Perspective

photo: Heath Alan taken in Moore, OK

I've seen the quote, "The Most Important Things in Life Aren't Things" many times but never in such a meaningful context. This photo was taken after the tornado struck Moore, OK this afternoon. It's been a heartbreaking day in Oklahoma today. We even had a bit of an alert here though we are 2 hours north of the Moore area, there was a tornado on the ground about 10 miles west of us. That was enough to get our attention and get all the dogs leashed and in the room where our "fraidy hole" entrance is. There's nothing quite like a tornado siren to make you prioritize what's important. Calls to family members to make sure everyone is in a safe place, the dogs ready to shelter with me, my laptop and my purse. That's it, but that's what is important .... me, the hubby, 5 corgis and a mastiff puppy in the fraidy hole !! Thank the Lord we and our family are all okay. Prayers going out for all the folks in Oklahoma who suffered tragic loss of homes, livestock, pets and in some cases family members. THANKS so much to so many of my corgi friends who called, texted or facebook messaged to check on me today !!

Puppy Update

Sleeping Butterballs

Considering Adopting ?

Even though I raise puppies I am also an advocate for pet adoption. My corgis are covered by a "never homeless" guarantee which means I will always help the families who get a corgi from me re-home their corgi if the need ever arises. I've only been asked to do this a couple of times in my years raising corgis but both times I was happy to help and satisfied that we found the dogs great homes. Unfortunately, not all breeders do this and consequently there are dogs out there with owners who either don't want them or simply can't continue to keep them and have no breeder to turn to for help. That's where adoption and rescue groups play such a vital role.

The graphic was sent to me by www.adoptapet.com
If you are considering adopting they might be a good resource.

At our house we have the purebred breeding pets and we also have 3 or 4 adoptees who live at the ranch at any given time. Our adopted dogs are sometimes rescues and often-times dogs that someone has simply turned loose in the country. Regardless they are almost always great dogs and we are often able to keep them and provide them with a lots of love and a great life.

New puppies !!

Macy and her puppies born 4-25-13

Our LARGER Friends

My friends, the Courtney family, at Triple C English Mastiffs have a beautiful litter of puppies available now. I am placing them in their forever homes and would be happy to visit with you and provide more information about these gorgeous puppies if you are interested.

 

Clark Gable - male - dark brindle 

Cary Grant - male - fawn

Just for Fun

Found this on Facebook this morning .....

Chip has moved to Bartlesville

 

This is Chip who was born Dec. 28, 2012. He found his new forever home in Bartlesville and has a great new family and a home in the country.

Pippa's babies

Pippa had three babies Tuesday morning - here is a photo when they were 2 hours old. The red tone of the photo is from the heat lamp I use to ensure everybody stays nice and warm. This litter has 2 girls and 1 boy. At the moment it looks like they will all be sable and white. As with all corgis their color changes a little as they grow.

Summer 2012 Auggies :: ALL have moved to new homes

Another Kind of Hero

I recently read about a book called "Retrieved" which is about the search and rescue dogs that worked at the WTC on 9-11. The book written ten years after that horrible day gives us a look through stories and photographs of those rescue dogs still alive today. They're all wise old dogs today, still living with their owner/handlers and gracefully retired. Its a very interesting story and the photos of these heroes are beautiful and compelling.

Here's a link to her web site and a blurb about the book:

http://www.charlottedumas.nl/retrieved/print/

How Retrieved, the series, came about:

On and after September 11, 2001, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) deployed close to a hundred search dogs along with their handlers—from a network of 26 active task forces from 18 different states—to both the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. In the aftermath of the attacks the dogs searched day and night for survivors, making sure no one would be stranded in the rubble, while rescue workers and firemen slowly made their way through the chaos and debris.
In my memory, the photographs of these dogs that appeared in the newspapers stayed with me most strongly: a dog being transported in a stokes basket on cables suspended high over the wreckage; another dog intently searching while maneuvering over enormous bend beams; dogs receiving eye drops after and in between shifts.
I can still recall these images clearly. The dogs searched and comforted, they gave consolation to anyone involved. Seeing these pictures, I was also comforted. They somehow emanated a spark of hope amidst this scene of destruction.
I long wondered what had become of these animals. How many of them would still be alive today, so many years after 9/11? Through FEMA, I was able to locate 15 of the dogs that took part in the rescue operations. I visited them and portrayed them in their homes, where they all still live with their handlers across the U.S.
These animals were all at the same place at the same time, one decade ago, for the same reason: to work. That experience unites them, and was the incentive for me to pursue this subject and to photograph the dogs. They now share the vulnerability of old age while symbolizing a full decade coming to a close.
Charlotte Dumas, Summer of 2011

9 week Check-ups

This is Dr. Jared and his assistant who made a housecall today to do 9-week check-ups on the puppies. The puppies are all checked before they go to their new homes for normal ears, eyes, hearts, vaccinations, worming, and general health. We work hard to ensure that everything about the puppies is text-book normal to give new families a great start with a healthy happy puppy.

My health guarantee takes this one step further by asking that new families have their vet examine the puppy within the first 10 days at their new home to ensure their new vet agrees that the puppy is good to go. In the event an issue should arise during the initial exam by your vet, I stand 100% behind my puppies. These babies will be part of your family for a long time so it's important that everything starts off perfectly !!

