Just Another Dog Blog

Quiet, Please

2012-01-27T18:38:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid I had a Kermit doll. Doll? Stuff animal? Whatev’, it was about 18” or so and he had Velcro on his wrists and ankles so you could stick him places. Grow up in the 70’s, much?

He went everywhere. When I got worried about him going in the washing machine my mom would tell me it was OK because frogs liked water. :)

I used to think about what it would be like if he could talk the way Kermit on TV did. Then, after thinking about it further, it freaked me out a little. I specifically requested that even if he could talk, please don’t. I don’t need that kind of stress. I don’t need to be that kid, right?

I have those same conversations with Bella.

You know when you open your mouth slightly to say something and then forget what you were going to say? You usually have an index finger pointed at the ceiling? Inhale slightly and then the thought just goes?

Bella does something that looks like this. Minus the finger pointing, of course.

And, I don’t mean she looks like she has something on her mind. Don’t mean, I wonder what she would say if she could talk. I mean she looks like English is going to come out of her face.

I have to tell her…don’t do it…please.

If you have something to say, just write it down.

Not so oddly enough, I don’t have those convo’s with Kate :-)

Not-So-Slick Willie

2012-01-18T10:12:00.000-08:00

This is Willie

He is one of our agility pals.

He also just recently got his C-ATCH.

Willie is a bit of an agility artist.

Picasso had his Blue Period, yes?

Willie had his Picking Up A Cone And Running Around The Ring Period. He moved from that to the I’m Not Coming Out Of The Tunnel Until I’ve Itched Every Square Inch Period.

Mom has put a TON of work into Willie and herself to collectively get their agility shit together.

Practice, practice. Train, train. Chill, chill.

It has been working. Hense the C-ATCH Willie instead of the No Letters Willie.

Watching them develop into a team over the past year has been wonderful, inspiring.

However, she has spent so much time on agility that she has neglected to teach Willie any Mad Lady Killer Skillz.

Poor Willie. He’s got no game.

OMG! A girl!

*deep breath* Try to play hard to get

Hmm, not working, I’ll just ease my way in

Act casual. Try to blend

Dude! Did you seriously try to pee on me?!

Unfriend!!

Oh, Willie

Well, there’s always agility

Or calendar work

:-)

Saturday Hike

2012-01-15T11:45:00.000-08:00

It looks like winter may finally be arriving later this week, so I decided to take advantage of our weirdly dry and warm weather to head up to Sunol yesterday.

Someone was wholly uncooperative in the posing department

Apparently had other things on her mind

Bella?

In the mood for smiling

We were stopped on the trail while we waited for Kate to poop for the umpteenth time and a guy and his dog came up behind us. He had a terrier. I think it was a Kerry Blue. Good looking dog, very light, though. Silvery looking. I didn’t know they came in that color. Anywho, the guy sees Kate and Bella and yells up the hill, “Are they OK or are they going to jump on him?” My first reaction was to laugh, because I was thinking the same thing about his dog. I have hard time reading dogs that are built like that because even the friendly ones look like they are challenging just because they are so naturally upright.

The dogs all politely shook hands and we were off. The guy said hi to Kate and Bella. I can’t be the only person that judges people based on my dogs’ reactions to them, can I? Kate went right up to him and let him pet her. Kate is not an overly people-social dog. When she knows you, she loves you, but doesn’t feel the need to be everyone’s best friend like Bella does. Note to self: he must be an alright guy.

As we were walking, he was commenting on the girls. “They’re so people-friendly.” “They’re so polite with other dogs.” “They behave so well.” Of course, it’s nice to hear those things, but you don’t normally hear those things from people who also have well-behaved dogs. It usually comes from people with dogs that are a bit…um…independent? Then he got to the Border Collie thing. That’s why he yelled up the hill. Not because dogs were there…because (alleged) Border Collies were there. He was telling me that his experiences with them have not been good. Nasty with other dogs, not interested in people, fights among family members.

I suppose I could say the same thing about terriers!

It’s funny how our limited experiences shape our opinions of entire groups of things. I know lots of Border Collies, mine included, who are not tolerant of rude dogs. Kate’s worst nightmare is the 80 lb, 10 month old floppy Lab with no boundaries! I wonder how much of his dog’s problems with Border Collies stems from his upright-ness? Border Collies are very visual and very sensitive to body language and movements. A half inch head nod from me is Kate’s queue to go through a door.

Have you noticed that your dogs react differently to differently shaped dogs?

Our last hurdle on our route back to the parking lot was…

Ever been stared at by an unmoving cow? It’s a little weird. They were also right on the trail. And, they had babies. And, even though Miss Kate is completely uninterested in sheep, she is very interested in cows and needs a bit more management when they are that close. She stared at us for a good 5 minutes before deciding we were OK and she could have her afternoon lie down.

Her concern was on the opposite side of the trail.

Could you not just hug it?

And speaking of shapes of dogs...

If you remove the obviously cow part…

It’s an Aussie! :-P

Bokeh Feets!

2012-01-09T18:35:00.000-08:00

Loving the 50mm/1.4!

Lady CaCa

2012-01-01T15:30:00.000-08:00

Wishing all of you a happy and prosperous new year.

May your dogs bring you lots of dried up cow shit.

Or...something like that.

A No Dog Post. Well, Maybe One Dog

2011-12-15T10:32:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I actually left the house to do something with without the dogs.

I know!

And it wasn’t even grocery shopping or something boring like that.

Hiking without dogs is weird. Kind of nice, also. I wanted to shoot some birds and try out the trails at the park that don’t allow dogs.

I still had poop bags in my pocket, though. You never know, right? Maybe come across random abandoned poop? Even though park rangers don’t give out raffle tickets for turning in random poops like the agility folks do, still, good dog-owning citizen even without dogs.

Birds do less flying away without dogs in tow

They don’t even un-nap

Just pose, like they were waiting for your pokey ass to get up the hill and photograph them

Christmas card-y posing

This is a horrible pic of a Coot, but their feet just kill me! Ginormous! And, green! Way too big for a bird that is duck-sized but not a actually a duck. Please do yourself a favor and do NOT refer to a coot as a duck around bird folks. Don’t go there. Won’t be pleasant. Right up there with farting in church.

And, in case you were wondering… “V”’s are so last year. “I” is in. All the cool kids are doing it.

And now the dog portion of the post. A color genetics question…

This dog:

Is up for adoption. Cute yes? His name is Rex and you can see him at the Nor Cal BC Rescue site >HERE<.

How do you get a red dog with black nose leather? Does that happen in other breeds? Kinda weird, no?

Does She Get Tired Of Her Shadow?

2011-12-13T09:36:00.000-08:00

Sorry - crappy webcam captures from daycare.

The collies - always in formation

I wonder if Bella ever gets tired of Kate on her ass?

Like a big sister-little sister thing? Like...OMG, would you just go away? Maybe it's a game for Kate? Playing fighter pilots? Geese? Bowling pins?

Apparently, 2 o'clock is I've Had Enough time for Bella. Needs her nap. A little Me Time.

Everyone else going to the other room? Nah, I'll stay here. I'm good, thanks.

That is, until sweatered Basset decides to sit RIGHT THERE to clean her hoo ha

Funny thing is, I know exactly what Bella's face looked like at that moment. It was a mixture of shock and disgust. Subtle, but there.

I'd put money on it. :)

Lovely Weekend

2011-12-04T18:45:00.001-08:00

I can’t believe the weather we are having. No rain yet. Still sunny and 60-ish.

I’ll take it.

Went strolling at the Palo Alto Baylands on Saturday. I love that place. There are so many places like that here. Those sort of spots that make you feel like you are not smack in the middle of urban sprawl. You can have some peace and some outdoorsy and little wildlife…and still…never more than 5 minutes from Starbucks. :)

Most of the birds were busy, busy, busy

Bella was completely fascinated by the noise they were making. Surprisingly loud. All that mud slurping and pat pat pat of duck feets in the mud.

The dogs don’t care much for birding

Too much stopping. Too much...”would you just stand still and stop jerking on my arm?!”

There is some entertainment for them, too, though.

The source of much of the pulling.

Their camo is quite impressive. The dogs wouldn’t even know they were there is it wasn’t for the constant alarm calls. They should probably re-think all that screaming.

Kate’s opinion on birding is pretty clear.

We had some dog time, too. Working on Brace Agility

Of course we would practice skills for something that doesn’t exist

We did do a little of the norm, too. Bella prefers 3o1o. Always a titch defiant, that one.

Kate? Not so big on being a Bad Dog

Would much rather this..

Or this, though…

Although, she kinda sucks at that, too.

Haha.

The Morning Crew

2011-11-24T09:25:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving, y’all!

Since it’s a no work day, we all hung around long enough for the light to arrive this morning.

There are the familiar faces

And the not so…

Thunder

And brother Ryder

The red-heads, Rusty and Kalman

Who prefer to be photographed sans Husky, thankyouverymuch :-)

Kosmo

And sister Maddie

Who’s favorite hobby is passing judgment

“Seriously, Vizsla? Ruining my shot?”

“Oh, and now you, too?!”

“Sheesh”

Are you noticing the trend here? Everyone has to have matching dogs.

I think it’s the law or something.

Little Brutus didn’t have a match

Until a few weeks ago

Baby monkey dog Cali!

“Take her back!”

Sorry, Brutus. You know, dog law and all.

Enjoy your holiday American-type folks!

She's So Cute When She Tries To Act Like A Border Collie

2011-11-16T15:47:00.000-08:00

Right?

Look at her.

All serious and full of thought and hunchy

Well, I guess we all know better, yes?

Still, I enjoy those 1/1000 of a second wherein the scarecrow meets the wizard

Lure Screaming

2011-11-11T19:27:00.000-08:00

We went to a fun match a few weeks back. We're all Agility Serious like that. I went under the guise of working on Bella's weaves and getting Kate some indoor practice.

All lies.

We went because they did lure coursing in the afternoon.

Lure coursing with the addition of my favorite dog photog: Dave Mills

Can't pass that up.

Have I mentioned that Kate likes to scream while lure coursing?

That she doesn't tend to pay much attention and just runs like the wind and later realizes that Bella has actually turned?

At least someone is paying attention

Even if it is in a slightly creepy, crazy person kinda way

Too much speed and not enough processing power

Good thing her breaks work

That is our dear Kate

And we get to course again this weekend!

If you are in Northern California and you hear

WoooOOOOwwwoooOOWooooiiiiiiiiiiiii

on Sunday morning, that would be us.

Sorry.

Some Things Don't Change...Except The Clocks...You Did Change Your Clock, Yes?

2011-11-06T07:59:00.000-08:00

I like routines. Totally dig sameness. It’s nice that even though we are all getting older and lumpier, some things just keep on rolling.

Like…

Kate’s crappy timing

My crappy timing

Bella’s lack of crappy anything (with the obvious exception of the weaving of the poles)

Except, perhaps, her attitude

Kate’s inability to stand still for more than 1.5 seconds

Bella’s inability to move

The Kateness, it is alive and well!

In all its ball missing glory

And why is it when I order new cam equip it is nice and warm and sunny but when it actually arrives it’s crappy and rainy and cold…? No fair!

We do have a teeny bit of sun this morning. Guess I should get my daylight change loving lazy heiny out before the clouds come back.

Maybe I can get some of these today that are actually in focus!

Happy Sleeping In Day, Y’all!

It's An Itis, Not an Oma...YAY!

2011-10-26T10:32:00.000-07:00

And WHEW!

Mr. Arthur Itis, to be exact. Kate is just getting old. Not getting full of cancer!

We did x-rays. She actually has little bony protrusions on all of her toes. Just something to manage. Anti-inflammatories when it's acting up. Other than that, just let her get on with her life.

Getting old sucks, but much better than the alternative!

Howdy!

2011-10-24T19:07:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I know. We’ve been MIA. Just been preoccupied. Not feeling the blogging thing of late. Have not been using the camera much, either. I think I need to buy a new lens to re-inspire myself. :)

Kate has been doing great. She still has not been showing any outward signs of anything relating to her muscle loss. Her shoulders still feel thin to me but it seems like she has gained some bicep back. She had her first trial in 7 months a few weekends ago and did great! I moved her to Veterans so she now jumps 12” – actually – she sort of steps over 12”. Haha.

She was enjoying herself quite a bit. I have figured out that Kate thinks of agility as … I have to do some shit and then I GET TO GO IN A TUNNEL…then I do some more shit….and ANOTHER TUNNEL….etc. Too bad we don’t do NADAC, she would think Tunnelers is The Shit.

Serious agility dog?

Not so much

Bella was her normal self. Good with everything…except the weaves. We decided to experiment and have a friend run her in Standard on Sunday. Soooo funny. I love watching other people run Bella. It’s hard, of course, running a dog you are not familiar with handling. Particularly if you are someone who has been running one-eyed dogs for years! There were some off-course issues, so no Q, but her weaves were beautiful. I believe I can be heard calling her a shit head on the video. If I ever figure out how to edit the video I will post it.

Will weave for others – for you, I eat grass

So, back to Kate. Last week, more gimpy weirdness. Tis dark in the mornings now, so hard to see. I thought she looked like she was trotting weird. Did a few short throws so I could look at her move. No issues. Fine. Finished playing. Did our cool-down lap. Still fine. I leashed them up and ended up talking to someone for about 10 minutes. She then limps walking to the car. Nothing again getting out of the car (like 6 minutes later!!..???) Same on again, off again on Friday morning. I go over her good and find a hard lump/growth/something on one of her toes. Sort of between the nail bed and the pad. Not visibly noticeable, but real obvious when you go poking around.

Dear Gosh, why do I google things?

I went from maybe just a bug bite to removing Kate’s entire leg in the span of about 20 minutes.

I should really end it with Dr. Google. Totally un-cool.

I don’t really want to deal with anything ending in “oma.”

“itis” I can handle, no “oma’s” please!

Vet Wednesday morning.

This dog is trying to drive me to drink!

Who me?

Yes, you

Do Dogs Seek Status?

