The Morning Crew

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

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

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?

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!

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!

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?

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!

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

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

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