Greenstone Updates-Show/Puppies/Breed Info

Hello Folks

So first a new photo of Greenstone Blue Suede Shoes, who is Ch Greenstone Ajay's son from last year with Folda, as you know Ajay is the Top ISD in Canada for 2006, and I have a fair amount of interest from folks about when I will be breeding him, and I wanted to make sure that those same folks can see his offspring growing out.

The second photo is a new photo of Belglen Riddari, who is visiting to be breed with Dalla, and as you can see he is lovely red/white/black mask med coated (in summer coat) male, love his head type.

Onto Breed news, I think some of you will find it interesting that according to CKC stats just arrived yesterday that nine litters of Icelandics have been registered in Canada in 2007 to date, and 19 dogs have been registered in 2007, with 3 registered in 2006.

In regards to Show News, at this point, Greenstone is planning on attending the following shows (please check with me personally to make sure nothing has come up to make this change)

June -Kingston 15-16-17

July -Kars 20-21-22

Aug - Calgary 03, 04, 05, 06

Oct - Belleville 19, 20, 21

Nov- Ottawa 16, 17, 18

Nov- Montreal 23, 24, 25

At this point in time, Greenstone Black Pearl to the best of my knowledge is the Top Icelandic Sheepdog in Canada, and depending on what happens in Calgary at the big ISD four day gathering, I might be needing to show her even more, as I am working towards her staying Top Icelandic Sheepdog for 2007 and if possable, I will be working towards the same goal for 2008.

So other then that, tons of farm work, yard work, garden work, and lots of visiting..

Would you like your ISD to come to a possable fun match at the end of July, I was planning on going to Kingston for the four day show, but Monika K is coming in from Iceland during that time, so no dog show for me, as clearly this visit is more important, so I am thinking of talking to monika about maybe having a fun show and folks could come and have a fun show, and Monika would be the judge. We will see if we have enough interest.

So at this point if Dalla is expecting on time, we should be having a litter around the end of July.. I will keep you updated as things process.

Barks

Planned Coming Litters for 2007 upate- Breedings are starting :)

Hello Folks

Just a quick note at this time, but wanted to let you know that Dalla and Darri have had a number of breedings to date and this means that we will be looking for puppies around
July 23 give or take a few days.

We are expecting Red/White with Black Mask Puppies from the litter, It is also possable that we might have black tri puppies in the litter. Only time will tell on that one..

We are expecting mostly med coated puppies but there can also be the odd long hair puppy.

The temperment is amazing on both parents.. and we are expecting wonderful temperments on the puppies, as well as wonderful breed type and very typical white markings, white blaze, collars, socks and tail tip.

If you are looking for a wonderful ISD puppy to add to your home, please consider contacting me to get on the waiting lists for the two current planned litters or the waiting list for the planned fall/winter litters. Contact me at isdpuppies@hotmail.com

Barks

Yipppeee, Ada is in Heat now as well!!

Hello to all my waiting puppy owners to be..

Ada has now started her heat as well, and the countdown on her breeding begins as well.. Darri arrived on Weds evening, and he is lovely, I will post new photos of him soon.

What to tell you about Darri, well the first thing, is that he has a wonderful temperment, and he is so quiet, I could not be more pleased with both of those, so sweet, and very interested in learning what it is I am asking, and he has thinking eyes, you can tell that he is listening and learning all the time..

He is taller then both females but being a still young man, (just over two) he has some maturing to do, and so the females are in fact a bit bigger then him in terms of overall bone/width of body, and they both appear at this time of the year to be more in coat then he is at this time. He has his summer coat in, and has lots more of his undercoat that is for sure.

Love the harshness to his coat, its so correct for the breed, all in all a lovely wonderful boy and looking forward to his breeding the girls, and more updates to follow.

Barks

Greenstone Ajay New Stud Photo Update

Hello Folks

Thought you might like to see a new stack photo of Ch Greenstone Ajay, Top Icelandic in Canada for 2006.

