Lost Track of Time!

Gee, it's been quite awhile since I posted anything.  A lot has happened in the last couple months.  Like the NEAA National.  Whew.  That was fun but too busy!  We had a nice time, Kia ran agility and got a first place in jumpers with weaves.  I was so happy and very proud of her.  Rally was a different story as that happy little girl let out the clown and instead of doing what she was supposed to, she put on an act of all her tricks!  It was pretty hilarious and I'll always treasure the memory.

We were able to see many of our friends that we don't get to see very often, some only once every couple years!  And we met new friends too and enjoyed everyone's company.

We ran in a UKC trial this spring but I'll be darned if I can remember when!  We bombed anyway so there was nothing fun to report.  It was terribly disappointing because she only needed one leg to get her first title.  We ran again this weekend and accomplished our goal!  She was a happy, focused girl and after some teeter problems yesterday we got it together for one decent run that earned her title in Agility I and then a second run that was even better, she scored 199 and got first place.  Fun!  Even worth the sunburn I got!

I changed jobs a few weeks ago.  A great opportunity came along and I decided to take it.  It was difficult to say goodbye to my old job and the people but I am not sorry that I took the new job.  Still, it's been affecting me some, the change, even though it's good, is somehow bothering me.  So I've been tired and having lots of weird dreams, even some bad ones.  At any rate, it's Sunday night right now and I'm looking forward to going to work tomorrow!

Been doing some fishing, having fun with that.  Debbie and Beka were here for a visit, we did some fun outdoor things and got the flowers and garden planted.  A nice mental health weekend.

I got the camera out today after quite a long hiatus from doing any shots of the dogs.  Here's my favorite photo from today.

Tracking and more

Last weekend Debbie came up to visit and brought her elkhound Beka along.  We took Beka and Kia to a tracking seminar.  It was very interesting and a lot of fun.  We both feel now as though we have enough knowledge to get started.  Our goal will be to try to get tracking titles on our dogs.  The dogs really enjoy tracking, they get to be the boss! 

On Sunday morning we laid a few short practice tracks and the dogs did well in spite of the dry, windy conditions.  I can't imagine worse scent conditions weather-wise than what we have had lately.  We have not had any rain in quite some time and the snow of course is long, long gone and all it's moisture too.  And windy!  My goodness the high winds we've had.  Fire danger is extremely high, I hope we get some rain soon.  It's actually dusty walking in the woods.  Which makes me wonder how dogs can sniff, sniff, sniff and not have to blow their noses once in awhile!

Kia continues with agility practice.  We did go to another trial which I did not write about earlier because I was disappointed that we ran 4 runs and never qualified.  I thought we were doing so much better than that.  But sometimes in the ring everything just falls apart, I know that my nerves are a huge factor in this.  Kia senses when I am nervous or upset and it affects her ability to concentrate.  She worries about me, isn't that nice?  I think it is because it shows we are pals but I wish, as her leader, I could be less worrisome to her.

Tukka is on curtailed activity because she is in season...for the last time!  Yay!  She is going to show at nationals and then she will retire until she is a veteran.  Hopefully late in July she will have her spay surgery and we can get back to working on rally and obedience.  For now, we just take nice long, on-lead walks to keep her in condition.

On Sunday, Tuuva came to visit.  She's a cute 5 month old elkie pup.  I had so much fun working with her to learn some new things.  She catches on quickly and is really willing to participate.  Made me realize how ready I am for another pup.  I absolutely LOVE watching them grow physically and most of all mentally.  I love the training and bonding with a youngster.  They payoff really comes when they hit maturity and you have the most wonderful, cooperative, loving dog.  We can see that with our girls now and I'm anxious to get started with a pup.  We'll just have to wait and see when we might be able to get one.

Games and Pizza

Last night I was watching Randy and Tukka play "keep away, take away".  It's like a game dogs would play amongst themselves.  Randy is good at being a dog buddy!  He gets down on the floor and does silly stuff with them.  They love it.  The bad thing is that when they were younger they did not respect him as much because he was more like a littermate than a dad.  That's not the case any longer, they listen to him but still love playing games with him.  They play with me also but all the training I've done with them makes our interactions much different.

