Paws for Puppy Tales - January2022

JANUARY 1, 2022 - Happy New Year! Here we are, day one of 2022. We will be spending it at home with the first measurable snowfall of the season happening today. They've already dropped it down from 4-8 inches to 3-6 (closer to the 3 inch range) and with the predicted start time already past and still nothing, I'm guessing they're right. It is COLD outside though, so warm in the house is the place to be. Especially since I am still nursing a nasty cough/cold (or is it Covid???; who knows) that got to me shortly after Christmas. We are dog-sitting for Levy for the next few days while Kristen is in Green Bay, WI attending a Packers football game on Sunday. She left yesterday with me taking her to the airport in the pre-dawn hours of the morning, which had me sleeping before midnight and not caring to wake at midnight to wish people new years greetings. Plenty of time to do that staying home today. It's been just over 2 weeks or just under 2 weeks since Dolly was AI'd, and I find myself watching and wondering if either of the breeding's were successful, wanting so badly for her to be pregnant. I know and keep telling myself it is much to early to tell. But I do THINK that her vulva is not back to the tiny size it was pre-heat and her nipples, at least some of them have dark tips to them. And now, in the last day or so, she has not been eating like she normally does. Of course this has me hoping that it is her "going off her food" as has been my experience in the past with pregnant girls, but keeping my hopes at bay until I know for sure. By the end of the month, I should know.

With Westminster postponed until a later date, I think this month is going to be pretty boring with no where to go and nothing to do,. . . . no trip to New York to take. Winston I believe will be staying with the handler until after the two shows in Texas the second and third weekends this month, and then we will bring him home until closer to Westminster, whenever that will be. At least that's the plan for now.

JANUARY 7 - One week into the new year. Nothing much new to tell, I have been keeping myself indoors still nursing my cold and now Jim has it too. It's getting really old listening to the both of us sniffling and coughing. Time for this to BE DONE!! I even kept myself home this evening, skipping the sure to be fun time of our postponed sisters gift exchange at Andrea's house. Still to come is the also postponed sibling Christmas gathering that will be at Jim and Duffy's in another week or two I hear. Another week has also passed with me watching and wondering whether or not Dolly is pregnant. I'm still leaning towards a positive; though she is definitely not showing at all just yet. Her appetite is slim to the point that I got out a can of puppy food that I have on hand just to make sure she is eating something. And at that, I hand fed her, ready to force feed her if need be. Tried mixing some with the kibble for dinner and she turned her nose up at it. Sure seems like very early signs of being pregnant to me. And last bit of news in that I made arrangements with our flight nanny to bring Winston home on January 20th, after his two weekends of shows with the handler this weekend, and the next. So bummed to have this break in his routine in getting to know, be with, and work with the handler(s) David & Jennifer Harper. But with no news yet as to when Westminster will be held, home he needs to come because we sure can't afford to leave him with them. If only David would have wanted/thought to get a sponsor for Winston (as Brad McDannald had mentioned) would it have been possible for him to stay with them.

JANUARY 11 - the shows in Glen Rose, Tx are over and I am happy to say that Winston and "Team Harper" had a great start to the new year with three Best of Breed wins over the three days of shows! On Saturday and Sunday there were a total of 6 Biewer Terriers showing, so 5 point major wins those days; on Monday only 4 were there. . . still a 3 point major win (as long as the point system has not changed). A group placing in the Toy Group on one or all of these days would have been icing on the cake, but unfortunately those seem hard to come by and as Jennifer put it after the first day, there was "no love in the group ring". Winston shows again this coming week/weekend beginning Thursday, through Sunday; only a total of 3 Biewers entered so no majors, but two points for BOB wins, so hopefully since he will be showing along with some of the same competition as this past weekend, he will get the BOB wins again. After these shows, Winston will be coming home the following week until Westminster Kennel Club gets a new show date set and announced. I'm hoping to get him into a few shows myself before then, and looking forward to it! So far, JANUARY has been extremely boring, partially because that's the way January is, partially because it's cold and I don't feel like going anywhere, and partially because I've kept myself stuck at home nursing the cold/flu that I've had since after Christmas. But I'm finally on the mend and ready to get out of this house. First possible show date is in mid

February in Des Moines. . . .right around the same time Dolly would be having puppies IF she is pregnant. Still to early to tell for sure.

