NorthStar Cruises Travelogues

It has been several months of watching Cyd, call it “mature”, if you will, into a show potential puppy. She recently reached her 7 month birthday. She has grown probably for the fact that she has not missed a meal!

Seven months and time to see if she has the right qualities to become a champion (no, the ability to remove the  squeaker from every toy purchased is not one of those qualities). Did she have what it takes to reach the show ring?!!!

Cyd’s coat is perfect, soft and silky. Her head is a great shape, Terrier judges prefer a rectangular shaped head to a rounded one, much like a Golden Retriever or Lab might have. Her size is good and she has a very happy demeanor.There is concern over her bite. The judges look at the formation of the lower jaw and the fit of the teeth to the upper jaw.  The perfect bite is exactly like a human’s, the upper teeth  meeting level with the lower teeth. Cyd’s lower jaw is a bit forward but it is becoming level as she matures.

Cyd moves like a beauty, long strides, head up, tail up and coat flowing. Cyd was named after Cyd Charise, the famous dancer. Cyd will begin her ring training very soon.

My champion Wheatens, Addie and Lula, loved the show experience. They entered the ring happy and wagging. Dogs like kids, in general, love attention. But basically they just want to be with their family no matter where. Most owners of show dogs are extremely ethical people who love dogs. They want their breed to be disease free and genetically strong. This helps to reduce the number of dogs with health and physical problems. Lula was not bred because of Addie’s (Lula’s mom) kidney disease. Cyd is from a completely different line of Wheatens. We test every six months for this disease to keep our dogs healthy.

Lula and Cyd continue to be each others best friend. Lula pushes Cyd into things that might get her in trouble and just walks away when she does get into trouble. Cyd’s curiosity and fearlessness are both enjoyable and tiresome. She needs to be watched all the time! On occasion, in the office, I allow her to invite her siblings for the day. I try to encourage sales training into their everyday routine. Here is Cyd and her brother Satchel (on the left) attempting their first luxury sale of Seabourn Cruise Line.

The next blog about Cyd will be showing her training into the show circuit. I will also have some new blogs about my upcoming safari to Kenya and Tanzania. There will also be some exciting news about selling a cruise to space! Yes, SPACE!

House Breaking a Puppy

This may not sound like your typical travel letter, but bear with me… I’ll get around to it! 

As many of you know, I bring my dogs to work. At the office they offers us a comfort  from the riggers of the day and a well deserved “wag’ for a job well done! My first dog was Addie, a beautiful 11 month old Wheaten Terrier. Addie “came” house broken and became an AKC champion Wheaten Terrier. Three years later she gave birth to a litter of seven! I fell in love with one of her pups, Lula. Lula had show potential but more important, she was the first pup to learn how to wag her tail!  At the time, I was living in a condo that only would accept one dog per unit. Lula would need to stay with the  breeders until I found another place to live. That took several months, so Lula was “practically house broken” when she finally moved in!   Lula was one of the youngest Wheaten Terriers to earn her championship status. Here is Lula today at age four!

 Sadly, Addie passed last year from a genetic kidney disease. She was only seven. She is sorely missed but no one missed her more than Lula. It took a year to find a suitable companion for her. Her prayers were answered when Cyd was born in March 2009.  Here is a picture at about 4 weeks of age.

She is a beautiful puppy with show quality potential and lots of personality!

 For any of you who remember their first puppy or even your first child and the house breaking/potty training, you can relate. I had forgotten the lost sleep and frustration involved. Many people offered advice of “proven” techniques to assist in the process. The housebreaking became over-whelming and the garage filled with rolled up Oriental rugs and saved newspapers! I finally called the breeder, a patient individual with a no-nonsense approach to dogs. “Crate her! I will send you the details.”…but, but, but…”Trust me! Cyd will be house/office broken in a few weeks.” Well, the breeder’s advice was right on! Things are calming down and the house and office is returning to normal.

I could have saved myself a lot of time, anxiety and paper towels by checking with the breeder at the start, the expert! 

EPIPHANY!

This is why you come to NorthStar! We have the expertise to make certain you have a “champion” holiday! We have contacts worldwide with tour companies, cruise lines, hoteliers, and safari experts. We work with Virtuoso local specialists to provide you with the details to ensure your vacation is an Exceptional Journey! We also have opportunities to experience new products. Recently, Gina had an opportunity to sail on the new Seabourn Odyssey. She was overwhelmed by this amazing ship! This vessel will have all the other cruise lines taking a hard look at what they consider luxury! Grace and abundance are just a few of the words describing not only this vessel but the entire Seabourn Experience. Call us for information and exceptional savings on this new vessel. 

Unroll your carpets, recycle the newspapers!

Call NorthStar Cruises…800-249-9360

www.northstarcruises.com 

Warm regards,

Mike Kempinski  

NorthStar Cruises