Happy Birthday to You

Yesterday was my pups' 6-month birthday. Happy Birthday Babies!

When a pup turns 6-months old they can begin to compete in the show ring. My boy Sherpa (Deep Acres Autumn Splendor) has decided he wants to strut his stuff on the show ring carpet. So on the day of his 6-month birthday he competed for the very first time.

We met him at the show site and we brought our grooming table and all our grooming paraphernalia - bushes, combs, and just a little puppy mousse. Luckily, Sherpa is naturally beautiful. And, thank goodness, a really nice professional handler and expert groomer came over and used something he called a rat tail comb (available at Sally's Beauty Supply he told us) to give Sherpa a beautiful part down the middle of his back. He also spritzed, sprayed and patted on some super secret ointments and elixirs. Sherpa looked stunning and I think he felt like a million bucks. Thank you Mr. Professional Handler and Expert Groomer! Or is it Dr. Professional Handler and Expert Groomer? I bet it is.

When Sherpa entered the show ring it was like everything stopped. A hush fell over the room. Babies stopped crying. Mothers wept as he pranced around the ring with the perfect combination of vibrato and grace. Up on the table for the judge's review, he squirmed and winced just a bit before allowing a flash of teeth for the judge's review. Up and down and around the room he again danced up to the judge to be awarded Reserve Dog. The 2nd best (and the youngest by far) non-champion dog in the ring. Not too shabby for my newly-christened six-month-old boy. After his performance, the girls were swarming around. It was like he was Justin Beiber or a newly discovered Jonas brother or something. One cute little TT girl even tried to jump him. Get used to it Sherpa.

Happy Birthday Baby! I LOVE you.

Harry From Blackpool

Harry is one of my newest friends. We hooked up on Facebook cause I like the description on his profile:

"I am the most adorable TT, full of mischief and fun, a really sociable wee guy, I'm enjoying giving my family the run around and destroying any cushion that I get my paws on. Everybody loves me to bits and so they should!!"

Harry just sent me a nice note.

Hi Suddie,
I was born in Blackpool. My grandad was Araki Fabulous Willy -the Crufts winner. I'm not being shown, Mom & Dad just want to love me and have me as part of the family.

So I came home when I was 8 weeks up here to Strathaven,Lanarkshire. I live with Mom & Dad, (Andrea & Andy Stone) & Tom the cat. He's about 18 years old, been there and seen it all before with puppies around the house - I have a lot to live up to because Milly was here before me and she went to the Rainbow bridge last May when she was 14. I love my family. Robert, my human brother, comes to visit me every day because he works with Dad, and I go on my holidays to stay with him and Christine - they've got 2 cats, Chico & Buzz.

Tara is my bestest friend in the world I love her soooo much. She's twelve. She's Mandy's, my human sister's, dog. Mandy and her hubby Sandy's dog. There's going to be twins in her house in October. That will be something new for us all !!:-) Tara always comes to stay with us for her holidays.

I love doing all the usual doggy things walks, playing in the park, but I'm having to do school every morning - to learn some manners, I don't really listen to anyone when I'm off the lead - in fact I was confined to lead only for the whole month of March!! So I have to learn to be good. You see I'm very willful - it seems to be a trait of the breed.
My Kong and raggies are my favourite toys - and, by the way, gardening is one of my hobbies - I just love digging!! & digging. Yeh and fencing I'm pretty good at that too - you know what I mean like digging my way out under the fencing ( It's Tom's fault he just nips through and I have to try to follow him) boy do I get in to bother!!!
There's lots of stories my Mom can tell you, but she'll be here for ever!!
I love people and other dogs - even if I'm a bit too boisterous sometimes - I'm only a puppy still so Mom say's I'll learn and calm down ........one day maybe
Bye for now - lots of hugs & licks Harry

I think Harry is pretty swell. Don't you.

Lady Marymalade

My crazy-sexy-cool half-sister (I always call her cousin, but really she's my half-sister) Miss Mary Sunshine from Montana shared this video of her morning romp with me. It sure is beautiful. I wish I could spend more time with Miss Mary and those simple folk in Montana.

Miss Mary Sunshine, A Mini Look: Her Country Days from Sheryl Getman on Vimeo.

I wrote this song in honor of Miss Mary:

Hey sister, go sister, soul sister, flow sister
Hey sister, go sister, soul sister, go sister

He met Marymalade down in ol' Montana
Strutting her stuff on the ranch, yeah
She said, "Hello, hey Joe
You wanna give it a go?", oh! uh huh

Gitchy gitchy ya ya ta ta (hey hey hey)
Gitchy gitchy ya ya here (here)
Mocha chocolata ya ya (ooh yeah)
Creole Lady Marymalade (ohh)

Dear Suddie

So, yesterday, I received this nice email from this lady named Susan. She is interested in getting a Tibetan Terrier and had lots of questions. I decided to post her questions and my answers here. I thought it might be useful.

