We couldn't be more proud of this lovely puppy bitch that Corey and Maeve produced. Like her sire she shows at the end of the leash for the exam and never flinches. A real show girl!

Litter Announcement

2010-05-26T04:39:00.001-07:00

Mapleleaf Dalmatians (Ann and Mac Smith) and Blackthorn Dalmatians are pleased to announce the arrival of 8 puppies. 6 boys, 2 girls, no patches, all black spotted. This litter is futurity nominated and should have some very nice pups with great working potential. Mom and pups all doing great.

Parents are:

Sire: Am/Can CH Blackthorn Corepois of Patch MT TDX RN NA NAJ CGC CAN TDX, ( CH Ozzie x CH CT Carina ...) CHIC 40120

Dam: CH Sunrunner Mapleleaf Ode to Joy RN CGC (CH Andy x CH Joy) CHIC 62099

Ann's website is: mapleleafdals.com

Hopefully pictures soon.

Holly is Expecting!

2010-05-18T06:51:00.000-07:00

Holly is most definitely "in a family way". Puppies due about May 28th. Because Corey does not carry the liver gene all puppies will be black spotted. All puppy inquiries should go directly to Anne.

Tracking Successes

2010-04-26T07:06:00.000-07:00

Wow - what a great weekend. Linda and I made the trip to Danby Vermont for the Tracking Club of Vermont's combined TD/TDX test. Here's Linda's write-up.

Today at Tracking Club of Vermont in Danby Vermont

Judges were Ilene Morgan and Doris Viguers

TD results 4 passses out of 7 tracks

Dalmatian, "Lucy" Patch Mt's Legend In Time (Ch Blackthorn Lucas' Legend RE, CGC, TDI x Ch Patch Mt's About Time CD, RE, OA, NAJ, CGC, VCD1, CPC, TDX) earned her Tracking Dog Title on her first try. Lucy had to run her track last because she came into heat two days before the trial. She worked her track perfectly and took just 5 minutes to finish her track and did a wonderful article indication at the end of her track. This was her first attempt. An Australian Shepard, a Golden Retriever and an Englis Cocker also passed the TD test.

TDX results: judges Ray Desmaris & Stephanie Crawford

Entry of 6 with 2 passes

Dalmatian, "Maeve" Ch Patch Mt's About Time CD, RE, OA, NAJ, CGC, VCD1, CPC (Ch Aberdeen's Sawyer Brown x Ch Paisley Patch Mt's Amazing Grace Am/Can CD, NA, RD, CGC)earned her TDX. Maeve did an awesome job. She gave perfect article indciations and had to cross a ditch full of rocks and brambles, 3 hedgerows and a road before finishing her 865 yard track in 13 minutes. A Labrador Retriever was the only other dog to pass the TDX test.

I felt very fortuante to get into both the TD and the TDX test and even more fortunate that my mother/daughter team both pulled it off and we came home happy with two new titles. I think everyone was impressed to see how well Dalmatians can track.

We're Expecting!

2010-04-21T04:34:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to announce that Miss Holly, Ch. SunRunner Mapleaf Ode to Joy CGC RN, has been bred to Corey and is expecting puppies. The litter is due the end of May. All puppies will be Black spotted. Both parents have had all their health clearances - CHIC numbers available at our websites.

www.mapleleaddals.com

or

www.blackthorndalmatians.com

Stay tuned for more information

NY Shows and NH Agility Trial

2010-04-12T09:51:00.000-07:00

We have had some good dog show and agility happenings in the last couple of weeks.

At the dog shows in Syracuse New York:

On Friday Lucy, owned and shown by Linda, was Winners Bitch, unfortunately there was no cross-0ver major.

On Friday and Saturday Spring, shown by Sara, was Reserve Winners Bitch. And on Sunday pulled it off for Winner's Bitch, for 2 points. Again, no cross-over for the major, but those will come in good time.

Then this past weekend at an agility trial in New Hampshire Ghost, owned and run by Dawn, QUALIFIED in both Novice Standard and Novice Jumpers with Weaves. Boy, have they both come a long ways. All that therapy dog work has helped Ghost learn to pay close attention to Dawn and follow commands from some distance. Way to go team! Those titles are within site now!

Spring Weather and Web Page News

2010-03-31T10:01:00.000-07:00

Well, warm weather is on the way and we have been pretty busy practicing in the tracking fields. Linda and I are hoping to get Lucy and Spring in a tracking test in April or May, but because so many dogs enter and there are a limited number of tracks one must hope to "make the draw". If not, we will at least have all summer and fall to continue practicing and to start to introduce the more advanced obstacles for their eventual Tracking Dog Excellent tests.

And, I have taken the plunge and starting working on a web site. Still very much a work in progress, needing to add more pictures of past dogs and pedigree links. Take a peek at:

www.blackthorndalmatians.com

And, the good news is that Carina is doing just fine. Treatment could be long term, but I have high hopes for a very positive outcome.

