No One Is Getting Any Younger

There are supposed to be a couple of benefits to having a heavily ticked dog. First, they hide dirt well. Doesn’t matter what we’ve been up to or where we have been, Bella always looks exactly the same. Just like hotel carpet.

Second, it should hide aging. No graying muzzles here. Except, she’s just graying in other spots. She’s got the old man tufts coming out of her ears and eye bumps that are starting to snow over.

This depresses the shit right outta me.

She’ll be 7 in Feb. I know that’s far from over-the-hill, but I still feel like we are cresting that hill. Meeting some sort of halfway mark in our time together.

Then today she’s just looking so young. Weird. Nice, but weird.

She gives me this shot. Made me smile when taking pics off the cam.


I know, I can hear you….”Big deal, pic of Bella’s head.” It’s that it reminds me so much of her Super Blocky Head Damn I Hope She’s Not Going To Be Ugly stage. About 4 and a half months.


Youthful head


Old Lady head


There are no signs of slowing

Well, except when required by the situation :-)


Just me being human, I suppose, and worrying about shit I have no control over.


Bella wishes I would just shut the hell up and throw the ball already

Trial Pics Just Like Home Pics

Lots of TV watching. Belly a CSI fan, too.


Kate probably more Rock of Love girl, but we don’t go there


Poor Kate who must travel with pee pad. Pee pad that I feel the need to hide from Housekeeping because I don’t want them to think that: a) I let my dogs pee indoors or b) it’s for me


Other than ridiculously red bedspread and secret trial toys, just like being at home

Kate is still Kate






Bell is still Bell


Although, we did have a merging of Home Bella and Trial Bella this weekend. She did fantastic. Only had one weave bobble and it was an understandable one. Kind of an odd entry that also happened to be up close to the fencing. Lots of dogs saying “where the hell do the actual poles start.” I’ll take that. It’s amazing how much better you do when not spending time jerking around with weave poles. She Q’d in 6 of her 8 runs and 4 of those were firsts. We have not been placing well of late, so it was a bit of a surprise. Icing on the cake kind of thing. Really fun weekend.

I also noticed that I am much more relaxed now we are done with the lower levels. No more conflicts for me. No more worrying about where I’m supposed to be and when I’m supposed to be there. No more 4 hours with nothing then running in 2 rings. No more Which Fricking Level Are We In That Class. So much nicer!

Another Dump Walk

While I have given many props to the East Bay for allowing dogs off-leash in the majority of their parks, perhaps a little clean up is in order. That whole "Stay on the Path" thing is not really about nesting shorebirds. You have to stay on the path because to do otherwise is to put your little pads at risk. Shore covered with broken glass, old oil cans, and assorted historic fishing gear not so much fun to run in.

Kate would like to voice her displeasure in the No Water rule


Bella was a little irritated with the So Close Yet So Far thing


There was lots of longing


And a few attempted escapes


Was quite the beautiful day, though


At least somebody got to spend some time in the water

How's The Pee At Your House?

Ours is being held in! Finally got the pee sample out of Kate on try #4. Her urine looks, and I quote, wonderful. Wonderful? Weird word to describe pee, no? Anywho, no infection, so we are chalking it up officially to spay incontinence.

They started her on PPA. I quickly stopped it. She was acting very weird on it. She had a lot of treats Sat night. Actually, using a grain-free kibble for treats. She hasn’t had a prob with these in the past. On Sunday morning she was acting very weird. Like a big step back for her. Wanting to hide. Laying in places she doesn’t normally lay. And, had the killer runs. I don’t know if she was acting weird because of the runs or the meds. She is not good at asking to go out, so if she’s feeling the pressure, as it were, she gets uncomfortable and a little scared. I don’t know if she had the runs from the meds or the treats. I pulled both.

Have a call into the vet. Don’t know what we are doing from here.

I am, however, thrilled to have found pee pads for people. Lucky for me Kate does not move at night. She really needs to know her boundaries and she sticks to them. This means that when she plops down on her spot on the bed (defined by her towel) she doesn’t leave that spot until we get up. I have been putting a pee pad under her towel. No more accidents yet, though.

She is a little embarrassed that I told the world she wets the bed.


A little not-so-sure she wants to be on camera anymore


A smidge of the Stink Eye


Belly is a little embarrassed for her, too.


Although, it may be a little more like trying to control a smirk

Crappy Cell Phone Pics And A Story About Pee

See this happy face? Loves being at the vet. Loves lots of cookies.

