Goodbye Shaman my little buddy

It is hard to write much tonight about Shaman, who died at 4:00 today, with assistance from our vet after two days of slipping away when his Cancer seems to have taken a turn for the worse.

I love this picture of Thorn and Shaman my two bad boys. I figure that since Shaman has been so nice to Caden, he has learned his karmic lesson and Thorn will meet him to help him through to the other side.

I wrote about him last December when he was named #1 Rough Collie for CKC herding in Canada (arena trials) - this is the link (with some great photos of Shaman):

http://spiritdancedogs.blogspot.com/2008/12/way-to-go-shaman-1-rough-collie-ckc.html

Earlier today while waiting for the appointed time and sitting with Shaman I wrote the note below to my friends. Sitting here now, the house seems very, very quiet. He certainly had a presence. Thanks to those of you who have already written to say sorry. He was quite a boy. Here he is last winter playing with a toy.

Nothing builds character or demonstrates love like nursing a sick and dying dog for a few days. It is so hard to let them go but we know when it is the right time, and what is best for them. Still, it takes awhile to let it sink in that they are gone.

My note from earlier today explains it all:

For the past day I have been sitting with Shaman who is quietly slipping away.
This afternoon I am taking him in to our vet Ken, and I know I will be too
broken up to write something later. I just wanted you all to know about Shaman
because you know him, and because it is pretty hard to be alone in a new place
when something like this happens. Shaman was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma in
June 2007. That night the emergency vet suggested putting him to sleep but he
was already rallying so I said “I don’t think it is his time,” and I took him
home. Since then he has had small bleeds (that is what I call them), but a few
months later he earned the last leg on his HI CKC herding title under dear Bob
Vest, and miraculously that made him the #1 CKC herding collie (arena trials) in
Canada. Not only that, but he has mentored young Caden my GSD puppy for the past
year, and has made a big move to Alberta – where he came from! We now live only
20 minutes from where he was born and Nancy has been able to see him again.

Last week he was really sick and I made “the appointment” for him, but
by the afternoon, he had rallied yet again. He is the toughest, most resilient
dog I have ever had. Since yesterday I have sat with him, helping him out a few
times while he tottered around, and now he is lying in his favourite place – up
on the couch – head on a pillow. I am giving him water and just patting him and
kissing him and telling him how wonderful he is and how much I have learned with
him – even though he has been a hard dog sometimes with his bad boy attitude. He
and Thorn never really liked each other, but Shaman has fulfilled his karmic
lesson by befriending Caden with kindness – and the two of them have been great
buddies. Caden has been hovering around and licking Shaman too. It is pretty
interesting to watch.

Shaman finished his CH quickly with some great wins over specials under
specialty judges. His first win was to go Best of Breed over specials at his
first show at the tender age f 6 months under Virginia Lyne. I remember running
to the ring and on the way, he grabbed a pylon and carried it in the ring with
him (!) causing quite a laugh. That was how he was – always full of himself and
bigger than life. He earned his TD on his first attempt under tracking icon
Ilene Newman, but herding was to become his thing. If not for Shaman I am not
even sure I would be in Alberta because he was the dog who really got me hooked
on herding. I flew here in 2005 with him, for my first clinic with Scott Glen –
my life seemed to take a turn after that clinic…and here I am. Shaman did earn a
HIT in 2005 and that made me very proud. But mostly he was a dog who tried so
hard, and always came through for me. He forgave my inexperience and together we
learned and became a team

.

I was so proud when we were voted by our peers for Nancy Chase’s Raleigh Award
in 2005 for the team that most exemplified the bond between dog and handler. And
thanks to Nancy for handling him for his first herding titles the year I was too
ill to do it myself (just prior to my Cancer). When I had Cancer, Shaman was my
constant shadow – he emptied out his toy basket bringing toys to me while I lay
on the couch – and then brought me the basket too! As I recall he and Thorn
declared a truce during that time too, which was in itself pretty remarkable.

Every dog is in our lives for a reason and in the past day I have been
listing all of the things Shaman brought into my life and it is quite a list. He
has been a gift, one of those “soul mates” described by Wayne Dyer, who says our
best soul mates aren’t the ones that are just like us, they are the ones that
challenge us constantly to make us grow. Even though he has not been physically
strong since his diagnosis, he is still mentally tough and able to hold other
dogs at bay with the lift of a lip. Always such a presence, so it is hard to see
him slip away even though I have known it was going to happen eventually. He has
pulled through so many times, I keep expecting him to leap off the couch, but t
his time it will be his great soul that leaps out of his old body, and I will
give him a great send off.