Looking for a new home

2010-02-25T06:43:00.000-08:00

A friend contacted me today about a Dalmatian looking for a new home. He is black spotted, 14 months old, neutered, super friendly, and very well trained. This young guy has had lots of obedience training and comes with great house manners. Unknown how he would be with cats. Because of his friendly nature he should be good with kids, but might need to learn how to not play too hard with them. If you know of anyone who might be interested please feel free to drop me an email and I will forward the information along.

Amber's First show

2010-02-17T07:23:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of Amber - PatchMt's & Blackthorn's Atlantic Time at 8 months old. Amber is owned by Linda McSherry and Janice Dorey from Nova Scotia and went to her first dog show last weekend. Shown by Janice, Amber was Winner's Bitch and Best of Opposite Sex on Saturday. On Sunday they were again WB/BOS PLUS Best Puppy and a Puppy Group 1! 2 shows = 2 points. What a great way to start!

We couldn't be prouder and I think it's fairly safe to say Janice and Dean couldn't be happier.

Spring Massage

2010-02-12T11:00:00.001-08:00

Because a friend asked for some picture of dogs being massaged, Spring got a special treat. Here she is laying in front of the wood stove having a massage on her front shoulders.

Her grandmother Carina always gets one before and after every agility run. It helps loosen her muscles, and then relaxes them again after all that jumping and twisting. Carina will even spread here back legs out - frog-dog style - so I can run her thigh muscles. Since she closes her eyes and falls asleep it must feel good.

And a massage is the BEST way to calm Corey during thunder storms and high winds. He particularly likes his head, neck and ears rubbed.

Why not take a Tellington Touch seminar and find out what YOUR dog enjoys best?

Agility Trial

2010-02-12T10:49:00.001-08:00

Last weekend was a fun agility trial weekend in the Northeast.

While the local Gordon Setter club was the host, everyone commented that maybe it should have said a Dalmatian club instead. Only 2 lone Gordons, but 6 Dalmatains.

First, Elaine Hamill was there with Alvin and Linus. We got to Alvin do a great Excellent Jumpers run on Saturday. One would never guess his real age. Still sound, healthy and happy at eleven. One can only hope their own dogs hold up so well. And I believe Linus qualified in both his runs on Saturday. Sunday I wasn’t in the building as much and missed some of her runs.

Carina got to add ANOTHER title to her name by qualifying in Open Standard Preferred on both Saturday and Sunday, with a first and a second. She also qualified in her Jumpers run on Saturday but knocked a rail on her Sunday run. Its hard to jump and sneeze at the same time!

Linda McSherry and Maeve also had success on Sunday, qualifying in Excellent Standard for Maeve’s second leg. Maeve has only run Excellent Standard courses 3 times and has 2 legs – way to go Brown Girl! Maeve is also known as CH PatchMt’s About Time VCD1 OA

Dawn Eliot-Johnson’s hard work paid off with Ghost qualifying in his Novice Jumpers class for a first place. That is their first agility leg and was very exciting to see such a good run. Ghost is also a wonderful therapy dog – doing visits to the local hospital and nursing homes, not to mention the elementary school Title 1 reading program. Ghost is aka CH Blackthorn’s Lucas’s Legend RA CGC TDI

And finally Corey had really good runs on Sunday, smooth, focused, perfect weave poles, – but his incompetent handler caused NQ’s on both courses. I could hear my instructor telling me how I goofed up – and she wasn’t even at the trial! Point here – don’t point there. And poor Corey did just what I told him to do. Good dog – bad handler.

And it is so much fun to take our Dals and continue to have active fulfilling lives after they have finish their Championships. Wonderful compliments about our handsome and stable temperaments dogs. What a fun weekend all around.

First Dog Shows

2010-01-19T05:48:00.001-08:00

Well, Spring went to her first dog shows this past weekend. 3 days, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Fitchburg Mass. The first time in the building was a little overwhelming, but with treats and an upbeat attitude she was soon her happy, confident self.

Day 1 was Dr. DiNardo who gave her Winners Bitch for her first breed points. She stood her her exam like a champ, but trotting with another dog in front was WAY exciting. When it came time for Best of Breed with several dogs in the ring I don't think she had all 4 feet on the ground but about half the time. Guess we need to work on that! At least she was happy and just wanted to run and play!

Saturday we lost of our wonderful sisters Lucy and Jenna.

Sunday we were second in our class and then went back in for Reserve Winners - kind of like being First Runner Up at the beauty pagent.

The other great news is that half-sister Jenna finished her AKC Championship title in great style on Saturday and then was Best of Opposite Sex on Sunday. Wonderful weekend for her owner and handler Dawn!