2011-09-21T18:35:00.000-07:00

I’m sure y’all occasionally get the pack structure question, yeah?

“Which one is the dominant one?”

“Which one is in charge?”

“Which one is the Top Dog?”

Normally, this question comes from non-dog people. Or, perhaps, regular ol’ pet owners who are not members of the Crazy Dog Person club.

Usually, my initial obnoxious answer is “me.” Sometimes followed by, “they may be bitches, but I’m THE bitch, if you get what I’m sayin’.” :-)

Recently, though, I have been asked this question by 3 or 4 actual CDP club members.

I thought we didn’t think like this anymore, no?

I don’t see our little pack structure as this rigid linear thing. We do not have clearly defined ranks like the military. It’s not like..

General Pia

Sargent Bella

PFC Kate

I see it more like a family structure. The parent(s) are in in charge and the kids are just the kids.

Pia

Bella – Kate

And before you start frowning, I am not comparing raising kids to raising dogs, nor do I think of my dogs as replacement kids. Just talking family layout here.

I usually explain that neither of the dogs have any interest in being in charge of anything as they are both chicken-shits by nature and I also tend to think of their relationship more in terms of levels of confidence, than dominance. Bella is, overall, the more confident of the two. There are, however, certain situations where Kate takes that roll.

I also think that most behavior that people refer to as dominant behavior is really just a dog being a pain in the ass. It is more likely due to any number of the following:

being young

not trained

lacking confidence

being fearful

being encouraged to behave that way

having a generally obnoxious personality, perhaps a bully (or an Aussie…haha)

trying to initiate play

trying to gain a resource

experiencing some pain

etc.

So, all that got me thinking about status-seeking behavior. I am not someone who believes that a rigid pack structure exists. I have, however, referred to things as status-seeking behavior. If dogs don’t live in a rigid structure why are they doing things to gain “status?” What do they think they are gaining?

I’m not even sure that dogs are capable of thinking about status in the same way we do. I don’t think that they think long term like that. I don’t think that a dog will sit around his house thinking…”well, I stole Fluffy’s bone today, that knocked her down a peg or two. I’ll do it again tomorrow and she’ll be on the bottom. Next week, I’ll start on Rex. In a few months, it’ll all be mine!!!”

I think they are more in the moment. Like…

I want that bed NOW.

I want that bone NOW.

I want to pester you so you play with me NOW.

I don’t know that a dog that steals a bone from another dog is thinking about status or dominance. I think they just want the damn bone! I could be totally off here. Maybe it’s just my dogs. The perpetual 2 year olds who just want their wants taken care of right now, thankyouverymuch.

Kate and Myka have this thing where they switch bones. They will both be chewing and one will get up. The other will take that ones’ bone and the one that got up will take the other one. They do this frequently. It’s like they are on a schedule. Fifteen minute chewing rotations. Shift work. When there is this voluntary swapping, we let it happen. We do not, however, allow one dog to take something from another dog just because they feel like it. It’s fine in play, but if they are not playing it is not allowed. Are we interfering with “structure?” I don’t think so. I think we are managing a four-bitch household to do everything we can to avoid any possibility of a fight now or in the future. Sure, Bella may let Kate take that bone from her right now, but what about tomorrow? It’s not good for house harmony to allow behavior that could potentially escalate. Yes?

Maybe it’s the language that I have a hard time wrapping my head around? “Status seeking” and “dominant” when used in relation to people usually means….”jerk.”

I don’t like thinking of my dogs as jerks.

Other people's, sure. Just not mine.

So, what are your thoughts on the whole “status seeking” thing? What are the relationships like at your house for you multi-dog folks?

And, the funniest thing about these recent conversations is that ALL of the people thought Kate was the dominant of the two! That makes me wonder if people, even CDP members, are just really shitty at reading dogs or I have absolutely no clue who’s living in my house!

This is running the show?!

I think not!

National Sheepdog Finals: Live On The Interwebs!

2011-09-16T07:52:00.000-07:00

Those Border Collies are at it again.

Semi-finals and Double-lift finals this weekend.

First hour of viewing is free. Catch it --> here <--

Change Of Plans

2011-09-13T18:16:00.000-07:00

I have often joked that if Bella goes before I do I am going to have her stuffed.

And not just the standard (!?) dog curled up on the floor pose. No, no.

Mounted like a bear.

A pissed off bear.

All a la…

But now? I’m thinking maybe a stole. She has the coat for it now.

Her old lady coat.

She used to look like this at almost 3 years…in her yoot

Now? Geez. She looks like an old mink. One that was stuffed into a Hefty bag with some moth balls like 30 years ago and lovingly placed in grandma’s attic.

It’s becoming increasingly difficult to furminate her because so few hairs grown in the same direction.

And so THICK!

Should they ever visit an actual groomer again, I have created a brushing guide.

I think it will come in handy.

And don’t you love the look on her face? Stacking not exactly a part of their repertoire.

Show dogs, they are not.

The only way I could get her to sort of stand there like that was to put a big old hunk of chicken on the ground.

It was payment enough.

And, while digging for a lesser-coated Bella pic I found....

Awww

Seriously, how damn cute was she?!

Could you not just bite her little face off?

They Could Get A Ticket In A School Zone

2011-09-12T15:07:00.000-07:00

They had a cool little hand-held speed checky thingy mabob at lure coursing yesterday.

The old hags topped out at 27 MPH!

The 26, then 25... No doubt slowed by Kate's ridiculous barking

She really just loves running with Bella

She is much faster than Bella and becomes torn between chasing the lure and staying with her sis. This results in lots of looking back to see where slow-poke is and giving her what-for for being behind

Next to Bella...quiet and happy

Ahead? Frustrated and screamy

Dueling floaties!

We also had a couple of professionals there. You know, dogs of the sight hound variety. Lurve to watch the greyhounds run. I think their top speed was 42 MPH. Just amazing, particularly on such a short course for a dog of that size.

Don't you love sight hounds? They have the best faces. I totally want one.

Or three.

All photos by Pierre Tardif

Work With Me, Kate

2011-08-26T15:40:00.000-07:00

Normally, when we are playing ball there is the “close enough” ball drop circle. However, when I am sitting on my butt in the grass with a heavy cam in my hand, I need the dogs to work with me a little.

Kate doesn’t always get “work with me”

Not exactly flexible, that dog.

Kate, can you bring it a bit closer?

What? It’s right here…

No really, just pick it up and bring it here….as in closer-here

I don’t know what you’re talking about…

I’m talking about picking up the flipping toy!

Not hearing you….lalala

Seriously? Just Pick. It. Up. What is so hard here?

YES! Get it! Jeebus!!

Thank you. You are so high maintenance.

And so in the way.

Oh, that’s better. Hi Belly!

And just ‘cause it’s funny…

She is just hacking up a piece of grass, but she looks like such a bitch! Haha!

Our Weekend Up North

2011-08-24T11:24:00.000-07:00

We moseyed up to Eureka this past weekend for a trial. I have been hearing for years how fun this trial is. A must-do. I finally broke down.

I don’t usually go past 2-2.5 hour drives for a trial. Not that hard-core. This one is a 6-hour drive for me. I took an extra 2 days fore and 1 day aft. Little getaway. Also, since I have friends I high places, I got a great rate on the hotel (Thanks, Sue!), so what the hell.

The drive up was beautiful. I have never had a reason to go north of Ukiah, so I haven’t. We, of course, had to do the Avenue Of The Giants. Guess what? Big-assed trees, that’s what. And lots of them.

Such a cool little drive.

It’s is a bit creepy getting out of the car, though. The trees are so big, kinda makes you feel like a Hobbit and it’s so freakishly quiet. The only thing you hear is the creaking of the trees.

I don’t have many pics from this trip and not any real good ones, but all the ones of Kate in the Redwoods look like this…

She was a little suspicious. Face of someone with gun pointed at them.

The faces didn’t get any better at our destination, either. I was lucky enough (for me) to find a beach without direct water access. Kate loves the water. Seawater, however, tends to make Bella not so fun to live with. Have you ever dealt with assplosions while staying in a hotel? So uncool.

This beach sucks

Totally sucks!

The trial itself was OK. Bella had a good Friday, crappy Saturday, good Sunday.

The Positives:

-Very friendly crowd

-Good company

-Fun courses

-Fantastic dog weather

-Scores were out ridiculously fast

On the negs, though:

-Hated their teeter. Twas like a ginormous noodle. When the whip is so bad that it pops a foot back up in the air with a Golden Retriever on it it’s time to get a new teeter

-Grass was dry, but not like crunchy dry. More like straw dry, so slippery. Lots of dogs loosing their back ends on turns. Even the little ones not moving that fast.

-And the worst bit? Location!

Have you been to Eureka? Seriously…

What. The. Fuck!?

Strangest damn place I have ever been to. It’s like you spend all your time constantly passing between 2 very different worlds and neither of them seem to acknowledge the other. If you are in Eureka and you are inside a building you will experience the slightly over-priced, cute little touristy coastal town with nice, friendly, helpful, clean, and articulate folks.

Outside? Homeless drug addicts. Some with a dash of mental illness. Seriously, their homeless problem is out of control.

Traveling agility peeps normally worry about things like… Does the hotel take multiple dogs? Dogs over 15 lbs? Do they charge for dogs? Is there grass for pottying?

We don’t normally worry about… Did my dog step on a hypodermic needle? Will one of them attack a meth-head if I need them to? What are the symptoms of heroin poisoning in dogs? Did Bella get anywhere near that puddle of vomit?

It was bad with caps lock on.

Really BAD.

So, repeat next year?

Dunno.

If I do decide to make a week out of it, it will involve renting a place that is no where near Eureka. Little spot on the beach? Maybe rent an RV? We will see what next year brings.

Until then, back to Elk Grove, thank christ, where one only needs to avoid the kind of creepy old guy standing outside in his bath robe puffing on a completely legal cigarette.

How Low Can You Go

2011-08-10T07:35:00.000-07:00

When you're a big dog...

who likes tiny balls...

you need to make...

some adjustments

I Love The Morning Light

2011-08-09T08:28:00.000-07:00

Makes them look all wolfy

Miss Kate is off to her eval this morning. Fingers crossed we get some sort of answers or insight!

'Cause It Can't Always Be About Kate

2011-07-26T11:07:00.000-07:00

Had a fun trial this weekend. This is the only CPE trial a year that I don't have to hotel it.

Maybe sleeping in your own bed helps.

Probably helped that the weather was great. It was actually cold in the morning. Not often that I have a hoodie and jacket on in July.

Bella had a great weekend. She was just having a good ol' time!

Jumpers run on Sunday. It's so funny when she runs with her butt just tucked the slightest bit. Like she is on the verge of zoomies but trying to keep her shit together. :)

Bella Jumpers Sun Bay Team July CPE from 2halves on Vimeo.

Her Jackpot run on Sunday was a good time, too. I don't care for a lot of the non-tradional Jackpots. Some of them are a ton of fun and challenging in their own way. A lot of them are just gimmes, though. Kinda stupid easy. I mean, I'll take the points, but really?

This was one of those easy ones are far as the gambles were concerned, darn fun running it, though!

Bella Jackpot Sun Bay Team CPE from 2halves on Vimeo.

WTHIWWK Part 3: I Told You She Was Skinny

2011-07-25T18:49:00.000-07:00

See?!

So, good news, her elbows and shoulders are fab. Like, not even "normal" wear and tear for a dog of her age and activity level. Really good.

So, Yay! for that.

Other good news, her microchip is in the right place.

Is it me or does her throat look like vacuum cleaner hose?

She came home a walking example of Three Sheets To The Wind

She is not mid-lick there. Just can't keep all her bits in her face.

Aww, poor Kate.

Yet, HAHA!

At least she's a happy drunk and not an angry drunk.

The the semi-bad news is that she has some thickening of the first two (or maybe it was three - damn, I should really write these things down) thoracic vertebrae. No apparent disc damage.

She doesn't think it was too much beyond normal wear and tear. Nothing like....OMG! But, it may be affecting the way she carriers herself.

So, next step will be chiro eval for more poking and prodding and gate analysis.

And no drugs for that! She can experience the uncomfortable feeling my wallet is.

Dude, don't fuck with my mellow!

What The Hell Is Wrong With Kate, Part 2

2011-07-21T14:00:00.000-07:00

Don't know yet.

First step: fluid check.

All her blood work was good. No apparent kidney or liver weirdness. Thyroid fine. Peepee fine.

Next step: X-rays on Monday.

I have to drop her off in case they need to sedate her. Although, the vet said they may not need to since "she's so good."

"So good" means that when Kate is nervous she gets all stiff. She's just like a Gumby doll.
(Dating myself?)

You can really just move her limbs where you want them and she stays there. Yes, of course, it's horrible, awful when dogs are scared, yet, at the same time, kinda funny.

She continues to be completely normal otherwise. Well, "normal" if normal is back end like a dog and front end like a coat rack.

Here's for hoping for continued this...

And a little bit of this...

And lots of this...

Thoughts On Muscle Loss?

2011-07-18T14:07:00.000-07:00

Kate is going to the vet on Wednesday. Just thought I would put this out there in case anyone has any ideas or things I should be asking that perhaps I hadn’t thought of.

Smidge of background…

Kate had a collision at the DP back in May. She ran over Miss Maddy Speedbump.

Both were fine right after and continued playing. Kate was a little stiff that night. No limping, just seemed perhaps a bit sore. Had the next day off. Totally fine on morning #3. Played ball in the morning with no issues. That night she was visibly limping on her right front.

I know how this goes. Been down this road before. Vet will say “soft tissue” and tell me to rest her. I skip the vet and go right to the resting.

No swelling or heat. No reaction to being manipulated from nails up to shoulder. Following day, no more limping but stiff.

No ball for you.

We continue with no ball and limited exercise for a few weeks. All’s good.

I go on vacation. Nine days of boarding. All’s still good.

However, Kate is a little thin. Not unusual at all. She’s the kind of girl you love to hate….The kind that actually loses weight when not getting serious exercise. Unlike her sister, who is now referred to as How Now Brown Cow.

