Stella Louella's Observations on Life

Update

2010-09-27T19:45:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been off for a while. A few months ago, I was spayed and have been pretty much a lazy dog ever since. My buddy and kennel mate, Stormy the Siberian, is getting older and feebler (13 years old this August). My old human has been in a funk after suddenly losing Bruce the Siberian in February. He was diagnosed with cancer on a Friday, and by Tuesday he had to put to sleep. He was such a stoic guy that she didn't realize how sick he was. Only ten years old, too. The big news around here is that Miss Penny the Siberian is now 16 years and 4 months old. She keeps truckin' along, enjoying her food, rest and little playtimes. We cherish each day with her. The Siberian National is coming up next month in Lawrence, so we hope to see friendly faces there. Eddie will be doing the hike, rally, junior showmanship and breed. Hope to see you there!

Slurps,

Miss Stella

End of a Show Career

2010-04-09T16:05:00.000-07:00

Well, really, just the conformation part of it all. I am going to be spayed! We are all so happy with this decision. Afterwards, I will enjoy an obedience career and maybe agility, too. I am retiring with 8 championship points.

Slurps,

Miss Stella

Staying with the D'Azul furbabies

2009-08-18T21:14:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone-

My old female human took me for a long ride today, and guess where we ended up? Yes! At Lisa's house! I nearly jumped out the van's window when I saw her today! I'm spending a few days with the D'Azul Siberians and their human family so Lisa can show me in Kansas City this week. Keep your paws crossed I can win some more points. Last Thursday I won reserve to a major in Topeka with my old female human handling me, and 2nd in a large open class the next day. Hopefully my turn will come. Anyways, I'm so excited to spend the night at Lisa's again!

Slurps,

Miss Stella

Lisa and I have FUN!

2009-07-05T19:35:00.000-07:00

Lisa T. and I have gone to the dog shows together, and today at Sedalia, she and I won Best of Winners for 2 points! Sadly, the major was broken by the absence of one dog, but that could not be helped. She had a hurt paw, so she stayed home to mend. Lisa showed me at the Moberly shows a few weekends ago, and I picked up a point there. I now have 7 points out of the necessary 15 towards my championship: I'll be on the hunt for majors soon! My human says she'd like to have a "CH" at the front of my name, and other fun titles like "RN", "CD", "NA", ect., to the end of my name. Eddie and could go to classes together- now that's what I call "FUN"!

Slurps,

Miss Stella

Kiana Crosses the Rainbow Bridge

2009-03-17T11:33:00.000-07:00

Goodbye, Dear Kiana

An era has ended at our home. My beautiful friend, Kiana, a gray and white, brown-eyed Siberian beauty, died last night at the age of 15 years, 9 months. She torsioned suddenly last night, and my owner made the decision to end her suffering. My owner held her head in her arms and told her how much she loved her as she was put to sleep.

Kiana was Queen, and lived as only a very pampered dog should live. She was the first AKC champion of our family, and did some very nice winning as a young dog. One particularly happy day many years ago, she won the Open class and then Best of Breed over two group-winning male specials (champions). Kiana then topped the day off by winning a Working Group 2. She was also the first dog to help with the sled dog program my owner does. When Kiana became ill with mammary cancer and diabetes, she was retired. Amazingly, she not only recovered from the cancer, but in a year's time, the diabetes she was taking two injections daily for, reversed. She never had another problem with it again. Kiana saw my owner through graduate school, the stupid single years, marriage, and then babies. She was very attached to my owner, and would stop eating if separated for more than a few days. Kiana was elegant, regal and very much the dominate dog in the family. She is irreplaceable.

Rest in peace, Kiana. I know you are playing with Higgins the Bullmastiff and Clarence the French Bulldog. Most importantly, you are not in pain anymore.

"Kiana"

Champion Kalea's Boomchaser of Jasminka

June 18, 1993- March 16, 2009

NEW CHAMPION! EDDIE!!

2008-12-07T11:28:00.000-08:00

We are thrilled to announce that Eddie,

AKA "Gold Eye Eddie" is now

CHAMPION

D'Azul's On the Dark Side!

Eddie finished on Saturday, December 6 with a 3-point major win (Best of Winners) from the Bred By Exhibitor class! Congratulations go out to his breeders, Cecile and Lisa Toth of D'Azul Siberians!

Lisa handled Eddie to every point from the Bred by Exhibitor class, starting from July 2008 to his grand finish December 2008! He finished with three major wins!

Thank you to all the judges that recognized Eddie for the quality dog he is.

Way to go, Lisa and Eddie! We are so proud of you!

Eddie is home!

2008-11-19T21:49:00.000-08:00

Eddie has returned home to rest from his show career for a couple of weeks, and to catch up on digging holes in the backyard, and to touch noses with me a through the fence. Lisa and Eddie have won 13 points, including both major wins, in a very short amount of time! We are hoping they can complete the championship title with one more show weekend (toes crossed here.) Go to Captain Maverick's blog to see his photos... from beginning to present. You can tell he started out without much hair (it was in the summer months), and now he is in glorious coat! Eddie is such an easy-going guy that he's settled into the routine around here without a misstep. Good ol' Eddie. We're glad he's home (and he's a lot quieter than that Arlo dog!)

