Iceland's Icelandic Sheepdog Calander for 2007

Arrived in the mail yesterday, thank for the wonderful Christmas Present from Tofra Kennels, its filled with lovely photo of some truly stunning examples of the Icelandic Sheepdog Breed. I would highly recommended that if you are learning about the breed, or just in love with the breed, consider contacting DIF and ordering this Calander.

I just had to scan in and share the cover photo with you.. While there are very beautiful Icelandic around the world, there are truly some stunning dogs in Iceland, and so enjoy the photo of Hector, which would be Tofra Dalla of Greenstone Father, and Grandfather to all Dalla's offspring..no wonder AJay was a one show CKC Champion and Multi-Group placing ISD, he is following in his Grandfathers footsteps..

This event came over one of my show dog lists and I thought it was worth putting up..

"On with the news. It is 12 days to the closing of the first CKC Charity Event featuring the Purina National. The show closes Tuesday February 20th at 8”00 PM EST, and takes place March 10th & 11th 2007 in Tillsonburg Ontario, between London & Toronto.

The Purina National features a World class judging panel, and with close to $28,000 in cash prizes, this is the can’t miss event of the Spring. Saturday offers a truly special day including a “Black Tie” Best in Show, so a chance to get dressed up and look as good as your dog!

Sunday we are offering what is essentially 7 Group Specialties, as judging ends after Group Level. For our Obedience friends (and BTW someone stuck their neck out to make sure you were included, so make sure you turn out) we are offering Trials on Saturday and Sunday with a cash prize of $500 for High in Trial

Now the real meaning of the show, is not in the competition, it is in the reason for this show, and that is raising money for the newly created CKC Foundation. The foundation has been designed to ensure that never again will there be dogs in peril, and the CKC unable to help through lack of funding. Whether it is flooding in Manitoba, hurricanes in New Orleans or Breed Specific legislation, we need to ensure that we can do our part to help our canine friends when they need us most.

Our sponsors including Purina, Xerox, and many members of the Canine Media have been extremely generous, and more are coming to the table every day, and we thank them for their support. All of the members of the committee are donating their services. We have a real opportunity to make a difference while enjoying a truly great dog show, so enter early and often"

What a great idea for a show, and hope they get lots of support and lots of entries!!

Well, its snowing again today, and on the colder side but hoping for sun later. The dogs are all good, and planning on working on training today for a number of the dogs, and looking forward to tomorrow, we are going to be taking the dogs for a run in the woods, and trails, we are wanting to start teaching them to work in team of two for Ski-joing, and so that should be alot of fun.

Everyone have a good morning, and back to the grind I go.

Barks

Toki is one cute puppy..

Hi Folks,

Got a lovely update on Toki and his family, I have been promised some new adult photos of him soon, but thought I would share this very cute puppy photo of this very pretty Red/White/Black Long Hair Icelandic Sheepdog Puppy.

Toki is a very lucky boy in that he gets to go to work with his owner, just got to love a dog friendly company!

It sure sounds like this is one smart Icelandic Puppy, some of his favorite tricks are finding by name and retrieving items, His Favorite toy is a squeaky ball, and he loves anything that makes noise.. and this is just plain cute, he carries his stuffed toy with him when he goes for his outside breaks.. So sweet and so cute, and forgive me for sharing this information in a public format, but how cute is that!

He is a bigger ISD for Greenstone Kennels, as he comes in just under 40pds, which makes him a nice big male, I just can't wait to see and post some adult photos for you..

Barks

Health Checks for your Iceland Sheepdogs are Important..

Good Morning

A Very cute Photos of Greenstone BoogieMan of Belglen, playing with Greenstone Born in a Storm, Foot and mouth is a much loved Icelandic puppy Game.. Its always so sweet to see the adults get so gentle and figure out ways to play with the puppies so that everyone feels safe.

It is also just as interesting to see how different the males vs the females play with the puppies as they grow, I swear at first the mothers let the puppies get away with anything, then slowly as they develop the mother starts to teach them manners , and then as they get old, bigger and stronger, the mother will watch while the puppies play with some of the other dogs, and the mother picks and chooses, who they get to play with at what age, and she still will come to the pups rescue if she thinks its required on the other hand, if she thinks its a lesson that was needed, she will just turn a blind eye.. when I keep a puppy, for the first four to six months, the dogs let them get away with so much, but around six months, the rules slowly start to change and more and more the puppy is treated as an adult in the group, and that means learning and minding the house rules..