Cuddledown Cover Girl

2009-12-31T05:13:00.000-08:00

Patch Mountain and Blackthorn Dalmatians were thrilled to see that the winter 2010 Cuddledown Catalog front cover featured one of our puppies, Patch Mt Spring Thyme at Blackthorn, "Spring", owned by Sara Pruyne (Ch Patch Mt's About Time CD, TD, RE, NAJ, OA, VCD1) x (Am/Can Ch Blackthorn Coreopis of PatchMt TDX RN NA NAJ CAN TDX). I was conacted about using some of my Dalmatians in a photo shoot this fall and we took 3 of our adult Dals and puppy Spring. Cuddledown has a new line of bedding called Walk in the Park that they were introducing this winter and wanted a front cover shot with a Dalmatian. They took lots of photos of our dogs in groups and separately lying and sitting on their high end bedding. We were not sure which photo they would end up using but are pleased that it was "Spring". I must admit she was the star of the photo shoot!

Linda McSherry

Take Your Dog to Work Day

2009-12-28T06:31:00.000-08:00

One of the advantages of being a year round employee at a high school is how quiet things are during school vacations. While I have to work over the holidays, it is a great opportunity to get caught up on all those little things - like filing - I would rather put off. And, because things are slow, I get to bring Spring to work with me. Here she is in the office keeping herself occupied with a beef knuckle bone. She gets to meet and greet those few visitors I do get, and visit with kids coming into the school for winter sports. Its all about confidence building.

Almost makes being 1 of 2 secretaries in the building during this week worthwhile.

Tracking Certification in the snow

2009-12-20T14:11:00.001-08:00

I'm very pleased to report that yesterday, December 19th, was a great tracking day in Gardiner Maine!

Mary Thompson and Celeste Kelly made the trip to the fields that are part of the Gardiner Family Land Trust. Judy Hermon has been very forunate to be able to obtain use of these fields for tracking, and this was a first attempt to plot realistic tracks. The snow was about 4 to 6 inches deep, with several places only having a slight dusting. Temps were around 30, with only a slight wind towards the end of the third track. The main entrance road was not open, so only the front fields were used. Lots of untouched fields further back and further up the road.

To PASS their certifications were:

Dalmatian - Lucy - Patch Mt's Legend in Time - owned and run by Linda McSherry. Lucy looked around while Linda was putting her harness on as in wondering what they could possibly be doing there - in the snow! Linda stuck to her normal start routine, scented Lucy at the start flag, and then held on to the line for a dash down the track. At the corners Lucy would do a 10 foot circle, hit the track and pull Linda down the new leg. Linda said she had way over dressed for the romp across the fields.

Next up was Golden Retriever - Brian - owned and run by Judy Hermon. Prior to the start Judy kept say the those things that her instructors had told her - be firm, keep your bearings, go forward when he says to, be positive! Again, a good start routine and Brian committed to the track and pulled Judy down the leg. Brian was very methodical, moving the whole track at a good, fast walk and never hesitating or missing a corner. At the glove Judy was out a breath and so thrilled that all her hard work and training paid off with a dedicated tracking partner.

Last to go - Dalmatian - Spring - Patch Mt's Spring Thyme at Blackthorn - owned and run by Sara Pruyne. Spring is just 6 months and 2 weeks old and showed her puppy training curves at times. She would charged down the track for 60 yards, come back to check in, sniff the tufts of grass, and then zoom down the track some more. When on the track she would bury her complete head in the footsteps, as if she couldn't get enough of that good smell. A couple of crosstracks by hikers and loose dogs only caused her a slight hestitation, casting a few feet on either side of the track, then to charged across the path and down the correct leg of the track. The wind had started to pick up at this point, and she worked out where the real scent was, learning lessons as she went. At the glove she even laid down in the snow! Good job Baby Girl.

Thank you Mary and Celeste for having the faith that we would actually practice in the snow and that our dogs were ready for their certifications. And these fields will give the Club an opportunity to have tests in other areas of the state. Wait until they can come back in the spring and see all the great possibilities for TD and TDX tracks.

A special Thank You to Judy Hermon for hosting us and being such a successful student!

Oh - did I mention that the 2 Dalmatians are granddaughters of CT CH Carina? Tracking must be in those genes!

Happy Birthday

2009-12-03T10:55:00.000-08:00

Well, yesterday the puppies were 6 months old. Time sure does seem to fly.

Here is Spring modeling the leather harness made by Ed Presnell. Her picture and the harness should be up on his website - Pawmark.com - in the near future. While he sells a great line of nylon harnesses and lines, I do love my leather harnesses. This was a prototype, so I'm not sure what changes will be made to the final product. Now let's hope the weather continues like it is so we can practice some more.

2009-11-30T05:44:00.000-08:00

What great weather for the end of November! Linda and I were able to get in some tracking using our favorite fields.

I had a chance to talk to the land owner's son-in law and he graciously said that the recently posted No Trespessing signs certainly did not apply to us! During hunting season he has some issues with people taking advantage of the situation but knew that we always respect their property, pickup any trash we do find, never leave a trace we were there and stay out just before they are ready to hay. A little respect goes a long way in building good neighborhood relationships.

Hopefully Spring and Lucy will be able to get "certified" for tracking before the snow flies, otherwise we will have to wait until after the winter snow melts.

