Prescott Dog Magazine

Suzie (Jen Radloff) and Vando and I were the cover story in the most recent edition of Prescott Dog, a quarterly journal in our area.  See us on the cover, Table of Contents and 2 page feature article.

http://www.prescottdog.com/publications/currentpublication.pdf

We haven't written much lately but we have been very busy.  Vando has been working his therapy dog magic at Humboldt Elementary as a member of Gabriel's Angels.  We work with at-risk children teaching them value lessons using the dog as a teaching tool.  The children adore him and he loves all the attention.  Today we talked about being safe and we were demonstrating how to use everyday items to muzzle a dog.  Vando wasn't as excited about that lesson, since he had an assortment of muzzles 12 times.  Here he is shaking his paw with one of our students:

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.

Pesca has been bred to the very handsome Barbelo.  We will check progress in 3 weeks to see if the breeding was a success.  If so, we should have a litter about the third week in February!  It has been over 2 years since we had a litter of puppies, so we are very excited.

More good news!  Pesca has completed all her pre-breeding tests.  She has passed her elbow and patella tests, aced her hip test and now has been tested for eye issues.  The opthamologist found a couple hairs near the eye rim but states that this is not a problem.  Eyes are clear.  Now we will wait for her to come into season in the next month or so.  Today is her 2nd birthday.

Last night we attended a meeting of Parents of Murdered Children with EMM team Suzie and the Radloffs.  The dogs can be such a blessing and a loving way to share the love of Jesus with everyone we meet.  Nothing needs to be said, the comfort is just there.  Thanks Vando, for being such a blessing.

Great News!  We got our pre-lim score on Pesca's hips and they are rated "Excellent".  She has now been tested for patella, hips, elbows, all DNA, and the only thing left is her CERF eye exam.

Pesca went in for her pre-lim Xrays for hips and elbows.  The vet has sent them to OFA, and thinks the hips look great.  Elbows are normal.  Only pre-breeding test left to perform are her CERF (eye tests).  She will be 2 years old in about 3 weeks and we hope to breed her in a few months.  We have chosen Angelus mei Barbelo for her sire.  He has nice proportions and we are hoping for him to bring his fabulous head to this litter.  You can see his photo on the opening page of our website:
http://www.lagottoaz.com

Today at the Prescott area dog show, Pesca won Best of Opposite Sex for 1 point.  She came after Terzo who won Best of Breed and went on to win Best in Miscellaneous.