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Penny is Missing, and Dexter is a Daddy

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Penny is missing from the area of High Park, Toronto

Penny is missing from the area of High Park, Toronto

How’s the weather where you are?

The other morning, my weather geek boyfriend came bounding back into bed to shake me awake and ask me “Guess how cold it is outside?”. I’m very much like my dogs, and averse to emerging from the warm cocoon of duvets I like to build for myself, so stuck my head under the covers and ignored him, in hopes he’d go away. No luck.

“Hey, psst – seriously, guess how cold it is?”

Sensing defeat, I gave in and asked how cold it was. The answer? A bone chilling -31 celsius (that’s minus -23.8, Fahrenheit).

Someplace out in this cold is Penny, a lost Hurrican Katrina survivor who also lived through Hurricane Gustav and Hurricane Ike. Penny is missing, and her Toronto family needs your help.

Visit the One Bark at a Time Blog to find out more, and to help bring Penny home.

My Boy is growing up…

It seems like only yesterday that Dexter was our tiny little baby boy. I was just looking through some of his photos on Flickr, and had decided that this one is probably my favorite:

Now, he’s got his first CERF clearance, his CHIC health clearances are pending, his show career is about to take off, and he’s sired his very first two litters, with Sue Simon’s girls Babs and Juicy up in Traverse City. Babs had two baby brindles – one boy, and one girl, and Juicy has 1 cream boy, a brindle pied boy, and a very lite cream boy (who apparently has pink ears).

If they turn out half as cute as their Dad is, they’ll be very cute indeed.

Babs pups are here:

http://flickr.com/photos/frenchbulldogs/sets/72157612687854790/show/

And Juicy’s pups are here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/frenchbulldogs/sets/72157612747539593/

Here’s a pic of Dexter’s adorable brindle daughter –

Elliott Gets Some! (points, that is)

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Elliott did admirably well this weekend, even when he was (rather ineptly) handled by me. While we didn’t take points on Saturday, we did meet some lovely new people, including a couple with an adorable, animated little brindle bitch they’d imported from Europe. She showed like a dream and was pretty as a picture, and it’s a wonder Elliott could manage to function at all, he was so besotted with her.

Sunday both Elliott and I had our minds more firmly on the game, and even with me on the end of his leash, Elliott handled with aplomb and style. He impressed the judge as well as me, and took Best of Winners and Best of Opposite. So, we’re now on our way to his Canadian Championship – 3 1/2 years after he finished his American one! As Barb informed me, this weekend was literally the very first time he’d been back in the ring in three and half years, and since I barely practiced more than 20 minutes with him leading up to the weekend, I’m pleased he did as well as he did. Next weekend we’re in Brampton, then on hiatus til after Christmas.

By the way, congratulations to Ch Petit Cherie Nevertheless, the Frenchie specials bitch, who took a group third on Sunday.

Dexter also did well this weekend in Michigan. He didn’t take any points, but he placed in his class and was happy to be in the ring. Barb is thinking of taking him down to Florida for the so called ‘Sunshine’ circuit, which should be fun.

Let’s hope my big little guy finishes up fast, so he can come back home for lap time and snuggles.

Showing Elliott was fun – it’s been years off from the circuit for me as well as for him, and I’d forgotten how much I enjoy the buzz and excitement of the ring. I love seeing other Frenchies, and talking with other owners, and the bigger shows like Caledon always have far too many tempting booths full of fun stuff to max your credit cards out on.

Now the only problem is that there aren’t any more shows within a reasonable driving distance until March! Maybe I should head to Florida with Barb…

Of course, there’s always March to look forward to – when Butters, Rumble and Heart will ALL be old enough to show! Hey, I wonder if I can harass talk Jennifer into putting Rumble into conformation?

All of the Caledon show photos are over on Flickr, by the way. Tomorrow we’ll catch up with Ms. Jellie Bean Parfait and see how life as a pampered West Coast Princess is treating her.

Shows, Snow and Carbs

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Yes, I still feel like crap — I will not go into details, on the grounds that it’s simply too disgustingly vulgar to go into. Suffice to say? Ewww. As Susan said (I’m paraphrasing) “Sinuses — what is the point?”. Evolution should have consigned them and other superfluous items like the spleen to the junk heap of biological advancement.

Sean is contentedly tinkering with his new lover, XM Satellite Radio. I fully expect this obsession to keep him occupied until spring finally rolls around. Not that I mind – living up here in the middle of nowhere, my radio programming choices have been limited to Christian Radio, Country and Western, and some kind of weird mid 70’s hair rock/dance pop hybrid station (the kind with really, really, really cheerful DJs).

The dogs and I, meanwhile, have been contenting ourselves with calorie loading and making the best of the ten million pounds of purportedly ‘beautiful’ snow that’s carpeting everything I can see.

I’ve been struck with an urge to cook Caribbean and Soul Food – probably not good timing, since my sinuses being under the weather means my sense of seasoning isn’t quite up to snuff. At the best of times, I like a lot more spice on my food than Sean does. Right now, my tolerance for spice is off the charts, mostly because I’m one of those people who season to taste, and I can’t currently taste much of anything.