First photo is Ajay at six months of age at the May Ottawa dog show 2005, Second photo is Ajay finishing his Championship at the May Ottawa Dog show 2006 at one and half years old (a one show Champion, and first Multi Group placing ISD), and Third Photo is taken today, end of May 2007, at two and half years old.

Why is it that others can see things so much fast then you can yourself, I just had a letter from a friend that Ajay's newest 2 and half year old photo, he looks a great deal like the ideal standard drawing for a med adult male ISD. So I went to look, and I can see what they mean.. wow, that is so great, the drawings where done in 2002, and of course Ajay was not born till 2004, but he really does look like the drawing.

Greenstone Ajay is available for stud to approved CKC registered females.

Barks

Planned Litters Linebreeding on Nord Uch N S Uch DK Ch NV-99 Töfra-Frigg

Hello Folks

Well, for those of you who are interested in these types of things :) Goals for the planned coming litters, Good Health (Eyes, Hips, Heart) and overall good health. Wonderful Temperment, and good herding ability if at all possable.

So I will not repeat the info that I wrote yesterday about the health, other then its a overall good HD and CERF normal family index.

So the inbreeding Co on Tofra Dalla to Belglen Riddari is 13 percent, and I am expecting great things from these puppies..

Coat type: Full Coated Med coat, with possablity of Long Hair pups, Deep dark red color/to a more meduim sable color, Black tri's are possable. All puppies should have some degree of blaze, white collar, socks of different lengths, white tail tip etc. Overall, the heads are a like to like breeding, but I do believe that Darri will add a tiny bit more refinement to overall head peice of the puppies, and will hopefully bring down the ear size just a shade. Wonderful eye color, good pigment, and a improved tail set on the puppies, to date Dalla has produced very nice curled tails on her offspring and Darri has a nice curl to his tail. Temperement, they are a very good match, and are very simular, and I expect and hope for the same middle of the road, ideal family dog temperment in the litter.

This will be the first linebreeding every done of Frigg, and it will be very interesting to see how it all works out.

So the inbreeding Co on Greenstone Ada and Belglen Ridarri is 8 percent, which means that we can get more chance in what the puppies will turn out like or who they will take after, or what the blend will be, still at 8 percent, we are much more likely to have a typy litter then with a lower inbreeding Co.

So Ada and Darri will be expecting, both med and Long hair puppies, all should be on the darker side of the red factor or Black tri's (if Darri carriers Black tri), there is a possable of Sable factor in the coats as Ada is a Sable herself. Wonderful eye color, and pigment on both dogs, Ada has a nice almond eye shape, so am hoping that the puppies will have her more almond eye, with Darri's smaller ears, again a very nice like to like head breeding.. Temperments, the same as above, very easy, happy, sweet dogs, that should produces some truly typy, beautiful, and sweet puppies. Same as above, all puppies should be the most typical marked within the breed, having white blazes, collars, Socks of different lengths, and white tail tips.

Both Dalla and Ada have strong Double dewclaws on their rear legs, so crossed with Darri, I am hopeful that the puppies will have all their double dewsclaws on the hind legs.

To learn more about Frigg, check out the Tofra Website at

http://www.tofradogs.com/english.htm

Of the three litters Frigg had (from three different males) to date only this many of her puppies are used:

1st litter

Töfra Ljósbrá Lotta (Holland)

Töfra Ljósálfur (Canada)

Töfra Lagsi (Canada)

2nd litter

Töfra Hólmfríður Hrifla (Iceland)

Töfra Hvutti Valtýr (Holland)

3rd litter

Töfra Dalla Hektorsdóttir (Canada)

Töfra Dofri Brosi (Norway)

So while you may see Frigg in a number of Pedigree's around different countries, it is very safe to say that we can hope that many more of her puppies and grandpuppies will be used in the future.

Hope you enjoy seeing a very young one year old Frigg in the photos, and have a great day.

Barks

Breeding litters and Stud updates!

