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!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
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.
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.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
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.
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....
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....
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