tag:rodeoswissy.com,2005:/blogs/latest-news?p=2Latest News2022-03-24T23:06:21-07:00RODEO Swissyfalsetag:rodeoswissy.com,2005:Post/69315652022-03-24T23:06:21-07:002023-10-16T07:46:18-07:00Geordi's BEST DAY<p>Sharing some details about Geordi's BEST DAY, where he and handler Joshua Hargis of Summerwind Canines, went BEST IN SHOW at the Sierra-Tuolumne Kennel Club! </p>
<p>The 2021 Sierra-Tuolumne Kennel Club shows were held in beautiful Angels Camp, CA, which was a one-time venue change for this club that we really enjoyed for the beautiful grounds and opportunity to visit a new local venue. We have always loved this club as one of the few remaining "local clubs" who still hold their show in their own territory, on their own. We had a special feeling about the 2021 show, remembering that our girl Nexpa had received a nice group placement there in 2017.</p>
<p>That weekend we showed Geordi's children, Bannister, Bodhi and Clover, all three of them out Alta. Bodhi finished his championship, so it was already a lucky weekend for us! We enjoyed time with friends from many breeds and Holly showed Icelandic Sheepdogs with friends.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/919a364bea2de6261f181e98bc50211afd4e0230/original/2021-10-17-sun-sierra-tuolumne2-swissy-w-scaled.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Bodhi, above, finishing his championship under Bernese Mountain Dog breeder judge, Dawn Hitchcock.</p>
<p>On Saturday, we stayed for groups and watched Geordi. We watched along with a family visiting the show to check out the breed. When Geordi won the group, for the first time ever, under "dog show legend" Patricia Trotter, Holly was at first speechless, as she didn't really realize what was happening. Photographer Diana Han captured the pure joy of this amazing win, that caught us all by surprise.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/c81cf7e405c2fbbeec9d01f29591da6f40b7dde1/original/webb-candid3.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Winning the group, at this show, under Pat Trotter, was really a dream come true, and we couldn't really imagine it getting much better. We were on CLOUD NINE and planned to stay there for a really long time, enjoying the thrill and the honor of this award. We had a lot of fun taking pictures, going to dinner and really enjoying a historic day, for us, at the dog show. </p>
<p>The next day, we showed in the am, but Holly had to leave before groups, in order to drive to Oregon State, to pick up Alta who was being bred up there, and to also bring home one of Geordi's pups from another breeder. With the cell reception being poor on the drive home in the RV, Holly turned off the cell signal to make the phone work better for other tasks. At home, it was a big job to unpack the dogs, and repack for Oregon. Around 4 pm, she realized she didn't know the group results, and turned on the phone. The phone came to life. Group 1!!! What? must be mistake? Maybe a message from yesterday that had gotten stuck? Holly texted back Josh, "Better tell me again if this is true? Group 1 again today?" Then, congratulations started rolling in as we got in the van to drive to Oregon. Again, no cell service. Holly started to get a feeling that something funny was happening. This was an awful lot of congratulations! Finally, right when coverage started up again, she heard from friend Diana Han. Heartfelt congratations. So Holly asks, "Thank you! He won the group again, right?" And that is when we found out, "HE WON BEST!"</p>
<p>What?! At that moment our world changed. We were part of Swissy history. We were in disbelief, joy, shock, and so excited for the whole team! Some regrets bubbled up about not being there, but then just gratitude remained, to the judges, the friends cheering for us, everyone who congratulated us, and our handling team. We will never know if Geordi would have put on the same show with Holly present- during Best in Show on Saturday, he was a bit distracted. And, being there the whole time on Saturday, watching the first group win and his first appearance in Best in Show, plus watching Warren Cook's great BIS video from his win, gives me the feeling of always being there. We were part of his big day, and showed to the Group judge in breed with the pups, so we have strong memories of the entire experience.</p>
<p>Thank you to the judges that gave us the most amazing dog show weekend of our lives: Pat Trotter, Dawn Hitchcock, and Sidney Marx.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/edaad33864c711af92af7d7c2429516760fff877/original/gsmd-webb2.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/be96bbbb42ebf17a73a8bd486fac15e94ce18be4/original/gsmd-webb6.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Above is the exact moment Josh figured out they had been selected for Best in Show! He is pretty surprised and happy!</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/f39796bc68867133759746e34ec1d05bb6ed824a/original/gsmd-webb7.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" />A lot of people worked hard to support Geordi in winning Best in Show. Team Summerwind had three dogs in Best in Show that day, and Catrina Castro showed Flynn allowing Josh to show Geordi. We are grateful for the help! We also thank the Kennel Club for putting on such a nice event, as always, and providing fantastic prizes we will always treasure, and to our friend Yvonne Shanto, who sent us some of those early congrats (that we thought were for the group and didn't realize were for BIS) and customized our trophies with Geordi's name on them.</p>RODEO Swissytag:rodeoswissy.com,2005:Post/65867072021-03-27T11:32:42-07:002021-12-31T17:21:19-08:00Summit Earns Her First AKC Title!<p>We are so proud of <a contents="Summit" data-link-label="Summit" data-link-type="page" href="/summit">Summit</a>, from our RODEO E litter, who earned her CGC title on March 25, 2021, with her co-owners Julia and Kristi. Summit is Geordi's first offspring to earn an AKC title, and she is also already pointed towards her AKC Championship. Summit was only 11 months of age when earning her CGC title.</p>
<p><a contents="What is CGC?&nbsp;" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.akc.org/products-services/training-programs/canine-good-citizen/" target="_blank">What is CGC? </a></p>
<p>The AKC Canine Good Citizen™ (CGC) program is a two-part course designed to help you and your dog be the best you can be–together. Since 1989, over 1 million dogs and their owners have participated in CGC, mastering ten basic skills that instill confidence and good manners in and out of your home. </p>
<p>Not only does CGC training create long-lasting trust between you and your pup, but also ensures you’ll be good neighbors and friends to everyone around you—and, if you’re interested in going beyond the basics, CGC also lays the foundation for other AKC sports and activities like obedience, agility, tracking, and performance events.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/d3f2c0ba5a89f6941335be0d09a5194ed1ffc22f/original/sum-cgc-cert.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>RODEO Swissytag:rodeoswissy.com,2005:Post/65866782021-03-27T11:23:54-07:002022-03-24T22:43:01-07:00Geordi Ranks In the Top 10 of All Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs for 2020<p>We are so proud of our Lt Commander Geordi La Forge! For the second year in a row, for 2020, he finished "ranked" in the "Top 20" of all Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs, according to all official dog show stats. And, for the first time, he also ranked in the Top 10. He finished #4 "All-Breed" rankings, and #10 "Breed Rankings".</p>