For example, the other night Randy tossed the Chuck-it flying disc.  Kia ran for it but would not bring it back.  I told her to and she brought it to me and held it for me to take it from her.  I told him to throw it again and give her a command to "bring it".  She did.  But she handed it to me again!  That was so funny!  Dad is just a goofy guy to play with and he is a treat dispenser.  Just one look with those sweet, dark eyes and out comes a treat.  They love him so much and he loves them and it just warms my heart.  

Yes, it is heartwarming unless I catch him doing something like he did last night.  He took the last piece of pizza and divided it in two, cutting it in small pieces.  He put it in their dog bowls.  I walked into the kitchen just in time to catch him at it.  I could not believe he was feeding them pizza like that.  Okay, sometimes I give them a bit of crust but their own pizza slice?  No way!  No wonder they love him so much!  I got on his case and he kept insisting it would not hurt them.  I countered with, "if you were a bachelor they would each be 100 pound elkhounds, you'd probably fry them bacon and eggs every morning!" 

They do get plenty of exercise but the excess fat and salt can't be good.  Listen to me...I hogged down more pizza than I should have.  I should take care of myself like I take care of them!

Is it really only April?

The weather has just been incredibly nice this spring.  It is allowing us to get ahead on some projects that we need nice weather for and typically couldn't do in April.  We did have a reminder last week though that anything can happen weather-wise when we got a few inches of snow!  The dogs loved it.  We didn't mind it much as it melted quickly.

It's so dry though that fire danger is really high.  This past weekend a fire near a friend's camp had us really nervous.  Thankfully the firefighters were able to get it under control and out before it did a lot of damage and the camp was not in direct danger. 

Saturday I took Kia over to Escanaba for agility games.  She ran well and we had a good time.  Then went to the outdoor course and practiced some more.  She learned several new obstacles.  Still having some trouble with weaves but a dog doesn't learn those quickly so we just have to keep working on it.  I have a lot of confidence in her.  On the 17th she will run at a UKC trial again.  And I'd say she is close to ready for AGII, we might even give that a try on the 18th though we'll have to manage the weaves. 

The dogs spent most of the weekend outdoors.  Tukka stayed at the store on Saturday while Kia and I were gone.  She loves to be tied out there and watch the world go by.  When she's in the store she becomes a sales associate and follows customers around to see if they need her opinion on products.  The rest of the weekend they spent chasing chipmunks until Kia finally got a little carried away and lost her privileges of being loose.  She went out by the road and got carried home and tied up.  They've been so good about hanging out near the house.  We never leave them outside alone because they really can't be trusted that much.  However, it is really nice to see them just being dogs, digging holes, getting dirty, laying in the shade. 

They have a new ride too!  I put the shelf back in the van but arranged it differently and put their new wire crates on top.  Now we have more room and they are riding where we can all see each other.  Kia is right behind the drivers seat which is more comfortable for a dog that has a bit of motion sickness.  We could also add another crate in the rear for dog number 3 when the time comes or if we are going someplace with friends. 

Yay!  We get to see Debbie and Beka this coming weekend!  Something to look forward to as the work week drags on.

Counting My Blessings

It's so easy to get down sometimes, things don't go the way we hope, bad things happen, money's tight, someone is not well.  On and on.  That's life, always throwing it's curves.  But if you just stop and take some time to think you can find things to be thankful for.  Sometimes, when life is really giving you a lot of crap to deal with it's not easy.  I've been there.

But for now, life is good.  Especially today, I'm just feeling so happy.  We have an early spring that has turned business around at our store.    Some brisk kayak sales have really taken the edge off for both Randy and I.  Last year was by far the worst in the store's history and I have to tell you it was damn scary being in business.  But each day, like I've said many times before, we would look to the things that gave us a reason to smile.  How often was that our Norwegian Elkhounds?  Well every day of course!!

We have many other things to be thankful for, like full-time employment for me, decent health (when I have such aches and pains I remind myself it's nothing compared to what some are going through), a nice home that isn't paid for but has plenty of equity!  In rough times like we've seen the past 18 months that is enough to be thankful for right there.  I could go on and on with my list, friends, family etc but I think you already get the point.

