No Reading For Me...

Apparently Ella didn't think that I needed to know how the economic crash will reshape America!

I was half way through the article by Richard Florida (also author of Rise of the Creative Class) when she decided that petting and feeding her were far more important than reading some silly article!

Clean House + Rain

Dog equation: Outside play + Rain + 4 Cardigan Welsh Corgis= 16 MUDDY PAWS

16 MUDDY PAWS + 1 Clean House = 2 Towels

2 Towels + 4 Cardigans = 4 Reasonably Dried off Cardigans

So how come there are muddy paws prints all down the hallway? How come I had to mop again? So where do the little buggers store the mud?

I think these are reasonable questions and Ruff Ruff isn't giving up any answers. He says they are found only in the Cardi handbook and he would be voted off the island if he divulged the secrets.

Any thoughts? Any one figured out where they store the mud?

Classique Photography

I had the good fortune to meet Photographer& Design Guru Dawn Gabig when fate (aka Pam) brought her to my dog show bed and breakfast (aka home) this spring. Pam had told me she that she did photo shots of the dogs in natural settings. Well nature shots and my dogs was all I needed to hear for me to say I'm in!

Well let me tell you, the photos are breath taking. The head shot on my blog header is one she took. It was actually taken the day after a nasty wet snow storm under the burning bush next to my driveway. She has a real knack for finding awesome back drops where the rest of us mere mortals are still stumbling around looking. Seriously it would have never occurred to me to put Ruffles under that burning bush but wowser what a shot!

Check out her work at http://www.classiquephotography.net/. Click on it all but my favorite is the portrait, then portraits in nature. Of course then my absolute favorite is the "RUSS" section.

So there it is and here is my hearty recommendation--find out which shows she is going to be at and find her, call her and go!

Ruffles is Two

Well I was going to write about today was what a great training day I had, but it will have to wait for tomorrow. Why? Because when I finally sat down to read my e-mail Cindy reminded me that yesterday was Ruff Ruff's second Barkday! Oh the guilt I feel for forgetting..... But I'll suck it up and take a two year trip down memory lane.

First a great big shout out thanks to Cindy for trusting this special creature with us. From the moment he walked into the cottage living room, we knew he was going to steal our hearts, make us laugh and at times curse his name!

Just a few highlights---Let's see there was the time he escaped from the bed via the laundry basket and made his way into the Christmas wrapping room. He was so covered in tape, paper, bows and ribbons I played heck getting him untangled and then had to give him a bath to get the sticky off.

Lest we forget the 3, yes I said 3 computer keyboards he ate. Did you know it costs as much to replace a laptop keyboard as it does to buy a new laptop. Yep I had several new laptops in an 8 month period.

Well I certainly can't let this day go by without talking about his first show. I brought him but was SURE he wouldn't like showing, so I only booked a room for Friday night. Well the little bugger took Best Cardigan Puppy that day and a Puppy Herding Group 2. And I had to figure out a room for Saturday night. Saturday morning rolled around and he strutted into the show site like he was the King. The rest they say is history--4 shows--4 (four) point majors and he was a finished champion at just over 8 months old. Little bugger never wanted to get dirty again after that first show.

It wouldn't be a trip down memory lane if I didn't mention that he is very good at exacting revenge when he is mad. Let the record reflect that I try not to honk him off because the price paid is 10 fold!

On of my favorite of late is his Kramer Slide. When he wants me to notice him quick--he slides into a room just like Kramer from Seinfeld and looks at me like--"Here I am!"

And finally, the newest addition to the Ruffles personality family is Hugh Ruffner. When Bekka enters a room he only has eyes for her! According to his handler, Hugh has good taste!

Oh how I do love Mr. Ruff Ruff!

P.S. The photo was taken on Ruff Ruff's first day with us. It makes me smile everytime I look at it. My best two boys!

I'm Really Really MAD!!!

Hi it's me Ella again. We do not have to be quiet today, because I am really really mad at Mom and I don't care who hears it!

Can you believe what she did today? She and Lisa moved the bed and cleaned out my stash! Everything--she moved everything out and vacuumed!

