#and every bit as biddable

[elvenferretots]

Sometimes the casual sexism in the dog hobby drives me insane. Your bitch is not less affectionate than your dog because she's a bitch. She might be less affectionate because of her bloodline or breed, or your expectations placed on her, or very likely because she was your second dog and had to split attention with your male dog from the time she came home.

Your male dog is not inherently more loyal, or less intelligent, or more aggressive just because he's a male. Sexual dimorphism does exist, but it affects things like how much your dog wants to mark during a walk, not their entire social structure and way of learning and interacting with you.

[branches-in-a-flood]

Saw your tags, I would love to hear your dog opinions if you're open to share 👀

Hi Dani!

This has been sitting in my inbox for a good while, because my brain has been soup and I wanted to write an actual thoughtful response lol.

I have Many dog opinions! But I think the context was that I had talked about mostly only liking herdy things in the tags. And that absolutely is true - dogs I enjoy working with and dogs that I would actually own tend to come from the herding breeds. (The list of breeds I would own is so much smaller than the list of breeds I would not - which makes sense if you know me well, but tends to confuse people who just know me as an animal lover.)

In general, for animals I would have in my home (notice how I'm not saying Everyone, or Every Dog,) I only go for responsibly, purposefully-bred dogs. I have specific traits I want, and traits I want to avoid. My minimum qualities I look for in a breeder are:

Health testing according to the national breed club's recommendations, though more is better. My Belgian has had her hips, elbows, eyes, dentition, and basic cardiac evaluations done. Her breeder does hips, elbows, and eyes, as recommended by the breed club. The whippet's breeder does hips, full cardiac, and I believe eyes as well (I'm not super into whippets as a breed - I just wanted one as a pet so I am not as up to date on their testing.)

Shows and/or titles in sports. Conformation show titles indicate that you are breeding to the standard, and producing animals with good structure. Sports titles show your animals are functional, trainable, and possess the skills to succeed. Some sports are specific to certain breeds, like hunt tests for spaniels and retrievers. Some are open to absolutely anything, like dock diving or scent work. Some are "harder" sports, like Protection Sports vs "easier" things like FastCat (100 yard straight lure course) or trick training. It depends on what you're looking for.

No crossing breeds, unless for a specific purpose (which personally I don't need - I like my purebreds and don't need to do anything at super high levels, so I'm not after border collie X whippets for flyball or malinois X whippets for disc or dock diving.) There are some outcross programs for some breeds, in order to introduce new genetics, but these are carefully considered and done with the support of the breed club. Not just randomly mixing poodles with everything.

Will take back any puppy they've produced if necessary. Both of my girls would go back to their breeders if anything happened to me. That's part of having a responsible breeder.

In terms of breeds? I think I'm pretty set with the herding creatures. They're intelligent, tend to like problem solving, are biddable, and tend to enjoy training. I also like herding, though the Belgian and I have only done a little bit (it's not super easy to find herding trainers in a large city.) I also like sighthounds, though they are often far less interested in the types of training I like to do, and less eager to please than my herdy things.

I grew up with a range of dogs - mutts from the shelter, hunting beagles, labrador and brittany gundogs, and a dalmatian. I found the beagles absolutely awful - loud, smelly, completely disinterested in training. The brittanies were alright, and I considered getting one before settling on Belgians, but can tend toward neuroticism (though nearly any breed if not thoughtfully produced and raised tends to follow this path.) Retrievers are too happy and dopey for me. I took care of a colleague's golden for a week and almost lost my mind. I'm not a super happy everyone-is-my-friend type of person, so that personality in my dogs is Too Much. Dalmatians were also on my shortlist, though finding the right breeder is key due to health and temperament issues.

IDK man, I'm just really picky. I don't like drool, saggy skin, face folds, silky coats, brachycephalic dogs, scent hounds, or most spitz or terrier personalities FOR ME.

I do like herding breeds (except Aussies,) Dobermans, a number of sight hounds, and some gun dogs if bred correctly. I will also fold for a blockheaded bully, but would not own one because their personalities just don't jive with what I like to do.

[hashtag-xolo]

Why Airedales? Sorry if I'm out of the loop. I've never seen an Airedale service dog, but I think they would be great for the job! Thanks for letting me be nosy!

Hello and I am happy you're being nosy!

So there's a few reasons why Airedales.

One: coat type is one my family won't have a problem with. The shedding is so minimal as to be a non issue. I want a dog with a coat for service work simply because I felt bad for Tzapo being hairless and sometimes being required to be on cold floors for long stretches of time if I couldn't bring a mat. Comfort is important to me and so while I adore xolos, I want a dog who won't be sad if stuck on a tile floor.

Two: I think poodles are sweet and very smart and great, but I've come to realize their general personalities of what makes them a "poodle" is not something I will want to live with. I really like terrier temperaments and drives. I really like the independence and goofiness that terriers have. I have loved every Airedale I've met. Most people would say just get a poodle but that's not what I want. Also poodles are too sensitive and I will cover that further in a different point.

Three: they're a lot of dog but not in the way a border collie or a malinois is. They can be a great active companion breed and I know several that are such. They're confident and driven dogs who are optimistic and resilient. They can have some issues with guarding and inter dog aggression but in my experience not like the shepherds, huskies, or malamutes I've known. They tend to be more dog social or dog neutral. They tend to like people but also not be extremely sociable like a lab and want to greet everyone. They are a great breed for a large variety of work/sports. They're clowns who don't take things too seriously. They remind me of xolos but with more optimism and confidence as a baseline personality. I'm already very familiar with working with non-biddable dog breeds and if I can train a xolo for service work then I figure an airedale will be similar if not easier as they have a strong history of success at highly regimented obedience i.e. military and police work.

Four: I need a service dog that is independent and not super keyed up into being extremely sensitive to my emotions. I should never have a herding or gundog breed as a service dog due to my particular needs in a service dog. Maybe one day I could but I know that right now, my mental health diagnoses means that I am setting myself and my dog up for success by picking a breed that isn't typically known for hypersensitivity, like a poodle. I also need a dog breed that will be independent, stubborn, and pester me. I need a dog breed that is a bit of an asshole (said affectionately) and that will push back against me when I'm dissociating. (A cattle dog or corgi won't work due to the coat type.)

Five: Airedales are a good solid size that isn't too big or too small. Many terriers are too small for my needs. A giant schnauzer is too big.

Six: not super important but, I love their appearance. They are gorgeous and striking dogs. And I'm down to learn how to hand strip and maintain their coat. It seems meditative to me. I've considered standard schnauzers but I just adore the Airedale look.

[nefja]

The Icie FAQ

Why did I decide on an Icelandic Sheepdog?

I was looking for a medium-sized, healthy, friendly, fluffy dog breed you could do sports and/or long hikes with and found a huge list of dog breeds. After some scrolling I had my top canditades which now required further inspection.

The Icie stood out once more so I contacted a breeder, met up with them and fell in love with their 6 Icies.

What’s Nefja’s personality like?

Icies are generally friendly, playful, curious, not fearful, tough, agile and intelligent. Their “I need to run after that fast moving object!!”-drive (prey drive) is manageable if you start working with them from a young age and preferably they don’t have an experience with 5 months in which they run after a long-gone car in the woods for 1km after breaking free.

Due to bad experiences, Nefja is a bit wary of big dogs, cows and sheep. She knows what she wants and what she doesn't want. She has opinions and makes you listen to them.

You can wake her up at 3am and she's ready to do stuff but that's just her character. Other may Icies give you the stink eye.

How fluffy are they and what kind of fur do they have?

They come in short and long coat but the long one is way more common. Both are soft and weatherproof with thick undercoat. You can pet them for hours without getting oily/greasy hands.

Coat / Paw / Ear - maintenance

Coat maintenance is actually quite minimal which means I brush Nefja every 2-3 months. Before her spay I brushed her for summer/winter coat change. There are some coat texture differences so others may get knots/tangles behind the ears. I bathe her with dog shampoo when she rolled in something stinky.

General paws require no different care to other dogs. A trim to tame the gremlin feet if you feel like it and normal nail clipping.

Dewclaws

Icies have single or double dewclaws on both hind feet which need regular clipping (we use a dremel). Some are only attached by skin but some are attached by bone. When they get too long they can get caught on stuff or the ones on the other leg and hurt the dog. There is no need to medically remove them as long as you keep them short. In fact, it actually falls under mutilation in Germany and other countries just like ear cropping.

How biddable and affectionate are they?

Yes.

It depends on character obviously but I think all of them want to please you to some degree and they are definitely biddable. Nefja’s getting more affectionate as she’s getting older but others are already cuddly from the start. They want to be with you at all times or at least know what you’re doing and where you are.

What sports do Icies enjoy?

There are almost no limits I’d say.

We’ve tried a bunch which I’ll link a post to here.

They’re overall too friendly to do Schutzhund with and some breeders (mine) even have it in their contract that you’re not allowed to do it with the dog.

