Worrying about Snakes

Pssst.

Southern Pacific rattlesnake. Pat Murkland Photo

It's snake season.

We have 6 species of rattlesnakes in Southern California.

Three different species live where we do.

Each has its own DNA.

The anti-rattler vaccine doesn't appear to apply to our snake breeds.

Anti-rattler training with shock collars?

Many Irish Wolfhound people will tell you,

not with their hounds.

Our first wolfhound, Erin, was our snake-wise trainer of other wolfhounds.

When Blake was a baby, she taught him about snakes.

Today, Blake barked ferociously.

We investigated.

Blake wanted too let us know this snake was in the yard.

This is our "snake protection yard," with a snake fence around the chainlink.

The snake still found its way in.

Fortunately, this was a beneficial gopher snake. Whew.

Blake stood guard while we checked out the situation, watching the snake and protecting us.

Good dog, Blake!

Thank you, Erin. Good training.

You've Got Mail!

We've got mail! A mysterious package from Texas.

Rosie (at left) says to her mom, Ginny:

"Hey, this could be from my brother Ocho."

Ginny (right) to Rosie: "Yes! It is from our dear Ocho."

Look! Ocho even helped wrap the presents inside.

Wow! Two cards, beautiful and funny,

three cool Ocho decals ...

... And wonderful studio shots of Ocho

(pictured at one year old).

Check it out. Feel envious. It's an OCHO T-SHIRT!

Here's the newspaper with the Page 1 article about Ocho.

He received his certification to be a therapy dog, in case you have not seen the glaring headlines.

And here's another view of the t-shirt.

Thank you, Ocho, and the Cox family,

for such magnificent gifts.

We love you!

Five Years Ago

Harry and Baby Ginny. Now she's the matriarch.

Heart Hounds

Here's to you, my heart hounds.

Here's to spring.

True Love

© Murkland photo

Wolfhounds laugh at our jokes, and we laugh at theirs.

Black and White and Red All Over

© Pat Murkland Photo

Liberty is a red wolfhound.

That color always reminds us of apricots.

Above is a black and white photo of Liberty we submitted to the Irish Wolfhound Association of the West Coast 2010 yearbook. The yearbook honored hounds' achievements.

Here is the text:

GCH CH Glenamadda Starkeeper Liberty

With limited showing ...

AKC Champion: January 30, 2010

AKC Grand Champion: October 30, 2010

Special AKC Award: One of the first 10 Grand Champions in the history of the Irish Wolfhound breed.

Breeders: Susan Prokopenko & Jocelyne Gagné

Handlers: Bill Buell & Erin Hines

Owner: Pat Murkland

Proud of Our Family

Rich Bergman Photo

We were thrilled when our Liberty became one of the first 10 AKC Grand Champion Irish Wolfhounds in the breed history.

On the same day she won a Hound Group 2.

Thank you to Judge Mrs. Lowell (Arlene) Davis.

In January this year, Liberty's Dad, American and Canadian CH McEnroe of Limerick, also became an AKC Grand Champion.

McEnroe was bred by Limerick and is owned and loved by Liberty's co-breeder in Canada, Jocelyne Gagne of Starkeeper. (Go here to visit his page.)

We believe the father-daughter duo of McEnroe and our Liberty are the first two-generation wolfhound Grand Champions!

There's more. McEnroe's brother Cash, owned and loved by the Souzas of Limerick, recently (unofficially) finished his Grand Championship title.

While we await the official word from AKC, we believe the brothers probably will be the first two wolfhound littermates to become Grand Champions.

Congratulations to Limerick, and to our Liberty's co-breeders, Starkeeper and Glenamadda.

We're so proud of our family.