Hoffa and Labradors are good ambassadors

I've been taking Hoffa and a couple of the Labradors to various dog parks in the area. The James Island Park is really the best, now that there is a fence. I also like the one at Palmetto Islands County Park. It is large and there is a fence.

It seems that everyone who meets Hoffa the greyhound,Stella, Tobias, Clara, and any of the other Labradors falls in love with them. People are amazed at how fast Hoffa can run and how sweet she is. They always ask what breed the Labradors are because they aren't used to seeing the English type.

Dogs at the dog parks seem to have a wonderful time. Occasionally, there will be a growl but mostly everyone just runs about, getting dirty or muddy, and seeming to enjoy socializing.

People at the dog park are interesting too. Most everyone stands around looking at their dog and talking to others about their dog. People want to know about your dog but always speak proudly of their dog, almost like it is their child. In most cases, the dog is like a child to them.

I've come to enjoy the outings. I'm able to let Hoffa go and run to her heart's content. And by taking the Labradors along, they get to have a great time as well.

Deacon on the road

I made a decision to put Deacon out with Rusty and Jenn Howard for a couple of months. He is a nice boy and is at the age where he still looks good. His coat is nice and his movement isn't sloppy.

He was shown at the LRC of the Piedmont and placed first in his 12 to 18 Black Dog class under an English judge on Sunday. He is a hard dog to handle because he is crazy about the GIRLS! Deacon has discovered that there are lots of smells associated with females that drive him crazy. Consequently, he is focusing on quite a bit of things besides me.

So I thought that Rusty and Jenn would be able to get his head straight through lots of handling and dog shows. We'll see how it goes.

Handlers will definitely get him out there more than I am going to do. I've gotten to the point in life where I don't want to travel a couple of weekends a month to show dogs. Dragging crates in and out of buildings, walking dogs every few hours, and the general lack of sleep from staying in hotels is something that I'm glad to take a break from for a while.

I think that in the long run, considering the price of gas, entry fees, and hotel expenses, it will be less to put him out with a handler. And hopefully, there will be some beneficial results.

Kitties to love

Since Abraham died, I've been mourning his loss. No black cat to greet me in the morning, no kitty tail across my face when I'm fixing the dogs' breakfast. So I made a decision that I needed to adopt another cat.

Abraham came as a feral stray. I haven't seen any strays on Leadenwah in years. And believe me, if they were out there, they would eventually make their way to this house where they would receive the best food and have the best bed. Word would be passed--"Hey, check out Surry you furballs. It's where the good life is."

Anyway, I checked the paper and saw the Pet Helpers ads. I went there today with my cat carrier box. It was overwhelming. There were over a hundred cats in two rooms. Not in cages but just hanging out. Some were walking around, others were sleeping on high platforms or in beds.

I checked out several black males and decided to get Isaac. He is black and large and friendly. He has lived for 2 years at the shelter and needed a home.

But I also adopted another kitty. A seal point Siamese named Expresso who I'm going to call Esther. Esther is 2 months old and very playful.

So far, Rachael has hissed at Esther but they are dealing with it all. Esther just plays happily and ignores the hissing. Isaac has decided that he likes sleeping in the drawer of a workbench. Rebecca misses Abraham and is hoping that her new friend will decide to come out and play. It just takes cats a while to adjust. It took Abraham about 3 months before I could pick him up without being scratched. I'm patient and these cats have been well socialized. Isaac just needs a bit more time than Esther the Siamese who well...is a Siamese if you please or if you don't please.

So now two kitties have a forever home. Abraham must be purring away.

My beloved Abraham

Yesterday was a very sad day here. Abraham, my black cat, died from massive heart failure.

Abraham was special for sure. He helped me train all the puppies to accept cats. He would walk nonchalantly out into the yard when I had the puppies out and wait for them to approach him. He would tolerate all the puppy stuff unless they got a bit rough and then he would deliver a swat. Immediate respect was ingrained in the minds of the puppies. He never tired of puppies either. One would think that he would not want to be around a bunch of bouncing Labradors but Abraham always wanted to be there. In fact, he wanted to be everywhere we were. If I was working in flower beds, Abe would come over and flop down to watch. He loved to be with his humans more than anything.

