Pearl has continued to do well. Very consistently winning Best of Variety which sends her to the Group competition and there she has also been pretty consistent in placing. Wednesday she went Group Four & yesterday she placed at Group Three. Meanwhile, also yesterday was Clarise’s first day in the ring and voila – she went Reserve Winner’s Bitch. Not bad for the first day out for a 7 month old in 6 to 9 month puppy class. Shows promise.

nothing major today — yay… just lots of dogs stuff here. mom recuperating — had PT already today. other sister heading home as we speak up in the air somewhere. other sister had planned to stay in TX to watch her grand-dog. mom going into a rehab place on Monday am told. Pearl got another BOV today but nothing in group – got a group four yesterday which was about ten group placings in a row. She is now a Silver Grand Champion (25 pts for GCH, 100 for Bronze and 200 for Silver). And my little Clarrise started her show career today and went Reserve Winner’s Bitch — not bad for first day out. He said she showed like a pro but was surprised. Had expected her to monkey up because she is a little scamp. You just never know how they will do til they are in that ring.. More dogs coming and going tomorrow so for now, see ya.

My mother had her surgery today — fell and broke her hip yesterday while still in TX after getting out of the pool — slipped. sigh… Had to have half replaced and I don’t even know what’s next. Waiting to get more info from my sisters. But, update on Pearl — she got two group two’s and two group three’s last weekend and today a group four. YAY. All added up for the rankings. Every time she does something in the group she get more dogs defeated. Right now she is #4 standard poodle bitch in the country and 6 or 7th overall. I’m hoping with all these wins that she moves up another notch but I’m pretty happy as it is too!!!

beautiful boy…

Too cute —

This is a Group Two placement – I like this one — can really see the dog…

Today she is better — but she is on antibiotics and prednisone. The pred could be masking the real issue if its cancer in her lungs but I’ll take it. My baby girl shown here in a picture taken awhile ago — maybe a year ago…..

This is Susie Victoria named after me and my mother by Fr. Scott – her “daddy”. Freshly groomed today — quite a beauty…

Today not so hectic but more of the same. Julia brought Reny to try just in case but still no go although Mondo still thought she was pretty cute. So, hopefully the AI yesterday does it and we get a new progesterone number in the morning that will hopefully confirm that. Meanwhile, Annie was back at the vet’s on IV fluids all day which does seem to help but we have no new information. Hoping the antibiotics and steroids do the trick but the stuff in her lungs is the long shot… The puppies had less to scream about today as I gave them baby beef twice — I am their new best friend. It always astounds me as to how quickly they learn that. First of all they have a keen sense of smell they have that at birth but not sight or hearing (although they think they hear just a tad). The little noses go up in the air when I walk in the room with an open jar or they stop yelling when they hear the “pop” of the lid if I open it in front of them. And the first couple times I open their mouths to put some in, they fight it a bit. Soon, however they are opening their mouths like baby birds waiting for the beef to slide in. So cute. They are toddling around the box now albeit still falling over a lot but better each day. They have teeth erupting too – so no wonder Velvet is quitting. For some reason, I’m more tired tonight – probably yesterday catching up with me…

