I hope this Blog proves to be both fun and educational for anyone interested in Showing and/or Breeding Dogs. Spend some time with us and you will really understand the time and effort and emotions that goes into this hobby. Join me here for the good times and bad times, the joys and sorrows, the wins and losses. Welcome to life at Vista Dei!

Thought you might like to see some pictures of "Momma's Darlin' " as she is known around here.  I am pretty excited about her!

Posted by: Vistadei at 09:37 | link | comments (5)

Derrick left for his new home yesterday, his new name will be Maxwell.  I am sad, the house isn't quite the same without the two puppies wrestling and playing with each other.  On the other hand, it was time.  He still wasn't nearly to the lowest part of the growth chart, at 10 1/8" at 18 weeks there was just no hope he will make the 13" which is the lowest height a sheltie can be to be shown.  He is getting a wonderful home with Nadine and Jim who have taken some time off work to spoil him rotten.  It is also time that Darlin' separated from the other puppy and starts playing with ME!! I have high hopes for her, and am embarking on a new training plan.  It is called Training Levels, and the theory is that when you train the ground work via levels the dog by level 7 should be 3 weeks from titling in any venue.  Here is a link to the method if anyone wants to check it out, or follow along with our progress.

www.dragonflyllama.com/%20%20MAIN/indexdog.html

 This will also be the first time I do anything with clicker training.  I have always resisted it, as it can't be taken in the ring and I felt it one more thing to "wean" from but I am going to give the use of it a try in some of the situations and see if there is a huge difference between using the clicker and my prior methods of training.  Darlin' will be the first puppy I have kept in nearly 4 years, so I am really looking forward to this journey into bonding and training her.  Oh by the way, for as huge of a puppy as Darlin' appeared in the litter, she is 12 1/4" now at 18 weeks - solid in the middle of the "safe" zone.  I now expect her to mature about 15" the same size as Darby.

Posted by: Vistadei at 08:35 | link | comments (2)

Wooo hoooo.. Christy reports they took Regis to agility shows in Dayton, OH this past weekend and he and Tim got one more leg towards the MX title. He qualified with a time of 46.25 (SCT 64). That is 17 more MACH points! He earned 4th place... SO PROUD OF YOU GUYS!! wwwwweeeeeee

Posted by: Vistadei at 18:56 | link | comments (2)

Yesterday's agility seminar was ok... but not one of the best I have attended.  I try to learn something new everything I go to, but didn't learn much.  Perhaps right hand weave pole entry practice  using only 3 to 4 poles, will have to try that, otherwise we pretty much just worked out the opening sequence of one of the World Cup trial, which was very hard, but once worked out well.. didn't really impart alot of skills to learn in other situation I don't think, but who knows perhaps some other time I will see a similar sequence.  Looking forward to Sat. seminar, it will be a long long day!! 

Posted by: Vistadei at 08:42 | link | comments

This was a perfect morning for the dogs, snow on the ground to play in, but the temps were about 37 degrees so it wasn't bitter cold and they could spend a couple hours outdoors playing.  I just love watching the group of them in the snow, the favorite game is everyone runs as fast as they can, chasing each other, and then one will grab onto another's tail and get a "sled ride"!! hahahha

Tomarrow is the agility seminar, looking forward to that..

Posted by: Vistadei at 11:58 | link | comments

Puppies had their vet appointment today and got a A++ bill of good health, always nice to have that!  I am sure their little legs are going to hurt tomarrow from the rabies shot, Derrick cried when he got his.  Dusty had a real compliment, he is our older neutered guy.  Vet was very shocked that he is actually over 10 years old, said he wouldn't have thought he was any more than 5 or 6 based on his teeth and overall good health. yah!! that is what we like to hear!!

Posted by: Vistadei at 18:28 | link | comments

Not alot going on around here, and after the last few months that is a GOOD thing!  Puppies go in tomarrow for their last set of shots.  Derrick is only 10" at 17 weeks, so still way under the charts on size.  He met the nicest lady and the two of them seem to have fallen in love, so he will be going to his very own home next week to be her pet.. I think they are both pretty excited!!  Darlin is 12 1/4" at 17 weeks, still nicely in the "safe" zone and still the sassy brat.    All the dogs got groomed today since we were stuck inside having some sleet/snow/ice coming from the sky.  Good day for everyone to get line brushed and nails done.  I think they really enjoy the pampering.. well maybe not the nails so much, but as soon as that is out of the way, they about fall asleep getting brushed and seem proud of the trimmed feet and ears.

