Powder Valley Poodles
Terry Jester, owner powdervalleypoodles.com

Fall Newsletter 2019

ALOHA!

What? Aloha? YES! I’m writing this from Maui! Of course I am! When else do I have time to write the newsletter? I’m on vacation! Again. (Hey, we went for over 10 years without a. single. vacation. Not one. So, I’m making up for it). Just came in from snorkeling. Water warm, sun, warmer. Day, beautiful. AND, I’m looking forward to coming home tomorrow. I love my ranch, what I do for a living and all my dogs. I don’t love EVERYTHING about it, but I do love MOST of it. And want to go back and keep doing it. Not looking forward to the plane ride that takes forever, or the lay over in Seattle for three hours (although I do like Seattle) and then the short ride home on what is supposed to be a very windy (read bumpy) day. I get air sick easily. (one reason I HATE helicopters) (and that’s a whole ‘nother story as to why I KNOW I hate helicopters) And we have friends who are right now stuck in Seattle and can’t get home to Colorado because the winds in Northern Colorado are too dangerous. Ahh, Colorado weather!

Anyway…. The biggest news in our newsletter would be the construction of our new office, which will (I hope) be done by Christmas. When I get back home and have access to my desk top computer and all the photos I have taken along the way of building the new office I will put a few in here. It will be so nice to have an area big enough to have several people sit comfortably and talk about the kind of puppy they are looking for. Right now we are using an itty bitty space that is office, storage, grooming room and exam room. With really only enough space to be ONE of those places. So, be prepared that if you have been here before, the office will be located next to the house and in a free-standing building. It will also house an area for a couple of our stud dogs who are relegated to the kennel because they tend to like to mark property (read: “Pee in the house”). Wishing to continue my marriage of 31 years, I have not attempted to bring these dogs into the house but on rare occasions. Since I don’t believe in dogs living their lives in kennels it will be a blessing to be able to have my own space where these dogs can rotate through and on a regular basis have access to people and constant attention. I don’t want them marking in my office and therefore have constructed a kennel with a dog door that allows the dogs to come and go into and out of the office as they please. The area they are allowed to be in that is part of the office will be right next to my desk and very easily cleaned. Not to mention right next to my desk and very easily defended against dogs who know they shouldn’t be peeing in my office.

Also, having the time to write has given me the chance to add to the web site something I’ve wanted to put in for years but just didn’t have the time to do. Check out our new page: Ranch Photos from Then and Now  

It gives some background on the ranch and what we started when we moved here and why.

And, we can’t have a newsletter without me talking about who was just retired from our program. Ritz, our apricot sable daughter of our wonderful Lady Bug (now living near Seattle) and Rowdy (living the good life as well, in Boulder) has been retired and is now the cherished companion and pet of the family who had been her guardians. We are hoping that the new comers, Foxy, Munchie, Autumn, and Kimber-too will be able to take over for Ritz, and that she lives a very long and happy life with her family, who is moving to Kansas. You did a great job of being a mom, Ritzy. Enjoy your retirement!

The other news is that because I’ve chosen to use a big part of this vacation to be in my hotel room, writing, I can say with a fair amount of certainty that a revision of one of my books (“Living with Small and Toy Dogs” published in 1993) is in the works and should be available by the end of Spring, 2020. It isn’t the only thing I’m working on  —  I can’t divulge the other stuff (!) but, believe me, I’ve been busy. So, be on the lookout for a release date of the new and improved book on living with, training and understanding the little dogs, and know that there COULD be other interesting endeavors on the horizon. We SHOULD know before my NEXT vacation  — whenever that is  — so you may or may not get to know all about it before the next newsletter. I’m just assuming that I won’t be writing another one til that vacation comes. In the meantime, stay safe. Don’t tell anyone where you buried your best bones, and remember to look both ways before crossing the street.

Terry, Maui, HI, Oct 21st., 2019

Summer Newsletter 2019

Hello everyone, it seems like my “quarterly” newsletter is more of a “twice a year if I get a vacation” newsletter. Because that’s where I am again. On vacation but writing your newsletter.

This morning I sat on my balcony within a stone’s throw of the Pacific ocean and watched a huge pod of dolphins playing in the water. They were out there for about 45 minutes jumping in and out of the water and chasing schools of fish toward shore. I thoroughly enjoyed watching them from our room here at the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, CA. It’s my old home town but I never have stayed at the Hotel Del. Now that I know such a room exists that I could pay for without mortgaging my house we WILL be back! In the off season, sure, but still  —  what a view and what a cool old hotel!