[meridiumfarm]

pig

The farm’s pigs are the main source of livestock meat, since they don’t produce anything else. They plump up easily and are generally sweet-tempered and biddable. Their very short snouts mean that they don’t root up any valuable crops, and they seem to like living in a fenced area and don’t try to leave. They’re good grazers and make do with vegetation that would be useless otherwise, but are also fed twice a day with farm/kitchen scraps. Full-grown pigs generally average about 200 lbs. The farm currently has one boar and three sows, which drop litters of about four piglets at a time. The boar has tusks but he doesn’t use them so nobody’s filed them down. When slaughtering, the farm goes by the adage of using “everything but the oink”. Or as some people say, “from rooter to tooter”. Whichever way you put it, every bit of the pig gets used, including intestines and trotters.

[celticbarb]

Book: Highland Surrender

Author: Heather McCollum 

Series: Sons of Sinclair, book 5

Release date: October 24, 2023 

Publisher: Entangled

Book Length: 340 pages

Overall rating: 5/5 Stars

Blog Rating: 5/5 Saltire Flags

Northern Scotland 1592

Hannah Sinclair is feeling a bit of sorrow and depressed watching all her sister in laws with their bairns. She isn’t jealous as she is happy for each of them, it is just that she desires a child of her own. Yet there was no special man for her to love and she was almost 30 years old!  Plus even if there was one it had to be one who wasn’t afraid of her four over protective brothers who are known as the four horsemen of the apocalypse! She felt she was surely headed for a lonely future of spinsterhood and every one of her nieces and nephews favorite Auntie. Yet she desired that special someone to love too but more than anything she wants a baby! 

Erik Halverston of Norway has no choice, but to follow orders of the House of Denmark since his precious sister Iselin’s life is on the line. He will do anything to protect his sister, even deceiving the Sinclairs of Scotia. He really is not a villain, he is just between a rock and a hard place and his sister is the only family he has left and the only person he will ever love! According to his Queen he must find the Clan Sinclair’s weakest link and he feels kidnapping his Queen’s enemies sister is the answer, but he is in for a rude awakening since Hannah Sinclair is far from being a frightened,  biddable, timid, lass who will obey to an enemy! Especially one who lied claiming he was a trader not a Wolf Warrior seeking to abduct her and  forcing her to marry this middle aged chancellor to keep her brother’s in line! See who becomes the real prisoner in this battle of the sexes!

The attraction between Hannah and Eric is immediate, but there are a lot of obstacles in their way, for one he is trying to protect his sister who is in the Queen's custody. He is the General and leader of Wolf Warriors for the House of Denmark. For another he kidnapped a Sinclair sister and he will have to deal with four braw horsemen of the apocalypse who will not accept a man who took their sister against her will! So dealing with a dowager Queen and four protective braw highland brothers Eric will definitely be in a bad position, not to mention their wives. Will it take a warrior Sinclair sister to save him from some of his own mistakes even if he had no real choice. Will the brothers accept this or even care? Read and find out in this brilliant series finale! 

In this series finale which I am sad to see end as I have loved each and every book in the Sinclair series including this book Highland Surrender. McCollum’s books have a bit of everything including true history. As this one for example has Dowager Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow. She was the Dowager Queen, mother of King Christian IV of Denmark and Anne of Denmark. She was Regent of Schleswig-Holstein from 1590 to 1594. Her daughter Anne was married to King James of Scotland and James I of England and Ireland.

I absolutely love how she puts some true iconic characters from history into her fictional stories which are positively brilliant! She also does an amazing amount of research, including interviews with experts that is absolutely extraordinary! This also includes enchanting landscapes, breathtaking betrayal and heartwarming passion that includes this author's triumphant series finale! It had me mesmerized and glued to each word on every single page that definitely swept me away. Yet the major scene stealer is the two stallaways Libby and Trix! It shows how two wee lassies try to save and rescue their favorite Aunt, yet win the hearts of all of the Wolf warriors too! One of the many reasons Heather McCollum has become one of my most favorite authors in the Scottish historical genre.

Disclaimer: I received a free advance readers copy  from Entangled publishing. I voluntarily agreed to do an honest, fair, review and blog through netgalley. All words, thoughts, ideas are my own. 

Buy Links:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BSD4DH2S?_bbid=169567907&tag=individualbookpagesite-20

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/highland-surrender-heather-mccollum/1142856547?ean=9781649374950&st=AFF&2sid=

https://books.apple.com/us/book/highland-surrender/id6445438791

https://play.google.com/store/books/details?_bbid=169567914&_bbreg=us&_bbtype=blog&id=lJunEAAAQBAJ

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=Highland%20Surrender%20(Heather%20McCollum)&ac=1&acp=Highla&ac.title=Highland%20Surrender&ac.author=Heather%20McCollum

https://www.entangledpublishing.com/books/highland-surrender

[creekfiend]

Lambchop has peaked my curiosity about buhunds, and I’m curious to learn more about them, so would be ok if you describe what’s it like to own one? Like what’s their character, if they’re affectionate, etc. Are they a bit more biddable and affectionate than other spritzed? I think you did mention once that lambchop is not completely to standard character wise, so how does she differ?

Sure I'll try!

I actually would say Lambchop is on standard for temperament for 95% of stuff but she's also turned up to 11. And she shows some unfortunate overarousal which spirals into dog aggression which SHOULDN'T be common in the breed but the more people I talk to the more it seems to be getting more common :/ it can be hard in a rare breed where people are very tight lipped about drawbacks and also most of the prominent breeders keep their dogs in show kennels so they don't have much data on how the dogs do in home/pet environments. The breed culture in the US also is quite old school in that puppies tend not to be raised with much thoughtful Socialization protocols or placed in homes on fit... dogs that go to "pet homes" tend to just be the dogs that the breeder thinks won't succeed well enough in the show ring or in performance. Not all the breeders are like this but... I know of maaaaybe 2 that place on temperament and what the puppy owner is looking for? That's MUCH more common in the icie community, weirdly, to the point where i very often recommend icies to people who like Lambchop, just bc the breeders in that community tend to actually live with their dogs and have more temperament data 🤣 and they're VERY very similar breeds.

They're very intense and VERY affections with people. Chop has never met a stranger and absolutely adores meeting new people and loving on the people she knows. They're very energetic and need lots of outdoor enrichment. And lots of... hmm. The trainer I'm working with talks about opportunities to make choices -- autonomy. Really smart dogs can develop behavior issues when they have very few opportunities to exercise autonomy in their lives so I am trying to set up ways to give her more of that like installing a dog door so she can decide when to be outside and when to be inside, that kind of thing

Herding spitz are crazy trainable. Lambchop adores tricks and engagement. Your mileage may vary with this one because I do know some people who have individual dogs that are "hard to motivate" but overall they LOVE to work with you and solve puzzles.

Reactivity is an issue in the breed moreso than a lot of other spitz. More herdy dog stuff imo. Icies are like that also. Almost every one will go thru a phase of it in adolescence at least. Another related breed that struggles with reactivity less is the norrbottenspetts, but they're also less biddable! So it's sorta a trade off lol

I will say if I wasn't disabled Lambchop would be a dream dog for me. Like if I had the brain space and energy to really get down to brass tacks and get her out for hikes 3 times a week? And if I had been properly prepared on what to expect in terms of intensity, energy level, and some of the common breed pitfalls regarding arousal issues? But unfortunately I wasn't and so we both kinda went in blind and it's been a struggle. She's been on her meds almost a week now and they're helping a LOT. we will get through it but it's been rough.

I think the Nordic herding spitz are perfect for a lot of people but its hard bc you have to find a breeder and community who will be honest and supportive of newcomers. The Icelandic sheepdog community has a lot more of that culture from what I have seen. But I can certainly recommend people to contact about buhunds to talk to more about the breed also; a good friend of mine is on the breed club board and has been in the breed like 20 years so she knows a lot. And I know several great icie breeders!

SO YEAH idk I really love herdy spitz but they can be a challenge and also you gotta find the right people which i guess is true of a lot of breeds hah. I hope this helps some! Here's a pic of Chop doing a doge meme impression for you

[equalseleventhirds]

can i tell all of you about fiver? would that be okay? i don't have, like, people i can talk to at length about him. i want to tell his whole story to someone, i think. i want to remember him, his whole time with me, and not just the end.

you don't have to read it, i just. want to type it all out.

fiver's last owner brought him into her home. i don't know a lot of details, but she said he was a rescue, that his first owner hadn't socialized him or taken care of him. that's why he was always so fighty, even years and years later.

a few months after she got him, i moved in. i felt a bit like a rescue, lonely and newly-far from a home that hadn't always been kind, and struggling to learn about myself and where i fit in. the people there welcomed me in, and i felt at home.

and i met fiver, back when he was so afraid of people that he hid inside his cage whenever anyone came into the room, and bit and snapped at anyone who came near him.

i didn't know anything about rabbits; i'd barely been allowed goldfish when i was growing up, and i'd always sworn i'd have cats when i was an adult. a rabbit was a surprise.

but he was, you know, adorable and small and i wanted to get to know him, how to take care of him. i asked his owner questions. i googled things. i learned.

i used to lie on the floor for hours waiting for him to come and cautiously sniff me. eventually he'd run around the room while i was around, even hop up on the bed to see me. he'd let me pet him (when he felt like it; he also might grunt and growl and try to bite, or if he was feeling generous just smack me with his paws.) i helped take care of him, got him food and treats, cleaned his cage, brushed him, clipped his nails. brought him to a bigger room to run around regularly and get exercise. got him toys and played games with him. i was never his mommy (that was his owner), never had a parental title, but i became 'auntie algie' (gender and so on aside, that's who i was to him).

about a year after i moved in, fiver's owner, tired of both me and him (neither of us as sweet or biddable as our small, fluffy exteriors seemed; both of us contrary and untrusting and prone to snapping), moved away. gradually cut off communication. left me with this rabbit and no real home for either of us. (i don't blame her; like i said, i'm contrary and untrusting and prone to snapping. i get it. we were young, and she had a better life to live. i hope she's living it.)

i could've.... well, i could've done a lot of things, probably. but what i did was find a pet-friendly place for us to live, and took him with me.

