My 'little' girl

[icequeen]

I hadn't realized how long it had been since I posted anything bout this brat (and yes she's a smarta$$ brat). So, I figured I'd give y'all an update.

If you remember I brought this little girl home after some dufus dropped her off on the side of the highway. She was malnourished, abused and very very small for being a 5mths old Irish Wolfhound.

Now she's solid as a rock (all muscle) and full of energy (wish I could bottle it) and a happy-go-lucky almost 2yr-old. She had a rough spot when we lost our old retriever, she was pretty depressed for a couple weeks. But, she bounced back with a vengeance. Last time I weighed her she was up to 80lbs but that was quite a while ago and she's grown and filled out a bit since then, and gained a lot of muscle. I'd hazard a guess that now she's well over the 90lb mark. She's quite a bit smaller than an average wolfhound but she more than makes up for it with attitude. She's everybody's friend but is also more than willing to take on anything, including bears, that intrude on her territory.

Since they are built for speed and stamina (she has more than enough) wolfhounds demand a lot of exercise. During the summer she swims for two hours a day, an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening.

Last year we tried to keep the running to a minimum, not easy to do, since she was still growing pretty fast and we didn't want to overdo it while her bones and muscles were still developing. This year, well, we can't keep her down. I don't think the two hours of swimming is going to be enough this coming summer so I'll have to come up with something in between.

During the winter it's not quite so easy, specially during our two months of deep-freeze. I thought I'd show ya her favourite winter activity, which we try to do at least every other day. If you even hint at taking the sled out she's barking and running up and down the hallway and very impatient to get going. I'm still trying to teach her what patience is, it ain't workin.

This is a little vidio clip my daughter took on one of their jaunts, it kinda jumps around a bit (hard to keep it steady on the sled). Cat has this thing about leading the way, definitely a leader not a follower. If you get ahead of her she makes sure she gets back in the lead one way or another.
http://www.nsgweb.com/Hunting/pets/2005-02-20 009.AVI

Depending on the weather, and snow conditions, she does a jaunt of anywhere from 5-15 miles, setting a pace in the bush that we can't match on the sled. We let her lead the way, setting the pace, deciding on when to stop (if at all), where we're going and how far we go. On hard open ground she eats up ground at a steady lope of 10-15m/hr. It's amazing how much ground she can cover in a very short time, and when she decides to open it up, well...on a hard packed trail she just a black streak.

I took this pic on one of our trips. We were on our way home and after 8 miles of running she was downright impatient with me cause we stopped to take pictures. Notice the Alfalfa thing goin on with her hair. She always has that tuft of hair stickin up.


And this one I couldn't resist. Her and those big floppy ears of hers.


We stopped her training when the weather got too cold last fall but we'll be back at it in the next month or so. She was doing pretty well last year and I'm pretty confident that by this coming bear season she'll be on top of her game.

ps...sorry, didn't mean to be so longwinded.

[Jack]

Ice, you sure that ain't a bear?

[Valigator]

Those are great...she is beautiful and you are the angel for finding her....

[icequeen]

lol Jack...sometimes I wonder.

You stand her up beside my bear in the livin room, with that white blaze on her chest, and she really does look like a small bear. She sure has the attitude of one I tell ya, throws her weight around all the time. Shoot if we get ahead of her on the trail she even gives the sled a body check on the way by, kinda a 'don't do that again' thing. I make sure she's wearing blaze during huntin season just cause she is big and black.

Thanks Val...she's a sweetheart, attitude and all. Sure keeps everyone around her on their toes, and she's calmed down majorly in the last year . I think if she hadn't calmed down some I woulda had to get a nanny just so I could take five now and then.