Posted by: Vistadei at 19:56 | link | comments

I have gotten enough comments via email to post the links to PA's proposed dog law changes as well as a sample of the type of letter and whom it should be directed.  There are 2 pages of proposed changes, these links are pretty much just the addition to the already 50 pages of law that is in place.  If PA would spend the money to enforse the law already on the books, I am sure that 99% of the sub-standard breeders would be shut down, there is really no need to expand the law to include small home/show breeders and rescues.  As with every other law, those who are already breaking the law as it exists will continue to do so, and those of us who try to do everything right, will just give up because we will not be able to meet the new requirements or will choose not to subject our dogs to a life on concrete and isolation.

Page one of the Proposed PA laws (actual law starts about 1/2 way down in bold print):

http://www.pabulletin.com/secure/data/vol36/36-50/2452.html

Page two of the proposed PA laws:

http://www.pabulletin.com/secure/data/vol36/36-50/2452a.html

A sample letter writing that can be sent to the PA law makers during these days for public comment, must be sent by Feb. 10, 2007

http://beavercountykennelclub.org/PAsampleletter_doglaw.pdf

Posted by: Vistadei at 12:31 | link | comments (2)

HEY that Beckham dude has nothing on ME..

I am worth a 250 million dollar contract TOO!!

Cricket playing soccer somewhere in Texas I believe?

Posted by: Vistadei at 09:16 | link | comments (1)

My poor poor daughter wrecked her car yesterday!  She works soooo hard to have that car, got it brand new, unlike mom here who always buys used.  I imagine it is totalled, but she is OK, and it appears the guy she slid into was ok.  It is this rain... the rain seems to never stop, I think it has been raining every day for nearly 2 weeks, and this week is to turn to ice and snow -BLAH-

The poor dogs just hate this rain, they don't want to go to the bathroom in the pouring down rain, but when they come inside and haven't gone yet, then they need out more frequently and need dried and de-mudded again and again.  Also makes for more accidents with the puppies when I am trying to house break! 

But anyway, the rain makes me think about the new laws that are up for proposal in PA and how they will close down small breeders like me by requiring puppies be raised in facilities like chicken farms rather than in homes and yards.  One of the requirements is that the dogs never touch grass or dirt, and another is that they have to have an exercise area on concrete or gravel where they can be out in weather like this and not get wet or muddy.  Wouldn't that be great to have? I have a 24 by 8 run with a roof on concrete, but they still get wet in there on raining days.  I wonder what type of a structure you could put up for the dogs that would be outside exercise in this weather without getting wet?  Can't use tarps on the sides under the new rules.. so basically you would have to construct a large building I guess.  Under the new proposed laws males and females can never be together, and the exercise area has to be sanitized and dried before the opposite sex can be in the exercise area, so I guess that would mean you would need an huge building so that you had enough room for the males and females separate.  On one hand it would be nice to have that type of facility, but people like me with just a few dogs and a couple litters and limited land could never get the zoning to allow something like that to be built, let alone the money to devote to it.  So if the law gets passes as proposed, I guess my breeding and showing plans will be cut down to about nothing and eventually the only place you all will be able to buy a new pup is from big factory farms who will retail through pet store (pet stores are exempt from the new laws).  Kinda sad.  If you are interested in me talking more about these laws, let me know in the comment section and I can make a post with the information of the regulations and such and who to contact to oppose them, we only have until Feb 10, 2006 for the comment stage to the PA government.  Oh.. and the reason it will affect people like me, is that tho the rules for all the restrictions against the dogs touching grass or dirt are actually for kennel facilities with 26 dogs or more in one year, they have proposed it to count the number of dogs that breeders co-own in outside homes, so even tho I have 7 adults and 2 litters of pups keeping my numbers at about 17 for the year, they will now count toward my number any co-owned dogs living elsewhere as well as any dogs I might babysit through the year, etc.  This is also directly targeting rescue groups who make use of temporary foster homes for rescue dogs, and will cause them to come under these regulations too. 

Posted by: Vistadei at 09:02 | link | comments (3)

Guess I will be writing more in the blog since the guy who stalks my son and girlfriend is back with a vengence after almost a 5 month break, so I am not sleeping well and can be up at all hours writing about my dogs which at this time are all that get me through the days!  Hope my van, and my son's car both survive this round!!

Went to the agility seminar yesterday and had a blast.  Daisy is a NATURAL.. she was fearless on the equipement and working better than some dogs I have seen who have been training a year or so!  The instructor kept asking "is this REALLY her first time on the equipment or have  you been training at home?" noo I don't have tunnels and the big stuff at home and with what I do have, Daisy has never been introduced to any of the agility stuff.  I was really proud of her by the end they has a little closed area with 2 curved tunnels and 2 jumps so we could do jump - run in one end of the tunnel - out the other end of the tunned - over the second jump and into the second tunnel in a big circle type course.  She did it just perfect!!  I think she was the only dog that repeatedly took a full lenghth curved tunnel with no 2 person handling, just went in with my direction and ran through and out the other end!  YIPPEEEE!!!  Destiny and my daughter did really well too, we will see if they pursue it, I think they would if we could find a class on a handy day, perhaps a little closer.  We might take her back to our kennel club, but I don't know.