<p>Geordi also knocked our socks off by placing 2nd in working group under respected judge Robert Shreve. This was his first AKC group placement, and an impressive one at that! He defeated over 200 dogs, and for the entire day, was only defeated by one dog - the best in show winner!</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/d54ceb074649f599e15711d2d256cc79fd5f9c1d/original/120520-277.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>RODEO Swissytag:rodeoswissy.com,2005:Post/62513362020-03-16T14:15:27-07:002020-03-16T14:16:37-07:00PUPPIES EXPECTED APRIL 15, 2020<p>We are pleased to announce a successful natural breeding between our two Grand Champion Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs, <a contents="Geordi" data-link-label="Geordi" data-link-type="page" href="/geordi">Geordi</a> and <a contents="Nexpa!" data-link-label="Nexpa" data-link-type="page" href="/nexpa">Nexpa!</a> Both of these dogs are large, heavy boned, heavy coated dogs that are exceptional examples of the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, in every way. We are very excited to see what this litter will bring, due April 15, 2020</p>
<p>A quick ultrasound done for confirmation of pregnancy and not for counting easily showed 6+ puppies, but we will have to wait for the tax man to tell us the final return. </p>
<p>It's been awhile since we had a litter bigger than 1 puppy here at RODEO, so we have some interest built up. Also, with the workload at hand, both the "regular" crushing tax season and the extra work due to the COVID 19 impact on our business <a contents="Yosemite Stay" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.yosemitestay.com" target="_blank">Yosemite Stay</a>, we aren't able to do many personal updates at this time. We will focus any extra time on Nexpa's prenatal care and monitoring. </p>
<p>We are still accepting applications, but until we know the litter size, and also the genders of puppies, its hard for us to tell how many more homes we may be considering. The best plan is to go ahead and apply, if you have not already. And, unless we have been in touch in the last few days, you should also reply to let us know if anything has changed, and if you are still interested in this litter. </p>
<p>We still plan to breed Nexpa's daughter <a contents="Alta" data-link-label="Alta" data-link-type="page" href="/alta">Alta</a> soon, as well as we expect to have three puppies to place from outside breedings, as our boys have been siring litters for other breeders and we will be bringing puppies home from those litters to place with our applicants. </p>
<p>Keep an eye on our website for updates, on the<a contents=" puppy page" data-link-label="upcoming breedings" data-link-type="page" href="/upcoming-breedings"> puppy page</a>, and also at <a contents="Contact Us" data-link-label="Contact Us" data-link-type="page" href="/contact-us">Contact Us</a>, to see if our dogs will be out at any shows.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/b530fadf0825ce5f58f33883fce3c671d9e6a7e5/original/nexpa-geordi-ad-web.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>RODEO Swissytag:rodeoswissy.com,2005:Post/59111092019-09-30T20:39:43-07:002019-09-30T20:41:10-07:002019 NOHS Series Wrap Up<p>The AKC's 2019 National Owner-Handled Series is wrapping up. There are a few days left in the series and no dog shows in California, so this completes our participation for the 2019 year. The dogs in the Top 10 for the country will get an invitation to the AKC National Championships in Orlando, Florida, held in December 2019. Our very own Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge is sitting in the #6 spot for now, so we expect that he will earn an invitation.</p>
<p>Finishing his championship in early June, Geordi was only able to fully participate in this series for 4 out of the 12 months. He placed in the Owner-Handled Groups 6 times, out of a total of 10 times attending. He placed 2nd three times, 3rd twice, and 4th once. We are elated that he could do so well, and at under 21 months old, and to make the top 10 in such a short amount of time. Thank you to all the judges who recognized our young pup! <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/de1f6ef3d067009923233461a53251f123e666aa/original/70986802-407918643254651-2554015359266979840-n.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/1325ebef9c10a48d7f7e3fd22b35234909c8ccc4/original/2019-09-22-sun-donner-swissy-g4-oh.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>RODEO Swissytag:rodeoswissy.com,2005:Post/53168252018-06-25T15:04:45-07:002018-09-13T22:14:12-07:00Lake Shore and GSMDCA Regional Specialties, Grayslake IL, June 2018<p>So incredible proud of our girls performance at these three specialty shows. Ring photos in this post are by Debbie Fields. Thank you to judges John Constantine-Amodei, Adrian Woodfork, and Evie Sullivan for recognizing our girls. And also (no win photo) thank you to James Donahue for the Best in Sweeps win with Alta puppy. Pixley was beautifully handled in the BOB class by Erin Myers (and by me in the puppy sweepstakes).</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/1767bfc3fb18afaba7d0fabe3f35d706d0f66804/original/lf61518b-0193.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/5ccfc4945e773c5655b1fc22c2b775286e51be52/original/lf61518b-0203.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/701d672a471f6ca36659b09ef052626bcd633880/original/lf61618l-0204.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/7912e2cb842d5cbca28ca828be71f003fa5cc2ac/original/lf61618l-0216.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/5ca99d1ae46320da39c74f1bc9b41f1779a8dc90/original/lf61618b-0223.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/e73505b8b0d82c990ce913a22e84b4ff7452d872/original/35400599-10208895857993076-1862090815006834688-o.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/3616b6b13372d669051a801f9d07575e466305e7/original/35517434-10208927752270413-1706288256414384128-o.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/230a31af7d859f40cc53174fc79bc274c49ab825/original/35332001-10208895819312109-6716890669790527488-o.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/3f993ad7a08489a0c0bda5b28c9e15abdcac4296/original/35282211-10208886776846053-3593764840696446976-o.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>RODEO Swissytag:rodeoswissy.com,2005:Post/48214172017-08-21T22:51:29-07:002017-08-21T23:12:51-07:00Girls Day in Torrance August 2017<p>I guess Josh was the odd man out, because we had a "girls day" in Torrance this year on Sunday, August 13, 2017.</p>
<p>Showing to judge Denise Dean, a Bernese Mountain Dog breeder-judge, Nexpa was Best of Breed and her niece Pixley was Winners Bitch for her first AKC point!</p>
