Does Nina wish she had babies or is she just pissed off with Max?

Nina has come to the end of her false pregnancy and seems, to all intents and purposes, to have post-natal depression. Or maybe she's just fed up with Max following her around and licking her fanny.

There is definitely a noticeable hormonal change at that point. I always know exactly which day it happens as Max goes off his food and starts trying to mount her. (He mounts Satchmo too, which leaves the pup looking confused). It's like a lesser version of his behaviour when she's in season. He had to sleep in my room last night as he wouldn't stop barking excitedly.

I've started giving Nina Tic-Tacs like I do in her season. Hope it helps, for all our sakes.

If she carries on being depressed for too long, it'll be off to the vet again for some cabergoline (prolactin suppressant). They must be missing us anyway; it's at least a fortnight since we were there...

Satchmo gets his Kennel Club Silver

Satchie baby passed his Kennel Club Silver Good Citizen Test Saturday at 12.5 months! Pretty good considering he hadn't been going to classes for several months and only had 3 before the test (test rather sprung on me as I hadn't picked up that a date was set due to not going to classes for a while).

Neither of us much enjoyed the road walk in the rain. He had been a bit funny about getting in the car, but our brill trainer Ann Nash had given me a tip to sort it (involving cheese - surprise, surprise) which worked perfectly.

On to gold now, and then SWDTBC's Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced. he'll catch up with Mummy Nina if she's not careful. She's in advanced. Might have to take them alternate weeks.

Two dog shows coming up next week, so fingers crossed.

No, Max, you're 12 YEARS old

Went for a 10 mile walk yesterday with a friend (turned out to be 11 miles, but that's another story). Satch is too young and Nina can be a bit of a pest when she's excited, so we took Max. I dithered a bit about that as he will be 13 in August. He's very good at looking sorry for himself and a bit of a waif and stray, so sometimes I think he's feeling his age. However, true to form, he had no problem with the walk and even behaved like a naughty teenager the whole time. Very like Satch at 12 months, in fact.

He ran off twice and wouldn't come back when called, so I had to put him on a lead. He tried to steal biscuits from my bumbag. He pulled on the lead while I was trying to walk down a steep slope. He ... get the picture?

Needless to say, he was much less tired than us when we got back and spent at least an hour playing in the garden with Satch. He's having a lie-in this morning, though.

Satchmo wins a few more firsts

Well, we are having a good run at shows. We went to a Dobermann open show Sunday and Satch got 2 firsts, a second and a third. Amongst others, he beat Amazon Russian Ice and Amazon The Kandy Man, both of which have been winning quite a lot. As he behaved appallingly, just like last time at that venue, I was doubly pleased. The judge was definitely judging the dog and not the handling!

We did special pre-beginners obedience as well ... also appallingly. Satch's finish at the end of his recall consisted of a complete clockwise circle followed by a half anti-clockwise circle to end up in the right place. Oops. Shame they don't give marks for artistic impression. And he's supposed to be doing his KC Silver award in a week or so. Mind you, he hasn't been going to classes for months until last week. And it wasn't his fault he needed a crap during the stays and couldn't settle.

Satch's birthday pres

Well Satchmo liked his birthday present from his sis. I took him to my Dad's for coffee (no, no, I had the coffee, silly) and he definitely liked it. When we got home I gave it to him again and within minutes Max did his best John Wayne walk across the room and said 'The toy's mine, pal' and that was the end of that. In the end I took it away from both of them and put it in the toy basket, which is on a chest of drawers. I now keep finding Satchmo balancing awkwardly on the breakfast table bench trying to nudge open the lid of the basket and get it back out.

Happy birthday puppies

Anticipating by about 14 hours, but it's the Grafmax Jazz litter's first birthday today. The whole experience has been an immense privilege and joy. I think back to when they were small enough for all four to climb on my lap and go to sleep after their post-breakfast play, and I miss that, but there are new joys as they grow ... and, given the chance, Satch still climbs on my lap in the evening for a cuddle and a sleep. Sometimes he wants to curl up on my chest, but I draw the line at that (albeit with difficulty; it's no easy thing getting 35kg of dobe off your chest).

I've sent the other three puppies birthday cards with dobermann puppies on them, which I'm sure they'll appreciate. I've got one for Satchmo (it was a special deal for four, honest) and I guess the best way for him to enjoy it is to let him rip it up. He has a present from Ella's family, which I'll give him later and hope Nina doesn't take it off him.

I'm working at home today, so I can make a bit of a fuss of him. He's managed to steal the bed nearest me at the moment; that's normally Max's privilege.

Just realised this blog service is obviously working on Californian time or some such as it thinks it's still 13 May, but it's definitely 14 May as I type, and that's their birthday.

Normal service resumed

Came home today to find a large piece of honeysuckle on the patio. That one was my favourite and was only just recovering from being demolished some years ago by my late lamented Ellie at the same age. Oh well.

Suspicious

Can't find anything naughty that Satchmo did while I was at work yesterday. Very suspicious, very very suspicious.

My clever boy

Satchmo went to Birmingham National today and picked up 1st in Puppy and Novice, so v v proud yet again. Ella got a 4th in Novice. Both hard work, but we're getting to expect that now. A fun day out with Nic too. Good to meet up with Jay and little Dora and pick up some useful handling tips too.

Satch the minimalist designer and leather fetishist

Satchmo knows what he likes. He likes minimalism. He likes leather. He's been working on my organiser for a while now and, at the third attempt, has got it back to basics. The spine is still there, but the cover isn't. The cover was leather. The bit that makes the rings spring open is gone too, so it takes brute force to open it now.

My new black leather high-heel shoes are rather minimalist now, too. That is, there's only one of them left, which is fairly minimal.

I washed Max's leather collar Friday and left it to dry (you soooo don't want to know what was on it). Next thing, I see Satchmo playing with the buckle, with half an inch of leather attached. Have still not found the other 20 inches, which is rather worrying. Keep eyeing Satch up, but he doesn't look like a dog with a leather strap wound round his gut.

He came running downstairs today looking extraordinarily pleased with himself, with one of my tan ankle-boots in his mouth. Headed that one off at the pass, but no doubt there's more to come.