Emphasis on the cow part.

I up her food a tad. Can’t do too much or she will act like a 3 year old who has been locked in a room for 2 weeks and fed nothing but skittles and coffee. She gets her rib pooch back and is at her normal 31 lbs but her shoulders are thin, Thin, THIN. Neck is a bit smaller, too. But the shoulders are really bothering me. Soooo boney. Kate is very much a front wheel drive dog and her front end is very muscular. Or, it was. I would say her shoulder muscles are about half what they are normally.

Everything else is normal….energy level, eating, drinking, peeing and pooping. Coat looks great. Gums look great. Attitude is great. I have googled the shit out of this and can’t seem to find anything about muscle loss in the front end. It all seems to be hind end related.

Any ideas?

And on a not-so-serious note…

If you have a toy-serious dog who waits very patiently you have experienced the confusion that causes other dogs. They totally don’t understand why your dog is not moving and doesn’t acknowledge them.

We upped the ante this morning at the park and confused the crap out of the Husky boys…

What are you doing down there? Are you OK!?

Should we call someone?

Just a trick, man, I'm fine. Thanks for caring, though

Do You Wonder What They Do During The Day?

2011-06-27T17:54:00.000-07:00

Answer: Not much.

Bella's "work" day in 6 second increments. Made fast like as not to bore you to tears.

Kate tomorrow if I can finagle the cam in that direction.

Here We Are

2011-06-26T12:59:00.000-07:00

Been back from vaca for a few weeks (!) and just not feeling the camera thing of late. Plus, been too damn hot to sit in my non-air conditioned home office and sort photos.

We have finally cooled off to a normal Bay Area temperature. That lovely temp where you don’t actually need A/C.

Vacation was wonderful. Was in Denmark.

How do they get the lawn mowers up there?

You know what I took the most photos of?

Of course.

White-headed Marsh Sheep. (?) Cute and delicious!

Such poofy moms!

The girls did great on their Nine Day Not Quite A Vacation. Although, Bella did sleep like bloated road kill for two days after. They both seemed happy and relaxed. Just missed the 7 or so hours of sleep they normally get during the day.

Everyone no worse for wear!

They also had their first ever professional grooming whilst there. I asked how they did. Even though they are completely fine with me bathing them, they have never been given a bath by a stranger. The groomer was with clients so we couldn’t bother him, but the front desk girl said they must have been fine because “we usually only hear about it when it didn’t go well.” HAHA.

I decided to have them groomed completely out of laziness on my part. I knew they would need it after nine days there and also knew I would not feel like doing it on my one free day before going back to work. Apart from the sticker shock ($45 per dog!!) I was quite pleased. My normal grooming routine is to furminate and brush once a week and bathe when required (not often). I am still amazed at how good they look and much less they are shedding. What are they doing differently? Is it the products? The blow drying?

I may have to make this a spring ritual.

Regardless of their opinions! :-P

Key Lime Pie, Sad Lens And Why A “Rescue Dog”

2011-05-30T17:05:00.000-07:00

See what happens when you get busy with things that hamper ones camera toting? I end up with a mish mash of things I keep meaning to post about and it just never seems to happen all on its own.

The Key Is In the Dessert
Three weekends ago we had a trial after a 7 week or so break. Bella’s weaves were horrible, but in a slightly different way than her normal horrible. Wasn’t acting like she didn’t want to do them at all. She just wanted to do four. Bam, Bam, Bam and out. Entries great, speed great, just not feeling like finishing them. Didn’t do a single set right the first time until the last class of the trial. That happened to be Jacklers. I asked for 2 sets back to back and she did them great.

Oh, now you remember how to weave?

Now that the car is packed and we are ready to skedaddle?

So, the next weekend, another trial. You know what I’m thinking.

I decide to go a different route.

Here is where I separate myself from the real agility people.

Real agility people might go the training route…or…change up their pre-run zen shit…or see a chiropractor…or give their dog some bach flower junk…

Me? I bribe her with Key Lime Pie.

Go ahead. Laugh. That shit worked like a charm!

Day before the trial I was eating a piece and Bella was being the horribly un-mannered dog she is begging and drooling like a fool. I made her a deal. You weave this weekend and you can have some pie. You weave well like you do outside of a trial. All sets and all poles in each set. And, if I give you this now you have to do it because to do otherwise would make you a liar and you know how I feel about liars.

Was a weaving fooling!! It’s magic, I tell ya!

They should sell Key Lime Pie at Clean Run instead of all those training vids.

Mmmmm. Pie!

Booboo Lens

My big lens. The happy fast dog pic taking lens has, as the love to say in New England, Shit The Bed.

Thank you for your concern, Kate.

Why is it never the little cheapo lens? Never the one that’s a few hundred bucks. Always has to be the 4 digit jobbies that go, right? Sigh. The Silent Wave motor not so silent anymore. Sounds like this…

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Well, that coupled with a complete lack of ability to actually focus on anything.

Such a bummer! :(

“Rescue dog” as an excuse for off behavior

Of course there are always dogs at trials that have various issues. Maybe a little scared, a little reactive on leash, etc. Most people, being that they are involved enough with their dogs to get to the point of trialing, handle these issues well. And other people are happy to help. That help maybe feeding a dog scared of new people or giving a dog extra room, whatever.

Will smile for cookies

The thing that gets me – and, BTW, this is not just an agility people thing, I hear it all the time, just my example is from a recent trial – is why people have to say their dog is a rescue if it has issues. There is a woman who has a dog that’s nervous around people she doesn’t know. We were waiting to run, she was explaining this to someone. Politely asking for a bit of room. No biggie. On her way into the ring she turns and looks over her shoulder and says, while shrugging, “she’s a rescue.” The woman that was right behind her, who has a dog who is reactive to other dogs and happens to be a papered dog from a breeder that she’s had since he was a puppy says, “well, what’s my excuse?”
Haha.

This is not a bought vs adopted thing. I just wonder why people bring it up like it means something. I know plenty of bought dogs who have had what many would consider “correct” upbringings who are a fricking mess. Plenty of dogs who have gone through hell and are stable companions. Point being, I don’t know that where you got your dog has a lot to do with it. It certainly has nothing to do with helping your dog past whatever “it” is.

Do you think people say that because they don’t want anyone to think that they are the ones that failed the dog? Is there a tinge of righteousness there? Like, “this dog is broke, but I stuck with her anyway.” It just seems like a weird thing to add to the conversation. My concern is that people get stuck in that train of thought and that gets their dogs stuck, too. Like, people who complain about Gamblers saying their dog doesn’t work at a distance. Well, if that’s your attitude, then, yes, your dog will not work at a distance. Not because it can’t but because you gave up on it. And because you gave up on that idea, you are not training for it.

I’m a weirdo just ‘cause

Maybe A Little Too Relaxed

2011-05-19T11:09:00.000-07:00

I love pics of my dogs. Kinda obvious, I guess.

I particularly love when other people take them. Different perpective. I love to watch Bella not looking at me (or the cam). It doesn't happen too often. This is one of the reasons I crate my dogs in the car. Too distracting for me for her to be loose because I love watching her watch the world go by in the rear view.

Not the best idea.

Safety first.

Got a few pics from our trial last weekend. Sooooo not the best weekend ever as our weave woes have returned once again. Slightly different this time, but end result is the same. Damn weird dog.

Anywho, the thing that struck me about the pics is how relaxed she looks. Like, if you just look at her face she could totally just be sitting on the couch watching TV.

This look is the look of a dog who is planning a very short Snooker run.

This look is the look of a dog who is ending that very short Snooker run by back-jumping a red.

She looks pretty content wasting 11 of my hard earned dollars, yeah?

Little shit.

Again with the ho-hum expression, but bunched legs of a dog who is moving. I love how she only has one foot planted.

When she lays like that, all bunched up, I get the urge to grab all her feet and throw her over my shoulder like a sack. I do grab her feet, but stop short of the shoulder business.

My back couldn't take that. :)

This one is my fav. First off, it's Belly being a good girl as I am way off to the right in the pic and she is actually listening and turning away from to hit the tunnel under the Aframe. All dogs have their strengths and weaknesses. Doing stuff at a distance is one of Bella's strengths. Maybe I should be offended that she is more willing to move away than to come in? Trying to tell me something?

I also love how she is high-fiving herself. HAHA.

Her back end is all...."way to go, front end!"

What A Mouthful!

2011-05-18T14:41:00.000-07:00

You may remember our spotty little friend, Luke, from previous posts. If you live in the Bay Area and do stuffs with your dog, you may even know him in person.

Luke reached a huge milestone last weekend earning his Specialist C-ATE

(that’s 3000 Level C points for you non-CPE’ers)

He is now known as:

CH. MACH NATCH C-ATCH CS-ATE Driftwood Luke Von Hot Chili, CD RAE MXF TT CGC

Even though I don’t know what half of that shit means we are super proud of our Lukie!

(and super thankful we aren’t required to call him by his full name!!)

We also heard a rumor that he is the only Dal breed champion with all those fore and aft letters. I don't think Bella knew she was being humped by canine royalty! This may change her mind, Luke. Cross your paws!

Big Congrats to a wonderful team!

Feeling A Little Better

2011-05-06T08:37:00.000-07:00

I am going on a real-live, actual vacation in June. Like, the kind where you leave on a plane and don't take dogs with you.

Looking forward to it.

Not looking forward to boarding the girls for 9 days.

Nine days!

Two days is their longest boarding stint we've ever had.

In prep, they have a handful of daycare days between now and then to get them back in the swing of being there. I was a little worried about how Bella would do. Kate is kind of oblivious. Since she lives in a little 2 foot diameter bubble wrapped around her head, she doesn't seemed too bothered about being other places. Bella can get worried, though. She gets that from me.

They had a great time yesterday, though. Comfortably tired when we got home. Not that I'm-exhausted-because-I've-been-stressed-all-day kind of tired. Also, not in a big rush to leave when I went to pick them up. Another good low stress sign.

They spent the morning being polite guests, hanging back (together, of course...haha) and observing their old, but new again surroundings.

Little bookends.

Gradually moving their hanging out spots throughout the day

They even got busted lying down!

I wish they had cameras outside. I heard they spent a lot of time in the pool. Sounds about right. Plus, Kate's ass feathers we all askew like my post-bath photos a few weeks back, so I know she spent a good deal of the day wet. Perfect day for her.

This facility is great. They are on top of their shiz when it comes to handling and caring for the dogs. I mean, I wouldn't take my dogs there if I wasn't completely comfortable with them. My two have been going here since 2005. I know they'll be fine. But, damn...

Nine days!!

Also Works As Recovery Time

2011-05-03T07:44:00.000-07:00

Hunting games are also good for down time. Like, say, maybe you have a dog that is a bit of a dingbat and possibly doesn’t watch where she is going and tends to run into things and get owies?

I mean, I’m not naming names but…

You can pretend you are a Zookeeper and provide your wild beasts with enrichment games like

Find Your Dinner In The Backyard

You can sit back and watch them like you’re on safari

Although, I suppose wild animals don’t stop to check whether or not you are throwing anymore kibble

The Nose Knows

2011-05-02T08:26:00.000-07:00

Started taking Nose Work classes with Bella a few months back. So fun! I am fascinated by their scenting abilities. Have thought about tracking in the past, but that sport is such a time suck. I love what they are doing, but the act of doing it doesn’t appeal to me much. Finding a place, track laying, track aging…ugh. Just a simple practice blows 3 hours. Not to mention the copious amounts of ticks and snakes and cow patties.

Enter Nose work. Ta-da! You can practice in the comfort of your own home. Even taking it on the road is a piece of cake.

A small tin or two, like so

Or so

…and a couple of q-tip’s. Heck, not even a full q-tip, just the little fuzzy bit.

You can’t fit agility in your pocket!

The dogs just love it. Probably because the amount of cheese involved.

Got it!

Cheese, please!

Right here!

Bella is an enthusiastic nose toucher

Maybe more of a nose crammer

Maybe just because nose work is delicious!

Maybe because she has the weirdest bendy aardvark nose. Do your dogs do this? Kate does not. It’s like Bella doesn’t want to be rude and turn away when she smells something so she just bends her nose over there.

Weirdo.

Baby Got Back

2011-04-19T17:08:00.000-07:00

I totally lack follow-through when it comes to grooming. One thing at a time, please. Should I really have to do anything post bath? I think not. Wash and wear dogs.

“That will flatten out in a few days.”

Plus, it’s funny to look at…

Normal pants

Post-bath pants

Normal pants

Post-bath pants

HAHA!

Well, at least our whites are whiter

And our browns more velvety

For a few days, anyway.

Kate's Two Favorite Things

2011-04-12T09:13:00.000-07:00

Good to be surrounded by your loves, huh?

Disappearing Ears

2011-04-11T18:01:00.000-07:00

When you act like a turd, you get a little time out. That’s just how life works. Kate got a little time out this weekend. No major offense. Don’t even recall what it was. Probably had to do with not listening and/or screaming in my face.

No prob…I’ll just wait…won’t be long

The mild irritation sets in…or…maybe the sun was in her eyes

She is expecting to be released after one Bella throw. Showing some concern at the lack of the word “free!” in our conversation.

The Ears Of Frustration appear

Maybe a little swearing under her breath

Eight throws! I kill you with my eyes!

Haha! Leave her on the porch

A Smidge Of Food Porn

2011-03-31T07:08:00.000-07:00

I don't spend a whole lot of time in the frozen food aisle. Pretty much because I don't eat a lot of frozen food. There are 2 frozen items I get at Trader Joe's.

Brown rice and ziti, if you're keeping track.

I usually grab those and go. I decided last trip to poke around a bit more.

It was much to my surprise and delight to find that they sell aebleskivers at Trader Joe's!

Why did no one tell me?!?

A surprising number of Californians have had them thanks to the little town of Solvang

I grew up with them thanks to my Danish father.

A little sprinkle of sugar and some strawberries that can only be described as ridiculously good and I'm set breakfast-lunch-dinner until they are gone.

However annoying I find Rachel Ray, it has to be said...

Yummo!