Hello Folks

Well, first the good news!, Tofra Dalla started her heat, so the count down for the first litter to be breed for has began!! yahooo.. puppies, puppies, I am doing the puppies to be dance!! ;)

Black Pearl is in full heat as well, (no Puppies for her!) and I am greatly looking forward to the rest of the females coming into heat over the next few weeks..

Second big news is a change in Stud plans, I will still be using Narri in the future but not in 2006, so I am pleased to annouce that daddy to be will be flying in from Sask, Canada next week to be breed to Tofra Dalla, and Greenstone Ada, will be Belglen Riddari, as you can see from the photos I took of him last year when visiting in Sask, he is a med coated, red/white/Black mask boy.. Cerf Normals (two so far, and will have his third CERF soon), OFA Prelim Fair, and his adult OFA coming soon, but overall good family index of HD free hips. Both Parents, OFA -Good, CERF normal, All four Grandparents tested, Three-A's and One-C. Overall a great family index.

Might carry Black tri, and does carry Pied for sure.. A lovely show marked boy which crossed with my two planned females should produce truly amazing show qaulity puppies in the coming litter.

More updates to follow.

Barks

Greenstone Black Pearl-Anrprior SaturdaySunday Show Results

Hello Folks

Well, what a day, what a day, Greenstone Alexander the Great and Greenstone Black Pearl where out to the shows today in Arnpior, and Black Pearl as a Junior Puppy, (just shy of her nine months birthday) took Best of Breed, Groups 4th in Herding and Best Puppy in Group!, under CKC Judge Joe Lobb, for a total of three CKC Championship points earned.

So Black Pearl has four Championship Points to date.

Which means that Freyja (aka Black Pearl) goes down in Canadian Icelandic Sheepdog History as the first female group placements, and the first Best Puppy in Group.

I was so proud to see a Icelandic compete in Best Puppy in Show, the stunning working puppy took Best puppy in Show.

On not so great news, finished the show to come out to a flat tire, which added an extra two hours onto my trip home, turns out I ran over two roofing nails somehow on my trip and had to have the tire removed, them pulled and patched and tire put back on..

Hope you enjoy seeing the show win photo of Greenstone Black Pearl.

Sunday update on the show,

Greenstone Black Pearl -Best of Breed and Best Puppy of Breed

Greenstone Alexander the Great -Best of Opposite

Total wins, Black Pearl earned four CKC Championship points, she now has a total of five points to date.

Barks.

Not Dog related but cool none the less

Hello folks

I wonder how many folks have walked by this poplar tree and only seen a dark growth, if they noticed it at all.. I was walking along and as most of you that know me know, I love to take photos!.. I have thousands of them.. and I saw this tree, and was stunned at the imagine that is showed my eye..

In fact, I wondered if it had help because it was so perfect of a outline, and so felt it carefully to make sure that no one had helped it along in terms of wounding the tree etc..

Anyway, this is the way nature grew it.. Now, I don't want to give it away as what I see, because everyone should see it just a bit different but I call it my "Lady of the trees".. Hope you will enjoy seeing it as much as I enjoyed finding her and taking her photo.

Barks

Great workout for the dogs yesterday

Hello Folks

Well, its one tired and sore owner today but I feel better then I could I guess, LOL

What a great day yesterday was, the weather was amazing, a bit hotter then I would have liked, given that the dogs had to spend parts of the day in the truck, but, we were able to keep all windows open and to make sure a bucket of water was available at all times, plus I check the temp, there was a nice cool breeze, but its clearly time to crack out the crate fans..

So morning was spent getting thing ready for me to be gone from the farm for the afternoon/evening, and the truck was loaded with four dogs by noon and we were on the road..

So Zander had obedance class at 1pm, and he did really good, his heeling and recalls where right on, still a bit weak on the far sit stay, he wants to be with me so badly, and I was losing my voice at the time, which so didn't help matters. Still it was a good class and lots of great work done.