Thank you Shaman for all of the blessings and
thanks to Nancy for placing such a great dog with a great heart into my life.
Well, I am sobbing enough now – so will sign off. Thank you for listening, I
know you all understand.

Donna

CH Tallywood Spiritdance Shaman TD HI STDs JHD
Teacher and Friend

1997 - 2009

"Get the sheepies, little buddy, you're such a good boy..."

Good news/bad news and a warning

Today I took Missy in for her yearly heartworm blood test and while there checked out a lump on her rear. We did an aspiration and it turns out it is a mast cell tumor. http://www.vetsurgerycentral.com/mct.htm I am not in panic mode just yet. As noted on the site I linked to, hers is in a better area than others. We will do the surgery to remove it within the next couple of weeks and send it off for a biopsy. The good news is that working for a vet means I get a discount, the bad news is that she has the tumor at all, and that it has the potential to be bad. So send good thoughts our way for a good test result. I can't imagine not having her around for many more years. She is only 8 after all. I will certainly post any updates.

This brings up a warning however. To anyone going to vaccination clinics hosted at pet stores to save money, not all those veterinarians are doing full exams. Yes you might be saving money initially, but you may not be doing your pet any favors if things are getting overlooked that should be taken care of quickly. I've worked for a vet in the past and the lump to me looked like other fatty lipomas I have seen. Fortunately the vet I work for told me the my options based on his experience. Because of that I went ahead and did the aspiration right then. If I had been at a vaccination clinic the only option would be to get referred to my regular vet IF the doctor noticed the lump and referred me, or to wait and see what happened with it. For some pets, this could mean the difference between catching a problem early and saving their life, or missing the boat and getting it checked to late. Vaccination clinics are meant for healthy pets only. If you have ANY concerns PLEASE go to your regular vet and get a full exam. The vet in our area doing regular clinics doesn't have a home base hospital with all that entails either so his resources are somewhat limited. Hopefully he is keeping records in case things come up (required by law but not always checked) so regular vets can be kept appraised of issues in their clients when needed. Also keep in mind you will not get mailed reminders from those kind of clinics when your pet is due again.

Hopefully there are people using those clinics that need them due to financial constraints. I certainly understand the need. People will always have pets regardless if they can afford them or not. I just hope people use the clinics as they are intended and not to replace good regular vet care for their pets.

Calories Needed For Your Dog

Here's something that you might find really helpful. If you are a real dog lover and a responsible dog owner, I am sure you think a lot about your dog's nutrition. People tend to feed their dogs without understanding how much calorie they actually need. This way either they over feed or under feed their dogs. Check out the chart that depicts how much calorie do your dog actually need based on their age, weight and condition. Dogs with medical conditions BLOOD PRESSURE, or UNDER STRESS, or obese dogs or pregnancy may be on dieting according to the vet. The calorie requirement for such dogs may vary.

Dogs

10 Lb

30 Lb

50 Lb

70 Lb

90 Lb

Puppi es(10 Lb, 33 Lb At Maturity)

90 cal.

-

-

-

-

Young Adult Active Dogs	436 cal.	993 cal.	1451 cal.	1876 cal.	2264 cal.
Inactive Dogs	296 cal.	674 cal.	989 cal.	1272 cal.	1540 cal.
Adult Active Dogs	404 cal.	922 cal.	1353 cal.	1740 cal.	2100 cal.
Pregnant Dogs	518 cal.	1274 cal.	1940 cal.	2570 cal.	3170 cal.
Older Active Dogs	327 cal.	745 cal.	1093 cal.	1407 cal.	1700 cal.

"Dieting" Dogs

270 cal.

580 cal.

880 cal.

1100 cal.

1250 cal.

Puppies Warm the Heart

Tonight was the first session for Puppy Class, or as I fondly call it - Owner Sanity Class.

Owners come to this class for all kinds of reasons. Some for socialization for their dogs, some because they're feeling overwhelmed with puppy antics and others because they want to start their life long commitment on the right foot.

What all of the owners have in common is that they LOVE their dogs!

