New picture of the Flower Girls....

Here is Daffodil and Magnolia at 7 months of age. I am so glad that Susan keeps me informed of their progress. Thanks Susan.... or should I say Cruella!

Lila at 6 months

Today I took Lila to get her microchip and while we were there LaDonna snapped some pictures of her. She was very happy to get to see lots of dogs and people.

SIX MONTHS OLD ALREADY....

Here is Sydney one of the three NUA girls in the litter. She is growing into a stunning girl. She is keeping her new family busy but they love her and she manages to sleep in someone's bed every night! This is Daisy another one of the NUA girls. She is turning into quite a hunter. She recently caught a rabbit much to her new Mom's dismay.
Below is Magnolia graduating from her first class. Daffodil also graduated!
The picture below is very special to me because it is Norman with his big brother Floyd. Floyd is a Sawyer (Ch Rim Rock's Country Spirit) son and he looks so much like Sawyer did in his old age that this picture brought tears to my eyes when I received it. Floyd was the only puppy that survived from his litter so I got quite attached to him.

Some new pictures!

Here is my sweet Lila growing into a lovely young lady.Below is Sadie (formerly Dahlia)
Below is Sadie (HUA) and Lila (NUA)
Susan and the liver lovelies. Magnolia on the left and Daffodil on the right.

Magnolia

Daffodil

Here is Burdock enjoying a bone to help with the teething process.

VIOLET GOES ON VACATION

Violet went to Hilton Head, SC and it looks like she had a very good time!

Bizzi wins Best In Show.....

This weekend a group of us from The Greater Pittsburgh Dal Club decided to go to some UKC shows that were being held in Ravenna, Ohio. We had a blast and did some winning! There were 4 multi-breed shows and at the first one Tammy and Jolene went Best of Breed and on to a Group 3. At the second show Tammy and Jolene went Best of Breed and on to a Group 2. At the third show LaDonna and Gage went Best of Breed and on to a Group 2. At the fourth show Bizzi and I went Best of Breed and on to a Group 1. To make the weekend a little sweeter we also went on to BEST IN SHOW!!!!! Pictured below is Bizzi, I and the judge and the biggest ribbon I ever won!!!! Chris and puppy Ryder were there too and although they didn't get a Best of Breed win the were awarded Best Male at two of the shows.
Tammy and Jolene have already completed there UKC Championship and are now competing for Grand Champion. Bizzi, Gage and Ryder have a good start on acquiring their UKC Championships as well.

As most of you know the Topper - Gambit litter was a UKC registered litter because the AKC, at this point in time, won't register the NUA Dalmatians at the request of the Dalmatian Club of America. Many true Dalmatian enthusiasts across the country are willing to give up the AKC to incorporate the gene for Normal Uric Acid in their bloodlines. In the process we are learning what fun it is to show our dogs at UKC shows. The politics that have soured so many on the AKC are just not there at UKC.

Burdock

I received this picture today of Burdock and he is looking very handsome. He will be starting puppy school at the end of the month and I imagine he will want to do it his way! I am sure his buddy Cezar and the two cats will be hoping he comes back from school very tired so they can have some peace.

Magnolia and Daffodil

I received these pictures today of the two liver girls that broke my heart by not inheriting the NUA gene. They are growing to be as pretty as I expected.

The first three pictures are Magnolia and the second two are Daffodil. Susan said they are a hit with all the neighborhood children. Who could resist that much cuteness?

Lila and Tolliver

It looks like Lila is giving Tolliver a raspberry. She has been going with me to the shows and seems to be enjoying it.

Little Helper

Daisy is ready to help with the painting! Hopefully I will receive pictures from some of the other puppy owners so you can watch them grow too!

Sydney and two of her three big sisters

Sydney formerly Tulip is pictured giving her new big sister Kiertsen a kiss!Pictured below is Sydney with Lindsay.

Daisy's First Swim....

My friend Katie took me for my first swim! It was great! I knew just what to do, the doggie paddle! Love, Daisy

New beginnings for the pups...