Abraham came to Surry as a feral stray who looked as if he had been in a knife fight at a bad bar. His legs were ripped up and his neck had been bitten. I don't know what the other cat looked like but Abe was a mess. It took a while of feeding him before he became tame enough to touch. Eventually, I was able to lure him into a trap and take him to the vets. He was neutered (sorry Abe but it was best), checked over, given his shots and came home to live. He remained somewhat feral for a while. He would scratch or bite if the mood struck him. All the raging male cat hormones were still in his system.

But eventually, Abe became the most docile and loving cat. I could cut his toenails, have him curl up on my lap, scratch his tummy, and do anything to that cat. He was a special one. He would greet me every morning for his breakfast, would sleep in the chair all day, and generally followed me everywhere.

Abraham, we miss you. I wish that we'd had a chance to say Goodbye but maybe that wasn't necessary since we were always saying Hello to each other. Until later, Abe.

Happy Valentine's Day to the Dogs

Dogs deserve to know our love every day. But on this special day, how about a Valentine treat? Here's a good recipe for Peanut Butter Doggy Treats. Use a heart shaped cutter and you have the perfect gift for your dog's Valentine's day.

Ingredients:
3 tbsp. peanut butter
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups water
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup fine cornmeal

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Beat together peanut butter and eggs. Gradually beat in oil and water until well-mixed.
3. In a separate bowl, thoroughly combine flour, oats, and cornmeal.
4. Add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture and blend well to form a dough.
5. Roll out the dough to approx. 1/4" thickness and cut into shapes, or just slice them into squares if you don't have cookie cutters.
6. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet, leaving about 1/2 inch between biscuits. Bake for 20 minutes until browned. Turn off oven, but leave the biscuits inside to "crisp". Once the biscuits have hardened, remove them and treat your dogs! Store the remaining biscuits in an airtight container.

Kidney infection in dogs

I noticed that Tilly didn't seem as active as usual, even though she is 13 years old. She seemed a bit lethargic and was having some urine incontinence. After she was shown in Veterans at the CSCLRC supported entry, I knew that she was not feeling well. She just wasn't perky at all and didn't want to be in the ring which is unusual for Tilly.

So I took her to our vet for a check up. Dr. Shong found that she had a kidney infection. We know that the kidneys are vital organs which maintain the balance of certain chemicals in your dog's blood while filtering out the body's wastes as urine. The kidneys also help regulate blood pressure, help regulate the production of calcium and phosphorus metabolism, and produce a hormone that stimulates red-blood-cell production.

The structural units that work as filters in the kidney are nephrons. The nephrons are susceptible to damage due to many causes such as poisons, aging, infection, trauma, cancer, auto-immune diseases, and genetic predisposition. If any of these occur the entire nephron stops functioning. Fortunately, there are millions of nephrons. If damage to nephrons occurs gradually and the surviving nephrons have enough time to hypertrophy, a kidney can continue to function with as few as 25 percent of its original nephrons.

When the number of functioning nephrons drops below 25 percent or when damage occurs too suddenly for the remaining nephrons to compensate, kidney failure occurs. There are two types of kidney failure. Acute kidney failure is a sudden loss of function that is sometimes but not always reversible. Chronic kidney failure is an irreversible loss of function that occurs gradually over months or years.

Dr. Shong suspected that Tilly had an acute problem. He did a blood workup and found that her levels of creatinine (a chemical byproduct of muscle exertion) were higher than normal. All of her other blood work was good, her joints were good, and her heart was good. He suspected that her infection would respond well to antibiotics.

Tilly was started on Baytril and has gotten much brighter and more like her old self. There is a lot of information about kidney disease in canines on the web. This site has a lot of information that may be useful.

LRC of the Piedmont

This weekend is the LRC of the Piedmont specialty. I spent the day at the specialty. I really like specialty shows a lot, and this has been one that I've been going to for many years. In fact, I think that I went to the first one held by this club and have only missed a couple of shows since then.

As usual, it means getting up at 6 AM, walking the dogs, giving a few cookies but no breakfast, and then showing in various classes. There is a little time to just sit down and relax but not much time for that. Most of the time, I have to walk dogs, make it to the ring in time for my class, and walk around to watch the other rings. It's also a great time to catch up with old friends and talk to people about their dogs and promising puppies.