Why Are They So Interesting?

2011-03-29T10:30:00.000-07:00

Lots of stalkers at the park this weekend.

Bella was a little concerned about her chubby little friend. Nice little dog. Her concern was the noises it was making. I mean, the squishy-faced dogs can make weird noises when they are of a healthy weight. Obese ones can make really weird noises.

What the…?

Is the Snausage still behind me?

(Isn’t it funny how the Pug looks damn-near the same whether in focus or not? Haha!)

Miss Kate was totally unperturbed by her noisy little friend

All small dogs that stand behind Kate are referred to as “speed bumps.”

Large ones, “brick walls.”

Which is why I have no photos of Kate with the Shepherd. The dog respected Bella’s polite request to leave her alone. I love these shots. Well, photographically not great, just telling. Note that Bella's head is turned toward the dog, acknowledging it. However, she is physically leaning away and her eyes are averted. This got the message across.

I ain't buying what you're selling.

Kate’s? No so much. There was much “come here, lie down, and leave that dog alone before it kicks your ass!” She has zero tolerance for dogs over 40 lbs pestering her. I understand her frustration, but her means of communicating that frustration can be interpreted as “hey, why don’t you kick my ass?!” Not good for anyone.

And there was this cute little schnauzer who was captivated by Bella.

He was following her like a little kid with a crush. Really wanting a moment of her time. I had a cute photo of it….sort of…..you can see his shadow and ears…

Damn it Kate!

Moments Of Boredom

2011-03-28T16:04:00.000-07:00

There are those times when I stop to fuss with the camera. Lighting changed. Lens change. What have you.

I always take a few shots of one of the dogs to see where I’m at settings-wise. It’s usually Kate because Bella is too close.

Her face in these always cracks me up. So ho-hum. No posing, no waiting for the ball to be thrown. Just the nothingness in the lull in the action.

She looks like she’s behind the guy at the store with 15 items in the 12 or under line.

Of course, she would never speak up.

No, no.

Kate would go the passive-aggressing route.

Lots of stink eye

And loud deep sighs

Damn, he’s getting stamps, too?! Ugh.

OMG, Is That The Sun?!

2011-03-27T13:26:00.000-07:00

Not completely sunny, but we’ll take it!

We finally got a little break in the weather. Seems like it’s been raining for about 4 months. Maybe only 2 weeks, but who’s counting? The rain doesn’t dampen (no pun intended) our normal ball chasing routine, but it certainly does dampen the camera activity. We got to go to our favorite Secret Dog Park today. Camera included.

Much happiness ensued.

Smiley bitches!

Maybe a bit too smiley? Smiley leaning toward cray-cray?

Man, so nice to be outside without an umbrella or a ridiculous amount of layers on

Belly even stayed smiley with a Kate up her ass

She spent a lot of time watching a guy play catch with his daughter. You could see the wheels turning.

She totally couldn’t understand why someone would be throwing something without a dog to bring it back.

She thought they needed her assistance.

Weren’t doing it right.

She’s a love…

But she can be a bit judgmental

:-)

Best Lure Coursing Face Ever

2011-03-10T06:43:00.000-08:00

That's Kate in a Setter Suit

HAHA!

And just 'cause I *heart* her....

Best regular ol' kinda face ever

Move Along, Nothin' To See Here

2011-03-08T13:08:00.000-08:00

Almost quite literally nothing to see.

I promised myself after my last ridiculously long photography/blogging break that I would make an effort to fit it in since it is something I actually enjoy.

You may have noticed that I failed miserably.

I suppose having too much work is better than the alternative, but dayum! Lots of work at work. Lots of side job work, which means I get to stare at a computer at home as well as at work.

Mama needs a break! :-)

Bella has been doing well.

That is to say no more teeth have fallen out of her face.

The vet suggested that we do a baseline old-lady work-up on her when we were there for the tooth. Everything came back great – solidly mid-normal ranges on everything. Well, everything except her creatinine level. High-normal at 1.6. It was suggested to me that I put her on a low protein food. You know, that prescription diet for kidneys that you can only buy at the vet that has NO MEAT IN IT AT ALL? All grain with some pork fat thrown in to get the dogs to eat it. That bag of corn that costs $75.00?

Seriously? WTF?

OK, if your dog is in serious end-term kidney failure, go ahead and go low protein. Why would you put a very active, very healthy dog who has no symptoms at all and is still actually in the normal range on this food?! If this is to be a true baseline, shouldn’t we make no changes at all and re-test in 4-6 months to see where we are at? What if high-normal is just normal for her?

Argh!

The old-lady bit came up because she turned 8 at the end of last month. Flaked on that, too. Sorry, Belly. No party, no post, no nothing. You can have a cake when you’re 10.

On top of work, work, work, we have been trailing, trailing, trailing.

Mid Feb to Mid April is just non-stop. Fun, but no free weekends, either.

Bella has been pretty normal. I seem to be ironing out my weave weirdness and she is responding by actually doing them. Funny how that works.

Kate has been great. Last weekend she had her first-ever full day. 5 runs in CPE. Handled it like a champ. All Q’s!

Her head has swollen so much that she no longer fits in frame

I still have a hard time trusting her. I really have to regularly remind myself to run her like I do at home. No baby-sitting, no waiting, keep moving. And forchristsake, don’t fuck up her weaves like you did with Bella.

Just a game, just a game.

No game. Serious agility face

You know how it can be hard to transition to trailing? More tense environment for you and the dog, no food, no toys, etc? I have come to the conclusion that the transition is not that hard on the dogs. I think those things are more crutches for us than they are for them - the privacy, the treats, the toys.

You know that whole 'sing like no one is listening, dance like no one is watching' thing?

We need an agility one...

Run like you have liver in your pocket and a tug in your belt loop!

Emo Dog Is Emo

2011-02-18T06:10:00.000-08:00

Country Teefs, Now With More Country!

2011-02-16T17:41:00.000-08:00

We have the same little routine when I get home from work. I go down to my office and sit in my chair. Bella gets in my lap and we have our how-do-you-do’s. Complete with lots of cooing and whining.

Only, on Monday, the conversation went like this…

How are you?

*whine whine whine*

How was your little doggy day?

*whine whine whine*

Wait…??

*whine*

Where the hell is your tooth?!?!

*er?*

Missing chicklet!

I couldn’t figure out what the hell she could have possibly done at home that would cause a tooth to make a run for it, then I remembered her PVC run-in on Sunday. We were lure coursing. They use 4-6” pipe cut in half to cover the lure at the start and end. On their first run, Bella tried to grab the bag as it snapped up going into the pipe. I was looking right at her and thought she hit her chin. I checked her chin out, no blood or anything. I guess that’s not what she hit.

Owie!

Isn’t it amazing how these guys do things that would put a grown man on his knees and they don’t even blink? I cannot think of a single activity where I would not be stopped dead in my tracks if I had a tooth knocked out of my head.

We did make a vet trip. All’s good in the hood. No surgery or anything.

I think she experienced more discomfort in the photographing of used-to-be tooth spot than she did when it got knocked out.

Let’s see ‘em, Bella

No, don’t just crinkle your nose. I want teeth!

No, dang, Bella, in focus teeth

Forchistsake! The bottom ones. Come here.

*deep sigh* Would you work with me, please?!

Sorry

Much better !

Although, perhaps not as menacing?

Maybe we should quit agility and take up hockey?

I Totally Know How They Felt

2011-02-09T10:24:00.000-08:00

Was cleaning up my hard drive at work and came across this pic of the girls from 2007.

We were at a Christmas party. A Boston Terrier Christmas party.
Scrappy little dogs, those.

The terriers, they know how to party.

The collies? Not so much.

HAHAHA!

Trial Ramblings

2011-02-08T13:08:00.000-08:00

We had an absolutely phenomenal weekend. The weather was unreal. Not unreal like the rest of the country. Quite the opposite. No snowpocalypse for us.

Heatpocalypse

I’m not complaining.

I think it was 77° in San Jose on Sunday. Not quite as warm at our trial site, but pretty damn close. It was warm enough to warrant running the AC in the hotel room because I had panting dogs! Odd to be playing the agility in short sleeves the first weekend in Feb.

Bella had a great weekend. We are overcoming our weaves woes, which is to say I am trying very hard to keep my damn mouth shut and let her do her job. I don’t know why I yammer at her so much. I am, generally speaking, a fairly quiet and introverted person. On course at a trial, however, I can’t keep my pie hole shut. At our prior trial, we had a straight tunnel (a Bella fav) next to the A-frame. I called her once, she adjusted her line perfectly and was clearly committed to the A-frame.

What do I do?

Called her again.

She goes “boom-boom” as she hits the A-frame like a flyball box and comes right back to me. Why must she listen so well?! I need a little less obedience and little more mind reading.

Get to working on that, Bell.

Yeah, start holding your breath now.

Kate did well this weekend, too, although she was having some stressy moments. She seemed to be either really on or really over it. I didn’t realize what was going on until I was thinking about it on the way home.

When Kate is stressed she gets sort of disconnected. She’s not looking for the next obstacle, not looking for lines, she looking for the point at which This Will Be Over.

I don’t see no nothin’

She doesn’t shut down like she used to, which is great, but still, we should be enjoying ourselves, yes? This trial was a one-judge one. The lower levels are always small classes, but even smaller at the one-ring jobbies. Like one or two dogs small. The classes she was being weird in were the ones that I didn’t have time for our normal pre-run routine. It was walk the course and grab your dog ‘cause you’re on. Didn’t have time to prep her. No getting her in play mode. No tugging and tricking and practice jumping.

She really needs that time to loosen up mentally as well as physically.

Good news is that’s a super easy fix. When we run into this time issue again, which I have been lucky to avoid so far, I will just make Kate’s time my priority. If that means scratching runs for one of them, then so be it. No point in putting her that situation, right?

We don’t want to see Stressy Pants

We want Happy Pants

Atta Boy Luke!

2011-02-07T11:30:00.000-08:00

Master Luke made the CPE Top Ten in Specialist for 2010!!

Not bad for a one-eyed dog, yeah?

Good boy Lukie Duke!! Congrats to you and Mommy Marie!!!

Maybe Bella will let you hump her now.

:-)

More Fear Mongering

2011-01-26T08:44:00.000-08:00

So, I’m sure by now that you have read the news that sleeping with your pets can, and probably will, kill you. It’s a wonder I am still breathing.

I heard it first on the radio on my way to work yesterday. Then read up via everyone’s BFF, The Interwebs.

The first article I came across was this:

Daily Mail

Oh my, where do I start?

How about here…

“Among the more serious medical problems animal lovers risk by snuggling up to their pets are chagas disease, which can cause life- threatening heart and digestive system disorders.”

Have any of you ever heard of chagas disease?

Me neither.

Google is my friend. From Google Health:

“Chagas disease is an illness spread by insects. It is common in South and Central America.”

“Risk factors for Chagas disease include:

· Living in a hut where reduvid bugs live in the walls
· Living in Central or South America
· Poverty
· Receiving a blood transfusion from a person who carries the parasite but does not have active Chagas disease”

I don’t see Fluffy mentioned anywhere, do you? Just how the hell am I getting this tropical bug disease from Kate? I guess I need to start worrying if I lose my job, move to a hut in South America and somehow end up needing a blood transfusion. Until then, the bitches can sleep where ever they like.

Oh, and this..

“Cat-scratch disease is another problem. It can come from being licked by infected felines, and can cause lethal damage to the liver, kidney or spleen.”

From being licked? It’s called “Cat-scratch” for a reason. According to these folks, simply having a cat is an issue. Is your cat beating the crap out of you while you sleep? Seems to me it would make more sense to warn people about playing with their cat. Sleeping with them seems much safer.

From Wikipedia:
“Cat scratch disease (CSD) … is a usually benign infectious disease caused by the intracellular bacterium Bartonella. It is most commonly found in children following a scratch or bite from a cat by about one to two weeks.”

Benign.
Not quite life threatening, yeah?

A real doozy…

“A nine-year-old boy from Arizona even caught the plague because he slept with his flea-infested cat, according to the report. “

Of course he caught the fucking plague because he slept with the cat. We are just going to skim over the “flea-infested” bit? Would he have caught the plague if his parents had spent 3 dollars on a

damn flea comb?!

And my absolute favorite…

“The study also showed that most of the dogs allowed to sleep in beds were small, but 41 percent were medium. One in three was large.”

OK, so writers are not mathematicians.
Let’s break this down for them, shall we?

“One in three” = 33%

All dogs sleeping in beds – medium dogs – large dogs = small dogs

100% - 41% - 33% = 26%

26% does not equal “most”

Jesus H!

If you are going to spew crap at least make some kind of sense! If you want me shaking in my boots, give me something to fear. And for fucks sake, buy a calculator!

The only thing I am at risk for catching at my house is a bit of The Crazy.

If They Only Knew

2011-01-25T10:14:00.000-08:00

You ever have one of those conversations with someone wherein they say something with the assumption that you agree with them and you totally don’t? You have that awkward not-sure-how-to-handle-this pause?

Do you bring up the fact that you don’t agree and risk pissiness and/or judgment or do you just let it slide? Perhaps imposing the standard neutral gesture of lips pressed together, one eyebrow raised slightly coupled with a slow nod?

Outside of the dog world, it’s usually political or socioeconomic commentary. In the dog world, for me anyway, it’s always about 2 things: feeding raw and chiropractors.

The raw feeding one is probably not so much about feeding raw as it is about how not feeding raw is cruel and unusual punishment.

Now, I am not putting all raw feeders in one lump. I know lots of you and you are very nice and sane people. You have to know, however, that the fundamentalists in your ranks are a smidge kooky. The Kibble Is Death In A Bag folks are a bit out there. These are the people that make me nod in agreement when agreement is about as far from reality as it could possibly be. Trying to have a conversation about it with these folks ends up being as productive as trying to get Fred Phelps to carry a rainbow flag.

MY DOGS FOOD COMES OUT OF A BAG!

There, I said it. Judge me.

