Category Archives: More pictures

Charity asks, “Whoz dis guy?” Tony answers, “I donno, but I heard somethin’ ’bout CHEEZ!”

Charity & Santa & Tony

Merry early Christmas from the little kids of KeelMtn!

The puppy formerly known as Cyd, now Cydy (sounds like “city) Girl is at home near Chattanooga, TN with Nancy and Guy. They’ll have fun in conformation, obedience, and therapy, and I’ve little doubt Cydy will be the hostess with the mostess to all the visitors at their pet resort!

Far too much like her mother for my own good, at least Dori’s moving in only one direction here instead of her usual bouncing off the walls!

The feeling goes down the lead just as intensely as it goes up!

Ch. Tri-umph Tiger Tag at his 1st birthday party!

Happy 8th birthday to the first short man in my life – Tag aka Tag-along, Tag-alicious, Tag-man. Never easy, always with his own agenda, a bane to all of the women in his life, my little man, Tagger. Although now I guess he’s my big man with the arrival of the new little man, Tony. We’ll see how that works out – so far, so good. Love you, short dude!

Harmony is living outside of Knoxville, TN and is training for an obedience career. She has her own Facebook page and has more “friends” than I do. She is a busy little girl!

Bungee in GA

Harmony on her way to TN

Otis at home in Madison

Sad and happy weekend here. Otis, Bungee and Harmony left for their wonderful new lives. Otis hasn’t gone too far – as a matter of fact we’ll be in puppy kindergarten with him and his people soon. We’ll see Bungee and Harmony as well as they partipate in various performance venues in the southeast. That leaves the Fab Four – the three that will be run on here (Cyd, Tony, and Charity) and Georgette, who will stay with us until her people come home from their summer vaction.

Chief Warrant Officer Four (U.S. Army, Retired) Robert W. Reed

On this day I am reminded of how lucky I am that my soldier always came home safely and am mindful of the many soldiers, airmen, sailors, and marines who did not. Thank you will never be enough for these brave and selfless individuals and the families who wait for them.

Ribbons and rosettes, titles and accolades are wonderful, don’t get me wrong. But probably the best ever thing I will ever do in dogs is rescue. I don’t do tons of it, only fostering 2 or 3 dogs a year, because I have my own dogs to care for, train, and show, a full time job and a husband who also requires attention occasionally, and a lot of the time my involvement consists only of putting the right people and dogs in touch with each other and letting the “corgi underground”, as Bob calls it, do its thing.

Gabi is my “best ever” rescue story. She was a release from a commercial breeder. She came to us at 3.5 years old having never had a name, simply a number, complete with ear hemtomas, a UTI, obese, and still intact (of course). She was terrified of people to the point of complete and utter passivity – I was torn between forcing her to accept my handling so she could learn a human’s touch could be a pleasant thing or leaving her be because I only traumatized her more. How did we help this empty shell learn to be a dog? We celebrated baby steps. Gabi loved being with our dogs, although at first she didn’t really know how to play with them. Frapping came much, much later. A couple steps forward, a couple steps back. Months went by and we despaired of Gabi ever being a dog enough to be ready for a forever home. Privately, and then together, Bob and I decided that if that never happened, Gabi would have a forever home with us, in whatever capacity she managed to evolve. Enter an angel named Diane. She and her husband came to visit, originally to see a puppy who was also part of the commerical breeder release (said puppy being so badly constructed that she eventually had to be euthanized when pain and injury set in). And we talked about Gabi, and talked about Gabi, and talked about Gabi. I told Diane I couldn’t promise Gabi would ever “get better”. I told her to think long and hard about Gabi’s limitations and Diane’s ability to love an animal that might never be able to return that love. I told to her sleep on it.

Today, the 2nd anniversary of Gabi and Diane’s “gotcha day”, Diane shared, as she faithfully does on a regular basis, some photos of a very content, very at home, very much a dog, Gabi.