Specialties mean that there is only one breed being shown, in this case Labradors. All breed shows have entries of every breed. There are many more all breed shows than specialties. The competition at a specialty is fierce because there are so many nice Labradors present. Today, Mary Wiest's lovely Beechcroft boy won WD and went on to take the Breed. It is really an unforgettable thing to win at a specialty. I won Best of Breed with my Ch. Surry's Interstellar Overdrive several years ago at this very specialty. It was a great moment to savor.

Hoffa's morning at the beach

Hoffa hasn't quite decided what to think about waves and surf yet. She has gone to Sullivan's Island several times, most recently with her Labrador pal Stella. Stella loves the surf and wades about. Hoffa finds the water a bit scary so today she had to be carried around the rip rap! She walked part of the way and then came to a screeching halt. She dug in her toes and said, "Nope, I'm not going around any more rocks or out into this chilly water". Her greyhound friends Cayenne and Cooper lie about in the water regardless of how cold it is.

I'm sure that in time Hoffa will learn to love the water just as her buddies do. Until then, I'm just glad that she doesn't weigh 85 lbs like the Labradors do!

Floyd has crossed the bridge

I got the word that Am.Can. Ch. Surry's Dark Side of the Moon crossed over the Rainbow Bridge today. He joins his dam Ch. Fernwood Miss Daisy and his sire Ch. Sugar Hollow's Can't Touch This. I'm going to include the message that I received from Orlando Fernandez who co-owned Floyd with Sheila Wheatley and with whom Floyd lived in Spain. I think that it says what everyone has felt when they have a beloved animal leave this life:

"It is with great joy and sadness that I write this letter to you, joy because of all of the years of joy and happiness that our boy Floyd brought to me, the wonderful memories and in fact all that he taught me with his ways.

Sadness because as we know time does not stop and he has become very fragile and weak, I thought that perhaps it would be a very symbolic thing to send him over to Rigger and the rest of his cronies up above on his birthday, May 31st. Well this is not going to happen, I have been looking for a sign from him telling me when its time and I got it last night, his tail is not wagging any longer....I have made a very painful decision to send him to my Rigger and the rest on Monday morning, I don't want him to suffer and I believe that from this point on he is. Age stopped being kind to him a few months ago and it has been a fast track downhill.

So to the both of you I thank from the depths of my heart for having allowed me to share my life with this wonderful being, and I know that he will always carry a special place in your hearts as well. I speak for Sheila as well.

Today I am very sad, Monday will be a bad day too, but I hope that shortly thereafter I will as I have with the rest of the clan that has let me, be able to rejoice and celebrate the memories that he left me with.

I will give him a hug for the both of you."

Greyhounds in Bed

I'm glad that I've not let Hoffa up on the bed after seeing the video above. It's a wonder that the bedspread isn't shredded after the whirling!

I've never let the Labradors in bed either. For some reason, I don't want to sleep with a snoring man and an 85 lb. snoring, shedding dog. There just isn't enough room! And those stiff Labrador hairs...well....what more can I say because I have a quirk...I iron my sheets! Can you imagine what would be worse for a sheet ironer than to have dog hairs in bed???

Just something to make you smile on this Friday!!

Rescue and its importance

Photo credit: Eugene Mah

The folks at Wild Heir Labrador Rescue had a booth near the Coastal South Carolina LRC tent at the recent Charleston Kennel Club show. There were several dogs available for rescue including the boy shown above. There were T-shirts for sale and lots of information on Labrador Rescue.

I think that the Wild Heir site states the reason for Labrador rescue well:
"For the past 16 years, Labrador Retrievers have been the most popular breed of dog in America. Because of this fact, there is an ever increasing (and astonishing) number of homeless and abandoned Labrador Retrievers across the country. For instance, in 2006, the American Kennel Club recorded 123,760 Labrador puppies registered. This figure does not represent the registration stats of other breed registries, such as UKC,CKC and about a dozen other lesser known pet registries, many of which are accompanied with Internet puppy purchases. Not to mention “full-blooded” Lab puppies for sale with “no papers”, such as those found in newspaper ads, flea markets, and pet stores. With a conservative estimate of 250,000 Lab puppies born each year, our job can seem overwhelming….

Labrador Retrievers are loving, loyal dogs who make wonderful family pets. They can also be emotionally and physically "high maintenance" pets, just like many other dog breeds. Many people purchase Labs not realizing their training needs, as well as their daily need for exercise and human interaction. These are the Labs that may eventually be abandoned at local shelters or surrendered to rescue organizations."

