Puppy Updates

[Katie Rogers]

Been a while since I've been on here and wanted to post an update as our guys and gals are almost 6 months old and hope to hear from everybody else as well.  GiGi is such an awesome dog.  I must admit I think this age is tougher than the young puppy stuff because they are growing into their dog bodies but still have their puppy minds.  She is completely housebroke, no accidents in well over a month and is doing great with stacking.  Trying to decide whether to take her to a show the end of this month or wait until next month.  She has starting pulling on the leash especially when we go to the trails at the local park.  By the time we get to the end she is much better once she is worn out ;) but the beginning is just torture for the both of us.  But we are working on it and I know it will improve.  Has anybody used or recommend the Halti style head collars?  I didn't know how it would possibly effect showing etc.  But she is great with my kids.  Super fun and sweet and loving and I just don't know what we ever did without her!!

[Autumn Brock]

Hi Katie~

It's so good to hear from you and hopefully everyone else soon, I have been wondering how all the pups are doing. It's hard to believe that in just a few days these guys will be 6mnths old. Joss has been allowed out and about again after his HOD and the 8weeks kennel rest. He sure put on the pounds in those sedintary weeks but he's growing out of the chubby kid stage and into a tall handsome young man - think Jerry O'Connell in Stand By Me haha. He's also been a little more pully on walks but I work with him on that and he usually settles in just fine after about 10 minutes. Only a small correction of Wait and he knows to fall back and not tug. I use a martingale collar when we walk and he has responded very well to this. When we are on our longer walks up in the trails I use a 20 ft lead that allows him to be ahead but still no pulling allowed.

Our handling classes start next week here and I am very excited to get Joss out into a social setting with other dogs again. There is a show in May I hope to enter him in, it's gonna be a lark. There should be a comedian there to do the play by plays for us. Joss stacks - for 15 seconds tops - but its a start. He's still a wiggle fest of reset and try again though. He'd rather lick my hand and suck at my thumb than stack for me. Still there are glimmers of beauty when he gets it just so. I love to watch him course around the yard when we play, his gates are lovely. Mine are not. I am attempting to regain my unnoticable ninja qualities as I move with him; it's still pretty rocky.

The pictures are from one of our nicer days these last few weeks. Its fun to have Joss outside; he finds spring facinating - likely because he was a winter baby and hasn't knows the world up here would turn green.

All the best to everyone,

Autumn, James & Joss

[Lora Erickson]

Hi everybody!

Funny I've been thinking about all the puppies lately too. Wondering how everyone was doing especially Joss which is great to hear that he is doing so much better! and I love his new pictures.Here I thought we were going to get to see some St Paddy pub crawl pictures Amber.

Iz is awesome, wonderful, I could go on and on. We're really lucky because not only do we have warm, beautiful weather all winter but we live in a farm/horse community where there are tons of places to run and ride. Iz goes running with me a couple of times a week and she is finally getting really good at riding with me after being stepped on when she was 4 months old. Got her toes smashed! Riding has been a challenge because I usually ride one horse, put a horse on each side and the dogs have to heal on the left when we cross major streets so it's a trick to teach them to be two horses off me but Iz has picked it up and it is so much fun to ride with my dog again.

We had to give up our runs in the desert because the rattlesnakes this year are unbelievable. I almost ran right over a tangle of them with the horses two weeks ago, had to be at least 8 of them in a snaggle in the middle of the trail. Yuck! So taking Izzie up to snake break her in two weeks. Then we can hit the desert again.

She is in LOVE with birds and unfortunately Bunnies and I just don't have the heart to stop her from chasing them even tho my husband yells at me. The other day at a water shed area, must be about 50 acres, we ran into a pair of ducks. Iz took off after them and they flew just in front of her about three feet off the ground and made a big swooping circle quacking the whole way with Iz hot on their tails (literally) yipping like crazy. As soon as I called her off they plopped right back into the field. Mean Ducks!