The Auggies - all have moved on to their forever homes

What the Heck is an Auggie

A couple of years ago my friend Kirk asked me if I had ever raised any Auggie puppies, having never heard the them, I said no and then asked what the heck is an Auggie. He went on to explain that they had one, showed me a photo and explained that they are great dogs. He said they are very popular in Texas and lots of folks who barrel race, rope, and rein have them. For lack of a better term they are "designer dogs", half Welsh Pembroke Corgi and half Miniature Australian Shepherd. Over the next year or so I did a little research talked to several other families that had Auggies and then decided I might give that a try sometime. Eventually I learned my friends Preston and Crystal have a Mini Aussie male who is a beautiful red and white (actually chocolate brown but the official term is "red") and has a very calm and kind disposition. I thought, okay this will be a nice combination for Paula and Paisley. P & P are both sable and white and are both very gentle souls with kind dispositions, they're very affectionate, quiet and dignified ladies.

By combining two herding breeds both known for their people-oriented personalities, intelligence, willingness to learn and desire to work with their people, Auggies have all the personality ingredients to make superb family and companion dogs. Additionally they have all the instincts to make smart, disciplined cattle working dogs with loads of herding instinct coupled with small, agile bodies, low center of gravity, quick on their feet and great attention to detail.

All of the qualities that make them good cattle dogs also makes them, just like my corgis, great babysitters, canine nannies and family companions. Also like the corgis, I am confident they will make superior doorbells, kitchen floor cleaners and can be counted upon to be the police whenever a "cat riot" breaks out or a squirrel dares to streak through the yard.  

Here's a better descritpion to help you decide if an Auggie is right for you and your family.

The Auggie  

(Pembroke Welsh Corgi x Miniature Australian Shepherd)

Auggies confidently join in family fun and social situations without thought about their small stature – they are big dogs in small bodies. They are highly intelligent, curious, and happy, making exceptional companions, and talented farm workers and guardians.  Always alert and attentive they are deeply devoted to their family.  They ask in return for the opportunity to be part of the family action and to have “work” to do. They love to work be it herding kids or cattle, chasing a ball or Frisbee, riding in the car, obedience training, traveling, taking walks and meeting the neighbors.  They are pleased to be city or country dogs. They approach people and other animals with open curiosity and typically make friends easily. They are good with children but as with ALL dogs small children should be supervised and taught the boundaries of polite play with their canine family members. Auggies are lively and fun companions but can be single-minded when “working” – in other words playing ball will likely wear you out before it does the Auggie. Both parent breeds (corgis and mini aussies) were developed and are known for their livestock herding skills. Chances are if they are around sheep, goats, ducks--even a group of children--they’ll start herding. They’ll even herd the kids away from strangers and you toward the cookie jar!

Their happiness is partially dependent on having something to do and getting enough exercise. They can make good city dogs if their family is mindful of planning for walks, outings to the park, playing games and including fun activities that speak to their fun-loving nature and intelligence. For suburban or country Auggies a fenced yard is ideal for outside activity. Especially in the country, a fenced area is important for times when their family is not nearby. Auggies think they are bigger than they are and their confident, protective nature will sometimes lead them to tangle with an intruding coyote or larger stray dog ….. this usually does not end well for the Auggie.

Both parent breeds have double hair coats and soft fine hair, so Auggies shed -- not as much as a corgi – but then who does ;-) and are easily groomed with simple brushing. They can also be clipped in the summer to help keep them cooler and reduce shedding.  During colder months the double coat keeps them warm when outdoors so even though their families often think sweaters are cute, they aren’t needed. That said they are happy to play the role of 4-legged “Barbie doll” for their little girl family members or wear the team colors on game day as long as it’s done with care and a cookie at the end. It goes without saying that any “outdoor dog” needs adequate shelter during hot or cold weather with water, fans and a fence for protection as necessary.  

Background on the Parent Breeds:

▪ Pembroke Welsh Corgis have been the dogs of Queen Elizabeth II since the late 1930s, when King George VI bought “Susan” for her. Queen Elizabeth II is often photographed with her “herd” of Pembrokes. Corgis can have issues with cataracts, retinal disease, hip dysplasia and disk disease.

▪ Despite its name, the Australian Shepherd did not originate in Australia. The Aussie might have evolved from several herding breeds that came to America with early settlers from Europe. Some say the breed originated in Spain, went to Australia, then came to California during the Gold Rush of 1849. Mini-Aussies are a relatively new breed originating in the United States from standard Aussies. Mini-Aussies can have issues with blindness, deafness, hip dysplasia, and luxating patella.

▪ Crossbred animals are less prone to the health issues of their parent breeds as the heterosis effect often results in a healthier, more vigorous dog with a reduced chance of genetic disease. It is well known in domestic animal breeding that hybrids (50%-50% mixes of two different breeds) will raise the chances of having fewer genetic diseases because doubling of detrimental effects will stop in the first generation. The genetic term for this is heterosis effect.

Colors: red, sable, fawn, or black and tan, blue merle, red merle, and red. They may have white on the face, chest, and legs, and/or tan points.

Weight Range: 20 - 40 lbs

Height Range: 10 to 18 inches at the shoulder

Photos of Campers from Their New Homes