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!

Daisy sez - Do you all know what day it is?

All the dogs - yup yup yup... it's THANKSGIVIN' DAY!! - we is thankful for the 9 raw turkey necks a waitin' in the fridge for our supper tonight!  we is thankful for all the cookie crumbs fallin' to the floor.  We is thankful the big feast is at OUR house again this year so we can harrass unsuspectin' company who doesn't know how to keep their food plates safe from a "jump n tackle" move!

Dusty sez - yes, that is true it is Thanksgivin' Day and we are all very happy and hungry, but even more important thing for all the dogs that read this blog to know is... it is a MAJOR HOLIDAY.. and that means Veternarians are not on call today, not even the nice ones.  This is the day to get hurt or sick, so your people's have to drive hours and hours to the emergency vet where they can pay thousands of dollars for them to say that you will be OK till tomarrow and follow up with yur regular vet.  Listen.. do you hear Mysty crying?? She is old and wise and made good use of the major holiday today.. didn't you Mysty?

Mysty sez - WAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAA I hurt, I just want Miz Crystal to hold me and rock me like she does when I was havin' babies.. I wanna lay on her bed and get held.. waaaahhhhhhhhh

Darby sez - she IS holdin' you, has been all morning while I have to stay in my crate!  I want on the bed too!

Mysty - oooooooooo whhhoooooooo waaaaaaa my LEG HURTS!

Darlin' sez - We canna figure out what grandma done, ya know that solid wooden stockade fencing?  Whal, she got her leg stuck between the slats!  They wasn't broken or loose or nuttin!

Destiny sez - yup, no one could believe it, she started screamin' and we all went nuts barkin for Miz Crystal, and she camed outside and there wan't even 1/8" gap in those slats and no give to the wood neither, but Mysty's big old leg was jammed in there 1/2 way up between the foot and the shoulder!

Ricki sez - good thing Mz Crystal's son was home from college to eat turkey today, she did yell for him to get the sledge happer and the crow bar, while she held Mysty and kept her from twistin around, and they had ta break and pry the wood to get Ol' Mysty out of that fence! there still wan't no gap, no one knows how a dog could get a big old leg into sumptin tiny like that!?!

Daisy - I'm guessin it was a freakin' accident.. she just wanna to see the emergency vets!

Mysty sez -ooooooooohhhhh mah leg hurts.. hold me, hold me.. please hold me!

Dew-oh sez - Mysty mamma, you not broken like I was, you will get better.. you won't even limp, it is ok.  If you do limp, Miz Crystal will still love you, cause she still loves me and I limp, but Dr. sez you will be just fine!

Mysty sez - I'd like some peanut butter cookies in bed please, that will make me feel better.. ooohhh yeah..how about sum that turkey? That would make me feel better.   ummmm would it be too much to ask for a cresent roll?  THAT would make me feel better..

Darby - you know, I hate you all.. I wish I were an only dog...

Diana - so anyway, for all you doggies out there.. remember MAJOR HOLIDAY.. that is the time to eat too much chocolate (huh Genni?) or to eat the bulbs off the Christmas tree, or to stick your foot in a fence, or any other freakin' accidents you can think up.  It is so much more fun to go to the emergency vet than it is to the regular one, and everyone pays lots of attention to you.  It is a good boost to your self esteam to see just what you ARE worth when the credit card comes out to pay the bill too...

All the dogs - HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

 

Posted by: Vistadei at 14:25 | link | comments (2)

Dusty sez - Yesterday Mz Crystal put lots and lots of straw down over the muddy places in the yard, so we can play wif out getting our feets all muddy and tracking into the house!

Darby sez - I love to pee on fresh straw...  I went here and there and there and there.

Mysty - I smell a sheep in here somewhere, maybe if I dig in the straw I will find that sheep, cause I know it's my job to herd one of those sheepie around the yard, I just have ta find one first.

Dew-oh sez - Hey, RICKI... you wanna roll in the hay wif ME? (gives him the flirty eye)

Ricki - ummmm who, ME? me? (looks over his shoulder).. she must be talkin to someone other than ME? ha! Baby, she IS looking at ME!!! yeeeaaaaaaaaa.... I'm da man...

Darby - still pee'n on this stuff.. I am running low on juice here, just a drip... ahhhhh there we go, I knew I had it in me!

Darlin' - I don't think I want to walk in THAT, I am going to stay up here on the patio table and just look..

Destiny - you gets off that table, that is MY table, I taught you to jump up there, now you won't let me up too.. move over, better yet move OFF..

Darby - ahhhhhhhhhhhh yes.... one more time....

Daisy and Diana are too busy chasing each other through the straw to stop and talk..