Slurps,

Miss Stella

Meet Arlo

2008-11-16T21:35:00.000-08:00

Meet Arlo, our newest addition to the family. He showed up at our house several weeks ago, and planted himself on the doorstep, earning the nickname "Porch Dog". The humans decided to give him a chance and now he lives with us. He's about a year old, and possibly an Australian Shepherd with an natural tail. He's a nice guy. Lucky for him my humans took him in because he had heartworm. He is now recovering nicely from his 2nd treatment.

Welcome, Arlo!

Good Luck, Eddie!

2008-10-21T11:14:00.000-07:00

My buddy, Eddie (D'Azul's On the Dark Side) is going to the big Siberian Husky national specialty show in Pennsylvania in a few days. There are lots of dogs in his class (Bred-by-exhibitor) with an entry of 29! He has done so well in the shows with his breeder Lisa handling him. Eddie now has 11 points including both of his major wins! I'm keeping my paws crossed that those last four single points come before the new year so he can start 2009 as a CHAMPION! After that, he'll go into fun things like agility, rally and obedience.

Good luck, Eddie, Lisa, Cecile and Penny, at the big Siberian Husky Show of America National Specialty!

2008-09-05T17:34:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all our friends in the Dog Blogging Community for their condolences. We miss our sweet Timber, or Timmy, as he was sometimes called. You all have kind, good hearts. We feel fortunate to know you as fellow dog lovers. A special "Thank You" to Cecile and Lisa Toth of D'Azul Siberians, who had posted about Timber's illness to the Siberian/Alaskan Malamute listserv.

He is in a better place now.

Thanks again,

Stella, Stormy, Kiana, Bruce, Penny, Eddie, Skye (the dogs)

and Stella's old female human

Timber Crosses the Rainbow Bridge

2008-07-29T19:00:00.000-07:00

It was a quality of life decision, said my female human. Poor Timber had lost the mobility in his legs, and the pain was moving from limb to limb, and he was getting pressure sores. It was time to free my dear Alaskan Husky friend from constant pain. He didn't even get to eat his birthday cake. We will have a Life Celebration in a few days to think of Timber and what he meant to this home. Timber was always sweet, happy and a bit of a silly carefree guy. He loved the young humans and enjoyed playing in the yard with them. I'm sure he has reunited with his Alaskan Husky family at the Rainbow Bridge: Yukon, Cheyenne, Inca (all three were lead dogs) and his twin, Turbo, who passed away this January.

This is a photo of Timber last year at the age of 13, running for the sheer love of it. He was quick and agile, a natural athlete that revealed generations of many superb Alaskan Huskies before him, dogs of George Attla, Roxy Wright-Champaign and other famous mushers. Alaskan Huskies may not have a registry but they definitely have pedigrees.

Timber

July 28, 1994 - July 29, 2008

We will miss you, sweet Alaskan boy.

Timber's 14th Birthday

2008-07-28T17:41:00.000-07:00

My last Alaskan buddy, Timber, is 14 years old today. I would wish him a Happy Birthday, but he is very ill and is spending the night at the vet's office. My human is very worried about him. He was at the vet's last week and they did all sorts of x-rays and put him on medication, but he has taken a turn for the worse. Please keep Timber in your thoughts tonight.

Here's a photo of Timber last year.

Eddie Wins!

2008-07-27T17:35:00.000-07:00

My Siberian buddy, Eddie, went to stay with his breeders, Cecile and Lisa. They took him to some shows and he now has 3 points! Only 12 more to go! He also won Cutest Pet at my human's workplace out of about 15 other pets entered. He's going to have quite the attitude when he gets back!

My humans have added to the 4-legged family with three French Alpine dairy goat babies. They are all boys: Oreo, Brownie and Rocky. Once grown, they are supposed to be around 34 to 36 inches tall at the shoulder. That's a huge goat! They can be trained to pull carts. I wonder if they could pull our dog sled? Wouldn't that be a sight! They are here to be used as a "green" way to clean up the property of weeds, especially poison ivy. Already they've done their job on the plants and brush in their pen.

My humans also have a new horse. His name is Bam Bam, and he is a bay roan Miniature Horse stallion, about 33 inches tall at the withers. He's a good-looking guy. The horse folks who have seen him say Bam Bam should be in horse shows once he gets into shape (he's a little tubby). Bam Bam enjoys us dogs, and we often sniff noses between the fence.

Enjoy the photo of Eddie and Nathan winning first in their Junior Handling class at our local Siberian specialty in May.

Kiana celebrates her 15th birthday!

2008-06-20T07:45:00.000-07:00

Happy 15th Birthday, Kiana!

(She's the gray dog on the right!)

A very happy birthday goes out to the oldest dog in our pack, Kiana, AKC Champion Kalea's Boomchaser of Jasminka. She has hit the 15th year mark as of June 18th. She celebrated with a ham-flavored birthday "cake" and didn't share any with the rest of us! She has that right, I suppose, after all these years. She still knows how to put all us underlings into place. I may be a princess, but Kiana is Queen.
Happy Birthday, Kiana!

Slurps,
Stella Louella
Bullmastiff in Residence

ps- Check out "The Byrd Herd" link for the upcoming, new faces of the Byrd Herd!

