Struggling to compete with puppy and Bears!

Ziva is 9 months old now and I am still struggling with finding time for the puppy! and for the Bears, let alone all the other things that need to be done, poor Paul's bookwork for his business is mounting up in the corner.

Having said that Ziva has grown into a huge beautiful girl, fitting her name very well.  Her name Ziva is Hebrew for, bright, brilliance and beautiful, she is all of those.

We are still going to our dog training classes each Wednesday, and we have not missed a lesson since we started at 10 weeks old!  Is she any good at these lessons?  - well she has learnt something along the way but is very unhappy at the stays and waits, she will do this but she would rather be with us than apart.  She shines at the agility and I shall continue with that in the spring when the course is out doors once again.  Her heel work is fantastic for a large pulling dog, and her recall is hit and miss.  Then Husky type dogs are renowned for not coming back!

Last Monday evening was the classes Christmas Party, there were 23+ dogs in the hall and not an argument between them!  Ziva and Mr Ralph won the fancy dress competition - Ziva not really playing her part with the sled but she looked pretty!!  Thank you here to Christina for playing her part so well with Mr Ralph xx

Ziva loves all the dogs especially the little puppies, here is Duke just 14 weeks old - my, what big teeth you have!!

Lastly this was taken last week, cannot believe that in a few short months she has grown from this:
taken on the 14th May at 10 week old

To this taken last week 9 month old:

Just to finish I really should just add the Bears that are still available on the website
www.ljbears.co.uk

for adoption  - thank you for taking a peek if you have the time x

If I am not back before Christmas I would wish you all a very Happy Christmas and thank you for your support over the past year xx  Beary hugs

TWO POPPY LAUNCHES 2013

Once again this is the time of year when we have our Poppy Appeal launches ready for Remembrance Sunday on the 10th November this year and Remembrance day on the 11th November at 11am.
Fridays launch was at Bournemouth in Dorset and was well attended by the military, children and the public and of course 'us lot'! on our bikes!

Today, Saturday, was the turn of Christchurch in Dorset, much blowier today and rather damp but the little square in Christchurch was well attended again with the Sea Cadets, Royal Air Force Cadets, the band and the large RBL Poppy Appeal tent,  the Riders Branch were lacking in members there was just the one bike! ours!

As always there was the tug of war between the Sea Cadets and The RAF Cadets, Sea Cadets winning and then they would normally have pulled against the Riders Branch.  Paul was rather out numbered!

so we had a little help!

Great fun had by all, even though it was rather cool and damp.

This was the first time that we had left Ziva on her own for several hours and it was rather interesting on our return!  We have built her a garden room! as her den and bed area! but we of course use it too as it is a lovely room to sit in.  This is what we came home to today!  Ziva obviously fancied a little bit of light reading while we were gone!

The day before she stayed in the kitchen and it was Jazz's bed that she decided she had had enough off!

Bye Bye Carpet! Hello Laminate!!

Yes dear Ziva has had her wicked way with the carpet now, not content with the grass looking like moon craters! she was very insistent that the carpet was going to look the same.
We have tried so very hard stopping her but the size she is and with those massive teeth and the special pads that Malamutes have (they are very rough pads designed to grip the snow and ice and their claws open and retract rather like a cats for added grip)!  saving out carpet was something that was not going to last too long.

It took just 2 minutes last week when my back was turned - I have learnt that if Ziva is not within seeing distance you know she is up to something!
When I caught up with her the damage was done, so pictures came next, no good moaning now the deed had been done.

So Goodbye Carpet

and hello laminate flooring

as you can see Ziva is always willing to help!!

and then it all gets too much for the three of them!

However once Sunday evening arrived the job was completed - except for the edging of course, and most of the furniture placed back.  Jazz thinks its an ice skating rink - she will have to slow up, and Ziva looks at home.  I shall put a rug through the middle but overall delighted with the outcome, should have done it years ago!  The 'dust bunnies' as I call them will be easy with the hoover brush and I have a special flooring mop! for cleaning.  Today is Tuesday and it feels like it has always been down, yesterdays wet paw prints have disappeared and little Jazz is slowing up, rug for the middle arrives tomorrow - very happy with just one thought.........
PLEASE, PLEASE ZIVA DO NOT EAT THIS x

  

OK Mum! You can stop feeding me now!!!