Posted by: Vistadei at 07:49 | link | comments (2)

We are happy to announce 2 more CGC titles tonight!  Vista Dei For Luv or Money CGC "Darlin" and Vista Dei Winds of Change CGC "Destiny" both passed their CGC tests tonight!  I was extra pleased with them, as neither of them ever attended a class, I just decided 2 weeks ago to see if I could get them both trained for it really quickly, so we worked 10 mins 3 times a day for each of them, and they passed with flying colors. Both girls are very easy to train, and love to work!  Destiny also did her first class tonight for Novice Obedience, starting to work for her CD.  Darlin' will be starting this class too, but I can only do one dog per class per night, so I don't know if I will alternate them or what, but I am very pleased with their progress.  This earns another 2 points for Darby and 3 points for Misty towards their ROM-P

Posted by: Vistadei at 21:16 | link | comments (2)

Yesterday I put together a chart to track the progress in our goal toward earning a ROM-P for both Darby and Mysty.  This title award is based on the titles earned by their OFFSPRING, so we are dependent on those of you who own dogs we bred for this title!  This chart will help us see at a glance were we are and who has what points, http://vistadeishelties.com/ROMP.html  Mysty is over 1/2 way there, she needed 4 offspring with 100 points and she now has 8 first generation and 3 second generation grandkids that have earned some type of title, and she has 61.5 points.  Darby has further to go, he needs double what Mysty does, as a male they figure he can sire many more pups that she can give birth to, so males need twice the offspring and points - 8 first generation offspring and 200 points.  He has 9 first generation offspring and 2 second generation grandkids titled for a total of 71 points.  Don't forget to send me title certificates of CGC's and any non-AKC awards, and do check the program details for lists of all the different sports that your dog can do to earn points (there are TONS of things, not just agility!) http://www.workingshelties.org/ROMP.html

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

All the dogs but Dusty got their shots last night, he just had his a few months back so didn't need more, I give my adult dogs their vacinations at home, so they don't all have to go to the vets for them and the evening went something like this..

MYSTY sez: Garsh DARN.. heard momma callin' ma name and thought I was coming out to get a TREAT..

DESTINY sez: welllll I did gets a treat when I came a runnin', didn't you??

DARBY sez: Yah, AFTER I got stuck wif that needle in my shoulder.. owww owww owweeee owwww

DIANA : Oh shut up Darby, I don't care if you are my daddy, you are the biggest baby in the whole world cryin' about every little thing!  (shows him her big white teeth for good measure!)

DUSTY : give me a treat, when is it my turn, give me a treat, give me a treat.. hey throw the ball, ok?

DAISY sez: I didn't even feel that little needle, and I loved the treat, peanut butter cookie.. yum yum!! Can I have another shot, huh? huh? pick me, pick me.. (goes around and stands at the end of the line for another turn!

DUSTY: give me a treat, when is it my turn, give me a treat, give me a treat.. hey throw the ball, I WANT A PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE, why can't I have my shot too, please please?

Ricki: ooooohhhhhhh gettin a shot makes me soooooooo sad.. I don't really NEED a treat, cause I snarfed some pasta from the counter a little earlier, but.. welll... what the heck, I love peanut butter cookies.. okey dokey I'll take one!

DUSTY : give me a treat, when is it my turn, give me a treat, give me a treat!!!!!!

DEW-OH: mmmmm I think I doesn't need a shot, didn't I get enough of those when I was going to the Doctor this summer?  I think I don't.... AAAAAAAAAAAAKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK darn!! guess I needed another one!!!!

DUSTY : give me a treat, when is it my turn, give me a treat, give me a treat - I'll trade my ball for a treat if you will throw it after I get done chewing, come on come ON!!

DARLIN: Who me? Come out there? are you KIDDING??????? I think not, why are you coming after me and pickin' me up??? puts me DOWN!! Puts me down right now!!! Oh you must already be done wif my shot if I am gettin' the cookie, hey that was no big deal, what are the rest of you fussin for? Whimps!!

DUSTY : give me a treat, OH HEY THANKS!!! crunch crunch crunch..  look at me, I got the cookie without needing a shot!! hahahah

Posted by: Vistadei at 12:46 | link | comments (1)

I worked out at Four Season's CPE trials this weekend, didn't run a dog just scribed for the score sheets.  I got chilled to the bone, not moving around, and I am STILL trying to get warm!  I am going to enter Darby in some in December.  I hope in the spring to start running Daisy in some of the CPE and in AKC jumpers with weaves, but am not going to teach her to sit, so she can still show her best in conformation. Seems everytime I teach a good sit, I loose their free stacking in the conformation ring.

I have started intensely working Destiny and Darlin' hopefully will try both of them this winter on their CD's perhaps do some Rally first.  I am working them 10 mins each, 2 to 3 times a day and they are doing great.  Some days we skip it if I am too busy, and I think that lets things set in their mind somehow, they always have a burst of "better" after a day off.  I think one thing I have learned over the years is not to over-train, it seems to put too much stress on the dog to just keep drilling and drilling like I did with my first dog I trained to a CD.

Posted by: Vistadei at 11:28 | link | comments

There's a new face on the front page of www.VistaDeiShelties.com as Hector earned his CGC tonight at the Beaver County Kennel club!! yippppeeee!!!!  I was there later to help with the test, but didn't come and bring in his daddy Darby to disturb him, but I heard he made quite an impression on the other workers!  Congratulations Hector and Denise L!!  When any dog we breed earns some type of title they get added to our front page of the website and a link to their very own webpage.  I need to update Hector's individual page, but couldn't wait to get him up on the front!  First step on a very long and happy journey in performance sports I am sure, this little weeeeeee one will go a long long way!

Posted by: Vistadei at 20:47 | link | comments (2)