Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Sparky from Astoria, Illinois~


Hello Mama Sue,




You know what I found in my yard? I found some of those pretty purple flowers just like Bella found in her yard. What do you think is going on with us, finding these flowers? Here is a couple of pictures of me sitting beautifully by the the purple flowers, and of course here I am looking out the window at something interesting. I did not tell Mommy what I was looking at.


Today, Mommy and I had a wonderful day sitting outside in the pretty, warm sunshine.

I hope you enjoy my pictures, and I wanted to wish you and everyone at High Calling Cockers a Happy and Blessed Easter this Sunday. My Mommy said to tell you she enjoyed the Palm Sunday music you had on the blog.

We will talk later.

Love and Sparky kisses,

Sparky

Monday, March 29, 2010

Hunter from Juneau, Alaska~


Hi Sue, Just a quick note to let you know Hunter is doing great! He is so adorable, we take him every where with us and he is always the hit of the party. lol


We will send you some pictures of him with all of us as soon as the weather gets a little nicer, we want to send one with the glacier in the back ground, its so beautiful.

We thank you again for bringing this little ball of love into our lives! Have a great week!

The picture was so cute, my daughter had her dolls on a cart with wheels and he just decided too ride along with her. He is so loving and goes every where with us. He gets his first haircut, next week so I am excited to see how he does. I found a wonderful groomer and she is excited to meet him. Well take care, and we will get some good Ak. pictures as soon as the weather gets nice.





Have a great week!

Pam

Shane (Oliver) from Oyster Bay, New York~


Hi Susan,
Here is a pic I took of Shane tonight. He hasn't had his first trim yet, but will this Thursday before Easter, when he will be among a lot of family.
 I enjoy your blog, and seeing how all of Shane's little cousins are doing. Shane is so affectionate, even with other people who have held him in their arms.

And Happy Palm Sunday to you too! I went to Mass today at St. Dominics here in Oyster Bay. They have a very beautiful old Chapel. My parents were married there, and other family members/funerals etc.

Anyway the Passion was read, and when got to the part where Christ died, there was a brief silence and pause. At that very moment, a Starling that was inside the Church flew up to the very top of the cross that was on the altar, and alighted there for about 20 seconds.

Everyone in the church was in awe. It really was amazing.

John

Sunday, March 28, 2010

A Blessed Palm Sunday~


A Blessed Palm Sunday to you all!  What a glorious service we had this morning!  My granddaughter, Elizabeth (Lizzie) was confirmed in her Christian faith at our Missouri Synod Lutheran Church.  Confirmation in the Lutheran Church is a time when young people reaffirm the vows their sponsors (God-Parents)made for them at their Baptism. It was truly beautiful.  Our choir sang this song, "Of Palms and Praise".  If you would like to take a moment to listen, here's the link:
http://www.jwpepper.com/sheet-music/mp3player.jsp?song_url=10040000.mp3&song_title=OF%20PALMS%20AND%20PRAISE&filename=/dbload/C/C_10040000.xml
I hope and pray you have a blessed upcoming week... leading us all to "Resurrection Sunday".  (Easter)
A Blessed Palm Sunday to you all....Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the Highest!

Sue

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Where are we going???

Where is our country going? 
I think we should all take a few moments and think about our real roots.
http://www.truckersinsofusa.com/newsletter/real_roots.htm

Friday, March 26, 2010

Mitzi from Henrietta, New York~


Dear Mama Sue,




I went to the "Beauty Shop" today and have a new best friend, Paula. She is my "hairdresser".  She fell in love with me and didn't want to let me go home!

I look and smell so beautiful, it's hard to stay modest with all the attention I get.



My vocabulary grows by the day. My new Mom and Papa just think I am the smartest dog they ever knew.

My potty training is going very well. Most times I can make it outside and go to the door to let my family know.

They didn't think I knew how to bark, but I have a porch to play on and my Papa put a Heater there that has some red tubes that light up so I don't get cold. I bark at it, but it doesn't go away until Papa turns it off. At least now they know I can bark.