End of Year Progress Report

2009-11-25T08:15:00.000-08:00

Well, it looks like we are about done showing for the year. Although there are shows in December they have moved them from Boston to Rhode Island and that is just a bit too far just before the holidays. However, we did end up with a VERY successful year.

Carina - CT CH PatchMtn C Pepper N Paisley RE OA OAJ NF NJP NAP RD CPC PAC
Passed her Variable Surface Tracking test to earn her Champion Tracking title
Qualified in 3 straight runs to earn her Novice Preferred Standard Agility title
Qualified in 3 straight runs to earn her Novice Preferred Jumpers with Weaves title
Qualified in an Open Jumpers run to earn her Open Jumpers with Weaves title
Qualified in an Open Preferred Standard and Open Preferred Jumpers with Weaves to start on that title

Corey - Am/Can CH Blackthorn Coreopis of Patch Mt TDX RN NA NAJ Can TDX
Qualified in Novice Jumpers with Weaves to earn his title
Qualified in an Open Standard to start on that title
Earned 2 Rally Advanced legs toward that title

and for Linda
Maeve - CH Patch Mt's About Time VCD1 OA
Qualified in Open Standard to finish her title
Qualified in 2 runs towards her Open Jumpers title
Qualified in her first Excellent Standard run to start on that title
Most important - Maeve's agility runs have all been clean runs!
AND - she took a big part of the year off to have a litter of wonderful puppies sired by Corey

Violet - Am/Can CH Blackthorn Violet of PatchMt TD NA NAJ Can TD
Passed her Tracking Dog test for her title
Qualified in Novice Jumpers with Weaves to finish that title
Qualified in 2 Open Jumpers with Weaves to start on that title

Lucy - PatchMt
Earned all single points necessary towards her Championship title, several with Best of Winners awards.

And several dogs either bred by us or co-owned have also done equally as well.

Daisy - CH Blackthorn's Flower Power - came back from having a litter of puppies to go Best In Speciality at both of DCSNE's shows, had several more Best of Breed wins and numerous Group 1 wins.

Jenna - coowned by Linda and Dawn Eliot-Johnson was Winners Bitch at Southern New England Speciality for her first major.

Role Models

2009-11-18T08:18:00.000-08:00

Do adult dogs make good role models for puppies? People will frequently get a puppy as their current dog gets older. One reason is they hope the puppy will follow the older dog's good examples. Aren't we always hopeful? Spring has learned to sit patiently at the back door next to her father when it is time to come in. Wait and some one will eventually come and open the door. Better than her Grandmother Carina who jumps on the door and stares in! But - I can't say Corey is always the better role model. Running through the house when you do get let in, chasing after your wild man father isn't what I would prefer. And, how about these photos. Sitting and laying on the back of the couch so you can keep an eye on Mom while she is in the kitchen. The back of the couch is now flatten out to make a perfect size bed for a puppy to curl up on.

But, with Grandma Carina along ALL new things are fun, safe and exciting. Greeting new people and dogs is easier with the comfort and support of the world's best dog and people friendly Carina.

Of course, Carina has also taught Spring to chase the horses up and down the fence line - with the horses bucking and inviting the chase the whole way! Maybe when the time comes Carina can be a good role model on the horse riding trails, though.

Agility in the Dark

2009-11-17T06:04:00.000-08:00

Well, I've been trying to get Carina and Corey on the agility equipment at least a couple of times a week. With it getting dark so early that can be a challenge. The lights make it possible, but there sure are lots of shadows!

Here is Carina practicing her contacts. When we compete she actually does "running" contacts, where she isn't required to actually stop and touch the end of the obstacle. BUT, in training I do make her for reinforcement. Otherwise they can get much worse when actually on the course. Because Carina already has so many titles, I'm not sure how much I'll push her for more. I would like to finish up her Open Preferred titles in both Jumpers and Standard, but not sure if Excellent is in the future or not. I'll have to listen to how she works over the course of the next few months. ALL our activities need to be fun for all of us. IF it's not fun, we aren't going to do it. Of course, going for trail rides will always be fun for all of us - maybe even Roxie the paint mare!

Back to Agility Training

2009-11-09T08:42:00.000-08:00

Except for last Thursday the weather here in Maine has been wonderful. Clear days with temps in the 50's to 60's. Finally got a chance to mow the agility training area one last time (I hope). Now we REALLY have to practice for the Springfield trials in a couple of weeks. All the dogs have the hardest time with the weave poles, all for VERY different reasons. Carina's back gets sore, Maeve just goes TOO fast, Corey is picky about the base of the poles and Violet says 12 is just too many. Since my husband originally put up outside lights so I could ride my horse in that area, we can now convert to nighttime agility work. Depending on many factors we might try to make some indoor trials over the winter. Its hard to plan and commit because travel can be such an unknown during the winter months.

And, Violet has been bred, thanks to the wonder of chilled, ship semen. Now fingers crossed that all the hard work and planning pays off. We'll keep you posted!

Violet

2009-11-06T05:29:00.000-08:00

Here is Violet standing by the pond. She is officially Am/Can CH Blackthorn Violet of Patch Mt Am/Can TD NA NAJ.