Yes, the ribbons and rosettes, titles and accolades are lovely. But nothing I ever do in dogs will make me happier than knowing Gabi has become a dog!

An Alabama White Christmas!

Our House

Run, Dori, run!

June, so pretty!

Cheery, “Cold? I’m not cold.”

Our winter wonderland!

Ava, snow princess!

Dori, “No, I don’t want to come in yet!”

We drove on down the road to Athens, TN this weekend where ten-month-old Dori – KeelMtn Bless Your Heart – got the last BoB (over champions and a grand champion) she needed to earn her Grand Champion title (pending UKC confirmation) and a Group 4 under former Pembroke breeder Judge Rowdy Yates. Wow! What a fun weekend – super weather, good friends, great junior handler help – couldn’t have asked for more. I haven’t figured out all the points yet, but it would be really neat if both Ava and Dori could make the Top Ten for the year.

And here’s the latest puppy picture, a photo of Jasper I ‘lifted’ off his mom’s blog. I get to see him and his family at Marietta next weekend and I can’t wait!

Jasper – KeelMtn I Do Declare – at 10 months

Koda at 6 months

Our Chris x Cheery litter turned 6 months old on Sunday! Hard to believe and I guess feeling that way makes me old, but time flies. I have to get out of the habit of referring to them as babies. The living room is no longer a nursery, thank doG, and the young dogs are learning their place in the world. The ones now living elsewhere are learning their places in their worlds as well, and by all acccounts, life is good!

Silly Koda!

Retirement life just got a whole lot more interesting for Candy (UKC Ch. Dwysan’s Red Hot on KeelMtn CGC, TDI)! She and brindle buddy, MeMe, now have two babies to watch over. Max and Abby were born on May 13th. Congratulations to Sissy and Matt – get some sleep!

Jasper was neutered yesterday and therefore wears the ‘cone of shame’. Feel better soon, little man!

Happy Dixie!

As a former born and raised New Yorker, now transplanted Alabamian, southern colloquialisms facinate and charm me. When I heard someome exclaim “oh my stars and biscuits!” I just knew I would have to use it in a registered name some day.

Anyway, our “Sirri”, who is now more appropriately (given the circumstances) called “Dixie”, has gone to be a Texas girl with our friends Sheila and Jim (TEXFOX) of Katy. They own and have finished a couple of Tri-umph relatives and I’m excited that they chose her. Aside from getting her shown, they will be a wonderful home!

Hard to believe Cheery’s babies are 4 months old today! Although her coat will take a while more to grown back in, it didn’t take long for Cheery to get back to her fighting weight. Here’s a photo of her first born boy and her favorite from the moment he drew breath. Aside from two lovely human girls, Jasper (KeelMtn I Do Declare) also has his own pony! Spoiled much? 😉

Here’s our Libby, now a Jersey girl called Abbie. Kathi and Jeff are hoping she’ll be their next show star! We’re looking forward to lots of show news, once she grows up a bit. Marian, co-breeder/owner, TRI-UMPH, will be cheering her on from Texas. Click on TRI-UMPH to see what makes us “twitterpated” about Abbie!

Happy girl!

What a pretty face!

Yes, puppy Piper is asleep! And it looks as though Jamie’s keeping her safe while she is. Sandy says although they each have their own beds and crates, they’re more often found squished up together. Awwww!

Piper, or at least, Piper’s rear and big brother, Jamie

What puppy wouldn’t be happy with 2 little girls to call his own?! Jasper (aka Tucker) has Amelia and Adele and how lucky is he?! He was the 2nd born and Cheery’s favorite from the moment he drew breath – and if someone was squeaking it was him – so he had to be ‘KeelMtn I Do Declare’.

Jasper with Adele, 9, and Amelia, 10

Our tri boy, Japer (aka Tucker), went home to Roswell, GA on Sunday with 2 very excited little girls! They are going to learn more about agility and maybe jrs. and Jasper is going to be spoiled beyond belief, I think!

