Spring 2016 Dalmatians and Flowers

Spring is the very best time of year here.  There is nothing prettier than wildflowers, Dalmatians, and Spring beauty.  I am so grateful for green grass, blue sky, Spring rains, wildlife, pets, good people all around us, and the beauty we are so lucky to see every day.  Here are some pretty pictures of the dogs and flowers.  Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrush are in full bloom, but will be fading as the warmer weather moves in.  So, we enjoy them as much as we can before they are gone.

CH LLL Victory Hit the Jackpot (Jackie)

CH LLL Victory Dodge Ram (Dodger)

 

CH Dalmino's Victory Vegas, CA (Vegas)

CH Atlantis Wildcat Victory

 

Christmas with Dalmatians 2015

We love our dogs and they are part of our family.  They live in the house with us, and have their own Christmas stockings, too.  They know that each year when we put up the stockings, they will be getting Christmas toys and treats, and they are like kids, so excited and can't wait to see what is in their stocking.  So, to share the joy of having these fun and silly dogs, here are our 2015 Christmas with Dalmatians photos.  Many blessings in 2016 to all of our friends and family!

Vegas and Jackie with their toys and treats

 

Dodger, Jackie, Vegas, and Victory getting their Christmas stockings

 

Victory checking out the stockings

 

Photo taken by Dalmatian Rescue.  Dogs from left are Vegas, Victory, and Dodger.  Jackie is on Santa's lap.

 

New Champion LLL Victory Hit the Jackpot

Our pretty little lady, Jackie (LLL Victory Hit the Jackpot), is now a champion, finishing in fine style going best of breed and group three in bred by exhibitor.  She has a lovely temperament and personality.  Always fun loving, wagging tail, happy to go anywhere and do anything, enthusiastic, energetic, and so cute.  She looks like her Dad, Victory, but is petite like her Mom, Vegas.  She is our last dog to finish her championship, so now all four of our Dals are champions.  It has been fun, and we have met and made wonderful friends along the way.  I am now training Vegas in obedience and getting ready for road trials.  Everything we do with these beautiful dogs is fun and entertaining.  I am so grateful to have the opportunity to have these wonderful dogs.  Here is Jackie's championship picture.

Great recipe for homemade dog treats

I came upon a fabulous recipe for homemade dog treats from a weekly email that I got from AKC awhile back.  Victory is so picky about the treats and biscuits that he likes.  He used to only like Pro Plan chicken and rice or their chicken, oats, and cranberry biscuits, and they no longer make them.  He will eat Blue Turkey biscuits, but that is pretty much it.  For treats, he will only eat really high quality chicken jerky and of course the food we share from our table and ice cream is his very favorite.  I tried the recipe from AKC and he loves it!  It is called Hot Sardine Yummies, but I did not use sardines.  I bought high quality canned chicken breast, instead.  Here is the recipe, and all of my Dals absolutely love these treats, and they are so easy to make and do not make your house smell bad.

3 eggs
1 - 12.5 oz can of chicken breast meat
1 sleeve of graham crackers
A blender
1 cookie sheet
Preheat oven at 350 degrees
Combine all ingredients in blender until smooth
Spread the mixture on a buttered cookie sheet
Bake for 20 minutes until it reaches a rubbery consistency and is light brown on top
Allow to cool
Cut into cubes
Store in airtight container in refrigerator
Spoil your dogs by feeding them these yummy treats!

Here are some pictures from our summer with the Dalmatians.  Always lots of exercise when you have these spotted friends.  No problem getting 10,000 to 12,000 steps per day in with these guys!




                  Dodger (CH LLL Victory Dodge Ram)

Jackie and Courtney biking.  The Dals love going for bike rides!

 

 

Vegas and Luke

 

Victory and Vegas.  Vic is in his favorite upside down with lips hanging position on the couch!