Then came my privates, so one of the issues we had at the last show with Freyja was she was great with Linda until she had to work behind myself and Zander in the ring, and then she was focused on myself to much, and wanted to work with me instead.. so this was one of the thing we practised in privates was working the dogs, me in front with Zander and Freyja and Kim directly behind etc..

Then I noticed that Freyja didn't seem to be having as good of reach and drive as normal.. so we started gaiting her and realize that although so very minor that walking around, you can't see it, that she was just the tinyest bit lame on the front right leg.. so we stopped there, and no agility training for her, so in truth by now, I am totally fried, so Kim says well lets train Freyja's brain.. and she goes and get her bell..

Well, I love watching kim work, she is so amazing.. now some of the credit goes to Freyja for being a very smart cookie, and some goes to me, for clicker training her since she could walk :) but within ten minutes Kim had her trained to walk over and ring the bell with her foot, and was up to two rings by the end :) What a team!!

Now I am going to have to go buy my own bell to keep the practise up LOL but its a very cute trick for children.

So for the next two weeks, no agility training, no real major runs etc, so it will be all about trick training for Freyja while we make sure that leg heals well. I admit that I am hoping that it will be healed enough that she can still be shown this weekend, that gives her four days.. before the first show.. should work..

So I was to have supper with Nat and Jason, and I decided that I really need to rest, not doing my walmart shopping as planned before picking up Jason at the bus stop, and heading out for dinner with Nat as well.. So showed up a extra hour and half at Nat's and we moved all the dogs into the backyard to hang out with us, well company just kept arriving( it was game night) and we ordered in Pizza, so it was a nice visit with friends, and the dogs worked the deck from person to person :)

So on to advanced Agiltiy training at 6:30 and it was both good and bad.. I honestly don't know what happened to Dalla last night, she was a nut!, when focused and working, great as always but I don't know if it was me or Dalla or a combo of both, but we had a hard time with it.. Not my best night, and while I would like to place all blame on myself, Dalla for the first time in years, decided to not have a solid come recall, and ring zoomies, now to a point if she had not just had lose time for three hours in the backyard, I might have cut slack on been in the truck all afternoon but that was not the case.. I truly don't know what got into her, but by about half way though class, we had worked out a number of the issues, but still didn't really hit our groove..

Jason and Ada on the other hand, other then a break in start line stay's, where grooving right along, they did really well, and I had to laugh at Jason, he does not work the dogs at home, that is my job, and so he had not really worked with Ada for awhile, (since the last class) and she has come along way since then in both inhome and private training and so she has a great deal more speed, and he was needing to RUN to get to the ends to say, "spot" which is great, I want that speed to keep coming up..

So then off to walmart for the required items (including new flipflops as my old ones, ended up in a game of puppy keep away last week and came out the worse for it), and then home, last of the chores that I could not do before leaving and bed.. ah, heavenly soft, comfy bed..until 3 am, when for some unknown reason, (we were both sound alseep) CRASH! and SMASH, and the lamp got knocked over, and we were up for the next ten min cleaning and vacooming so that no little pieces of glass where left behind and then back to bed..

Hope you guys all had a great day as well

Barks

Greenstone Mystic Moon and Greenstone Thunder -New photos

Hello Folks

New photos of Greenstone Mystic Moon arrived in the mail yesterday, she is nine months old in the photos, and she is certainly coming into herself. Love your darker coloring, and her dewclaws. Got a new photo of Greenstone Thunder, all hard working and dusty from his sheep dog training, but looking very content indeed. Thunder is a year and half.

Mystic is being actively trained in Agility, and doing very well in it, can't wait to see her in the rings next year. She travels with her owner to trials across the US and into Canada now, she has seen more of the eastern coast line then most humans :)

The dogs are doing great, and really enjoying the wonderful weather, we have been spending a great deal of time outside, but our other project, is that we are finally working on building new little "dog rooms" in the attached " Dog room", off the kitchen, and we have finished one of the planned four, I am still painting, (tons of painting to do this year), and we need to lay the new floor for the second "small dog room", but we got the second hand dog chairs (really cushy rocker chairs) and extra's in the room, and the dogs love it.. Inside, they have their chairs, toys and play area etc, and they have their own outside pop out door, to their outside dog yard..

