Sunday, August 2, 2009

Team J once again has a complete member roster. Pixie is home since Friday night. OMG! The puppies are way too cute! I was crying while saying goodbye to my little babies. I really, really, really wish I could have the one I call Ringer. She is just a doll. She is noisy but what a doll. She looks as though she won't be as broken coated as the others. Oh, I wish, I wish!! I couldn't get enough puppy kisses while enhaling sweet, sweet puppy breath. MMMMM!

Pixie was very uncomfortable with her milk-engorged boobies. I put a towel on her belly and then used one of those ice/hot packs. At first, she squirmed a bit but then decided it felt delicously cool and made them feel better. She lay there very well for quite a while. I sure don't remember all these different things from when childhood dogs had puppies. Goes to show you how blissfully unaware you are as a child.

I have a zipper closure canvas bag to store dog food in. This zipper is always undone except when I take the bag with when housesitting. It also sets on a small stool and is several inches off the ground. Wyatt and I were lounging in the recliner when a sound from the kitchen drew my attention. I began to wonder where that little Pixie girl was. More rustling confirms the sound is coming from the kitchen. I walk in to find the little miss with her head in the feed bag as it were. Oh, what a naughty little girl. She is very skinny and very hungry these days. Those darn pups sucked the life force out of her.

I had been given instructions to keep her quiet and limit her food and water intake. This is to reduce her making milk. I decided to resume life as normal but continued the cold packing. I have been giving her a little more food with some rice and giving her milkbones throughout the day. I have already noticed she is taking training treats a little better. I think I am taking the edge of her constant hungriness. Under my watchful eye she will once again bloosom into a finely, chiseled JRT. Well . . . maybe a little healthy JRT.

Pix was excited on the drive to the barn. Must feel good to resume life without the cares and demands of motherhood. I kept her on a lease just to keep her from eating everything in sight.

I had an awesome ride on Josie. We are cantering four and five times around on a circle giving me time to relax and work on my position. We did a lot of really good work as we had the arena to ourselves. I rode down and got the pups after having decided a cool down in the pasture would be good. Josie was very well behaved. We trotted away from the barn and even practiced some circles at the walk and trot. Going to the left I must be having problems with my outside aids and body strength as she bulges her shoulder and moves out of the circle. I focused on stepping into the left iron and looking to where I wanted to go. This helped tremendously.

Sunday was set aside for a JRT Fun Day. We worked the rat. It is definite, Pix is my hunter and Wyatt is my natural hunter and agility dog. He would go through the tunnel and then wait two feet before the end. If the rat cage was lifted out he would come forward, jumping and biting at the cage. He is just to smart. He knows he can't get through the barrier that is there. Pix, on the other hand, was making noise, putting her paw through and was even sticking her tongue between the bars to get at that nasty rat. Her time was very fast.

I will now be doing the newsletter (sent via email)for the St. Croix Jack Russell Terrier Network. Poor K is in charge of all else. I have a lot of ideas but need to sit down and come out with a layout and then decide on article headlines. It will be a pain but will also be fun and get me back to designing again.

We were a tired bunch when we got home. Much to do on the Pix lists -nails, coat and Frontline treatment.