The Spaniel Annals

working and living with performance spaniels

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about

I’m a retired English instructor, now devoted full-time to training, showing and enjoying my spaniels in many sports.
I’m an English college instructor by trade, a dog trainer by vocation. And lifelong baseball fan.

Category: Uncategorized

  • no puppies

    Last month Rozzie was bred to a field champion Melchris springer, and we’ve been waiting for today, the day of the ultrasound. She’s been off her feed a bit, a wee bit moody and lethargic, and to me just a bit full in the tummy. So we went to the vet’s quite expectantly. But no…

  • Let’s go train!

    Mom! Quit your moping! Let’s go train!  

  • Until We Meet Again

    “Kani” Melchris Constitutional UD SH RA July 21, 2003 – May 1, 2013

  • How’s that Coolpix?

    Jes’ checking out how my new Nikon camera works. I typically upgrade my techno-toys about 10 years after everyone else, and my camera finally bit the dust a few weeks ago. I need something to photograph Gael next week in the field, but all of my savings are wrapped up in house move/sale/upgrading tasks. So…

  • Life in Transition

    Since December my focus has been on getting my house ready for sale, in hopes of down-sizing to a more manageable property and mortgage amount. Beyond that, my goal is to find a property with a shop/garage that I can use as a training building. Needless to say, this has turned my life and my…

  • The House of Cards

    This is a few weeks ago now, but Kani had her monthly blood test to see how her kidneys are functioning.  A few numbers improved, but the most important ones did not: The BUN and Creatinine (CRE) are most significant in terms of kidney function, and they are asterisked, meaning they are above normal range.  (The…

  • Kani

    One thing that has slowed my energy level way down for any kind of thoughtful posting is Kani’s diagnosis of kidney failure.  This occurred a few weeks ago when I took her in for yet another blood panel.  Things just weren’t right, and she wasn’t keeping on weight, despite my upping her food level far…

  • What to do about Rozzie

    The picture below, taken yesterday on my patio, seems to capture the essence of Rozzie, who is Reardon’s sister and Kani’s daughter: an endearing and classic spaniel expression, and a little buzz-saw tail that never stops wagging. But for the past few months, I’ve been puzzling over what to do with her.  While she’s very much…

  • Back to Tracking!

    A brief stint as English department chair this fall quarter meant the training continued, but the blogging didn’t.  This fall Reardon and Gael have been getting back to tracking.  With a tracking test coming up locally in March 2012, it’s time to get that TD for Reardon.  He’s done a lot more tracking of other…

  • The Enumclaw obedience trial: too hot to handle!

    After four wonderful novice performances, Reardon and I bit the dust at the Olympia Kennel Club show in Enumclaw.  I just can’t seem to handle heat these days, and in 85+ degree humid heat,  with a swampy brain and sweaty legs, I couldn’t handle Reardon properly in his novice class.  We had 2 no-sits (which…