Rocky Mountain Rawhide Going Strong Under New Ownership

I wanted to let everyone know that after breeding the Olde Bulldogges (Olde English and Olde French) for many, many, years   —    I have turned my Rocky Mountain Rawhide Bulldogges business over to a very capable and enthusiastic teacher, dog trainer and bulldogge lover and owner  —  Jenny Williams. Jenny was the guardian for one of our wonderful Olde French girls, “Gracie”. Gracie is a 5th generation bulldogge from Rocky Mountain Rawhide and Jenny her very capable guardian  —   and now her outright owner. When it became apparent that the cancer treatment that I had gone through in 2014 and 2015 had seriously impacted my stamina and physical reserves I knew I needed to stop breeding my bulldogges. It wasn’t that people no longer wanted them  —  quite the contrary  —  they are more popular than ever. The problem was that the cancer treatment left me unable to stay up all night and be an active participant in the birthing process of my bulldogge litters. Poodle labor lasts a few hours  —  maybe as much as 5 or 6 hours. Bulldogges? Bulldogges can be in labor for 12 to 24 hours  —  easily. And you can not leave them along during that time. You can not go to the store, stop and cook dinner for your family  —  and most of all  —  you can not fall asleep. Doing so could mean the life of a puppy or puppies and/or the life of the mama dog. They can not be left alone. Period. Although I had bred out complications that result in necessary “C” sections at least a dozen years and many generations back  —  it was always a possibility when breeding such a short-nosed breed with such big heads on their little puppies coming down the birth canal. One of my girls MIGHT need a “C” section. 96% of bulldogs do. That’s one reason why they are such an expensive breed of puppy to buy. The buyer has to pay for that “C” section. A $2500 to $6500 add-on to the normal expenses associated with breeding dogs. Plus, bulldogs with such short noses can’t breath properly  —  especially when highly stressed, like giving birth. A large percentage of mama bulldogs would suffocate and die during the birthing process if not for the “C” section. So, although I had painstakingly bred out those problems in my lines many years prior  —  I couldn’t take the chance that while I was asleep one of my girls would need help and I wouldn’t be awake to take care of her. So I had to let someone else take over. I couldn’t stay awake all night anymore. It wasn’t that it was uncomfortable or unpleasant  —  I literally would fall asleep and have no idea that I had until I woke up several hours later. Too big of a risk to take. But then I asked Gracie’s guardian mom, Jenny, if she would be interested. And she said YES! Thank goodness she did! Now Rocky Mountain Rawhide Bulldogges is in the capable hands of Jenny and her husband, Tony. And I am so glad!

So, if you know of anyone in the market for a good, healthy, sturdy, cute and reasonably priced Olde French Bulldogge  —  have them check out http://www.RockyMountainRawhide.com     It is no longer MY website; but it still offers the best, healthiest, cutest and most personable and inexpensive (no “C” sections!) bulldogges ANYWHERE!

This summer to be a busy one!

We HAVE been very busy and will continue to be all summer. We retired Maya this year but kept one of her silver daughters, and also kept several other goldendoodle daughters from other mamas. I’m still looking for good guardian homes for a bunch of our puppies and also for stud dogs Bandit and Leo.

Solo, already in a great guardian home with a wonderful family, has passed all of his genetic tests, achieved his National and International Champion Titles, his DNA is back and the OFA Preliminaries are in. He is good to go and has taken over for his dad, Rowdy, who was retired last year as one of our two miniature poodle studs. Solo’s brother, Chewie, was the multiple BIS winner and Solo always came in second to him, but Solo carries more color genetics than does Chewy and since Chewie only carried the genetics for sable (which our red sable toy poodle, “Vinny” also carries), I felt that keeping Solo the working stud and neutering Chewie and finding him a home as a cherished pet the right thing to do. Chewie is now a pet and is retired both from the show ring and from our breeding line. Solo will carry on.

Still looking for guardian homes for some goldendoodle girls, (puppies) a standard poodle boy and a girl, (puppies),  Yorkie/poo girls, (one puppy and one adult), and our two standard poodle boys, (older puppy and an adult). I’m also seriously thinking about getting another  Biewer Yorkshire Terrier boy (probably a puppy) to add to our stud line up. However, I got so seriously burned by a Biewer breeder several years ago that I’m a little gun shy. We’ll see….

GUARDIANS! Don’t forget our summer social!

In the meantime  —  those of you who are guardians (and past guardians who now own the dogs we used as breeding dogs)  —  please remember to RSVP our ice cream social coming up on June 22nd. It’s picture day and we need your dogs all nicely groomed and ready for the camera. We’ll take LOTS of pictures (BEFORE they dive into the ice cream!) so that we have updated pictures of our dogs in the breeding program. Bring your kids. Ice cream for everybody! Meet your guardian dog’s parents, grandparents, siblings, sons and daughters! We will have DA2PP vaccinations available to any of our dogs who need one. (distemper and parvo shot boosters). Games, playtime for the dogs, training tips! Prizes! It will be fun! PLEASE keep all of the dogs on leash until Terry can secure them in an area for play time. (after the pictures). Email or call Terry (remember  — no texts  —  landline) and RSVP.