I know how much you loved me, but I am very happy here. You know that God created me to fill that emptiness in Mom & Papa's hearts and they are so happy now. We are a great family.



Give my love to all and you know I will always love you



MITZI

Nicholas and Kringle from Easthampton, Massachusetts~


Hi Mama Sue,



It's me, Nicholas ~ a ~ Pickleas ! Isn't that a funny nickname? My mommy calls me that ! lol, lol. Kringle has a nickname too! Krinckle ~ Kringle !! My mommy & daddy are funny. We went for a truck ride about 20 miles this week with Arnold, mom, & dad. Guess what, we got car sick 1/2 way up and all the way back. Yuck, we felt wishy washy. We had to stop a whole bunch of times cause we had throw-up all over. What a mess. We had to take a bath & nap when we got home. We went to look at a new house to live at with a bigger yard to play in !! We didn't really see the house, cause we didn't care after all that throwing up stuff, we don't like that.

We had to go to the vet. yesterday to get our shots. I was a very good boy. I got held in the truck and got to look out the window, I didn't get sick at all this time, it was fun!!!! Kringle didn't like it at all. He was being held too, but he threw up all over daddy and the door, in the door, yuck, what a mess he made. I felt bad for him, but, I told Kringle, it will get easier! Just like he said to me when I needed a bath and hated it. I got 3 shots at the vet. and I didn't even flinch. Kringle on the otherhand, cried all 3 times. I am getting to be not scared of things, but Kringle is funny about things sometimes. That is because he is a daddies boy and he gets away with a lot. Not me though, mommy makes sure of that. We are good about going potty outside now. Just an occasional accident. We sleep all night without going out to potty now.


We weigh 11 pounds now, both of us. Kringle is short and round, I am taller and more slender. Kringle has a hard time going up the stairs because of his belly getting in the way!! I always race him up the stairs and usually win cause of his belly ! lol,lol.

We sleep in separate crates now, but next to each other. We walk on a leash good, we know how to sit, and lay down. We know what no means!!! Arnold is still not a good friend cause we bite his lips still and he gets mad at us !! Mom tells Arnold it will get easier when we are a little older. She reminds him that he use to do that to Bailey when he was little and Bailey didn't like it either. NOW, it is his turn...lol

Well, I guess I will go for now, time for a snack !

Talk to you next week.

hugs, & kisses,

Pickleas & Krinckle !!

Grapes and Raisins can be toxic to dogs~


If you have a dog ... PLEASE read

this and send it on. If you don't
have a dog, please pass along
to friends who do.

Written by:

Laurinda Morris, DVM
Danville Veterinary Clinic
Danville , OH

This week I had the first case in history of raisin
toxicity ever seen at MedVet. My patient was
a 56-pound, 5 yr old male neutered lab mix
that ate half a canister of raisins sometime
between 7:30 AM and 4:30 PM on Tuesday. He
started with vomiting, diarrhea and shaking
about 1 AM on Wednesday but the owner didn't
call my emergency service until 7 AM.
I had heard somewhere about raisins AND
grapes causing acute Renal failure but hadn't
seen any formal paper on the subject. We
had her bring the dog in immediately. In the
meantime, I called the ER service at MedVet,
and the doctor there was like me - had heard
something about it, but... Anyway, we
contacted the ASPCA National Animal Poison
Control Center and they said to give IV fluids
at 1 & 1/2 times maintenance and watch the
kidney values for the next 48-72 hours.
The dog's BUN (blood urea nitrogen level) was
already at 32 (normal less than 27) and
creatinine over 5 (1.9 is the high end of normal).
Both are monitors of kidney function in the
bloodstream. We placed an IV catheter and
started the fluids. Rechecked the renal values
at 5 PM and the BUN was over 40 and creatinine
over 7 with no urine production after a liter of
fluids. At that point I felt the dog was in acute
renal failure and sent him on to MedVet for a
urinary catheter to monitor urine output overnight
as well as overnight care.
He started vomiting again overnight at MedVet
and his renal values continued to increase
daily. He produced urine when given lasix as a
diuretic. He was on 3 different anti-vomiting
medications and they still couldn't control his
vomiting. Today his urine output decreased
again, his BUN was over 120, his creatinine was
at 10, his phosphorus was very elevated and his
blood pressure, which had been staying around
150, skyrocketed to 220 ... He continued to vomit
and the owners elected to Euthanize.
This is a very sad case - great dog, great owners
who had no idea raisins could be a toxin. Please
alert everyone you know who has a dog of this
very serious risk.
Poison control said as few as 7 raisins or grapes could
be toxic. Many people I know give their dogs grapes
or raisins as treats including our ex-handler's. Any
exposure should give rise to immediate concern.
Onions, chocolate, cocoa, avocadoes and macadamia nuts can
be fatal, too.