<p>Nexpa was handled by Jean Gauchat-Hargis, and Josh Hargis was the only guy in our winning line up, showing Pixley. I was at home escorting puppies from Nexpa's June litter to their new families and missed out on the show this year. Thank you judge Denise Dean for these awards for our girls.<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/a022c7a5b891354d7e7fc21449bfb50ca003c066/original/nexpa-bob-torrance-aug-2017.jpg?1503380810" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/176b4ddb8e9ff2713dee47f937b737c05085f26c/original/pixley-first-point-torrance-aug-2017.jpg?1503380967" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>RODEO Swissytag:rodeoswissy.com,2005:Post/42077442016-06-01T20:27:25-07:002020-06-09T09:12:20-07:00Birthday Fun 2016We love the fact that Echo and Nexpa have the same birthday, May 29th! We just celebrated Echo turning 5 and Nexpa turning 2!<br>It was a fun day and both girls got a ton of extra love and birthday wishes from their friends. <a contents="Check out some birthday pics!" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://rodeoswissy.com/birthday-2016">Check out all their birthday pics!</a><br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/2aedc95ef3534cdb08ff5e1d491020a8e73dadd4/original/img-4641.jpg?1464837276" class="size_l justify_center border_" />RODEO Swissytag:rodeoswissy.com,2005:Post/40837402016-03-11T11:16:11-08:002022-09-23T07:14:10-07:00Considering a Swissy?<p>When looking to add a dog like a Swissy- a rare breed that requires you to work with a breeder to find and bring home a puppy- there is a lot to know. Here are some points and some <strong>HOT TIPS</strong>. </p>
<p>First, it’s a good idea to figure out, <a contents="Is a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Right for You" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.ridgebridgegreaterswiss.com/Is-a-GSMD-right-for-you.html" target="_blank">Is a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Right for You</a>. <br>Please read this article, by our friend Karen Conant, who has been in the breed for over 20 years. </p>
<p><em><strong>Next, consider timing</strong></em> for bringing home any dog, and other matters that you will be deciding like puppy raising and training. We love the book, The Art of Raising a Puppy, by the Monks of New Skete. It’s an “oldie but a goodie”. The best time to read the book is before you have your little biter at home, so you can spend the most time getting ready to raise her to be a terrific family member. <br> </p>
<div class="captioned justify_center"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/4bde0030cd1af165e54bc7401a8090cc14143acd/medium/img-3598.jpg?0" class="size_orig justify_center border_" /><p class="caption">Jeff teaching puppies to wait, and eat from their own bowls- 7 weeks old</p></div>
<p><em><strong>In selecting a breeder, do research on questions to ask breeders.</strong></em> If you use Facebook, there is a FANTASTIC group called “Finding a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog”. The focus is on helping people find the dog that they really want. If you don't use Facebook, maybe you can still read the page? We don't know. Worth trying. If you read the files in this group, you will find some aspect(s) of our breeding program might differ slightly. So, ask us about it! We will answer honestly. The information and lists are a collaboration from a number of breeders (including us) and there are differences of opinion, naturally. <br> </p>
<div class="captioned justify_center"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/6065d708823d1593662323f9699040fd9ec77942/small/img-3570.jpg?0" class="size_orig justify_center border_" /><p class="caption">'Finn' gets individual car ride training- 6 weeks old</p></div>
<p><em><strong>Finally: the real point of this post is us!</strong></em> Ok, just kidding, but we want you to know <em><strong>What breeders look for, and what We are looking for in you.</strong></em> We get between 4-10 times more applications per litter as the number of puppies available. You are all GREAT, but we have to find some way to choose who will get one of our puppies. The decisions are not scientific; we try to make the best guess on who will provide the best life for our babies. We love these puppies so much and from our perspective, all that matters is picking the best home for them, not how badly YOU want them. It’s very hard for us to turn people down – the dogs bring so much love to our lives. Its somewhat uncomfortable that we become the “decider” in whether YOU bring home some of that love. But, we have to make these hard choices. </p>
<p>This is not exhaustive, but I would like to give everyone some ideas, including some HOT TIPS, on what we are looking for: </p>
<p><em><strong>#1 is commitment. </strong></em>We want people who are committed to the dog for its life. Without a crystal ball, we try to predict commitment based on: previous experience with the breed, raising dogs in general, living with big dogs, past dogs raised and commitment to them, and time invested in researching the breed and making relationship with us and other Swissy people. If you don't know much about the dogs and breed, how can you even be sure of your own commitment level? <br><br><em><strong>Care: </strong></em>financial/mental resolve to provide the best possible care including high quality food, training, medical care including insurance, the best approach to medical like not over-vaccinating, not de-sexing too soon, the best care for day, to day living, for vacations, etc. Again, we are trying to guess the future, so we base this on interviews, your stated plans, our perception of your attitude towards care topics, and evidence of financially ability to provide these things. <br><br><em><strong>Lifestyle: these are family members.</strong></em> We try to intuit who also sees the dogs as family, the same way we do. For example, you hear us saying things like, “four people” were in the room, and then…." and you look around and see 2 people and 2 dogs. Our dogs live inside with us, and the time spent outside is part of their lives, but not their whole lives. It also means the dog has the environment they need to grow into a happy healthy dog, a safe place when you are gone, a good place to move their bodies at home when not on outings (an adequate fenced area at home), a safe arrangement to ride in a safe car, a home structure that is safe (usually an owned home without excessive stairs, or a stair management understanding for growing dogs) and an approach that properly considers the dogs' mental and physical needs. We think of our dogs needs before our own- because they trust us to care for them and we decide when they eat, (and what and how much), when they get to go outside, who they get to play with, where they will spend their days, pretty much every step of their lives' dance - so we need to do right by them and honor that trust they have in us to choose wisely.<br> </p>
<div class="captioned justify_center"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/0878d233bfb5e6820bca1eab7358fabf46bbe333/medium/img-2832.jpg?0" class="size_orig justify_center border_" /><p class="caption">Nexpa (left) visits 1/2 brother Griz in Colorado! Sharing her favorite toy for a game.</p></div>