I'm really impressed with my current group because each of them bought a puppy for the right reasons. They entered into puppyhood understanding the commitment a puppy is and how keeping that commitment is going to impact their lives.

Each of the puppies is absolutely adorable and each has a wonderful personality. Their owners did a great job picking out mentally & physically sound puppies.

I expect it's going to be an absolute BLAST to work with these dogs over the next 5 weeks.

Stay tuned for more details and more pictures of these adorable pups.

Some Minos video

Check out our little man Minos. Not so little anymore. He is growing like a weed.

He is 14 weeks and a solid 21 plus pounds. You can really feel the difference when you lift him up. He is just a hair shorter than Missy now too. I have to remove the girls collars when they play because he tries to drag them around by them. I also prefer not to have them shredded by puppy teeth. They are sharp!



Not great videos but a glimpse of his size so far.



If you listen close you can hear me call him Zeus by mistake. Sorry buddy!

The Pied Piper

I'm currently working a wonderful young dog who has taken to running off of her 5 acre property.

Since I was given a heads up that she generally heads off to play with the dogs in her area, today we roamed the neighborhood together in search of playmates. The main goal was to work on desensitizing my client's dog to the neighboring dog "calls" which claim more fun off of the property vs. on!

I didn't have to go far before I found not one, not two, but three local playmates and also learned that the dogs in the area aren't fenced and left to roam. No wonder my client's dogs think this is normal!

I successfully encouraged my client's dog to remember how much better things were at home vs. out on the road and in the process, I had 2 additional dogs follow me to the property for some fun. In other words, I made my client's place much more enticing than the outside world. I apparently did it so well, that the neighborhood was following me.

So you might be wondering what that has to do with the picture on the horses? Well, not only were the neighboring dogs following me to the home, but the client's horses were checking in on the fun as well! Honestly, I felt like the pied piper working my client's dog while surrounded by two of the neighborhood dogs and 2 of the client's horses as well!

I can't imagine the picture we must have made with the horses and all of the dogs following me around the 5 acre property. At some point, the neighboring dogs were too much for the horses and they chased the visiting pups off of the property - literally CHASED them away! I couldn't help but laugh at the image we made and I really enjoyed the free distractions to train the dog with.

A non-dog post

This is Pumba. He is one of two cats that live at the clinic I work at. He was brought in a few years ago to be euthanized. He shares the clinic with Thomas, who was also brought in for euthanasia. Generally they try to find homes for the pets they take on the care of but Pumba has some medical issues and Thomas has some behavioral quirks that made them more of a challenge to rehome. They are quite happy at the clinic however. This is how he spends a lot of his time, when he's not trying to steal food that is. (he's on a special diet)

He he is after his summer do, a lion cut. Isn't he handsome? I am happy to be able to get my cat fix at work. I want to wait until we are in a bigger place before we add a cat to the family again. I definitely miss having a cat in the house. I'll try to get a photo of Thomas to share next time.

Today we saw this cutie who came in with the local ACO along with two litter mates. She was waiting to pick up two more baby red squirrels so they could all be taken to the wildlife rehab person together. I got to hold him. (or her) They are cute but pee ALOT. Just a heads up.

And for a dash of variety this young guy came in today too. A 3 month old ball python. Not sure I would ever have a snake myself due to the high maintenance they require, but they sure are beautiful.

Dog is Love: Heath and Fitness Expo

Splash did her 'Slumdog Millionare' routine at the Dog is Love Expo, and I was very proud of her.  She funnily enough made up a new move while we were performing.... 

Course Analysis - Phili Area 4-26-2009

Today was a HOT, HOT, HOT day in the sun and on the agility course.

Many dogs were clearly dumbfounded by the intense weather that came out of the blue and tongues were hanging low and the pace was barely a trot.

Luckily, Excellent Standard (my largest class today), was first thing this morning and we started promptly at 7:45 a.m.

Teams rarely had problems with the beginning of the course (#1-4), although a couple of handlers gave a command early which made the dog's turn and go up the a-frame.  

The Open Standard course was similar and a few dogs turned on their own and went into the tunnel on the left.

Most handlers in this area chose to handle the majority of the courses utilizing rear crosses. Front crosses were pretty rare and almost non-existent on this course except after the dog walk. 

*******

Although Open JWW ran earlier in the day (the course was similar to yesterday's Excellent JWW - see yesterday's blog), the last course of the day was the Novice JWW.

