Now The Real Fun Begins

Dogs were sure glad to see me when I got home last night, as I am rarely gone for three or four days at a time, and if I am at least one of the dogs has gone with me. Argus especially is not used to being left behind. I missed them too, as I always have a dog in the car, and like so many other dog owners I talk to my canine companions. Many times I spoke to my non-existant companion while driving!

What a great weekend! The Pet Expo was astonishing! Thousand of pet supply vendors from around the world, with supplies for all kinds of pets. These were the manufacturers reps who market the products to pet supply dealers. Lots of neat new things, soooo many kinds of dog food, a huge number of aquarium suppliers and even the fish farms that supply the fish to pet shops. It is hard to believe though, that dog buyers will purchase ballerina dresses and wigs for their dogs! UGH!

I had a great time at the show, and some very nice dogs to judge. I shed a few tears while judging the Veterans, as I always do. The old guys do love to go to the shows, but it's hard not to think about the late Rob and Morris when I see the other old guys . . .

Two nice meals with groups of friends were the best though. One thing about dog shows - when the judging is done, we are (generally) all back to being friends, rather than judges and competitors. Argus's breeder Carrie Jordan from California was the Sweeps Judge, so it was great fun to swap stories about Argus, and his brother Andy who stayed with Carrie.

I came home by way of Milwaukee, stopping at my two favorite aquarium stores, but did NOT buy any fish. I did pick up a few supplies, but 40+ tanks of fish is more than enough work! Fortunately, our fish club auction is next Saturday, so I'll have a chance to move on some of the extra youngsters.

My van was loaded down with 300 pounds of ground frozen veggies, courtesy of Ginger who does this on a big scale. Some for me, and some for Vonda, Jess & Dawn. Because we feed a raw diet to our dogs (more on that later) we use veggies too, and it's so nice to be able to purchase Ginger's great mixes. A real timesaver.

And NOW I get to think about the puppies again. They need to be (home) hearing tested, be checked for eye color, and are at a wonderful age. They will become Little Dogs this week, and are such fun to watch. When I have a litter at my house, I go down to check on them for a few minutes, and spend a couple of hours. Am sure Tom and Dawn are finding that out! The pups had three groups of visitors yesterday, which is perfect. The more people they meet as babies, the better.

Puppy update tomorrow!