4 week old puppies!

The Goblins are getting so big!  Ashlyn


Steve!


3 of them at the vet for deworming


Huckleberry!







Ash and Steve




Steve loves Geddy Lee!






Huckleberry with his plush pal




Ash snoozin

Puppy photos!

 Huckleberry

 Ashlyn

Steve

 Ashlyn

 All 3 at the milk bar

 Huckleberry says "nomnomnomn my foot is good"

And Steve...in his usual position

Why I have been quiet...

CC needed an emergency C section and had 3 surviving puppies.

She also needed to be spayed but she is ok.  The pups will be 2 weeks old on Saturday - born on Halloween!

2 boys, 1 girl. 

All brindles with no mismarks. 

They are gaining weight like crazy!  Photos to come. 

The Wait...

7 live puppies of uniform size are still cooking. 

2 are facing in the right direction. 

Hoping that The Day comes soon.

Home stretch!

Well, 2 (ish) weeks to go until CC has her litter.

She got an Ultrasound on saturday to make sure everyone is alive and ok still.  7 live puppies are still in there.

Next week (27th) we go in for an xray to make sure no one is facing backwards or sideways and (fingers and eyes crossed) she should be able to have them naturally.

I started taking her temperature now to get a baseline as what is normal. 

The whelping pool is all set up.  Supplies are on hand...just waiting!

CC is in great spirits - can still get on and off the bed and couch and loves her walkies and playing in the yard. 

Pups Confirmed!

CC had her ultrasound last night and there are SEVEN pups in there.

We are halfway through the pregnancy - fingers crossed everyone arrives healthy and safely!!!

Perfect Princeton Trial!

Ryka and I rarely trial 2 days in a row.  It is a lot on me and her, but I decided to enter Princeton Dog Training Club's trial both days because it was a very short drive from our house.

She did amazing!

Double Q numbers 8 and 9 with first and second place scores, a decent amount of points and she finished her MJP title!

This means we are eligible to enter the Westminster Agility trial in February of 2016.  Whether we get in is another matter.  :)

Saturdays Standard Q


Saturdays Jumpers Q


Sunday Double Q!

She's Tricky

Lzzy earned her Novice Trick Dog title!  That makes her my second dog to earn a trick dog title!

Trick dog title requirements can be viewed at Kyra Sundance's website, do more with your dog!

The Red And The Black

"Spin the wheel of life and it will land on either the Red or the Black.  The rest goes by the Grace Of God." - Bruce Dickinson

Well, CC was bred.  She came up negative for mycoplasma and she had her lovely date with Cruiser. Now to hope she wasn't rendered sterile from her last bout which caused (to the best of our knowledge) her to lose the last litter.  Pups will be here Halloween if all goes well.

Ryka got Double Q number 7 and 11 more points at Dream Park.  She needs 2 more legs for her MJP title.  I hope to get her up to 10 QQs before the winter break.

Our next shows will be Morris and Essex in October.  Once every 5 years this prestigious show comes to NJ.  It will be a spectacular for sure!

ICKC dog show

I tried ICKC dog shows for the first time ever.  I heard a lot of good things, but never got around to making it to a dog show. 

They held 4 shows in 1 day and ICKC has judges fill out a critique form on each dog - ranging from Excellent to Good. 

To get an Intercontinental Championship your dog needs to be rated either "Excellent" or "Very Good" by 5 judges.  All 3 of my dogs entered (CC, Lzzy and Priscilla) got either Excellent or Very Good ratings!

For your International Championship, a dog must get 15 points with 2 majors (just like AKC) and points can be won in Group and Best In Show.  CC went Breed over Lzzy all 4 shows and got a group 4 over competition for her points and her first major!  Priscilla got Breed and Group 1s in altered for 2 shows as well. 

Also, this makes CC and  Priscilla my first dogs to place in groups in all 3 major dog show venues in my area (UKC, ICKC, and AKC).  I am very proud! 

It was a lot of fun, very low key, great quality of dogs being shown too.  Despite the heat the dogs all showed their hearts out for me. 

I jumped into the hotel pool on the show site with my clothes on before driving home - it was that hot. 

Ryka Roo is Ranked again!

Ryka is Number 9 in the 4 inch preferred division! 

Never in my life did I think i would have a ranked agility dog.  :)

http://baddogagility.com/Cardigan-Welsh-Corgi-ranking-by-powerscore-for-2015-q2/#

new show photos

Because I forgot to pay the photographer, here are photos from the DelVal specialty shows back in June.  Can't believe Priscilla and Iggy Pop are both Veterans now!  

Truth about "Blue Merle Pembrokes"

https://bluepembrokewelshcorgis.wordpress.com/

There has been a lot of talk and an uprising of breeders crossing Cardigans and Pembrokes and calling the crosses "blue merle pembrokes".

I have nothing against responsible breeding of mixed breed dogs but these breeders are conning buyers into thinking this cross is "rare" and charging more for merle colors...they are also claiming the dogs are AKC registerable.  This is not true unless they are registered under the PAL program (and they must be spayed and neutered to be registered).

Also, the most these breeders do is test for DM.  No other health testing is done, nor are the dogs being bred structurally sound.

There are LOTS of breeds and mixes in blue merle.  If you want a mix, by all means buy one.  But do not fall for the trap.

Well, this happened...

http://newjersey.news12.com/multimedia/service-dogs-denied-entry-to-warped-tour-1.10661754?firstfree=yes


Denied Access at Warped Tour

Me and Mindy were turned away from the gate at Vans Warped tour with our service dogs.  This is the first time I was denied access at a major event.  The reason?  They illegally questioned if the dogs were vaccinated.  Then they said the dogs were a health and safety hazard.