<p><em><strong>Connection: </strong></em>your puppy is our family its entire life. If we send puppy home with you and never hear from you again, we grieve the loss of that relationship. We worry about puppy and its life. We are able to share help and advice, and freely provide this when asked by our puppy families, to help you nurture the puppy through all sorts of life situations. When we hear about people going through a situation that could have been easily solved if they had just TOLD us or ASKED us about it, we are sad. Show us that you know it takes a village and that you won’t leave and try solve everything on your own, wasting our 15 years of experience, along with our access to decades more experience through our mentors--At the expense of your puppies own experience. They are the ones that are missing out when that happens, not just you. </p>
<p>So, you read this far and now you get the promised <em><strong>HOT TIPS</strong></em>. If you have already met us at a dog event, you are ahead of the game. We are most comfortable with people who make a noticeable effort to meet us and/or other Swissies. The more time you invest in the process, the more seriously we consider your application. As you can tell, the above goals are intangible- it’s hard to know. So, we use this EFFORT EXPENDED scale as one way to make our best guess. <em><strong>That is why it’s a good idea to attend a dog show (or two or three) even if you don’t plan to show your dog</strong></em>. <a contents="Check our show schedule HERE" data-link-label="Contact Us" data-link-type="page" href="/contact-us">Check our show schedule HERE</a>. We belong to a club that organizes events (<a contents="Golden State Calendar of Events" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.goldenstategsmdc.com/blog" target="_blank">Golden State Calendar of Events</a>). So, take a look, plan some events, and when you are sure you are attending, let us know so we can make some connections for you with people who will attend. Swissy owners are great people! You will love meeting them. Then, let us know you went! Send a photo of you with some dogs you met. Ask some questions that such an event will bring up for you, after meeting new people and dogs. </p>
<p><strong>You are the winner in this process. </strong>You will meet great people and dogs and further understand what would be best for your family. You will make connections with other breeders and people who got dogs from other breeders, which may even lead you in another direction, or provide a backup should we not have a puppy for you. So, you have everything to gain from this process.<br><br> </p>
<div class="captioned justify_center"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/1e4310583e8805decedf12e80fe23d4b929c68d9/large/brig-nov-2015.jpg?0" class="size_orig justify_center border_" /><p class="caption">RODEO's All About Bustin' Outta the Brig 'Brig' - Herald Family Nov 2015</p></div>RODEO Swissytag:rodeoswissy.com,2005:Post/40508052016-02-19T16:05:10-08:002017-01-15T16:25:34-08:00Waiting To Spay and Neuter<p>Recent studies have shown that neutering can have an adverse effect on the health of a dog. To further delve into this new information, a team of researchers at UC Davis recently examined the veterinary records of 759 Golden Retrievers for hip dysplasia, cranial cruciate ligament tear, lymphosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma and mast cell tumor. The dogs were grouped as intact, neutered before 12 months of age or neutered after 12 months of age. </p>
<p>The study revealed that the disease rates were significantly higher in both males and females that were neutered both before and after 12 months of age. Early neutering was associated with an increased incidence of hip dysplasia, cranial cruciate ligament tear and lymphosarcoma in males and of cranial cruciate ligament tear in females. Neutering after 12 months of age was associated with an increased risk of mast cell tumors and hemangiosarcoma in females. </p>
<p>The most notable results from this study include a doubled risk of hip dysplasia among males neutered before 12 months of age and the increased risk of mast cell tumors and hemangiosarcoma in dogs neutered after 12 months. Previous studies reported only a 17% increase in risk of hip dysplasia in neutered dogs and this is the first study to report an increased risk of cancer in dogs neutered late. </p>
<p>Of the five diseases measured, the study reported that: </p>
<p>There were no cases of cranial cruciate ligament rupture diagnosed in intact males or females, but in early-neutered males and females the occurrences were 5% and 8%, respectively </p>
<p>Almost 10% of early-neutered males were diagnosed with lymphosarcoma, 3 times more than intact males <br>The percentage of hemangiosarcoma cases in late-neutered females (about 8%) was 4 times more than intact and early-neutered females <br>There were no cases of mast cell timor in intact females, but the occurrence was nearly 6% in late-neutered females <br>Of early-neutered males, 10% were diagnosed with hip dysplasia, double the occurrence in intact males. <br><br>Studies like this are just one piece of the overall picture, but we are finding more and more reasons to require that our puppies are neutered after 20 months for females and after their first heat and after 24 months for males.<br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/b433592f83482c233f0405b72c76ff7e6dfb39a9/original/green-boy-best-outside.jpg?1403552576" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>RODEO Swissytag:rodeoswissy.com,2005:Post/40374252016-02-11T17:52:45-08:002017-01-15T16:25:34-08:00First Draft 2016We attended a seminar called "First Draft" in February, put on by the <a contents="Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Northern California" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.bmdcnc.org/" target="_blank">Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Northern California</a>.<br>Thank you to all their volunteers for a great class.<br><br>Holly has been drafting with her Swissies since 2001, but it had been a long time, and Jeff had never taken a class. We learned a ton and look forward to working with our girls in this area of historical purpose for Swissies.<br><br>Check out these videos on You Tube! <a contents="Echo Getting Started " data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://youtu.be/YNiWg2aICII" target="_blank">Echo Getting Started </a> <a contents="Echo Next Step" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://youtu.be/m8_iSD2K1EE" target="_blank">Echo Next Step</a><br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/fb388a222dc0c79e048af4c99a0a5b73ef09c6de/original/echo-draft2.jpg?0" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/6a0d33be9e447f99d2f85ca04b866559fdae2722/original/nexpa-draft.jpg?0" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/7fefd326da5b0257e3891b8cf95690c337c01d94/original/echo-draft4.jpg?0" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br>All photos and videos in this post graciously taken and provided to us by SUSAN ROBINSON. THANK YOU!!RODEO Swissytag:rodeoswissy.com,2005:Post/40209612016-02-02T12:17:25-08:002022-02-05T11:04:17-08:00RODEO Ends Long Show Season With WinsHi there RODEO Fans and Friends!