The Crowsnest Pack

New addition to the Crowsnest Pack

2010-09-13T18:00:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have neglected my blog for so long. Laska's pups are all in their new homes now - go to my website http://www.timbalandshilohs.com/ to see more of them.
We now have another Shiloh in our family Timbalands Epic Raya Sunshine - Raya for short. She comes from Epic Shilohs in Ontario & is out of two really beautiful dogs Nero & Story. I've been looking for two long years for my next Shiloh & this little girl is everything I had hoped for. Sometime down the line I hope to get her together with Timba for what should be some awsome pups but for now we are just enjoying this little bundle of fun. Very intelligent & mischievous, she's a joy to have around. Timba is her pal & Laska is her surrogate mum - they both let her take liberties with them. Jazz & Moose are not so patient & she has learned to keep a safe distance when annoying them lol.

Puppies!

2010-03-12T15:08:00.000-08:00

Well our girl is definately expecting. If not I need to get her on a diet big time! The earliest pups are due is St Patricks day 17th March so watch this space. Nick has made her a a nice whelping box but she prefers the sofa . Timba has claimed the box.

Timba & Alaska breeding

2010-01-19T13:50:00.000-08:00

Alaska came in season (for the fourth time!) a little earlier than expected so I had some quick decisions to make. If I wait until her next season it would mean puppies ready to go around October time & that's not a good time up here in Canada. Cold winters do not encourage good socialisation, lol.
So we are going for it (well Timba & Alaska are vbg) & pups should be born around the 17th March if the mating is successful.

These should be just beautiful pups with brains & beauty. To follow news of this litter check out my new website http://www.timbalandshilohs.com/ .
By the way Laska's Penn hip score came through this month with excellent results. Right hip 0.25 Left hip 0.36.

2009-12-04T12:21:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everybody

Timba

2009-11-05T20:43:00.001-08:00

Photo courtesy of Kerri Gallagher http://www.trynatyphoto.com/

Happy Halloween

2009-11-02T07:57:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween - from two little devils.

The damage

2009-10-30T11:26:00.000-07:00

Next day we could see huge great paw prints everywhere - he had pulled down the log pile, knocked over the plant tubs but the only real damage was to our metal patio table. The big fat galoof had sat on it & bent it.

An unwelcome visitor

2009-10-30T11:20:00.000-07:00

The dogs woke me up at 3 am barking at something outside - nothing unusual about that. Animals pass by our place all the time so I'm used to it. It wasnt until I heard some strange noises that I got up to see what was going on. There on our front deck was a bear standing on his hind legs (all 7+ foot of him!). It has been below freezing with snow on the ground for a few weeks now so they should be safely hibernating but obviously this bear had not read about that. I withdrew to the bedroom taking the dogs with me in case they got him angry but then I heard noises like he was trying to get in. "Oh no you dont!" I thought & out I came, picked up 2 metal dog bowls & bashed them together as loud as I could. Mr Bear shot off over the side of the deck (10 foot drop) & headed off into the dark. 10 minutes later he's at the back of the house sitting on the hot tub! I got the airhorn out that we keep for just such occasions, opened the window behind him & blasted him. That did the trick - this time he took off running & didnt look back.

I have to give credit to my dogs. Timba & Moose were right by my side ready to go into action (Jazz & 'Laska right behind me, lol) & they certainly gave me a lot more courage than I would have had if I'd been alone.

When Nick got home all he was bothered about was that he missed the action & that I hadnt taken any photos! He sat up the next night armed with bear spray & a camera but our new friend hasnt returned. Dont think he wants to tackle me & the Pack again.....

Exploring Lille ghost town

2009-10-14T12:32:00.001-07:00

Alaska & Timba deerwatching

2009-10-14T12:27:00.000-07:00

The Pack

2009-10-14T12:07:00.000-07:00

My mate Jolanda was visiting from Tasmania in August & took this great photo of my dogs. Click on the image for a better view.

Timba learns to swim

2009-09-20T06:36:00.000-07:00

Timba has always been a bit of a wuss about getting out of his depth in the water but this year he got so impatient waiting for Jazz to bring the sticks back for him that he finally took the plunge. It's not pretty - he trys to 'climb' the water rather than swim but he is really enjoying it now.

Alaska's OFA rating

2009-08-08T12:36:00.000-07:00

Just got Alaska's preliminary OFA hip rating and it's all GOOD!!

