Do they like water?!

The weather has turned cold in the mountains of Arizona.  Here is a video from our trip to Utah last Spring.  The dogs loved chasing a stick at our campground in Petrified Forest State Park in Escalante.  Vando is a lazy boy and prefers to grab it from Adrina after she brings it back.  Pesca prefers to be the cheerleader.

4 Weeks!

3 weeks!

Here are the little ones at 3 days.  So cute!

Pesca whelped 3 beauties on Friday, Oct. 16.  More to follow!

New baby at our house! Shivaree Giuditta del Tiglio. She is the granddaughter of our Vando. His daughter, the Mom, is Jamboree Bella Nina, the first US born Lagotto to win a show title (IABCA) and also first US born Lagotto to have OFA Excellent rated hips. Dad is Nate (Aukero Futuro del Tiglio) Australian Import. His parents were #1 and 2 Lagotti in AU, a spot now held by his littermate. We look forward to showing and training her. She has already endeared herself to us and our dogs with her calm confidence. heart emoticon Even the cat likes her!

On the topic of feeding, there is an item worthy of reading.  I feed raw (with some grain-free kibble for supplement) and this article is for those who feed only kibble.  My dogs get raw and cooked vegetables most every day.  They love the core and spines of leafy greens, they also love beans, carrots, and almost all salad items, (no onions!).  They don't mind vinegar and oil dressing but your mileage may vary!

Check out this blog for more:
Rodney Habib - Pet Nutrition Blogger

As we await confirmation of the success of our recent breeding of Pesca to Angelus mei Barbelo, I was working on the genetics of coat color and what the distribution might be.  Since I know the colors of the previous generations, I am able to guess what the genes might express.  So here is my guess:  If we had a litter of 8 puppies, the colors might go like this: 2 brown, and 6 patch (spots).  Of the 6 patch, we would have 2 brown roan, 2 white/brown, 1 orange roan and 1 white/orange.  This possible mix comes from Grandparents with brown, brown/white, Orange, and brown/roan.  The color brown is dominant, and roan appears to be also.  However, there is orange in  two of the 4 g'parents.  Pesca carries 2 copies, and Barbelo might carry one.  I know both Pesca and Barbelo carry at least one roan.

We just got the permanent rating from Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) on Pesca's hips and elbows.  Her elbows are rated normal, and her hips are rated EXCELLENT!  She is the third dog of my breeding to rate this high score.  This is so important to me because in the earlier days, 6 out of the first 9 Lagotti imported into AZ had non-passing hips.  Selective breeding has given me all ratings of Excellent and Good.

Hooligans amongst the HooDoos!  Escalante, UT

While our friends in the NE are digging out of the snow, we are enjoying warmer than usual weather in the 60s.  We decided to take a walk down our dry wash to the cattle tank (pond) that has water in it due to recent rains.  It wasn't real deep but the dogs had fun romping in it and chasing sticks.   This was the first time for Pesca as it had been dry most of the time.  The only bad part is the place is full of huge sharp burrs.  This is part of what we pulled out of the dogs.  So much for curly coats!

Our year in dogs included Ginna now living with McLeod family in Prescott, going from being a princess in our house to a queen in their house. Vando - crisis response, comfort, and curls has completed his first year as a therapy assist dog, most lately going to the Christmas meeting of Parents of Murdered Children. Visit his FB page. Adrina still rules as first Lagotto to arrive in AZ almost 10 years ago. Pesca won Best In Miscellaneous last summer and accumulated 5 points toward her CM. She received the coveted "Excellent" on her pre-lim of her hips. We have just done a breeding and if all goes well, hope to have a litter of puppies in mid to late February.