Violet is now in heat and will be bred over the next couple of days. Because the sire is not a local dog we will be doing her using artificial insemination - which sure requires lots of work and planning.

We'll keep you posted on how things proceed. Fingers crossed that the breeding takes and we have puppies!

2009-11-05T10:41:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of pictures of Spring! First is her learning to follow where I go, hopefully on a loose leash. Not actual heeling at this point, for any number of reasons, but not getting in the habit of blindly pulling and going where SHE wants to go.

And then one of her stacked. Either her tail was slightly down or wagging so fast it was a blur. Linda thought the one with her tail slightly down was the best choice!

And she has gone off to Camp Gagnon with our very good friend Marie for a week of doggie play and socialization. Marie runs a boarding, training and grooming business so Spring will have more exposure there, not least is spending house time with 3 other dogs and a bunch of house cats. Maybe she will learn NOT to chase the barn kitty all the time!

How They Grow

2009-11-04T07:29:00.001-08:00

Here is a picture of Maeve at 4.5 months.

Last night Linda and I went to the local high school to practice our urban tracking. Because it gets dark SO early we were very pleased with how well lit the parking lots were. We'll be practicing work on blacktop and cement until the snow starts to accumulate.

While waiting for the tracks to age we brought Spring into the school and sat in the foyer. She got to met several new people and even ran the halls for a bit with a couple of very nice teen age girls. She can never get too much good socialization.

And, then, we wondered just how much she is maturing. We love to show our puppies early, but wonder if Spring will really be competitive this winter. So, here is a picture of her mother at the same age. Tonight at puppy class we will take a stacked picture of Spring for comparison.

Urban Tracking Dogs

2009-11-02T11:31:00.000-08:00

Here are Maeve and Linda participating in the Dog Tracking Club of Maine's Urban Tracking Match. The match was held at the University of New England campus in Biddeford. Beautiful location, but sure was windy along the waterfront.

Maeve did an excellent job considering she has only been working on hard surfaces and around school grounds for about 6 weeks. The average training time to be competent in an urban environment is about 2 years, so we still need some work, but she was looking good!

And, Spring went along for the visit. She still needs to be out meeting new people and dogs at every opportunity we can get. Kids in Halloween costumes was a real adventure, but she did wonderful.

Birthday Parties

2009-10-30T17:05:00.000-07:00

It really is fun getting photos from families who have gotten Dalmatians from us in the past. Here
UOCH, MOTCH, OTCH Patch MT's Sharp Dressed Man UDX7, AX, AXJ, TDInc. (Tuxedo) celebrates his 10th birthday with the newest addition to the family PatchMt Second Time Around (Ditto). Tuxedo is obviously quite used to wearing birthday hats after all those years! Ditto will learn how to properly wear a birthday hat as she grows up.

Here is puppy (Amber) Patch Mt & Blackthorn's Atlantic Time helping to celebrate her older Dalmatian house mate's birthday. (Spencer), Patch Mt's Blaze of Glory's celebrates his second birthday. Spencer is the mascot for the local fire station.

Therapy Dogs

2009-10-30T10:24:00.000-07:00

Here is a cute picture of Ghost and his buddy Fenway at the local nursing home. We couldn't be prouder of all that Dawn has accomplished with this young dog.

Ghost has his AKC championship, advanced rally titles, is competing in agility and now is actively using his Therapy Dog International title with weekly visits to the nursing home and soon to be a regular at the local hospital.

And Fenway wins the award for my all time favorite Sheltie. Kathy Jo has worked very hard with training Fenway and the effort shows as they have already accumulated their advanced Rally titles and novice agility title.

Tracking - It's What We DO

2009-10-28T04:22:00.001-07:00

Well our dogs are multi-talented, tracking is my passion. Here is a picture of Violet tracking in my fields. She earned her AKC Tracking Dog title in fine style at a test in Vermont a couple of weeks ago.

Maeve and Corey are working on their Variable Surface Tracking titles, training once a week at the local schools. It is amazing to watch them work around the sports fields without even noticing all the activity. Just focused on their tracking and finding all the things we have left behind. And, what great PR for the breed. Corey got stopped twice yesterday on his track to be petted and fussed over - and then it was back to work to find things.

And Spring is progressing nicely in her training. We still use lots of treats to help build drive down the track and to keep her focused to the task at hand, but titles are definitely in her future. Last night she did great crossing the parking lot, and across the area filled with acorns. Maybe we can get her ready for the test at the Dalmatian Club of America National Speciality in April in Kansas. The tricky part is hoping for an early spring in Maine!

And Carina - the ace Champion Tracker - now gets to concentrate on agility - and maybe someday try for her Canadian Urban Tracking titles!

Puppy Training in Minutes

2009-10-26T09:03:00.000-07:00

Because I have yet to win the Lottery, I have to work for a living. That limits the time I can spending doing things I would rather do - like riding my horse and training my dogs.