Update on Eddie and Nathan

2008-06-09T13:52:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, May 10th our local Siberian Club had its specialty show. I didn't get to go because my "papers" say I'm a Bullmastiff not a Siberian. I speak Siberian very well, so at least I thought I could sneak in. No dice. Two from our house were entered, Eddie and the ancient Kiana. Kiana will be 15 years old on June 18th, Dog willing. Eddie had fun in the large Open Dog class with our old female human, and won first place, with his beautiful littermate Ace taking second. He said it was a lot of fun but didn't get the 5 point major. He and Nathan won their Novice Junior class in Junior Showmanship and Eddie says that was the most fun of all. They make a great pair! After all the showing was over (our pirate friend Maverick won an Award of Merit!), the Parade of Champions was showcased. Kiana (also known as Champion Kalea's Boomchaser of Jasminka) was the oldest dog by about 6 years. She was whelped in 1993, back when my owner says she didn't have any gray hair and could fit into a cute outfit. That was a long, long time ago. Sadly, Kiana is now the only known living member of her litter. Her sister Lulu passed away a couple months ago. Kiana made her trip around the ring to much applause and tears. It will be her last time in the show ring, and she brought home a beautiful rosette that she wore around her neck.
My old female human is debating whether I'll be shown anymore. Says she wants to talk to other humans about it before retiring me from the show scene. I'd like to see what it would be like in the obedience ring. I think I've trained my human well.
Hopefully my human can scan the show photos soon so she can post them. The photo of Nathan and Eddie is pretty cute, and of course, Kiana had her picture taken as well.
Slurps to all,
Stella Louella
Bullmastiff in Residence

Eddie's Debut as a Library Dog is a Hit!

2008-02-17T10:46:00.000-08:00

Eddie (D'Azul's On the Dark Side), a red Siberian boy bred and co-owned by Cecile and Lisa of D'Azul Siberians, made his debut as the Library Sled Dog Program dog yesterday, Feb. 25. He was a hit! There were around 50 humans, both young and old, who came to see the program, learn about sled dogs and the historic 1925 serum run to Nome, AK. Eddie modeled his bright red sled harness and was very gentle and happy when the kids came up afterwards to pet him. Most of the children were anywhere from 2 1/2 years to about 10 years old, and we had some folks probably in their 80's there, too. One special little girl, around 2 1/2 years old, had been brought because she was very frightened of dogs. Her mother has been exposing her to nice dogs to help her get over her fear. When her mom told her she was going to a sled DOG program, the little girl was terrified. She knew she was going to see a D-O-G. When she came in with her mom, she clung to her mom as if Eddie was going to eat her. At the end of the program, after watching all the kids line up and pet Eddie, the little girl tentatively came up to meet him. Just like his wonderful cousin Nakita before him, Eddie, who also is not an "in your face" kind of dog, patiently and gently greeted the little girl. To everyone's surprise, the toddler and Eddie bonded....it was in an instant! We stayed awhile longer to let the two get to know each other. When it came time for the girl to leave, her mom had to pry her away from Eddie!! What a good dog, Eddie! Eddie's breeders, Cecile and Lisa, handpicked Eddie for this job when he was a small puppy, and raised him up right. Their efforts paid off ten-fold yesterday. No one could have been prouder of him yesterday even if he had won a Best in Show. Temperament first! Always first! You have to live with a dog first.
When we got home, Eddie promptly took his freshly-bathed body to his favorite mud hole and had a grand time in typical Siberian fashion!
Yay, Eddie!!! What a good boy you are! A big "Thank You" to Cecile and Lisa Toth of D'Azul Siberians, for breeding and raising such a wonderful dog!
ps-The photographer from that town's paper was there taking pictures. We'll let you know if he ends up in the newspaper.

Things to Know about Me (Miss Stella)

2007-06-27T09:35:00.000-07:00

First, big slurps to all the condolences about Nakita. She was a very special furry friend to me. We got along just great. I will miss her sweet face.

I saw that Maverick the Pirate and Holly had this questionaire on their blogs, so of course I thought I should do the same!

1. Your age? Nearly 2 1/2 years old. (My birthday is Dec. 13, 2004)

2. Your age when came to live with your people? About 8 weeks of age.

3. What color is the collar you’re wearing right now? A new white collar with the look of embroidered flowers (Maverick's humans helped to pick it out at PetSmart!)

4. Who is your favorite person other than the people you live with?
Lisa! Maverick may call her Lisa the Mean, but I adore her!

5. How much do you weigh? In the neighborhood of 100 pounds.

6. Most expensive thing you’ve ever chewed up? Hmmmm...well, its all related to each other. Let's see: the deck stairs, the deck itself and the wooden siding of the humans' house. Oh! And I ate the phone line, so that was expensive 'cause the repairman had to come out!

7. Do you like other Dogs? I like some but adore my kennel mate, a small gray Siberian by the name of Stormy.

8. Who is your best non-human friend? Stormy...paws down.

9. Squeaky Toys or Tennis Balls? I love my squeaky zebra tail toy, but there's a photo somewhere of me as a puppy trying to stuff 2 tennis balls into my little mouth!

10. Do you like to be brushed? I'm not a big fan of it.

11. Peanut Butter or Cheese? Both! Mixed together would be delightful!

12. Do your people cut your toenails? Yes

13. Any formal education? Yes: I've been to both conformation classes AND puppy obedience classes. I loved going to those.