Even if you don't have a dog, you might have friends
who do. This is worth passing on to them.

Confirmation from Snopes about the above ....

http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/raisins.asp

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Holly from Upper Jay, New York~


Note from Sue:   Holly got a haircut yesterday...isn't she adorable?


Holly has been sitting on the desk in front of the computer keyboard since the day she came home with me.


It was easy at first to type with a little puppy snoozing between my arms...however - as she grows it is becoming

increasingly difficult to write in this manner - yet neither one of us is ready to give up doing it as it's part of our daily routine.

I keep thinking that, like a child, the day will come when she doesn't want to do it anymore - so with that in mind I'll

continue to let her invade my space until it's impossible to manage or SHE gives it up.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Can you do someone a favor??

Hello Everyone,
This email was sent to me tonight by the owner of one of my puppies, all about a little girl with Down Syndrome who is trying to win a contest..  Let's see what we can do to help this little girl out.


There is a 10 year old girl here in Fruita, Colorado (a little town just west of Grand Junction), with Down syndrome who has entered a contest sponsored by Toyota Racing. She has designed the graphics of a NASCAR prototype and needs people to vote for her specific design (which features pictures of her friends and family and calls attention to Down syndrome). The winning design is determined by online voting, and it will be used as the design for the pace car in May at the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte
Motor Speedway. She is currently ranked #37 out of more than 80,000 entries.

She needs around 11,000 more votes (on top of the almost 3,000 when the news
article came out) by March 30, 2010. I have attached the link to her website
where you can read about her and how to vote. Each computer is allowed one
vote per day. There is a link on her site that takes you to the voting page
where you can click on a button that says something like "Vote for this
Design". All you have to do is click that button and you're done for the day.

Note from Sue:  This link tells you all about the little girl.
http://www.nikisride.com/

Here is the link where you can vote for her:
http://www.sponsafier.com/#/gallery/view/143758

Thank you for your help!!!!!  God bless you all!!!

Warning~!! Danger for dogs...and especially puppies~!

Please tell every dog or cat owner you know. Even if you don't have a pet, please pass this to those who do.


 Over the weekend, the doting owner of two young lab mixes purchased Cocoa Mulch from Target to use in their garden. The dogs loved the way it smelled and it was advertised to keep cats away from their garden. Their dog (Calypso) decided the mulch smelled good enough to eat and devoured a large helping. She vomited a few times which was typical when she eats something new but wasn't acting
 Lethargic in any way. The next day, Mom woke up and took Calypso out for her morning walk . Half way through the walk, she had a seizure and died instantly.
 Although the mulch had NO warnings printed on the label, upon further investigation on the company's website.
This product is HIGHLY toxic to dogs and cats.

