Well, I was going to stop this blog section because sometimes there's just nothing to blog about!  LOL!  But some of you really seem to like it, and I can see a big use for it once puppies are born!  OR, I might do a separate "Current Litter" page when I've got puppies baking in one of my girls' oven, and carry it through when they leave for new homes.

BTW, I love to get pictures of your puppies as they grow, and as adults, so keep that in mind!!!   I might put them on the internet and make them stars!!!  Ha!

If you care to leave a comment, please do.  But, this is NOT the place to ask for information that requires a response from me.  Your best bet to do that is to email me direction at poshpoos@gmail.com.  It's easy to miss those comments here for a while, so if you need answers - email!  Thanks!

Just got this picture! 

This picture was just sent to me by Dina Clark, who happily is owned by Nick (one of Sunny's boys from a few years ago).  Nick and his parents live in the NY/NY area, so they got lots of snow this year, and this spot is apparently Nick's favorite way to enjoy snow - - - inside where it's nice and warm, with his favorite stuffie (also known as "dead cat"!).  Ha!   I think this is the perfect poodle spot!!!

Interesting night! 

I have a visiting old friend.   My Casey spent the night last night.  My very dearest friends, the Browns, live on a 700 acre working tree farm.  They were to have gotten a puppy from Miss Casey's last litter, but sadly the breeding didn't take.  Trying again would have put her age past my own personal "cutoff" for breeding my girls - six years old, no more than 3 litters in a lifetime.    They were soooo disappointed as they had absolutely fallen in love with Casey.  So when I made the decision to spay her, I asked them if they would be interested in taking a retired Casey, and they jumped at the chance.    Giving her to them was one of the hardest things I'd ever done, but one of the best things I ever did for her!!!   She adores being a farm dog!  And I get to see her often, and I still groom her.

Back to last night.  Today is grooming day for Casey.  I did the Brown's older girl, Anna, yesterday and took her home to them, stayed for dinner (YUM!) and brought Casey back home with me.    She and Jack, Lilli, Sunny and Chloe (her daughter) had a lovely reunion.  They remember her instantly and peace reigns.  BUT, the other kids in the gang who don't really "know" her don't and it's bedlam unless she's going to be here several days.  So I slept on the couch with the "old gang" surrounding me, and the noisy "kids" slept downstairs on my bed!!!  LOL!  But we all got sleep.    Ahhhhh, what we do for our dogs!

BTW, the reason I have nine standards is that Casey is the only one I've ever managed to "retire" elsewhere.  It was so hard for me to do that I haven't done it since!   I'll just be the crazy lady down the street with all the poodles!!!

Good news! 

The vet always gets the feedback from OFFA on testing before we do, and she called me this morning to tell me that Lizzie's SA (sebaceous adenitis) test came back "clear, normal"!!!  YAY!     Now just waiting for hips, and keeping my fingers crossed that we might get one of those elusive  "excellent" ratings.  Not holding my breath though since they give out so few, but I sure would like to see that!!!      Will do her thyroid testing when she comes into season - I just do a local thyroid test, not one for OFFA, as I test all my girls before any breeding they have.  Thyroid needs to be normal to high normal to sustain a pregnancy.  Lizzie is clear by parentage on NEwS (neonatal encephalopathy w/seizures) and vWD (vonWillebrand's), and her eye exam will be done at the May 31 eye clinic here.  And then she's done!!!  Yay!  

Lizzie's hips and SA tests today 

Took Lizzie in for her hips and SA tests today in preparation for breeding.   She's clear by parentage on vWD and NE, eye clinic is May 31, so all I needed to do right now were hips and SA.  I'll do thyroid just before breeding, as I do with all of my girls.

Anyway, my wonderful vet (she is a repro specialist, a theriologist) says that of the dogs of mine that she's done, this one has the best chance of getting an "excellent" hip rating!  I sure hope so!  I've only  had goods so far - that elusive excellent has eluded me!    They give out less than 5% excellents on all submissions!   Anyway, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.  SA should be fine as well.  Anyway, take a look!!!    Bev

Could it be .......... Spring?!? 

