Merry Christmas!

Here's Jazz and Tess with a couple of their new Christmas toys that are shaped like gifts.

Investigating the contents of a gift bag.

Tess and Jazz team up to open another present.

Here's the girls with an interactive dog game we bought them. They had a great time figuring out where the treats were in the different levels of the game. Tess and Jazz mastered the game pretty quickly, proving that teamwork really pays off!

Jazz and Tess had quite an exciting Christmas morning. They had a grand time playing with all their Christmas toys and sniffing out the treats, and now they're ready for a nap. Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Christmas Eve

This picture was taken a few weeks ago when we had a light snowfall. I thought it was more appropriate to post this on Christmas Eve, since the only pictures we'd get outside today would be of wet, muddy Dalmatians! Tess and Jazz are looking forward to Christmas, especially now that the gifts are under the tree! This will be Jazz's first Christmas with us. Last Christmas, she was just under a month old and living with her littermates and Mom with her breeder in Greensburg. I'm sure Tess will enjoy sharing this Christmas with Jazz.

Holiday Pet Therapy

Just wanted to share a few pictures of Tess and her friends Rocky (Shepherd/Husky) and Sammie (Border Collie) at their holiday pet therapy visit at UPMC Passavant Hospital. These great dogs, dressed as Santa and her two handsome reindeer, brought smiles to many patients!

Playing in the Snow

Here are a couple pictures of Tess and Jazz playing in the snow in our back yard this afternoon:

Tess approaches Jazz

Jazz offers to play

The chase is on!

Santa Visit

Like all good kids, Tess and Jazz went to the mall this evening to see Santa and tell him what they want for Christmas. I'm sure they'll get everything on their Christmas list, because they've been very good girls. Santa himself said that they were the most well behaved dogs who came for photos!

New Therapy Dog

We are very proud of our little Jazz, who passed her Therapy Dog test last evening. This very challenging test evaluates a dog's ability to sit politely for petting; allow touching of ears, feet, etc.; be groomed; walk on a loose lead, including in a crowd and among wheelchairs, walkers, and other medical equipment; sit and down on command; stay; come when called; meeting another dog; reaction to loud noises; working around children; and staying quietly with someone while the owner is out of sight. We're looking forward to Jazz joining Tess in making pet therapy visits.

Jazz's Birthday Party

Jazz had her first birthday celebration this afternoon at Misty Pines Dog Park. We were joined by friends and family, human and canine, for this happy event.

We played games with the dogs and enjoyed good food and good company. Friends came from as far as Ohio and New Jersey to attend the party. This is a photo of everyone playing doggie musical chairs.

Jazz was joined on her birthday by two of her liver brothers and her mom. Left to right, it's Jazz, brother Peet, mom Gia, and brother Patrick, who traveled with his family all the way from Cape May, NJ!

Here's Jazz getting ready to enjoy some of her yummy birthday cake.

There are definitely advantages to being the birthday girl, like being the first to have a piece of birthday cake!

Thanks to all our friends and family who came to celebrate Jazz's birthday with us. It was a very special day. Jazz is just in heaven with all the wonderful gifts she received...and Tess promises to help her play with all of them!!

Happy Birthday, Jazz!

We're celebrating Jazz's first birthday today! I wanted to post some "then and now" photos of our beautiful pup. A little later, Jazz is getting together with many of her canine friends, as well as a few of her littermates, for a birthday party. More photos to come!

Open Agility Jumpers

Tess and Jim traveled to Washingtonville, Ohio, today for an AKC agility trial. Tess received first place qualifying scores in both Open Standard and Open Jumpers with Weaves and earned her Open Agility Jumpers (OAJ) title. That's our girl!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving. You can bet that we count these two spotted girls among our Thanksgiving blessings!

Fall Beauties

Just wanted to post this recent fall portrait of Jazz and Tess. Another great photo from our friends Virgil and Rebecca at Paw Prints Pet Photography!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from Captain Tess and First Mate Jazz, the spottiest pirates to sail the seven seas!

Here are the pirates with their Halloween booty -- definitely more treats than tricks!

Splash 'n Dash Halloween Party

Last evening, Tess and Jazz attended the annual Halloween party at our training club, Splash 'n Dash K9 Sports. They won the doggie costume contest, but you're all going to have to wait until Halloween to see photos of the girls in their Halloween costumes!

Tess' Agility Weekend

As you can see, Tess had a great weekend at USDAA agility! She had five qualifying runs and a total of six first place and two second place ribbons. As if we weren't thrilled with that, Tess also earned her Peformance II Jumpers and Performance I Pairs Relay titles! This brings her to a total of 15 agility titles in various venues and levels.

Great job, Tess!

Autumn Adventures

Here are a few pictures of Tess and Jazz at Oglebay's Fall Festival

Canine Good Citizens

At just 9 months old, Jazz and Peet passed their AKC Canine Good Citizen tests this afternoon at Butler Dog Training's Fun Day at Alameda Park. The CGC is a ten-part test that evaluates a dog's manners and training. We're so proud of these two great pups, shown here with the ladies who performed their evaluations.

Meanwhile, back at the agility trial, Tess earned a 1st Place Qualifying score in AKC Open Jumpers Agility. Way to go, Tess!

GPDC Fun Day

While Tess was at an agility trial, Jazz and I attended the Greater Pittsburgh Dalmatian Club's Fun Day. Although the weather was a bit damp, the people and Dals who attended had a great time.

Here's Jazz and her brother Peet in front of the covered wagon at the Western-themed event.

Blackwater Falls

We spent the weekend in West Virginia with my sister and her family, including two Golden Retrievers. On our way to Blackwater Falls, we stopped for ice cream at a little place called The Purple Fiddle, where they had this awesome carved wooden bear...and some pretty good ice cream!

Tess and Jazz on the stairs leading down to Blackwater Falls.

Here's a photo of the whole gang actually sitting still! From left to right, it's Dancer, Jazz, Tess, and Caleigh.

Tess and Jazz on one of the many rocks surrounding Blackwater Falls.

Bark in the Park

Today, Tess and Jazz went to Bark in the Park. This year's theme was "Beach Vacation," so Tess and Jazz wore their tropical finest! It was a great event that benefits Animal Friends.

McConnell's Mill