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The ongoing photo journal of Katoba Dobermans' 2009 "Miss & Mister" Litter ~ DPCA Futurity Nominated for 2010

Saturday, September 26, 2009

A beautiful Fall morning in the Pacific Northwest - thanks to Cahill, being the faithful "big dog Rooster", I got to see another dark sky filled with glowing stars ... watching
them slowly fade into the backdrop of a gorgeous sunrise. Even though 4:20am comes very early every day... for the rest of my life, I will be grateful that this dog,
(Katoba's Emerald Downs CGC RN), 'forces' me to experience such beauty in the morning ... beauty that I have let slip by during my 42 years living in Washington State.
Thank you, Cahill.
5:00am "ish" ~ It was crisp and cool, mist rising from every surface, dew drops cover every blade of grass ... this is 'morning-dog-heaven'.
I can't wait until Braun is back into "backyard excitement". His stitches come out on Thursday, October 1, 2009 ... then, he will be able to rejoin his troupes :).
After the big dogs have gone through their morning routine and are back in their rooms eating breakfast ... the puppies grace the backyard with their presence ...
... first, they jump through the dew saturated grass. Then, they run to the area with the shavings to go potty.
The thrill they all have in seeing the shaving stuck to their dew-damp feet is more than they can take ... so, they all run out to the dirt, flicking their feet to free themselves
from the shavings. Suddenly, a foot full of shavings is flies from Zzzen's paw and thwacks Mischief on the side of the head; Violet discovers that her princess-ness has
been tainted by the wet grass and shavings that are sticking to her legs and feet; Soleil has begun a game of chase with Breeze; Louis, Breeze and Erica are boxing with
each other stamping damp foot prints and flinging the shavings all over; Rhyme is the only "shavings free" girl and is now biting at EVERYONE else's feet ... PUPPY WAR!!
At once, they all pause, look at each other, and make a mad dash for the grassy part of the yard. Now, this would be great, except they had to run through the DIRT before
they could get to the grass. They each landed several mud prints on others backs & head. The more this happened, the more FUN the muddy area became. UGH!
I gave up and just started laughing. I cleaned out their indoor AND outdoor pens, and then went in to prepare their breakfast. When I returned with their breakfast grind
meal, the pups came running pack to the patio before I could even say "puppy puppy". As a result, I, too, became covered in mud, from about the thighs down. The
morning being what it was, then breakfast being what IT was ... they clearly needed yet ANOTHER bath. One by one, I cleaned out the ears, dremeled the toenails,
brushed their teeth, (at this point that means they got to chew on their individual brushes - hahahaha), and then they got their baths. I actually use the puppy 'bath' formula
that Faye Strauss came up with - when VERY young, I wipe them down with it regularly ... but at this age, I actually bath them in it: a few gallons of water in sink, couple
caps full of bleach & a cap full of Avon's Skin So Soft bath oil, (original scent). I find the Avon SSS to be a great bug/mosquito deterrent, and the overall formula is a very
benign, but thorough, cleanser for the puppies. So, about 2 hours later, all the pups were clean, dried and warming up in a snuggly puppy pile in their indoor pen.
They slept through Echo, Cahill, Logan, Tyler and their mommy-Misty having their nails dremeled. Either than or they were ALL playing possum to avoid any further
grooming. Once they big kids were all groomed, they paired up again for more backyard play - the fence run, the hunt, the wrestling, the tennis ball catch and fetch, the tug
games, and then I was DONE - totally wanted a break ... and another cup of coffee!
It is now 10:00am and the rest of the day is just beginning!

The after breakfast naps were well under way. I put some chicken breast on to boil for their lunch later today. I got all the laundry sorted; swept and opped the floors (I
HATE PERGO); cleaned up the kitchen from the assorted breakfast preps; took Braun out for another "front yard adventure"; had to start a second pot of coffee, (why oh
WHY did I fall off the coffee wagon???); and I grabbed a quick shower to rid myself of the "dog bathing parfum".
All 14 of the canines in the house were sound asleep, so I am taking a moment to journal this. It is now 12:30pm. Braun just woke up and walked over to me, plopped
himself down on the rug next to my feet and is again, sound asleep. This is one of his favorite places to sleep, (Truax HINT). My hair still in a towel, I am going to close my
eyes and try to take a ........... what is it called again????? ......... oh yes, a NAP!
12:47pm - apparently the puppies have a seperate agenda ..... and it does NOT involve me taking a nap. Oh well, who could blame them, right? I mean, it's such a nice day.

The photos above show that they played, wrestled, tugged, jumped, ran and had a great time until the sun began to set ... now :)
As for me ... the laundry is still waiting, the rest of the housecleaning is undone, there is no dinner ready,
and I never did do my hair or makeup today ... wait, I haven't done that since the pups were born ~ haha.
Some may say I wasted away the day ...
... I say, "I enjoyed EVERY minute of it!"
I weighed the puppies and now I am going to get their chicken backs ... yes, the day IS gone and it is dinner time already.
Good thing Todd is working today ... I did not make a "HUMAN" dinner :)
Below are todays weights ... and Braun is back on top of the weight charts.
This shows great recovery by him - he has been a real good boy about his inability to play with everybody.
Soon, Braun ... REAL soon!

"Do the hippy hippy shake !!"

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The puppies play with Uncle TYLER, (AKC Mjr Ptd / Can Int'l CH Katoba's Emerald Horizon CGC, TDI, RN)

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Mama Misty-Moo has some "love me-chase me-play with me-hang out with me" time with her babies !

WEIGHTS
Purple Collar BB      12.14 #
Pink Collar BB          12.9   #
Lt. Blue Collar BB    10.4   #
Orange Collar RB    11.4   #
Yellow Collar BB      11.14 #
Black Collar RD        12.12 #
Navy Collar BD         12.15 #
Red Collar RB           11.14 #
Green Collar BD       12.5   #

When Braun and i went out for his last potty break before
bed ... "THIS" greeted us in the front yard. It was HUGE ,,, at
least 7 feet tall - haha. No, actually it really was VERY large
... about 3 feet tall on her back legs. We believe it was a
female because of the aggressive manner in which she came
at us. Raccoons are not known for that type of behavior
unless they have a baby nearby ... right? Braun, being the
cool dog that he is, barked while I threw a stick ... that sent
her right up the tree.

"ERICA"
Here she is ... Miss America. Yes that is her, in all her glory. She is beautiful, red, and wears her tiara proudly. He is a true red bitch, with the personality and flare to
accompany her dramatic face and solid body. She moves with determination and doesn't place a foot wrong. We was a picky eater for awhile, loosing a bit of weight, then, I
figured out what worked for her and she never misses a morsel now. Typical - she knew what she wanted and she held out for it - hahaha. She is thoughtful and doesn't
waste one minute of life. She is independant, but affectionate; she is confident and bold, quick to learn, eager to interact; she is showy ... all on her own. She is a thinker
and quite 'private' in her demeanor; she hates the cold, but is willing to go out in it; she loves the sun; she likes the wind to blow through her hair .... er' "ears" - she really
does faces the wind and closes her eyes - it is a pretty sight to see. Something about this bitch ... I just really enjoy being around her!!!
The photo on the right below is my favorite of Erica.
Lastly, like all Miss America's throughout history, she would be remiss if she didn't tell the judges that, (aside from "purple ribbons"), she really hopes for ... "world peace".