14. Couch potato or Energizer Bunny? Energizer Bunny at first, then a couch potato, if the humans aren't looking.

15. Five nicknames your people call you. Smella, Stellamonster, Stelly-Louelly, Stell the Smell, The Stellanator. You get the idea: I have a body odor problem.

16. What is your best trick? Doing my doggy aerobics: Lay down, sit up, lay down, sit up. All for a tasty treat, of course.

17. Do you like kitties? I would LOVE to eat a kitty.

18. What did you have for breakfast? 3 cups of soaked Iams or Eukanuba.

19. Can you hunt? I try...there's a bunny who comes out every morning that taunts me.

20. When & why was the last time you went to the V.E.T.? When I got my "yearly" (i.e., rabies shots, ect.)

21. Where do you sleep at night? In the kennel area (air-conditioned/heated garage), in my crate.

22. Do you like to swim? I HATE water!

23. Can you make puppies? Yes, I could. The humans have promised me a spay once I finish my championship. The humans do not want me to have puppies at all.

24. Do you give kisses? Big, wet, slobbery, gooey, sticky kisses!

25. Can you potty on command? Yes, the command is "Hurry up!"

26. To Cuz or not to Cuz? I saw them at PetSmart, and wasn't impressed.

That's all for now. I'm on my way to Oklahoma City with Lisa to see if I can win a major or two. Keep your paws crossed!
Slurps,
Miss Stella

A new angel in Heaven

2007-06-24T19:56:00.000-07:00

A note from Stella's old female human:

On Friday, June 22, we unexpectedly lost our dear Nakita. She had a bout of cancer in the past, and it came back to claim her. A tumor we were unaware of ruptured, and we freed Nakita of her agony. It was an unfair and cruel life's end to a dog so sweet and kind to so many. We are still reeling from her loss, and have yet to come to grips with it. Life without her seems surreal.

Nakita was registered as Nakita of the Smoky Hills, and as a 2-year old came into rescue when her owners were convinced that because she had growled at another dog in obedience class, she would bite their two young boys. Rather than see her go to a high-kill western Kansas animal shelter, I took her in. A sweeter dog would have been hard to find. Although Nakita didn't go looking for trouble with other dogs, she stuck up for herself if another challenged her. With humans, she never, ever growled or even made a stiff stance. Nakita had many opportunities to show an aggressive side to humans (if she had one). This dog was my partner in presenting sled dog and Iditarod programs to schools, libraries, churches and senior groups. We would bring our sprinting sled, books on sled dogs, the Iditarod, and stories by Gary Paulsen and other great children's writers. Nakita was always gentle and approachable. Even those terrified of dogs would steel themselves to pet her because of her calm and quiet demeanor. She would often give small kisses to children, and then lay down and sleep during the presentation. Often I would have to remind those smitten with her that she was not a typical Siberian in the fact she was so quiet and calm. I always let my audiences know the good and not-so-good sides to owning a Siberian. (You other Siberian owners would naturally know the list by heart!) They are not dogs for everyone. My other Siberians that had tried their paws as Library Dog would often whine, woo-woo, constantly move, or try to be the Fastest Tongue in the West. Nakita was never a "in-your-face" dog. She was a dog you could leave out in the house while you left and know it would be in one piece when you returned, and with no "surprise gifts", either. She was a dog I could absolutely trust with my two young boys and with other children. Many times after a presentation, all you would be able to see of Nakita would be an ear or tail, as children swarmed around her to pet her. She loved all the hugs and pats the kids had to share. This would-be shelter dog, possibly another kill statistic, managed to make the front page of two local newspapers, and numerous other times in the newspaper back pages, in school papers and church bulletins. Nakita was well-loved by all she met.

Nakita was my husband's most favorite Siberian. We are all missing her very much.

Nakita was of the old Marlytuk and Monadnock bloodlines, with a smidgeon of Innisfree. I thought she was beautiful on the outside, but knew for certain that she was beautiful inside. Nakita had a heart -and temperament- of gold. I know we were blessed to have had her in our lives. Our angel is now everyone's angel.

Somewhere, there are five of her progeny, all likely out in western Kansas somewhere. Her first owner bred her to a puppy mill-bred male Siberian, and the resulting puppies were all red and white. I know nothing of their whereabouts. I am fortunate that Cecile and Lisa Toth so generously offered a co-ownership on a young Nakita cousin...Eddie. Eddie will follow in Nakita's footsteps some day as the next Library Dog. He has the sweet demeanor and calm temperament that the job requires, and his breeders hand-selected him for the job. He already has shown how well he gets along with kids when my 8-year-old son walked him around a show site, then stepped into a fun match junior's ring for the first time, and won it with the help of Eddie. Our family is ever thankful for the Toth's generosity. I have no doubts Eddie will be right for our family and right for the job of "Library Dog".

Please enjoy Nakita's photos. I know I will see her again some day at the Rainbow Bridge.

Nakita's young cousin, Eddie (D'Azul's On the Dark Side), showing Nathan how to be a junior showman.

Look at General now!