  Cocoa Mulch is manufactured by Hershey's, and they claim that "It is true that studies have shown that 50% of the dogs that eat Cocoa Mulch can suffer physical harm to a variety of degrees (depending on each individual dog). However, 98% of all dogs won't eat it."
Snopes site gives the following  information:
http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cocoamulch.asp

Cocoa Mulch, which is sold by Home Depot, Foreman's Garden Supply and other Garden supply stores contains a lethal ingredient called 'Theobromine'. It is lethal to dogs and cats. It smells li ke chocolate and it really attracts dogs. They will ingest this stuff and die. Several deaths already occurred in the last 2-3 weeks.
Theobromine is in all chocolate, especially dark or baker's chocolate which is toxic to dogs. Cocoa bean shells contain potentially toxic quantities of theobromine, a xanthine compound similar in effects to caffeine and theophylline. A dog that ingested a lethal quantity of garden mulch made from cacao bean shells developed severe convulsions and died 17 hours later. Analysis of the stomach contents and the ingested cacao bean shells revealed the presence of lethal amounts of theobromine.

Note from Sue:

       I also found a really good article on this on the ASPCA's website:
http://web.archive.org/web/20031013173740/http://www.aspca.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=12729
Please take a moment and read it.  It may save your puppy's life.

Lainey from Oshawa, Ontario~



Thank you Sue for all the beautiful pictures of Lainey~
      Sue

Lainey from Oshawa, Ontario~


Lainey is such a pretty puppy and will be a gorgeous dog when she is all grown up!

Lainey from Oshawa, Ontario~


Nite Nite time!

Lainey & Jag the cat, from Oshawa, Ontario, Canada~


Getting to know one another~  Jag's not too sure yet.
She's getting closer to Jag~

I think she likes me!


I know were going to be real good friends.

Lainey from Oshawa, Ontario, Canada~

Sue, this is the picture that I think really shows how much she looks like Sophie.

Holly loses a tooth~

I found Quacky Duck at the local library fund raiser sale for 50 cents. It's great


because when you press the belly - it "quack, quack, quacks" - it is

Holly's all time favorite toy. One night last week she woke up

fretting around 2:30 am till I took her outside - and then she got

Quacky Duck and brought him into her kennel to sleep for the rest of the night.

That is seriously - tooooo cute!!!!!

Holly from Upper Jay, New York~


The last several days I've been checking Holly's teeth frequently because her K-9s were getting really loose!


Yesterday when I picked her up from the groomers - she had lost her left tooth - this morning while she and I were

playing "Find the Quacky Ducky" - our spirited version of Hide and Seek - I noticed a tinge of red on "Quacky Duck" when she brought

him back to me - it didn't take any effort at all to find that little pointed baby tooth on the floor. She is 5 mos. and 10 days

old. I put her baby tooth in an envelope and tucked it into a sleeve in her Puppy Book. She's growing into a beautiful young girl and

she is living up to her nick-name "Miss Chiff" It's a good thing she is so cute !!!!



Miss Holly

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Hello,




Well, today my mom said it"s the first day of spring, yippie. Daddy took out the swimming pool and cleaned it and put water in it for us! We had a lot of fun! I, (Kringle) like the water more than Nicholas. I didn't want to get out of the pool, but it was getting chilly. I played all day, Nicholas & I, outside, in the yard and the pool. We are very tired this evening......As you can see from the pictures mommy took!




We have a nice fenced yard, and every night before bed, our big brother Arnold runs, and runs and we try to catch him. He runs really fast, we can't catch him.....yet !!! We learned how to dig holes in the yard too! You should have seen how dirty we got! Mommy & Daddy had an old bathtub in the flower bed from the koi fish last year, and I jumped right over the fence after Nicholas. I didn't know the tub was there, until I fell in it. It had some yuck, yuck water in it from the snow melting. Mommy was laughing at me cause she said I looked silly in the tub. That's what I get for chasing Nicholas someplace we are not supposed to be !!!

Mommy brings her birds outside in a big cage when it is nice out like this week. We bark at them sometimes..lol, lol. We chase Kitten & Mo our 2 kitty friends at night before bed. We are allowed to run free all over the house for a short time before bed. We like to play with the kitties. Mommy & Daddy say we are very smart, good puppies. That makes us smile. Today, mommy & daddy started up these things that are on 2 wheels. I think they are called motorcycles. WOW, daddy's is loud, mommy's too, but not as loud as daddy's. I (Kringle) was not afraid at all, but Nicholas Was. I told Nicholas it was just a loud noise and I pulled his ears to come play some more. Nicholas was so afraid at first he cried to mommy until she picked him up. After mommy came and picked up Nicholas she brought him over to the loud noise and he got to sit on mommy's lap on top of the motorcycle. Nicholas wasn't scared any more !! He still doesn't like daddy's though. I don't care, I bark at danger !! lol, lol

Anyway, I am going to sleep now, we are very tired.