<br><br>We have had our heads down, working on dog show titles. Which means we have been loading up 2-3 dogs, several crates and tons of supplies, to drive three, 12 or even 24 hours to a show locations, and then stay in Motel 6, week after week, showing dogs.<br><br>We never spent so many days out on the road showing before, but we had so many promising dogs to show and titles in progress.<br><br>So many great accomplishments, its hard to pick just a few to highlight!<br><br>We started showing Nexpa towards her Grand Championship in August. Every month she was stacking on the wins. Best of Breed and majors in August, Select Female at the National Specialty (supported entry) in Colorado in September, where over 100 Swissies were competing, and another 5 point major at the Golden Gate's big shows in Pleasanton, CA in October. She finished her Grand Championship in December, with four wins in a row in Antioch, CA, and also an Owner-Handled Group 3!<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/5fa0c2d07b9ee942062d1a8f8f4cda0fbe3109cb/original/nexpa-new-gch-brighter.jpg?0" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><div style="text-align: center;">Nexpa- New Grand Champion, Day After Owner-Handled Group 3</div><br>Echo came to live with us in July 2015, from Snowy Mountain Farms. She decided she wanted to stay! We started showing her right away. She got multiple reserve wins to 5 point majors before starting to win herself. Her first point was in December 2015. In January 2016, she took off running and earned her championship with a six show winning streak culminating in BEST OF BREED and two shows with champions defeated. Echo's winning run was with handler Anthony Groth. Echo finished with TWO five point majors, one four point major, one AWARD OF MERIT, one BEST OF BREED, and a few extra points.<br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/cea74bd8cb533cf14014bed0ea2caf2641aae85f/original/palm-springs-jan-2015-cropped.jpg?1454088794" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><div style="text-align: center;">Echo Winners Bitch with Holly in Palm Springs, Ca, January 2016</div><br><br>Atlas was really shining this year too, with Back-To-Back Best of Breed wins over the champion entry in November in Tucson, followed by Back-To-Back winners dog in Costa Mesa, CA in December, where he finished his championship with his third major - a big 5 point win. Atlas was handled by Holly to his first three majors until the final run, where he was shown by Barbara, Lauren and Stephanie House. After all I cannot show three dogs at the same show, all on my own! He finished with FOUR majors, and TWO BEST OF BREED wins over specials. Also, Holly put Atlas through the Canine Good Citizen Test, earning that title together.<br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/f27ce1c6e6d806225626690e95c77b199e0f674a/original/atlas-new-ch.jpg?1451875461" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><div style="text-align: center;">Atlas New Champion - Wookie's Fourth Champion Offspring</div><br>Now what are we going to do with all our free time?<br>To start with, we will take time off from dog shows for the tax season. Then, we will be bringing the girls back in the ring for Rally Titles. Besides obedience, we will be working with our girls on carting and herding.<br>We will also be rooting for our other boys out there being shown: Gandalf, Murdoch and Leroy.<br>Nexpa has just passed all her preliminary health tests for breeding (eyes, shoulders, hips, elbows) and we are considering puppies after the April 15 tax season comes to a close.<br><br>Looking forward to another year of accomplishment in 2016- until then, time for some well deserved R&R for the dogs, although they might miss their travel beds!<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/a42b2001e4ca89a856d4977587accca3cf4dc1fb/original/img-3552.jpg?1454444196" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><div style="text-align: center;">Nexpa, left, Echo right, Enjoying Dogs Favorite Motel - Motel 6<br><br> </div><br><br><br> RODEO Swissytag:rodeoswissy.com,2005:Post/38525332015-09-12T22:26:03-07:002017-01-15T16:25:34-08:00Therapy Dogs<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/50dc6a1401c7854e19290399e4d902fbc5e948d3/medium/11947574-10207607428211721-7328283831661665229-n.jpg?1442121567" class="size_m justify_center border_" /><br><br>We are so proud of our budding therapy dog, <a contents="Murdoch" data-link-label="Murdoch" data-link-type="page" href="/murdoch">Murdoch</a>.<br>With his owner, Andie Hansen, he has gone through many levels of Canine Good Citizen courses and now has completed therapy dog training and started his actual therapy dog visits.<br><br>Being a therapy dog is different than being a service dog. A service dog assists their person who has a disability. Therapy dogs visit people who benefit from the presence of the dog. It can be anything from calming the nerves and souls of weary travelers at SFO airport, like our friend Hilary and her Swissy girl Kona, listening to children read, or visiting sick or infirm.<br><br>We don't have a lot of experience with Swissies as therapy dogs ourselves, so we are excited to watch Murdoch and Andie's journey.<br><br>We wanted to share more about a friend of ours with amazing accomplishments with his therapy dogs.<br>While not Swissies, they are big dogs with a lot of similarities.<br><br>Check out our friend Tommy Dickey's information on his Great Pyrenees dogs as therapy dogs. Both his boys have 1,000 therapy visits! We have become friends with Tommy at the shows and he has helped us show our Swissies! We really enjoy our Pyrenees friends and love watching Tommy's dog<br>Teddy work in the obedience ring. They are both very charming!<br><br>Click on the picture to learn more about Tommy's therapy dogs.<br><br><a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://opl.ucsb.edu/therapy-great-pyrenees-dogs/" target="_blank"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/e565b6d9e4c8760fd742e616e2e318649bd31f3d/original/teddy.jpg?1442121925" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></a>RODEO Swissytag:rodeoswissy.com,2005:Post/38406112015-09-02T21:21:44-07:002017-01-15T16:25:33-08:00Nexpa's AKC Title Roundup in RenoOur little 14 month old puppy really made us proud in Reno this year.<br><br>She finished up her Rally Novice title with two scores in the 90s and a 4th place.<br>She followed that up with back-to-back majors to finish her championship.<br><br>We are so proud of this young girl, out of Wookie and Mon.<br>She is Wookie's third champion and Mon's second, and youngest to achieve a championship for both.