Nature

A juvenile bald eagle was scoping our the goldfish or maybe the dogs - not sure. Regardless, it was wonderful she/he stayed around for a while before I let the dogs out. (Who let the dogs out? Me!) I've also seen a fox several times lately, bold fellow. Click on the photos to enlarge them.

Sunrise

 

Hoping this is a fox

Smaller than the Icelandics

Headed for my neighbor's chicken coop.

Juvenile Bald Eagle

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Last night's moon

Winter Aconite

 

One of my favorite spring flowers is the happy yellow flowered winter aconite. When I first bought my property in the thumb before I moved up here, I would harvest seeds from my plants in Royal Oak and broadcast them around my north woods which at that time was a virtual jungle, a tangle of grapevines, honeysuckle vines and shrubs, fallen trees, overgrown dogwoods, and viburnums. The seeds must go through a winter before they can sprout. They need freezing weather in order to spur germination. The first spring only the cotyledons, the two 'seed leaves', emerge from the ground. Even though they are very small and are green only for a couple of months before going dormant for almost a full year, they make and store food for the tiny bulb to survive for nine or ten months until the following spring. The second year they produce one small 'rosette' leaf and make food for the next nine or ten months. The third year the rosette is larger. (The leaves above are third year leaves.) By the fourth spring the bulb is large enough and has stored enough food to produce one small finger-nail sized yellow flower. Left alone, that flower will produce more seeds to harvest and broadcast again.

Abeliophyllum distichum

This shrub is sometimes called the white forsythia but it is not related to that spring blooming shrub. Normally it flowers before forsythia and, more importantly, it has a wonderful smell. Although it's a very slow growing plant, the flowers make it a worthwhile addition to the garden. Propagation can happen when a branch is layered (bent over and secured to the ground) but layering takes at least two or three years to produce a 'new' plant. This very small plant was layered at home in R.O. and then brought up here last spring when I moved. I did not expect it to survive let alone flower so I'm delighted.

Pulmonaria

Lungworts, hence the scientific name, were a staple in my Grandmother Harding's yard back by her current bushes. Modern ones have lots of white on the leaves; I prefer more green and smaller dots frankly. These few plants survived the move and are descended from plants in her yard. The flowers open blue and gradually change to pink (or is the other way around?).

Pulmonaria

Pulmonaria

My dogs love to eat the leaves. I discourage that because they are rather slow growing and need their leaves to make enough food to survive the winter. Maybe eating them speaks to some kind of medicinal properties. Perhaps something to do with lungs. lung health, etc.? They also often regurgitate them later - another reason to discourage them. I have my 'special' way of doing that.

Tulipa spp

I prefer the species (wild) tulips because they naturalize and increase in size. It also seems to me that squirrels don't bother them. (Most modern tulips are attractive to squirrels which dig the bulbs up and replant them in other spots in your yard - - or your neighbors' yards.)

Phlox subulata

I love, love, love going down the dirt roads in the country. Occasionally I spot an almost forgotten cemetery which sometimes has old treasures. Reading the tombstones is interesting; some of the tombstones are broken and hard to read. This old fashioned spring blooming phlox had spread throughout almost the entire cemetery.

Sedum

 Most of my plants brought from Royal Oak were very small divisions from mother plants which I sadly left behind. They survived the move and look like they have increased in size. The soil up here is very clayey and hard to work so I though most of the plants wouldn't make it. I was wrong, fortunately. (The family that bought my house adopted two rescue male Labrador retrievers soon after their move. I never want to see 'my' yard again. My dogs avoided the plantings and stayed on the paths. It was just simply easier. I also planned the paths depending on their routes through the yard.)

Colchicum, Sedum

The fall flowering colchicums have increased in size and are spreading. They look like tulips at this time of the year and are making food and storing the energy in their bulbs for a profusion of pink fall flowers sans leaves. The yellow sedum was from a single stem broken off in someone's garden and rescued.

 

I'm unsure what this shrub is. Maybe a flowering cherry of some sort sheared to produce a bush instead of a small tree? Regardless, it's lovely!

Bangsi

Bangsi the Icelandic Sheepdog was the first puppy born in his litter and the last one to leave 'home'. I got unreasonably attached to him, something I try hard NOT to do. First because he was here alone for a few days after his last litter-sibling had left. And second because he had some health issues with Coccidia and needed my tender loving care. Well, Bangsi was not alone really. He had his mother Totty, his aunt Pila and the other adults to play with but most of them are over the age of ten and he was and is a very active, intelligent, outgoing puppy.