Strawberry DreamsRita tells me that Daisy (formerly Iris) steals strawberries from the strawberry patch but she only picks the red ones.
Above is Violet (formerly Viola) with the man in her life, Pat. They live in a very dog friendly area and the dogs are welcome to come to the restaurants. This is a picture of them at an outdoor restaurant.

Above is Burdock with his new big brother Cezar. Cezar must be a very tolerant old soul because Burdock loves to play!

I just love this picture of Dalton and Lila. I call it the "Age of Innocence" picture. Holly, Dalton's Mom brought Dalton to visit the puppies and took this picture. Dalton is my friend LaDonna's Grandson but he lives closer to me than he does his grammy.

Something different

Tagged! I have been tagged by LaDonna to tell how the dog that owns my heart came into my life. As many know that dog is Garrett. Garrett wasn't the first dog to own my heart but he is the current one. In the 50 + years that I have shared with Dalmatians I have lost count of how many I have owned, bred but most importantly loved. Of that vast number of spotted dogs I have been blessed with four that touched a spot in my heart above all others. They were my first Dalmatian Buckshot who I got in 1958, Watson, Watson's daughter Chloe and of course Garrett. After breeding Garrett's mom Posey twice with discouraging results I decided to try a third time. This time I chose a very sweet old dog by the name of Dutch who had a very nice pedigree to sire Posey's last litter. Dutch had been neglected due to his former owners marital problems when my friend Jeff rescued him, fed him and subsequently finished his championship. I had known Dutch from the time he was a young dog because I competed against him many times with Sherman. I would have bred Chloe to him years earlier if his owners at the time would have finished his championship title. Dutch could not breed naturally due to an injury to his back when he was hit by a car so I brought him to my home so we could do an artificial insemination. From that I got a litter of 6 puppies. All 14 ounces of Garrett entered my life on January 13, 2002 at 7:25 PM. I swear I bonded with him before he was completely born. As you know Dals are born white but while they are still in the birth sack you can see their spots. Once they are dry the spots are no longer visible. In that tiny window of opportunity I saw the teardrop under his eye like Watson had and I had the feeling that the spirit of Watson had come back to me. I knew at that moment that Garrett was here to stay. I have never regretted that decision for a moment. I can't even bear the thought of him not being with me forever...
Now I would like to Tag Cindy and Eric to tell us how they became Dalmatian lovers. Any of the GPDC members who get tagged can use the GPDC blog http://www.gpdcspot.blogspot.com/ to tell your story!

Day Fifty Eight

And now there is one!!!! OR should I say four....

Pictured below is Susan who has been waiting for some time for her two girls Magnolia and Daffodil. I usually won't let two puppies go to the same home but I am certain that Susan is ready for the challenge! I will miss all the puppies but Magnolia had a special place in my heart and letting her go was not easy. As an added bonus Susan lives close to my good friend, Judy, who does a remarkable job with her three Dal boys. Judy came with Susan to pick up the girls and we had a very nice visit!

So let me introduce you to Rim Rock's first NUA addition. She was Lilac but we are shortening her name to Lila. Formally she will be known as....

RIM ROCK'S U GOTTA B KIDDIN'

I want to say THANK YOU to all of you who have followed the adventures of this litter. It has been an experience and a labor of love. I won't be updated daily now but please check back often for updates on these 9 wonderful Dalmatians and the people who are sharing their lives with them.

Day Fifty Seven

And then there were three... What could be better socialization for three little liver girls than a visit from four children. The puppies were as happy as the children at this encounter.Today Burdock went to his new home with Milt and Roberta. He will have a senior Doberman friend and he will get to meet his first kitty. He may even get to spend some time in the company of horses!

Week Eight

"Hey... go get your own toy....this one is mine..."

I am sure the puppies can't figure out why I keep putting the toys back in the toy box after they get them out. Today I trimmed the toe nails. It will be the last time I do this for most of them because after this weekend just Lilac will remain. It is sad to see them go but it is time. I am looking forward to begin with Lilac's socialization. I will be taking her with me to the shows and will enroll her in a puppy kindergarten class. It is so important to have them get all kinds of new experiences at this tender age. If young puppies don't get socialized they may become either spooky or reactive when out of their comfort zone.