Til next time! (does this mean I get another vacation this year!? Yeah!!)

Terry Jester

Powder Valley Poodles

Fall Newsletter 2018

Hi folks! Here I am again, in an identical bed, in the wonderful Inn at Port Ludlow in Washington state once again writing you your much deserved and long time coming newsletter. At least this time I’m not sick, have had no surgeries and the only  chemicals in my body  this time around is a mighty jolt of caffeine from some very good coffee.  Looking out the window and down to the docks below I’m watching a family of five half-grown otters playing, wrestling and tumbling around as they enjoy the crisp fall air, cold rain and each other. Diving off the dock, they chase each other briefly and then disappear into the choppy waves brought on by the icy wind and rain. I sure hope I get to see them again.

New International Champions AND

BEST IN SHOW!

We’ve had plenty going on since the last newsletter. We have three new International Champion Puppies. Rowdy, now retired and living the good life of a pampered pet in Boulder, CO produced all three. His daughter, Powder Valley Lady Bug’s Last Toot (Tootie) took the 9 to 12 month championship in 4 shows over two days during the first weekend in October at the IABCA show in Greeley this year. Her half brothers, Solo (Powder Valley Rowdy’s Milinium CMDR), and Chewie, (Powder Valley Rowdy’s 2nd. in Command), also achieved their championships in the puppy class 3 to 6 months. And, Chewie was VERY well-liked by many of the judges  —  one of whom is an AKC poodle breeder and judge  —  so well liked that he was awarded THREE Best In Show Puppy ribbons out of the four shows he was in. We couldn’t be more proud of these three! Stan Matsumoto, the AKC  judge and poodle breeder said that Chewie’s head, face, and most of all, expression, were about as perfect as was possible and he was an exceptional poodle puppy.

I want to give a HUGE THANK YOU! to my Powder Valley Poodle puppy wranglers and guardian homes for Tootie and Solo. Both Cathy, with Tootie and Michelle, with Solo did a fantastic job showing the puppies even though they had never even SEEN a dog show before  —  much less taken a puppy into a show ring. They did a great job as is evident by all the Best of Breed titles and new championships. Thanks again, ladies!

Cathy winning Tootie’s International Champion Puppy Title

“Solo:”

Could not have asked for a better weekend at the dog show! I can only devote one weekend a year to showing our dogs and puppies. We have to make it count!

Retiring dogs and some new faces

This last year we retired one of our most popular boys  —  Tango Haus Powder Valley Rowdy. A wonderful producer of beautiful, smart and capable miniature poodle puppies. His sons, Solo and Chewie, will continue his line and I hope have the same positive impact on our puppies for years to come.

We also retired Roscoe, (AKA “The Happiest Dog on Earth”) one of our miniature goldendoodles. His younger brothers, Yankee and Augie, will be taking over his duties as our “go to” boys to breed with our standard poodle girls to produce our beautiful and popular mini and medium goldendoodle puppies.

Also retired this year are girls: Jersey (standard Goldendoodle), Dandee, (standard poodle), Lady Bug and Cous Cous Cootie, (miniature poodles), and Cameo, (toy poodle).

Retiring later this year will be our beautiful silver standard doodle, Maya. She will most likely have only one more litter, due spring or early summer of 2019.

To take their places we have our three new champion puppies, of course, Tootie, Solo and Chewie, as well as several younger dogs and puppies that are still being evaluated and tested.  As a teaser, their names are: Silver (that should give you a hint as to whose puppy SHE is!), Tricks, Kimber – Too, Flash, Spice, Autumn, Foxy, (Powder Valley Robbie’s Red Fox in Socks), Munchie, and Honey.  Be on the look out for these puppies and dogs as they pass their tests and become featured on our “Up and Coming” page.

That’s it for now folks. I’ll add photos to this addition of the newsletter as soon as I can get my hands on them. Take care and have  WONDERFUL HOLIDAYS!!

Spring Newsletter 2018

Welcome to our “We Put It Out When We Can” Newsletter! I’m confined to bed with neck surgery, a “massive” ear infection (according to the doctor), and a new laptop. So guess what? You guys get a newsletter! I’m also on a whole lot of chemicals that my body isn’t used to so I sure hope all this will make sense. I guess you’ll let me know!