This morning I got up early and took Kia for a 3.5 mile walk.  In spite of the problems causing me hip pain, I have to do this.  I have to do this EVERY day.  I need to lose weight and get stronger.  I have a real hard time staying motivated.  But it was so beautiful outside, the birds were singing and it smelled like spring.  Kia and I had a nice time.

I had the day off so I was going to spend it cleaning the house to get ready for company on Easter Sunday.  Instead, I ditched the dusting and headed outdoors.  I turned the dogs loose to play and do their doggie things while I raked and bagged dead grass.  What a great day.  We all had a good time.  I would look and see Kia's butt sticking out of a hole she was digging, Tukka laying nearby. When I didn't see them a whistle would bring them galloping to me.  That was really rewarding for me.

Now, I've showered and opened a cold beer.  I'm relaxing at the end of this beautiful spring afternoon before I make dinner and my best blessing ever comes home for dinner.  Man, I am one lucky woman!

Not Much Going On

Been pretty busy with work and business so haven't had much time for anything else.  I did get to agility practice with Kia on Monday, she and I are learning to be a team but some things, like rear crosses, are not coming to us quickly. 

Both dogs have really been enjoying being outside, they were out in their pen last weekend for most of each day.  And we have been faithful about letting them get a run in every day too.  They have been minding really well although Kia can't seem to hear very well when her head is down a chipmunk hole!  She is quite the digger!  We let her dig in the woods, it doesn't hurt anything there.  It's fun to watch them enjoying themselves just being dogs.

Still thinking about a puppy though we both realize that we sort of have it made right now with the girls being mature.  I told Randy that I think this summer we can sit on the deck to relax while they run around doing their thing.  They aren't much work anymore.  So perhaps a nice, quiet summer will allow us to get some projects done around home.  And spend a lot of time on the water in our kayaks!  The dogs like to go along too, so plenty to look forward to.  The ice is nearly off the lakes, it's the earliest I can ever remember it going out.

One of my fav puppy pics

I love this photo that I took last summer.  I was reminded of it today when Skye sent me a more recent photo of this girl.  At least I think I have the right pup...there were hundreds of photos when I got done!  Such a beautiful litter.  I want one!  :-)

Tukka takes a tumble

The most scary thing happened last night.  The dogs just can't get used to the bear mount on the wall.  They like me to pick them up and put them by it so they can sniff it.  I thought it was a good way for them to realize it's not alive and breathing since Tukka insists on protecting us from it.  But it turned into a near disaster last night when Tukka launched herself from my arms instead of waiting to be set down.  She kind of jumped over my shoulder and when I turned, she was down in a heap on the floor, all I can recall clearly is seeing her tail and that it looked like she was on her side.

She got right up and trotted away to go jump on the bed.  She was flicking her tongue in and out of her mouth and panting but otherwise seemed okay.  But I was terrified that she might have hurt herself badly.  I stayed with her and she calmed down.  She walked and trotted around and went outside to potty.  Because of her hips, I was worried she'd be sore this morning but she is fine.  Thank GOD!  This could have been really, really bad.

We think she tried to land on the ottoman and missed or fell.  I think she was a little stunned and maybe knocked the wind out of herself when she hit the floor.  I laid awake half the night listening for her, she was on the bed part of the time, then moved to the couch where I checked on her at 2:30 a.m.  She was okay. 

No more bear sniffing.  I know that if anything happens to one of them, I would be devastated.  I was beside myself with worry. 

It's only Tuesday!?

My goodness it seems like I should have a half a week in already.  It's that time of year at work, tax time, lots of requests for information plus the usual everyday things.  And my boss is going on vacation for two weeks so I have to make sure we have everything done that needs to be taken care of before he goes.  Today was really tiring but we will definitely take advantage of the nice weather to get the dogs out for another run/walk this evening.  Does us all good.  They sure make us laugh and smile a lot and I could spend hours working my fingers through their coats, it's so relaxing.  That's usually how my evening ends.