<br><br><a contents="Check out her Winning Weekend Here" data-link-label="nexpa_reno_2015" data-link-type="page" href="/nexpa_reno_2015">Check out her Winning Weekend Here</a><br><br>View her complete show win history at Infodog, with links to photos, <a contents="here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.infodog.com/my/dogpage.htm?akc=WS%2047311805" target="_blank">here</a><br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/0fbe52907475a5a8b26eba3914a1fe0a905b1536/original/nexpa-new-ch-front-view.jpg?1441253014" class="size_l justify_center border_" />RODEO Swissytag:rodeoswissy.com,2005:Post/37892572015-07-23T16:12:41-07:002017-01-15T16:25:33-08:00GANDALF - Lord of the RingOn July 18, 2015, Gandalf earned his AKC championship in Portland, OR. Presenting Gandalf in the show ring has been so much fun! Win or lose, this big happy guy always makes us smile. Greetings start with lots of jumps and kisses, but he is a smart guy and quickly gets back to work being a show dog, as long as you deliver the treats. <br><br>Gandalf finished with FOUR major wins. Two five-point majors with Holly, and two four-point majors with DaLena. Can you say "over-acheiver"? Making us proud, the last win included beating two male specials. The next day, his first outing as a champion, he raised the bar to BEST OF BREED.<br><br>We are hugely grateful to Gandalf's owners, Adam and Christine, for raising and training Gandalf and being part of all his shows. Thanks for letting Wookie and Hero's boy shine.<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/23616ed819a5c388cdad699d452591723e630c3a/original/gandalf-newch-photo-stumptown1-resized.jpg?1441255860" class="size_l justify_center border_" />RODEO Swissytag:rodeoswissy.com,2005:Post/35071522015-02-04T22:32:53-08:002017-01-15T16:25:33-08:00Rally For Puppies- Nexpa Takes Home Some GreenYou will not see many puppies competing in the various AKC performance venues. I even had an exhibitor ask me how old was my dog and WHY was I showing her. Well- for many reasons, including she knows how to do this and thinks its fun! At a couple days over eight months old, Ms Nexpa earned her first leg in Rally Obedience and a green qualifiers ribbon. Two more to come - we guarantee it! We remember Wookie getting her first Rally Advanced leg at this same show in 2014.<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/b2d560d0ed640aa94fba677ea2726022b9a3d43e/original/first-rally-leg-fresno-2013.jpg?1423117923" class="size_l justify_center border_" />RODEO Swissytag:rodeoswissy.com,2005:Post/35006382015-02-02T18:00:00-08:002017-01-15T16:25:33-08:00GANDALF- Wookie's Son Wins Big in Rose CityRose City Classic, held each January in Portland, OR is a large show and one of the biggest shows each year on the West Coast. Wookie's son Gandalf, 23 months old at the time, won Winner's Dog for a five-point major. This big lovable energetic guy reminds us a lot of his sire Hero and is a very nice combination of his parents. Thank you to judge Dana Cline for this huge win. Looking forward to seeing Gandalf finish up his championship in 2015 -- only 2 points to go!<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/22c0ccec4dac34d893198da7d236838be3438569/original/gandalf-5-points-rose-city-2015-resized.jpg?1441255699" class="size_l justify_center border_" />RODEO Swissytag:rodeoswissy.com,2005:Post/33923412014-12-12T11:24:07-08:002017-01-15T16:25:33-08:00NEXPA's fun day at the dog showLittle Nexpa went out and showed in the AKC Beginner Puppy Competition in Stockton, CA on Nov 23. She came away with a "Working Group 1", meaning she was the best puppy from that group of dogs. She had to beat out quite a few other youngsters for this honor and make many graceful turns around the ring. She had a great time learning about being a show dog. <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/729224032632878f639379d0254d69742809613d/original/nexpa-group1-bbp-cropped.jpg?1418412225" class="size_l justify_center border_" />RODEO Swissytag:rodeoswissy.com,2005:Post/32962752014-11-17T11:55:29-08:002017-01-15T16:25:33-08:00WOOKIE 1st Place! Rally Advanced AMoving right along towards her ADVANCED Rally title, Wookie and Holly made an impressive first place finish at the ALL BREED dog show on October 19, 2014. With over 100 entries in the various obedience classes that day, Wookie's 97/100 in Rally Advanced was good enough for first place in her group, the Advanced "A" group, as well as the highest score for the "B" dogs, who are more experienced. She was the only Swissy to qualify in any obedience event the entire three-day weekend. We are SO PROUD.<br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/ac50e4ee3b128b1bca20be934cf6bd54ce70045c/original/rally-advanced-1.jpg?1416254119" class="size_l justify_center border_" />RODEO Swissytag:rodeoswissy.com,2005:Post/31198882014-08-01T20:34:44-07:002017-01-15T16:25:33-08:00Sweet Goodbyes! Until We Meet AgainPups have been leaving us for new homes. While we love each pup very much, we feel a lot of joy as each pup is matched with his or her new family. As much as we would like to keep them ALL, it would be a bit much, don't you think? So, we are really happy to match puppies with families. Here is a great picture of the stud dog from this litter, Mon, with his two kids Pi and Leroy. Pi at left is a girl born the SAME DAY as our litter, from another breeder in the midwest. Leroy at right was our green collar boy and we are thrilled that he gets to live in Vermont at Swiss Run.<br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/b051c75eeace70415b9f8efab8b395faa37bb546/original/mon-with-pi-and-leroy-our-green-boy.jpg?1406950358" class="size_l justify_center border_" />RODEO Swissytag:rodeoswissy.com,2005:Post/30811542014-07-16T15:55:06-07:002021-08-27T10:09:03-07:00Wookie Mon Pups Heading towards 7 Weeks<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/596f10b6098709be57c41d14e8c585a8c134f158/original/img-3467.jpg?1405550391" class="size_l justify_center border_" />The pups turn seven weeks old tomorrow, Thursday, July 17, 2014. Heading closer to that evaluation at 8 weeks which will help us match puppies to their FUR-ever homes. We are excited to welcome each family that will be coming to the North Rim and also our puppy evaluator, the esteemed Ms Pat Hastings.<br><br>We have sure enjoyed raising the pups and we hope you have been watching their progress on our Facebook Page. (RODEO Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs). Each and everyone is a delight and we are totally in love.<br><br>We have sent out some shopping list and tips to our puppy buyers. For interest we will post a few here.<br><br>We use two crates to raise puppies: a daytime crate and a nighttime crate. We let them have a little more room in their night time crate to sleep, after taking them out a lot in the evening. They have already demonstrated to us at six weeks that they don't make a mess at night. Good puppies! We use a smaller crate in the daytime as the pups are in and out of this crate a lot and we want a smaller crate to discourage housetraining mistakes in the crate. We also use the smaller crate for all car rides, so this crate is in and out of the house with us, while the night time crate becomes a "nightstand". We even decorate the nightstand as it will be at bedside for many months, so we put a top on the crate to make it more useful as a table. We find a low pile rubber backed bathroom rug is the perfect liner for crates, to keep the puppy from slipping and of course we add blankets and pads, but we take them out for feedings or if a puppy shows an interest in eating the bedding.