News12 NJ stepped up to the plate and did the interview.  I also filed a complaint with the Department of Justice and will file with the NJ State Attorney General.

Wish I could say how much I enjoyed Warped Tour but I guess not.

A Trick Of The Tail

I got a new job!  After months of searching and not finding the right fit, I went on an interview and I HOPED this current job would call me back.

They did!!!  I cannot wait to actually have a livable income again!  :)

I will miss my "vacation" on unemployment though.

A Farewell To Kings

I had the opportunity to see my favorite band, Rush, twice on what will more than likely be their last tour.

The setlists were nothing short of fabulous, and glad I got to see a good assortment of tunes.

Plus this was Lzzy's first major concert.  I wasn't sure how she would handle the pyro in 2 of the songs but she did just fine.  Handled a 3 plus hour concert like it was nothing.

"Roll The Bones" from our seats in Newark

She *just* fit under my seat in Newark.  And those are specially made noise cancelling earmuffs for dogs called Mutt Muffs.  (she also got a tour bandana)

"Xanadu" from our seats in Philly

On that note, Lzzy is officially retired from AKC agility.  She had a soft tissue injury that mimicked a back issue.  I rushed her to my vet who did xrays and sent them off to a specialist.  It 99% is a soft tissue injury which was solved by crate rest for several days and painkillers.  She is back to her old self but I do not want to risk her jumping and climbing when she doesn't have to.  I need her with me for a long time as my service partner.  We will still do NADAC agility in classes that don't have contact obstacles.

RYKA MXP!!!

My first Masters Level title on a dog!  And Double Q number 5!  25% of the way there.  

Here is the video.  

TailBlazers Trial 5/23/15

At the TailBlazers agility club:

Ryka got QQ number 4 and MXP leg #8!!!  She also broke 100 PACH points!

CC got MJP leg #7

Ryka's standard run.

Colonial Rottweiler Club and Port Chester Dog Training trials

Now we enter the season of the agility trials.  I was hoping to have more Double Qs with Ryka but she seems to be bombing out in jumpers.

She now has 7 (out of 10) MXP legs - 3 more to go!

CC won a very large masters jumpers class at the Colonial Rottweiler Club trial but we still cannot finish our AXP.  I am hoping the stars will align somehow.

I also am still gainfully unemployed - not for lack of job searching.  I am thinking of writing a book but who knows.

Booster Fund Raiser for Mindy

Booster page to buy t shirts


Mindy drew some designs and I chose this one to start the booster campaign.  $20 a shirt and it will help Mindy with her medical bills for dialysis.  We need to sell 50 for them to print and it will go to a good cause.  I ordered shirts before from this company and the shirts are not cheaply made so it is a good value.

Zazzle shop

I also opened up a Zazzle shop - the products aren't live yet but Mindy's other designs will be offered for sale on various products like mugs and stamps.  More products will be added as time goes on.

Thank you for your support!

A request to help a friend

Let me be serious for a minute.

A dear friend of mine, Mindy, is a talented photographer and artist.  She is more like a sister to me.

The past month her health has taken a turn for the worse and she needs a kidney transplant.  She only has one kidney to start with and that one doesn't work.

We are looking for donors (will be kept anonymous) over the next few months so if you would be interested please contact me or Mindy at rakkauscardigans@aim.com.

Also, we will be starting a Zazzle shop of Mindy's art on wearables to help offset the cost of medical bills.

Thank you so much.

Afghan hound trials and Gloucester County trials

Lzzy finished her Novice Standard Preferred agility title on march 28th!!!

CC bombed out on the 28th but on the 29 got 20 more PACH points and her 5th MJP leg.  Halfway there!!!  No videos from this weekend sadly.

Ryka is in season so she was scratched from the past 2 weekends of trials.  Bummer!  But she will not be in season for the CWCCA national specialty!

Gloucester County trial I was only entered on Friday with Lzzy and Ryka.  Since Ryka was scratched it was just me and the marshmallow face.  Our first time in Open level agility she had to visit the judge and zoom around in Standard but she got it together for Jumpers and got her first OJP leg!

Video here:

Lzzy NJP and High In Trial!

At the March SOJAC agiltiy trial, Lzzy double Q'd with 2 first places and finished her Novice Jumpers Preferred title!  

She also won the Novice Preferred High In Trial award from the club!  My first HIT pup!  

Lousy Smarch Weather

I was hoping it would be warmer out but Old Man Winter still had his stranglehold on the Northeast.  

However, we start HERDING Lessons again!  Yay!  

Hoping to get CC trialing sometime this year (if I get over my feat of sheep).  And agility trials are going to be plentiful.  

I have not done conformation in a long time and we are starting back up again this month at some supported shows.  Lzzy is halfway finished and I hope to get that done this year so it is over and done LOL.

Right now Lzzy has this:  eosinophilic furunculosis   

Don't worry I can't pronounce it either.  Good news is it is on the mend and she should hopefully be back in the saddle soon.  

Bayshore Companion Dog Training Club Trial

WOW did CC smoke em at this trial!  She went 3 for 4, getting her first AXP leg!!!  FINALLY.

here is her second jumpers run of the day.



Here is her first jumpers run of the day



Her first AXP leg!

Delayed brag

Well Miss Lzzy got her first double Q in AKC agility! It was a new years day trial and it had a pajama theme! 

Yay Lzzy!