Looks like our agility training will move forward.  I found some friends to work with and Chris O. is arranging for a private lesson too!  Maybe it's a good thing that we have to wait for a puppy because Kia and I are just really getting going with agility.  Some friends asked if I want to go to UKC Premier this summer, that is something to think about.  With Nationals in May, I don't know if my budget will allow it but it's very intriguing.  All this dog training and competition can get expensive but if you budget it can work out.  At least I don't have kids to put through college!

I heard from Andrea today and it's good news about another possible attempt at the breeding.  And there are some other ideas as well.  Randy and I will be patient.  I have felt all along that everything that has happened to us with our elkhound journey, both good and bad, was meant to be and so I know that things will fall into place and we will eventually get the puppy that is meant for us.  We didn't want to rush into a puppy anyway, we have our two girls and plenty to do with them.  It might actually work out better for us this way as Tukka and Kia will be about 5 and 4 years when the next pup (hopefully) joins our pack.  That's nice spacing.  The girls are getting to "maturity" but still have many things to accomplish in terms of what I'd like to do.  Like finishing rally titles and maybe landing an obedience title.  Plus the agility which if we stay healthy we hope to do for a long time.  So even if we have to wait another year it will be okay.  (Except I miss conformation!)

Four weekends in a row I've been gone, three of those for dog events.  I'm looking forward to some time at home this weekend.

Time to re-group

Friday we learned that Siri is not carrying puppies.  It's a big disappointment for all of us, that's for sure, but it's not the end of the world.   Now we'll just take some time to figure out what to do next in regards to a pup. 

The sun came up on Saturday and Kia ran in her first AKC trial.  Wow!  It was really different from the small UKC trial the week before.  She did okay, we need to do more work on jumping jumps with wings, that was new to her and she got confused.  But she did her contacts perfectly, got the chute and actually weaved!  So all in all I was very, very pleased and proud of her and didn't mind at all that she ran around a few of the jumps.  She paid attention to me and kept moving forward with me so all is well.  And I learned how an AKC trial is run and helped with leash running and bar setting so that gave me me a front seat from which I was really able to study all the teams and learn from them.

Now we are taking a few weeks off from travel and competition.  In April there is another UKC trial to attend and we will also be going to more classes.  Plenty to do and I'm just going to concentrate on the dogs I have while we wait to find out what might be in the works for another breeding.

Another upcoming trial

This weekend Kia and I head to St. Paul, MN to compete in our first AKC agility trial put on by NEAM (Norwegian Elkhound Assn of MN).  It's an all-breed trial and will certainly be MUCH larger than last weekend's small UKC trial.  We don't expect to be very competitive but we need to get out there and continue our work at becoming a team.  That will go on for years and years and this is just one more step in the process.  Plus we will get to see several of our good friends!  We won't run another AKC trial until Nationals in May.  And hopefully by then we'll be a little farther along in our training and more confident in our abilities.

We also hope to run two more UKC trials, one in April and one in June.  Most of summer will be spent training.  Agility is not something you want to push on the dog and it's best to take your time.

Fears and tears

One of our friends just lost another pup from a very recent litter.  The dam has accidentally smothered two of the babies.  This after two that didn't make it through birth.  Serves as a reminder of all that can go wrong with a litter and how difficult it can be for a breeder.  I don't know if I have the guts; being so emotional it would devastate me.  Stubbornness and determination might see me through though.  ;-)

I talked to Debbie and she and I agreed that this really makes us think and makes us more nervous when we think about Siri.  Already we are anxious because the ultrasound will be coming up soon and we'll find out if Siri is pregnant.   I keep telling myself I'll be able to contain my disappointment if she's not but in reality I'm sure it would be difficult news to cope with.  When you want a puppy really bad, when your dogs are your kids, it's more than "just a puppy".  And you can't "just go get another". 

At least we have some hope now, not like before when it looked like the natural breeding wasn't going to happen.  That DID reduce me to tears because it didn't even give us a chance.  Everyone knows that not every breeding takes and if it does, there are not always enough puppies to go around from that litter.  There could be one or a bunch.  So we remain focused on the positive, hoping for babies on the ultrasound!  The rest will hopefully take care of itself.