It was about 1:30 in the afternoon when we started to run and the temperatures certainly hadn't gone down. By this time I smelled like I'd spent the day on the beach as the club nicely kept someone slathering me up with sunscreen at every possible moment possible.

The Novice class ran very well and like yesterday, they were an impressive group.

Several Novice dogs went straight into the tunnel after the #2 jump when handlers attempted to work this sequence on the left side (with the dog on their right). The other problem area was the #11 jump. If dogs came directly from the weaves and took the #10 jump at an angle (from right to left), they sometimes missed the #11 jump and ended up on the left side of that jump and incurred a runout.

As for some final notes about the weekend, the club did a terrific job and were very, very hospitable. They worked hard and it was a great weekend for everyone.

In memory of

For a dear sweet dog who left us to soon.

Bauer 7/10/97 - 4/24/09

Many hugs to his family, my friends, of The Loyal Biscuit Co. http://loyalbiscuit.wordpress.com/



There is a special place in our hearts,
for those who have loved us without question,
without a word of promise.
There is a special place where there is no pain or fear,
where love flows freely.
There is a special place,
to rest in our hearts forever.



(as seen on a memorial at: http://neversaynevergreyhounds.blogspot.com/ )

Dog tired or my excuse for not posting lately

OK so I was also sick last week which also didn't help. I know I am behind in blogging but sometimes I am just to "dogged out". (yup that was a pun) I have prepared my defense:

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I live with 3 dogs. Some days this is no easy feat. Potty breaks, kong stuffing, walks and training or b-mod as it comes up. (one is reactive) I also feed partially raw and that means a certain amount of preparation for some meals. When I am feeling lazy, like a lot of this past winter, I simply threw kibble into bowls and it was good. Of course it was good kibble so most of my guilt was held at bay for skipping the raw. But since I have the meat in storage and it was free, I need to get back on the wagon and use it before it goes bad. No sense in wasting money on food when I already have some just waiting to be used.

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I work at a vet hospital where I see other people's dogs everyday. Dogs of all shapes and sizes. Many are not well mannered and some even try to eat our assistants on occasion. It is a fun job but it is also a lot of work trying to keep everyone happy. And not all owners are nice or even considerate some days. But I digress. (And truth be told, no matter how frustrating some people can be, I am loving the new job.)

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My other job is as a trainer where on my "days off" I see even more dogs. Many of those are also lacking manners. Of course this is to be expected due to the nature of the job. Most of the time it is fun. Occasionally it is frustrating, usually due the owner. The best part of the job is knowing I have helped people understand their dog better and given them the tools they need to communicate clearly.

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I also spend a fair amount of time writing about dogs both here and sometimes for other media. This includes magazines, other blogs, and the local dog paper when I have the time. Because of this almost everything I do has the potential to become a blog post or article somewhere. I am always on the lookout for topics.

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Then there is reading. I read about dogs a lot too. This includes training books and even fiction. Susan Conant's mystery series are a fav due to the high dog content, I actually don't like mysteries in general. I think some reading is unavoidable since there are always new books on training and behavior to learn from. A good trainer needs to keep current after all. And there are also so many great blogs out there I have a hard time keeping up with. I have learned over time to avoid the ones that annoy me. Life is to short to argue online. (tho I admit to having the occasional slip)

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I am also addicted to watching dog shows on TV. Victoria Stilwell's show "It's me or the dog" is a training favorite as is "Barking Mad". But I admit that I also watch junk TV like "Groomer has it" and I caught every episode of "Greatest American Dog". "Dogtown" is sometimes good but sometimes not depending on the episode. I also like "Underdog to Wonderdog" (tho it sometimes makes me cry, yes I am a sap) and "Breed all about it" and "Dogs 101". I have "Bolt" on DVD but haven't gotten around to watching it yet. "Good Boy" was fun (shades of The Cat from Outer Space) as was "Hotel for dogs". I am avoiding "Marley and Me" at all costs. One Old Yeller movie a lifetime is enough, not to mention I hated the book.

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Also on my "days off" I run the local shelter's prison program. This is where they send a dog that needs training to the local minimum security facility to live 24/7 while being trained to make them more adoptable. My job is to train the handlers of the dogs that are sent. Currently we don't have any suitable handlers (there are requirements) so I am in a holding pattern while they find me some to work with. Unfortunately we always have dogs waiting to get training at the shelter. I look forward to starting the next dog but am grateful for the break too.