(there were also two rats i was left with, who i also loved dearly, and a third i adopted as well. but rats live even shorter lives than rabbits, and they have been gone for many years now. i still miss them. fiver was friends with them, while they were here.)

we moved around quite a bit, for a while. had some roommates. crashed with a friend when those roommates also fell through. got a teeny tiny one-room apartment, eventually, just me and fiver.

i was very lonely during those years. pretty depressed, also. not doing great in the general life and living it department.

but fiver helped. he needed me; i was all he had. so i got my shit together just enough. kept rent paid. went to the grocery store regularly enough to keep both of us fed (and once a week, the farmer's market, to get special treats for him). kept track of his food and so on to order more on time. cleaned out his cage every few days, which meant taking out the trash every few days.

i would talk to him, in that lonely little apartment, when i had no one else to talk to. it's a habit i kept up even after we moved into my current apartment with my current roommate, who i can talk to now. but i had a very lonely job and a very lonely apartment for a while, and i talked to fiver more than anyone else for quite a while.

and when i finally did move, left wisconsin and found a place here in new york, i had to bring him with me. easier said than done, because i couldn't take him on the train, didn't trust airlines with him, and couldn't drive, and so i swallowed my pride and called up my parents for help. went on a road trip with my dad, which, given i was nearly no-contact with them at that point, sure was a fucking thing. but i'm grateful for that, because i got to keep fiver with me the whole way.

i remember how good he was in the car. i'd gotten him a new carrier specially for the occasion, a really big one so he'd have room to stretch out. (i kept that carrier. i brought him to the vet in that carrier, in the week before he passed.) i fed him pellets and greens and and hay and held spoonfuls of water through the opening in the carrier because the ride was too bumpy for a water bottle or open bowl, and he ate and drank and sat comfy in his carrier and wasn't scared a bit, over a three-day car ride (and two nights in motels, when he was let out of the carrier for a few hours and at one point scared the life out of me by escaping the little pen i'd made for him and zooming around the room).

he was so brave, you know? he used to hide away from people, at the beginning; the last few years of his life, he wouldn't even hide from my roommate's dog. they weren't allowed in the same room (just in case), but the dog would come up to the pet gate separating them, and fiver would just ignore him and go eat his snacks. he wasn't afraid of fireworks or car rides. when new people went into his room, he'd run right up to them and try to chew the hems of their pants.

he chewed through... so many of my things. blankets. clothes. shoes. like six different computer cords, even though i tried to keep them away from him. countless headphone cords. he loved chewing things he should not chew. he also liked to dig and throw and fight his way through blankets, towels, pillowcases (that's my icon; him victorious over a battle with a pillowcase).

he'd also lick blankets and pillows and stuff like he was grooming it, which was so funny because he'd never groom me. i could groom him, but i wasn't allowed to be groomed; apparently according to bunny hierarchy that meant that he was the one in charge. i like to think grooming my belongings was grooming me by proxy while still maintaining his pride.

he slowed down a little, the last couple of years. his joints weren't quite as good anymore, so he took things slow. spent a lot of time resting. would still race for the food bowl anytime i gave him pellets or greens or a cookie. would still chew up my stuff. was still plenty fighty. (that was one of the two things the vet always said about him, at his annual checkups. fighty, and also so handsome. a beautiful and angry boy, that was him.)

i don't want to dwell too long on the end. i made some posts about his health stuff. he went from still kind of okay to really bad very quickly. a couple of times we thought he was improving, and then he. didn't.

i was alone with him for several hours, after, because the vet was about to close when he passed and my roommate wasn't home. i cleaned him up and hugged him and wrapped him up safe in a soft soft towel, one of the ones he'd been resting on in his cage. i took him to the vet, and by now they've given him to the cremation service, and next week i will have his ashes.

i still open my mouth as i'm going to my bedroom, about to start talking to fiver. even when i left to just go to the bathroom or get water, every time i stepped back into that room i'd say hi to him and ask how he was doing, tell him he was my good and darling boy, ask if he wanted a snack. i did that for years, and it's hard not to do it now. it's quiet, and it's quiet because i'm not talking to him.

but we had so many years together. i had so many years when i had him to talk to, even at the loneliest point of my life.

i miss him. but i'm so glad i had him. and i'm glad he had me. a couple of contrary, abandoned, bitey little creatures we were, but we were together.

[ID: a photo of my rabbit fiver, a brown dutch rabbit, eating some greens.]

[ID: another photo of fiver, sitting on a blanket.]

[wyrddogs]

Thank you for your response; your comments are always insightful.

I agree that a lot of conversations I see about breeding tend to be very simplified. "X trait is bad, so anyone who selects for it is a bad breeder"-- but maybe X trait is polygenic, or linked to something really important, or we don't know what causes it, or we are working on removing it but it takes a long time to make population changes.

I spent a long time talking this over with my friend, and we agreed that someone (not either of us-- she has her own breed to focus on and I really only want to dip my toes into breeding at this point) should make it their life's work to do some kind of dachshund outcross project. Maybe have two separate lines of terrier crosses (patterdale and JRT maybe?) to weed out the CDDY and keep the earth work; and a line of spaniel crosses for nose, coat, and biddability; and a line of beagle or other small hound crosses to keep the hound aspects. (We are both in hard agreement that preserving the hound bits of the temperament is important; the goal would not be to produce funky-looking terriers.) Test all breeding stock and progeny for CDDY/CDPA, and backcross back to dachshunds to bring back to type. Do that for a bajillion generations and eventually in theory you could have functionally a dachshund without CDDY.

But I'm not going to do it. I don't have that kind of money, I really don't want very many dogs, I don't really like puppies, I don't want to deal with the backlash, and also just one person doing this won't change things for the breed as a whole.

So I'll get my bitch and I'll health test her and prove her in the ways that matter to me, and if she's a good dog then I'll breed her to Kermie because he's also a good dog. Multiple people have told me that it's worth preserving his traits for the next generation.

And I'll try not to feel super bummed out about falling in love with a breed with this kind of issue set in their population, but it's not like dachshunds are unique in that regard. Every single breed has some kind of risk and all we can do is decide which risks are worth sharing our life with a furry companion.

Because what else could I do? Get out of dogs? Hell no.

In regards to my thoughts on the podcast, I guess my agonies over Kermit's back screening scores were for nothing. Whether he has two calcifications (per OFA) or five (per INCOC) doesn't really matter. X-rays aren't even good at detecting them, and they aren't a good indicator over whether a dog will have a herniation event anyway. He's CDDY/CDDY, so he's at risk, which I already knew.

So I'm back at square one (scary square), which is basically cross my fingers and hope. And follow all the best practices, which are keeping my dog fit, trim, and intact, and minimizing the hard landings, and letting him run up and down the stairs, and basically letting him enjoy his life.

He's also insured.

And because he is so cobby and struggles with the A-frame and dogwalk (he has a hard time getting enough speed to scramble up it, compared to a lighter and more springy-backed dachsund), I'm comfortable keeping him off the obstacles for the rest of his life.

As for the bitch I'm getting, this breeder is not like a Belgian breeder where she has every aspect of temperament and working ability and various drives and size and COI etc. etc. etc. taken into account, and you are matched with your puppy based on what you are looking for. She's what appears to be a pretty typical hound breeder where here is a litter of puppies, here is a bitch, have fun. I'll see if I can ask for a girl with longer legs to see if I can get a CDPA dog, but it's going to be a crapshoot.

Which I already knew going in. So this has changed almost nothing for me. I'll continue screening Kermit's back every couple of years just to see if we can track any changes, and I'll do all my own health testing for my bitch like I did with him.

And I'll cross my fingers and hope.

[yeahshedo]

Love to hear people's breeding plans - what are you expecting from the Shoko/Kai puppies in terms of structure and temperament?

Temperament was definitely a big driving factor for this litter. I have had so many people who have met Shoko ask to be on my waiting list specifically for a puppy from her, since they liked her so much.

The thing is, she is kind of a unique Shikoku. That's not to say she doesn't have a lot of the typical Shikoku traits, and her temperament is within the realm of what someone might see in a Shikoku. But so many of the things people like about her and are looking for are things that definitely cannot be guaranteed in a Shikoku.

One of the biggest things is just that she's extremely laid back. She has a super stable, easy-going personality that takes everything in stride. She's really thoughtful and observant, zero reactivity, and I can take her anywhere without worrying.