What a week last week was with Ziva!  She is now six month old and growing bigger still by the day.
Now Malamutes can eat!  Believe you me they eat like there is no tomorrow, food in bowl one minutes gone the next so imagine our bewilderment and worry last week when she refused her breakfast! her midday meal and then her tea too, in fact this went on for two days.  I mean in in four months she has grown from this:

With our youngest David on the 11th May 2013

To this:

Ziva six months old 2 September 2013

That is some growth in such a short few months, she is now approx three quarters of her adult size.
Well I hunted through my favourite Malamute websites to see why she was refusing her food.  Would appear that Mum ME!! had over stuffed her with food! And she no longer required all the protein and the massive amount of food she needed in those first months.  I must admit I had been increasing and increasing her food and she was having three meals a day.
Well to say that the Waste! In the garden was being produced by the bucketful would not be an under estimate.
This week ZIVA is back to her normal happy self, two meals a day and now on a fish diet after all she would eat seal in her home country of Alaska.  What a change in just a few days.
Few pictures below to look at, she loves the water, whether it be the sea or the hose pipe or a bucket of water.

She has two male admirers!!  Ralph, a toy poodle at dog training classes  which we still attend, just because it is such a fun morning, and Alfie a Cockapoo who she plays with on the fields.  Have  also
met a beautiful white husky, they had a real rough game together, such a difference in the size between the malamute and the husky, the husky could sure run the socks off  ZIVA at the moment!  Huskies are for the quick pull and running hard, Malamutes are for the long heavy pull, steady but sure for hours or end

That looks like one of my kind heading this way!

First introductions

Starting the game

Getting competetive

Rest needed, very hard work all this playing

Time for home - I don't think so!

Paul's trip to USA!

Well it has been a busy old time again, this time getting hubby ready for his once in a life time trip to the USA to ride a Harley Davidson on the Legacy Run from Indianapolis down to Texas.  He has travelled with a fellow RBLR

(Royal British Legion Riders) branch member Dave and a Meerkat! Vassily!!

They have kept a travel blog, or rather the Meekat has kept the blog!  If you would like to read some of their exploits then the link is below:

http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/davegibson/3/1376929788/tpod.html

AND THE BEARS!  well I do have some completed now for Hugglets TEDDIES 2013 in London on the 8th September.

Jack and Josie

Bertie and Alice

Jolie

Timothy

You can view all of them on my Preview page on the website at:

http://www.ljbears.co.uk/huggletspreview.html

Lastly Ziva is nearly 6 months old, beautiful girl, very strong but learning her lessons well at training classes.
She is not keen on any type of retrieving! but loves the small agility pieces that they have in the hall.  Lots of long tunnels and toy houses and small jumps etc.  She still does a massive amount of sleeping and eating but is enjoying her walks more now that she has a little more confidence.

Managed to capture Ziva and Jazz fast asleep together in the porch yesterday, this does not happen often as Jazz will not sleep normally, any where near Ziva!

Another Sunday for swimming lessons!

Its the end of July and although the sun was shining it was still blowing quite strong at the beach today: As you can see the blue skies but lots of 'white horses' on the sea.  The bit of coast land that you can see is the corner of the Isle of Wight if you look carefully! you can just about make out the large rocks that jut out on the end of the island:  Paul and Ziva rushed ahead the cold water far too inviting.

This was a little quieter the tide was on its way out and revealed
all these lovely boulders to play on

And this was better still, no waves at all just somewhere to sit and cool
your tired legs and paws.

One man and his Dog!!  Can hardly believe that Ziva is only
5 months old, she is growing daily into a lovely strong beautiful girl.

Loving every minute of it !!

Truly exhausted! and YES I have eaten the wallpaper and the wall!!

And now I can hear you ask again 'But where are the Bears'?  Indeed I even ask the same question?
not a stitch sewn, but I do promise that with Hugglets Show in London just a few weeks away
I really must get started!

A Summer Weekend!!

SATURDAY - Well it was more like an Autumn weekend weather wise but the Dog Show still went on!  It was bitterly cold with a howling wind and heavy cloud and the odd drop of rain.  We were in a field so I think you can imagine the scene.  Here is Ziva and myself chatting to the judge! this was for the cutest puppy under 25 weeks!

We were pleased Ziva came 3rd

Not placed in the 'prettiest bitch' category!  that was all too much for Ziva and said wake me up when its all over!

However after a short nap came the 'prettiest eyes' and guess what we came in 2nd so
we decided to eat the 3rd place 2nd was so much better x

SUNDAY another glorious late June day saw us off to the beach once more after all if you can't go to the beach in June and expect it to be good when can you!!

It looks pleasant enough until that wave got just a little too close

It was freezing, still howling a gale no rain, but the sea surf was wet, the water was wild it certainly was no Summers Day.

This is just me looking pretty 4 months old now, and perhaps the world is not too bad.

And after it all, and more food I shall sleep across the water bowl so I shall stay cool, and those two Cocker Spaniels can not have any of the water!