Today in church our Extra Mile Ministries teams were commissioned during all 3 services.  Here is a video taken at the early service with Pastor Tim and Suzie, owned by Alan and Jen Radloff, along with me and John with Vando.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6pwSLdMkls&feature=youtu.be

We didn't get to go to the VFW last week due to concern over member allergies.  We are now looking at going to the VA.  We are disappointed that we didn't get our first visitation under way.

So proud of our Vando.  He has been approved as a team member of Extra Mile Ministries and we have our first "official visit" to the VFW in Prescott Valley on Saturday.  In addition he has completed his testing for registration with Therapy Dogs, Inc. and is now able to do therapy assist visits.  His outstanding qualities of friendliness and love of people, makes him such a great dog for these jobs. Here is a link to Extra Mile Minisries:  EMM

Vando can now wear a special yellow work vest that says "Please Pet Me" when he is on the job. Photos to come soon.

Vando has had a bath and soon we will go to Chino Valley for the first in a series of evaluations to determine if he is suitable for Therapy Dogs, Inc. to register.  If he passes, we will be on our way to provide comfort and assistance to a wide variety of people in times when the presence of a loving dog can be helpful.

Today, Vando passed his Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test.  One of the steps on his path to be certified as a therapy assist dog.  He had to demonstrate basic skills of accepting noise, congestion and being left with another handler.  Here he is being tested for reaction to a person with a noisy cane and limping.  Good dog Vando!

So his official name will now be CryOut VID Orvando at Shivaree CGC

Vando is being evaluated for suitability for EMM K9.  He is checking out the ropes with his friend Suzie who is a Service Dog.  Once he passes his tests and is certified, he will join the team to provide comfort in times of crisis, trauma, and other psychological assistance.  We are looking forward to this type of work.

Here is a link to the website about Extra Mile Ministries and the K9 Crisis and Disaster Response Team:  Extra Mile Ministries

September 14 and 15 were dates for the Prescott Area Kennel Club shows held in Chino Valley.  The weather was gorgeous, the grounds were nice and we were able to park the motorhome near our setup.  We set up our EZup canopy for shade on Friday.  Pesca gets carsick and we took her along to see if she was any better.  Not so.  She drooled so much it took some doing to get her dried out.  Her mouth was still wet at show on Saturday, much better on Sunday.  We will have to take her for shorter rides and play with her at frequent stops as suggested by trainer Toni Kay-Wolff.

 Pesca competed against her mom, Ginevra as the only two Lagotti at the shows.  Pesca got Best of Breed both days.

A Mini Aussie and a Berger Picard won Best in Miscellaneous at those shows.  Pesca now has two points toward her AKC Certificate of Merit.  She needs a total of 15.  Ginna has 1 point so far.

Pesca is now 8 months old.  She has a lot of orange in her coat now.  Her white areas are a creamy color and no longer white.

Here is her color along her back and head, right after a bath and trim.

People sometimes ask if the Lagotto likes to dig.   If allowed, they usually do.  Here are photos of some of my dogs having a grand time in the space we have designated as their "sandbox".  These photos were taken over the period of a couple of years since we created this space for them to dig. 







At the top is Ginna in the process of shooting dirt out at a mad pace to get to some unknown target.





Middle photo is of Pesca in the giant hole they all dug.  She is able to go in and turn around.  She hides from the others when the frisbee is coming her way.


Bottom photo is of Vando.  Ginna has the frisbee.

Occasionally John fills in the holes so they get to start all over again.  Having this space keeps them from digging all over the yard.

I was going to take Ginevra and Pesca to the shows in Flagstaff in June but decided to sit this one out.  Ginna and her puppy play together all the time and the puppy has managed to chew off a lot of Ginna's headpiece so she looks somewhat ragged.  Ginna is very patient and lets her puppy chew on her hair.  I will have to do some "redirecting of activity" so we can grow the hair back so we can get back to showing.

My white puppy is turning orange!  These photos are from mid-April bath.  She is a bit over 4.5 months and the large amounts of orange are more apparent when she is wet.  When she is dry, she is a soft orange over most of her coat.  I suppose it will all fade eventually but she gets darker with each haircut at this time.  I am getting her and Ginevra's coats ready for shows in mid-June.  Pesca will be old enough to enter AKC shows after May 21 when she turns 6 mo.

Here is a photo of Massimo (Apollon X Ginevra), litter mate to Pesca.  He graduated from his puppy obedience class with honors of "most improved".

Here is the photo of Ginna the day she won her first point in AKC Miscellaneous Class.

We made a short video of the dogs playing frisbee and of Pesca jumping in a hole to hide from the incoming frisbee and the big dogs in pursuit.  She is pretty funny!
My funny puppy is a prairie dog

Caliente Club UKC Dog Show in Paradise Valley March 16.  We had two shows.  Ginna showed in Adult Female and Pesca was in the special baby class.  Here are the girls waiting for their turn in the ring.

Ginna and Adrienne Perry's girl Pippi in the Female class.  The judge looks over each exhibit.

Ginna moves out and makes me have to run

 Baby Pesca has great movement and can really move out for a 3.5 mo. old puppy.




