2007-06-12T19:40:00.001-07:00

It's been about 5 1/2 months since my female human rescued a 24-year old bay Quarter Horse gelding, "General". Although he still needs to fatten up some, he's come a long way from the filthy bag of bones he was on Dec. 29, 2006. At first, my human jokingly called him "McRib", but it was serious stuff to start feeding this guy right without killing him. From 2 scoops of senior horse feed a day, with brome hay (a flake at a time), to 16 pounds of feed and all the brome hay he can eat, he's doing a heck of a lot better. General also had to have two molars pulled when the equine vet/dentist came out to float his teeth, once he was strong enough to handle it. He has been microchipped in case of emergency (or theft), and gets brushed out often. My human went to a Pat Parelli clinic with her oldest son and neighbor's son (who is also taking riding lessons). General and my female human are really working well together, and are becoming more bonded with the Level One Parelli lessons. He has even given the youngest human (5 years old) a short bareback ride. General was thrilled to be working again...his ears came up, his eyes brightened, and perhaps he stepped out a little more proudly.

It feels good to be needed...and loved. General has become a beautiful, shiny, happy horse.

Slurps,
Miss Stella

ps-Here are General's "before" and "after" photos, on Dec. 29, 2006 and June 12, 2007.

Introducing "Nakita" Sled Dog Program Star

2007-03-08T22:43:00.000-08:00

Today I'm going to introduce you to one of the sweetest pointy-earred Husky Heathens I live with. "Nakita" likes to visit libraries and elementary schools to teach the kids about the Iditarod and sled dog racing. She goes with my old human with all her sledding equipment, and then gives kisses and gets petted like crazy. Some dogs have all the fun! This past Wednesday, Nakita went to do her last sled dog program. She is getting elderly, I think she's twelve going on thirteen years. "Nakita" is officially "Nakita of the Smoky Hills". Years and years ago, when my old female human was active in Siberian rescue, Nakita's former owner called her and said "If you don't take her, she'll go to the pound tomorrow"! Apparently, Nakita didn't like a dog in her obedience class and growled at it. Her previous owner was afraid Nakita would bite her kids. Well, in the ten years Nakita has lived with us, she has never offered to growl at any human. Never. And she's had hundreds and hundreds of people pet her with all her presentations. She is royally bred, too: her sire is a show champion. You can see her pedigree at www.pawvillage.com, and type in "Nakita of the Smoky Hills". She's even been on the cover of a newspaper TWICE! She was shown a few times, the first time out she won RWB, and always placed in the other shows. She wasn't top show quality,definitely solid, but not top of the line. So, she was spayed and retired to go on to really fun things, like sled dog programs! The kids get to touch all the sled equipment, stand on the sled runners and pet Nakita. My old human likes to point out to the kids that Nakita is directly related to Togo, the famous lead dog (which I think nearly all Siberians are), and he is 13 generations behind her. The old human likes to tell kids about all the great dogs that can be adopted from animal shelters. They are amazed that Nakita could have been there, and that many purebreds are there along with their mixed parentage friends.
Enjoy the photos of our dog sled on the van (my human gets plenty of funny looks when she drives with the sled strapped to the van's roof!) and also of beautiful, sweet Nakita. Just think. Her previous owner was ready to dump her in a kill shelter in western Kansas. Nakita is truly a "diamond in the ruff"!
Slurps,
Miss Stella
ps-Bruce and Nakita came from the same breeder, and I believe that they are cousins!
pps-Check out the Byrd Herd's blog...see photos of General's progress!

The Horses Have Their Own Blog Now, and a Very Sad Day

2007-02-27T10:28:00.000-08:00

My human has noticed that the horses are somehow taking over my blog, so she created the Byrd Herd blog, where they can post their own adventures!
Their blog is located at http://byrdherd.blogspot.com/.
Visit them there!

On a different note, yesterday afternoon, our neighbors a couple miles away (we live in the country, so they're neighbors), lost their house to a massive fire, and with it, their two beloved dogs. Nothing is standing as of today. Even the chimney fell in on itself. Out here in the boonies there are few fire hydrants, so all the water had to be trucked in. Our fire department consists of brave volunteers. The home owners were away at work during the fire, so our heart goes out to them and we mourn with them their two canine family members.

Last year, our neighbors a mile down the road lost their entire house to fire also. Unfortunately, in the fire were 35 show cats (some top national winners) and 3 show dogs (Chinese Cresteds). All perished before anyone could get into the house. Again, the owners were away at work when it happened, and when the fire was discovered, the house was fully involved. You can only imagine the horror and pain felt by our neighbors. Truly any fire is tragic, and is a real fear our owner has since we are kennelled in the house. We are fortunate, however, to have a rare fire hydrant across the street, and our owner has a sticker in the window to lead the volunteer firefighters to us. The county sheriff knows we're in the house, too, so hopefully in case of a fire, we'll be rescued.

Please tell your humans to let their neighbors know that you are in the house (if they are yet unaware) and to put a "Rescue Me in Case of Fire" sticker on their front doors or windows. Have them check the smoke alarms, too, while they're at it.

Slurps,
Miss Stella

"Jackie" has a new name!