*gasp*

Now, what I would say if I didn’t fear for my reputation and well-being is that if it makes you feel good and you can afford it and your dogs do well, feed whatever that hell you want. I just don’t think it matters all that much. Now, I wouldn’t go feeding my dogs Ol’ Roy or some shit like that. They do get good kibs, but it’s kibs none-the-less. My personal feelings are that dogs are not strict carnivores. They are scavengers.

Eating poop makes me happy!

I do not believe that some lonely cave-lady stole some wolf pups and *poof* we have dogs. Dogs come from lazy wolves. The first dogs came from the slacker wolves that figured out it’s much easier to just eat our garbage than chase some fucking elk around the plains for hours. I think that’s why we get along with dogs so well. We are essentially lazy-asses ourselves. Our brains got so big because we spent so much time inventing things so we wouldn’t have to work so hard.

Wheels, guns, remote controls.

If I just look cute, people hand me bull bits to eat. No running required!

Dogs developed on left-overs. I can promise you that what is in my bag of kibble is better for them that what is in my garbage can. It’s a step up!

The chiro thing is another funny one for me. I always seem to end up in conversations with people who are hard-core adjusters. Those people that believe that anyone who does anything with a dog should take them to get adjusted as a normal course of doggy maintenance. More nodding.

MY DOGS HAVE NEVER BEEN TO A CHIROPRACTER!

There, I said it. Judge me. Again.

Even thought I don’t do it, it makes sense to me if you have a dog with messed up structure or an injury or some chronic something or other. If taking a dog like that helps them, aids in pain management or whatever, knock your socks off. I do not, however, understand the regular visits for a young, perfectly healthy dog.

I self-adjust

I mean, if my car needed a realignment every 4 months I would start to look for the actual problem, not just continue to band-aid it. Yes? I don’t get it that people put all this time, effort, research, and money into buying a puppy from “great” sport parents with “outstanding structure” and a “topline to die for” and the dogs are always out somewhere.

Why?

At what point does one start to look at other things like fitness level or injury or training or something? If you have a normally structured dog who is always throwing something out why just put it back? Look for a solution, maybe?

She prefers her hips under her chin

Bella cracks her own neck

Again, if you want to do that as a maintenance thing for your dog, great.

Your time, your money.

But, enough already with the attitude toward us non-adjusters, though.
Or, perhaps, get a feel for your audience before your sermon?

Yes, she hate us

Please take me home with you?

Good Night, Webby

2011-01-07T11:45:00.000-08:00

Yes, this is a dog blog, but cats are people, too, right?

Dear Webster, Little Webby, The Webinator, passed yesterday due to kidney disease.

13 years is a long time to know a cat, but not long enough.

Not ceiling cat, Sink Cat!

Traveller Extraordinaire

He was one of those cats that thought very highly of himself. Always up for a conversation. He was a legend in his own mind. Really just a chicken at heart, but loved to pretend like he was some tough, wild beastie.

He played a key role in the Raising Of Bella, teaching her very important life lessons like:

It may be smaller than you but it can still kick your ass

Sure, chase the kitty, but for your own well-being it's best to stop about 10 feet out

Sharp things come outta no where. Often for no good reason

And the most important lesson...

The cat always gets the best sleeping spot
Ah, who are we kidding, they get the best spots, period.

Run free Web.

No more pain.

No more suffering.

You can probably eat string where you are too.

See you on the flip side little buddy.

What's A Vacation?

2010-12-30T11:21:00.000-08:00

The company I work for is always shut down the week between Christmas and New Year's. We all look forward to it. There is something different about a forced shut down. In typical American fashion, most of us don't take like actual vacations. A day here and there, sure, but like a week or more at a time? Doesn't happen often. And even though we work for a very relaxed and understanding small company, there is still that weird feeling that someone will be irritated or angry if you take time off. No one actually does, but it's there. Plus, since the company is small, we all wear many hats. The thought of digging out of the pile of shit that will be left after returning from vacation makes taking one not worth the trouble.

Christmas week, though? Different story. No one can get irritated because no one is there! No one to leave extra work on. No one to screw up your stuff up in your absence. No one to steal your favorite pen.

So what do I get to do on this fabulous free week?

Jury duty.

I know! WTF?!

So far it hasn’t resulted in me having to actually do anything other than check back in after 5, check back in after 5, check back in after 5, but I feel like I’m being held hostage. Can’t make any sort of plans since I don’t know what day to day will bring. I may be called on to execute my civil duty and send some crack head to jail at any minute!

So, my grand vaca has so far consisted of lots of laundry and ball throwing.

I even managed to plan a dog trip that involved the sun. We have not seen much of our fiery friend of late.

Sunnies make for a happy Belly

Happy big-eyed Belly

Who even got warm enough to engage in the summer time cool down roll

Refreshing!

She was like a spring chicken

And occasionally, a little like Kate

Not so surprising, Kate was like Kate, too

That is to say weird with a dash of annoying.

We also got to go to work on vacation.

You totally wish you were me right now, right?

Hey, it's the end of the year and shit needs counting.

It's a little hard to work with Kate, though. Smidge on the OCD side. This is what I get the whole time we're there

You may say, "just put the ball away."

Tried it.

She can stare at a drawer, too.

Note the little torn open packet? Yeah, that's the ibuprofin I lifted from the first aid cabinet.

So much for dogs lowering your blood pressure.

The Damn It I Missed Bark

2010-12-29T08:36:00.000-08:00

Kate has a little quirk known throughout the South Bay dog parks as the Damn It I Missed bark. Whenever she misses the ball, which happens to be a lot, she barks. It goes a little like this…

Ukiah from 2halves on Vimeo.

If she’s really excited, it’s more like this

Untitled from 2halves on Vimeo.

Now, this has never really been an issue. I mean, who cares, right? A little woof-woof never hurt anyone. However, about a year and a half ago we changed our exercise routine. When my office mate went on maternity leave my work schedule had to change. Gone was the in at 6 out at 3 sched. Since I refuse to do the dog park thing during peak hours, we changed to AM runs. 6:30 AM runs. And since our dog park runs right behind a residential neighborhood and people’s back yards are like right there, the barking had to stop. I just can’t be that dog owner.

I tried yelling at her for barking, praising her for being quiet, little time outs, treats, nothing worked. I ended up just managing it by running them individually as the barking tends to be Bella-inspired. This works, but it also means that they either get half the amount of exercise or we stay at the park twice as long. And, contrary to what the dogs may think, I actually do have other shit to do.

I decided to try walking her down. She barks, I just head right at her. Not fast, but no saunter, either. End up meeting her about half way. She sits in front of me looking confused as to why I am no longer in the throwing spot. I quietly explain that she needs to STFU and turn and walk away. Four times I did this. Barking stopped. She finally made the connection. Woots for Kate.
I would say she is quiet about 97% of the time now. When she does have a slip it looks like this…

Throw the ball

Eye on the ball

Overrun the ball

Damn-it-I-missed bark

Shit, did she hear that?

My bad

At least she seems to be getting it. :-)

Miss Kate In Action

2010-12-09T17:42:00.000-08:00

I can't tell you how fun(ny) I find these vids. Little Kate. The dog that would pee when you asked her to sit. The dog that hates doorways. The dog that runs into fences.

Just having a good old time. She's running like a puppy. Hey, she ain't trotting, so I'm good. And watch her tail. The damn thing never stops.

Kate STD Fri from 2halves on Vimeo.

When I go online to check records, Bella's are more about business. Where are we at? What does she need? What should we enter next. There may be a "oh, that was a fun one" thrown in, but more about the record keeping.

Kates? Ha! Everytime I scroll down to see tht she has a little growing list of Q's it makes me smile. My Kate has titles. I never thought that would happen. Of course I would have been totally fine if she had never started enjoying agility. Everyone needs a good Auxillary Dog.

It just tickles me. Totally puts a smile on my face.

Kate STD Sun from 2halves on Vimeo.

That a girl Kate Kate!

She's So Handsome

2010-12-08T07:48:00.000-08:00

No one ever mistakes Kate for a male.

Bella?

All the time.

What's his name?

I guess she is a little tomboy-ish, yeah?

Would totally play softball if she were a person

Eh, that's OK.

I *heart* her manly ass anyway.

:-)

Even When You're Good You Still Get Tortured

2010-12-07T14:27:00.000-08:00

Kate still continues to impress me with her newly found love of trialing. I ran her twice a day, all three days over Thanksgiving weekend and it was seriously the most fun I have had running her. It still sorta feels like I was running someone else’s dog. Like, “where did you come from?”

I fell outta the sky. Now throw my damn ball.

I was worried that our agility break would have a negative effect on her. I knew Bella would be fine. Thought maybe having 5 weeks without touching equipment may have set her back a tad. Not at all. She was kinda – “yay, this again!?!” – all weekend.

Leave me alone. I’m judging you for doubting me

The problems, as per usual, we all me based. I keep catching myself babysitting her. I don’t even mean while actually running. I do it while walking the course! I have to keep stopping and asking myself why I am doing X. I don’t do this out loud, mind you. I do have to keep telling myself that if something happens I’ll just fix it. No need to walk the damn fix!

It’s a wonder you get your shoes on in the morning

That whole Trust Your Dog thing is tough.

Trusting your handler sucks, too

I said it’s “tough,” Kate. I didn’t say it sucks.

Well, you should have

We certainly have stuff to work on. I decided to try one thing on each run and see how she did.

Sending to weaves – check
Fading weaves – check
Fading contact – check
Rear cross – fail
Obstacle discrimination – epic fail

The rear cross thing I get. We don’t do a lot of those. The obstacle discrimination? Whew, we need some work on that. Kate has decided she is a tunnel-sucker. Tunnel under contact? Damn it, we are doing that tunnel!

And again. And again. And again…

I also noticed that she is stressing a bit when I lead out. Her little ears go back and she sits there like she waiting to fail.

Kinda like when we're at home and I ….

Maybe I should put a cookie on her head at the startline?

I could stay like this alllll day!

This is so them.

Bella – say “free,” say “free,” say “free,” say “free,”

Kate – Holy mother of God, I’m going to die!

Cookies on my feet, cookies on my feet.

*happy place* *happy place*

Being one of my dogs kinda sucks sometimes.

Who Started This?

2010-11-15T17:51:00.000-08:00

So, I'm sitting in my office and housemate is watching an agility DVD. Finishing up one started over the weekend, so it's been ringing in the house for a few days. Don't know who. Hearing things about contacts, though. Does it really matter? No so much. They all sound the same.

I have a question for the more experienced people...

Who the frickin' hell started this "boy-woy" and "girrrrlllll-lay" shit?

Drives me nuts! All I can think listening to it is...

OMG! STFU!!!

I think it drives me nuts because it’s so bandwagon-y. I think trainers should have their own unique thing. I don't mean language. How screwed up would that be everyone called the same thing by a different term? I mean their own thang, you know? Whoever started it should stick to it and other people should get their own calling cards. Hearing all these people praise the exact same way is just a little weird. It gives me the same reaction as when I hear someone at the park do the Cesar Millan psht thing to their dog.

I'm also very curious as to why they ALL talk that way? Really, all of them. Like every DVD. How did that happen?

"Gooooood Boy-woooooy"
"Goooood Girrrrllll-lay"

When did this become the universal way to praise your dog?

Isn't agility complicated enough? Do we really need to start adding syllables to shit?

Aren't these are the same people that can't take the time to completely say other stuff. No time for reverse flow pivot or lead out pivot or serpentine. We are in a rush. Agility all about speed. Must RFP and LOP and serp!

But we have like 12 minutes to get out
"gooooooooooooooooooooddddd giiiiiiiiiirrrrrllllly-laaaaayyyyy?"

Me no gets. I'm conflicted. Is this my problem? Will things change if I switch to the 12 minute praise? Maybe my old-timey "good job" or "atta girl" or "yes" not getting through?

Hmm. There is so much I don't know.

And, for your trouble: Partial Kate's

How They Love The Plastic Bag

2010-11-15T08:12:00.000-08:00

Went down to Aptos yesterday to do a little Lure coursing. Our new favorite thing. Well, maybe Bella’s new favorite thing. My good little brown one that does no wrong becomes a complete crack head when she hears the lure machine. She becomes Primitive Bella. Wild Beast. Huntress of the recycled grocery bag.

See, I don’t let me dogs chase stuff as a general rule. No crittering. No harassing wildlife. I think it’s dangerous to encourage a dog to, for example, chase squirrels. As most of you know, generally their ears stop working when they get that heavily into prey mode. Then you end up with dogs that get into trouble, say, with a moving vehicle, because they decide that going after a small fuzzy thing is way more important than listening to you bellow COME!

I think Bella’s years of “don’t even think about it” are catching up. She’s like the kid that was raised to be all responsible and a good citizen and for god’s sake eat your vegetables who goes all ape shit when they get to college and spends four year getting drunk and eating nothing but Snickers bars and pizza.

She really thinks this is the best thing evah!

She could seriously do this all day

Kate thinks it’s pretty much Da Bomb, too, but more in a chasing Bella kinda way. Kate is much faster than Belly. If Kate is behind, she’s on Bell, not the lure

It takes her a few go-arounds to figure out what they are doing. The first couple of runs are spent yelling in Bella’s ear.

What are we running for?!?!!!

Seriously, where are we going???!!!

She does eventually realize that there is a purpose

She at least shuts up then

She’s still giving Bella a break, though. Trying to not one-up her big sis. She could totally get around the track in half the time it takes Bella

Maybe Kate just sees it as more of a family activity than her self centered sis?

Dogs On Logs

2010-11-13T15:22:00.000-08:00

Well, not logs, I guess. More like Dogs on Tree Stumps, but that doesn’t rhyme.

Work with me, here

In continuance of our agility hiatus, we did more regional park-ing today. This morning it was Pulgas Ridge.

There was much posing on stuff

They have taken down quite a few trees, so there are plenty of dog torture opportunities

Some nice lady stopped me to let me know a rattle snake had been spotted up the trail a bit. As I was thanking her for the info she commented on how well the girls posed.