Hello Suddie.
I’m very interested in TTs. I would love some insight from you if you have a chance to answer some questions at your convenience.

My husband has allergies to dogs so we were seeking a breed that is at least some what hypoallergenic ---- this led us to the TT. We have two small children ages almost 6 and almost 4 --- we really want to expose them to the joy of owning a pet early. We both grew up with dogs. We don’t have much of a backyard so we thought a smaller to mid-size breed would be good. We do live close to a park and we are an active family so we feel we can give the dog what he/she needs in terms of exercise.
Susan

Hi there Susan.
Thank you for your email. I, of course, think TTs are the best things on earth. I have attempted to answer each of your questions below.

What is your experience with the TT’s personality? I’ve read they are very affectionate but reserved with strangers. Is this true in your experience?

This, I guess, is true in general. It, of course, depends a lot on the individual dog. My family of TTs is very loyal and affectionate when we want to be. We are not overly needy and on top of you all the time. We are very happy to just hang at home and laze around, but are equally happy to go on long walks or play ball or frisbee. My parents think that we are perfect in that we seem to be happy to do whatever they want to do. We even love to swim. We are not overly interested when we meet new people on the street (which we often do because everyone wants to give us some love), but we enjoy visitors and are happy to have our parents friends and visitors in the home. We can be very sweet and soulful. Sometimes we will go and sleep with our overnight guests. In general, we do tend to bond strongly with our owners.

Does your TT bark a lot?

We do not bark a lot. But we do bark. Mostly, we bark to announce a visitor, but settle down quickly and enjoy the visit.

Do you think they would be good with children?

This, of course, depends on the temperament of the pup (and the children). My parents have placed many TTs with families with children, but we work to ensure a good match. They do not place our dogs with households that include children under 5 years of age. I don't think it is a good idea to have any breed of puppy in a household with small children.


Are they very, very active?

No. We are not part of the terrier breed so we do not have this temperament. We are very easy dogs. I am equally happy lounging around in bed with my parents (one of my favorite activities) as I am going for a long hike. We are the best!

Do they shed?

We are non-shedding, but we lose hair like any other hairy mammal. Having said that, we do lose our puppy coat at around 1 year, but that is a one-time thing. So non-shedding, but we do lose hair and you will need to vacuum more!

Are they difficult to groom?



If you keep your TT in full coat they do require thorough brushings at least twice a week. I prefer my long, natural coat but many people keep their TTs in puppy cuts which are much easier to maintain and require less vacuuming.




Are they high-demand dogs?

Not at all. We do love to be with our owners.

Are they hard to house train?

Not at all in my experience. Most of my pups are well on their way to being house-trained when they go to their new homes at 8 - 10 weeks. Read the reviews on our website for more on this: www.deepacresfarm.com


We are away from home school hours --- do you think a TT can be left alone that long?

We have placed our TTs in homes where the owners are away during the day for work. This is most difficult when the pup first arrives in your new home and needs a lot of attention to training and becoming comfortable in their new home. Pups can generally hold their water one hour for every month old they are. So a new pup coming to your home at 2 months will need to go outside every two hours or so. Most people who do work hire a dog walker to come at least once during the day for adult dogs.

They sound like such great dogs, so I don’t understand why there are not more of them around. I have had a huge challenge in finding TT owners to talk to. Do you have any thoughts on why TT aren’t more popular? Is there a downside to the breed that I’m missing?

It's a supply side issue not a lack of demand. You don't see many of us because there aren't many of us. I think around 600 pups are born each year. Reputable breeders tightly control the quality of the breed and who can breed. My pups are always pre-reserved far in advance of their birth. I think, perhaps, the long coat is a lot for some people to deal with. If you are on Facebook, you will easily find owners to talk to and TT groups.

I hope this has been helpful. We also have a TT blog that, along with a lot of nonsense, contains useful info about the breed. You can even find instructional videos on grooming your TT. Please visit the blog and sign up to "Follow" it.
http://deepacresfarm.blogspot.com/

The Good News

Good news! The sweet TT in Washington state that I blogged about yesterday has been adopted. Yeah!


Also, my dear friend Ella from the Isle of Skye is a cover girl.

Here's the news,

Dear Suddie,
I think I might be a celebrity too just like you, Angus and Roxie. The lady my doggy mum (Tilly) lives with sent us a book called the Tibetan Terrier Association Year Book (published by the UK TT Association) and guess who was on the back cover?? She says all the people who saw it at Crufts thought I was cute. Mum says it mustn't go to my head because she doesn't like 'celebrity' and perhaps this is just my 15 minutes of fame ??? I don't know what that is all about perhaps it is something to do with the stupid bunches she keeps putting in. I think she is secretly proud 'cos I know she really adores me even when I am naughty.
Does this make me a cover girl? I think I look a bit like you.
L♡L, Ella XX

Now, Ella, I'm flattered. You do look like a fresh-faced cover girl. Not an old dust mop like me. Well, when Roxie saw your "stupid bunches" she just had to have some. All the rage around our house now those stupid bunches are. Do they ever give you a headache? Yours look awfully tight and perky! Just like the littlest Who, Cindy Lou. Do you know Cindy Lou? Or is it Cindy Sue? Well, anyway, you know who I mean, the littlest Who. Oh, I do think it's Cindy Lou Who. You're looking very Cindy Lou Who.

