Rorschach Print?

What do you see in this abstract print?

How about this one?

If you said, "Two dogs playing," the therapist would let you off the couch.

Otherwise...well, maybe it's risky to allow you unrestricted access to the World at Large!

Here's how we started our morning today... pretty much like most mornings.

Can you say Drama Queen!

By now Denali should know that "playing dead" doesn't encourage Sage to leave her alone. Especially when her eyes are wide open! Sometimes it isn't exactly clear just who the real "puppy" is here!

Sage's Call Name Pedigree

Here's Sage's Call Name Pedigree which applies to the Tree Litter (10/21/09). I will be preparing one for each of Sage's parents too.

(If any of the littermates would like one, please send me your dog's registered name & call name via e-mail (Kathy@Forpaws.org) and I'll make you a .pdf)

Click to enlarge

Tree Litter - Call Name Pedigree 10/21/08

I've been working on a Call Name Pedigree for the C-Myste, Baledwr, Starrynights "Tree" Litter (10/21/08). I am missing only one call name. Can anyone fill in the call name for Shadowalk Vashon Jettsetter, ROMb?

My scribbles are below, if you want to see the rest. I'll make it "pretty" when I've got everyone. I am also working on Wally and Hannah's Call Name Pedigrees and will ask some questions on those when I'm sure I've exhausted my search on the Web for the missing names. (I have also taken everything that pertains from Penni's research - thanks Penni!)

Click on pedigree to enlarge

Dog at Work

This morning I tried to take a picture of Sage, sitting at my desk, so I could submit him for the Dogs at Work photo contest. Since I work from home, he is "at work" with me every day! I'm not sure that any of these are really contest-worthy, but he sure looks cute in my chair!

As with most of us, upon arrival at work, he's a little sleepy and not sure he really wants to be there.

But he looks a bit more awake after having had his morning coffee.

(Naturally, his mug has little dogs on it.)

Ugg...same old project. Don't we have something new to work on?

Check it out! I can use the Internet when she's not looking!

Each Day is a Gift

This is Elissa, with her Tibetan Terrier puppy, Jetsun. Just five months old, Jetsun is a product of Elissa's first breeding attempt, using her adult girl, Lotus. Lotus produced three pretty puppies. Elissa wasn't planning to keep any of them...we all know that story!

Two weeks ago today, I met Jetsun for the first time. She was introduced at our monthly dog club meeting. Elissa's dog, Lotus, trains with Denali in the Show Novice class. Interestingly, the two girls seem to really like each other, and they're about the same size, so we often pair up for class exercises. Lotus is clearly a well-loved dog, sweet and beautifully-trained.

At the Club meeting Elissa introduced Jetsun. She started to talk about her attempts to place Jetsun and why it didn't work, and she ended up keeping her. As she talked, her words became garbled, and at a point, she really wasn't making much sense. I realized that I'd stopped listening to what she was saying, but was simply looking at her face and seeing a woman holding a Heart Dog. It was so evident that Jetsun wasn't meant for anyone else. This was a bond that had happened virtually immediately, not to be broken.

But this morning I received some terrible news from Elissa. This past Sunday, Father's Day, she had to euthanize Jetsun. Her Heart Puppy had a rare congenital kidney condition and had gone into complete renal failure. There was nothing that could be done.

There were symptoms early on, but they were overlooked by the vet, due to the dog's young age. When tests showed severe renal failure on Saturday, the vet was amazed that Jetsun was still alive. Based on the results, she should not have been.

But a bonded dog, doesn't let go easily. By rights, this should have been discovered within the first couple months. Jetsun has been living on borrowed time for quite awhile. There is no question that Elissa's strong connection gave this puppy a few extra months and a tiny bit of a real life before it was time to go.

Jetsun left this world resting in Elissa's arms, comfortably at home. She was able to find a vet kind enough to make a house call on Sunday.

As you might imagine, Elissa is in shock, and completely devastated. Any and all prayers and good thoughts for her, and her sweet puppy, now on the other side of the Bridge, are welcome.

Rest well Jetsun! Every Day was a Gift!

Just Because!

60 Seconds of Sage

While Sage was helping me garden, I took this series of photos. All of them, with exception of the first, were taken in about 60 seconds. I just held the camera in the same position and kept shooting while animated puppy did the rest. Interesting just how many expressions you can capture in only a minute!