Last night Randy and I were having a relaxing dinner.  The dogs were laying around, having just come in from a run in the woods.  It was so quiet and peaceful.  I looked at him and said, "Better enjoy this moment, in a few months it's going to be hectic around here again!"  We laughed.  Puppies are a lot of work but that comes with so much joy and the fascination of watching them grow and learn.  Our girls are young enough that we have not forgotten!

Week Four

Week four of canine fetus development:

The spinal cords are developing, and the fetuses are beginning to grow facial features.

Fetuses can be felt in the uterine horns around day 28, and can also be seen by ultrasound.


Your bitch's uterus will shortly fill with fluids to protect the fetuses. After this, it will be weeks until the puppies can be felt again.

When I think about this I see little elkhound faces and bodies taking shape.  Wow.  It's such a miracle.  Soon we should know if Siri really is carrying babies.  I hope so, some of us have names picked out and I know a certain someone who could not resist buying her pup it's first toy.  In blue.  For boys.  :-)  It wasn't me!

Mice and Chipmunks

The melting snow is revealing the tunnels the voles used during winter.  There are trails everywhere!  No wonder Kia was working so hard to get down into the snow all winter long.  She knew there were critters to try to capture.

The mice get into our vehicles.  Doesn't matter if they are parked outside or in the garage.  It's disgusting.  There must be some getting in the truck right now because Kia won't leave the truck alone and even crawls under it whining and sniffing.

This morning I saw the first chipmunk of the season.  I went into the bedroom to announce it to the dogs who were lounging on the bed.  The announcement was met with alert expressions and the tipping of heads! 

The week is going by quickly!

It's already Thursday!  The time goes by so quickly with our busy lives.  It's been a good week as we go about our daily lives and are met by the elkhounds at the back door every day when we go home.  It seems like all our cares just melt away when they stand there smiling with their curly tails wagging. 

The snow is melting quickly, it's really wet and that makes for good snow baths!  Kia especially will roll until she is wet.  I think elkhounds look funny when they are wet.  At least they don't get that doggy smell, they just shake off the excess water and since they are really only wet on their outer guard hair they dry quickly.  Both girls went with us for a run in the woods the other day.  The snow was up to their knees and it was a lot of work for them.  Good exercise!  They continue to hunt and I think they are anxiously awaiting the first chipmunk exiting from a winter burrow.  It will get harder to control the dogs once the chipmunks are active because they want to run from one chirping chippy to the next, to the next, to the next! 

Various people and I have been having discussions about hip dysplasia this week.  It's such a complicated subject.  One of my girls is dysplastic and I watch closely for signs of pain.  So far she has done really well and as we know, sometimes they can be dysplastic and not show outward signs.  At least until they get older and have a lot of arthritic changes.  When I found out she was dysplastic I cried and cried, thinking about how she might someday be in pain, not to mention the fact that she should not be bred so we will never have a litter from her.   But we keep her in good shape, keep her weight down, make sure she gets exercise and supplements and pray for the best for her.   And hope that we will never have to put her through a surgery though that is always an option if things get bad. 

Kia and I are getting ready for this weekend when we go to visit Chris Olson and her family and compete in our very first agility trial!  I'm excited and nervous.  Kia loves agility and it gives her a lot of confidence.  I love watching her run and jump. 

Week Three

Entering week 3 here is what is happening with the pregnant bitch:

In week three of the pregnancy implantation has taken place and the embryos begin to develop.  The bitch may begin to display mood swings, appetite changes and breast tissue development.

If they are there they are starting to grow into puppies. 

GMNEA Weekend

It's over, another specialty weekend has come to a complete close.  Always difficult to say goodbye to our friends after spending some quality time together.  The other thing that always bothers me is that we are so busy we don't really get to visit much.  What happened to the days when I had only one dog in one event?  Now we are rushing around warming up for rally, grooming, showing.   Time to think about how to slow things down a bit but at a specialty you just want to do it all!!

Kia came home with two qualifying ribbons for Rally Advanced.  Tukka got her first leg in Rally Advanced, I only had her entered one day but now regret that I did not enter her both days.  Darn entry fees add up with two dogs in more than one event.  Now my fear is that Kia will finish her title and I'll have to show Tukka in "B".  Yikes!  Not the difficult dog in "B"!  I guess it doesn't matter all that much really and I'm confident that she'll be successful too.  