Spring is a great time to think about signing up for a dog or puppy training class if you have not yet done so. Dogs typically LOVE going to class and ANY socialization with other dogs and people in a controlled setting is beneficial.

For those who hike a lot with their dogs I suggest a rattlesnake avoidance clinic. I can greatly recommend Sami Mann of Fort Collins, CO for these clinics. She offers several over the year–  usually starting around April  —  and they are reasonable priced, very comprehensive, and  —  most importantly  —  VERY effective. Her number is 970-568-7195.

Life is much easier with a well-trained dog.  You can do so much more and have so much fun  —  not to mention a well-trained dog can have a job, like visiting the lonely in a nursing  home, or entertaining residents at a rehab center or hospital. A trained dog is a pleasure and our Powder Valley Poodles and doodles are typically very easy to train  —  so go for it!

A dog training session in downtown Fort Collins, CO.

Catching up: 

If you visit Our Female Poodles and Up and Coming: Our Breeding Dogs of the Future, you will notice that we have added quite a few more dogs to our program. The reason is because so many have or are retiring this year. Standard Poodle Dandee, miniature poodles Lady Bug, Leah, and soon-to-retire Cous Cous Cootie. Jersey, our steadfast producer of wonderful service and therapy dogs will have her last litter this summer.  And with the unexpected scaling down of our bulldog program we are trying to make up for it in our poodles and goldendoodles. When Pansy, our beautiful International Champion Olde English Bulldogge retired last year at the age of 6 years  —  so did our Olde English Bulldogge breeding program. I had kept a puppy from Hana to replace Pansy (Hana didn’t like the whole “motherhood” idea so we spayed her after her first litter) but the puppy didn’t pass our stringent tests. Her hips were not good enough to breed.

So, after having our own line of beautiful, healthy and wonderful bulldogges for so long   —  we had to retire our Olde English Bulldogge line. We are still breeding our Olde French Bulldogges but no longer breed the Olde English.

On a happier note  —

For anyone wondering what happened to the golden retriever “Oz” who we had purchased to be a stud dog for our program (and then decided to go with another dog instead   —  nothing wrong with Oz, just wanted a deeper color) we gifted Oz to a program that matches service dogs to disabled veterans. (It is a wonderful program and we give them many puppies every year). Here is Oz with his Navy veteran Earl, who served in Viet Nam. The Veterans Puppies for Life program will take care of all of the training Oz will require to be the service dog Earl needs.

Purple Heart recipient, Earl, with his new service dog, Oz

For more information on The Veterans Puppies For Life program you can contact Frank Griggs, program coordinator at FGDENVERCO@gmail.com or 303-946-3321. Every veteran that receives one of our dogs through this program is a Purple Heart Recipient.  You can also contact Terry Jester at Powder Valley Poodles at 970-568-7585  (landline  —  no texts please) or email at: Arriniranch@aol.com to ask how YOU can help donate one of our puppies to this very worthwhile program.

Alright, that’s it for now. Check out our Frequently Asked Questions page. We have some new questions and answers.

Everyone have a fun, safe and WONDERFUL SPRING! Get out on those great trails with your WELL-TRAINED dog and have a good time!

Terry

Powder Valley”s Std. Poodle, “Chinook” at work in a nursing facility

Summer Newsletter 2016

Now for the fun stuff!

Powder Valley WL Thief of Hearts, AKA Bandit!

Powder Valley’s Yellow Brick Road AKA Tinman!

Jester’s RMR Lil Engine that Could AKA Choo Choo!

Tyreese and new best friend

Beautiful Dandee modeling two coat lengths

And last but not least, Both Powder Valley Poodles and Rocky Mountain Rawhide Bulldogges have earned accreditation from the Better Business Bureau. We can now proudly display the BBB logo on our windows and web sites.

April Newsletter 2016

Terry and Rocky CLICK TO VIEW

I am VERY happy to announce that our bulldogge, Rocky, (Jester’s RMR Roc Me Gently) at his very first outing as a show dog (and he hopes, last) not only achieved his International Championship title with three V1 ratings (the highest rating a judge can give) but he ALSO took home THREE BEST IN SHOW ribbons. To say these four judges liked him is putting it mildly! All in all, Rocky was awarded with:

• Best In Show Reserve Rare Breed
• Best in Show Reserve, Bred By
• Best in Show,  Bred By

Rocky on his winning streak

Toni and I got the message this week we have waited so long to hear. A text with a picture and the words, “Meet Your Granddaughter”.  Poor Amelia carried that baby a little longer than she wanted to and then gave birth to 9 pounds, 3 ounces of baby. Our Mary Sky Gableman Joined us on March 31. We, of course, are absolutely thrilled. The cancer I fought last year had NO chance of winning once I learned I was having my first grandchild.