JANUARY 17 Well hell . . . . the shows in Sinton, Tx sure didn't go as I would have hoped. After winning 3 BOB's the previous weekend, against fewer but the same dogs, all Winston placed each of the 4 days was Select Dog. There were only 3 Biewers total each day, the other two belonging to our friend Shari Mason. I think the fact that there were only the 3 showing and Winston getting not one BOB win is what was most discouraging. According to Jennifer (handler), the fact that the other two dogs were so similar and Winston so different from them, he was "typed" out because there was not more to look at. MIGHT explain it, but it is still disappointing. I also can't get out of my head that with him being shown by a professional, I kind of expect him to do well and was certainly hoping for some wins that I was unable to get with him. . .i.e. BOB/GRP 1, or even more. He will be coming home this Thursday and then back to David & Jennifer prior to Westminster; still no rescheduled date yet. Today is 4 weeks post the last AI we did on Dolly (day 18 of her cycle) and this coming Wednesday will be 5 weeks since the first on day 13 of her cycle. I am at the going nuts stage wondering if she is or isn't pregnant. Tired of treating her as if she is, if she isn't (making sure she eats enough), and just wanting to know one way or the other so that I can quit wondering and get back to normal if she isn't, or enjoy the next few weeks if she is. Very strongly think that I might call the vet today to at least see when they could get her in. If soon enough, then I'd take her. If not until next week, I'd probably continue to wait and see. At this point, MAYBE she is filling out just a bit, but certainly no pooch in her belly yet. As of yesterday, her appetite is still off quite a bit, this morning I was told they both ate well with just a little kibble left on their plate. Ugh, just call the vet Rose!!!

JANUARY 20 - Okay, okay. . . I made the appointment yesterday and was able to get her in this morning for the ultrasound. WE HAVE PUPPIES ON THE WAY!!! At 5 weeks post first AI, the fetuses on the ultrasound were much more than just a white blotch in a dark sac. You could actually see puppy shapes somewhat. The vet Dr. Crystal Rhine said she's pretty sure there are at least 4 puppies. Though I didn't really get to talk with her much, she seemed very nice while I was in the back with them getting pictures of the ultrasound images and she and the techs seemed genuinely excited about the positive results. While there I went ahead and made the appointment for Dolly's x-ray for February 11. Her due date would be on the 16th. We are also very excited today that Winston will be coming home this afternoon. It will be so good to see him again and get to show him some family love. Jennifer Harper let us know this morning that he was bathed and oiled and has given me their tips on how to keep his coat conditioned while we wait for Westminster. AND, she also mentioned more than once that they were going to miss him. I was hoping to hear something like that from them today.

JANUARY 26 - It's so good to have Winston home!! I'm realizing that I missed him more than I thought I did, or at least am enjoying his familiar antics and his coming up to me for attention. It's been a week now that he's been home. I gave him a bath yesterday and oiled his coat again, and am going to try to keep his mustache hair banded trying to keep it from breaking. It's still shorter than I'd like. He looks to be a good weight; I thought maybe he had lost some since being with the handler. Weighing him this morning he was 6.77 lbs which is more than I thought he would be, but he looks good. I think his ideal weight would be 6 1/2 lbs. Dolly is 6 weeks PG today and looks it. Her weight today is just shy of 8 lbs and she is beginning to learn that she can't jump up onto the couch like she used to. She sometimes tries and doesn't make it and she has learned to go to the one corner of the couch using the dog bed right there to help herself get up on the couch. She still jumps down. . . . I wish she wouldn't. Otherwise, all is well there. I haven't chatted with Kathy much since Orlando, just a few short conversations on FB messenger. It kind of bothers me as there have been times that she might call me "just to catch up". I know, I know.....the phone works both ways but I guess I figure I'm available to talk most all the time and she is the busy one so I let her call when she can. Oh well...... I did talk with Valerie Smidt this past week after texting her a happy birthday to Major. It was GREAT catching up with her and just having someone to talk with. January has been a long and boring month and I'm glad that it's finally almost over. Filed our taxes yesterday too. . . . . .SWEET, we're getting just over $4,000 in tax refunds!!!