Well, I use my blog to tell about Luminary happenings. Sometimes I go with not much happening for awhile although seems not too often. Sometimes a lot in one day. Today — woke up to a screaming puppy. Screaming because his mommy has decided its time to start weaning and he obviously has a different opinion. So did I. I had to entice Velvet to nurse after feeding her yummy food — scrambled eggs and ham to be exact. She turned up her nose at a couple of other offerings. While this was happening, I had the upstairs dogs outside. Apparently I took too long and they started howling–who knows what got it started but it then moved to the downstairs dogs. Cacophony. So, I put Velvet back in with her babies, actually laid her down which is not easy to do while four little ones are swirling all around screaming. They were in such a tizzy at this point that they then seemed to be playing musical chairs on her. Part of the problem was that she’d not nursed in too long a period so in addition to very hungry babies, she was not forthcoming — most of her faucets had firmed up too much for them to get it going. So I had to help with that. Hold a screaming, puppy fighting to be unhanded, try to squirt milk and get them latched on so they keep it going — four times. I think Velvet was laughing at me… Well that was the only sort of funny part of the day. I go downstairs to now screaming adults all wanting to get out for the first time in the morning – not that I blame them. I’m running around saying, I’m coming, hold on, be right there, you are next… All the while watching Mondo and Reny. Reny is here to breed to Mondo who is quite willing but its not happening. Last Saturday, Mondo was absolutely crazed for the girl and it didn’t happen. So, I thought, don’t worry, she’s not quite ready and given the number of days of her heat and her progesterone level I was pretty sure we weren’t missing her. But still – when the boy is nuts and it doesn’t happen, you start to wonder. Mondo seems to have an MO though — tries pretty earnestly for about two days before it happens –meaning the girl is then ready so it can happen. I let them loose in the yard in case she is an au natural girl. Mondo follows her but that’s it. I say — oh no that’s not good. Her “momma” calls who of course has been in on the goings on over the last week she’s been here and in fact suggested that Reny may be Miss Au Natural, and I say still nothing. Sigh. She asked what I would do and I said take them for an AI = artificial insemination – to get her covered because I am pretty sure today is the day. and if it isn’t – no harm done. and get a new progesterone test to see where she is in case it really is still too early. She calls the repro vet who says its better to get the progesterone test and then see if should do AI. I think I lost it a bit on the phone saying I don’t care what she said if we wait we now could be missing her, and I said to……. I’ve been through this with vets who think all the dogs read their medical books but my girls do not read them and do things their own way. Plus – if I say so myself -I am more experienced. I bet I’ve done more breedings than that whole practice put together and I know what has and has. It worked with my girls and I KNOW MY DOGS… So, she comes and takes Reny and Mondo, gets the AI and the blood draw. Later today gets the numbers and voila!!!!!!!!!!!! should be perfect. Now we shall see because if something else is amiss, Reny may not conceive but at least she is covered on a good day so I she is fertile, she should. – as I thought… lol… Now on to the really not funny part of the day. Back in the monrning with everything else going on, I of course note that Annie is worse. wouldn’t/couldn’t get up. I run back up there to check on her after getting things squared away down here and call the vet who says bring her. NOW. She is running a fever of 103.5 and dehydrated even though I made sure I saw her drinking – guess not enough… I am really thinking I am losing her. She stays at the vet’s on IV fluids all day. I told the vet her symptoms and how its evolved over the last couple of weeks because he is relying on the notes of the other vet who was treating her. Both of my vet’s are great– truly wonderful veterinarians. But sometimes its not so easy. Annie did not respond to the antibiotics she’s been on and in fact is worse. One of the new symptoms is heavy breathing. Xrays show bad something. Needs ultrasound to see if tumor or it is infection — certainly some infection somewhere as her white cell count went sky high.. 2700′s. Well, he ran blood work, other tests. She has a urinary infection in addition to whatever is going on in her lungs. She responded well to the fluids but that doesn’t solve all else. So, now she is on prednisone, different antibiotic and couple other things. He is not overly optimistic. At this point no matter what is going on in lungs is not good. If tumor…. If infection why not responding to antibiotics …. Well it could be related to the blood issue she’s had which was triggered as a side affect to Proin we put her on a couple years ago to treat incontinence and if its that, it basically is or is like cancer in the blood. sigh.. SO, came home, got her settled — she ate at the vet’s but not home — maybe not hungry now but I put her meds in the food. NEVER do that because of this — and I know better… just tired I guess. wolfed down some food my mom had made (my wonderful mother…) checked on puppies — no screaming but Velvet not heading into the room either so I came down to tend to everyone downstairs and let them out to enjoy the decent weather tonight but now I need to get back upstairs and make sure Velvet nurses those babies. Quite the circle of life going on here today… Post script…now almost 1030pm and I had round two with the puppies and Velvet. This is strange since it is a small litter and she has has two before of 9 and seven so nursing four should be a breeze. But apparently she didn’t read that book either because she is quitting. So tomorrow when I take Annie back for more fluids, I will get the gerber baby beef and start helping to wean these babies. In fairness although there are only four, they are huge. And I just realized I never took my own mess this morning so now am feeling it and have heartburn. Ugh… Night!!!!