ZIVA on Patrol!!!!

ZIVA on patrol - Paul playing last night with the videos!  The music is so right for her!  x

ZIVA 1 Year old Today x

Today the 2nd March is ZIVA'S 1st Birthday x  What a very quick year that has been and what a change from one 10 week old puppy last May to now.

I think some pictures might tell the tale x

First one though has to be her Birthday cake, she could not wait until tea time so she had her cake after breakfast!!  Liver cake and sprats!  just what we all would like!!

At 3 months old in July, ever and always the digger! You should see my garden now!!!

End of July, so hot cool cool water x

6 months old surveying her garden probably keeping watch on those Cocker
Spaniels that visit 

My Mum calls this 'plate surfing'!  I just
think it would be a waste if I didn't

7 months old in October and growing steadily into a beautiful girl

And here we are today the 2nd March her 1st Birthday a beautiful girl, loving her life,

Thank you Ziva we have loved having you share our world and we shall look forward to many more Birthdays with you in the future.  xx

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZIVA  just look at that smile x  WooooWoooo

ZIVA I'm not a Husky I'm a Malamute!

I found this the other day and it really is so true of our beautiful ZIVA.  Every day and time that we walk her we are always asked is she a Husky!  After 11 months I am still smiling and saying no she is a Malamute. What they say, never heard of that but she is a gorgeous Husky!!
So here is something that explains our beautiful girlie:

-- I'm a Malamute.
I'm not a Husky!
I'm bigger, I'm stronger!
My eyes are color of chocolate, never blue.
My tail curls over my back; huskies and wolves hold theirs straight.
I'm built for strength and power, not speed.
I can pull many hundreds times my own weight. 
I'm not a wolf! I'm my own proud ancient breed.
Yes I'm nice, if you are. I am very intuitive.
I'm big and love to lean on people. This is affection not aggression.

Yes I shed - a lot! Your yard, furniture, floor will be covered in fluffs. Brush me often to keep my coat luxurious!
Yes I love the cold, -20 is good, +32 is warm. It's not mean to let me stay outside.
But I love the company of my people don't abandon me out there.
Yes I can bark, but I prefer to woowoo you!
I'll howl along with sirens. And wake you with a song as the sun rises.
If I don't agree with you I'll be sassy and talk back. WoooooWoooo!
No I don't need to eat a lot, nature gave me an efficient metabolism.
But I'll wolf whatever is in front of me and take yours too.
I prefer company of people over company of other dogs.
I'll chase a ball and maybe retrieve it a few times, then I'm bored of that dumb game.
My ancestors were wanderers. So am I. Keep me safe on a leash, always!
I'll bull through wood and vinyl fence, I'll even rip chain link.
I can jump high and dig deep. My play area must be secure.
My ancestors chased critters for food. Little fuzzies are my prey even if they're your friends.
I'm very intelligent but stubborn. I won't do your bidding unless there's something in it for me! Reward me!
If you don't want me to chew up your furniture and dig up your lawn, exercise and entertain me!
I can happily sleep on the patio or even in a crate, but I'm happiest if I can be near you, preferably snuggled in your bed.

Love me, and I'll love you for life!..............

Late as Ever still on last month!

Have only just put all the Christmas pictures into the computer - I know always one month late but sometimes better than never!

So perhaps this time pictures will tell the story:

Christmas period was spent on the M3 to London and then the M3 and A33 to Henley on Thames.

We did have fun on the roads as they were fairly busy due to all the delays leading up to Christmas.  Most people were in good spirits and they loved following what appeared to be 'a Wolf' in the back of our SUV.  Ziva has a ton of room in the back to see out and also to lay down but she loves watching the cars behind.

David and Laurance live in the top floor of a block of three storey apartments but Ziva loved the view again watching the people over the way enjoying their Christmas dinners.

As you can see we took her Present with us and she never let it out of her sight.

Saturday the 28th we headed for Henley on Thames to visit eldest Son Paul, Clare and Talitha.

More on the roads today so the journey took a little longer.

Tali not having anything at all to do with Ziva! Tali will be 4 in April.  So no pictures I am afraid with the pair 

of them.

Tali did love her present though, she sure new what to do with the box!

and then out popped ...........

She knew what to do with her New Forest Pony - lovely seeing Tali again she grows so much each time we see her and is beginning to remember who we are!!

Nothing is of course too small for Daddy!

Nor for Grandad either

Henley on Thames was a rather lovely place to walk around mind you the Thames was well over its banks and flowing into the park

An inch more and it will be well over the towpath:
Ziva was watching the gulls and ducks but they had moved while someone else
was feeding them!

Below was one of Ziva's Christmas presents!  This is all so true
of an Alaskan Malamute:

And lastly I suppose I should mention that our little puppy Ziva has really grown up now, she came into Season the Sunday we returned home and is now a true awkward and grumpy teenager.  This week will be week two so we are most definitely confined to the home and garden although in true Malamute style she is howling in the garden for some longing male Mal every evening.  Her howl is developing very well now, she sounds very eerie and wild!
No training class this week or next she will have to miss that and is already hating the confines and is back to the eating of everything again in her bordom.  Walks are very short at about 9.30 in the evening!  Still there will only be the one Season for Ziva she will be spayed in 4 months time - although we have not told her yet!!

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