I just received this email (which I've edited slightly) from his new mom Courtney who lives in Maine with husband Jeff and their cat.

"Sure you can use them (the photos)! Ill try to get a pic of them (the cat and Bangsi) together . . we will see if I can manage that :)

He certainly seems happy. He likes to play with us and with his toys. He loves to play outside. He also very much seems to enjoy meeting new people which he does pretty regularly! He is very sweet and affectionate...and very active of course :)
 

He has had his next round of distemper and also his bordatella. He gets his rabies soon as well. We also elected to give him lyme since it is endemic on the coast. We are following the vets recommendation to space his Lyme and lepto a bit so he doesn't have them all at once. Our vet - - -  came highly recommended by friends and his puppy trainer uses her as well - . She was so excited to have an icie in clinic. She had considered adopting one and has done a great deal of research on the breed which is comforting since everyone else here assumes he is a husky...haha.

Bangsi is a delightful boy. He is extremely smart which makes him both wonderful and wonderfully naughty. But he learns so fast...both good things and how to play on our love. Smart boy. He has also learned from the cat what he can get away with. They get more comfortable together every day.  You were quite right. He is a special boy.

Lizzie

These wonderful photos of the Icelandic Sheepdog Lizzie, Vinlands Elisabeth, just came. Isn't she sweet? Lizzie lives with Donna and the Doctor in Alabama. Her nearly identical twin Tully lives in Oregon with Melanie and David. Clicking on photos will enlarge them.

I wonder how many of the puppies from this litter have had or will soon have their second set of inoculations. Soon maybe they will get their rabies and Lepto vaccines. Follow the schedule you and your vet have set up. Most of them probably now weigh about ten pounds

Vinlands Elisabeth with Her Ball

Vinlands Tully Lulu

Peek a Boo with Tully

By now your puppy should know its name and come to you when you call it. That "Come!" could save your puppy's life. If you ever have an issue with a command, let me know and I can give you a few training ideas. Of course there are many excellent dog training books on the market now. It's smart to choose one training method and stick to it.

As descendants of wolves, dogs are pre-programmed to follow their pack's alpha. They watch every move of the alpha dogs and learn from their behaviors. Your puppy will learn from watching you also. We've all had the experience of our dog 'knowing' when we are leaving to go to work or go to the park or to the vet's offices. They watch us carefully and by our dropped clues, know what's about to happen. They have a need to gain acceptance from the pack's leader. Your new puppy will try to seek your approbation because you are its alpha. Use that desire to please you to train your puppy.

Lizzie

 

I think your puppies should already know several commands like: - "Sit!", "Come!", "Down!", and "Stay!". While you are teaching verbal commands, also try your hand at hand signals. (What hand signal might you use for "Stay!"?) Sometimes your puppy/dog will be too far away to hear your voice or there might be too much noise to hear your voice. At the same time you use voice commands you should also use hand signals. A good stay could save your dog from rushing out into traffic and harming itself.

Do you have a bait bag now? I like the ones with Vecro openings because they are easy to close preventing the accidental release of treats if you bend over to pick something up while you're training. I like to use string cheese or low fat hot dog pieces as treats. The treat should be about the size of a small baby lima bean. Treats should not be kibble - too boring. They should not be crumbly because of the mess they will create. I like human food so I can store a few pieces in my mouth.

I train all of my dogs to look me in the face. It's an easy thing to do because puppies and dogs naturally watch other pack members (like you) for clues about what's about to happen. I'll put a few pieces of hot dog or string cheese in my mouth. (If you're uncomfortable doing that, hold the piece of food up near your mouth.) I use the phrase, "Watch Me!" to get them to look at my face. If the puppy does look at my face, I take the piece of food from inside my mouth (or near my mouth) and lower it to the puppy's face while continuing to say, "Watch Me!" and "Good Watch Me!". Your Icelandic will soon get the idea. Every time the puppy looks up at your face, say, "Good Watch Me!" and reward it immediately with a treat while saying the "Good Watch Me!"

Adorable Lizzie

It's very important to let your puppy know when it's exhibiting the correct behavior. If you tell your puppy to sit (TELL, not ask, not question, TELL), then as it sits, tell it that it has done a good job and done the right thing. Say, "Yes! Good Sit!". You are trying to teach it the word for a particular action. Repeat the word. Tell your pup that it's been good. Reward it instantly with praise and a treat. The reward must be immediate or the puppy will not connect the reward with the behavior. I like to use the word, "Yes!" as soon as it does the trick because it's fast, easy to say, and easy to hear. Try not simply to say, "Good!". Use the word for the behavior. "Good Sit!" "Good Down!", "Good Stay!", "Good Come!", "Good Watch Me!", etc.