So, I have to train when I can. A few minutes in the mornings and at night happens in the daily living at my house. Everyone must wait patiently while breakfast and supper are prepared.

Here is Spring and Corey waiting, and of course begging, while Don prepares his breakfast. Spring can sit for the several minutes it takes, and guess what - Corey can sit pretty for pretty much the whole time, too! I won't say where Carina is waiting at - she is the Queen Bee and can do what she wants - she knows she will be feed first - let the others do all the work!

Spring at Puppy Class

2009-10-22T12:11:00.000-07:00

Spring is enrolled in a Wednesday Night puppy class. Here is her learning, in one sessions, how to run to her mat and lay down. We had NOT trained a down prior to last night. Oh, the power of clickers, food and positive rewards!

Puppy Teething

2009-10-20T08:34:00.000-07:00

Well, the good news is that Spring's bite -how her teeth line up - looks very nice and correct. The bad news - she is STILL loosing some of her baby teeth. We were playing tugger the other night and she yelped, and started chewing on something. I pried open her mouth in time to see a tooth being swollowed. Oh well, a little natural calcium in her diet!

To help her with the teething process I make sure she gets a raw, meaty bone every day when I leave for work. Sure helps her like her crating area and helps keep her occupied while I'm gone. I went to the local butcher shop and bought lots of knuckle bones cut to about 3 inches long each. I am NOT a proponent of marrow bones. The short ones - about an inch or two long - can get caught on the dog's lower jaws. Linda and I have both had THAT very scary situation happen. And the longer ones chip off pieces, in addition to the marrow in the center getting really rancid. I have also bought oxtail bones at the local Walmart recently. Why anyone would buy them except for dog bones is beyond me.

Rawhide chews contain way to many chemicals for my comfort level, and I had a dog - poor Cheeca - almost choke to death on one once. I threw out all I had at the time and have never given my dogs rawhide since then.

Puppy Socialization

2009-10-16T07:59:00.000-07:00

Well, let's see if we can get back into posting on a more consistent basis.

Puppies sure are a LOT of work. Socialization will continue for many, many months, and then real obedience work will begin. Here is a picture of Spring at an introduction to agility class. It was just a chance to get her out and about. Yesterday she went up the road to play with our neighbor's Bernese Mountain Dog puppies - who are only a couple of days older.

It was interesting watch them all meet for the first time. All 3 were timid and unsure for the first 30 seconds, then touched noses, and then it was off and running! Within minutes they were all playing well and chasing around the fields like old buddies. It cannot be stress enough how important it is for puppies to learn how to play with other puppies. They learn important body language signals that we just can't give them. As all these puppies are headed for show careers they need to be able to read other dog's signals and feel happy and confident meeting new dogs. We have always said the Carina and Corey go to shows just to make new friends. Corey almost insists he must say "Hi" to every dog there before he can focus. Makes a HUGE difference for the life time of dog show and trial experiences.

BTW - that is sister Lucy leading the way up the A-frame!

Shots, Heat and Storms

2009-08-21T09:50:00.000-07:00

Well, hopefully everyone has been to the vet's this week for their puppy booster shots. Depending on your vet's recommendation, that should be the last Parvo/Distempter shot they need for a year. Next year at this time we will do 1 booster, then they should be good with that course for many years.

Rabies vaccinations will be given in a month or so. Because our dogs are out in the fields a lot and I do see bats flying around the dog yard in the evening I don't want to delay that for too long, but I also don't want to compromise any immune systems by too many shots too close together. Rabies is absolutely required in all states, and frequency preferrably being an initial, a booster at a year, and then on a 3 year cycle. Corey and Violet had their 3 year booster yesterday to match that schedule.

And when I was a Walmart getting my tracking photos they made an announcement about a dog in a car. All I could think was "What idiots. They don't even deserve to own a dog". Temps in the 90's and leaving the dog in the car while they shop in the air conditioning! And we KNOW the line never moves quick in that store. It only take minutes for heat stroke to hit. Try sitting in your car with the windows only slightly open and see how hot you get. Not a pleasant experience.

And, storms are predicted for this weekend as Hurricane Bob passes off the coast. Think I'll really make my husband Don wonder if I've really gone dog crazy. Let's take the puppy out and play in the rain and thunder. Learn that SPECIAL treats happen during storms. Just might help prevent the fear of thunder storms as Spring grows up.

All Gone

2009-08-18T07:53:00.000-07:00

Well, with the puppies all in their new homes Linda's life is back to normal. Now, updates can cover how the puppies progress and other notes of interest.

For catch-up, here are a couple of pictures of the puppies grandmother Carina dong her AKC Champion Tracker test at Colby College in Waterville Maine.

The Last To GO

2009-08-15T18:14:00.000-07:00

The last to go and everyone's favorite was Swatch (Ditto) whose company we got to enjoy for one last week. She had lots of adventures and went to work with Richard on Friday which was a real treat for her and for his office staff as well.