Hope you are all well. Talk to you next week.

hugs, and kisses

Kringle & Nicholas

What angels must sound like~

My friend Tam, mommy of "Blossom", sent me this link this morning.  I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.


What Angels must sound like.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2aLSat3h0w

Lainey from Oshawa, Ontario, Canada~


Hi Sue, just wanted to say Hello and hope all is well with your family.
Lainey, is sooooooooooooooooo growing like a weed. She is a total "Joy" and has a mind of her own. Jag (cat) and Lainey are getting along better every day. Lainey has NOT met a "dog/dog walker" that she doesn't like. They all think she's terrific. We are having so much fun walking --- she's met many of Maddy's old buddies. She is NOT afraid of any size dog. She also travels very well in the car. I love her so much. I've told you she has a huge personality and so much fun to have in our lives.
 
Hope this picture gets to you --- and I hope you can see at this angle just how much Lainey looks like her Mommy Sophie (eyes/head shape). She has Cubby's coat and his nose. Just a real beauty.
Huggers Sue, Jag & Lainey
P.S. If this works I'll send you one on Lainey and Jag the day I really knew they would be great friends.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Bella from Tuckasegee, NC~

It's Spring! Look what I found in the yard!!

Bella from Tuckasegee, NC~

What a wonderful nap, just let me catch a few more winks!

Bella from Tuckasegee, North Carolina~

Look what moved in next door! He's big and makes funny noises!

Bella from Tuckasegee, North Carolina~

Mom, you don't really mean I have to go to the bathroom in all this cold, wet, white stuff!
I guess she really meant it!! Now, it's getting deeper and deeper!
I'm staying in this nice warm bed until Spring!

Bella from Tuckasegee, North Carolina~

Hi Mamma Sue,


It's me, Bella! Mom is sending you some new photos. You'll get to see our last snow and then something special I found in the yard.


Mom tells me I'm all grown up, well maybe not all the way, I still like to do loads of puppy things. She tells me I'm going to have a little sister and I'll have to be a good example for her. That makes we wonder a little bit, just so she doesn't get my favorite toy or blanket. Everyone at the Nursing Center loves me and they're looking forward to meeting my little sister. They tell me I'll still be their favorite cause I'm special!
I'll have Mom write more later, it's time for a nap!
Love and puppy kisses,


Bella

Friday, March 19, 2010

Jake from South Setauket, NY (and friend, Chip)~

Dear Momma Sue,
I am settling in very nicely. I sure do miss you guys. Chip, the old guy, was crabby at first but he seems to like me better now and we play a lot. I love the outside even when it rains ( we had 4.5 inches of rain last week ). The food is great and Mommy and Daddy take me to the vet person for shots and checkups. House training is improving. My Mommy calls me an escape artist because I knock down and climb over all of the gates.

Take care, Love Jake

Chloe (Hunnie) from Lancaster, NY~


Sue,



I definitely will tell Chloe(Hunnie) her Momma Sue loves her and is sending her smooches. We took her to Petsmart last night and bought her some Puppy Chow, some beef sticks and a new sweater. I'm sending you a picture of it. She loves to go outside and walk and she is a very fast walker. If tomorrow is a nice day we will take her to the park and go for a long walk or for as long as Mommy and Daddy can stand it. I'm sure Chloe can outwalk us.

Hugs,

Diane

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Chloe (Hunnie) from Lancaster, New York~

Hi Mama Sue,




Chloe is adjusting very well. She does good at night and doesn't cry. She discovered the toilet today and that she can fit befind the couch. She loves to chew on my slippers so we are going to look for some chew toys for her at the store tonight. We think she is the smartest dog we have ever had.



