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Friday 31 March 2017

1 week old
















Mary Ann


Tuesday 28 March 2017

Spring Sunshine




Mary Ann


Grandma Isis, Dad Rommel & Baby Maya enjoying the spring sunshine!

Friday 24 March 2017

Catching Up

I tried to get a little caught up on emails today. But I've got a long way to go. I was amazed how far behind I am. Please be patient as I try getting this sick body to work. It was the first day I could even conceive of working. And if I worked in an office it would be another 3 days before they'd let me back. I apologize but I'm doing the best I can.

They Are Here! FIVE!

We have FIVE healthy, happy puppies! Mom and kids are doing great. Nova being a first time Mom is doing extraordinarily well. That whole suckling thing took a few minutes to get used to though. Loved that first pup to death BUT WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING?! But after a few minutes all was well. I'm trying to interfere as little as possible but either I or Mark are within touching distance at all times. And will continue to be for the first 48 hours at least. All pups are making contented sounds except if Mom starts washing them or a brother or sister knocks them off a nipple. All the contented sounds are music to my ears because that means she has enough milk. If she didn't, they would be crying instead of cooing.

I will do my best to put up pictures today. But things are running slower than usual because of my strep throat. Not to mention the usual exhaustion following a whelping. I'm trying not to fall asleep on my keyboard!

For those of you who are waiting to hear back from me regarding questionnaires, I apologize. I really was hit hard with this strep thing. And I spent 5 days on antibiotics that weren't working. It's not that they were misdiagnosed. It was that I have an extra virulent kind that needs the extra heavy duty antibiotics. Its for this reason you don't want to take antibiotics unless you really need them and when you do, take all of them. Don't stop when you feel better. Take them until they are all gone! If I had done either of those things, the ones I'm taking now would not work as well and then I'd be in real trouble. I just read in the news yesterday a 28 year old mother lost both arms and a leg due to strep. She came very close to losing everything. So long story short, I apologize for not returning phone calls and questionnaires results but I will try and get to some of them today. I will go by date so don't worry about someone jumping the line. And no, I haven't picked 5 people for sure. The only ones for sure are the ones I've accepted money from.

And thank you to everyone who was so kind to leave me get well wishes.  I rarely go on my webpage (it was created and administrated by a friend).  I just don't have time.  But she always lets me know about important things and she sent over all the messages from Facebook.  And thank you as well to all who have sent them directly via email.  I am just getting now that I've had the energy to turn on the computer.  So thank you one and all!  Past puppy owners, fans, current puppy owners and even potential puppy owners!  You Guys are all great!  One big Guardian Angel Family!

Take care all. I hope Mark wakes up soon cuz this keyboard is looking pretty comfy.

Mary Ann

3:00AM and all is well

We have 5 pups at this point. Are there more? I don't know. But I've run out of steam (strep does that, especially if you have to go back and get even stronger antibiotics). Mark is taking first shift til 7, then it's my turn again. We have 4 boys and 1 girl. All black & tans. All healthy. Goodnight all.

Mary Ann

Thursday 23 March 2017

Still Sick & PUPPIES ARE ARRIVING

So I'll get to the boring stuff first. After five days of being on antibiotics the pain was still excruciating. I went back to the Dr today and he gave me the heavy duty kick ass antibiotics they use for special occasions. When he looked in my throat all he said was OUCH!. This has been terribly painful. Not to mention the night sweats and shivers for an hour at a time. But here's to getting well now! So my apologies for not responding to emails or phone calls. I can't even talk, let alone think straight. On to the good news!

Nova started having puppies at 17:10 today. She started with a beautiful black and tan boy and he was followed up at 18:55 with a beautiful black and tan female! There's more to come so I'll keep you posted. Thank God for Mark being off work right now. He's a lifesaver. He does all the running and I pretty much just catch the puppy. You may think it's simple but believe me its not. And it can turn into chaos in a blink of an eye. Especially for a first time Mom. Lives are at stake and I get to be the lucky person to figure out how I'm going to save them. You get to be the hero if you're right. And you beat yourself up for the rest of your life if you're wrong. But here's hoping to a positively uneventful night!

Mary Ann

PS! I was just about to push the send when sure enough, it was time for midwifery! We had another boy at 21:00! 2 boys/1 girl in 4 hours. It's going to be a long night...

Are the puppies coming?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33k3xE4dAV4


Mary Ann

Today might be the day




Mary Ann


She's acting kind of funny. Who knows? We may have puppies soon.