<br><br>We feed all meals in the crate and we do CLOSE THE DOOR pretty early on. At first, we close the door while they are busy eating, and we watch every minute of the meal. Magically as soon as they finish we open the door. As they progress, we leave the door closed for a short time (a minute or less) when they finish. Then, longe.r We are careful though not too push a puppy past its comfort zone too quick, as we NEVER open a crate door for a crying puppy. So, if they start crying, out comes the stop watch as we wait for a significant period of silence and reward silence as the key to the door, not crying. We do crate our puppies from their first night home, with the door closed, and we find this is a key to a good nights rest for all. We firmly believe that crate training with a door open is not crate training at all. For baby puppies still learning their crate training, we baby gate them INSIDE the kitchen with their crate available and one or two toys (usually just one). We find a positive association quickly develops with the crate with all meals fed inside.<br><br>Our favorite toy for puppies is a Nylabone. We spoil pups with many toys, just a couple at a time, but the Nylabone (non-edible type) is a tried and true good toy for a chewing dog. The pups already love their Nylabones.<br><br>Just a couple ideas and we will share a few more as we watch our puppies finish up their final week or two with us, depending on when they go home.<br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/f1133df23ba6fa5ae3ed39b3c378c9d00d15bca8/original/img-0509.jpg?1405551267" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Baby Wookie- Learning to love her crateRODEO Swissytag:rodeoswissy.com,2005:Post/29837382014-05-30T19:10:43-07:002017-01-15T16:25:33-08:00Welcome Wookie x Mon Puppies! May 29, 2014Wookie Mon puppies arrived safe and sound at home at the North Rim. Mother and brood are doing great! We have seven puppies: four boys and three girls. We are no longer taking applications for this litter. Please check back as we will add a puppy page and be sharing photos in the next couple of days. SPECIAL THANKS TO: WhelpWise (VPS); Zion Vet Clinic, Dr Casey Wittwer; Dr Janice Cain (Bishop Ranch Vet Hospital) and Sandy MacQuarrie - HugsNKisses Swissies. Sandy came from SoCal to whelp with us and we could not have done it without her, or at least not in so much style.<br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/67fc702e96f43a73041a61fc279730a2f162a8e6/original/img-0266.jpg?1401500242" class="size_l justify_center border_" />RODEO Swissytag:rodeoswissy.com,2005:Post/29617762014-05-21T11:02:31-07:002017-01-15T16:25:33-08:00Count DownWe are counting down the days now. Wookie's due date, May 29, 2014, is just over one week away. We are kind of guessing she will have the pups at least a little early, so we figure in less than one week from now, we will be making some birth announcements. This week we lost another really great friend, our second in two months and third this year. As such, we have decided that while all puppies will get collars with a color that we use to identify them (blue boy, pink girl, etc) that we will be nicknaming all or most puppies with litter names to honor the fabulous friends that have left big holes in our hearts. We have the names written down and will just be waiting to see a little "Richie" and "Leary" in our litter, plus more. Wookie is slowing down and her walks are getting shorter as her mamma shape makes long walks hard on her "udder". She is nesting in her whelping box a little, which Jeff made for her this weekend, Snowy Mountain Style.<br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/2321fb26963b8d54977ad21614a87c5caf6d0581/original/img-2520.jpg?1400695288" class="size_l justify_center border_" />RODEO Swissytag:rodeoswissy.com,2005:Post/29251102014-05-06T20:47:53-07:002017-01-15T16:25:33-08:00News from North Rim and BeyondWookie is so happy to be home at the North Rim! She especially is so happy to be re-united with Jeff. Since she can still do all her normal activities, although we are making sure its in small doses, she enjoyed a few unicycles this week with Jeff.<br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/c2e1c4e8a3cda355609bd312fb2f5572fd8df276/original/img-0152.jpg?1399434064" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Wookie and I have been hunting horned lizards and Kaibab squirrels (for appreciation and logging the number we see this year, not for "hunting") and she has been enjoying sunning herself on the deck and romping in meadows. We visit the North Rim Helicopter Pad daily.<br><br>In news from the other side of the country, the father to the puppies, Mon, recently won a group placement at a dog show! This is a rare accomplishment for a Swissy, generally less than 20 Swissies per year achieve a group placement. Here is the photo of the gorgeous Mon. We are so excited that his kids will be born into our hands.<br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/263c3d3612398f29e20dfc9284d4951443a4a3c3/original/april-2014-group-three-mon.jpg?1399434436" class="size_l justify_center border_" />RODEO Swissytag:rodeoswissy.com,2005:Post/28974742014-04-24T21:09:03-07:002017-01-15T16:25:33-08:00PREGNANCY CONFIRMED! April 24 ultrasound shows about seven pups.Today was the big day. We traveled for the last time to see Dr Janice Cain at <a contents="Bishop Ranch Vet Hospital" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.webvets.com/Services/?Canine-Reproductive-Services-9" target="_blank">Bishop Ranch Vet Hospital</a> for Wookie's ultrasound. Wookie was very cooperative and as a result Dr Cain was able to slowly and carefully find and count puppies, repeating the procedure about four times. Wookie is pregnant and we see seven normal looking puppy fetuses. So, now we have some more waiting to do. Our due date is still May 29, 2014.<br><br>Now, with our basic pre-natal care completed, we are heading home any day now to North Rim, AZ. Wookie definitely enjoyed her time in California. <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/e9678a02e52c08426f9a8b2b4b0de84a3acecf10/original/img-0132.jpg?1398398874" class="size_l justify_center border_" />RODEO Swissytag:rodeoswissy.com,2005:Post/28306922014-03-30T17:26:17-07:002017-01-15T16:25:33-08:00Wookie has been bred to "Mon"Thrilled to announce that our girl Wookie has been bred to "Mon". He is Grand Champion Swiss Run's Jamaican Me Crazy, with a ton more titles on top of that, owned by Deanna and Ben Never of <a contents="Swiss Run Swissys" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.swissrunswissys.com" target="_blank">Swiss Run Swissys</a> in Vermont. Mon is a gorgeous boy of size and substance. He is also smart and talented, boasting multiple obedience titles (obedience and rally), and also carting and weight pull titles. Best of all, Mon has a great personality, which is well known among Swissy people across the country. In the words of his owners, Mon loves people and animals and is often doing something to be at the center of attention. At a recent rally obedience trial, he could not resist the squeeky toy distraction and was squeeking away to his hearts delight (which we found very charming to read about). Mon's sire Stevie is a top producer in our breed, having produced many amazing offspring. We could not be more excited to breed Wookie to this striking male. And, while we had our hearts set on Mon since the 2013 Nationals last fall, Mon has emerged in 2014 as the current #1 Swiss Mountain Dog in the