Jasper and his new family

Piper joins 2 year old Jamie, a Pem boy, and they are both headed for the agility rings in the future. ‘Mom’ Sandy says Piper was not at all intimidated by Jamie, and I’m not surprised. Piper, of all the 6 girls, is her mother’s daughter, and Cheery has never worried about anything or anybody in her life! Piper is ‘in high cotton’ because of all the white up her stifles.

Piper and Jamie

‘Come on, let’s run!’

‘Hey, isn’t that my bed? Isn’t that my toy?’

Tripp has had somewhere to go from the day he was born – at three days I found him sleeping on top of the pig rail and he was the first one to escape from the whelping box. His Auntie Jinnie dubbed him ‘Tripp’ that first week, and so he had to be, in keeping with our Southernisms litter theme – ‘Fixin’ to Go’. Tripp joins Jazz, a 3 year old Pem rescue girl (you can see her story on Our Rescues page) who will undoubtedly explain to him that girls rule! 😉

Tripp with Rick and Jazz

In addition to being an ‘only child’, Koda gets the added perk of having a professional photographer as a ‘mom’! I expect to see lots and lots of pictures of Koda! She and Blake are already enrolled in puppy class to start at HOTC next week and Renee is interested in training her for therapy work. We are lucky that she’ll be so close and get to see her often!

Koda – what a beautiful portrait!

Koda at home

Koda and Blake

Piper, Tripp, and Koda went home yesterday – a very bittersweet event for me. They have each gone to fantastic homes, and I know they’re going to have wonderful lives, but it is hard to see them go. The puppies left behind were a little subdued as well, but there was a lot more room to stretch out in their pen today.

Tripp with Jazz, Dana and Rick

Koda with Renee and Blake

Piper with Sandy and Bob

Today we had our last outing as a group before the puppies start to leave for their new homes. The Huntsville Obedience Training Club regularly schedules “puppy playtime”. No training, just fun. In addition to our 8, there was a litter of 4 Norwich Terriers, 2 Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers, a Shetland Sheepdog, and a Havenese. Lots of fun, but, wow, were they tired by the end!

Waiting for the other puppies to arrive.

Fun for all!

We like meeting new people!

Beautiful weekend here in Alabama, so I decide to torture puppies and give them them their first baths. Tripp doesn’t look all that excited, does he? Actually they were pretty tolerant, although understandably a little worried about the big, bad blow dryer.

Candy and Meme in their RV

One of the truths of dog showing is that not all promising puppies grow up to be what you hoped for in the ring. Sometimes that means finding them a new home where they can be an adored pet. Our Candy, ‘Dwysan’s Red Hot on KeelMtn, CGC, TDI’, is living the good life now in North Carolina with her new BFF, Meme, and owners, Sissy and Matt. We miss the big red goober around here, but know she’s getting more attention and time with Sissy and Matt. And, hey, I didn’t get to spend my Christmas holiday swimming in Florida, but she did!

It’s just crazy how much cold and wintery weather we are having this year! After all, I thought Alabama was in the south?! Unlike DH and I, the dogs love it. Even the puppies adore playing in it. So here are their 9 week pics; we never did get around to taking formal shots this weekend. The puppies went down the mountain to see Doc Magee on Friday and were pronounced fit and fine. They got their 2nd shots, we did their microchips, and they weigh between 8-10 pounds each!

Oh, and in the “one of these things is not like the others” category – the Yorkie being mauled (lol!) in these photos is our Pepper, otherwise known as “Bratimus Maximus”, known to AKC as “Faer’Steed Chica Pica, RN, CGC, TT”.

Well, maybe not COMPLETELY different. We do have other dogs at home, although admittedly Cheery and the puppies have gotten the lion’s share of the attention in the past two months. This weekend, Miss Ava and I are going to both Atlanta for their AKC shows and to Perry for their UKC shows – more bang for our dog travel buck as it were. Ava is now 13 months old and maturing very nicely. She hasn’t been out since November so I’m looking forward to showing her off this weekend. My DH is staying home with the remaining 6 adults and the puppies – an angel or what?!

