Wintery days

For a moment it seemed that the spring will arrive early this year. Yet it is snowing, snowing, snowing so the spring is still far away. Well boys love the snow, and they keep cleaner on our walks when there is plenty of snow around.

Pre has developed further now, the boys play much more and more eagerly together, just like when Pre was a pup. I am very delighted about the change, even though boys been getting on ok this far anyway. Yet it feels so nice to see them enjoying run-and-play sessions together. Fav spot seems to be on the ice. Unfortunately I've learned it is not that safe much longer anymore, so we might need to give it up soon.

My knee was little bit better, so we got to do some distance-agility with the help of our wonderful trainer, Merja Suomalainen. She is The person to have an eye for kooi-agi, and we got some very good tips for both of my boys how to proceed on with distance handling. Both of my boys shine at agi, and I am so proud of them for that. They have the guts and nerves to run really far and fast, and take the different direction as compared to mine. I think that might be the qu for many kooikers at agility. I have put my effort into that, since this knee has always been such a pain and bummer and our career at agi is always questionable due to my condition. Hopefully at least Shan will get to do some tracks over the summer, with me or with some friend. But if he doesn't, then we just have loads of fun at the hall/field.

Obedience is getting there too. Anniina is doing great job with Shanti. It is a delight to see them working together. Shan clearly favours Anniina over me, she is so way cooler trainer :) I am doing the most work with Pre, and we're getting on well too. Pre got bit nervous at the field, after our lengthy break. That was due to the reason that there were a dog running free (escaping), and that must have brought the trauma of getting really badly bitten at the field little less than a year ago. Luckily what Pre does, is that he just becomes alert and weary, not trying to escape or do any moves at all. He completely trusts in me in that situation. Further, the light (As compared the wintery darkness) makes Pre more aware of the situation, so we're working on that. However, I am very happy and delighted about his proceeding.

Human searching we have only done as a part of our walks, just for fun. Boys are mad over that, I hope we get to join in a group when the summer arrives.

Pre showed himself at a locad dogshow. He managed ok, was bit weary when the judge came to check him, but kept himself together and managed the situation. He then presented himself rather well and we ended up having fun together at the ring. Yet, the judge didn't fancy him that much. He found his temperament, earrings, body structure and tail to be good. Some faults he saw at his coat-colour, neck, lose frontmovements, lips and stop. Unfortunately, due to judge-change the same judge will be at our next show in one week. Hopefully I can make him run this time, and he might achieve bit better judgement. We'll see. But if he doesn't get it, never mind. We will get to see darlings Hilppa and Shanti's daughter Pimu there as well. So it is only three kooikers at the ring this time. We might go to do some agi after that, which I am so looking forward to.

Shanti's two pups have now been healthchecked. Both got A/A hips, clear eyes and 0/0 knees. One more is without checking, yet I heard from the owner that she is going to get her excamined too. I am so happy about this great healthresult, since I hope Shan will be used some other day for another litter too. Pre will be health checked later on, since he is still so undeveloped! But I press my thumbs for him to be healthy too, just as his siblings have been. I actually just noticed, that Preety's close realative, a kooikerbitch from Norway has been imported to Finland. Hope to see her somwhere at some point!

I have one more week of work, and after that one week's holiday. Great! I will travel to Tampere tomorrow and get to meet Dina (Cavalriina's U) and Aida (Cavalriina's S) kooikergirls. Can't wait to see them and spend some quality time with the family, they are so wonderful people!

I have done some research on the kooikerlines in Finland, Netherlands, Sweden and Germany. It is so interesting to see how the populations developes and how individuals are linked to eachother. I will also get the privilidge to join a specialised course on breeding issues. The topic will be small populations' problems, and that will be so interesting to study with the quidance of the Finnish kennelclub's top speakers and researchers. Can't wait!

Sickie-days are over. Finally!

Finally I finished sickies - the boys must be delighted to get some good rest when I am at work. The sickie lasted eventually a month. Boys had active life even though I couldn't take them out for a walk. I have a great support-network, thank you all for helping me out. I can't yet walk well, but hopefully getting better every day. Shan has continued doing obedience with Anniina, and they haven't really missed a single class. P has been absent, but we might try that out tomorrow, if the pain in my knee is not too big after workday. Pre will have challenging weekend, he will attend one small dogshow among 7 other kooikers. After that we're going to do some great kooiker-agi, can't wait to get some guidance from Merja for distance-agility!

Over the sickies I have concentrated on photographing the boys, and have some 150 new great pics of the lads.

Still on a sickie

It is so great to see the boys playing together in the livingroom. Wagging tails, happy sounds. Great that tey are able to do that again. Not for long periods of time, but little interaction anyway. They have had a longish break in indoor-playing. Outside they have played a bit all the time.

Preety has now experienced eldery-hospice, and being just a perfect therapyboy to my grandmother, who has been admitted in a hospice. Shanti and my previous dog: calm, stable Irish setter Aida did visit my other grandma's place approximately twice a month, so Shan is experienced with eldery people. Pre hadn't been in, so I was interested to see how he behaves. This time we only visited my Nanna and he met some new relatives and nurses. He did so well, jumped immediately to my Nanna's bed, stayed in her lap for one hour, and observed nurses and happenings from there. I am proud of him, this is a good start. Yet, I wouldn't let stangers to come and stroke him yet, they can do that with Shanti, and Pre can concentrate on one his favourite person in the world, my Nanna.