Loves listening to the birds in the lobby.

Tail doesn't stop.

That is until she hears the vet coming. The dreaded Footsteps from the Bad Door.Then she all, "I'll be under the bench. Let me know when it's time to go."

So, my lovely little dog has a new hobby.

She pees in her sleep.

Yes, I just said that. Five year-old dog. Wetting the bed. Her bed is MY bed. Very uncool. And I'm not talking about actually getting up and peeing. I'm talking about literally peeing where she is laying. WTF? She has done it twice in the last 2 weeks. Vet suspects spay incontinence. Which, I hear, I pretty successfully treated with meds. But, before we start meds, we have to rule out infection. They couldn't get anything out of her yesterday "manually."

I'm not sure what that means, but I picture elbows being involved.

We were also unsuccessful with the capture method. Shouldn't vets have that fancy cup on a stick thing? Mine doesn't. Kate will not stay put when you come at her with a bowl. She started to squat like 500 times and just stands and moves away when you come at her. Looking very offended, I might add. Hovering human with water dish not a part of her Urination SOP.

So, today she is being tortured with No Potty, until I can run her over there again tonight for Try #3. Have I mentioned that I am on the west side of SJ and my vet is on the east? The pains of rush hour traffic? Rush hour traffic during worst storm in 47 years?

I do love my dogs, really.

And if any of you hard-core clicker trainers can figure out how to train a dog to do Kegal exercises I'll totally fax you twenty bucks.

Crazy Radiator

Normal dog. 65° tongue.


Not so normal dog. 65° tongue.


Trying to be normal


Not working, though. Perhaps a wee bit out of shape. All my fault.


Something always clinging.


Or trying to escape


Really, just trying to get away. Defying gravity in the process.

What I Said, What She Heard

So, you can send your dog out to things, right? Bella has 2 of these commands. Go Get Around It means, well, just what it says. Pretty self-explanatory even for a dog. Get around what I’m pointing at and keep moving. The other one is Go Hide. That is go stand behind what I’m pointing at. Or, if I’m not pointing, go pick your own thing to hide behind.

Now, I would like to tell you that she knows these things because I spent so much time and energy doing foundation training for agility. Sure, yes, we are *that* dedicated. But really, it’s just a good way to get your dog away from you so all your photographs are not of dog asses. A little distance allows one to capture their dog trying to scratch their heiny at 30 MPH.



It’s supposed to look like this…


However, in Bella’s little, always calculating brain, she figured this was close enough…


Hmm, hidey hole. I guess she gets points for thinking. I mean, she is hiding, right?


Always looking for a shortcut, that one.

Can You Help? Just A Smidge?

Last week we got to put a tiny check in the Win column. An infamous Border Collie puppy mill in TN was finally busted. I'm not going to re-hash Swaffords' history here. If you're a Border Collie person, you already know it. If you're not a Border Collie person, you probably don't want to know it. But, if you wish, there's always your friend Google!

Stories about the bust...
Border Collies Living in Muck
Puppy Mill Bust

I am posting this to beg, though. Times are tough for everyone right now. Times get even tougher for rescues that end up cleaning up these people's messes. I know of a few other dogs who came from here previously and, although I do not have first hand knowledge of these particular dogs, I can tell you they won't be healthy, happy, ready-to-place dogs.

There were over 100 dogs pulled from this property. Some surrendered, some confiscated. The confiscated dogs will be in legal limbo for a while, I guess. The surrendered ones are already on their way to various rescues.

If you can spare anything, please pick a rescue, any rescue. Send some cash, send some towels, if you are near any of these people, offer to help.

The rescues that are getting dogs:

Starfish Border Collie Rescue

Glen Highland Farm, Sweet Border Collie Rescue

New England Border Collie Rescue

Mid Atlantic Border Collie Rescue

Friends of Pep Border Collie Rescue

East TN Border Collie Rescue

West TN Border Collie Rescue

Hulls Haven Border Collie Rescue

I am probably missing a rescue or two. If you know where these pups are going, let me know!

Look at these poor beasties! :-(

A Little Payback

Kate crapped an Aussie! It was just like in Gremlins, put a little water on her and she starts popping out more Annoying Little Sisters.



Push!


Pop!


Hi! Here to pester!


She paid for it, too. Got to experience Life As Bella for an hour.





Made her a smidge crazy


And a teeny bit of the angry. BC does not stand for Border Collie. It stands for Big Canines.


My bad! Just passing through!


No one ever bothers Bella. Just Kate.