When she's a little older & before I make any decisions about breeding I'll get a Penn Hip report.
Although it would have been acceptable to have that done now I prefer to wait until they are closer to being fully mature (the older they are the more reliable the results).

Anyway - I'm so happy about this. I have two Shilohs with excellent hips. Further evidence that the ISSR programme is continuing to produce sound healthy Shilohs.

Harvey the RV

2009-07-20T14:00:00.000-07:00

We are going on a road trip to California in August & this will be our home for 18 days - all 4 dogs are coming with us so it's gonna be cosy.

The chastity fence

2009-07-20T13:51:00.000-07:00

The new run came in handy keeping Timba & 'Laska apart when she came in season. We switched them about so they had equal free time but Timba's mind was on one thing only!

The new dog run

2009-07-20T13:46:00.000-07:00

Our old dog run was too far from the house so Nick has built this new one attached to the garage so they can go in & out of the house when they like. Timba has checked out all the possible escape routes but so far we have managed to out-smart him.

No room for me

2009-07-20T13:38:00.000-07:00

If you look closely Nick is under this pile of dogs. This is a typical Sunday morning - I get up to make the coffee & by the time I get back my place has been taken. Thankfully they choose NOT to sleep on the bed during the night. Timba chooses the basement where it's cool, 'Laska sleeps in her kennel, Moose gets under the bed & Jazz, who likes her creature comforts, sleeps on the sofa. In my next life I'm coming back as one of MY dogs!

Timba 3 years old

2009-05-15T16:38:00.000-07:00

Timba was 3 on 29th April. Doesnt seem 2 minutes since he was small enough to fit in that bowl.

He truly is everything I had hoped for & more - a true ambassador to the breed.

He's 109lb now & has probably reached his full height of 28" .

One of the biggest lap dogs I've met.

Look at my girl now

2009-05-15T14:51:00.000-07:00

Alaska's growing up fast - she's 10 months old now & such a sweetheart. She had her first season in January & it was a challenge keeping her & Timba apart but we got through it.

I have been confined to the house since February with a blown knee so she has not had the socialisation she should have had. I dont think this will hold her back any but I'm going to get her out in the world soon to make up for lost time.

She has an amazing ability to figure things out for herself. She likes to collect all the metal feeding bowls after supper. To make it easier to pick them up she puts the 2 smaller collie bowls inside the 2 big Shiloh bowls & carries them all together to her corner to lick them clean.

She can not only open a sliding door, she will close it behind her to cover her tracks, lol.

She's also just had her first 'blow-out' - She lost all her undercoat in 3 days & I could have stuffed 10 cushions with the stuff! That's another great thing about the Shilohs though - the plush coats shed twice a year & there is a ton of hair lost but the rest of the time there's not a lot of dog hair to complain about.

Next step on the road to getting her & Timba together is to get her hips checked out & to do the temperament testing so she can get full ISSR registration.

To see Alaska & Timba growing up go to www.photoshow.com/members/jyeomans/all

Arriving home

2009-01-06T07:19:00.001-08:00

This is what we arrived home to - the snow was so far up the back door we couldnt open it - luckily our lovely neighbours had cleared our steep driveway before we got home or we would have had to stay in town.
First job was to gather up the dogs - my neighbours had looked after the collies & my parrots. The Shilohs had stayed in town with a friend (Jodi) who breeds & trains German shepherds. First we picked up the Shilohs and what a welcome we got - both jumping all over us & Timba doing his best Chewbacca impression for a solid 10 minutes. Couldnt believe how much Alaska had grown in just 3 weeks and the stay has obviously done her confidence the world of good. I knew Timba would be fine but I was so worried about leaving Alaska it was wonderful to see how well she had done.
Timba had his usual upset tum from eating snow & rubbed all the fur off his nose trying to get outside to relieve himself so he looks very funky at the moment. It's healing well though.
I received an email from Jodi saying what a joy it had been to have them - constantly making them laugh & so well behaved (of course!). Think I may have made a convert to the Shiloh camp.

Next we went next door to retrieve the collies.
Moose was all over us, soooo pleased to see us but Jazz, as always, refused to speak to me & we had to make her get in the car to go home. She has always done this - likes to make me feel bad about leaving her.
Timba & Moose have never been apart before & I was surprised they were not pleased to see each other. There was a lot of posturing and dominance behaviour from both of them & it was a couple of days before they settled back to normal.
The snow is so deep right now the dogs would be able to step over the 5 foot fence around the dog run so I guess they wont be left in there for a while. It's good to be home!