My knee is not good at all, pain is getting worse. Sickie is on 'till sunday, and after that I will need to try to go to work. Last night went approximately one third of the night awake and in pain, 2 thirds of sleep. It is such a nice, sunny weather, and we all just wanted to race outdoors. Well I can't do that, but luckily Anniina is over and helping us out. She was at obedience with Shan yesterday, and was very delighted the way he worked. She also activated the boys with training and tricks, and the boys were utterly knackered last night. What a joy!

I was able to get some fully shoots at Pre, running outside, smiling widely. Hope to make a smile to your face too!

agility and obedience

Still on a sickie, but now for 2 days the pain has been tolerable, and I have started to put my nose outside. Yesterday it was with the help of mum, that the boys were able to go for a small hike on the ice. I got to take a few nice pics, as above.

Today my dear friend promised to give a hand at the agility, and the boys got to run a few tracks with her. They did that eagarly and easily, and it was a delight to sit and watch them. They were also able to train distance racing, and both of them are very talented in it. Pre has developed so much. Today our aim was to train the dogwalk, so that the boys will not steal the contacts, do it completely independent, stop at the end with 2 on 2 off, and remain there until I tell to proceed. That was done with the help of jump-wings at the both ends, so they had tour around them, to get to the contacts. At the end was a treaty-base, with some extra-yummy pudding on it. It worked out so well with both of them, they didn't need my support and realised very fast what I wanted them to do.

We did a bit of obedience (me limping, but it didn't seem to bother the boys), heeling, angles, staying while I proceed, laying down from heeling and staying while I proceed. I did only very little with Shan, since it is more Anniina's thing, and did bit more with Pre. I was very proud of my boys, they're so great!

Now they are on a cooling walk with Anniina and my friend Pia. Lucky me, to have such a great people around, to help out at this difficult time. Thank you so much!

Sickie

Still on a sickie, luckily just me, not the boys. Even when I have had very non-moving days, boys have had lovely, active life. Yesterday they were taken to agility, where Kaisa (with kooikers 'Ella' Lentävän Luppakorvan Liitolikka) and Katri (with kooiker 'Hilppa' Bullbenz kooi Odine Sade) did great job with my boys, and they got to practise after a very long pause. It has been way too cold over here for weeks, around -20 - -30, so naturally agility has been out of qu for long time. Boys were full of energy and very eager to do things. Preety has never done the whole training with somebody else, and he was co-operating so well with Kaisa, I was delighted. Shanti, on the other hand, is very used to be handled with several people (due my kneeproblems), and he did very well too. It was a delight to know that boys truly got to enjoy.

Shanti's day wasn't over after agi. Anniina was already waiting to get him to our obedience-class. I naturally had to be absent, and therefore Pre couldn't attend either. But Shan did well there, even when he had been concentrating on Agility (and lovely kooikergirls) for a good time. They had practised heeling, stopping from the movement and staying and different turns. Anniina was happy about Shanti's progress, and I am encouraging them to start to plan competing. Only Shanti's heeling post is not the best, he has speen stepped over his foot by me too many times, and he is bit careful with that. That is the biggest thing to practise now, otherwise he starts to be rather secure.

Today the boys have been able to do very good hike with Jaani, my brother. They enjoyed the good, mild weather, and the stacks of snow for 3 hours. And all were very excited. Jaani took to dogs at his place, so my house feels very empty now! Luckily I will get my boys back again tomorrow, so it will not be a long break, but I assume that boys are deligted to get to hang out with more moving people than the owner over at home!

Thank you Kaisa, Katri, Anniina and Jaani for all your help!

Doubting

The weekend has been full of decisions, all open still. The problem is my knee, that broke again, about 10th time. I should enroll boys for the world winner at Denmark over the weekend, but now I'm not too sure whether I can take the trip or not, depending on if there will be an operation coming. Further, I enrolled both of my boys for agility small groups for the summer, even though it might be the case that we can't really train that much. I hope for the best anyway!

Nice news from Preety's cute sister Zally, who has undergone the healthcheck in Sweden. A-hips, ok eyes and patella. Great, grattis Yvonne och Pia! I think Preety will be checked after summer, probably not before, since there are a few shows we are going to attend to.

Boys have had some fun with people visiting over and taking them for a walk. That is because I can't walk them right now. Further, Anniina, the primary care-keeper for the boys, has been over very often, training obedience, tricks and playing with the boys. They do adore her so much. Luckily there is lots of space to run on the ice too, and very easy access from my brother's place, just directly from the backyard, so boys have been able to get very good excercise. The couldness doesn't bother them at all, my eskimo-dogs.

Time to open the blog for both of my boys

For a while I have kept an english blog for my newer 'foreign' familymember, kooikerhondjeboy Matssons Preety 'Preety', so that Preety's family in Sweden can keep up with the news of his life. My goddaughter and primary activator for my boys Anniina, has kept actively the finnish blog for the boys, and she will keep on doing that - thank you so much Anniina! Her blog can be found underneath the link 'hoitajan blogi, up at the right corner. But I decided that I want to also tell in the english blog something also about the life of my older kooiker Shanti (Callitris Girello Erminia) and the life boys share together, and that is the reason why this new site is done. Hope you will like it!