We don't have any behavior issues. I guess she's house broke, never had an accident, pretty chew broke, can't get her to stop stealing the cat food off the wash machine, (doubt I will ever break her of that) but caught her once on the kitchen counter top and she's never been up there again. We keep a long line on her when we're out and about, even though I don't hold onto it, and I haven't really started working with her on healing but she sit/stays, we're up to two minutes although she always has that look on her face like "what did I do wrong? Why am I in time out?", and comes back when called even in the heat of a duck chase. She never bothers other people when we're out (pet peeve of mine I hate when strange dogs run up to me) nor bothers or usually even looks at other dogs. She loves to go down to the neighbors barns and visit with everyone and interestingly enough she is very people particular. She either likes them or not immediately. Setters usually love everyone, but we've come across a couple of people that Iz had an instant dislike for. Strange! So I know I'm getting to the spot where I have to start with serious training but I'm a procrastinator.

Funny story. My husband was outside late the other night dumping manure buckets in the front yard garbage cans. He comes back in and 5 minutes later I hear Izzie bark and I say "where's Iz?" course my husband has no idea and Iz barks again and I open the front door and there is she is. He'd locked her out front and she ran around to the front door wanting in. Was so excited when we opened the door. I don' t know if she thought we wanted her to run away from home or what.

She is a hairy mess. I've never seen this much hair on a setter in my life. It is so thick on her back you can't hardly get the shampoo out of it and it just curls and stands up all over after a bath. I am dreading her adult coat.

I told everyone I could go on and on! Keep in touch. Lora

[Autumn Brock]

Hi Lora ~

Sounds like some of Joss' fuzz has found Iz haha. Finally someone to comiserate with on a mondo coat puppy. I have him groomed down right now but WHOA fuzzy legs. I can only imagine how he'll look as an adult but I imagine its gonna be big.

Tried to get photos of Joss with the pipers on St Pats but it was kinda dark by the time they came through and my flash didn't come out. Will have to wait until next St. Pats day for a another try. Meanwhile we've been trying to teach him 'wear it' for James fedora hats. LOL

Your story about the ducks reminded me that in Jan I took Joss to one of the parks here for a walk. Now, we have the errrrr 'endagered' Canadian Goose here. Of course, how endangered they are vs how protected they are is up for debate - also, I'd consider them more Idaho Geese now since they NEVER LEAVE. Why fly south when you can just kick it here and be hand fed? Why even bother flying north again either. LOL Anyway this park alone has about 300+ geese in it at any one time. They hang out just covering the large grass fields in this park - in the summertime these fields convert to 3 soccer fields - just to give you an idea of how many geese there really are. Joss saw the birds and got antsy and since there are no roads near I took off his leash and ran into the flock with him. I laughed so hard. These geese are bigger than him and about 100+ take off all around us as Joss goes charging in full boar. What a roar of wings! He went from full speed to sitting in awe in less than 2 seconds. He skidded into a stop in the snow as all these geese took flight. Then he looked at me with a 'what was that?' smile. Sure enough, the lazy flock resettled in the next field so we took another couple of charges at em'. He thought that was pretty neat - but otherwise, he's not birdy. I had him right next to a covey of 10 quail yesterday, just peeping away under some fallen tree branches. Joss thought my insistent pointing to get him near the tree fall was so he could roll around in the long tall grass. But hey, I flushed the whole bunch! Now if you've got a squeeky pork chop toy he can point that out no qalms.


All the best,

Autumn, James & Joss

[Lora Erickson]

Hey, it sounds like "you" are going to be quite talented in the bird department. Flushing quail already huh? And if Canadian geese are endangered in Idaho we have them wintering and summering on our golf courses here, I'll send you some. I would pay just about anthing to see Joss hit that flock like that. I bet that was amazing to see them all take off. Course down here all the "cronies" at the golf courses get pissed when you let your dog chase the ducks and geese so we have to do it after dark when no one is looking, LOL.

Lora

[Inna Mashkovich]