She is also good with other dogs. I mean, not every dog appreciates her somewhat-rude play style (typical of Shikoku), and she's pretty picky about who she wants to play with in the first place. But I have absolutely never worried about her being around other dogs. In her early years we spent a lot of time at dog parks (large sprawling ones with hiking trails). 99% of the time she just ignores other dogs, or gives them a polite sniff then moves on. Typically Shioku will do well with dogs they are raised with, but reactivity and even aggression are definitely not uncommon, especially with same sex or strange dogs.

Similarly, she does well with strangers. She's definitely not lab levels of friendly, but she will give people a little wag and maybe a kiss, and then probably ignore them for the most part, lol. Unless they are kids, she loves kids. She is also fairly low energy for a Shikoku, and surprisingly low prey drive. She will sit in the yard and watch squirrels run by six feet in front of her without moving.

SO, with all that in mind, the goal was to highlight and maybe even further bring out some of these traits, while not sacrificing the spitzy traits we love about her (independent, spunky, good off-switch, etc). And Kai just really seemed like the perfect fit to me. He's got that laid back, go-anywhere attitude, while maintaining some spitz spunk. I'm also hoping he can bring in a bit of biddability and brains, lol. Shoko can be super stubborn, and not the brightest...

As far as structure goes, I'm admittedly not the best at evaluating structure, so someone with a better eye may have a better analysis. But to me they both seem to have moderate and functional builds. They are definitely the same general flavor of dog, lol. I think Kai will bring in a bit heavier bone, and obviously he's a lot bigger too.

[sunsignshepherd]

Would you share a little about how the universe led you to Kappa? Had you followed Cyril's other litters?

Long Post Story Time:

I followed Pip first, actually! And learned about its extended farm family from there. I wasn’t following Cyril when his first planned litter was born (the Pride Month litter, that Kestrel is from)- but I did follow him before he even got Trixie.

Around the time he talked about his plans to breed Trixie to Kai, I was looking for a breeder for my first puppy. Outside of Cyril’s program I had actually considered a german shepherd or a springer spaniel. I had looked at shelter dogs for about a year beforehand before realizing that that just wasn’t gonna work for me.

My criteria that I outlined to Cyril was: a puppy that wasn’t overly sensitive (could bounce back from startling or stressful situations), not overly prone to reactivity (especially barrier related reactivity, and resource guarding), that enjoyed the company of other dogs/people/animals, and would be happy to Do Activities with me while not needing to Go Go Go All The Time. Biddability was a concern for me, since I was nervous abt how I’d handle a more husky type personality.

At the time I also lived in an apartment, with adequate space for a puppy but obviously no attached yard- and we were on the 2nd floor. So noise was also smn on my mind, as I had neighbors on all sides.

After kindly listening to ALL THAT, Cyril told me he thought the litter would produce some nice medium dogs that would be within my comfort zone.

When the time came I had specifically wanted a girl, and there were FOUR GIRLS out of five puppies, so I was excited. It turns out... the one that was best for me was the boy. Whoopse. Oh well.

I don’t really know what I expected, I was nervous lmao. My first dog that was Just Mine! I kind of expected the worst honestly haha. Like experience wise. Bc puppies are hard!

But Kappa spoiled me, really. Potty training was a breeze. When left alone (baby-gated in the kitchen) he never got into the trash or the pantry. He absolutely adores people, other dogs, and cats. Like he still chewed on things, and barked at other dogs, and blew off recall, like just... normal “I’m learning how the world works” Behaviors. But he was, and still is, and incredibly Easy dog to live with. Like EXTREMELY easy.

Every person that has met him has told me that he’s just an incredibly pleasant and charming animal, and most are surprised that he’s not even a year old and is still very much a teen puppy. I owe a huge portion of that to Cyril, his program, and his intuition in pairing us together. And a bit to training, too. But overall he’s a real find. I can’t imagine I’ll have another dog like him for a long time.

[randomingoftherandomness]

Fic: you’re too good to be true

Fandom: The Yin Yang Master: Dream of Eternity

Relationship: Qing Ming x Boya

Tags: PWP, Service Top!Boya, Anal Sex, Riding, Feels, vague post Movie

A/N: Did I have to write filth and feels as my first fic for this fandom? Nope ✌🏼 But I did it anyways. Title from ‘positions’ by Ariana Grande which is a sex songs playlist mainstay for sure.

🌶 🍋

—

There’s no way he’s living this down.

Boya groans, biting down on the inside of his cheek to stop another sound from slipping out of him, squeezing his eyes shut and surrendering himself to the way Qing Ming skin feels like heated silk under his hands and the weight of him lifting, pushing back down, the molten vice grip of him around his cock that leaves no room for any doubt what is happening here between them.

A gasping chuckle tells him that he’s grumbling out loud and he retaliates with a pinch to an ass cheek. Heaven forbid Qing Ming allows him to forget who he’s with right now.

It should be ridiculous how easily Qing Ming has turned Boya biddable in his hand. Made docile and tamed with his laughing kisses and teasing caresses. It should scare him. All these emotions that take root and blossom in his heart should have been nipped in the bud the moment he realised they even existed.

But they’re so far beyond that point of no return and Boya cannot imagine a life where he wasn’t as much Qing Ming’s as he is Boya’s in every way that counts. He would never say it out loud and he will carry this to his grave, but Boya was lost the moment Qing Ming smiled at him over a lute.

“Open your eyes.” Boya tries to resist the allure to obey. Bites back how he wants beyond every good sense to give into Qing Ming when his voice is pitched so breathless, slurring on the syllables.

“Please.” He hears whispered on the tail end of a whimper and this, this he listens to. Blinks up at the wooden panelling above them before he turns his gaze to dark hair, undone and plastered to sweat slick back. To how the candlelight captures every sinful flex of sinew as Qing Ming arches back, hips working as he chases his pleasure on the wet ride of Boya’s cock in him.

He meets Qing Ming’s eyes then and sees the honesty in them, the utter truth that he hides behind carefully crafted words and a practised ease in the light of day. “Boya,” Qing Ming breathes, “Boya, please...”

Heavens above, he’s so in love with this man.

Every coherence leaves Boya with his heart strung high and taut in his throat. He loves this man. He loves him in all his veiled intentions, all his wonder, every bit of this ridiculous man, Boya loves Qing Ming.

“Boya?” Qing Ming’s eyes are lust dark but curious when he blinks back to him. Running his hands up his sides, he lets their fingers tangle together and swallows back the sobs that threatens to unravel in his throat.

Planting his feet on the floor, he rocks up, bucking Qing Ming with a shocked moan that was too loud for the midnight silence. Boya can’t find it in himself to care. To predict the consequences of loving Qing Ming.

Meeting his beloved thrust for thrust, Boya chases that precipice of his desire and chokes down the words on the tip of his tongue.

Qing Ming would hold it over him if he says it first.

[hashtag-xolo]

CGC Final Prep Day 5 - PetSmart Round 3

We want to PetSmart for another round of training surrounded by high distractions. This morning was quite busy with many dogs being brought in for grooming services. This is the sort of environment I was hoping for so I was excited to see how we would do.

Tzapo has improved on his heeling within that store tremendously. The first time was so overwhelming he would get easily distracted but today he did almost as well as he does in other locations. We practiced his general obedience commands as dogs barked and shrieked in excitement.

We wandered back to the grooming area of the store and I sat on a bench. Tzapo centered himself and I asked him to sit and then to down. Down was hard because the ground was cold but eventually he settled into a down and held it even as barking between dogs picked up.

We got back up and passed the dogs that we're making a ruckus. Tzapo did just fine. We turned and went by again, this time pausing as I asked Tzapo to sit not too far from the marking dogs. He did and held it. This was exactly what I wanted to see: calmly ignoring the excited dogs.

We continued to walk around the store and go about similar tasks. I sat back at the bench and asked him for a down. He was faster this time and held it just fine. We got up and passed by the line for the groomers. Several dogs were very amped and while they were being well-contained, their pulling and barking made them high level distractions. So I asked Tzapo to sit near them. He did. I did this a few times and then moved Tzapo into the center of the spaced out excited dogs. Asked for a sit. Asked for touch. Asked for down. He did it all. He was calm if a little unsure at first. But he stayed calm and biddable and got well rewarded for being able to ignore the lunging and barking playful puppies that were his size already. He even held his sit when the employee dropped a leash which made a loud clatter. I could see he was a little startled but he just held the sit.

We eventually moved a bit away and I got on the ground as asked for his pressure command. The worst of the barking dogs was the one closest to us, so I wanted to see if he would still do his task. And he did, he immediately performed the task and held it despite the barking and despite people Walk ng by with carts. He just kept it up.

I'm really thrilled with him. He honestly just does better and better every day.

[doctors-star]

16 for cowboys??

“Look, I care about you, alright? Quite a bit, I’m afraid.”

Johnny flops on his back, head slightly downhill of his feet in a way which makes the blood in his skull rush and whirl bewilderingly and his eyes pressed closed against the burning-bright sun, as yet undimmed by the afternoon. Someone drops a hat on his stomach and he flinches as though it had been a cannonball, sticking his tongue out and playing at being injured like the hognose snake Will had found in the shade under the general store’s porch - he’d rescued it from being killed as a copperhead, scooped it up in his hat, and brought it round to Ainsel’s back window to show the kids, thoroughly derailing all schooling for the day, as they all crowded around the hat to watch the creature resolutely turn on its back and stick its tongue out in repeatedly feigned death.