I was kind of sad on Friday because we thought we were getting an AOM but the judge made a mistake and so we did not get one after all.  She had selected Tukka for one so that's a good thing.  But it was kind of embarrassing at the same time and pushed me over the edge as I'm getting pretty emotional about Tukka's impending retirement from the conformation ring.  She's my first show dog, first elkhound and I'm going to miss her at the end of my lead even though she can be such a demanding monster in the ring.  She's taught me everything I know about showing and I feel like I can show just about any dog after all she has put me through in terms of what I had to learn and overcome.  I love her so much.  But as someone wiser and more experienced pointed out....it's not like I'm getting rid of her!  :-)  

There was a lot of talk about hopefulness for Siri to be pregnant and to fulfill our dreams.  We are keeping our fingers crossed.  Tossed around some ideas for names too.  I've got mine all picked out.  Andrea told us Siri is acting like she is extra special now so we are praying it means she knows she has babies growing inside her.  Siri's dam became the third MACH elkhound in history this weekend...way to go Flurry...we hope your grand babies will be as nice and smart and agile as you!

Always Wondering

Each day I find myself wondering if Siri is pregnant.  It's going to be a few more weeks before we know for sure. 

Last night Tukka finished up her final obedience class for now.  She's a tough one to train.  She's also very funny, trying to make up her own way of doing things.  I had to get in her face last night and remind her that I am the boss.  She would not do any stays.  At least I've gotten past the part of being embarrassed when she does those things in front of everyone.  I'm wondering if she will EVER be ready to compete in Novice Obedience.  She thinks too much.  That's an elkhound for you!

We are getting ready for a regional specialty this coming weekend.  The Greater Milwaukee Norwegian Elkhound Assn. has a two-day show and obedience trial plus rally.  Both girls are going to do rally.  Tukka will show in breed and Kia has pre-novice obedience thrown in for some extra training.  I wonder how they will do but I'm not going to stress about it.  The more I think about it the more nervous I get.  We'll just go and have fun, so many of our friends will be there and it will be great to see everyone again! 

Week two - What's happening?

Within a few days of mating, the sperm reaches the eggs and fertilization occurs.

Week Two- The fertilized eggs are on their way to the uterus for implantation.  Let's hope there are a good number of them that make it!  Changes that may take place in the mother are behavioral.  She may become moody or more affectionate.  I would think that might be difficult to detect because they go through so many mood swings during their cycle even when they are not bred.  We'll see if Andrea has any news for us along the way if she notices anything different about Siri.

Welcome home

There's nothing better than going away for a day or two and coming home to two wagging curly tails.  Well maybe coming home to 3 will be even better!  It will be awhile before that happens.

It's a beautiful winter day here, snowing lightly, a little wind out of the north.  The perfect kind of elkhound weather.  We took the girls for a nice long walk on a snowy road through the woods.  Kia had a grand time sliding down the snowy banks along the road.  Tukka spent a lot of time with her nose in the air, reading the stories the wind could tell her. I asked Randy how we are going to walk 3 dogs.  We came up with a couple of ideas.

Managed to get Kia interested in the weave poles again, not sure why she turned off for a week or so but now we can get back to work.  Got a phone call that she made it into the next agility class here in town so she can learn the obstacles she needs to know for UKC AGII.

They had sardines with their supper tonight, for Kia's birthday.  They sure liked that!

Happy Birthday Kia!

Happy 3rd Birthday to Kia! 

We'll have a birthday party complete with sardines!

Just wanted to try to insert a photo to see how it looks.  This is Tuuva (l) and Freya (r).  Tuuva is a Normark Elkhound, Tukka's niece from her half-brother.  Freya is from Vikrest and is a daughter of our good buddy Chance (CH Royal Crown's Keepsake).

Tuuva is about 10 weeks here and Freya is 14 months.

Sharing with Friends

One of the really fun parts of our prospective puppy is that we have a couple friends who are also hoping for one from this litter.  Debbie wants a boy and Brenda wants a girl.  We'll all end up in the ring together and it will be fun to share the good times with our friends.  (And be able to lean on each other when things aren't going so well.)

