Ivy week four

With Ivy's last litter I thought about doing a blog...keep a record of how she does on line -vs- in a tablet like in days gone by. At the time I was working 60-70 hr weeks, with lambing, chores, the other dogs...and Ruby also bred and due shortly after Ivy I just didn't have the time or the energy. But since none of that is now taking place I have the time...for now. :-)

A little about Ivy. Her registered name is C-Me Ebony Not Ivory. DOB 5-30-05 blue merle w/white trim. She is out of WTCH Rising Suns Qwick Draw RTDcs (rmm) x HTCH WTCH Rocking Z C-Me Ebonys Cross RTDcs, HTDIIsgd, HTDIIIc, HRDIIIsgc, HTADIIIsc (bbb). She is a nice little stockdog. Works wide naturally. Would rather work out in the wide open than in a small trial arena or smaller....not that she isn't good at either but she ex cells with large number flocks and larger areas. As a cow dog, she is a bit weak on the head. She will go to the head and hold the pressure but she LOVES to heel, push and drive. That is her thing. She has a beautiful heel...and will heel any kind of stock. Including ducks which resulted in a "Thank you". But the judge made a comment about how nice and low she gets.

Ivy gets along with some dogs...she wants to be higher in line than she is so she comes across kinda b**chy but that is just her. For the most part she is easy to live with. Loves water, gotta keep her out of the bathroom when you shower or she will join you in the tub. She is very sweet and quite the lover. She adores children, likes women and tolerates men. Which is fine by me.

A couple nights ago I let the girls out for one last run. Ivy is usually first back at the door and if I holler for them she is the first to come...great recall. When called she will stop whatever she is doing and come to me.....anyway, I called everyone but her and Ruby came. Not unusal for Ruby...she comes right away but doesn't hurry. So I called again. Ruby is standing in the driveway just looking at me then towards the barn/kennel/office. I told her to get in here so she came....Ivy again failed to show her self. >grrrr<>

Now for the litter news....Ivy is due on/around Feb 11, 2010. Is she pregnant? I don't know. I think so....she is more clingy that usual. Lately she has not been eating well. Not her normal self. She likes her food and most of the time is a chow hound. I do think she has filled out some. But she is only 4 wks along so it is really hard to tell by looking at her. They say the first litter is the "small" litter. In this case I really hope not...she had 9 the first time around. That is more than enough. I would like 6...4 girls two boys. Now will she do that? that is the million dollar question.

The first time I kept a blue merle girl-Cricket....I would LOVE a solid red or a red merle girl. That is the only one that I would intentionally keep for me. This is a repeat breeding to Skip. Last time there was 6 blues (3 boys, 3 girls) two black boys and a red boy....I would love more reds. But who knows what we will get. Not a lot to update at this time....maybe next week there will be more news if she is bred.