2007-02-25T17:27:00.000-08:00

My old human female didn't like the name "Jackie" for her new Snack, I mean, filly, so after nearly a month of pondering, asking folks for suggestions, she turned the task over to her oldest son. The Snack loves this kid, and follows him around, like, dare I say, a Bullmastiff. He decided to name her "Smokey". Its the 4th most common pet name, according to one source, so its not very original, but fitting.
So, I'll officially welcome the Smokey-flavored Snack to our family!
Slups,
Miss Stella

Next stop: Columbia, MO!

2007-02-21T19:28:00.000-08:00

In a couple of weekends, my humans will again WASH me (I hate that!), trim my nails (even worse!) and spray "Odor Muncher" on me (cruel, cruel people). But it will be all worth it, because I get to go to the Columbia, MO dog shows with Lisa in a couple of weekends and meet Tubey's human! Lisa spoils me, too, and I love showing off in the ring with her. So, I can't wait!
My show photo from St. Joseph KC show hasn't arrived yet, but I'll be sure to post it once it comes. That's if the printer/scanner/fax machine comes alive again. Maybe the old human will have to save up for a new one.
Slurps,
Miss Stella
ps-This photo is of old General after a month of daily feeding! He usually wears a horse coat, complete with neck rug, every day. This day it was warm and the coat came off for a few hours. He's starting to put a little weight on.

I'm Just Singin' in the Snow..Just Singin' in the Snow...

2007-02-13T16:48:00.000-08:00

What a glorious feeling, I'm woo-wooing again! Hi, this is Bruce. Miss Stella's sleeping, so I have the computer to myself and thought I'd share a photo of me singing my best woo-woos to celebrate the four inches of snow that fell last night! My kennel mate, Old Miss Kiana (13 1/2 yrs. old), was very perky, and even bounced a bit with happiness.
I just love this stuff!!
Woo-woos to you,
Bruce

Back from the Shows

2007-02-08T07:28:00.000-08:00

Well, we've come home from another show weekend. My old female human was the "show chairperson" and "show secretary" for the Siberian Fuzzies show on Friday night. She and the oldest human child came back to hotel very late,all pooped out. The rude Civic Center workers started shutting off the halogen lighting on the club during show photos. If I were there, I would have put a stop to that. Grrrrr....... Of course, we had to show early on both Saturday and Sunday...first breed in the ring both days. So, no sleeping in. I LOVED going to the shows! I got to sleep on the floor between two big beds, and even once curled up next to the oldest human on Saturday night. Saturday's show I was the "bridesmaid" again, RWB. Then the Civic Center people were rude again, shutting off lights and locking doors at least a half-hour before the contract said so, and my old female human had to make several phone calls so a couple of puppies an exhibitor had could be fed and walked.
But on Sunday, I got to be WB/BOS for the point! Lisa and I had a grand time showing off and winning the all-purple ribbon this time. I was beginning to be called the "Reserve Queen" at home. I'll post our show photo when it comes in the mail. My female human is not so into dog shows anymore, so she's had enough shows to last a her awhile. I'm glad Lisa and Cecile take me places, or I wouldn't get to go anywhere!
I got to see Cap'n Maverick, but he thought I was out to get his stuffed orange Orangutan. As a matter of fact, I think I would have liked to chew on its head. I loved stuffed animal toys.
Slurps,
Miss Stella

Stella's Saturday show

2007-01-20T20:29:00.000-08:00

Hi Blogger friends-
It's me, Bruce, standing in for Miss Stella, who is away with Lisa at the Iowa shows. Today (Saturday) she and Lisa took the Reserve Ribbon. They had a judge change, so it wasn't the person they had hoped for. But Miss Stella wagged her tail throughout the time in the ring, and had a good time. Sunday she'll have another shot at the point. Poor Lisa had a bang-up accident on the way to the show. Fortunately, everyone is fine, and the truck is a bit worse for wear. Keep your paws crossed that their trip back is a safe one!
Right now it is SNOWING!!! All of us Huskies, both Siberian and Alaskan, have had a grand time bounding through the snow and skidding through it. Ahhhhh......snow.
Now, I've heard rumors that Pirate Maverick is teaching Miss Stella some pirating ways. I'm a bit concerned. A lady that size does not need to be learning such things! I think she's a pushy broad anyway! I have images in my doggy mind that she'll come home wearing an eye patch!
Now, since she's away, I can post a baby picture of Stella when she was tiny and cute, at about 6 weeks!! Now she's a big ol' slobbering, gassy monster dog.
Woo-woos,
Bruce

Bad News for the General

2007-01-02T14:08:00.000-08:00

The Doctor came out to visit the General today, and strongly feels that he has EPM and is 24 years old, not 17, as my owner was told. He said that if he were his horse, he would not allow his kids to ride him. General is so unsteady on his feet that when he turns, he, as the vet said, "Doesn't know where his feet are". EPM (Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis) is often transmitted by possums to horses via feces on to grass, hay, whatever the horse is eating. Basically, there are protozoan in General's spinal cord, and his central nervous system is infected. Eventually, he will either die of it, or complications from it. The vet said he has maybe 6 months, 1 year or 5 years. He doesn't know. The treatment is very, very expensive and may not work. The vet said if General were his, he would not pursue treatment. The humans are very, very sad, as the General is an exceptionally sweet horse who loves kids and enjoys "talking" to the humans with his nickers. I'd say he's like a big, big Bullmastiff in many ways.
I hereby name General as Honorary Bullmastiff, never to be known as "Snack" again. Salute to theGeneral! May he be with us for many more years!
Slurps,
Miss Stella