“I can’t believe they just sit on a stump like that”

Yeah, well, they may have done this a time or two before. :-)

And they may stay there, doesn’t mean they are wholly participating in the experience.

Other things on their minds

Bored with my non-dog hobby

Perhaps checking out the scent of a previously irritated dog forced to sit on a stump for no good reason

Kate not usually this direct with her commentary

Bella sooooo did not want to pose on the fence. Did you know that dogs fake smile? The mouth says Happy, the eyes say I Hate You With Every Fiber Of My Being

She hated it until she found the bird poop

Apparently a little poop goes a long way with her

Goofy Tail, Goofy Dog

2010-11-07T08:51:00.000-08:00

Truer words have never been spoken.

We played hookie from agility yesterday and decided to just go do stuff that doesn’t involve thinking. No being right or wrong, no yellow paint, no silly poles. Just going. We went up to Oyster Bay. Our favorite used-to-be dump-now-dog- playground.

The pics are so telling.

Can you tell who the thinker is?

Who considers their environment and who’s just moving around in it?

That tail is up always

Seriously, up there a lot

It’s actually quite a good flag. You can tell immediately when she’s listening.

Although, she may not be listening to you

Kate loves to hike. It’s her calling in life. She prefers to follow paths. No wondering around in the shrubs. It think it is related her not wanting to be wrong. Her needing to know her boundaries. When I first got her, if we were hiking and I had her on a long line, she would go to the end of the line and do dog stuff. Walk, sniff, pester Bella, etc. If I took her off her line she would be attached to my hip. Really. Just right there, no wondering off. Her boundaries were no longer defined and she didn’t know what to do with herself. I think she fines some sort of security in a path.

“We are going this way because that’s were the gravel goes!”

Bella, OTOH, not biggest fan of the hike. To her, it’s just like a walk in the neighborhood sans leash, so what’s the point? Once the novelty has worn off she begins to look like she’s on a chain gang.

Beginning: Happy to be here. What’s happening? What are we going to do? Where are we going to go?

About 45 minutes in starts the ‘meh’ body language

I’m kinda over this now. Can we go?

That’s where the secret weapon comes in. That would be the Wubba I stashed in my pocket.

Wubba squeekies also aid in family photos

I do get blown off fairly quickly, though, when they realize it’s not getting thrown.

Again, note the tails. Kate? Really?

*sigh*

When A Problem Is Suddenly Not A Problem It's Still A Problem

2010-10-29T10:51:00.000-07:00

And I hate, Hate, HATE not understanding problems. I'm totally fine having them if I understand them. At least understanding enough to have some sort of plan to fix them. I don't even care how long it takes to fix (...I'm looking at you, Kate...) as long as I can feel like I'm on at least, sorta, kinda, maybe on the right road.

Enter Bella and her I-can't-do-weaves-at-trials crap. So, last time I brought this up I got some good advice on how to work on a problem at home that only occurs at trials. Put more pressure on her, weave into corners, weave into a bent tunnel, etc. This we did. This helped. Her weaves at trials have never gotten to the weaving like I'm not at a trial stage, but definitely improvement.

Two weekends ago, fell apart again. Just seriously like she does. not. want.

So last weekend we had 2 Standard runs each day. Was thinking would be crappy weekend with my non-weaving dog.

First, prior weekend = caca.

Second, weather unreal. Like “Auntie Em, Auntie Em, it’s twister-type!” weather.

If you are a spectacle wearer like myself, your weekend would have looked a lot like this:

Third, because of the weather I setup inside. I never setup inside. Too loud, too busy, and too much traffic directly in front of expens makes for cranky dogs (…Again, Kate, looking at you…)
So what happens? Great weekend! She frickin’ went and qualified in all 4 standards.

She was hella relaxed and having a ball!

Not too much Serious Face

Even in the poles
Damn her!

Now what do I do? Just hang out and wait for her to fall apart again? I don't know what her triggers are. It drives me nuts! One of my friends noticed that when I just say "weave," Bella turns and looks at me. ?? I have to pay attention to what I say outside of trials. It seems if I give her some other direction, she goes in, like go-weave or out-weave.

Or, even I just ask politely. Our last run of the weekend was Snooker. It was super late in the evening and I have a 2 hour drive home. The 7 was the weave poles. We had enough points to Q without doing the weaves so I decided to just ask her. If she didn't go in we'd just go to the table. So, out of a tunnel she comes, as I was front crossing I said, "you feel like doing the weaves?"

Bam, right in.

I do have to say I love that I can trust her on contact equipment. Now, I am not your hard-core agility person that wants a 1.5 second dogwalk or who expects her dogs to fly up to the down contact on the teeter and ride it down from there. I kind of just want them to do the equipment safely (not that speed is not safe...I'm not saying that so don't go there :-) )and how they are comfortable doing it. I am so not a shave seconds off anything person. I value more the fact that Bella thinks enough to not throw herself at the teeter when it's raining.

(Once again, Kate, your direction)

Must think on slickies

All trial photos by Dave Mills - http://www.pixf.com/

_____________

ETA:

This dog is currently listed on the Nor Cal BC Rescue site as a courtesy listing. Owner re-homing.

If I lived alone I would go get her.

Bella 2.0

Actually, I would probably call her Ditto.

:-)

Kate: Agility Dog

2010-10-22T10:09:00.000-07:00

We have been trialing fools again. Will be out the door shortly for another this weekend.

Little Miss Kate has been doing great! Two weekends ago (has it been that long since I posted?!) I ran only her and did 5 runs per day. All Q’s, although not all pretty ones. Her first run of the day was Jacklers. I set her up at the line and lead out 20 feet or so. When I turned around to release her she wasn’t there! Of course my first thought was that she high-tailed it back to the ex-pen as we were setup pretty close to this ring. Nope! Not Scared Kate, Social Kate. She was in the corner of the ring visiting the pole setter! All up in her lap, little ass wagging, trying to get the pole setter to interact. This is so un-Kate like and so funny. I didn’t re-set her, just started running from there. I had planned, based on her first trial, to do 10 obstacles in our opening. She ended up with 15 and did the gamble like a pro.

Iz Miz Social now. Planning party for next weekendz!

Last weekend I only did 2 runs per day with her. Again all Q’s. Again, not all pretty ones. She was clearly a little stressed on Sat. Probably because this is not a trial site we are at often. Was much better on Sunday.
More running, less WTF.

Bella, however, is back to the I-don’t-want-to-do-weave poles thing again. All classed sans poles are great. We had a fantabulous 51 point Snooker run last weekend that was one of those runs that just feels perfect. All smooth, all fast, not even a hint of a bobble. My 86% Q rate dog is now down to a 40% Q rate in Standard because of our weave woes. Although, as before, great everywhere except trials. Booo.

When we get to the weave portion of the course I get this…

All the other portions, this…

Seriously Bella? I guess I’ll she how she does this weekend and try to assemble some sort of plan. We do have a UKI trial coming up pretty close to home. Maybe we’ll go run that Since you can run with a toy.

Frisbees make everything better

Also, the Department of Psychology at Columbia University is conducting a study about communication between humans and dogs. There is an in-person study if you are in the Westport, CT area.
There is also an online one that can be found here: http://www.columbia.edu/~msw2111/index.html
It says it takes about 30 minutes, but it didn’t take me nearly that long. They are looking for all people to participate, not just serious dog folk or trainers, etc.

You don’t even have to have a dog!

This >< Close To Plucking

2010-10-08T11:17:00.000-07:00

Bella and her ever increasing crop of gray hairs.

I keep telling her to knock it off. She keeps blatantly disregarding my wishes. OK, I know no one is getting any younger. I know it’s not like she 15 or something. I’m just not ready for the visual reminder.

This is not her color. Not part of her ticking. She has old man tufts now! WTF?!

Plus, she has this one new one right on her eyelash line that’s driving me crazy.

Remember the Mole in Austin Powers?

“Mo-o-o-o-le”

“Nice to mole you--meet you! Nice to meet your mole! Don't say mole!... I said mole.”

That’s exactly how I am with this one damn hair. See it? Her little gray eyelash?

I totally would have plucked it by now if I had normal tweezers. I only have the super pointy actually used in electronics manufacturing (ahem) tweezers. One wrong move and I have to explain to my vet that Bella’s eye is deflated because I was bother by a hair. Maybe not.

Kate thinks Bella is going gray because I can’t just leave her the eff alone

She may have a point.

“Dear Lord, make the crazy lady put the camera down, stop taking about hair and go the hell to sleep”

“’Cause that’s what I’m doing”

“Here I go”

“And……night night”

Fine. Sleep then. Bitches.

^^^ You can tell “winter” is coming. The I’m Chilly Nose Tuck is back!

2010-09-27T18:26:00.000-07:00

Geez, between the live-streaming agility and live-streaming sheepdogs and super cool horsey stuff on network TV (!) it’s a wonder I even bathed this weekend!

Poor Bella was not only feeling neglected, but the various not-supposed-to-be-in-the-house noises were driving her nuts. The barky agility dogs and sheepdogs whistles caused endless frustration. She was also sorely confused by the sheepdog handlers random “Hey, you’s,” “Lie Down’s,” and “get outta that’s!” She would hear something familiar and look at me like, “that didn’t come from you did it?”

When I finally did peel myself away on Sunday, I got a little taste of my own.

A little how-does-this-feel?

OK, prolly deserved it.

Kate a little less sensitive about it.

Hi, remember me?!

Little less watch, little more throwing? Please and thank you?

Thata way, iffn you don’t mind?

Woot! Finally!

Yes, finally.

Good thing for them the FCI World Championships aren’t free! I only really love the streaming if it starts with “free.”

Yay for us!

Something For Everyone

2010-09-24T17:45:00.000-07:00

Lot's of free live streaming this weekend!

Interested in agility?

The NADAC Nationals are being streamed in two different places.

Agility Vision: http://www.agilityvision.com/vod/nadac-2010-live-stream

3 Pines: http://www.3pbn.tv/2010champs/

I'm not a NADAC person, so some it of has been totally lost on me. Hoopers makes no sense to me at all, but it's been really fun to watch! Some really nice running contacts.

And..

Maybe you're interested in watching Border Collies be all Border Collie-ish?

Go watch those premier working dogs to their thang!

http://www.nationalsheepdogfinals.com/webcast/

Still About The 4-Legged And Hairy

2010-09-23T15:57:00.001-07:00

It's my brother's birthday today.

Say "Happy Birthday" interwebs!

Although, I suppose, since he lives in Denmark it will be tomorrow when he reads this, so "Happy Belated Birthday" perhaps?

What good are birthdays if not for a little embarrassing? A little stroll down memory lane?

All photos circa early 80s or thereabouts.

My brother and Red

Red was known for being a bit of a shit. We probably would have called him really bad names if we were old enough to do so without getting in trouble. I think I recall him breaking one of our parents noses...?

(old-assed cars in the background...teehee)

Then there was Flip.

If Flip were a dog he would have been a Borzoi

Can't leave myself out, right? Me and Mel. Note all the short names. I was destined to be a Border Collie person! :-)

You can always pick me out in pictures. I'm the one with the worst posture!

I totally still sit like that. Only now, it hurts.

Happy Birthday, Svend! Hope it was a good one!

Well, It Did Take A Few Years To Master The Whole Ball Thing

2010-09-13T18:17:00.000-07:00

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised?

Maybe I should give her a break…

…Considering we don’t Frisbee all that much?

Nah, if I can’t give her shit what’s the point?

Clowns are no fun if you can’t laugh at them!

I concur

Me. The one with the floppy thing in my mouth

Where it should be

Or, at least, will soon be.

Don't listen to her. She doesn’t know what the hell she’s talking about.

I got this!

It's Crack For Dogs

2010-09-12T12:27:00.000-07:00

Had a delightful, albeit short, morning down in Soquel. Once a month they have lure coursing fun runs.

Have you done this? No?! You need to. ASAP.

Holy crap the dogs love it!

We have only tried our hand at this sort of thing once before. We did the Course-A- Lure thingy at Cynosport a few years back. Apparently, Bella’s memory is intact, ‘cause she was all over this like flies on shit.

We do have an all-breed racing club in Nor Cal now, but all of their events so far have coincided with agility weekends. I guess the coursing folk are not CPE-ers.

So many smiling dogs!

Seriously happy pants all around

A morning dedicated solely to WEEEEEEEE

Lots and lots of WEEEEEEEEEEE

Some a little more serious than others

Everyone equally saucer-eyed, though

I didn’t get a chance to photograph my two. We had a bit of a rain delay wherein the rain is actually sprinklers on the field. Whoops. Ever try to find maintenance guy on Sunday morning at a high school? Yeah, good luck with that.

We will definitely go back next month. Hopefully no more sprinklers and perhaps a bit more sun!

The Weekend In Cell Phone Pics

2010-09-08T13:11:00.001-07:00

Decided against taking actual camera with me this weekend. Sometimes you just get tired of that one extra bag. Particularly when that bag weighs about 300 lbs. Particularly, particularly when you have to take the stairs to your 3rd floor room 'cause someone, who may or may not be named Kate, does not like the elevator.

Plus, the place we trialed this weekend has one indoor ring (crappy to shoot in) and one outdoor ring that usually has a photog in it already. Plus plus, Elk Grove in the summer is not conducive to sitting in the sun taking freebie pics of other people's dogs.

Do you know who Willis Haviland Carrier is?

Inventor of the A/C, that's who.

We thanked him repeated this weekend for his thoughtfulness. I'm sure he was thinking about ladies with dogs sitting in traffic when it's 99°.

We had a fantastic trial. We needed one of those after our last cluster eff of a trial. It was one of those weekends that reminds you why you do all this bullshit. It was hot, but not unbearably so. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves (Bella included...yay!) and we had some great CATCH's earned.

The heat did keep some of us close to the grass

A tad more smiley when back in the A/C

Bella was pretty smiley all around

She had a great time. Q'd in 13 of our 15 runs. The best thing about that is the 2 NQ's were so obviously my fault. None of the weirdness of our last trial where neither of us could figure out what the hell was going on. No blown contacts, no refusing to do the weaves, no telling me to go to hell, no acting like you're someone else's dog.