Have to go scrub some carpets, it has just been endless rain, and the dogs are tracking in dirt and mud and muck.  Guess I should be glad that we don't have the ice some states have.

Posted by: Vistadei at 08:24 | link | comments

Doing my emails early today so I can get going to the agility seminar in an hour or so.  I sure hope that my daughter Ashley has some fun with it.  Now that she has graduated from college she might have some more time.. I have to find someone that wants to help me with the tracking.  Need another person to start teaching it as far as I can see, they have to take the target out and "lay the track" for the dog to follow.  I know some people who do tracking, perhaps they can show me ways to do it myself, I don't know.  There was a group of people getting together in Pittsburgh to start tracking, but they decided on Sat. mornings, and I am usually at work, I can get off one Sat. here or there for something like this seminar today, but not every Sat.

Posted by: Vistadei at 07:34 | link | comments (2)

Wow, I have been just drowning in the holidays here, haven't had much time to write!  Everyone is doing great around here, all the adult dogs are just hanging around enjoying their chewies and new toys they got at Christmas.  Kylie went home, bet she was happy to get home and use the bathroom, she did well on her little stay here, but she wasn't happy about "going" infront of me, or on a leash at night!! So I bet she had alot to do when she got home!  Darlin' and Derrick are growing, but it appears that Derrick will need neutered and I believe I will make him available to an appropriate pet home when one comes along looking for a nice little boy.  Once again, I am getting soooo many people wanting female pets, 3 inquiries yesterday for pet females, all wanting to get on waiting lists for the next litter rather than have a nice little boy!! hahahah  I actually went back and counted.. I have sold only 9 females into pet homes since 2002... hahahahha  in 2006 only 1 pet female was sold, 2 to performance homes, and one I kept..  but yet I get about 15 people a week getting so frustrated they can't find a female, but don't want a perfect little boy.  Frustration all around..

Anyway, I am starting some new things in 2007, Darby is starting training for Tracking, I am really enjoying reading up on begining this new sport and hope he can pass the test by late fall 2007.  Tomarrow my daughter and I are going to an agility seminar, She is bringing Destiny (they call her Dugans so perhaps I need to start thinking of her as Dugans)  I think Destiny-Dugans will be an excellent agility dog if my daughter has the time and patience to train her.  I am taking Daisy and hoping to start her down the road to the versitility titles and "alphabet soup" of titles that Darby has now.  I hope Daisy enjoys it, it will be her first time in agility, she sure loves to go to shows, and run the backs of my couches, so we will see!

I have 2 more advanced seminars coming up, one the end of Jan and the other in Feb, so I should be all full of new knowledge and things to try as we move along with Darby in agiltiy.

Posted by: Vistadei at 11:49 | link | comments (3)

We have a special little house guest this week!  Kylie from our L-4 litter is spending some time here as there was a death in her owners family.  She sure is a little sweet heart, her favorite treats are bananas!  She doesn't like the other doggies too much and likes to have a bedroom to herself and come out for some love when the moster gang is outside!  Here she is cuddling with my son this morning.

Posted by: Vistadei at 08:53 | link | comments (1)

Awwww momma's Darlin' at 14 weeks old

 

Posted by: Vistadei at 20:30 | link | comments (2)

And from our house.. this is Mr. Derrick being held in front of our Christmas Tree... he is 14 weeks old.

Up close and personal!

Posted by: Vistadei at 19:32 | link | comments

Getting all caught up today!  Here are some more Christmas photos shared by people who own some of our puppies!

From the L-6 Litter this is Cooper in the middle with Tristan and Halle and also his sheltie "sister" Maddie

This is Regis from our L-3 Litter and Kiwi from our L-6 Litter, also included in the photo are Christy, Tim and little Abby

This is Kylie from our L-5 litter, this is her first time pictured on the internet as her owners do not have a computer.  They bring her by Starbucks for visits with my daughter and we are very happy to get a photo of her this year!

This is Hector from our last L-8 litter, he was our little Weee.. He is pictured with his new mom Denise, 2 sheltie brothers Troy and Caesar and their agility presents from Santa!

HEY SANTA - DON'T FORGET ME.. HERE'S LOOKING AT YOU DUDE! (Cricket from our L-2 litter)

 

Posted by: Vistadei at 15:36 | link | comments (5)