More on EPM: http://www.vet.purdue.edu/horses/EPM.html

Close-Ups of "McRib"

2007-01-01T16:51:00.001-08:00

Here's General or "McRib" up close. Maybe my owner should take him to Dairy Queen for some sundaes or shakes! My owner says that always works for her!
Slurps,
Miss Stella

New Snack for Christmas & New Year's

2007-01-01T07:07:00.000-08:00

The old humans brought home a very boney, sad-looking snack called "General". I think of him as "General Foods", although there's not much to chew on. Even I feel sorry for him. His spine, hip and ribs are showing through a winter coat. I can only imagine what he'd look like in the summer. I wonder if I should call him "McRib"? Yeah, that sounds more like it.
This is the only photo so far that the old female human can upload onto the blog. There are clearer ones to show you just how bad shape the old McRib is, but they won't upload.
He is a 17 year old Quarter Horse that used to be a working ranch horse, then became a church camp horse, a lesson horse for beginning riders. He really likes the small humans. He prefers to visit the little ones over the big ones. My female human is trying to feed him without killing him with kindness. The Doctor said to take it easy with the hay and feed for awhile. The Doctor comes out on Tuesday to check out McRib.
Happy New Year to Everyone!!!
Slurps,
Miss Stella

Jackie up close!

2006-12-26T17:00:00.000-08:00

My owner says Jackie is a cutie patootie. I hope this is the last snack she adds to our family! Jackie-in-the-Box is a dark grayish-brown right now, but will be a flea-bitten gray when grown up. Fleabitten? And my owner wants THAT here? Maybe if she puts Biospot or something on her, then she won't have fleas!
Slurps,
Miss Stella

Jackie joins the clan

2006-12-26T16:38:00.000-08:00

The humans are bonkers, completly bonkers. They plan to add yet another Snack to the group. This is it, says the older human female. Couldn't resist her, she says. Sheesh! I thought that feeling was only reserved for puppies! Jackie-In-The-Box is the only name I can think of to call her. Hmmmmm.....hamburgers......! The old female human says she's a registered gray quarter horse filly, green broke, and is out of the famous Poco Bueno and Goldfingers lines. That's supposed to impress me or something. I'm impressed only by a nice, juicy steak!
Slurps,
Miss Stella

New Snack for Christmas

2006-12-25T09:59:00.001-08:00

Yes, the humans were very thoughtful for Christmas. To add to that "Midnyte Snack" horse, a new "buddy" horse will be joining the household, named "General". I prefer to think of him as "General Foods". They are trading the too-small horsetrailer for him, so General's current owner can use it for her ponies. General is a 17 yr. old bay Quarter Horse gelding who used to work cows. All the humans are excited about him. Oh, Midnyte Snack got a stall toy from Santy Claws for when she goes to "boot camp" to finish her training.

Now, on to more important things. Santy Claws brought all of us canines a rawhide chewie EACH and lots of dog biscuits. Yum! Santy Claws sure knows what us dogs like!

Not too much else is going on. Hope Santy Claws was good to you other pups, too!

Happy Howlidays to you!
Slurps,
Miss Stella

Bonner Springs Tornado

2006-12-08T10:14:00.000-08:00

Pictured here is an authentic Bonner Springs, Kansas tornado. This photo was taken about a mile from our house in 2003 by my owner's aunt. What you don't see is her uncle mowing the lawn. He wasn't worried about the storm, which was moving away from the home. My owner said something about "Darwin's Theory" at work. Last March (2006) another one touched down in a field near our house, and many homes had storm damage from the wind. My humans have a "tornado closet" that is a cement closet with a cement ceiling. But its a small closet and is a bit crowded in there. My old female human makes the kids wear bicycle helmets during the times they run to the shelter because head injuries from flying debris from these storms is common. Fortunately for us dogs, we're in a pretty safe place that is partially underground. Mom worried about that Midnite Snack horse the last March and between 2 storms that hit that day, went out to make sure the horse was OK. Midnite was fine, and inside a loafing shed. The van didn't fare so well, and was hit by softball-sized hail. My human is nuts about that "free range" snack named Midnyte.

My birthday is coming up (Dec. 13). I'll be a whopping 2 years old! I wonder what the humans are planning for my birthday party. I hope its a yummy present.

Slurps,
Miss Stella

Introducing "Midnyte"

2006-12-06T20:20:00.000-08:00

Here is the family horse the humans here call Midnyte. She is a black paint horse who forgot to wear spots and has one blue eye quite like some furry heathen huskies I know. My humans love this beast who is actually bigger than I am. I think she looks tasty. I call her Midnyte Snack.

The pounding hammer humans came back for a short time today, and will be back soon to put something called a "cricket" where the chimney meets the roof. The old female human is delighted because that means no more rain water in her bedroom. I just can't understand how a bug can prevent that sort of thing to happen. Humans are weird.

That's all for now.
Roof! Roof! Roof!
Miss Stella
Roofing Forebitch

Roofers invade!