Xmas in England

2009-01-06T06:34:00.000-08:00

When we left Calgary on the 18th of December it was -28 degs C. When we arrived in England it was about 10 degs and they were complaining of the cold! We had a couple of really beautiful sunny days while we were there but mostly it was the usual dull cloudy damp English weather that I remember so well. Couldnt do a thing with my hair! It was just wonderful to see my sisters, my great friends (Sue & Steve below are just 2 of them) and the rest of my family. Couldnt get to see everyone I wanted to - that's the problem with surprising people - they aren't always home when you call round.
We surprised Nick's mum & dad Xmas day & they were so happy to see us. Nick's mum kept touching him to see if he was real. Nick's dad complained for the rest of the stay that we shouldnt do that to old people because we could have killed them, lol, but I know he couldn't have hoped for a better Xmas present.
We ate & drank so much we should have been charged excess baggage on the flight home - I had forgotten how good (& unhealthy) English food is.
My elder sister has adopted 2 new dogs since I left (Sam & Tilly) & my younger sister had a Cocker spaniel puppy (Merlin) so I had my daily doggy fix.
What I miss - friends & family, pubs in walking distance, good food & English town centres where everything is in walking distance & strangers talk to you like they have known you forever. And English football (soccer) - I got to see my beloved Manchester Utd while I was there. Being able to go for long country walks in winter.
What I havent missed - English weather (& the constant complaining about it), the traffic, the prices (cars, fuel, property are twice the price in England).
These are a couple of pictures of home. There are more on my photoshow website www.photoshow.net/jyeomans.

Winter in the Pass

2008-12-12T12:14:00.000-08:00

Snow dogs

2008-12-04T10:39:00.000-08:00

Winter's arrived with a bang & the dogs are just loving the snow. Even though it has been minus 24 degrees I just cant get them to come inside.

Nearly as big as Timba now

2008-11-18T13:22:00.001-08:00

Laska at 5 months old - 54lbs

2008-11-18T13:18:00.000-08:00

2008-11-05T20:55:00.000-08:00

Remarks have been made that Alaska looks a bit like a coyote (how dare they) so she is now sporting a 'please dont shoot me -I'm not a coyote' bandana just in case some idiot with a gun thinks the same thing.

Must be a Shiloh thing

2008-10-29T11:13:00.000-07:00

Spot the difference.
Above is Timba at about 5 months old in 2006.

Below is 'Laska at 4 months old.

4 months old and 45lbs

2008-10-16T23:01:00.000-07:00

'Laska is growing like a weed. She's not as in-your-face "dont you just adore me" as Timba has always been. She's more reserved and thoughtful but she's quick to learn & figures things out for herself in a way that's far beyond her young age.

She has been far too busy with important puppy stuff (catching grasshoppers, digging holes, annoying Timba) to come when called but recently she has learned that when I whistle or command the other dogs it means get back to mum NOW so she is doing it too. It's great getting the dogs to train her for me!

The new pack

2008-09-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

Timba

2008-09-24T12:24:00.000-07:00

Got Timba's Pennhip results - he is in the 9oth percentile & the vet commented they were the best results he's seen. This is such good news. One of the reasons I was unhappy with the GSD was the poor hips. Hoping I can use him for stud now to pass on those wonderful genes!

Looking for Sakha

2008-09-22T14:21:00.000-07:00

A very confused Laska trying to figure out where brother disappeared to

Too big to carry now

2008-09-22T14:19:00.000-07:00

Look how we've grown

2008-09-22T14:16:00.000-07:00

This is Laska and Sakha on their last night together. Sakha flew out to his new family in Nova Scotia on 17th Sept. Gonna miss him

2008-08-22T13:57:00.000-07:00

Cookie and Giggs

2008-08-22T13:44:00.000-07:00

My Umbrella cockatoo, Cookie and Orange- winged Amazon, Giggs in their summer aviary. I used to own 15 parrots back in UK (most rescued) but they couldnt all come with me so I chose the two I had had the longest. The others went to a fabulous rescue facility in SE England and they keep me posted how they are going on. Giggs (who is named after Ryan Giggs - Manchester Utd soccer player) came to me when his owner joined the army 18 years ago. He is very tame and will go to anyone. Cookie was rescued from a pub 12 years ago where her main diet was beer and crisps (or chips as they call them this side of the Pond) . Took a long time to get her well but now she's fine except for her feather plucking habit and passion for Guiness - once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic. Although cuddly tame with me she is really evil with everyone else, especially husband Nick. It is her mission in life to get him whenever she can - she snuck up and pierced his ear the other week! They are rarely caged when indoors but Cookie has to be watched constantly - imagine a 2-year-old with a chainsaw to picture what she can do to any woodwork - she loves to whittle whatever is in reach.