Put my bug spray on before we left


Maybe it’s because she ignores them? One-track mind?

Let Kate keep track of them. I’ll keep track of the ball.


Success!


The good thing about Annoying Little Sisters is that they are, after all, easily distracted.


Can I be in this shot?

Back To School

Hi Internet Peeps!

I have been sooo slacking on pic taking and post posting. We have not been doing as many dog park trips of late. More agility, more walk/jogs. Hard to train with camera. Easy to walk with camera, but only pics of dog asses result.

We had a 3-day trial over Labor Day weekend. It was one of those weekends that make you remember why you do this. It was so much fun! We did really well on Sat and Mon. Sunday was a bit of a wash, but the issues were all obviously handler-related! We had perfect weather, a very well-run trial, and great neighbors. Don’t great shade neighbors make a difference?

And guess who is going back to agility class?

Yes! Short Bus!


I decided to give classes another shot with Miss Kate. I help my instructor with her Beginner class. Kate has been having a lot of fun farting around on equipment after class. I started agility with her about 6-8 months after I got her. It was too soon. She was fine on individual pieces of equipment, but could not handle sequencing. Kate greatest motivator in life is to not be wrong (and, by “wrong” I mean in her eyes, not mine). If she saw what she though was the line and it wasn’t, she would just fall apart. She has a real hard time when she is not 100% sure of what you are asking. The girl does love her routines.

Ohai! I needs mah regulars!


I pulled her back then because it was just stupid. The only thing either of us was getting out of it was a hit to the checking account. I feel different about it now. I feel like we both have a lot we can learn even if we never get to the trial stage. I also feel that I have learned enough to be in a position to help her out more.

Needs help


Those of you agility folks remember the recent Just For Fun v. Title Chaser v. Hard-Core Competitor endless discussion on the Clean Run list? Yeah, that one. Well, my take on that whole thing is the very reason it has taken 3 years to make a stupid – in the grand scheme of things – decision about Kate.

I don’t give a shit why you trial as long as your dog remains your #1 priority. Bucking for the world team? Working on your ribbon collection? Just like hanging out with other crazy dog people? Great, great and great!

I have seen nationally known handlers come out of a ring and completely ignore their dog because a late rear-cross cue caused a spin. Throw leash over dogs’ head, dog walks behind you to go talk to other uber-hander about what went wrong. Gross.

On the other hand, I also know Just For Fun people who continue to run a dog that obviously doesn’t give two flying shits about agility or who are still, after a year of trailing, walking around a ring with head low and tail tucked. When do you make the decision that this activity is just not for that dog? That your dog is not ready? What are you trying to prove? That you can fix your “poor rescue?” Equally as gross.

I don’t want to be that person. I don’t want Kate to be that dog.

I don’t want this look.


Like, ever

The Waiting Game

When we go to our Secret Park #2 I usually throw the ball for the girls separately. Really just because the only time Kate makes noise is when she’s playing. We call it the Damn It I Missed bark. This happens a lot. This park is just an office park. It’s quiet and serene - when the train is not roaring by - and I like to be a good, quiet, unbothersome user of illegal parks.

Kate’s a pretty good wait-er


She’ll wait any time, anywhere


Unless Bella is waiting for a throw. Then I get dirty looks, like she just remembered she not in the game at the moment.


It also doesn’t help when your sister likes to rub it in. Literally.


Bella is not such a good wait-er. Will wait in the way, because, you know, I may forget that she’s there.


She doesn’t get worried so much about her turn. She worries about Kate and the ball. She knows as well as anyone that Kate is a bit of a dingbat. There is a chance that she will lose the ball, tear the ball, eat the ball, something may happen to that ball, damn it. Must manage ball at all times.


Sister is not to be trusted

And, on a totally unrelated, not about dogs note…
I work in an area that is all industrial. This means that after 5PM, it’s a ghost town around here. Great place for criminal activity. Want to steal copper pipes? Break windows? Vandalize buildings? Great? Come to Santa Clara!

Yesterday morning we were greeted with about 3 parking spaces full of crap dumped in our parking lot. Big, heavy crap like cinder blocks, 3 large tree stumps, pieces of cement about the size of a truck tire. Some of it also being hazardous crap you can’t just throw out. WTF? So, now we have to pay to have this crap cleaned up?

Oh no! You don’t eff with obsessive fans of CSI.

The original, not CSI Miami – yuck!

Step one: We get the video from our neighbor behind us. Fence is in the way, vid kind of crappy, so no hard ID on people, but the truck is unusual.

