Hot enough for ya?

Most of Alberta, is currently in the middle of a heat wave, with higher than normal temperatures. I don't recall too many days where the house has been this hot, at least not for such a long stretch of days. I have fans throughout, opening windows as the shade hits that side of the house and closing others when it moves over there, and am doing all I can to keep cool. The dogs are managing okay, and fortunately have realized that the coolest place to hang out is in the shade of the garage. The puppies, however, are very warm, panting their little hearts out. Like the rest of us, they are also having difficulty getting comfortable and being able to sleep.  Mama Belle isn't keen on spending a lot of time in the whelping box with four little furnaces making her even hotter than she is. All that milk production generates increased body heat all on its' own, and she's been quite uncomfortable. I finally moved the puppy box down to the basement where the little ones instantly felt relief. Belle spends mealtimes and clean-up time with them, then joins me back upstairs. When the heat gets to me, I also set up a cozy spot to relax in the coolness downstairs and watch our babies sleep soundly and comfortably. It may not be the way I usually socialize a litter, who are normally in the center of activity in the kitchen, but until this heat wave breaks, it's best.

I took them outside the other day and in the shade and coolness of the early evening, let them experience prickly grass on their bellies and a chance to really try out their little legs. The lawn allowed them plenty of traction, something they haven't had a lot of while slipping around on paper in their whelping box. Little Juice almost broke into a run! We spent about an hour or more outside and when I finally carried them one by one back into the house and returned them to their box, they crashed and slept for several hours without so much as a wiggle.

Will packed his suitcase the other day and headed off for a week at Camp Shannon Scheer, where he'll get away from the security of his humans and his sister, Aspen, and learn how to be a big boy. The week will be capped off with his three-day entry at the Evelyn Kenny show in Springbank. I've promised to stay away at least for the first day, though if I make it out to watch I'll be certain not to let him know I'm there. I want him to have every chance for success in the ring, and don't want to throw him off. I know he's in excellent hands with Shannon. Will and Aspen turned a year old last weekend and after a bath and some pre-show grooming, I managed to get a few snaps of my very handsome young man.  Good luck, William!

Happy Trails ... Theresa