country (breed-standings)<br>To read more, visit our <a contents="puppy page" data-link-label="Puppies" data-link-type="page" href="/puppies">puppy page</a><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/89e354996cd716d72d9e32167caa2e644a63dcaa/original/mon-portrait2.jpg?1396225421" class="size_l justify_center border_" />RODEO Swissytag:rodeoswissy.com,2005:Post/27532732014-03-15T16:18:26-07:002017-01-15T16:25:32-08:00Hurry-Up and Wait(ing).... Planning and Prepping<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/3ade2e72cd36240d1a41fe525cf44b96d0e6ccf9/original/img-0050.jpg?1394925150" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Hi to our loyal RODEO Swiss Mountain Dog web page watchers! Wookie and I are still working hard on our tax season (ok I prepare the returns, she watches, asks for bits of my snacks, and we go on walks to take breaks). Since Wookie hasn't learn to read a calendar yet, she has no idea that we roughly estimate her to start her breeding season during the last week of March. So, since she won't give us any hints, we just check her daily. She has her visit with a reproduction vet coming up this week, where we will check all her fitness and health data points in advance of her breeding, and get all the planning done for the testing we will do to breed her on the correct days. Even once her heat starts, it is 10-14 days on average before we start the actual breeding, so we do know that we are at least 12 days out from any actual "breedings" as of today (March 15, 2014). We will definitely be updating our blog once the countdown starts, and keeping everyone up to date here, every step of the way. In the meantime, if you are interested in a puppy from our upcoming breeding please go to our puppy page to download an application to send to us. <a contents="RODEO puppy page" data-link-label="" data-link-type="" href="http://rodeoswissy.com/puppies">RODEO puppy page</a><br><br>We are doing "fresh chilled" breedings, with the stud dog located on the east coast, so Wookie will start getting her blood tested every other day, about six days after her season starts. At some point, her testing will advance to every day (during that time we will move into a hotel room within a few miles of the vet, for easy daily visits). Then, once the time is right, we will do two breedings, either in two days in a row, or with a day in between, depending partly on the days of the week, as we can't do a fresh chilled breeding on a Sunday. So, lots of advanced planning goes into this process, and lots of vet visits.<br><br>Lucky for me, I hope to be "off work" during puppy raising. In fact, Jeff will also be taking off a lot of time too, and we will be recruiting other trusted helpers during the first two sleep-deprived weeks when we make sure puppies are eating and not getting squished by Wookie! It is a 24 hour per day job, especially if we get a big litter. But, that also means that I am working 70+ hours per week now, as a CPA, and that I may not be able to do puppy home interviews from now until after April 15, 2014. I do respond to all e-mails, at least to let you know about our application and that we are waiting on interviews, so that we can be ready to interview when work slows down. Wookie would be happy to interview you now, but her preferred interview technique is to jump up high and give you a wet kiss in your ear or mouth (one of her special talents). In the meantime, Wookie enjoys sunning herself in the garden and enjoying an early spring. She doesn't know that she is waiting, but she is the kind of girl who is always ready to "go" and she will certainly welcome all the car rides she will be treated to when the time comes.RODEO Swissytag:rodeoswissy.com,2005:Post/26899252014-03-04T20:37:33-08:002017-01-15T16:25:32-08:00Looking forward to a North Rim Litter!We have just made the final determination that our 2014 litter, planned for May 2014, will be whelped and raised in scenic North Rim, Arizona. For our potential puppy buyers, start thinking about how you might combine a visit to some of our local gems, like Zion National Park, Bryce National Park, and Grand Canyon South Rim before picking up your puppy. For those of you traveling to Arizona from out of the area, the two closest airports to us are not in Arizona! The closest airport is in St. George Utah (SGU). This airport is about 3 hours from our home. Delta offers a reasonably robust schedule, and other airlines have been adding service, including Frontier. Farther away, but might offer the same travel time and lower fares, is Las Vegas McCarran International (LAS). This airport is just over five hours from our home. However, when you consider that almost every flight into St George will require a connection, it still might offer you better travel options. Get in touch with us if you are thinking about how you and your puppy can get home from North Rim, Arizona. And get ready to start your life with your puppy with a big adventure. Our momma dog Wookie loves the North Rim and we think you will too!<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/3b1e2de7b675e11de633512a3915a60a5148d0db/original/holly-govenor.jpg?1393994168" class="size_l justify_center border_" />RODEO Swissytag:rodeoswissy.com,2005:Post/25615362014-02-11T12:44:43-08:002017-01-15T16:25:32-08:00Wookie Cleans up at Fresno Sunmaid Kennel Club-Go Team Wookie!We recently took Wookie to the dog show in Fresno, California. We showed Wookie in Rally Obedience (Advanced category) and in conformation (regular dog showing). We worked really hard together as a team in our first event on Saturday, Feb 1, and Wookie scored a 84/100 in the obedience. This earned her a "leg" towards her AKC title in this event. We even got a huge compliment from another exhibitor who said Holly was the best handler they had ever seen in Rally, particularly because she never gave up or lost patience when Wookie made some mistakes. Then, Wookie went on to earn highest honors at the show for a female Swissy- Best of Opposite Sex. This was a big win - a four point major towards Wookie's Grand Championship title! Of course, we got a picture with the judge!<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/128275/205645a0ed27692da265975e1e170cac2a77f01c/original/fresno-2014-bos-major.jpg?1392151438" class="size_l justify_center border_" />RODEO Swissytag:rodeoswissy.com,2005:Post/23324672014-01-05T16:45:58-08:002022-02-28T21:21:39-08:00New Website for RODEO, Friendly West Coast Greater Swiss Mountain DogsWe have just started a new website in January 2014 for RODEO. Since we have only bred infrequently over the last ten years, we had stopped maintaining a site. Now that we are planning Wookie's second litter for 2014, with a breeding planned for March 2014, we wanted to start back up again. I am sure we will be adding a Facebook page soon too. We will be populating the website in the next couple of weeks so keep checking back for new information and content. We are so excited for Wookie's next litter! We have picked out a fantastic stud dog, who comes from great lines of health and temperment, and also winning at dog shows! Our mystery man will be revealed as soon as we do the breeding. So, keep your eyes on this blog to be introduced to Wookie's latest beau.RODEO Swissy