She normally poops out soon after eating dinner. She even had energy left each night to harass the pigeons on the roof next door.

So, all in all, fun, safe, happy weekend.

However, the ride home looked much like the right up.

A Bit Of A Meltdown

2010-09-03T08:29:00.000-07:00

Thankfully, only of the computer variety, not dog or human melting. Been having PC issues. Those ones that involve repeated trips to the store to buy things that aren’t the right thing. Then those trips to return those things that involve uncomfortable and often irritating conversations with kids that I could totally be the mother of if I were of the baby-making ilk.

Do you have Fry’s where you live? I’ve only seen them here, so maybe a CA thing? Weirdest damn store ever. I can’t really put my finger on it, but there is just something fundamentally wrong with being able to buy a hard drive and a turkey baster in the same store. Perhaps they should change their name from Fry’s Electronics to Fry’s Electronics And Random Shit That Fell Off The Back Of A Truck? Fry’s Electronics And The Stuff That Didn’t Get Destroyed In That Fire? Dunno. Would be helpful, though, to be a little more descriptive.

Plus, maybe it’s a personality flaw on my part, but I have a hard time trusting the computer advice of the 12 year old kid in the $50 suit when they are also pawning meat thermometers.

Long-ish story short. I ended up buying a new machine. Then we have the fun of getting the stuff from over there to over here and, damn, that software doesn’t run on Win7, and, damn again, when did they stop putting LPT ports on the back of computers. Gah! Been fun week.

Dogs? Oh, you came here for them. Right.

Here’s one.

That one doing very well with her re-re-training of weave poles.

At the sheep joint, though? Not so much. Just holding the fence down.

Other one pretty good, too.

Sheep thing going pretty well, depends on the day. I don’t know enough to really know how she’s doing. I don’t know how much of our issues are related to her lack of experience vs. a lack of talent. I don’t know that she has what it takes to ever be off the puppy sheep. I guess that’s OK. She started late. No plans to trial here. Just learning.

They can both hold the fence down if necessary

A Belly Photobomb

2010-08-18T06:48:00.000-07:00

*snicker*

Agility By The Sea

2010-08-16T18:36:00.000-07:00

We went out to Pacifica to do a little training on Sunday.

We stalk Luke at trials. May as well on the free weekends too, yeah?

Mr. Luke recently lost an eye to glaucoma. Luke’s mom has been working being on Luke’s blind side without him taking her off her feet and practicing the dog walk as much as she can, as poor Luke is a little hesitant. The place we trial most often has one ring inside and one out. Luke has had a few dog walk meltdowns inside. Obviously, he doesn’t see as well in the darker indoor arena.

He has no problem camera-spotting, though

It’s really quite amazing how these guys adjust. Try just walking a course with one eye shut, let alone running it!

Our practice? Not quite so serious. Sure we do some stuff in the beginning. Then we practice the agility that involves me sitting the grass with a camera on my face. To make myself feel better I just call it “distance work”

Hey why don’t you two go do that 180 so I can get a pic

Backup, backup, backup, weave!

Now get your ass in that tunnel

Maybe this is why I get ignored on course?

Our practice time also involves other important things like The Art of Begging

Investigation of what bug is crawling on your ass

Keeping the ball away from your no-good, dirty, low-down, ball-thieving sister

And waiting for the opportunity to be a no-good, dirty, low-down, ball-thieving sister

We take out training very seriously!

An Itchy Bum: Bella's Tail Of Woe

2010-08-14T18:56:00.000-07:00

“Tail” of woe. Haha. I made a funny.

Not so much?

OK, onward…

So a few days after our trial in San Martin, I noticed Bella was licking her tail. There was what appeared to be a bug bite. Mosquito-ish in nature. OK, whatever, leave it alone dog.

Week later, I get out of the shower and notice clumps of hair on my bed.

WTF?

Bella chewing on tail. Damn. Didn’t I say leave it alone? OK, get the skin powder stuff out. Seems to be getting better.

Another week, was furminating (<-- that will be in Websters before you know it!) Bella outside and noticed a weird depression in her heiny feathers. Bald spot!

Bigger WTF?!

Now, I never see her itch. She’s all sneaky and shit about it. Of course we are on our way to another MF’ing trial. Decide to bathe her at hotel with the magic shampoo.

If you ever wondered what “learned helplessness” looks like….here it is

I totally screwed with her notion that hotel rooms were bath-free zones.

I tried to smooth it over with the whole, “well at least you can be on the bed when you’re wet. That’s cool, right?”

Again, not so much

I hate to be the one to kick a girl when she’s down, but, damn, this pic cracks me up. For those that argue with me about whether or not she’s a mix, can you see her cattle dog front end now?!

HAHA! That tiny little heiny! If The Incredibles ever need a dog I have one for them. She’d probably love a cape.

So, off to the vet on Monday. I asked them to do a scrape to make damn sure we had no passengers. Nothing. Bug bite that went wrong because she was messing with it? (Hate to say I told you so, Bella). Did she get something on her that irritated her skin? Who knows.

The vet did harp on the flea thing.

Me: She doesn’t have fleas.

Vet: Well sometimes we don’t notice….

Me, interrupting: No, no. I don’t know about “we,” but I notice everything. I know every square inch of that dog. I am constantly going over her looking for lumps and bumps and cuts and scrapes. I go over both of them with a flea comb at least 3 times a week. I’m quite sure that most of your clients love their dogs and treat them well. I’m also quite sure I’m your only client who has a flea comb on her nightstand. Yes. That’s where it lives. Nail clippers, emery board, flea comb.

Three beings in my bed. No more. Like, ever. I gua-ran-tee. I’m a little OCD about the flea and tick thing if you haven't picked up on that yet. Trust me, it ain’t that.

It’s funny ‘cause it’s true!

So, 20 minutes later, some fancy new spray. And we’re off.

I am now referring to it as the G-d damned, 170 dollar bald spot.

*sigh*

Dogs.

Am I right?

Just One!? Argh!

2010-08-06T12:40:00.000-07:00

After all my impatient waiting, only one fricking pic of Kate.

Dang!

I do happen to notice where the photog is. Not that I plan my courses around that, but, you know.. :-) I know he had a few great A-frame pic opportunities. Bad light maybe? Maybe he was being nice because every time Kate saw him she would look right at him? The sound of a shutter is like a clicker for my dogs. It means you either have food or a ball!

See?

Also, maybe she should be jumping 20? Hmm.

Some good ones of Bell, though. I guess since she is running a full load, more photo ops.

Being a Good Girl during her gamble.

This is her being good after being an ass. She did not want to get in these poles.

So funny how she looks all serious. Was not serious at all all weekend!

When it warms up, hose the dog!

All photos by Dave Mills (www.pixf.com)

I *heart* Dave's work. I want to be just like him when I grow up. You should check out some of his other dog sport stuff. The lure coursing shots are to die for.

We are back at it again this weekend. No running for Kate, though.

Enjoy your collective weekends!

Baby's First Q

2010-08-04T19:45:00.000-07:00

I’ve been holding off the weekend re-cap because I’ve been (impatiently) waiting for trial pictures to be posted. Not up yet. Can you believe people have things to do besides put pics up of my dogs?! Umm, hello? Kate’s first trial!

Need. Pics. Now. Less waiting, more buying!

Alas, we’ll make due with our own. I’ll just use random backyard have-nothing-to-do-with-this-post photos.

Short version, if you’re the short attention span type: She did great! 3 out of 4 Q’s. Even got a first!

Longer version for those that care:

I must admit that sometimes I tire of learning things from my dogs. Sometimes you’re in the mood for the deep and meaningful, sometimes you just feel like playing a stupid game on the weekends with your dog. Am I right?

Things are never simple with Kate. I guess I should say “with me and Kate” or even perhaps, just “me.” I really, really just want so bad for her to relax and enjoy herself. Enjoy the game. Not worry. So, naturally, I worry about her worrying. She notices that I’m worrying and worries even more. Now that she’s worrying about me worrying, I worry more (and, honestly, get a little frustrated) and we end up in this circular cluster fuck of nerves.

Now, one of my agility problems is that I don’t really plan much or set goals. I do love to train and trial, but since I don’t tend to take the agility thing super-serious I don’t take the planning and goals thing seriously either. I have no timelines. I can’t do this with Kate. No off the cuff shit like with Bella. Goals settle my mind. Keep me from thinking about other shit that doesn’t matter. With Kate, I must plan more. Think ahead.

I got up Saturday morning so freaking nervous that I was physically uncomfortable. OK, maybe now time to think about this a little? Like, what the hell is my problem? What is there to be nervous about? Stupid game, remember?

I am always a little uncomfortable at trials. I am a fairly introverted person. Being the center of anything is never completely comfortable for me. This was more than that, though. Was I worried about being embarrassed if Kate didn’t perform? No need for that. Great group of supportive folks. Many of whom have or have had dogs with various issues. Damn-near everyone knows what it’s like.

Am I worried about failing? Failing what?! It’s agility, dummy. Not only is it just agility, but since I have no plan or goals, no mark to miss, right? Plus, Kate doesn’t know a good run from a bad one. Far as I know, she doesn’t read course maps or have the ability to count points, either. That’s the point that stuck with me…

She doesn’t know.

That’s what I have to keep reminding myself of. She really doesn’t know. She wants to have fun and enjoy herself as much as I want her to. The clock, the points, the Q’s, the titles, the people standing around watching don’t mean shit to her. She wants to run around and then eat some cheese. She doesn’t know.

And people say talking to yourself is weird.

So, in that 10 minute drive I let Kate and myself off the hook and even set a few goals:
1) Hold her contacts (no worrying about the clock, no letting them slide *cough*Bella*cough*)
2) Play with her in line and at the start. Don’t stand there watching other dogs and ignoring her.
3) Should a problem arise, stay with her, support her until she figures it out, don’t change my volume or tone of voice.
4) Dispense lots of cheese even though it may mean 2 AM potty walks

It worked pretty well. Our non-Q of the weekend was our first run. It was one of those WTF?! non-traditional gambles. The ring was divided into quarters and the gamble was doing a 1 pt, 3 pt and 5 pt obstacle with no others in between and you had to be outside of the quadrant that the gamble obstacle was in. Whew. There was lots of hopping back and forth and really weird lines. Fun to watch, kind of a hard one for baby dogs. Kate nailed her contacts and got her gamble but was over time because we screwed around with a difficult tunnel entry.

Her other three runs were great. Stayed with me, didn’t run around anything and actually had a little speed. Not her top, but that will come with experience and confidence. We had some nice compliments on her contacts and someone actually said, “Oh, I didn’t realize you were running the young one.” *smile*

I think Kate was feeling pretty good, too. Normally, Kate is pretty clingy. She is seriously like owning a 31 pound piece of lint. Saturday night she actually went on the other bed in the hotel room to sleep. I asked, “What are you doing over there? What is this? You get one damn Q and you suddenly need Me Time?”

Yes, me time. All about me. If you could stop thinking about yourself for 5 minutes, you would have realized that years ago. Stupid human.

SOOO proud of the Dingbat!

Will post trial pics when I get them.

This Is Why I Rarely Go To The Beach

2010-07-29T19:17:00.000-07:00

I am so not fond of sand. It’s just an irritating substance. You know how you feel right after handling a Brillo pad or scrubbing something with Comet? That’s the beach for me.

So, much to my chagrin, the only place to exercise dogs (and by exercise, I mean photograph) at our trial last weekend was in a gigantic litter box.

You can see they were as thrilled as I

Man, when Dingbat is not even cracking a smile. Whew

It was just like old times for Belly. Just like in AZ. Sand covered, teeth destroying tennis balls

Maybe not her best move of the day?

I guess on the plus side, since this beach was sans ocean, there was at least no vomiting on the way home

*cough*Bella*cough*

The trial was fun. Teeny tiny. I like small trials, but the really small ones are exhausting. It’s like you go run your dog, back to your spot, get your ass half in a chair and hear someone holler “we need workers!” Damn.

Bella had a great Sat and kind of a half-assed Sun, but whatev’s. Not getting paid for this shit, right?

We have a couple more trials weekends here. Next weekend I am running Kate.

Did you hear me groan a little there?

I really shouldn’t do that. She is just running a couple of games each day. See how she doing kind of thing. In typical Kate fashion it will be one extreme or the other. She will be speedy and enjoy herself like she’s been doing this her whole life…or…she’ll be stressy and refuse to leave the startline. Former, please.

If it’s the latter the videos will really suck. :-)

Fingers crossed for The Noodle, please!

We want this

Not this!

Training Or Maintaining?

2010-07-23T11:26:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of discussion lately on various boards and blogs about recalls. Can you ever have 100% reliable recall? Can you have a 100% reliable anything? What does your dogs response time say about their personality? Yours? Your relationship and/or training?

My herding (<-- there’s that word again) instructor asked me how long I think it took to get my dogs to be how they are. How they are is generally well behaved and willing to listen, even if you’re not the one who doles out the kibble. My answer was that it wasn’t about a time frame or a training method. I think it’s about the maintaining. I don’t care if it’s your dogs recall or your house, your job, your car, or your marriage, for that matter, if you don’t maintain it you’ll end up with a bigger mess to deal with than if you had taken care of it in smaller pieces as you went along. It’s about the day to day interaction, not just what happens when you’re actively training.

I suppose one could argue that maintaining is training. You may be right, but I think of training as teaching something that the dog doesn’t already know and maintaining as, well, keeping that training in place.

Like, “I said “lie down,” damnit”

I regularly work on things that matter the most to me. Those things being things that can get your dog killed like a non-existent recall, door manners, boundaries, getting in and out of the car, etc. I also happen to think that the most important thing you can teach your dog is some patience. A little self control.

Like, I could totally bite this sheep in the ass right now but I won’t ‘cause that would make me A Very Bad Dog.

I try to work these things into everyday stuff. At the park in the mornings I don’t just mindlessly throw a ball. We do stuff. It’s about my dogs interacting with me, not just interacting with airborne spheres. We work on agility stuff: sending out around things, start line stay and the like. We work on patience by having one wait while the other chases. Calling off a thrown ball. Distance work. Etc.