It didn't take Ditto long to warm up to her wonderful new family. They arrived with toys, including a big green turtle almost as big as Ditto, but she claimed it right off and was prancing around with it in tow.

Ditto's family had gotten a Dalmatian from us before and we were more than pleased to see her go to such a wonderful family.

2009-08-09T07:49:00.000-07:00

Today was departure day for Amber (Longines) who will be traveling to Canada with Grandma Sara and to her new home and a career as a show girl. As you can see from the photo of her stacked that her tail never stops.

We heard from Zoey's (Cartier) family that it went very well and their older Dal Tommy liked the new addition and was last seen snuggling on the dog bed with him. She met several other dogs and lots of children yesterday and handled it very well.
Good girl Zoey!

AND NOW THERE ARE TWO

2009-08-08T11:24:00.001-07:00

Richard is back home now after returning from a wonderful visit with Marlowe's new family. When last seen Marlowe was snoozing on the sofa with his new little girl and his Jack Russel sibling, Emma.

Cartier (Zoey) left today to join her new family in Vermont and their 12 year old Dal Tommy who came from a litter Sara bred long ago and two young children.

Longines (Amber) leaves tommorow for her new family in Canada and a career as a show girl. I'm going to co-own her and she will return to the US to finish her Championship once she is done in Canada.

We took the two remaining pups Ditto and Longines for a walk with their grandmother "Gracie" Ch Paisley Patch MT's Amazing Grace RD, Am/Can CD, RN, NA, ROMX in our woods. They loved running and exploring and Grandma Gracie at age 13 enjoyed the grandpups.

Puppy Imprint Period

2009-08-07T07:43:00.001-07:00

While some will call the next few weeks a "Fear Imprint" period, I hate that description. What happens is that the puppies are ready to absorb all kinds of information, good AND bad. These experiences will last the life time of the puppy.

That is the reason why socialization is oh so very important. Anything you might expect your puppy to experience in the future, you should expose them to now, and make it a very positive experience. A puppy left to stress during a thunderstorm during this period, for example, could result in an imprinted fear of storms and thunder. Why not go and play a fun game in the rain instead? Use food and toys to form a GOOD association with thunderstorms!

A puppy might also associate cloth with danger after pulling a table cloth along with some noisy dishes down onto him self. Car rides, boat rides, children, toddlers, noise, activity, all should be managed in a happy and safe environment. Puppies are like children. They are fragile and don’t realize their fragility nor do they understand the danger present in many interesting common items. It is up to you to form positive experiences and make the world seem safe and fun.

I would very much expect my puppy to question "Big Scary" things. From their perspective this could be new dogs, people with hats, screaming children, machinery and even my horses. Puppies without a strong survival instinct would be in big trouble. Don't panic if you puppy cries as the big dogs run by. Laugh and play with the puppy so he feel safe and secure. Walk by busy streets and use food and happy words to calm and relax the puppy. If you feel apprehensive because of his behavior, you will only be reinforcing the fact that loud noises are indeed soemthing to be worried about.

Encourage your puppy to be brave - very, very brave. Say it in a happy, upbeat tone. Cuddlying and hiding your puppy will reinforce shyness and that, too, will come back to haunt you over their lifetime.

YOUR attitude, upbeat, happy, friendly and excited will be transmitted to your puppy. Now, take that puppy out there in the big, wide world and play, play, play!

2009-08-05T03:57:00.000-07:00

Today my husband Richard is flying Marlowe (Rolex) to his new family in the Midwest. Marlowe will be travelling in a soft sided bag designed especially for taking pets in the cabin. He will be flying first class! It takes a great deal of planning getting a puppy to their new homes in the summer by air. Airlines have an embargo on flying animals as cargo during the warm summer months and we won't fly young puppies as cargo anyway.
Marlowe was up early for breakfast and then played for two hours with his litter mates to get him good and tired. He will be riding to Boston in a red crate next to Richard for the 2 1/2 hour trip. He has lots of toys to play with on the way. That trip should go well as none of the pups have been car sick. He will have lunch and some play time before boarding the plane and will hopefully sleep during the flight.
Goodbye sweet Marlowe, he is such a wonderful puppy. We will miss you.

Puppy School

2009-08-04T10:12:00.000-07:00

Well, the puppies are 9 weeks old and ready to start class. So, last night off to Marie's Beginner class. Because they are so young you must realize their attention span is limited - to say the least.
And, ALL training must be fun. Food is used to lure the puppies into position. If the puppy lifts it's head, it's butt automatically drops - There, a sit!

Food between the paws will help them lay down to be close to the treat - What a good down Ditto!

and

Food in front of their nose will cause a stand- what a good show dog Spring is learning to be.

While we have tried to produce great temperamented puppies - the most work is now up to the new owner. It is never too early to start classes, but wait and it could well be too late to undo bad habits.

Socialize and exposure to new surroundings are key to a happy, well adjusted adult.