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Lately I have also added puppy sitter to my list of dog stuff so some days that means I live with 4 dogs. (for my sister due to her work schedule) And having a puppy means lots of trips outside for potty breaks or cleaning up the messes I was to slow to head off. (Being a trainer unfortunately doesn't make me perfect.) I am also making sure to take him out for trips so he gets to to meet lots of people and other dogs, besides mine, for socialization. Good social skills are important if you want a dog that can play with or be around other dogs and people appropriately. These social skills can also not be made up later, there is a window of opportunity that closes after a certain age with puppies. So supervised playtime with other dogs and puppies is highly recommended while your puppy is young.

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Sometimes I also watch a friends kennel while she is out of town. Multiple dogs to feed, water and scoop poop for. It keeps any urge to be a breeder in check by the sheer amount of work needed to properly care for the dogs involved. Not to mention the costs associated with showing, paying for kennel help when you are away at shows if family can't do the job, and vet bills. I won't even get into the trust issues of placing puppies into homes with new owners. I get the fun part of socializing puppies for her too when she has the occasional litter.

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So you can see that is a lot of dog stuff to add up on any given day or week. That alone can make me tired. Heck I get tired just thinking about the week ahead sometimes!

Now add to that the fact I also have two teens and a husband to meet the needs of as well. (Photo above to prove they do indeed exist. Taken on last years Disney cruise vacation. I am blessed with a fabulous family!!!) Driving them to friends houses, baseball practice, concerts, social time, checking homework, (OK I leave that to my husband) laundry, shopping for clothes, etc. You get the picture. Most days include a lot of juggling on my part. It isn't always easy. But having a family is also very helpful as a trainer in many ways too. I have the experience of the busy life like some of my clients so I can direct them more realistically in handling that with a new puppy or a dog that needs b-mod, training or management. Having been there and done that myself makes me more credible to others in similar situations. Especially since my dogs are good representatives of my training. But again, I digress.

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The point of this post is so that now you know that when I "disappear" it may be because I can't keep up. The occasional break helps me keep my sanity when I can't keep juggling everything anymore. Sometimes something needs to give. The blog is usually my tipping point. Be patient with me, I will always come back. If for no other reason than to have a place for me to "talk dog". Lord knows the family gets tired of hearing all my dog stuff.

Course Analysis - Phili, PA 4-25-09

Saturday's courses here in the Philadelphia area ran well and I had an opportunity to hang out in the sunshine and turn myself into a well-roasted marshmallow.

While I should have been a bit quicker with the sun screen, that's the only thing I can complain about today.

We started off with an impressive Novice Standard class. Great contacts, awesome weave poles and wonderful attention from these dogs.

I had a Novice handler who was running for the very first time and he asked a lot of good questions like 'if it was mandatory to put his crosses in at specific places' and he had no idea about not having any tags or hanging things off of his collar. Imagine my pleasure when he began the course and looked like a real pro! I think he was pulling my leg about this being his very first run - they were really, really good for a Novice A team.

*******

The next course map is Excellent FAST.

Since Open & Excellent FAST were very similar, I thought I'd share a few comparisons.

The biggest difference was that in Open FAST, the majority of handlers opted for the 3 point dog walk vs. the 6 point a-frame and then went straight into the Bonus. In comparison, in Excellent FAST, I don't recall one dog & handler team who intentionally went up the dog walk - instead, they all aimed for the higher pointed a-frame.

If I had to guess why that is, I think the majority of Open folks want to get the Bonus & points and then get off of the course. While Excellent handlers seem to focus more on strategy and getting in practice on specific obstacles.

******

Next was Excellent JWW.  

Since it's common for handlers who don't have a Double Q on the line to pull their dogs and head home. I wasn't sure how many dogs were going to scratch due to the hot 87 degree temperatures that unexpectedly came into the area.  After looking at the numbers, folks stayed to play.

The course was pretty straight forward with the usual side-switches, straight lines, handling portions, etc. 

My favorite part of the course was #11 to the #12 weaves. Since most dogs landed well past the first pole, turning toward the weaves made for an easy entry. Some handlers chose to push their dogs straight ahead at #11, use the open area on the right corner and then turn their dog back toward the weaves to give them more of a notice for this obstacle.