2006-12-04T21:25:00.000-08:00

Today lots of men I didn't know descended upon our home, tearing off the roof and made much banging noises with things called hammers! The pounding nearly drove us dogs all crazy, and not to mention our humans, too. Last March a tornado touched down near my house, and we had lots of damage to the roof. I'm here to tell you, composite roof pieces are not tasty! Lots of it was on the grass after the storm. My older humans have had a wet floor every time it rained, so they are happy the new roof is in the works. But all those strangers on my house! It really makes me uneasy, since its MY job to see that no strangers get on our property. I need a doggy valium! My humans are thinking its a bit odd that the roofers wait until the house and driveway are covered with ice. They have waited for months for a new roof, so what's a few more days until it warms up? My bladder also hates having to stay inside all day while strangers tear up the roof.
That's it today, fuzzy friends.
Slurps,
Miss Stella
ps-I overheard the older female that those hammer-people will come back again tomorrow!

Introducing "Bruce"

2006-11-21T12:25:00.000-08:00

Since I share my home with 9 heathen huskies, I will introduce them one at a time to you. Today I bring you "Bruce", AKA North Star's The Boss O'Troika. My humans really, really like Bruce Springsteen's music, so that's why they named this heathen "Bruce". They used to have a cute little French Bulldog named "Clarence", named for the E Street Band's member, Clarence Clemons, who plays the saxaphone. Clarence suddenly dropped dead at the age of eight years a couple Januarys back...my humans think he had a massive stroke or heart attack. The little humans were very sad about it, and still talk about him to this day. They miss him. Clarence and Bruce were the best of friends, and would curl up together to sleep (imagine a big husky with a little Frenchie snuggled up to him!) Clarence took great fun in grabbing Bruce's fuzzy pants. He would then hang on til Bruce knocked him off! It was in all good humor.
Bruce, also known as "Brucey", "The Brucenator" and "Fuzzy Butt", is a pretty congenial guy. He was raised in a pack situation, so he has good doggy social skills. My human adores him, and he has big cheeks to grab. (No, not the fuzzy butt cheeks!) He used to show, but he didn't like it. His first show he was RWD and Best Puppy in Breed over several other puppies. But he's a bit timid, so showing wasn't his favorite thing to do. He'd rather be home with the humans!
Bruce kind of ignores me. He thinks I'm a pushy girl.
That's it for me today.
Slurps,
Miss Stella

Mister Higgins

2006-11-20T20:14:00.000-08:00

I'm posting a photo of my family's first Bullmastiff, Mister Higgins. I have some seriously large pawprints to fill. Not only was he HUGE for a Bully (150 lbs in fit shape) but he had his CD degree in obedience, a CGC (Canine Good Citizen) and was a TDI (Therapy Dog International) dog. He also finished 1993 the #2 & #3 obedience Bullmastiff (depending on what system you went with). He also prevented an invasion robbery a few months shy of his 10th birthday, when my human was alone with her infant son. He's a hero in her eyes! Higgins and I came from the same breeder, so we're kind of distant cousins. And I'm a petite 90 pounds, so I'm a LOT smaller than he was! My human has had to get used to that fact. I was the smallest in my litter, so what did she expect? I've been to obedience classes, but I don't know if I can come close to what Higgins did. But my human loves me all the same.
Slurps,
Miss Stella

One of My Human's Kidlets

2006-11-19T20:03:00.001-08:00

Here's the youngest human,Colton, giving Miss Nakita a bath. She's 12 years old, and he's 4. They both were soaked! This was in our local paper, but this is the only clipping the humans here have of it.

2006-11-19T19:32:00.000-08:00

Here I am, winning my first point from the puppy class. I went on to win over my handsome cousin, Bo, to pick up the point. (Bo is nearly a champion...he's a very nice boy). Lisa helped me win a RWB to a major up in South Dakota a few weekends ago. I hope next year I'll be able to go to more shows! Mom still thinks I'm still in my "teenage uglies"! My feelings are hurt! Stormy says I'm beautiful.
That's all for now,
Miss Stella

I want to move upstairs

2006-11-11T10:23:00.000-08:00

Its not fair. Mom has this white and black piebald fuzzy, pointy-earred thing called "Skye". She is evil, and tries to bite everyone except the human family. I really don't like her. I want to move upstairs to be with the humans, and have Skye move downstairs to the kennel with the other fuzzy pointy-eared things called Siberians. OK, I know my best friend, Stormy, IS a Siberian, but he's also a pain. He thinks he's smarter, faster and stronger than me. Just yesterday he bit my delicate ear because he thought I was trying to be the number one dog. Well, for his information, I am! But since he has been my best buddy since I was really little, I'll ignore what he did to my ear.
I think Skye needs to move far, far away. I want to sleep on the couch.
-Miss Stella

Welcome to my Spot!

2006-11-09T18:59:00.000-08:00

I'm Miss Stella, and I'm a red Bullmastiff girl who loves to show. I go to dog shows with my friend Lisa and her mom Cecile. We have a great time, because Lisa treats me like royalty. I sure like that. I live with 9 Siberian Huskies and Alaskan Huskies, and I'm the only "proper" dog. I have a nice smooth red coat and ears that hang down. My friends all have pointy ears and are very furry. In fact, they look like heathens, in my opinion. But I still love them.
Check back for more of my posts, especially when I start showing again.
Slurps,
Miss Stella Louella