The judge was very impressed with Pesca and took the time to tell me what he liked about her.  Later in the Best Puppy contest, he gave her a Reserve Best in Show Puppy and an awesome ribbon (and great little toy)

Here is her awesome ribbon and toy that she won.  She wanted eat both!  Not bad for a little girl who got carsick going and returning from Phoenix.

Ginna at the dog show.  Her coat looks much lighter in the sun.  She got a fancy new leash and then took Best Opposite for her first point in AKC.  What should I get her next?














Cosmo got his first First Place ribbon in puppy class.  His owner Clair had to bring him into the ring and had her first experience showing a dog.  Here she is setting up his rear feet.

We were at dog shows last weekend in Scottsdale for two days of the Fiesta Cluster.  Ginevra showed nicely and on the second day got Best of Opposite Sex under Terzo, who won Best in Miscellaneous Class.  We also had the debut of Cosmo, an 11 month old boy out of Ginevra.  He is very cute and hopefully had fun getting all that attention.  I will post Ginna's show photo when I get a copy.

Check our website to see Ava.  Ava is almost 6 years old and has come to live with us.  Ava was owned by good friend and very long time exhibitor breeder of champion Wheaten Terriers, Jocelyn Slatin in Prescott.  9 years ago when I got interested in the Lagotto, Jocelyn agreed to support my interest in the breed and imported Ava (di Federici Aida at Jamboree) from Italy.  Ava was followed by another girl a year later, also imported from Italy.

I helped Jocelyn by picking up Ava from the airport, by grooming and showing Ava (who has her adult international championship with IABCA) and even taking her on a road trip to Texas.  We have always loved Ava so it was natural for us to take her into our home when her owner was no longer able to care for her.  Ava had two litters a few years ago.  With her lovely temperament and OFA Excellent hips, we wanted her to have another litter.  We have just accomplished a breeding with Angelus mei Barbelo and are now hoping to have a successful mating.  Check our website for photos of Ava and Barbelo.
Our Lagotto website

Our boy Massimo, left with his new human on Friday.  Guess who was super lonely and cried and cried that night.  She was much better last night.  After our super warm days, our weather has turned to rain and fog so she can't go out much and burn up energy with the other dogs.  Hopefully we will get our sun back tomorrow and we can take her out to play.

And now there are two.  This little girl is now on her way to Oregon.  Her owner is an avid hunter of mushrooms and wants to add truffles to his list of fungi.  She will get lots of hiking time in the forest.  Here she is in a crate for the first time wondering what is happening to her.  She doesn't know it yet but she is going to have a fabulous life with this family.

Mama says "no free lunch" anymore kids!  Ginna jumps up on the crate in the dog run and scolds and play bites at the pups to remind them they are big dogs now and have to eat like the others.  You can't blame them for trying, and they keep it up until she assures them, she isn't going to allow it.

Mom teaches the puppies to have manners, so I like her to go out and play with the puppies when it is warm enough.   The puppies love to be outdoors where they have 35' dog runs to stretch out their legs and really run, run, run!

Wellness checks for the puppies on Tuesday.  It is always fun to bring in puppies to the vets, and there are lots of smiles to go around.  Puppies are 8 weeks today, Wednesday.

Here is our boy Massimo with the vet, Dr. Frank.

Next is our orange girl giving the tech a big kiss.

Dr. Frank loves puppies and has fun checking them over.  This is our grey girl.

We are keeping Pesca (Peach) so I will take her in for her checkup next week when she is 9 weeks old and ready for her first vaccines.  Here is her picture, just because she is so cute.  Grey girl is in front and Massimo is her pillow.

It was a nice afternoon on Monday so we decided to take the puppies outdoors for the first time.  I  had raw chicken wings for them to eat.  They mostly licked them but they kept busy for quite a long time.  They were ready for a nice long nap once back indoors.

Puppy videos

I tried to upload a couple of short videos of the puppies playing, but no success.  I have loaded them up on youtube and will put the links in this place instead.  We had 3 different families visiting on Saturday and then our Cosmo and  his Tucson family came up for some grooming.  Cosmo is going to help us with Judge's Education at the end of January.  More about that later.

Here is video of puppies at play at 5.5 weeks

http://youtu.be/mIKJzKpDksU

Here is the link to the first trip on the baby slide and a cute close up of Massimo, our boy.

first trip down the slide

 Our puppies are 6 weeks old on Jan. 2 and not so patiently posed for New Year's photos.  We kept trying to get some cute shots of them with a party hat, noise maker and lei.  Some were successful, some silly, and all are just adorable.  What do you think?

Massimo isn't going to wear a girl's hat no way. no how!  We took about 15 photos and none came out OK with the party hat on his head.  (Above and below)

Grey girl likes the noise maker and would hold still for an instant if I let her bite it.  She really preferred shredding the foil fringe, so I had to keep taking the shreds out of her mouth so she couldn't swallow them.  (above and below)

 True to her active nature, orange girl preferred dancing (above) and eating the decorations (below), over sitting still and being cute.

 Grey girl is a little princess and loved having her photo being taken.  Do you think this is her good side?  (above) Or how about the fancy hat? (below)