It will be a great help when the females all come into heat, normally I have to play ring around the crates, having some out in the kitchen and some in the living room, while the others are in the same rooms but in crates, I am hopeful that if I have done this right, that we will be able to allow the dogs much more freedom even while in heat while still maintaining control and therefor no unplanned breedings etc, and anything that makes the dogs happier and more content, makes me happier.

I have been sick now for close to two weeks and it just seems to be dragging on, I really want to be better soon! Everyone that has had this says it takes about three weeks to a month to kick totally, and it appears that it will be taking just as long for myself.

So we have a dog show coming this weekend, Sat and Sunday only, looking forward to it, we will be having Greenstone Alexander the Great and Greenstone Black Pearl out, we are cancelling the shows for the kennel at the Ottawa show, in order to pick up a extra show weekend in June. Updates to come on that in the near future.

Otherwise, life is normal and we will talk to you all soon, for all you puppy to be owners, I promise I am checking my girls daily, and will let you all know as soon as possable when the females come into heat.. I am expecting any day now.. the sooner the better :)

Barks

Ch Greenstone Ajay -TOP Iceland Sheepdog in Canada 2006 CKC

Hello Folks

I have some wonderful and exciting news

Ch Greenstone Ajay, bred and owned by Valerie Sharp of Greenstone Kennesl goes into the history books today.

He is the first Iceland Sheepdog to earn the CKC Top Dog Awards for the year.

Ch Greenstone Ajay is the TOP Iceland Sheepdog for 2006! The first Icelandic in Canada to ever earn this award!

A huge thank you to his handler, Linda Thompson, we could not have done it without you!

A huge thank you to the breeders of Ajay's parents, Tofra Dalla (Tofra Kennel, Iceland, Monika K) and Pineridge Vaskur (Jill Fike and Norm Fox, Pineridge Kennels B.C.).

A huge thank you to my husband Jason for supporting me in my efforts and for all the times you have gotten up at 4 in the morning to help me load the truck and stayed home to look after the farm so that I can "go to the shows" It means a lot to me!

And last but certainly not least, to all my friends, and family and to all my puppy owners! You are the best! Now I am going to ask that you all hug your dogs! Cuz mine has had lots of extra hugs and kisses today!

Barks Val

Wow! Black Bear just came though! Thank goodness for solid recalls on the dogs!

Hello Folks

Well, Jason and I were out doing night chores with a few dogs out having their turn of a outside run time, the rest of the dogs were outside in the dog yard, and we had all our free range chickens out, as well as sheep/lamps, Goats and Kids out grazing, and suddenly the dogs are started acting up.. I mean, hair up and raising one heck of a noise level..

So we are working at this time on one of our raised garden beds, and I look up to see a black bear crossing our road, he is clipping right along till he gets to the creek bridge and I go, that is Black bear, Jason runs into the house to get the looking glass to see if I am right (I was raised in the bush for years, I know what a bears looks like, and move like.. and sure enough, he stops to look back at us in perfect profile and then crosses the bridge and heads on down the creek bed..

someone in a truck spotted him, because within min there was a couple trucks pulling up to see if they could spot him..Needless to say, thank goodness the dogs recalled on their comes, would not even want to think about what would have happened if they had taken off after the bear, and we have rounded up the chickens and barn critters and everyone is going into lock down tonight with all doors shut.

That is the first Black bear we have seen here, we have seen them in Ontario before, but not in our back yard so to speak..

Use to see tons of the in the north, and the older dogs have seen them before, sometimes a bit closer then Jason and I would have liked. Funny thing is with Black bears the dogs always have major attitude, but the one time we went across the polar bear, it was a whole different thing, the dogs were freaked, no barking at the polar bear tracks, just low deep growls and hair up, and they kept trying to get infront of me and turn me back from following the tracks..

Barks