He stretches massively on the grass, smiling at the gentle laughter and the feeling of someone sitting near him and reaching across to give him two firm pats on the flank like a well-behaved horse. It’s been a long day, and it started early, but Johnny does like the big drives and hay harvests - all Danser collected together for one purpose, to help their neighbours and be rewarded in turn. Before dawn, he’d been drummed awake by fists on his door and had dressed quickly in the dark to stumble out into the street and go about mustering up others in turn. Of their little gang, he’d been first out of doors, followed by Will - looking bleary but drawn out by the other men staying in the saloon - then Ainsel, who seems to think they might be more use in bed than on horseback every time they see their own horse, then Tommy and Finn looking respectively disgustingly bright and alert, and still mostly asleep. Will, with his extremely biddable broad-chested nearly-a-draught horse, is quickly co-opted into driving one of the carts out of town and along the dusty prairie roads, uphill to the Wilder ranch to deliver tin pails of food and heavy stoneware bottles of drink and the very young and the very old, so that all of Danser may equally participate in the drive. Johnny, Finn, Ainsel and Tommy saddle up and cut north through the prairie, up the steeper side of the hill where the road can’t run; there, Diaz, Wilder, and Wilder’s eldest lad are calling instructions over the heads of the crowd and pointing in disparate directions to where the cows oughtta be, and where the cows oughtta go. A further crowd of skirts and fine hats - for today the town congregates, and it had better be in full finery and Sunday best - has collected around Mrs Wilder and Mrs Diaz to make tea and grits and beans cooked with salt pork in molasses, the scent sticky and inviting on the air even now, with hours of cooking left. Johnny tilts his nose into the air and breathes deeply, shooting a wink at Jody Masham when she passes near and earning a delightfully saucy grin for it. Her ma notices, of course, and gives him the evil eye, but Jody lets her fingers trail down his thigh from hip to knee on the pretense of admiring his horse and looks up at him through her lashes and he could perish on the spot for love of her, so what does he care anyhow.

She passes up chunks of soda bread, steaming in the dawning light and golden with butter, and he tosses them to his fellow riders - dinner will be late today, what with the distance the herd might have gone. And then they’re away, riding nearly the full complement of the town’s horses across the plains to where the herd stands, sedate and well-fed on the last of their summer grazing and ready to be collected up, split once more between Wilder and Diaz, and stowed in smaller paddocks with good solid barns over winter.

There ain’t no point in racing, really. There’s no advantage to getting there ahead of any other person. Johnny grins up at the sky, remembering the wind in his hair, hat brim in his teeth, crouching low over his horse to eke out those crucial inches that keep his horse’s nose ahead of Finn’s as they hoot and holler with the freedom of the run.

“Aww,” Finn says in a tone of very mocking gentleness as he nudges Johnny’s knee with the toe of his boot. Johnny cracks an eye open in preparation to glare at him for the inevitable teasing; against the bright and sunny sky, Finn’s hat is like a halo though his face is dark in the shade. “Didya go too fast today? You ain’t got no endurance, Johnny.”

Johnny allows the glare to settle, but before he can retort, someone on his blind side snorts. “No endurance - how many girlfriends has he got, again?”

Johnny chokes on startled laughter. Finn is wide-eyed in delight as he stares across Johnny’s prone form. “William,” he says, sounding scandalised.

Johnny props himself up on his elbows and sticks his hat back on his head so’s he can watch Will spread his hands defensively. “What,” he says, “I can’t be crude sometimes?”

Finn gestures at his own cheeks. “Naw, sure ya can, only it makes your face go so red that I get worried about ya.”

“That’s just the sunburn,” Tommy says cheerfully, clapping Will on the shoulder hard enough to make him sway and dropping to the grass next to Johnny. As promised, Will’s fair skin is flushed with embarrassment and striped with an angry red across his angular nose and cheekbones, the skin already starting to peel from a day under the sun. He huffs and folds to the floor, knees up to his chest and sleeves shoved up to his elbows to display a bar of red down his forearms too.

“I hope you weren’t teachin’ my kids that kind of joke,” Ainsel says, an enormous black umbrella hooked under forearm and over shoulder to shield them from the sun as they carry a wicker basket in two hands packed with tin pails, bread, biscuits, and bottles over to their little circle. The rest of the town is ranged likewise on the hill overlooking the town and, beyond that, the desert; the horses are tacked out near the farmhouse; the kids themselves are enjoying the freedom and sunshine having been released from hay harvest duties and are tearing up and down the hill, weaving in between groups and only occasionally stopping by their families to grab more food before haring off again.

“I have done no such thing,” Will objects crossly, but Ainsel gives him first choice from the basket and tucks him under the umbrella and out of the sun when they sit beside him so it’s quickly forgiven.

“He was exceeding useful,” Noel pronounces, kneeling by the big enamel dish which represents their share of the molasses and beans and salt pork, and wielding a large spoon like a sword. Johnny gathers that she had appeared some time after dawn, to the disparaging muttering of many of the elder town ladies, but had done so with such a quantity of fine bread and pickles and preserves that her critics had been forced to quiet down to faces of pinched displeasure while Noel held court, knowing that it was not a competition and that she had, regardless, won. She had then gone about supervising the hay harvest, keeping the younger kids in line and occupied while those trusted with scythes cut the hay and Will, on horseback, ran the new hay tedder up and down the field, and then releasing them to stack the hay under her exacting eye. Jody and Peggy had been amongst the scythers and had told Johnny with mouths full of giggles how Will had been left “in charge,” and then done every single thing Noel told him to without complaint or thought of defiance - but the harvest had been done, and Danser is too fond of Will to mock him for being hen-pecked by a woman he hasn’t even married.

Johnny reaches across to ruffle Will’s hair, but he ducks away like a feral cat. “Aww,” he laughs, “you’re useful.”

“Wish the rest of you were,” Will grouses, folding sulkily around his plate.

Tommy catches Johnny’s eye and grins wickedly. He beams in reply; Noel sighs in advance. “It’s true,” Johnny says, assuming a woebegone expression and trying not to snigger when Tommy looks similarly sorry for himself. “We ain’t good for anything whatever. Wholly useless, and you don’t love us.”

Will sniffs, mouth turned down comically in disdain. “You’d be mad to do otherwise,” he tells them sternly, in his finest clipped tones - brought out for special occasions, and their amusement.

“Why, Mister Williams, that don’t reflect very well on me at all,” comes a voice behind Johnny’s left shoulder, light and familiar fingers coming to rest there in accompaniment. Distantly, Johnny is aware of Finn choking on laughter and cornbread, and of Will straightening awkwardly with an air of panic, and of Tommy smirking and kicking at the sole of Johnny’s boot in a teasing, vaguely encouraging fashion - but mostly Johnny is aware of those five delicate points of gentle contact over the ball of his shoulder, and the swishing press of skirts against his side, and how if he tilts his head right back and left he can see all up the willowy line of Jody Masham, hip to hair, her blue eyes and golden curls like a field of cornflowers. There’s a little compressed mischief at Will’s expense tucked into her smile, and Johnny wants to kiss at it until she shares it with him; and there’s a loose, frizzy loop of hair that has escaped from the large bonnet that keeps her pale skin free of the sun, and become darkened with sweat and flyaway in the heat, and Johnny wants to press his nose to it, smooth it between his fingers, tuck it carefully away with pins so that she needn’t mind it - he could do that, he thinks, could give up on all other professions but following Jody around to tidy her hair and carry her basket on one arm, shielding her with a parasol with the other hand.

“Um,” Will says guiltily. “I - well-”

“Don’t you dare say you didn’t mean it,” Ainsel says sternly. Jody is smiling fully now; she is so beautiful Johnny could burst.

“I’m not going to lie to the lady,” Will replies, relaxing out of his tense, guilty stance to be indignant at the idea that he might. She is rubbing little circles into his upper arm with her thumb now: Johnny could not tell you for love nor money what Will just said.

“Well,” Jody says, a laugh bubbling in her voice, “how ‘bout you lend me this young man in recompense an’ we’ll call it quits? I’d like a word.”

Johnny is already scrambling to his feet, pressed up on his toes in eagerness to follow her away. Her hand slides down his arm, shoulder to elbow, and the press of it leaves hot lines in its wake that make him shiver. “Ma’am,” Finn says politely, not without amusement, “you keep him.”

Jody curls her fingers around his elbow joint and guides him gently a ways away from everyone else. Once done, he scoops her hands up in his own and holds them carefully like something immeasurably precious. She smiles indulgently and nods at the basket on her other arm, which he’d barely noticed. “Present for you,” she says.

Johnny juggles her fingers into just one hand, freeing up the other to push aside the flannel cover and fetch out a thin, steaming disk of fried batter. “Johnny-cakes,” he says, delighted.

“Couldn’t resist.” He takes a bite, savouring the salty cornmeal cut through with sticky maple syrup, and grins broadly at Jody. She laughs at his enthusiasm and allows him to feed her the other half without letting her hands go, chasing the syrup from his sticky fingers with her tongue until he can barely breathe.

“So, what’s the word?” he manages, biting the tip of his thumb to keep from kissing her, here where her ma is almost certainly watching.