So Tofra Dalla HI went to the vets yesterday for her yearly, and she was given a clean bill of health, was boosted and I was very pleased to hear that my teeth brushing means that her teeth are in great shape, and no cleaning needed, and she is almost four, part of that would be diet, part genitics, and part tooth brush helping.. The vet was very pleased that she has been at the same adult weight for a couple years now, she sits at 28-29 pds every time we go in, which for her is an ideal body weight, not to thin, not heavy and very healthy..

so otherwise, yesterday was a bit of shopping day, Got in supplies for the next few weeks, and the dog thought supper was amazing, I got five rubs of puppy joy, and I didn't have the heart to tell them that it was not that hard to mix up some new fresh banana's with whole organic yogurt, and put a heaping spoon on top of each doggy bowl and mix.. the dogs, where like...yes...but as they also got it in their face fur, you could tell who is the other dogs favorite as they groomed each others faces :)

I had to laugh at Jason, he came in after running the dogs, looking for a tape measure, so I helped him find one, how is it that we have five of them, and yet they are never in the right drawer.. well sometimes I find them and put them in, and then there are couple in there.. but slowly over time one ends up in the barn, upstairs etc.. anyway, out he went, and I have to admit I thought him, what does he want that for.. So he comes back in and after settling in the house, informs he that when the dogs are running, and playing out in the hay fields, do you know that Bjorn and Vaskur can have up to seven feet distance between their stride from front to back.. I had to chuckle, and my very smart reply was.. " and that would be because in the standard, it call for brick, free and effortless covering of the ground!" to which he snorted at me, and said, they are amazing to watch play and run..

I would have to agree, to see the pack at play, is poetry in motion!! They are so amazing in their movements and the speed has never failed to impress.

Well, guess, I had better get on with my day, have a good one..

Barks

Let the Sun Shine today.

Hello Folks

Well, its a bright sunny morning and has at this time warmed up, being only minus 14 so have had the dogs out for a big long run this morning to burn off some of that energy that they had from a couple days mainly inside..

Lots of Grooming yesterday, everyone looks so sweet this morning, got eggs on to hard boil for the dogs breakfast.

A lovely new photos of Greenstone Sharp Dressed Man, he is sure growing well, and looks wonderful.

Not much else new, planning on working outdoor and having the dogs out as much as possable while the weather and sun holds today, and then once I am house bound, I am going to transplain my seedlings into the next size growing pot for my Tomato's, Green Peppers, Ground Cherries.

Barks

Sad news for the Icelandic Sheepdog Community

Hello Folks, I was very sad to see this post come across one of the Iceland Sheepdog Lists, and I have gotten permission to crosspost.

I still remember the first time six years ago that I visited with Stenfania on the phone, having visited with her off and on the phone over the years, I was honored to be invited to her home in 2005, I fondly remember meeting her and her husband and eating homemade Icelandic Lamb soup in her very warm and farmy kitchen, what an honor to spend the afternoon visiting, meeting her Icelandics, at the time she had five dogs, one intact male imported from Iceland, one female bought from Bolsteds, and her own offspring.

Such lovely dogs, and such lovely folks, while Stenfania may of only had three litters in her kennels life, those lovely puppies went all over both Canada, and the United States and can be found on many pedgirees!!

What Stenfania did within the Icelandic Sheep commutity was amazing, she would have to be called the mother of the Icelandic sheep for N.A. I was in awe of her flock and enjoyed being taken out and getting to meet the sheep, and watching her feed one of her favorite's some apple.. her love and pride for Iceland and Iceland's sheep and dogs was so clear..

I send my best wishes and thoughts to her family and friends, please feel free to send her family a card, and if you have a dog related, I would make the thought of including a photo of this dog, grandpup, or great-grandpup etc..

barks

Hello Group,

It is with a heavy heart that I am writing to inform the group, that the Icelandic Sheep and Icelandic Sheepdog community has lost one of it's great pioneers. Stefania Dignum of Yeoman Farms in Ontario, passed away Sunday February 4th, after a battle with cancer.

Stefania was responsible for the original importation of the foundation flock of Icelandic Sheep in North America. She also had a great love for the Icelandic Sheepdog, as many folks can find Stefania's dogs in the lineage of their own.

Her wisdom and passion for both of these breed's of animals, will be sadly missed.

The family requests no phone calls, although cards may be sent to her family.

Raymond Dignum
Louise Dignum
Yeoman Farms
1273 Long Lake Rd.
Parham, ONT KOH 2KO
Canada

With Regards,

Cathy Lallemand-Chin