So forgive me in advance, but doubtless the puppies’ 8 week photos will be late! And wish Ava and I luck!

First points at first show, 6 months, 12 days old

Ava is Best Puppy in Match at 14 weeks

Ava @ 10 weeks

Living in “tornado alley” is interesting to say the least. A tornado touched down in Huntsville yesterday evening and moved right through the area that Bob and I had driven home 45 minutes earlier. Some damage, but no people hurt, thank doG. And at least we didn’t end up flying around NOAL in a bathtub with 7 dogs and 8 puppies! LOL!

Jeri’s Beautiful Stencil

Good friends will: (over the course of 9 years) take a chance on a totally clueless newbie and sell me my first show dog who becomes my heart dog and opens a whole new world to me, sell me my second show dog who finishes several championships without too much effort because he’s very pretty, although he does have his own agenda – LOL!, and offer up her lovely young boy as stud for our girl, all the while offering mentoring and friendship above and beyond. Thank you is completely inadequate, Marian!

Good friends will: when I loaned her an as yet unused whelping box “kit” (ahem, apparently missing some key parts), bring it back with a linoleum floor, paint it a lovely shade of lavendar (purple is the Winners color, you know!) AND stencil my kennel logo on the side, not to mention filled with the good luck and happy vibes of the stunning litter she raised in it, do endless hours of unpaid website work, and give up a precious Sunday with husband and small children to help deliver puppies not even remotely related to her. Thanks so much, Jeri!

Good friends will: make a three-hour round trip on a work night to band tails of puppies not hers and be kind enough to say that the majority of the litter might be show prospects, not to mention offer practical help and knowledge borne of years of experience. Linda, you’re a treasure; thank you! Thank you as well, Janet, for your help too.

Good friends will: take a week of precious vacation to make a 2800 mile round trip, get no sleep for 3 nights running, sit around doing nothing until something happens, listen to my incessant rambling about everything and nothing, dog related or not, my fears and triumphs, my worries and dreams, and only ask to be kept in Diet Coke in return. This and so much, much more I could say, but she knows and I know, and that’s what matters. How could I ever do without you, Jinnie?

Good friends will: let this hobby of dogs take your wife away from home for most weekends along with a lot of your money, make her speak a foreign language sprinkled with words that would make a sailor blush, force you to share your castle with more dog hair than ought to be legal, girls in season, crazed boys because of girls in season, rescue dogs of dubious temperament, health, and training who take more of your money, dogs who refuse to sleep late on weekends, and make you clean up more bodily effluence than anybody should have to face in a lifetime as a daily matter of course. Bob, my love, your support means more to me than anyone will ever know and more than I could ever put into words.

It takes a village to raise a “dog person”. To you all, and to so many others who mentored and advised, offered help and reassurance, congratulations and cheers – THANK YOU!!!

Yes, Virginia, it does snow in Alabama! It doesn’t snow often, or deep, or stay very long, but this is what we woke up to this morning. The dogs (mostly, except for Molly Kate in the green sweater at the door, “Let me in, it’s cold out here!”) love to play in it.

Bob and I have remarked to each other repeatedly this year how blessed we are and that continues to be true. We wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and hope you are blessed as well.

Thanksgiving is always a happy day for the dogs – they get yummy turkey too. I’m sure many of us today can empathize with Cheery (below at day 45)!

Cheery is getting bigger every day! She looks a little confused from time to time – who wouldn’t? – but is doing well albeit moving a little slower than usual. Enjoy some photos of Day 40. Cheery’s puppies are due on December 14th.

Congrats to the “baby daddy” Chris, who was Best of Opposite Sex over specials under breeder-judge Dr. Gareth Morgan-Jones yesterday in Texas! And I just now got a phone call saying he was BOS again today under corgi-knowledgeable judge Ms. Patricia Laurans! Yay Chris!