“The word.” Jody bites her lip, huffs a big breath, and looks away - and a solid feeling of dread settles in his stomach. He’s had it good for so long - with Jody, and Cathy, and even Peggy and Anne-Marie, in a way - and he’s always known it wouldn’t last, and that it would ruin him, and-

“The word is baby,” Jody says eventually, tilting her head to one side and pinning him with her gaze, eyes narrowed in consideration. All thoughts leave Johnny’s head in a moment, to be replaced with vague, foggy panic. “Not-” she squeezes his hand until it relaxes a little and ceases crushing hers, “not right now, Johnny, jesus. Come back.”

The fog recedes and he musters up a gentle pat of her fingers in apology for squashing them in his paw. His hands are so much bigger and stronger than hers, tanned and weatherbeaten where hers are pale and delicate with flour worked into the nailbeds, and he oughtta be more careful with them. With her, and with - with the word, if there is to be one.

He can’t tell how he feels about that, in the moment.

“Sorry,” he says ruefully, offering her a clumsy, lopsided smile. “I weren’t - anyway. You go on.”

Jody takes a deep breath and nods firmly, gaze fixed at some point on his left shoulder. “Alright, I will. Johnny, I’ve spent the day cutting hay with a whole herd of the town’s kids, an’ it’s occurred to me, I want one.”

“I’ll get you one,” Johnny says on instinct, like he does with everything Jody says she wants however unrealistic, from hair ribbons to haywains to the entire Union Pacific Railroad. And then she raises an eyebrow at him, and he remembers how that’s what they’re talking about, actually, and to deflect from this he nods his head at one of the kids pelting past on little chubby legs. “That one’ll do - will he suit ya?”

Jody’s face relaxes into amusement and she huffs, leaning forward to press her forehead into his sternum. He must stink of sweat, and wants to tell her to shift in case he does, but he doesn’t want her to move like he doesn’t want to lose his right arm and she doesn’t seem to care. “Sweetheart,” she says into his shirt, “you ain’t never gonna be friends with my ma if you go about giving her grandchildren by stealin’ em.”

“Not even a little one?” Johnny says, tilting his head to catch her eye and watch her giggle. “‘Sides,” he says, considering it with a slight frown, “not sure she’s over fond on my givin’ her grandkids the other way, neither.”

Jody leans back, smiling. “Only ‘cause we ain’t married,” she corrects brightly, and then falters back into seriousness, biting her lip. Johnny squeezes her hands in careful encouragement, for he feels (fears) they have reached the crux of the matter. “Johnny, I - I wanna have kids. Not today, or tomorrow, or maybe even a year or two yet, but I want ‘em. An’ - I know we’ve not ever been traditional, but my ma - my ma really is gonna disown me if I ain’t married when I have ‘em, so.” She shrugs, fingers tapping in agitation against his palm and her gaze fixed back over his shoulder. “I’m not saying now, but I am sayin’ someday, and if that don’t fit with you someday then - I gotta find someone else. An’ I don’t know how that someday fits with you and Cathy, or Peggy and Anne-Marie, or - or I guess just with you, but I’m sayin’... I don’t mind, I guess, so long as you do right by the kids, and we’re…” She trails off.

“Miss Jody Masham,” Johnny says solemnly, raising her hands between his own, “are you askin’ me to marry you someday?”

She meets his gaze at last, frowning shrewdly at him. “Depends,” she says shortly. “Are you gonna say yes?”

Jody hasn’t never said she loves him. Johnny doesn’t need her to: he knows she does, on account of how she smiles at him and teases him and trounces him at cards to win kisses five nights in seven on lamplit nights where her ma can’t see them. And he bandies about words of love to everyone and everything, enough for the both of them, and they’re well-settled into the kind of long-standing devotion that doesn’t need professing very much. She’s told him before that she’s no good at romancing others (though personally Johnny reckons she’s not bad) ‘cause of how she can’t be sentimental with them; she loves them, and they gotta figure that out, or they ain’t trying hard enough.

Johnny told her he loved her on their second meeting, but then, he’s like that. Always has been. And it doesn’t mean he loves her any less, or any more, than she does him; he’s just got an awful lot of love to share, and she doesn’t mind him sharing it.

He could be married, he thinks. He and Jody could do it, and do it well, and marriage was always waiting for him somewhere - now that he’s not looking at it down the barrel of some angry pa’s shotgun, and without the threat of that too, it looks mighty appealing. They’ll have to get a house, of course; somehow stop renting, and own outright, but how hard can that be? He’ll get her fine printed calico, and build a table for her sewing machine, and Ainsel will school the kids. Finn and Tommy can teach them to ride and make great pets of them, and this time years from now Noel will have them harvesting hay neatly under her stern eye, and Will can bring them hognoses cradled gently in a hat.

He could live in that future, and live long and well.

Johnny pretends to think about it, but lets his grin slip through so’s she knows he’s teasing. “Well, you ain’t hardly romancin’ me.”

She purses her lips against a real smile and uses their hand grip to punch him gently in the chest. “I brought you johnny-cakes, special,” she objects, and he laughs. “Look,” she says firmly, “I - care about you, alright? Quite a bit, actually, and so you’re just - gonna have to deal with that.”

Johnny ducks in close and presses his forehead to hers, beaming. “An’ I love you too,” he croons to make her blush, and then ducks under her bonnet and kisses her softly. He can do that, now - here before the town, on the day of the hay harvest and cattle drive, for they are, someday, to be married.

Jody pulls back, smiling secretly in the corners of her eyes, and strokes a hand through his hair. “I always forget,” she says absently, eyes on her fingers as they comb and tangle in his curls, “how nice your hair is without your hat on.”

Johnny frowns, puts a hand up to his own head. “Where is my hat?”

“It fell off when you leaned back to see me,” Jody supplies. “You didn’t seem to notice.”

“Oh.” He doesn’t remember that.

Jody smiles with resigned amusement. “Lord help me,” she sighs, “for I’m marryin’ a moron.”

Johnny puffs up in indignation. “You don’t have to.” Of course she doesn’t - Jody Masham is the prettiest girl in the county - the west - the world - and could have any man she pleases.

“Naw,” she says, rubbing her thumb along his chin. “I’m gonna.”

[thessaliadpdx]

Interlude: Field Marshal Zhuāngyuán Rallies the Troops. Chuntian Cao Gets the Girl. Master Yuanyuan, Ahem, Third Master Shen, Gets His Fourth Apartment.

Unbeknownst to Shen Yuan, he was the subject of much concern. Back at the Shen Family Estate, Da-ge smacked Er-ge upside the head. An embarrassment to the Shen Family name! Little Brother was raised better than that! Baba would have been disappointed! Mama would have cried! 

Er-ge drooped and nodded in agreement. “Yes, Da-ge. I’ll go over and apologize as soon as he will see me.”

The Brothers Shen worked themselves into a froth about their family’s Yuanyuan getting a roommate. They weren’t the only ones. The other residents of the Shen Family Estate were also deeply concerned. Upon hearing that Shen Yuan was to have a long-term houseguest, Steward Zhuangyuan fretted about Shen Yuan being deprived. Master Yuanyuan, ahem, Third Master Shen couldn’t possibly accommodate a long-term guest in his cramped, pokey little apartment! (Shen Real Estate Agent: “Pokey? It’s 360 square meters with four rooms!”) In Steward Zhuangyuan’s opinion, Master Yuanyuan only picked it because it had decent light. They should have rented another apartment in the same building and made it into a studio. 

Steward Zhuangyuan recollected the effort required to make for Master Yuanyuan’s, ahem, Third Master Shen’s current apartment passable. Only two years ago, it had been a struggle. The Shen Family employees had done their best, but the steward still felt it barely up to standard for a Shen. Thank goodness Master Yuanyuan was so biddable. Steward Zhangyuan remembered when the frighteningly tiny young master had first come home, barely larger than a grapefruit. He remembered all the hospital stays thereafter. Everyone did, and they worried about Master Yuanyuan so, counting the months until the next time. So far it had been two years, but everyone still held their breath.

Master Yuanyuan was the last reminder of the late Madam Shen, the artistic genius and gracious mistress. (Steward Zhuangyuan declined to remember all the times she screamed and threw oily paintbrushes at her husband’s head. He usually deserved it.) Master Yuanyuan, unlike his older brothers, was a gentleman, a scholar, and an artistic genius in his own right. (Steward Zhuangyuan also declined to remember all the times Master Yuanyuan screamed and threw ink brushes at his father and brothers when they denied him things they perceived as for his own good. They usually deserved it.)

At the very least The Young Master had needed a studio, a study, an office, a game room, a master bedroom and a guest bedroom for that questionable friend of his. (Shang Qinghua: “Hey! I’m a nice guy! I didn’t know he was sixteen when he read my book!”) Master Yuanyuan, as sweet and good-natured as ever, kindly suggested that he could tutor students in the dining room, and place bookshelves against the wall. He also suggested that the living room also be used for gaming, movies, and music. 

Upon hearing that, First Master Shen gleefully called the Chairman of Hangsong to send their latest TV, something experimental. Six people from Shen Construction marched into the apartment. Four reinforced the living room wall, added a wall mount, and installed a 250cm television. Two wired the room for the TV, added a home theater sound system from Onsuhi, and a GM6 with the lastest games, some of which were review copies. The two grinned at the other four. Testing was an essential part of installation, right? 

