Creepy Cows And A Great Half Trial

We had a trial this weekend. Just Saturday. Pinching pennies, you know.

I gotta tell you, I am a teeny bit disappointed in my fellow agility people. I thought all agility people were crazy dog people. Not so. Lots of them don't take their dogs outside when it's raining. Have you heard? Rained here a lot last week. Like, non-stop. Complete with tornado warnings and hail.

You know what that gets us? Me and Bella? Five first places, that’s what. Five Q’s nice but not a huge deal. I mean, it is a big deal, but one we have done before. Never had all firsts though. Two of them we deserved. The other three wholly due to other people keeping their agility dogs cooped up for a week. Lots of K9 Course Design on the fly going on. Lots of sillies and sniffies and general sudden onset deafness. It was fun to watch though. And finally, Finally, FINALLY done with Level 4. Got that last gamble. Whew! We were the only L4 to qualify. Some really good dogs in there.

Cabin fever. It’s worse than Kateness.

16 more Qs for our C-ATCH!


Sunday, we took the dogs for a run at a friend of my housemate’s place. Land used for grazing cattle. Apparently, our lush winter grass is not good enough. They want hay. People arriving in cars = hay. They want the damn hay so bad that follow you around!

The peanut gallery watching dogs being unloaded.


Not really caring about crazy barking brown dog.

You gots hay?


^^Do you not want to just reach through your monitor and skritch the top of that cows head?

Everywhere we went.

Hay?


Walking with four herding-type dogs while being stalked by cows results in lots of yelling. Yelling and blasphemy.

Sorry if we disturbed those in the valley.



They spent most of their time like this


Heads down


‘Cause that’s where the poop is.


Twas a patty fest



They did manage a little bit of mindless running








And then Kate had to go and be Kate. She came so close to having a totally normal dog day. A day in which she does nothing weird/funny. Until she spooked herself.

See how puffed up?


Ass hair all in a tiz


Why? This why


Yes. Stump under tree. Sooooo scary!! I think she thought it was a cow. HAHA. Poor Kate.

Border Collies Are So Hard To Live With

So, I'm sure you've heard the stories...

Crazy dogs, too much energy, will tear your house apart, etc.

All lies.

You know what the real problem with Border Collies is?

They are f*cking selfish.

This is what my bed looks like at 6AM.

That space in between them? Yeah, that's what I get. And when I have to get up - remember me? - the one with the job and the food and the ball throwing and the vet trips and the carting around and the 80 YEAR OLD BACK? - does Kate move?

Not a damn smidge.

And they don't even have the common courtesy to make the damn bed while I'm in the shower.

They are sure up and ready to go when the showers done, though.

All about them.

This is what an average morning looks like...

There are actually 4 other dogs there as well. Look, Bella has a friend..

You know how it goes that everytime something goes right the dog gets the props and everytime something goes wrong the owner gets the blame? I think we need to have a Good Dog Owner Day. The occasional pat on the back for our efforts. I mean, the fact that my dogs have better lives than some peoples children is kinda sad on one hand, but at the same time, Yay! for me, right?

There is a couple that has Vizslas that are there every morning. They are Crazy Dog People, too. I said the other morning as we are standing there getting drenched at oh-dark-thirty throwing balls...

We often talk about how lucky we are to have these guys. Days like today? They are pretty damn lucky to have us too!

So...

Happy Crazy Dog Owner Day!

Have a drink on yourself.

:-)

Hind End Awareness

I can’t decide whether Kate has fantastic hind end awareness or a complete lack thereof







Bella has a different hind end awareness problem. Oh, she knows it’s there. She doesn’t doesn’t realize how big it is.



^^ Would totally wear inappropriately sized hot pants

Good Dog v Bad Dog

Kate is not good at hiding her struggles. When she is asked to do something that doesn’t quite fit with what she wants to do a particular moment – like, you know, wait in your crate while I throw a ball for your sister - you can literally see it written on her face.

I ask:

Are you thinking bad thoughts?

Meee?


Yeah, you. You weren’t thinking about perhaps jumping out of your crate, were you?

I wasn’t thinking anything. You know I don’t do that. Thinking not my thing.


That’s an I-feel-like-jumping-out-of-the-car face if I’ve ever seen one. If you’re not thinking bad thoughts, where are your ears then?

Umm, maybe if you let me out of the car I could find them for you?


Found them!

Flash: Handy Equip or Stealer of Souls?

So, as most of you know, on-camera flashes suck.

You either get Deer In The Headlights


Or No Headlights


I started playing with the wireless business with my new inside sun maker. First problem is that I have to use the on-cam flash to control it. Second problem, dogs confused by roaming light maker.

Kate won’t take her eyes off it


It makes little mouse noises. Not sure if she should eat it…


Or if it’ll eat her


She can’t stop


Looking at it


Bella, though, a little more concern for personal safety.

For the Turid Rugaas fans - Calming Signals: A Refresher…

Freezing – really uncertain about near future


Stress yawn – mild uncertainty


Head turn – pressure releaser, “I’m worried, lets all calm down here”


The Long Blink – Used to indicate too much flash usage


Prisoner On Death Row look – sessions over


OK, Turid didn’t write about those last two. Perhaps they are only practiced by dogs with obsessive camera using owners.

Perhaps.

No Where To Hide

My company gives us gift cards every Christmas. It’s always Costco. I hate Costco. I view Costco as the second wing of hell. First wing being, of course, Wal-Mart. I guess it’s nice for folks on a super tight budget. Nice if you have a big family.

I have neither a super tight budget nor a big family. I don’t want my lotion to come in gallon jugs and I have no where to put 87 rolls of toilet paper. I just don’t live in bulk.

It’s really ridiculous how hard it is for me to find something I want or need there. Every year I struggle to spend free money. Stupid, right?

So this year, the only thing I could find was a flash. Seriously, the entire store. Nothing I wanted. I never really wanted a flash. Certainly on the low end of my cam equip list. Don’t shoot much indoors. Don’t do much portrait-y stuff. Saving for a lens. It’s all about bigger glass with me. I guess I’m a size queen at heart.

But…

Holy Crap.

This has opened up a whole new world. Will probably take me months to completely figure it out. Still.

So. Much. Fun.

The poor dogs, though. Used to be they were only camera-accosted whilst outside. Payoff. Even-steven. You throw. We look cute and/or do funny shit. Now, all the time. Can’t get away from crazy lady.

Bella was not quite understanding why camera went to bed with us.

No sun in here, Lady.


Both a bit pensive with new flashy thing


Until I bust out the almonds

Pub it wite here

Will whistle for almonds


And do other things

Some go the cute route


Others…a bit more pushy



I love that I can get decent pics of Kate at rest. The only place she completely relaxes is in bed. She’s so damn cute when her little eyes are all relaxed and she not in the Waiting For Something To Happen mode.


Although, I’ll probably end up ruining that now that bed photography is an option.

:-)