All across the country, this seems to have been the winter that just won't give up the ghost, but I think we may have passed over the hump.  Trees are full of buds, the Bradford Pear trees are blooming, tulips and daffodils are off and running!  Wahoo!  I'm ready!    

Got my dog tub replumbed to a "sunshine drain" - it drains outside now, not into my septic tank and drain field - so no matter what I will be able to bathe my dogs, something that hasn't happened for almost four weeks!  YIKES!   The pipes are  "curing" today, and I will begin my bathing marathon tomorrow.  Much needed!  It will be days before I get everyone bathed and freshly groomed.  I ordered special Dirty Dog Shampoo just for the occasion!   My ice white girl, Summer, looks like an apricot, and a dirty one at that!  Ick!

Taking Lizzie in next week to have her hips and SA testing done.  She's clear by parentage on NE and also vWD, eyes were great last year, and the next clinic is the end of May.  I do a local thyroid before breeding.  So she should be ready for breeding whenever!    I am trying to decide whether to go ahead with Chloe's last litter first, and then spay her, or do Lizzie this time and Chloe next, then Summer will be spring 2015.  Have to see if I think I have that much energy!  LOL!

Hope everyone is welcoming Spring - it's been a long time coming!!!!!   Bev

Yuk! 

For unpleasant plumbing reasons, I can't even bathe my dogs right now, so I have a few that look more like labradoodles than poodles at the moment!  Not a good time for those people who want to visit me and meet the poodles!   LOL!   Hope to have it all resolved this week so I can get back to work, and I will have a lot of work ahead of me - bathing and grooming!  Not only is grooming a poodle's life, it's also my life!  Ha!

Sunshine! (video here) 

Our winter storm is on it's way out!  After one last hurrah this morning, dusting us with an additional half inch of snow, the sun has come out, the temperature should reach 40 today, and the melt has officially begun!  The trees here are already clear, which is a very good thing for keeping the power on!, and the backyard where the poodles have been romping is now officially a slushy, muddy mess!!!   Ick!   The weather for the next week is supposed to be moderate for this time of year, and dry, dry, dry!  YAY!       The snow was beautiful, but I'll be happy to be able to get out of the house now, as the roads clear.  I don't "do" ice!    There are steep hills on either end of my street, so when we get snow or ice, I am housebound!  I am craving a good hamburger, or maybe even KFC!  LOL!

 
Click HERE for a video of the poodles enjoying the snow!
 
We don't get much snow here, and it's not that deep, so when they started to dogpile onto Summer, my white girl, about 2 inches from red clay mud, I fussed at them!  Ha!    When we get snow/ice, we lose power frequently, so there would be no bathing and drying dogs with the chance I couldn't get the soap out or get a soaking wet dog dry!   Yikes!   

 

Winter Weather Warning 

Here in Upstate in South Carolina, we don't often get snow, and this is a "major weather event" on the way - estimates vary on various weather services from 2" to 8" of "wintry mix" - meaning snow and ice.  How much snow we get versus ice depends on where it all hits.  The further south the front meanders, means more snow than ice here, more ice south!   But the world comes to a halt here in this kind of weather.  The dogs will have a blast if it's mostly snow.  Not so much if it's icy!  Wish us luck, and pray the power stays on - more ice, power outages are likely!!!!!   Yikes!

Sirius 

From his very first breeding a year or so ago, Jordan's son, Sirius, won WD and BofW at the Poodle Specialty in Indianapolis this past weekend for a HUGE five point major!!!   I can't wait to see his win photo, and will post it here when they get it.  Sirius is owned by Gloria Ogdahl-Williams and Kelsey Wolf, of Tintlet Standard Poodles in NC, and they are really excited, as they should be!!!!!   Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Bev