Auntie Chu had found the tiny 20-square-meter kitchen marginal, at best. The appliances were old and shabby. (If the refrigerator could talk: “Hey! I’m only two years old and I cost 6899 yuan! Rude!” The stove just cried, greatly aggrieved. uwuwuwuwu) Auntie Chu nodded her head firmly. She knew what to do. Meals would be delivered every day from the Shen Estate, and new appliances must be ordered.

First Master Shen gleefully did more research. He looked for something modest, and called Chufang Bangshou for a French-door refrigerator, complete with pull-out drawer for cold cuts and snacks, and a pull-out freezer. A steal for 23,000 yuan. Then he called Zhu Rong Stoves, and ordered the four-burner self-cleaning convection gas range with the 50,000 BTU wok burner. He also ordered a fume hood. A trifling 60,000 yuan.

The previous six people from Shen Construction carried in the refrigerator, stove, and hood. An additional seventh person went with to hook up the natural gas. The Head Chef certified in Medicinal Cuisine Auntie Chu lightly walked behind. Finally, several Shen Estate kitchen staff rolled in a couple coolers. Under Auntie Chu’s gimlet eye the Shen Construction workers carefully attached and installed the new refrigerator, fume hood, and stove. 

Auntie Chu pronounced herself satisfied, and waved at her assistants, who promptly opened coolers of prepped ingredients and set up additional burners. Under the famished, yearning gaze of the Shen Construction crew, they whipped up a banquet and laid it before the workers. It was like Lunar New Year and Great-Grandfather’s 100th birthday and the Grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary all at once. They would have to save a year for food this good, assuming there was a place that served it.

Auntie Chu said, “Testing is an important part of installation. Yes?”

Seven heads bobbed up and down like chickens.

Auntie Chu and her assistants left. The original six grinned at each other, then at the seventh. The TV, music, and gaming systems needed to be tested again. Testing, indeed, was an important part of installation.

The 8K 200Hz TV was a beast compared to what any of them had at home. The seventh looked around when they heard a glass shatter. Wow, just wow. 

This was probably going to be the last time they could play, and they all mourned silently.

Next was Auntie Wu. She inspected the apartment with white gloves, found dust, and sniffed at the substandard work. Filthy. (Housekeeping: “She wiped the back of the fridge! Unfair!”) The laundry service left a wrinkle in some sheets. (Laundry: “Hey! The main pressing iron is down! We did them all by hand and on time!”)

Auntie Wu decided that the Shen staff would dust daily, and launder everything at home. The conditions were abysmal. Master Yuanyuan was so brave. Her mouth wobbled. She’d never imagined he’d live this long. She’d been terrified that dust would cause him to have a bronchospasm and die. She had to call the ambulance so many times, even though a doctor and three nurses resided on the grounds.

Driver Siji had donned some old clothes, approached the car service manager and had asked for directions to S University. The manager said that he would have to use GPS. Driver Siji told Steward Zhuangyuan that the manager couldn’t find their way out of a paper bag. (Service Drivers: “Hey! He can’t find his way out of a paper bag! That’s why he doesn’t drive!”) He also found a footprint in one of the floormats. Lazy. (Driver: “Hey! I just went to pee!”)

Driver Siji had decided that they would have one of the Estate staff on site. There would have to be three, for twenty-four-hour coverage. Driver Siji remembered when he used to drive Young Master Yuanyuan to University at age ten. Master Yuanyuan was so tiny, a skinny little bird with thick, goggle-like glasses. Driver Siji had worried that he would trip and break a bone. 

Driver Siji had reported to Madam that The Youngest Master seemed exhausted, and suggested that it might be better for him to stay at home. The fiery Madam Shen said that The Youngest Master would attend University as long as he wished, until he said otherwise. Madam Shen then inquired if Driver Siji needed to be assigned elsewhere. Driver Siji wanted to kowtow in the face of such ferocity, but bowed deeply instead and apologized for his presumption. Appeased, Madam Shen accepted his apology and said he would resume his current duties, as he was the best driver they had. Grateful, Driver Siji wanted to walk backwards to the door, like in an Imperial drama.

#####

Head Gardener Huayuan had much better luck. Upon first inspection, the shrubbery was cheap and ill-shaped. No flowers brightened the neighborhood. Pretending to be a prospective student’s grandfather, he performed a little investigation of his own. Landscape Supervisor Xiang was a sensible person, a very good seedling. She had a master’s degree in horticulture from Q Agricultural University, first in her class. She picked this job to support her mother back home. After a while, the usually stand-offish childless widower said, “Call me Grandpa.” 

Xiang Hua’s mouth wobbled a little bit, because her grandfather died when she was young, and she missed him terribly. She discussed with the very knowledgeable Grandpa Huayuan the city’s push for water reduction. She also confessed her dream to see wild birds live where she worked. The kindly retiree understood the difficulty of maintaining such extensive grounds with such a tiny budget. Naturescaping was the perfect solution, and letting native plants grow wild created nesting sites and fed local insects, which in turn fed the birds. 

Such a wise and creative person must be encouraged. Grandpa Huayuan and Xiao Xiang discussed favorite flowers, and Xiao Xiang described her collection of orchids in her tiny apartment. Grandpa Huayuan described some of the orchids he’d seen in private collections. He’d even seen the gardens of the Shen Estate. Xiao Xiang sighed. She’d seen a feature article in a floriculture magazine.

A couple days later, the usual seven from Shen Construction had arrived to install bookshelves. The actual job only required three people at the very most, but they slunk off anyway. 

Incidentally, their supervisor reported the information to The Big Boss as ordered. Big Boss Shen had wanted updates on all work done on Third Master Shen’s apartment. Big Boss chuckled and waved his hand. They’re the best we’ve got, he said, and they all work hard. They deserve a little reward. Testing is a necessary part of installation, no?

The supervisor nodded.

Additionally, one of the junior gardeners rode along, holding a basket. He was to meet someone named Xiang Hua, the landscape supervisor. The delivery was of upmost importance. Head Gardener had told the junior that his mission was vital to the Shen Estate Gardens. He was to deliver the basket, and report back without delay. The junior had nodded so hard his chest wobbled. Upon finding Landscape Supervisor Xiang, he thrust the basket into her hands and scurried off. 

Xiang Hua, curious, opened the basket. Inside was a rare orchid she wouldn’t have been able to afford, assuming she could find one for sale. Next to it was an envelope. 

The letter read: 

“Xiao Xiang, I must apologize for my deception. I originally came to inspect the landscaping to see if the environs was worthy of our Third Master. I have not had such a lively conversation with a junior in a very long time. 

Someone with your gifts is wasted here, and should be working in an environment where you can learn and grow. Come and work for Grandpa Huayuan instead. 

Sincerely, 

Huayuan Yuan, Head Gardener, Shen Estate Gardens”

The letter named a salary that was twice what she currently made. It also mentioned that living quarters and meals were provided. Her mother would be able to live there if so desired.

Xiang Hua, a country girl raised on a poor family farm, started to cry. It was a dream come true. 

Chuntian Cao, the lead worker of her construction crew, noticed a young, tiny, pretty woman reading a letter and crying. Taller than most men at 180cm, she lumbered over to see if she could help. Chuntian Cao was a woman of fine tastes and knew a good thing when she saw the Meimei, or Little Sister, in distress. The wet, reddened eyes like a little white rabbit’s rendered Caocao helpless. The callused fingers dusty with a little dirt made Meimei even more of a catch. A hard worker with such pretty features would make for a perfect wife, especially for a plain fisherman’s daughter. She really wanted to give Meimei a hug and eat some tofu, but now was definitely not the time. 

She sidled closer to Meimei and silently offered a hug. “Hey there, Meimei. Why so sad? Some dumbass said goodbye?” She wrapped her arm around a lightly muscled shoulder. She looked down, and noted the delicacy of a collarbone. She dropped her voice. “Does Meimei need someone beaten up?” She rumbled. “I’m good at that.” She didn’t lie. At 90 kilos of muscle from pulling nets then hauling lumber, Chuntian Cao packed a deadly punch. She loved beating the shit out of people who deserved it. Unfortunately, the guys at Shen Construction were well-behaved. She went to bars instead.

Meimei plastered herself against Chuntian Cao in a hug and bawled. It was like an idol drama, only Chuntian Cao was the school grass, and Meimei was the school flower. She resisted eating the tofu, but it was really hard. Chuntian Cao waved at her crew and mouthed at them to go on up. They grinned at her and waved back. Xiao Hu, that fucker, made kissy faces. She wanted to gesture back, but her hands were occupied.

Meimei hiccuped, “I just got the best news in my life and I don’t know what to do!” She held out the letter with a trembling hand.

Chuntian Cao read it. “Old Man Gardener offered you a job? He told you to call him Grandpa? I’d never believed it if I hadn’t seen it!” She gave Meimei a squeeze. No eating the tofu, Caocao. Be good. 

Meimei snuggled up and held on tight. Caocao looked up to the heavens and breathed in deep. She sighed, and bit her lip. It was even better when the tofu ate you. She patted Meimei on the head. “Gonna come and work for us?”

“Mmm?” Meimei looked up, dazed.