 

 

Wishbone (1999 - February 27, 2015)

My best buddy ever, Wishbone, passed away.  He was almost 16 years old, and was the best dog ever.  My faithful companion who always went everywhere with me.  I never needed a leash, as he stuck to my side at all times without a leash.  He was the best horse riding buddy ever.  We put many miles on out on the trails and he loved following me on the horse.  He came to us at 2 years old in 2001 from Dalmatian Rescue.  He was the sweetest dog, and had great health except his hips started giving him trouble at about age 10.  He never missed a day going to the horse barn with me until the past week, when he could no longer walk.  Losing him was tough, as he was the best.  He loved everybody, and when Victory came in 2009, he was such a wonderful companion for Victory.  He loved Vegas when she came in 2010.  And, he has been a grandpa to Dodger and Jackie.  Dodger loves him so much.  Dodger was always cleaning him, and showing him the way when he couldn't see because of his cataracts.  Shelby, our Tattersall Dalmatian picked Wishbone when we went to Dalmatian Rescue looking for another Dalmatian in 2001.  She loved him at first sight, and what a great pick he was.  Shelby and Wish were best buddies.  He can never be replaced, and I am so grateful for his life, and for Dalmatian Rescue, and all they do to help wonderful Dalmatians like Wishbone find loving families.  I pray that Wishbone will be there waiting for me when I die.  Run free, sweet boy, we loved you and miss you so much.

Wishbone with Luke and Shelby about 4 months after we got him from Dalmatian Rescue in 2001

 

Wishbone and Victory about a month after we got Victory in 2009

 

Wishbone and Victory, see how sweet Wishbone was to Victory

 

Christmas 3 years ago, Wish and Vic

 

Christmas 3 years ago with Luke, Vegas, Wishbone, and Santa

 

Wishbone in Spring 2014

 

 

 

Christmas 2014

We are so blessed!  We have great jobs, wonderful families who brought us up right as Christians, taught us to work hard, be honest, help others, honor and obey God, and love this country.  We are fortunate to have beautiful dogs, a small farm where we live with our horses and beautiful nature all around us.  God has truly blessed us, and we are so grateful.  Here are pictures from our 2014 Christmas.  We wish all our family and friends many blessings in the coming year!

Victory and Dodger (Dodger standing up) checking out their stockings, Jackie watching, and Vegas whose face you cannot see.

 

Vegas with her Christmas toy.  Vegas is our watchdog.  She is not quick to warm up to people she does not know, and is constantly on the alert to guard and protect.  A funny story about Vegas from last week:  I was checking the bite on one of our old goats, Fudge, as his bite has gone off all of a sudden, and the goat tried to bite me, so I said to the goat "don't you bite me!"  Vegas was out running in the goat pasture and when she heard my raised voice at the goat, she came charging into the goat barn, ready to protect me and take on the goat.  I assured her everything was o.k. and I didn't need her protection, but that is a good example of her guard dog tendencies.  Dalmatians were bred to protect their master's horses and property and Vegas takes her job seriously.

 

Vegas with Luke and Courtney, opening stockings

 

Vegas and Victory checking out Wishbone's new Kong bone toy.  Wishbone really likes this toy, and I'm so glad that at age 15 1/2 he is still enjoying life.  The toy is a soft green plastic bone with different size holes that you can insert treats into, and the dogs work to get the treats and it cleans their teeth as they chew on it.

 

Our Christmas card this year

 

Courtney with her Minnie Mouse Christmas hat

 

Humble Dog Show and Fall Color

We have had some nice luck at the dog shows lately, and some beautiful weather along with cold weather, making for some pretty fall color.  Happy Thanksgiving!  We get whistling ducks here every year, they like it here because we feed corn to our two ducks and two geese every morning and every night, so the food is a real draw for these wild whistlers.  Here is a picture of the fall color and the whistling ducks.  I love watching these wild ducks and they have a unique distinct whistling sound.

 

 

Here is a picture of Victory and Jackie snoozing on the couch together.  They look so much alike and have such lovely temperaments. 

The rest of the pictures are the photos of the three dogs that we took to Humble to the dog show and the Dalmatian Organization of Houston specialty show, where we did well.  Dodger was winners dog/best of winners at the first show for a major under judge Betsy Dale.  Betsy Dale also gave Vegas, Dodger's mother, a major to finish her championship a couple of years ago.  Dodger was also winners dog at the Dalmatian specialty show, to finish his championship.  He is such a pretty boy and beautiful mover, so he has been easy to show to his championship.  Jackie was reserve winners bitch at two of the shows, but no points for her.  She was cold, and did not want to stack nicely, she was kind of hunchy in her stacks.  Victory was Select dog at all of the Humble shows and won stud dog class, where he was the only entry.

Courtney and Dodger with his winnings

 

Courtney and Jackie with her winnings

 

Dodger showing off his ribbons from Humble

 

Victory with his results from Humble.  Love this boy!