Crowsnest Pass

2008-08-18T11:45:00.000-07:00

For those who've asked where the name comes from -this is the view from my deck down the Crowsnest Pass

Orange boy

2008-08-18T11:13:00.000-07:00

Hi - I'm Laska's brother and I'm staying with her for a while before I fly to my new mom in Nova Scotia.

I need a name soon - Nick calls me Sir Poopalot & I'm starting to answer to it.

Sakha

2008-08-18T11:06:00.000-07:00

OK I have a name now.
It's Russian for Sir Poopalot

2008-08-18T11:02:00.000-07:00

2008-08-18T10:59:00.000-07:00

That's husband Nick in the middle - thought I'd better include him in the Pack

We love Uncle Timba

2008-08-18T10:55:00.000-07:00

Timba is letting the kids climb all over him now and he doesn't mind at all - even when they swing on his tail.

Laska

2008-08-18T04:14:00.000-07:00

My latest addition. Officially called Alaska but everyone drops the'A' so it's usually 'Laska. Born 18th June 2008 and is from Dayspring kennels in Tennessee. Dad is Tazer and mom is Lainey. A quiet little furball when she 1st arrived last Tuesday but now she is out of her shell and taking over the place. She and Timba just adore each other and he lets her take liberties most dogs wouldnt put up with (poor Moose is getting his nose pushed out).

Timba

2008-08-18T04:11:00.000-07:00

Hi, I'm Timba and thought I'd add a bit to this blog myself - hey, if Shatki can do it, so can I (haven't got my own song yet but I'm working on it). I dont like to blow my own horn but I'm a pretty popular guy around here and it's about time my fame spread a little further. I come from very good breeding - my dad is Nisga'a and my mum is Mala from Jennifer Modigliani's Winterharbour kennel. Jennifer is from English stock like my mum so some good breeding there too. Life's been pretty good so far - eat, play, sleep, repeat, best bud Moose to hang out with and now a couple of new kids on the block. Mum makes me "work' now and again but that's fun too. I think things are going to get even better soon when the girls find out I'm available.
Got a few nicknames too, most of which I dont approve of : Chewbacca, Chumbawumba, Lummox, You Great Galump, Knucklehead, Donkey, Big Guy, Goofball, Babydog, & my least favourite Peelegs! (just because I dont get the angle quite right and pee on my front legs) - I ask you - are any of these appropriate for the awesome dog you see in this photo?!
I'll keep you posted of my adventures - may even get my own blog.

Timba's 1st solo shot

2008-08-18T04:08:00.000-07:00

Set my heart on this little guy from day one and was so lucky to get him.

Timba of Winterharbour

2008-08-15T11:31:00.000-07:00

Timba is my first Shiloh. I used to breed and train German Shepherds back in England and started looking for a pup as soon as I got to Canada. My search led me to the Shiloh breed and to this handsome guy. He is out of the Winterharbour 2006 Nisga'a/Mala litter and he is just wonderful - brains and beauty (just like me) but also a big goofball who draws people to him like a magnet. Even people who aren't into dogs cant help gravitating to him. My dogs go everywhere with us and he always ends up with kids hanging all over him and doing photo calls. He loves the attention - he's a star.

Moose at 10 weeks old

2008-08-15T08:56:00.000-07:00

This guy came to us shortly after Dylan died - he and Timba are best buds

Dylan - the original Cool Dude

2008-08-15T08:39:00.000-07:00

Dylan (1989-2006)

Son of a Crufts obedience champion and the kind of guy who always made your heart smile.

Not keen on Canadian winters so we kitted him out in the latest winter gear.

He was 14 years old when he came with us to Canada and I lost him 2 years later to cancer. Gone but never ever forgotten.

Cowgirls

2008-08-15T08:33:00.000-07:00

For those who want to put a face to the name - that's me on the left with my neighbour & good friend, Diny. She and her lovely family 'adopted' us when we moved next door to them and have been just wonderful to us.

(I hate photos of me so this is probably the last you will see)

Our place in the Rocky mountains

2008-08-14T14:22:00.000-07:00

The Pack - Timba Moose & Jazz

2008-08-14T10:36:00.000-07:00

Timba and Moose are born and bred Canadians. Jazz (front) is a rescue border collie who came with us from England.