I know a puppy is a lot of work but I'm not put off by that.  I find them so fascinating and love to watch them grow in mind and body.  That goes on for several years actually but the changes are rapid in the first few months.  It's the older pups, the 10 to 18 month olds that seem to be the most trying as they go through the stages of testing, trying to see what they can get away with.  Elkhounds like you to be firm but fair and keeping that in mind works well most of the time.  Once in awhile I need to be extra firm with Tukka since she is more demanding and less inclined to be the one to do the pleasing. 

There are things to consider before adding another pup to the pack.  The existing members come first so best to try to find a pup that will fit best with the current personalities.  This is one reason why we are getting a male this time, Tukka and Kia get along well but typically the best mix is boy/girl.  Kia is our dominant bitch most of the time.  Hormones have played a big role in this and at times Tukka challenges Kia.  So bringing in another bitch to add to the mix is not a good idea.  Tukka needs a playmate as Kia is like a queen who loves to just sit upon her throne.  She plays with Tukka but not near as much as Tukka would like. 

Cost is also to be considered.  Can we afford another pet?  Well unfortunately we did lose a cat this past December so maintenance vet bills won't go up but we'll have all those puppy vaccinations!  We'll need more food and then there are all the classes we will sign up for.  So definitely something to consider if you are thinking about getting a dog, be it your first, second, third or whatever!   At least we already have a large basket of toys! 

Time is another factor.  The pup will need a lot of attention but Tukka and Kia need their time with us also and as I said earlier, we won't be letting them take a back seat.  Right now we work it out that each one gets some individual attention with Randy and I.  I think it will be really important to do things all together as a pack because the pup can learn from the girls but he will also need some one on one time to play with his humans.  Thankfully the girls love to go out in their pen so we can rotate dogs in and out of the house to meet their needs as individuals. 

All these are things that I'm thinking about each day as we wait to find out if we truly will be getting that puppy.  Andrea is going to have an ultrasound done in late March so we will at least know if Siri is pregnant.  Maybe get some idea of how many pups there are if she is pregnant but we won't know that for sure until an x-ray is taken in her final week of pregnancy.  Or maybe even until they are born!  And that's going to be nerve-wracking too....hoping for a good mix of boys and girls.

Just starting out

I'm a little clumsy at this blogging thing yet.  People who know me know how much I like to write/talk so instead of boring a few friends with my daily drivel I'll leave it up to them to check in at will.

When we got Tukka, I wrote Tukka Tails for the Moosedog list (JNMRF) which a lot of people seemed to enjoy.  My hope here is to take you beyond Tukka Tails and Kia Chronicles and share my thoughts as we prepare for our third elkhound.  Tukka and Kia will be a big part of this blog as our world has come to the point of nearly revolving around them.

We try to include them in all of our activities so they join us on camping trips, go canoeing and kayaking with us and track deer that we have hunted.  The elkhound is supremely versatile though not many people realize their potential.  They are loving but independent.  Actually I like to say they are "independent thinkers", not stubborn as some would call them.

Part of this blog will be dedicated to getting ready for a pup.  One of the tasks I need to accomplish is to put together a list of things I really want to introduce a pup to during the first weeks we have him.  We know that dogs are "sponges" up to 16 weeks of age.  This is a critical period to introduce a pup to as much as possible to help him become confident and well-rounded.  My mind is racing with ideas, from getting him used to grooming and bathing to kayaking and agility.   The better prepared I am, the more likely he will become the dog I hope he can be.

The Journey Begins

This journey actually began just over 4 years ago when we decided to bring a Norwegian Elkhound into our family. Tukka (pronounced Took-A) is a female that we bought to have as a companion but ended up showing. She became an AKC Champion in 2009. She also has one obedience title, Rally Novice.

Kia is our second elkhound, she came to live with us in April of 2007. She will be 3 years old later this week. Kia also has a Rally Novice title and is currently preparing to run her first agility trial.

This year we hope to bring one more elkhound into our pack. We are hoping for a male to show and do performance events with. After doing some homework and networking with other elkhound people we decided on a prospective litter. Last week we thought the breeding was not going to take place, but then we got an email saying that it did happen. So now we wait....