Now Roxie is just desperate to be on the cover of something. She spent quite a bit time posing on the chaise lounge, next to her "I'd Rather Be in Paris" pillow, while looking thoughtfully out the window. I guess models do spend quite a bit of time in Paris. But, Ella, I don't want that sort of itinerant life for my little girl. Have you seen the movie Mahogany in which Diana Ross plays a model? Well she goes to Paris, gets involved with some white French guy, and ends up dripping hot wax from a candle all over her body. No, if Roxie has to go to Paris it will be for language or art studies at the Sorbonne (and for no more than one semester). But you know, little Ella, I learned long ago you can plan all you want for your children's future but it's sort of like writing a blog that no one reads. You know it's going to have very little impact, but you do it anyway.

But, I digress. Roxie wasn't going to be happy until I took a few artful shots of her. I couldn't find the camera anywhere in this rubble pile so I ended up taking some pics with my iPhone. This didn't strike Roxie as a very auspicious start to her modeling career. I think some of the pics came out pretty well. I think Roxie secretly liked them too. Don't tell her I noticed, but I saw her emailing them to Eileen Ford (or maybe it was to Eileen's daughter, I doubt Eileen can even see anymore).

HOT TIP: WA State TT in Shelter Needs a Home

I came across this sweet adult male Tibetan Terrier in Washington state in a shelter that needs a home. Click Here for more information or email gcanimaloutreach@hotmail.com or call (509) 762-9616

Suddie Loves, Suddie Loves, Suddie Loves Pasta

I sniffed around and found that I'm not the only dog out there that loves pasta.

It is true. I really like pasta. Not the long noodle type like these dogs. My dad doesn't like me to eat that. He's a big pansy and is afraid I might choke on it. I think it looks like fun. Like one of my rope toys after I've been working on it for awhile. The medium-sized noodles like rigatoni are my favorite. Now mind you I don't eat a lot of pasta. My dad won't let me. About once a month or so I get one or two noodles covered in a delicious tomato sauce. I love a GOOD tomato sauce. The following sauce is one of my favorites cause this girl likes a little garlic in her tomato sauce. The recipe for the pasta noodle itself is really easy too. If you are feeling lazy, like I sometimes do, you can substitute a good dry pasta.


I even found one dog that dressed up as spaghetti and meatballs for Halloween. Now that's a bitch that loves her pasta! Does your dog(or bitch) love pasta?



Strozzapreti With Roasted Tomatoes

Time: About 1 hour

FOR THE SAUCE:

12 ounces (about 22) cherry tomatoes, halved
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
5 garlic cloves, minced
2/3 cup finely grated pecorino cheese
1/4 cup, firmly packed, fresh basil or parsley leaves

FOR THE PASTA:
1 cup grano duro flour or unbleached all-purpose flour, more as needed
2 large eggs
Salt.

1. For the sauce: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine tomatoes, 1 tablespoon oil and 4 minced garlic cloves. Toss well, then spread tomatoes on a baking sheet, cut sides up. Roast until soft and collapsing, about 45 minutes; do not allow to dry or brown. Meanwhile, in a food processor combine remaining minced garlic, cheese, and basil or parsley. Process until very finely chopped. When tomatoes are soft, immediately spread cheese-herb mixture on top and lightly mash with a spoon so cheese melts. Drizzle with 2 more tablespoons oil, and set aside.

2. For the strozzapreti: On a wooden counter or large cutting board, mound 1 cup flour and make a well in center. Break eggs into well. Using your hands, mix eggs in well, gradually pulling in more and more flour to make a pasty dough. Knead dough briefly, using lightly floured hands if dough is very wet; it should be moist but not sticky.

3. Scrape wooden board clean. Using a wooden rolling pin (and a very light dusting of flour if necessary), roll dough out as thinly as possible into an approximate rectangle. Using a knife, score rectangle into strips an inch wide and about three inches long. Pick up one piece of dough and press it around a bamboo meat skewer about the diameter of an umbrella spoke. This is most successful if done quickly and not too carefully, so that dough fits tightly round skewer with an overlapping, visible seam. Slide skewer out of pasta and set pasta aside on a plate. Repeat to use remaining dough. Pieces should be irregular in size and shape.

4. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. If desired, return baking sheet of tomatoes to a 300-degree oven just to reheat. Add strozzapreti to pot and cook until tender, slightly chewy and no longer raw in center. This is best done by tasting after strozzapreti float to surface; be careful not to under- or overcook. Drain cooked pasta and pour into a large bowl; immediately add tomatoes. Toss quickly and serve hot.

Yield: 2 servings.