Here is an update about our dog. Amber is doing fine. We microchiped her finally and completed all immunizations for the first year.
She is very active, still jumping A LOT. We are redoing our backyard and it’s been difficult with so active puppy not to have a backyard. We’ll do hydro seeding and new fence any day now, but still minimum a month need to wait until can go there and play.
I was advised to use just plain long cloth line. I tided it to her harness and we went for a run on a field not far from home. Now when I think about it, it might seemed funny – it wasn’t that time. Amber run to my daughter’s friend and started jumping on her. Little girl felt on a grass screaming. I was trying to hold to the rope and got lot of rope burns. I lot some of my skin on fingers. Both hands were badly burned. Even my daughter not understanding what’s happening tried to help me and grabbed the rope and also burned both hands. Amber was just trying to play with little girl – she was fine – just felt down and got scared. We learned a good lesson and I am writing to all of you to share my experience. We did went for another run same day in the evening – because it is a very good idea. But that time I took my husband and my son with us. And most important – gloves to hold the rope. Amber loves those runs. It’s the only runs she got. She chasing balls and sometimes brings them back to us. We also visiting dog parks, but usually only on a weekends.
I am planning to sigh her for next obedience class. Also I started clicker training. Don’t have much time to do it yet. Still trying figure it out for myself.
I am sorry that I disappeared for so long. I was checking site once in a while, but nobody wrote anything there. I do hope we’ll be back on keeping in touch with each other.
Just want to say that you support means a lot for me and thank you all for being close by.

[Lora Erickson]

Oh Ina, Bless you! I can't imagine raising one of these puppies without a yard to play in. Once your fence gets put in you and Amber will be in heaven! I looked out my kitchen window on Saturday and Iz was out in our pasture running laps all by herself, tucking her tail in and spining circles and throwing her stuffed animals up in the air and catching them. Just like a little kid that plays in the sand box all by themselves. She must have run for 15 minutes. I bet obedience classes will help alot if nothig else give Amber something to think about and Hang in there! it's almost summer! Lora

[Pam Gale]

Hi All,

I just got done reading everyone's posts - so good to hear about the gang! We moved into a new house a few weeks ago. We finally got our fence up this last weekend - I now have 2 1/2 acres all fenced in. The dogs ran and ran and ran.... It is so funny - the other 5 dogs will come inside and stay by me but not Rio. If given the opportunity she will stay outside ALL of the time. She chases the birds, stalks whatever varmits she can find, and barks at the nearby horses. She truly LOVES being outside. Her first show will be the weekend of June 5th & 6th here in Colorado. We then leave for the National in Wisconsin so she won't get much warm-up. Inna - are you coming to the national this year?? Katie - are you still planning on coming??

In terms of grooming - these puppies are going to have beautiful coats...once the long puppy coat falls out and the fuzz goes away. Best thing to do is to strip the coat using a "Mars Coat King" - it really helps to pull out the puppy coat.

Keep in touch,

Pam & Rio

[Inna Mashkovich]

Hello, Pam
I have other plans for those days in June. My friends and I organize a guitar song festival in PA. It is another hobby of mine. It’s a big event for 600-700 people for 3 days (June 11-13). I am really upset. I don’t have to even think about Nationals this year. Do you know were it’s planning to be next year?

[Inna Mashkovich]

My family and I went to local even – “All Setter Symposium” last weekend. We loved it! I got 3 lessons of grooming (3 different persons were teaching me). I got almost all tips on video.
But most fun was hunting. Amber did very well. I also have a video, but don’t know how to change a format to place on this site.
We had quails. After all events were over – we went back in to the woods and looked for more birds. I don’t have any pictures – I took only video that day. Need to figure out how to get picture from a vide file. May be one day.

[Pam Gale]

That is sooo neat! What a great event. I am thrilled to hear about Amber in the field - she was the best of the litter when we field tested them. Bummer about the national - I would love to see Amber and to meet you guys in person. Are you planning on showing her at all this summer? The national is in Georgia (I think) next year. Pam

[Inna Mashkovich]

We are planning to show her. Showing it’s not so complicated (I think). My dream is to find out how we can go to the fields and hunt and run. I still need to meet with more people and ask around. I am up to 1-2 hours of drive. Hope not more. Hard for kids – long trips and for the dog.
Our club doing show here in May. And we also are missing it. I am very upset. But spring just came – lots more shows are on the way. We’ll keep you up to date, Pam.
You remember we talked about puppy pictures? Would you put it in you schedule? I would love to have some. Do you have a place to dump them on-line, so we can get a full size?

[Autumn Brock]

Hi Inna ~

I started 'conformation/handling' classes with Joss last week. Our local club offers them in the spring so you can learn what you need to do ou there in the ring - maybe your area club also offers these? You should try to contact them and see whats available. They are a lot of fun; there are so many dogs! Joss is doing his best and I'm trying to keep up. There is a fun match here in early May - oh gosh only 2wks away - and we are entered. There are 2 other setter pups his age that should also be attending so theres competition!