She can keep her distance

It sounds sort of like I’m in constant training mode. I’m not, really, I just try to make maintaining a part of the game. This not only serves to keep my dogs safe and fairly easy to live with, but it benefits us in our extracurricular activities.

You develop and maintain a relationship by working on it. Attending to it. I see this a lot with agility people. Mostly the new ones, but some been-here-awhile ones, too. I’m not knocking agility folk, BTW, I’m sure it’s the same with all things dog. That’s just where most of my limited experience lies.

We love agility and its people! Much less dirt involved.

People don’t seem to get the connection between their relationship off the field and their performance on it. If you don’t interact with your dog during the week, you don’t work or play, you behave as if you are an observer of your dogs’ life instead of an active participant in it you won’t get the results you want. If your dog ignores you in the house or could care less if you are at the park with him or not you have a bigger problem. And, it may not be the training.

And, sometimes you just end up with a dog that just has problems :-)

Happy Gotcha Day CupKate!

2010-07-16T07:39:00.000-07:00

It was 5 years ago that I saw this pathetic little face on Petfinder.com

I had several emails and phone calls back and forth with the foster coordinator. Since Kate was a 3.5 hour drive away, we all wanted to be as sure as we could that this was good fit. The FC’s priority was getting Kate into a home that would help her. She wanted her to go to someone who would help her get over her issues and not just accommodate them. My biggest priority was Bella. I did not want to end up with a dog that would make her life miserable.

It was a win-win. Although, there was some questioning on that first day

First step: Remove some fat!

I don’t know if you can really tell since you guys don’t see her IRL, but man-o-man was she out of shape. The dog that can go all day now could only run for about 3 minutes before she had to lie down! Getting her in shape was pretty easy as following Bella around was her number 1 priority. Everything else has definitely been a learning experience for both of us. Kate is both the easiest and most difficult dog I have ever worked with. She really is an easy keeper. Quiet, non-destructive, travels well, good with others. The struggle for both of us has been dealing with her worrying.

This she has always done a lot of

She’s the dog that Can’t Be Wrong

Progress was also hindered by the fact that she didn’t know what toys were

And wouldn’t eat treats

There were many times that I looked at Bella and said, “what the hell are we supposed to do with this dog?” :-)

After about a year of shaping, trying to get her into toys, she just decided one day that maybe balls were kind cool. I was sitting on a bench at the park throwing the ball for Bella. I looked up and noticed that Bell didn’t have the ball. Of course, I started to get annoyed. Who’s untrained dog am I going to have to chase around the park for 20 minutes to get my ball back? It was Kate! I think the day Kate discovered retrieveing was the darkest day of Bella’s life. Haha. It’s been all down hill from there.

The Kateness was born

She is the perfect example of Be Careful What You Wish For

She also quickly caught on to the She Who Holds The Ball Rules The World thing. Need a break? Don’t let it go.

It’s been such a joy to watch her change. My favorite is just seeing her enjoy herself. Just have fun or hang out or just be without worrying that some unnamed horrible thing is going to happen any minute.

I say to her often, “I love you even though you’re the most clingy and annoying dog I’ve ever met.”

Bella loves her, too, even though she may prefer a little more personal space from time to time

To celebrate, we had a little peanut butter last night. PB is the one torturous thing I allow myself to do to my dogs. Watching progression of irritation cracks me up ever single time.

We start all very excited that something good is coming! Bella gets all smiley

Kate tries hard to keep her shit together. What she really wants to be doing right here is screaming in my face.

Then we get our first tastes and life is good.

Well, life is good until you have been licking for about 3 hours trying to get the damn PB off you face.

My face is tired

This is not so fun anymore

I’m going to kill you in your sleep

No, no, let me. I sleep closer to her head

Grazing

2010-07-07T07:29:00.000-07:00

Step 1: Make sure no one is coveting your ball

Step 2: Dig deep. That’s where the good stuff is

Step 3: Single out the tender ones

Step 4: Pluck

Step 5: Savor

Back To The Crazy

2010-07-05T15:15:00.000-07:00

This is what you come here for, right? Not so much the sheep? Can't help it. Little OCD.

Been slacking on photographing the Kateness. Still here in all its glory, though

Plenty of running without thinking going on. Just run with your gob open. You’ll get lucky

Sometimes, not so much

Kate still cute little pointy Kate

Still trying to keep her eye on the prize

I still can’t stop with the Picnik business

Seriously, it’s getting ridiculous

Help me

I really shouldn't have this much free time. :-)

The Other Players: Lucy

2010-07-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

Alternate title: I Can’t Stop Farting Around With Picnik

For this, I totally blame Carolynn

__________________________

This is Lucy

Cute, right? Smoothie. Girl. Goofy ears. Right up my alley!

She is from cattle lines. Bred in another state. And by “another state,” I mean Southern California. She is a wee bit of a softy. Perhaps not cut out for cattle work as her pedigree might allude to. She was also getting the tar beaten out of her by the other dogs. I guess all parties agreed that maybe another home would be best for all involved.

Maybe a sheepdog instead?

It’s neat to watch them progress. Not just working, but the day to day stuff. Gaining confidence. Starting to relax. Not constantly on alert that something may hurt you any second now.

Although, she still wants to make damn sure everyone knows she’s listening.

“I can’t get any more down than this”

Good girl, Lucy. Good girl.

The Other Players: Pete

2010-06-30T06:10:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-28T11:48:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-27T08:38:00.000-07:00

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?

2010-06-18T08:03:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-17T07:18:00.000-07:00

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. :-)

Logic I Don't Get + Trial Pics

2010-05-21T10:18:00.000-07:00

Why is it when someone is being an asshole and you point out that they're being an asshole you suddenly become the asshole?

I don't get this. I complain about it at work all the time. Since this is a dog-related blog, I am complaining about it with regard to the general dog owning public.

A friend from agility is having issues with her dog. He's not aggressive, just young, a little insecure, and intolerant of puppies and rude adults. Who isn't?

This is Koda

Quite the scary beast, yeah?

So, we met at the park a few days ago so I could get an idea of how he was acting and get them on the path to recovery. Probably more than 12 steps involved.

We were sitting on a bench just outside the dog park. I see a woman coming with a great dane puppy. Probably 500 lbs already. I get Koda eating. Hard to try to remove puppy face when you are stuffing your own with pastrami.

The woman walks right up to us, proud isn't-my-new-pup-great smile plastered across her face, stops her dog about 8 inches behind Koda's head and just stands there. I don't recall getting the RSVP.

I say, "Could you back your dog up, please? We're training."

Not even mean like.

She gets the most offended look on her face, rolls her eyes a bit and walks away muttering, "I didn't know."

So, I'm rubber, you're glue thing? Now I'm the jerk for saying something? She couldn't bother to ask first? "Hi, I have this brandy new pup I'm socializing, can he say Hi?" Would that have been too hard? I would have gladly said he can greet the brown one, but leave the other 2 alone unless you want his lip pierced.

WTF, people?

Serious post, serious agility dog

Seriously doesn't like collecting
More running, less turning

Bella's Cheering Section

2010-05-19T19:39:00.000-07:00

Now, I am not normally a put vids or photos of one's self on the interwebs person, but this one cracks me up. This is Bella's Jumpers run from last Saturday. Jumpers not not funny. Kate, of course, has to be the show stealer. You can see the row of shades on the opposite side of the ring. Kate is in the last one to the left.

Turn your sound up. Listen for the chorus of "iiiiieeeeeeeeoooo" that begins at about 13 seconds.

HAHA. Every damn vid from this weekend soundtracked with screaming.

What can I say? She likes to SING!

You Ever Get That One Shot That Totally Sums Up Your Dog?

2010-05-13T18:05:00.000-07:00

Yeah, me too.

I can’t even tell you how Kate that is.

Except maybe to show you that the expression is commonplace around here

Seriously, she was made for that parental expression…

Wipe that grin off your face….

She even effs up shots with a smile

Although sometimes look of concern that Sister may come take her toy

Usually because Sister comes and takes her toy

All good in the ‘hood, though. Sharesies!

Belly's C-ATCH Schwag

2010-05-01T12:10:00.000-07:00

The goods are in! I can now fill in the hole on my office wall that used to be filled by ribbons that have since been recycled.

Are you really going to make me do this?

She wasn’t expecting there to be props

Her preferred use for props

I think it’s just peachy that The Bay Team customizes ribbons. However, I’m not sure how I feel about the second billing. :-)

And, of course, we can’t leave out Miss Always A Bridesmade, Never A Bride.

Now, I’m not holding my breath that Kate will ever get anything with a CH anywhere in it, but she is going to her first fun match next weekend! That in itself is a miracle. Cross fingers and paws that she doesn’t stress out!

The Tongues Say It All

2010-04-27T17:59:00.000-07:00

“L” is for “Leave me alone”

“M” is for “Man, she’s bitchy”

Did you just call me….wait…M?

How did she do an M?

I can only dot an I over here

I guess I’ll settle for rolling my GRR’s

Back In The Saddle

2010-04-24T14:41:00.000-07:00

And sometimes you get back in that saddle head first.

We are talking about Kate here, right?

I guess, if you are going to get back at it, may as well be full steam ahead

I think she takes that reference a little too literally

I think it’s safe to say she’s feeling better

No prob stretching those legs anymore!

Back to the pain-free blank stare

O hai! Alls bettrz!

She's Torn For No Reason

2010-04-22T07:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry - crappy cell phone pics enclosed

_________

Normally, Belly the smart one. When she does stuff like this I just stand there with my eyes slightly squinty, head cocked to one side and brow all furled. Did you guys switch bodies?

Let's see here... Raining felines and canines. Already soaked to the bone. Been chasing balls through all sorts of puddles, but, god forbid you step into the puddle to get a drink out of the bowl in the middle of the puddle?

Really Bella? Really?

"Maybe I can streeeetttchh over there"

Seriously, she wouldn't do. Note the fountain right behind here. There's a dog bowl there, too. And, of course, one could always just drink out of the damn puddle, right? Even Kate's looking at like she's a dummy.

Kate would walk through fire to get a drink. Waterholic.

Miss Kate Kate is doing much better. I started letting her run a bit before our two week lockdown ended. Partly because she was feeling better, partly because she was driving me batshit crazy. She only got meds the first few days because she was so painful.

No more gimpy Kate. No more stoned Kate. Although, it is a bit hard to tell the difference between stoned Kate and normal Kate.

The Lone Woof: A Kate-Free Installment

2010-04-16T19:46:00.000-07:00

So Kate, being the dingbat that she is – I may have mentioned that a few times - is currently on injured reserve. I have no idea what she did, but she hurt her back. Poor Kate is the perfect example of the fact that ‘biddable’ does not equal ‘smart’.

She wants to do what you ask the nanosecond you ask it. No planning. No thinking. Just move.

Go out to pee? Will do!! Right now!! Ow, the screen’s not open.

Get in the car? Will do!! Right now!! Oww, the door is on the back, not the side.

In my expen? Will do!! Right now!! Owww, I can’t fit through those tiny little wires

And so on.

I think she twisted herself going to bed. Yes. This is the dog that hurt herself falling off of grass, remember? To go to bed, one needs to go down the carpet covered hall. Make a right into the hardwood floored bedroom. 180° turn. Hop on bed. You can see where this could be an issue at 90MPH? Yeah, me too.

So, I have 5 more days of “rest” and we see where she’s at.

Bella has been loving it. So much so that I fear she may start injuring Kate on purpose.

Not only did she get Kate-free time today, she got everyone-free time. Not a soul at the park this morn.

Little brown dog. Park to herself

Enjoying the little patch of morning sun

Freedom tastes good

You can even throw in some smack talking when there is no one around to hear you

You should always double-check, though

Enjoy it while you can, Punk. I suspect there will be barking in your ear in the very near future.

All That CSI Watching Paying Off

2010-03-29T17:56:00.000-07:00

Just a smidge of sleuthing required to obtain warrant for arrest of Very Bad Dog who got into housemates little pre-packed-trying-to-eat-better-at-work lunches. Very curious to come home from work and find living room carpet covered in smatterings of broccoli and cauliflower.

Suspect #1 way too relaxed to have Done Bad Things

Also, finished din-din in record time. Obviously not full of baby trees

Suspect #2 appearing rather nervous. One may call it guilt.

Can’t stop there, though. Looking guilty not being guilty. Some people a bit more uncomfortable being question by frowning authority figure.

Suspect #3 not looking guilty at all. One may even say “nonchalant.”

On the other hand…er…paw, to be precise….we may have a smoking gun.

Damn rule-breaking Aussies always trying to gets me in the trouble

:-)

All Done

2010-03-23T08:27:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend.

Belly got her C-ATCH – Woot!

We had an 8 for 8 perfect Q weekend – Woot!

And got some raffle swag! Woot!

It was our anniversary trial, too. We started 2 years ago at the Bay Teams' March CPE. Two years, 20 trials. I don’t know how many runs, because my mind doesn’t go there, but if we stay with the 2 theme it’ll probably be another 200 trials before a C-ATE. Haha.

If I were someone who posted videos of myself on the interwebz I would totally share her nice little Fullhouse C-ATCH run. But, alas, I am not one of those people. You’ll just have to use your imagination. She got all silly with the applause and didn’t want to do a vic lap. Just wanted to chew on the pole. :-) Hey, whatev’, if you’re happy munching on PVC knock yourself out. She earned it.

And oddly enough, this is the only outside pic Bella ~~ruined~~ was in all weekend.

Kate was the photogirl

I didn’t have a toy. Was just letting her free-run all weekend. That leads to coveting.

Coveting Luke and any fun he might be having without her

Luke (who you have to call Loooooooooook, BTW) is who we generally stalk at trials. We always run right behind Luke. Totally makes my life easy. Much easier than, say, following a Border Collie or Aussie or Sheltie. He’s not even a Dalmatian. He’s the Dalmatian.

Kate has a thing for the spotty boys

Hussy.