I cooked Smothered Pork Chops the other night, and added so much white pepper that Sean almost fainted after the first bite. I’m thinking I’d better skip the Scotch Bonnet Pepper in the Jamaican Oxtail I’m making tomorrow. I serve my Oxtail with fried plantain, coconut rice and some cooked purple yams. Warm, filling food for snowy days. Maybe I’ll do some Steak and Kidney pies for next week, although I’ve also been considering Chicken and Dumplings. Two blessedly heat free options, which will please my rather wimpy palated boyfriend…

Heart has discovered snow, and she likes it. She spends as much time outside as we’ll let her – we literally have to go outside and grab her, shivering and snowy, or she’d never come back in the house. She looks awfully cute out there, snowplowing up the drifts with her nose and racing full tilt across the backyard.

Delilah is her partner in crime – the two of them hang out together outside, sniffing snowbanks, eating pieces of ice, and digging for tasty bits of greenery buried under the snowdrifts.

I’d like to say she misses her brothers and sisters, but honestly? After the first few days of confusion (“Didn’t there used to be more of us in here?”), she’s recovered quite nicely and is revelling in being the center of attention.

Dexter is doing well in Michigan. He’s preparing for his new career as a show dog, and gearing up for his ring debut next weekend. Barb and Sue have been fine tuning his urge to eat anything and everything waved in front of his face, in the hopes of turning my ravenous brat into a smoothly oiled showing machine.

Good luck with that, ladies!

If you’re in the MI area, and planning on attending the shows in Lansing, please drop by and cheer him on. Over here in Ontario, I’m getting ready to enter Elliott into some Ontario area shows. If you’ll be at any of those, please look us up in the catalogue and drop on by to say hello after we’re done showing!

Heart and Dexie’s photos are over on Flickr, or down below.

Echoes of Puppies Past

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Jellie Bean and Heart Making Crazy Faces

Jellie Bean and Heart Making Crazy Faces

When Ellie first came home with Sean and I, she made her opinion of us quite clear – “You stink, and I want nothing to do with you”. Our first tentative attempts to coax her out of her crate were met with undisguised contempt and loathing, and we were left wondering if she’d ever warm up to us.

We knew she was growing to love us the day that she decided she wanted to eat dinner with us. Ellie and the dogs ate in the kitchen, two rooms away from the living room. Ellie was always a slow eater, still working her way through her kibble long after the other dogs were through, and usually Ellie would come and join us when she was finally done. One day, during dinner time, we noticed Ellie running back and forth from the kitchen to the living room. We finally figured it out – she was carrying her food out to us, one mouthful at a time, and eating it sitting beside us. Carry one mouthful out, chew, go back for more, repeat.

After that, it was Ellie’s dinner time ritual – she’d bring her food out so she could eat dinner next to us, and Sean and I finally fell head over heels in love with her.

Two days ago, while I was doing some cleaning in the puppy room, all of the pups were sleeping in a big pile in their bed except for Jellie Bean, who was still picking at her food. When I looked over at her, I noticed she was grabbing a mouthful of kibble, and then carrying it over to the edge of the pen, so she could sit and watch me while she was eating. My heart instantly broke into ten million tiny little pieces, and I will admit that I broke down and cried a little bit.

Every puppy that we have carries echoes of the dogs that came before them. Every litter has a moment when I am struck by a resemblance to another puppy, or another dog. Every time I send puppies home with their new families, I send pieces of myself along with them, and the memories of all the wonderful, beautiful, beloved dogs that are their families and their heritage.

In other heart breaking news, Dexter has gone off to Michigan, where he is about to embark on a dual career as lothario and show dog. He’s staying with our friend Sue Case, of Epic French Bulldogs, where he’s about to discover the joys of fatherhood (hopefully). After that, he’ll be hitting the show trail. We’ll post a list of his entries, so that anyone who is in the area can drop in and cheer my little man on. He’s a bit of a momma’s boy, so please be sure to give him an ear scratch and tummy rub from me if you see him!

Some new photos of the crazy kids (who really, really love their green crinkly tunnel!) are below, or over on Flickr.

Dexter and the Soccer Ball, Part Two

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Dexter is exceptionally well natured when it comes to playing with the puppies. He’s unfailingly sweet and gentle with them, sharing his toys, licking their faces, and tolerating it when they bite him on the leg (and other, more painful places).

His tolerance, however, gets sorely tested when it comes to his soccer ball. I’ve mentioned before how much he loves this toy, and it’s amazing to us how close he lets the puppies get to him while he’s playing with it. In spite of this, his patience is stretched to the limit when it comes to Thor, who also seems to really love the soccer ball. Of course, maybe what he really loves is upsetting Dexter…

See for yourself in this video. View it on Blip – or just click the full screen button.

In other news, support SBTCC’s fight against BSL:

The Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club of Canada continues to fight draconian anti-dog legislation in Ontario.

We are hosting a “Celebration of Dogs” Photo Contest.

Grand prize is a Nikon SLR Digital Camera. The second prize is a custom made photo quilt (created just for you.) I have one and it is a work of art – something I will always treasure. Third prize is a digital photo frame. There are several smaller prizes.

Entries are still coming in but we need more! Please enter. Please send this message on to everyone you know and ask them to do the same. Out there somewhere is a wonderful photo that will win the grand prize!

We have assembled an impressive panel of independent judges – including photographers, dog experts, vets and an Ontario MPP!

This contest is not so much about great technical photos. It is, rather, a chance to celebrate our dogs in all their glory. We play with them, work with them, cry with them and laugh with them. This contest celebrates our dogs’ connection with their world, with us and with each other.

All dogs – mutt and champion – are welcome. Old, young, fat, fluffy!

It is easy to enter.

Please visit

www.staffordcanada.com

or email

celebrationofdogs AT gmail.com

Entries close Sunday, October 26!

There is no time to waste!