Hugs,



Diane

Drummer from Grand Junction, Colorado~


Hi, Sue!




Isn't spring wonderful?! After such bare and dreary days that hint of green

poking up through the soft dirt sure is a welcome sight! You mentioned that

the red-winged blackbirds are your first sign of spring. Ours was always the

Western Meadowlark, but we're no longer living near a field (where they like

to set up house), so our first signs are my daffodils and crocuses coming up.

That lets me know that winter is losing its grip. Spring is here for sure when

the Sandhill Cranes fly over our house on their way north for the summer. I

heard (and saw) the first ones today!



I'm so glad for Piper (Smoochie)! The kids sure look happy to have a new

puppy! I'm sure that he will be greatly loved!



Drummer is sleeping next to me as I write to you. He had a tough day because I

had to do some yardwork in the front yard - a place where he can't be with me

because it's not fenced and I also have plants that would be bad for him. He

just didn't like the fact that he couldn't be right next to me. He was OK as

long as I was right on the other side of the fence from him, but once I moved

further away we began to have trouble. I finally had to crate him so that I

could finish in peace - LOL!



Last weekend Glenn and I fixed the back yard so that we could safely open the

whole area up to Drummer. He had been blocked off from the south and east

sides of the house because of too many cedar bushes and spring bulbs and

various plants that aren't "puppy friendly". Since the ground has now thawed,

we were able to put up some temporary fencing around the critical areas and he

is now enjoying his new expanded play area. Tim, however, jokingly says that

we have ruined our "Feng Shui" of the back yard - LOL! It does look rather

chopped up, but it's not directly visible to the neighbors (or us) unless

we're in that part of the yard. Hopefully we'll be able to remove most of it

in a year or two - once he's past the stage of taste-testing everything!



I've attached a few pictures of Drummer. One is just a portrait of him that

makes him look quite handsome. The other two go together and show his "other

side". I was starting to clean the bathroom and had to leave it to get some

supplies. Drummer "seized" the moment and took off with the toilet paper. I

wish that my digital camera could have turned on more quickly to capture his

first expression when he came around the corner. It was a "Look what I've got,

Mom!" sort of look - LOL! The second picture shows the streamer leaving the

bathroom and going around the corner! All I could do was laugh! He WAS a good

boy, though, and dropped it when I gave him the command (something he has been

working on from his puppy class). Anyway, I thought that you would enjoy them!





Hope that the "Ladies in Waiting" are all doing well. I'll bet it's very quiet

at your place - for the moment!



Have a blessed day!



Sending some warm spring air your way!





Mary :o)

Sparky from Astoria, Illinois~

Hello Sue,




I just read the letter from Piper's, (Smoochie), family and I do believe he has found Love. It was so sweet the Grandparents got Piper for this lovely family. Sue, you receive some of the sweetest letters from puppies' families. I just wish all of them would write and let you know about their puppy. I am sure you do too. I am sure you are thrilled when you hear how much joy these puppies bring to each family.

It looks like your doggy family is growing with the addition of Snuggie and Sweetie. They are very beautiful girls.

Hugs,

Linda

Mitzi from Henrietta, New York~



Dear Mama Sue



I had my 1st Vet visit today, got a shot in my hiney and I didn't even cry!

You must know I am very well fed cause I have gained 4lbs. since I saw Dr. Albert on 2/18. I am now 9-1/4 lbs.

My vet here Dr. Michelle Brownstein just couldn't stop smooching me and telling me how beautiful I am.

I love all the attention, I am a real ham.

Learning so many things. I can fetch,sit, come when called, I just get smarter by the day.

We had a lot of snow but it has melted and my new yard is drying up. I love going out there. I have a fenced yard so my Mom & Dad, (I know him as Papa). don't have to worry about me getting out.



I have made them so happy! I am the beginning and end of their day.They tell me I am their joy.



Say hello to all my family and God bless you. I love you



Mitzi