Tuesday 21 March 2017

Man Am I Sick


Strep throat. Can't swallow. High fever. Uncontrollable shivering for an hour at a time. Night sweats. I've lost 8 pounds in 5 days. I expect it's the sweating that's causing the weight loss. I get exhausted getting dressed or taking a shower. So I haven't been answering calls or emails. I'm trying to save the few ounces of energy I have to whelp Nova. Whelping is a marathon event when I'm not sick. Good thing Mark is here. She looks like she could whelp anytime now. I've even sent Maya to live with my daughter's family because I just don't have any energy. Been on antibiotics for 48 hrs now but I still feel like I'm getting worse instead of better. I managed living in Florida for 10 days with 11 sick people and didn't get sick. I was the only healthy one. I was feeling quite proud of myself for that. You know, healthy eating, exercise, sufficient sleep. But I take it all back. This one has doubled down on me. Here's a picture of me and my hot water bottle.


Mary Ann

Friday 17 March 2017

Teaching Maya About Grinding Nails

This video is Maya's first lesson for having her nails filed as opposed to cut. Eventually it would change from "pedi-paws" to a dremel but for now, pedi-paws is quieter and has less vibration. I would not suggest you go buy pedi-paws. I just happen to have one. You can start the same way with a dremel but use a very low revolution speed. If you have any questions, let me know. Don't forget to "MARK" the good behaviour with either "YES" or a clicker if you want this to proceed quickly. Follow "YES" with a treat. The key word is follow. If you say "YES" and give a treat at the same time, you are no longer using proven scientific methods to train your dog. This is Classical Conditioning. Look it up if you don't know what that is.

Here's the video: https://youtu.be/xqjhMnECoYY

Mary Ann

Thursday 16 March 2017

Here's something I received about 6 months ago and meant to share.  Just found it again today.  I LOVE getting these kinds of letters and I get fairly frequently.  I'm so proud of all my dogs!

 

Mary Ann

Hi, just thought you might like to know that Miss Yellow Ribbon from Indy's 1st litter on July 21/07 is now a healthy 9 ¼ year old softie who is deeply loved by our family. As your files may recall, we named her Kahlua. She looks very much like her mother although she grew to 100 lbs lean. Despite a leg injury a couple of years ago, she still happily tackles 200 ft climbs and 7+ km hikes on Nose Hill, Calgary (the very large Prov/City natural park overlooking the city). When at our cabin in BC, we discourage swimmers from screaming as that will cause her to leap into action and swim out to them and begin pulling them to shore whether they want help or not. She is particularly protective of our disabled daughter who on one occasion took off on her bike across Nose Hill singing merrily along. Due to a health issue at the time, dad was unable to run after her. After a while, distraught and all, dad returned to the parking lot for help …. where he discovered some seniors standing beside his daughter and Kahlua awaiting the police who had been told "dad is lost". I let them go on their way after thanking them and then spoke to a sergeant who soon arrived in a suv. He was stunned at how dedicated Kahlua had been in keeping up with our daughter and bringing her back to the parking lot. We weren't; that's how she has always been. Thank you Guardian Angels for giving us such a great family member.  Attached is a photo taken a couple of years ago. She has a few more grey whiskers now.

 

Don & Carol Baker

 

 

 

 

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

 

I Love/HATE Technology!!

This is unbelievable! I've been trying to send an email to my daughter all morning. I'd write the email. I'd push send. It would disappear from my screen. I texted her to be on the lookout for it as I needed an answer. Ten minutes later I asked her if she'd gotten it. No. I checked the address and sent it again. Nothing. I had her email me so I could "reply". Still she did not receive anything. I looked in my sent folder. The emails were not there even tho they had disappeared from my screen. I looked in the draft folder. Not there either. Where the heck did they go? I looked at my folders. Inbox. Drafts. Sent. A few others. Then "More". I clicked on More. In amongst some others was OUTBOX! And you know what? There were 136 emails IN MY OUTBOX! (Sorry to yell.) The last time my laptop sent anything was December 23, 2016!! I have no idea why. Everybody, including you, have not received answers to question or desperately needed help! Even though I answered you! I am so SORRY! This is unbelievable! I expect some of you received some emails but not others. If I answered from my desktop computer, they were sent. If I answered from my laptop, they were not. So you probably even got emails not having a clue what I was writing about because the previous email was still sitting on my laptop with the info I was referring to. 😩. So my sincere apologies to everyone. This is a mess up of grand proportions. I really need someone to come in and sync all my devices and make sure they are working properly. I just don't have time to figure all this out!

Mary Ann

An Excursion With Maya





Mary Ann




Mary Ann


Don't forget the pups are due in a few days for their shots! They can then pretty much go anywhere after that!

Wednesday 15 March 2017

Update on Registration Papers for Rommel/Cruz Puppies

Good news! I have finally been in contact with Rommel's previous owner and he is starting on the paperwork necessary for me If he cannot find the original papers, which he says will probably be the case, he must order duplicates from the Canadian Kennel Club. When he receives them, he must sign the transfer on the back and then mail them to me. When I receive them, I'll fill in the rest and send it back to the CKC. When they have officially transferred him, I can then start on the paperwork for you and your puppy. I appreciate everyone's patience as all this transpires.