“I’m with Shen Construction!” Chuntian Cao said proudly. “I’m the lead worker of my crew. Wanna come up and hang out with us? I’ll introduce ya!”

Meimei pressed close enough that the only way she could get closer was for Chuntian Cao to crack her chest open and spread her ribs wide. For such a sugar-sweet armful, Caocao would be perfectly willing to do so. Would Meimei top? Caocao sincerely hoped so.

“Okay,” Meimei said.

Meimei’s name was Xiang Hua, and she ate and gamed with the crew. The now-eight workers knew this was their last chance at testing the systems, so they were going to do their best. Beer, snacks, fried chicken and barbecue were the order of the day, and a merry time was had by all.

At the end of Caocao’s first date with Xiang Hua, Caocao got pushed down backwards on her own bed. Xiang Hua straddled her hips. Xiang Hua said that Caocao was the Meimei, and Meimeis did what their Jiejies, their Big Sisters, told them to.  

Caocao sighed with happiness. Fucking finally. She was so tired of being a Jiejie. Everyone assumed that a 180cm, 90 kilo, plain-faced girl wanted to be a Jiejie. Caocao had always insisted she wanted to be a spoiled little Meimei instead, but no one believed her.

They got married in the Shen Estate Gardens the following year. Mama Xiang teared with pride, then flew back home to the countryside. Caocao cried with relief that her mother-in-law wasn’t going to live with them. Huajie hummed with pleasure when she made her little Caomei apologize with desperation.

Caomei, with the help of a fertility clinic and amazing health benefits, bore two babies by her Huajie. Mama Xiang cried at being Grandma Xiang. Grandpa Yuan cried at being Great-Grandpa Yuan. The spoiled little Caomei had little ones to spoil in turn. She loved it.

Huajie, now Assistant Head Gardener Xiang, smiled with satisfaction--a tigress overlooking her tigress and their little tiger cubs.

#####

Steward Zhuangyuan gathered the senior staff, and cobbled together a plan of action. The apartment had been upgraded as best they could. The winning crew from Shen Construction had moved everything in. Auntie Wu’s staff had put it to rights. Auntie Chu’s staff had stocked the refrigerator, arranged the utensils, flatware, and glassware. They had made meal plans. 

Master Yuanyuan smashed all the plans to bits. Auntie Wu’s staff were only allowed over once a week. She cried into her handkerchief. Auntie Chu’s staff were only allowed to drop off pre-prepped meals for him to cook himself. And that was only every three days. She sniffled discreetly. Driver Siji was only allowed to send someone when called, and only when called. No hanging around the garage, “just in case.” Driver Siji wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

First Master and Second Master commiserated with Steward Zhuangyuan, but there was nothing they could do. The late Madam Shen had made it very clear to the two that Yuanyuan was to make his own decisions, and they were to butt out. Yuanyuan was smart enough to understand what he was and was not capable of, and they needed to respect his wishes. And that, was that.

Occasionally they forgot, but that was for another time.

Finally, the cherished but astonishingly unspoiled Master Yuanyuan moved in, quite pleased with his cozy abode. Only 360 square meters with four bedrooms! Nice furnishings, but not too grand! Having the latest electronics was okay. He was now a solid member of the middle class!

Shang Qinghua, good friend and sponge extraordinaire, hated to break it to his best friend that his “middle class apartment” was solidly in the upper five percent. Shen Yuan’s face fell. The personal services kicked him up to the upper one percent. Black lines filled Shen Yuan’s face.

Shen Yuan’s plan of having a place near the campus that wouldn’t terrify his students failed utterly. His more privileged students, ready to intimidate “Some guy named Shen Yuan my parents forced me to see,” were intimidated in turn by his exquisite manners and knowledge at such a young age. To the manor born, so to speak. After hearing from their parents that he was one of Those Shens, they meeped instead of roared. 

His underprivileged students, in awe at the surroundings, were even more in awe with this friendly Young Master. Their favorite professor in Classical Chinese had referred them, and they had worried they wouldn’t be good enough. Later, they felt honored to be tutored by the nicest rich person they had ever met, a true genius. He was obviously better off than the snooty rich kids at the university, but he didn’t act like it. He was so cool, he’d invite them to game when their session was over. He was even pretty enough to be the school flower of the entire campus! 

#####

That was then, but now Master Yuanyuan had a houseguest. Would Master Yuanyuan finally come home? Please say yes! 

Steward Zhuangyuan received a call, but it was not the call he wanted. Instead of returning to where he belonged, Master Yuanyuan was going to move into a villa instead. A villa! How horrid! 

[gaintiktokfansblog]

The Lowdown About TikTok Advertising

At present, there are ads on TikTok to allow you to develop your reach and new publicity. Again in January 2019, TikTok started experimenting with adverts on its stage.

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This induced the launching of the managed service stage in April 2019. In the time of composing this info, TikTok advertisements aren't out there in most states.

Much like different social media platforms, then there's a biddable advert surrounding accessible. You can't self serve TikTok commercials proper now, and all the items wished to expertise a representative of the provider.

All accessible adverts on TikTok are of these short-sort movie formats. This makes glorious sense since TikTok is a stage full of transient-type movies to verify some ads will most likely be readable for purchasers. There are 3 Distinct variations Which You Can follow with TikTok commercials which are:

The specializing in attributes are a small regular right now. It is potential to choose your audience in accordance with age, sex, and place. The geo-targeting allows you to purpose at the nation stage within the USA. In the future, you possibly can expect to find out further specializing in selections, including consideration and behavior.

Perhaps you've got expert the narrative advertisements on Instagram? All these are full-display style and normally fairly helpful. If that appeals to you, you then positively actually are going to need the native ads on TikTok. Chances are you'll add an exterior hyperlink to a web site with these adverts.

With this advertisement, you have to select the interval of your movie from 5 minutes to fifteen minutes. It is advisable to supply a vertical format movie since it'll exhibit from the"For You" page of your supposed viewers. You'll be able to add a call to movement, like downloading a program or visiting your website.

Hashtag battles are widespread on TikTok. Subsequently it's logical to create commercials on this specific format. What you may do here could be to promote your TikTok shoppers in your meant viewers to take part in a problem that is based mostly round your brand or varied your merchandise.

TikTok users want to have interaction in its place of merely taking a passive posture. Subsequently, if you provde the greatest hashtag impediment industrial, you'll anticipate some superb engagement quantities. These commercials function for seven days, and likewise a TikTok guide can encourage you the entire time.

The Model Takeover advertisement appears each time a person opens its TikTok program. It is entrance and center in their show. It's doable to make use of one in every of these advert to ship a person to a personal merchandise of articles or induce them into your website.

Brand Takeover commercials are allowed on a category basis. Only one advertiser could use this sort of advertising to get a category each day. We forecast that these will flip into the priciest TikTok commercials due to the restricted accessibility.

In case you opt for a branded lens commercial, you will have the ability to make use of facial filters, 3D objects, and far more. Even the suitable branded lens program might offer a great deal of involvement on the stage, in order that they're value contemplating.

I then decided to get serious, and seek for "occupation suggestion", since that was a modern hashtag trending on TikTok (and that is probably a bit extra related for this blog than a video exhibiting anyone operating house for pizza rolls.) What I believed would be a set of extra essential videos, have been truly additional movies that made me snort out loud! I wasn't anticipating profession suggestion to be every educational and entertaining! May TikTok really be an outstanding place for recruiters to dabble into, I believed?

On this weblog, we'll check out what TikTok might suggest for recruiters: Is it really the perfect platform to be recruiting on? What are the advantages of utilizing it? What sort of videos do you publish on it? What are somethings you would possibly wish to take into account earlier than using it? We're going to look into all of those questions and even discover the rumored new job service that TikTok is at current piloting.

Before downloading the app, I knew what TikTok was, however you under no circumstances really know the way it really works till you employ it first-hand. In case you might be very quite a bit not accustomed to TikTok, it's a social media software that permits you to create brief kind movies. To your movies chances are you'll add effects, filters, improve velocity, add a background, splice movies collectively, and more! If you are viewing movies, you presumably can view by topic, trending hashtags, look for hashtags or issues, and even observe prospects. You will discover every kind of movies on the making use of from dancing videos, to pranks, to how one can movies, to movies for just pure comedy. There's not one kind of TikTok video in the marketplace!

In 2020, TikTok turned the most downloaded app worldwide, overtaking Facebook, Instagram, and Zoom.(1) The App Annie State of Cell report exhibits TikTok is in the meanwhile on observe to hit 1.2 billion energetic customers in 2021. Demographic intelligent, 78% of TikTok customers are beneath 39 with 30% falling between the ages of 20-29 based totally on a current report revealed by Statista.(2) Whereas the age group is youthful, get more tiktok audience what is important to notice is that Millennials and Gen Z's have gotten the most important demographic in the workforce as Little one Boomers retire. Millennials have already turn out to be the biggest group of execs within the U.S. Labor Pressure, making up 1/three of staff.

If one factor is for sure from these stats, TikTok usage is quickly on the rise, especially for younger generations. Corporations wish to have the ability to get in entrance of the right candidates for alternatives, which is why extra staffing and recruiting corporations have flocked to TikTok, where the largest demographic in the workforce is spending their time.