I'm on a couple other forums around the 'net and I don't know what it is in the air right now, but a LOT of people (mostly in the U.S.) are wanting to breed their bitch for X or Y reason. So, since I plan on C+P-ing this everywhere I encounter such an idea, I want to post it here, too, just to cover as much ground as I can.

So you want to breed your female. You know what to expect if everything goes right.…

Ace is a wonderful dog, but he has always had a huge problem of guarding his raw dinner from other animals. At one point it had vanished, and he was able to share a meaty bone with the cats. He's never guarded from humans, and I am very thankful for that. I've hand-fed him from the start, and I think it has paid off - I can pick the food right out of his mouth and he won't say a thing.

But now, his guarding against other animals is back full force, and what's worse is that his…

This morning, Lady graciously celebrated the two week mark of living with us by taking a massive, pungent dump just to the side of the bed as I slept. All the blame goes to my husband, who thought it would be a good idea to not inform me that she had yet to poop in the A.M., and then let her roam freely in the bedroom while he went off to work. I won't soon forget the smell (compounded by the fact that I had thrown up my innards the night before thanks to eating…

28 September Video HERE!

28 Sept.: Things are looking great. Ace has a fierce history of guarding food from other animals, so we've had to be veeeeery careful about that with Lady. It's difficult because he will snap over some of the most worthless items, just because she happens to approach them - carrot ends, dried out treats from yesteryear... But yeah. I…

Ahhhhh!

I cannot believe it's so close to the 27th already! It feels like September passed by in a flash. Do you all remember when we were in school and a 90 minute class felt like it would go on for an eternity? And how incredibly long summer vacations felt? Kids have it so much better. At my age (25 years old), I already feel like entire seasons just slip through my fingers. It seemed like a week ago that summer finally started, and today it was already 13C (~55F) and I had…

I am so excited! I have crossed my T's and dotted my I's on the contract for a beautiful Border Collie girl who is expected to come to our home in two weeks' time. A year ago, Ace had just come all the way from the U.S. and was busy giving me a nervous meltdown. I remember being terrified by the prospect of dealing with this unruly, stubborn, independent dog for the next 10-15 years. I think the process of welcoming a new dog into your home is like childbirth - it's…

Today has been a totally awesome and fabulous day! I am radiating happiness and haven't stopped smiling since early noon. :-)

My husband Ben and I, driven by our long-suffering best friend Sev, went on a 90 minute roadtrip out to the countryside to go see the litter of Border Collie puppies I've been interested in. And I am SO glad that I went. I got my puppy fix (they're the best drug!) and I really clicked with one of the two girls up for consideration. I have a feeling…

After putting it off for a couple months, I finally entered Ace in the Cardiped database. :-) I believe it is a wonderful thing to keep track of who comes from where, and thanks to everything being digitized, it couldn't be easier. There is a truly comprehensive database available for Basenjis, my former breed, and I enjoyed the wealth of information at my fingertips.

In case any of you want a quick looksee, visit Ace's page here! …

I received a very fancy e-mail today from the AKC, saying that Ace has been registered in their books. :) So, he's now officially Pynewoode's Ace of Hearts. Isn't that a lovely, perfect name! I can't wait to frame his pedigree when it arrives in the post!

In other news, Ace now has a steady girlfriend (a Border Collie puppy named Gaia) and they have been dating for a week now! Every day for 2 hours straight they zig and zag in a huge, 11.5 hectare park in the heart of my city,…

Okay, I know this isn't exactly an astonishing event but I thought I would make a blog post about it anyway.

I HAVE SUCCEEDED IN MAKING ACE INTERESTED ENOUGH IN A TOY TO PLAY WITH IT ON HIS OWN!

This is really groundbreaking for me, and especially for Ace. Ever since he entered my life, he has NOT played with toys. Sure, he would tug…

As he is 11~ months old now, I decided to take Ace in for his snip. I would have waited until the full twelve, but money is decent for the first time in ages now so it was best to get it done when I could afford it. The total ended up being 340€, gack! Ace is/was a cryptorchid, so they really had to do some digging around to find that atrophied second testicle.

My only regret is the magnificent belly fur that took so long to grow... is now gone. Ace had sparsely furred…

Right, well, I've been going on and on about socializing Ace. I've encountered pretty much every size, shape and gender of human being with him. I thought I had covered all the bases... until today.

Enter CDL - Crazy Dog Lady. She was peculiarly dressed this fine Friday evening - I could see her... ahem... undies from a mile away, saying hello over the waistline of her pants. You'd expect this sort of outfit from the younger generation, maybe, but this lady was easily pushing…

It's been a few weeks now that I have worked on Ace's people skills. Every day, I made it a point that at least one stranger would come up to him. He's done terrific progress in some parts, and is going at a snail's pace in others. What I have discerned from this experiment so far:

- Ace loves the ladies. Of all shapes, sizes, ages and species. If a girl comes up to him, he will go sniff her with just momentary hesitation. What a ladies' man...

- Ace is not as…

Since mastering cross-paws with just an auditory cue, Ace has been working with me while I try to develop his play drive. If you remember, when he first came to live with me the initial worry I had was that he was completely disinterested and unmoved by toys of all shapes, sizes and squeaks. There's a Kong in absolutely immaculate shape after I stuffed it with everything short of filet mignon. Our tennis balls have their fuzz intact, and we have a rope toy with knots still…

I am on such a rush right now! Ace and I just came back from a lovely first glance at an agility class, on a terrain about half an hour away by car. I have never wanted to learn how to drive (and own my own car) so badly until now - I want to go back!

We were allowed to drop in on a beginner's agility course, and eventually the trainer asked us if we'd like to have a go. I was so elated, I jumped into the ring without a second thought. Ace did extremely well on the long-line…

My husband, Ace and I all went to the city prefecture today to pick up my 10 year "Green Card" for staying in France (a victory on its own!). After a grueling half-hour wait in a room that felt more like a sauna than a city hall, I was called forward to a window and Ace accompanied me. The clerk waved hello and made kissy noises to Ace, which piqued his interest in what was going on. He had already been such a good little gentleman until now - despite the presence of many squealing and…

I am SO happy to report that today, Ace and my husband went to the atelier of a photographer (Xavier) who works in the same building as us. Ace was on a very loose leash in the presence of Xav, and did not try to hide behind my husband's legs when first being introduced.

After 6 treats dispensed in the hand of Xavier, Ace allowed the latter to pet him on the top of his head! This is HUGE! I couldn't believe it when my husband told me just how zen Ace was with being touched,…

Sorry for the silence around the holidays! My husband and I have been very preoccupied with work, work and more work. However, that hasn't stopped me from doing a large amount of progress with Ace's training!

He has become such an amazing gentleman; it's truly remarkable how fast he learns. Because I have opted out of joining the weekly "obedience" classes in my city (truth is, they use the Old School methods of fear and leash-pulling, which I abhor), I have made it my…

Yesterday, Ace and Grâce, his 5 month old Boxer puppy girlfriend, spent close to two hours playing and chasing each other around. They get along splendidly and Ace loves to be chased and rolled around by his long-legged lady. She is an extremely high-drive dog and her intensity is sometimes frustrating for her owner, a friend of ours who works very odd hours. As such, he does not often have time to work with her, and I have seen some of the damage she's done in his flat as a result of her…