When I use the "Yes!" word as part of my reward, I also nod my head slowly up and down for yes. Sometimes your puppy may be too far away to hear you or there may be a lot of ambient noise so they are unable to hear you. When it's pouring rain, if I send my dogs out for bathroom breaks, when they turn their head for my approbation, I say yes but I also nod my head. They know they are doing the right thing by going to the bathroom outside because of the head nod even if they cannot hear me. You will know your puppy is on the way to being house broken if it turns its head and looks at you when it pees or poops for your approval. Give it!!

Your puppy is currently too young to be considered completely housebroken. It may still have accidents. It should be on its way however. When your pup left here, it was beginning to be paper trained. Naturally an eight week old puppy is too young to be house broken but it's not too young to start the training. Puppies are pre-programmed NOT to mess their own den.

Lizzie Practicing Her Breed Ring Walk

 

Between training sessions, I keep my bait bag in the freezer so the food will always be fresh. Every time I go to the vet's, I take my bait bag. If you do the same, your puppy will soon love going to the vet's. While I'm there waiting, I run through the tricks, new ones and old ones for all of my dogs even thirteen year old Kata. I want their attention on ME not on the other dogs and people. It might seem like fun for your puppy to visit other dogs and people but there are some sick dogs at the vet's. Even if there are only healthy looking dogs when you get there, ill ones have been there recently and still may be in one of the exam rooms. Although some dogs may not look aggressive, they may actually be aggressive. I want my dogs to be focused on me as much as possible no matter where I am.

Say, "Ahhh!".

"My what big teeth you have!"

People often ask how many treats they should use and/or how often they should reward. For now because they are still learning "how" to learn,. use loads of treats, again small treats. Treat every time that your puppy does what you ask it to do. Later on as they get older and they are learning faster, you can reward every other trick or every third trick. However, ALWAYS use your praise words. Always say, "Good Sit!", etc.

Some people like to use clickers. I don't because you may not always have your clicker with you. However, you always have your voice for praise with you. If you really like clicking, and many people do, then you might try clicking using your tongue/mouth instead of the metal clicker. That works almost as well and you always have it. You don't have to carry one extra thing.

Tracy, Jon, Tully

Yesterday we visited the sculpture done by the artist Oezesiak (spelling? Gezesiak?) and talked with his mother who, with her husband, lives across the road from where the sculpture is displayed.

We'd stopped there after shopping for plants for the garden and buying groceries for dinner. We're eating like royalty and having a wonderful time.

Yesterday David sent the photo below of Tully resting on one of  her beds - she has two! Speaking of royalty! Clicking on photos will enlarge them.

Kippa

Icelandic Sheepdog Vinlands Kippa Jane with "her" ball. She loves playing with her toys and relaxing with her boy toy Tryggur (Hidow Thrymheim's Tryggur) apparently. To enlarge the photos, click on them.

Kippa Jane

Kippa

Kippa and Isabella

Kippa with Tryggur

Veronica, Tryggur's breeder, has Icelandic Sheepdog puppies and there may still be some available. The parents are Hidow Thrymheim Vinur and Hidow Tara and her kennel is Hidow - you might be able to find it with Google or you could contact me and I'll give you Roni's email.

Sandi also recently had puppies; her kennel (Blackstar) is listed above on the right or I could send you Sandi's email. The parents of Sandi's litter are Leiru Húni from Iceland and her own Blackstar Birta who can trace her ancestry back to the old Palmahaus kennel established in the mid 1970's here in North America.

Kippa, Kitty, Totty

Totty is missing her pups but we keep her active and busy - mostly.

Kitty and Kippa got together this weekend to play and talk.

 

More Icelandic Sheepdog Puppy Photos

I received some more photos of the Icelandic Sheepdog puppies from last winter's litter. Here are Kitty, Tully, and Bangsi. It appears to me that they have taken over and are now in charge. Fasten your seat belts - - - - Hahahaha! Seriously, aren't they absolutely adorable? I'm guessing that they will all soon get their second round of vaccinations. (Clicking on photos enlarges them.)

Kitty in Michigan

 

Kit

Kit

Tully in Oregon

Bangsi in Maine

Bangsi