Carina's New Title

2009-08-03T08:13:00.000-07:00

The AKC description reads: The Variable Surface Tracking Test is a test of credibility, verifying the dog’s ability to recognize and follow human scent while adapting to changing scenting conditions. The test is to be as practical as possible while demonstrating the dog’s willingness and ability to follow a specific scent given to the dog at the start of the test. The training and conditioning of the dog must be designed to develop the inner drive, motivation, and determination necessary for the dog to work with intensity and perseverance.
The Variable Surface track is from 600 to 800 years in length and must include a minimum of 3 different surfaces such as packed dirt, asphalt, and mowed lawn. Stairs, drive ways, roads, underpasses, gravel, concrete, wood chips and brick patios are also possible surfaces one might find on a test track. The tracking team must find 3 articles, 1 each of plastic, metal and leather on the track.

Due to the urban sites, there are generally many unknown cross tracks to be negotiated and frequently people, dogs, cats and moving vehicles are encountered along the way. Concentration on the job and the ability to recover quickly from distractions are among the skills the variable surface tracking dog must learn.

At Colby College in Waterville Maine on Sunday August 2nd Carina joined a very elite group of dogs by PASSING her VST test. She is only the 4th Dalmatian in breed history to accomplish this, and the first one who also possess her Road Dog title.

Good Dog Carina!

Quick Update

2009-08-01T11:56:00.000-07:00

Linda and I are off this week at an AKC Variable Surface Tracking Test.

So ... just a quick picture. Bleve is fitting into his new home, making friends with the kitty and going to a pancake breakfast.

Spring spent last night in her new home too. After a busy day interacting with the 3 adult Dals, she was so tired she slept all through the night. And because Don was VERY observant, she did not have any accidents.

We should be back to regular blogging next week.

ELGIN (BLEVE) and his new family

2009-07-29T04:25:00.000-07:00

Today the first of the pups went to their new home. Elgin's new family Jeremy and Erin were well prepared for the new addition. Elgin's new name is BLEVE a firefighter's term. We have been working on teaching him his new name and what a smart boy he is. By the time they left Erin had him well on his way to learning a proper sit. He even tried one of his dad's famous "sit pretty" poses. Some things just seem to be passed on!

How Far We've Come

2009-07-28T04:10:00.000-07:00

In just these 8 short weeks the pups have grown and become wonderful puppies ready for their new homes. It is a very labor intensive process...raising puppies the right way but so rewarding. As sad as it is to see them go we are so proud and pleased with how this litter has turned out.

The Name Game and Staying Safe

2009-07-26T08:24:00.001-07:00

As puppies get ready to go to their new homes it is important to remember that puppy must always be kept in a safe environment. Crates are an excellent way to keep puppies safe while you are unable to watch them. It is kind of like having a toddler in that you must think of things that puppy may get into and protect them. Baby gates are another good solution to keeping young pups safe. Puppy will come to understand that by your keeping him safe he then develops trust in you. Life-long connections with your puppy develop at this stage.

One important aspect of keeping puppy safe is making the connection with their name and learning that when you call them and they come to you wonderful things happen. For those pups that have their real names now we have started imprinting that. At this age puppies are underfoot and want to follow and be with you. We take them individually for walks in the yard and let them get a bit ahead or behind us and call their name and the instant they turn and look at us and start to come toward us we reward them with excited praise and when they get to us they get a tasty treat. It doesn't take long for puppy to learn that his new name is associated with wonderful things (you and a treat). That is why we NEVER call a puppy to us and punish or scold them. We only use positive reinforcement in training puppies. It is so easy to train a solid recall at this age and can save the life of your puppy in the future.

These pups are very comfortable napping in a crate.

2009-07-24T04:48:00.001-07:00

Yesterday the puppies went to the local vet's and received their first shots. This was a "3 Way" vaccine, containing only the vaccine for the diseases that are deadly for puppies and adults alike - Distemper, Parvo and Hepatitis. While there are vaccines for other diseases, they are not considered life threatening and can how potential side affects. The puppies will need to receive a second booster shot on THURSDAY AUGUST 20th. Again, we would recommend the 3 Way vaccine, but please consult your own veterinarian for their recommendation.

And, then, here are some pictures of Spring! starting her first tracking lesson. AKC Tracking is a modified version of search and rescue work. We only do this for fun, the pressure of real work is very demanding on both the owners and dogs.

The first photo is her getting her puppy harness on and being shown that there are food drops hidden in the grass. Within 3 steps she has learned to bury her nose i n the grass and search for food. Over the course of the next couple of lessons she will quickly make the transition to the food being where the person walked. Food drops will become further apart as she figures the game out.

And, at the end, she finds the GLOVE! Of course, she doesn't understand that part at all on Day 1, but we will work on tugger games seperately and really encourage her to play rough with gloves, socks, belts and other things she finds on the ground. Means that at home we have to keep things picked up. Corey will grab winter gloves off the table and run through the house to show what he has found. Just means housekeeping has to be done or WE accept responsibility for destroyed gloves and socks.

And the last picture is Spring! tracking on pavement. Urban tracking is definately in her future and we will be introducing a variety of surfaces right from the start.