I was so mad when I saw their evil deed that I ate the corner of her pretty cherry cupboard. HA! Then Mom was mad. Serves her right--emptying my stash.

Well until next time--see ya,

Ella Bella

I'm Hiding

Shhhhh it's me Ella.

We have to be very very quiet because I am hiding from Mom. She wants to trim my nails again, so I went into hiding. Aren't I a clever puppy?

Please don't tell her where I am.

Thanks,

Ella Bella

Double Shot Mocha

Hey it's me Ruff Ruff.

I had a great weekend. My moms bought me a new show ride and we got to try it out this weekend. Somebody started calling it the Double Shot Mocha and well it fits so....it is the DOUBLE SHOT MOCHA! Mom got a little stressed out when a couple of things didn't work just right--like the toilet leaked--but hey I didn't care.

There was plenty of room for all us Cardis plus one really cutie blue dog. I really like Chrissy she is fun. (I really liked it when she grabbed the steak out of Mom's hand! Hehehehe--it was fun!)

The first night I rolled off the new king sized bed. How was I too know that there was not foot board on RV beds. Mom heard me hit the floor and eventually came looking for me. I crawled out from under Alec and Bek's bed looking a little crossed eyed. Mom said, "Oh Ruff Ruff let me help you back on the bed." Then I made Shaker move. I told him, "Move it buster, I am sleeping on the pillows tonight!" Well turns out there was room for both of us--Shaker slept above Mom's head and I slept beside her."

I got to spend time with my best boy Alec and my girl Bekka wore my favorite show outfit. Mom made us steak again and it was yummy. We all shared in the left overs.

We had a fun weekend and I can't wait to go back out again now that we have enough room for all us Cardis (and people too!)

See ya around the pond,

Russ Out!

She Like It...She Likes It

I am feeling a bit under the weather, so Kathy brought me some hummus and crackers for dinner. My beloved Border Collie Tippy loved to eat hummus with me, but I haven't had a dog since that would even touch the stuff.

So tonight while I was nibbling on hummus filled crackers, Ella sat down in front of me in as much to say, "Hey do dogs like that?" I broke a cracker in half and put some hummus on it and she gobbled it down! So, she and I sat contentedly chowing down on this Mediterranean delight.

To say that it lifted my spirits would be an understatement!

Water Logged

The temperature is rising again so time to clean out the Cardi pools and refill them. Now they have had water in them all along but I haven't been diligent about regularly refilling them. So today I dumped the pools, hosed them out and started refilling them.

Well Shaker got a wild hair and grabbed the hose and shook it like he was killing a snake. So in his zeal to kill the hose he soaks me, I squealed and jumped out of firing range. Well apparently my drama meant game for Shaker Baby. He started chasing me all over the yard with the hose. As he is chasing me about the yard all I could think of was why did I have such long hose?

This great game continued until I finally got my head about me and stopped running from the hose to which Shaker stopped and stood still while literally water logging me and I said, "Drop It!" He did. Game Over.

Now the only question remains--why didn't I think of that at the beginning of the great water chase?

New Vacuum Cleaner Response

Ella is my fearless puppy. She is always up for whatever life brings her way.

So Monday is my dig in and clean day, and typically I lock dogs away from me because Russ and Shaker are PESTS! But today I decided that I had some extra time and would try to do some vacuum cleaner desensitizing. (e.g no the vacuum cleaner doesn't go away if you bark, in fact it just keeps going...) Imagine my surprise when it worked.

So I am merrily moving about the kitchen without barking, jumping generally hysterical dogs biting the vacuum cleaner. When to my even bigger surprise, Ella came out of no where to sniff the extended hose. Yes I said sniff! If you are thinking that she was going to get her nose sucked you're absolutely correct. I honestly don't know who was more surprised me or Ella--she jumped back at the same moment I pulled the hose back.

She gave me a look of "what on earth is that evil thing," while I was turning it off so I could make sure she was alright. Not even so much as a scratch. I will say that she is giving me some room to negotiate when the "evil machine" is turned on. And thank goodness no fearful barking!