The Other Players: Pete

This is Pete


I *heart* Pete.


Would totally take him home in a second.


He’s only about two. Not quite ready to trial, but close.


He’s a good boy on sheep


And a sweetheart of a dog off

Maybe he'll trade me Kate for him.


And maybe hell will freeze over and pigs will fly and all that.

No Progress At All

Poor Kate.

She is doing her typical backslide. The first time you try something she is gungho. After that, when she realizes that she may have to think, or perform, or listen, or any of those horribly stressful things, she says, "Eff this."

Oh hai! You going to take me somewhere fun?

Shit!

I thought there would be kitties and treats. +*&%$!

I don't see any sheep, I don't hear any sheep, and I'm not saying the word "sheep"

OK, so I'll act like a dog for 30 seconds

Put me back on the fence now?

*Sigh*

A Little Progress

Miss Bella is starting to get her shit together.



Trying to be a good girl


Sometimes, though, an argumentative shit


I will lie down. Just very, very slowly

:-)


Sometimes hard to admit you don’t know everything


She’s working through it, though


We may get there yet

Don't You Love The Oldies?

This is our trainers’ old trial dog, Kate

Not to be confused with Dingbat Kate

I think she’s about 103. And I’m not even talking dog years. She is one of those old dogs that just has that look in her eyes that tells you she’s had a good life. Very round, very friendly eyes. Despite her age and one bum leg, she still takes her sheepdog duties very seriously.

Whilst us with the Dummy Dogs chase herd work sheep, she quietly watches the gals in the front pasture.



Occasionally she decides they have had enough of that little bit of grass and could you please meander to another spot? Thankyouverymuch



When the gals have taken up the new spot, Miss Kate can even find the time to smile for a picture

You have to love a dog with a desire to be useful.

Wish I had one.

:-)

Been A Little Busy

And by "busy" I kinda mean completely lazy.

On the dog health front:

Did I tell you that Kate hurt herself? I may have. That’s 2 fun matches we have missed due to Kate being a dingbat. I think she was either getting on or off the recliner that has the dog bed in it and had her leg slip between the arm and the seat of the chair. Healing was slow going on that. I guess we are just going to stick to the more expensive fun matches that many people just call trials. I have her entered in one in July. Gosh help us all.

Bella. Health like horse. Except she has her first lump. And not a lovely lady one. Just one of those fatty things, but still, kinda sad. Another we-ain’t-getting-any-younger reminder.

The agility front has been slow. Trials all clumped together, so flurry of 3 weekends in a row then nothing for 2 months.

We have started working sheep again. OK – sheepdog sidebar here – I know I’m not supposed to say “herding.” I know that would make me one of *those* people, but I feel a little weird saying “working” too. I mean, to me “work” means being useful and none of us are that yet when it comes to sheep. So, for those hard-core Border Collie folks who read this blog, the h-word may slip occasionally. Please don’t think poorly of me for it.

The place that we are going to is very different. Looking for same end product, but approached from different angle. For whatever reason, this angle seems to make more sense to Bella. She seems more settled, more focused. Like something is clicking. Very interested in watching when she is not working (didn’t do this before) and no poop eating! Yay.



She was not thrilled with the long the long line. She has never been on one. To her, leash means not doing anything. First time in she had to be convinced that she wasn’t being set up.



I don’t know enough to put my finger on it, things just seem different now.



And in non-dusty news…. New backyard! Woot!


Although, right now, not so cool. It’s sort of like when people put white carpet in their living room and then don’t allow anyone in there. Can’t use it or walk on it or pee on it or do jump grids. No, no. Needs to do whatever sod does when it comes to live with you.

Looking longingly is allowed.


They think that kinda sucks. :-)