Step Two: Send Facilities Manager to get tacos at lunch. Have FM just happen to drive by junk yard on way to tacos. FM will recognize truck. Stop get out of car. Take a shit load of photos of truck and dumpster. Include license plate.

Step Three: Take vid and photos to cops. Cops talk to dump guys. Show evidence. Dump guys say, “Oh we loaned our truck to someone yesterday, wasn’t us, but we’ll be right over to clean it up!”

Step Four: Stand in parking lot watching jackasses clean up the crap they left. Also, make them haul more crap for us for free as not to end up in jail.

You know, it’s taking them a lot longer to clean it up than it took them to drop it off!

I love it when crap like this happens. Take that, Criminals!

Trial, Avoidance, Spiders

Trial

It was a very strange weekend. One of those where you can’t figure out afterwards if you enjoyed yourself or hated it. The weather was bizarre. Friday was 100°+ with killer sun. Saturday was mid-low 90’s with clouds in afternoon. Saturday night the thunderstorms rolled in. Sunday was rainy and cold. We had everything but the snow.

Friday was a games only day, so only various sets of 6 poles here and there. Weaves were pretty good. We did, however, substitute other issues in lieu of sucky weaves. Bella had a few firsts. Not placements, “firsts” as in first time I launched off the A-frame 2 rungs above the contact and, my personal favorite, first time I went between the tire and frame instead of though the tire. I guess the elevation clouded her wee brain. That, and the heat and the lack of sleep. It was not a pretty day for either of us.

Saturday was much better. Standard runs were great. Nailing weave entries with some speed. Weaving with speed. But, popping out at 10th pole. *sigh* Both runs she did this. My instructor asked if I was talking to her. Honestly, don’t remember. Probably was yammering on about something. She did them both great the second time around. I was happy about the speed at the entry and the simple fact that she was just seeing them. I also realized how much my weave stress affects her. I have been really making an effort to not worry about the weaves. Bella can weave. Actually one of those dogs that likes to weave. Don’t stress about weaves. Apparently I have been convincing myself, but not Bella. We had a traditional Jackpot (Gamblers for you real agility folks) on Saturday. I had my Plan A and Plan B. Plan A was for pokey Bella. Plan B consisted of a little extra loop is we didn’t have the buzzer at the end of Plan A. Jump-weaves-Jump-same weaves again-back to Plan A ending and off to Jackpot. I didn’t care about the weaves because we had our points already. It was really a time waster. And, you know, she did both fantastically. Like in practice. Damnit! Why is it always me?!

Avoidance

Kate, stop eating the grass


You’re not the boss of me


OK, you’re the boss of me


Then she tells on herself…

Ohai, was nomming lawns again


Spiders

Is it just me of has there been an explosion of Black Widows this year? I have never seen this many. They really are the wood pile spiders. They don’t like being in high-traffic areas, like, say, the LIVING ROOM! I have been finding these damn things in places I have never seen them before. We currently have about 10 living on the outside of the fence. If you don’t like spiders pics close your browser now.

The male widow. You can see the little hour-glass. His Mickey Mouse hat is his male naughty bits.


A few juveniles




Not sure what this guy is (house spider?…any ideas?). Tried to tell him maybe not the best fence to be on. Wasn’t listening.


OK, done with ickies. :-)

Trial this weekend!

Three days : August : Nevada

What the hell was I thinking?! 20 bucks says we’ll be home Saturday night! Haha!

Wish the brown one luck! She’s got her game face on.



We have been weaving under pressure as instructed. Weaving to no where. Weaving into corners. Weaving into fences. Practicing entries we would likely never see at a trial. It has been making Bella look at me like I’m an asshole. Sorta like this…



She has however, been doing well. Since our problem is generally doing well everwhere but trials, we’ll see how it goes. If her weaves suck I can always blame The Food Lady. Bella is practicing that too.

She is not looking up at a ball. She is looking up because that’s where Canada is. :-)

Go! Face

You ever shoot at the very second you let a ball fly?

No, you say? Oh. You have a life? Better things to do with your time? Well, you are reading this blog, aren’t you?

Go. Do it. Now. Funny.

Does She Or Doesn't She?

Yes or No?


No


Yay or Nay?


Yay!


Ja oder Nein?


Nein!


Oui ou Non?


Oui!


You’ll have to just trust me on that one

She’s 50/50 dog, what can I say?
Sometimes we get spectacular catches


Sometimes just spectacular