Mary Ann

Saturday 11 March 2017

Pet Secure Insurance & Clicker Training

Hello Everyone,

I hope all my new puppy owners are doing well with their new charges!  I've heard back from almost everyone and the one  I've not heard from I'm assuming no news is good news!

Two things today.  By now you should all have received an email from Pet Secure with the information you need for the 6 weeks of pet insurance.  Be aware that they will encourage you to purchase one of their programs before your 6 weeks is up.  I would suggest to you that you shop around.  I have 2 dogs insured with Pet Secure and have not always been happy.  And with anybody you go with READ THE FINE PRINT!  One company won't insure the dog if the injury happened while "Jumping, Running or Playing"!  Another company won't insure if the accident happen while the dog was out of sight.  If you are the kind of person who can put away money religiously, I would make an account specifically for your vet bills and not go with the insurance companies at all.  All they are are savings plans that you can't necessarily get your money back out of.  The choice is yours but at least you are now going in educated.

The other thing I wanted to talk to you about was clicker training.  Several have asked about it and YES!  It is a great way to train!  It uses motivational methods and your dog will LOVE it!  A clicker trained dog is not afraid of making mistakes and will try new behaviours when you are teaching.  "Oh! you want me to sit, no, down, no rollover, no,…"  A dog who thinks is a spectacular dog.  Every dog can start with clicker training.  But some dogs will need more as they mature.  But for now, if you are interested in clicker training I suggest you go here:http://dogmantics.com/about-clicker-training/    Emily Larlhlam is a really good place to learn lots of beginner clicker training.  She is an excellent instructor and you will learn lots from her.  I highly recommend her.  Her website is www.dogmantics.com  

If you are looking for more advanced techniques, my trainer's name is Michael Ellis.  You can type in his name on YouTube and you will be amazed at what he can accomplish with his dogs.  He is a world class trainer and competitor.  And he's a breath of fresh air in the competition world.  He also employs clicker training but combines it with other techniques.  Even beginners will learn lots from him.  Some might be too technical but everything he teaches is wonderful.  Who knows?  You may find that golden nugget of information you needed!

Good luck everyone!  Let me know how things are going!

Mary Ann 

Thursday 9 March 2017

Car Sick Puppies

I've had a question regarding puppies and how to prevent car sickness. First off, know that it does eventually go away by itself. Secondly, make sure the puppy has an empty stomach when possible. The more full they are, the worse they feel. Number 3: You can get holistic stress relievers from the pet stores. This seems to help some puppies but not all. 4. Sometimes putting a rubber strap that hangs from your bumper to the ground helps. The theory behind that is that some feel it is the electrical charge (static electricity) that actually makes them sick. By attaching the rubber strap, it grounds the car and no more static!

Hope this helps!

Mary Ann

Monday 6 March 2017

Re: Your Puppy's Pedigree

Thanks Mary Ann.....I am happy with my pup, and more very day.....talk to you later....Stan

On March 6, 2017 at 3:06 PM Mary Ann Marcellus <k9trainer@dogwhisperer.ca> wrote:

Here is a copy of your Cruz/Rommel puppy’s pedigree.  This website is awesome because you can go back 7 generations.  Type in Rommel’s registered name and click “long pedigree” then "7 generations" to see it.  You can be assured your puppy comes from the highest quality of dog.



 

 

Your Puppy's Pedigree

Here is a copy of your Cruz/Rommel puppy's pedigree.  This website is awesome because you can go back 7 generations.  Type in Rommel's registered name and click "long pedigree" then "7 generations" to see it.  You can be assured your puppy comes from the highest quality of dog.


Tricks of the Trade







Mary Ann


This is a Kong toy. In particular a black Kong toy. And yes it makes a difference. Inside is a few pieces of rollover and it is sealed with peanut butter at both ends. I put it in the freezer and give it to Maya after I've taken her out to pee in the middle of the night. It avoids her making a fuss about having to go back in right away and it keeps her busy until she falls asleep again.

Thursday 2 March 2017

Isis is home!

Isis is doing unbelievably well. She has 12 inches of sutures and a belly full of black & blue & red bruising. She walks as if nothing happened and is leaving it all alone so she doesn't even have to wear a cone at this point. She has eaten her dinner and has claimed the couch as her own. Amazing for a dog of any age! I'm so proud of her. I was afraid I was going to loose her. Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers. They found two more lumps which they removed as well. Some TLC and some daily turmeric to help prevent it from coming back.

Mary Ann

Wednesday 1 March 2017

Thoughts and Prayers Please

Yesterday my beautiful 13 year old Isis was diagnosed with Breast Cancer.  She had surgery today which the tough old girl managed to survive.  However, there is some concern and the vet has decided to keep her for observation until tomorrow.  Please send your thoughts and prayers our way to help Isis battle for her life.  She's an old girl but we love her with all our hearts.

 

Mary Ann

 

 

Sent from Mail for Windows 10