So if you get a chance to do so, think about adopting a rescued dog. Or volunteer your time to foster one or give a monetary donation to a rescue group. There's really not enough good things that can be said about those who help out and rescue animals. Thanks for all that you do!

A relative of the Labrador?

I saw this neat statue of a Newfoundland at the Chesapeake Maritime Museum. It stated that it was a progenitor of the Chesapeake Bay Retriever. The Chessie is a tough dog and it's always been stated that it took an especially hardy dog to brave the waters of the Chesapeake. Back a few decades ago, there were huge guns that were mounted on skiffs that were used to down multiple birds. They were like boat-mounted cannons. The hunters needed dogs that were capable of going out and retrieving all of these ducks, in particular going after cripples first and then back to pick up the dead ones.

The museum stated what has been the most popular thought on the origin of the Chessie. That story involves the 1807 shipwreck of an English ship bound for Poole, England. The crew and two puppies survived the wreck: a brown male named Sailor and a black bitch dubbed
Canton in honor of the rescuing ship. But unlike what was stated at the museum, it was more probably that these puppies were St.John's water dogs, no doubt bound for Lord Malmesbury's estates, which at this time was developing the prototype for the Labrador Retriever
breed. These St. John's dogs were sometimes referred to as the lesser Newfoundland.

I have also read that the two puppies were on an English ship that was enroute to Newfoundland, while carrying a load of codfish. As its sailed into the Chesapeake Bay to pick a partial load of lumber, it wrecked and these two pups were saved as it sank.

I don't think that it's known whether Canton and Sailor contributed as much to the breed as they are credited with, or even whether they were bred to one another at all. But the hunters in the area wanted not only a fanatical retriever for the hard conditions but also a coat that would blend in with the marshes. The coat color of Chessies has interesting names such as dead grass.

Some of the other breeds believed to have played a part in the Chesapeake's development include coonhounds, Curly Coated Retrievers, Irish Water Spaniels, and setters.

I suspect based on what was available at the time that the St. John's Water Dog played a part in the background of the Chesapeake, just as it did for the Labrador. I can also see the Curly Coat gene in the background of the Chessie. I'm just glad that the Labrador temperament is what it is. I'll take the fun loving Labrador over the tougher Chesapeake any day.

Upcoming CSCLRC show

The Coastal South Carolina LRC is having its annual shows this coming Saturday and Sunday. We have an excellent entry this year with about 170 Labradors entered. That's really outstanding for a supported entry.

I've got four entered at the show, including Tilly and Stella in Veterans. I think that Tilly will enjoy being at the show on Saturday. She always liked dog shows. You don't have to be entered to come to watch the show. I think that there is a small parking fee charged but other than that, you can see many different breeds. Judging for Labradors will start early and go most of both days. And on Saturday night there will be an oyster roast for exhibitors hosted by the Bowrons at their farm on Wadmalaw.

So if you want to see lots of Labradors, come on out to the Fairgrounds at Ladson and ask the parking attendant where the Labradors are being judged. There will be dogs from all over the country at this show. It should also be a fun time!

Cold and rainy

It's weather like we've had this weekend that makes me want to stay inside and be warm. I actually like winter in SC, much better than summer but the rain that comes down in torrents makes me glad for fireplaces and fleecy blankets.

I actually got to see snow in my recent visit to Virginia. It was a first time in a long time that I have actually seen the white stuff stick to the ground. But then it turned to rain and was all gone by the morning. I remember deep snows when I was a kid and how quiet it was the next morning after it had snowed all night.

Labradors love the snow and ice. I watched a couple of them playing and bouncing around in it. Butt tucking on ice is really neat also. They seem to enjoy the cold, no matter what kind of precipitation there is.

As for Tilly, Hoffa and me--well, we're going to snuggle under a blanket or burrow into a dog bed and take a snooze.

My birthday

Today is my birthday and I'm celebrating it back in Virginia where I was born. I'm not fessing up to how old I am. No point in saying that I'm at the point where age doesn't really matter as long as I'm still able to get up and get going in the morning. I have a few aches and pains, and my lower back gives me fits some times but for the most part, I feel good.

