Mystique & Tracking

Mystique is my 18 month old female I had intended to keep for my breeding program.  She is very sweet, just like her mother, Indy.  Unfortunately, she contracted Parvo-virus when she was 6 months old.  She was in the care of the vet for 5 days.  Luckily she was old enough to fight off the Parvo and survived.  However, for some unexplained reason, her ears went from standing up, to drooping.  She does have the capability of holding them erect but for the most part she allows them to droop.  For this reason, I've had to remove her from my breeding program.  Although this would not be a problem that is hereditary, no one would buy a GSD pup from a mother with droopy ears.  I know I wouldn't! 

So, on Wednesday, she was spayed.  Here she is shortly after she came home from the vet.  The x-pen is to keep her quiet and to prevent the other dogs from trying to play with her.  She's healing up nicely now.  I was very surprised to see how small the incision was.  I haven't spayed a dog in many, many years so I was expecting a 6-8 inch incision.  Her incision was 2-2.5 inches long!  Awesome! 

The other good news about Mystique is she has been sold to a very nice family in Vancouver.  I will be delivering her personally at the end of August.  It is always very difficult for me to find new homes for dogs that have been here longer than 8 weeks.  For that matter I usually cry when each puppy leaves!  However, I screen my owners very well and I know that the dog will have as good, or even a better life than they would here.  Where she is going, she will be an only dog and she will get the families undivided attention.  I know she will thrive in that situation.

I've been tracking a few more times these past couple of weeks.  Both Merlin and Cruise have been bumped back to less difficult tracks.  They would track just fine but not with enthusiasm.  I needed to go back and make it easier and more fun.  (I'm learning too!)  I've put a ball or tug at the end of the track for extra motivation to get to the end.  Hopefully I don't create a monster who pulls so hard that they miss some of the fine details they need for passing a tracking title.  It's one of those things that if it works as intended, it will be great.  But it also has the possibility of creating problems as well.  Keep your fingers crossed for the former!


 Off to exercise dogs!  Later!



Mystique 15 months old






Mystique 1 year old