This is how our driveway looks like now. The paths in the woods and around the house look similar. Pure ice. No way to walk without risk of breaking bones. Deep, wet snow outside them so it´s difficult to choose other ways but it is safer. The weather has been oscillating between mild days causing melting of the snow and cold nights making water freeze to ice. Hard time both for me and the dogs.
We have had so much snow that it is going to take ages before it all disappears. And the winter is not over yet so next blizzard is behind the corner. And everything will start all over again…
Basqa runs as usual despite the ice but I have noticed she has a need to rest a lot more. Probably it requires more energy to keep balance. It´s just as well for we do not have so many possibilities to train. Tracking will have to wait until the snow disappears, and some sunny places are actually getting free from snow now, training obedience outside is still impossible. I am so afraid to train speedy excercises as it is so easy to get injured.
Last week we were on a training competition. Except that the results were not official everything else was as on regular obedience trial. Both Ruda and Prima did great! Prima got many highest marks and finished with an excellent grade despite one failed excercise. Ruda got a second place but I was very proud of her 9 points (of 10) for heelwork. She missed one excercise too, nothing that she cannot do but somehow she misunderstood me. No rewarding during the whole program, which I did not train with them yet. It felt so great to be there and show my clever dogs though I must admit I felt some anxiety though I knew it wasn´t real competition. I hope we can take part in such events more often now when the spring comes so I can start with Prima soon.
Now some disappointing news.
Compis has been neutered! His recurrent problem with prostata, which made his mating difficult last time, has bothered him so much recently that his owner has decided to castrate him. Best decision for the dog, not so good for my future breeding plans…
Now I have to look for another male and it is so difficult! Ruda is related to all the males I really like. Here in Sweden I can find only one interesting male but he is just 2 years old. It´s enough for me, he is friendly and character tested, has been free X-rayed on hips and elbows so actually everything was up to his owner. And she said no. She wants hime to mature more.
To mess the things up totally Ruda came into heat only 3 months after the last one! It´s because Prima is in season. I would never have expected that!
Nobody can find a Laekenois male in just 2 weeks! So I have to wait until next spring.
I have decided I could travel to Laeken Fun Day in Holland this year and check if I can spot a nice male there. But it will take time! And Ruda is 5 years old already. I think next year would be the last to try!
Shall I try to keep my dream alive or shall I just give up?