I think that years of lifting Labradors in and out of dog crates in the van have taken their toll on my back. I find that if the dogs let me lift their rear up into the van, then I'm okay. It's when they decide that they want to fool around and bounce off to the side that I tend to twist wrong and eventually pull a muscle.

Anyway, I'm having a happy day. No schedule in particular and only one Labrador with me who is a good girl. Lucky Capricorn that I am!

Update on Lil Hoffa

Hoffa, the greyhound, had her stitches from her spay surgery taken out today. She is doing well. She enjoyed her time at doggy park on the Isle of Palms yesterday. She ran and played with several other dogs that were there. I took a lot of photos and especially like the one of her at full tilt run.

She has adjusted well. She does well in the house--no accidents so far. And she seems wary of cats which is great. She is calm on the leash too. She does like to follow us everywhere. She likes to be right by our side. And she likes to sleep next to the bed at night.

I think that it will be interesting to see how her "off the track" personality continues to come out. She is playful and happy which is a great thing. It indicates to me that her spirit hasn't been damaged by her time training to be a racing greyhound.

Eye exams

The Coastal South Carolina Labrador Retriever Club hosted an eye clinic on Saturday. The new veterinary ophthalmologist diplomate from Mt. Pleasant did the eye exams. We took seven of the Surry Labradors to the clinic. All were clear with no problems.

For those of you who haven't taken your Labrador for an eye exam, the basic procedure is simple. The first thing to be done is to fill out the form that has registration and ownership information on your dog. It also includes date of birth, date of exam, and breed information. Then the eyes of each dog are dilated. After about 10 minutes, the dog can then be examined. The eye specialist will do the following things:

1. Examine accessory structures of the eye using a slit-lamp biomicroscope.
2. Examine the cornea; followed by the anterior chamber and anterior uvea using an ophthalmoscope. The iris is checked during this part of the exam.
3. Measuring the pressure within the eye and evaluating the drainage angle (to out-rule or confirm glaucoma).
4. A fundus exam of the lens, vitreous and retina.

The retina of the eye in Labradors can be affected by retinal dysplasia and progressive retinal atrophy, the latter of which can now be diagnosed by a genetic marker test as well as the annual exam. The lens of the eye can be affected by cataracts. There are also disorders of the eyelids that may occur such as entropion and ectropion.

It's important to have an annual exam of your dog's eyes. Because diseases of the eye may be inherited, knowledge about whether your Labrador has "normal" eyes is important in making breeding decisions. It is inadvisable to breed any Labrador who does not pass an eye exam.

She's here!

Lil Miss Hoffa, the greyhound, arrived last night. She went for a long walk, sniffed the house, kept away from the kitties, and slept soundly. She whined for about 10 minutes before settling down on her large dog bed and going to sleep.

She has a little bit of separation anxiety but not enough to interfere with her eating. She chowed down last night and this morning. She's being fed Wellness Core because greyhounds tend to have a bit of a sensitive digestive system.

The Labradors don't know what to think. They seem fascinated by this thin, muscled creature who just eyes them and doesn't bark.

Today Hoffa is going into work with me. I'm trying to carry her as many places as possible so that she will get used to lots of strange things that she didn't experience while on the track. So far so good for her.....she is a cutie!

Greyhound adoption news

Lil Miss Hoffa was spayed on Friday and should be ready to come for a trial stay at Surry tomorrow. The photo above is from her track data base. She ran in 9 races but didn't do so well. Her foster mother indicates that she doesn't like to chase furry animals which is a blessing since there are cats, squirrels, bunnies, and sometimes small Labradors running around.

I'm a bit anxious about having another breed. But she seems very sweet and hopefully will adjust well to the routine at Surry. She will probably come into work with me for a while. And she will definitely have to be on a leash for about 2 years. Greys aren't like Labradors and once they see something they are gone in a flash.

In short, I'm looking forward to seeing her tomorrow. More news then.

Tilly and Stella

Here's a photo of Ch. Castlewood Whyaskwhy at Surry with her daughter Ch. Surry's Interstellar Overdrive. Tilly is now 12 but gets around remarkably well. Stella is now in Veterans at 7 years but is happy and gets lots of exercise through walks on the beach.

I know that Tilly's dad Can. Ch. Ranbourne This Bud's For You lived to be 15. I'm hoping that Tilly will have such longevity. Other than being a bit deaf, she is in great health and enjoys life. She still thinks that she's queen of the Surry Labs.