I'd love to set this course up for my own practice with Rouge, who is a very young and inexperienced dog. It has some basic maneuvers that all teams should be able to maneuver and work through. Sounds like a great course to set up in my yard this week : )

Going off to Judge Agility...

I judge AKC Agility often and am sometimes gone 2-3 weekends a month. This weekend I'm in Philadelphia (picture courtesy of my airplane seat).

When going off to judge, there are always good parts to each assignment. I get to visit another destination, experience the culture, visit with the people, note the handling styles & teamwork and much, much more. 

I love traveling, I love getting out to experience new things and I love the different areas of our country. 

While there are so many good things about judging, there are times just prior to heading off to a trial that I can't help but think about how I'm going to miss my home, my husband and my dogs. I feel that way now, but I think I mostly feel jet lagged & tired! After getting up at 3:30 a.m. to catch a 6:05 a.m. flight, it wasn't until 4:30 p.m. that I landed on the opposite coast. Yeah, I'm a little tired.

What I am looking forward to is the sunshine, the warmth and posting some courses for you tomorrow evening.

Until then, sleep well and give your dogs a big hug.

Familiar face at the GSD Club of Calgary Schutzhund practice

Last Sunday I went to the GSD Club of Calgary with Caden. Well-known tracking judge Erich Kunzel is a life member of the club. He came out that afternoon to say hello. They had a big meeting to plan the May trial so there was a big turnout that day. Here is Erich (below) with Wayne and Diane Carnegie, (Erich) and SchH Judge and club member Jan (I am sorry, I did not get his full name! I have to learn names - so many new people...)

River earned her TD under Erich in 2004. Here I am with River and Erich in Thunder Bay. It was SO cold that day, we could hardly stand to be outside one minute longer! I had Cancer surgery the year before, so it was really good to get out tracking again and River loved it too.

It was so wonderful to see him! Now I am only an hour away as he lives in Calgary. Erich has been a CKC tracking judge for many years and was a frequent judge in Thunder Bay. He has also been the CKC tracking representative in Alberta for many, many years and is well-beloved by local trackers, many of whom he mentored. Below is a picture of one of the dogs in training - with the helper Mark, club trainer Wade and owner Dan who is also the club president (Dan has been helping me out with Caden!)

Later we worked with Caden, getting him started in Protection. He is such a nice dog and I am learning so much. I really am amazed at how rewarding this training is, and I am enjoying learning so many new things.

A Day In the Sun for Me & the Dogs

When the telecommunications industry first came up with the camera phone, I thought it was a real waste. But lately, I'm finding that I'm using it more than I ever thought possible!

My camera phone has brought you pictures of animal babies (check back to last week's blog if you missed it), Pillow Talk (i.e. pillow covers that tell you if the enclosed fluff is 'firm' or 'soft') and today's picture which was taken on the water in Gig Harbor, WA.

You may be asking yourself what the HECK does this have to do with dog training? Well, it got me thinking about mental health - both mine & my dogs.

I definitely subscribe to the theory that team work is not only about the physical and the mental, but also about the in-between times. You know, the times where you just 'are' and there's no highs, no lows, there just 'is'.  

As I think about it, I'm certain I take a few cues from my married life and the successful relationship I have with my husband. The reality is that marriage isn't about the full-blown romance and it isn't all about the dramatic (or traumatic) events. It's more about getting through the every day mundane stuff like grocery shopping, vacuuming, feeding the dogs, etc.

The relationship we have with our dogs is similar. It's not about the winning highs one might experience in an event or how one supports the other when they're sick. Instead, it's mainly about the daily time that exists in every day life. 

In my case, it's about the times my dogs are laying with me while I work on my laptop or how they cruise the yard as I sit here typing & sipping on a glass of wine. It's about appreciating the other's personal quirks and characteristics and about allowing me (or them) to just be who we/they are. 

The lesson I embraced today is that there's a time for training and there's a time to be a trainer, but there are also the other moments in life. 

For example, right now I'm watching as Ru & Burton play a game of stalk & chase through our forest area. I get to watch Pinky, my now old girl, just watch, listen and sniff her way around while Spot moves easily between both groups. I feel that I can watch, learn & appreciate their actions better because I took some time today that was just for me - dogs weren't involved. I had a nice lunch with one of my dearest friends along a beautiful part of the Puget Sounds and then we did a little bit of creative shopping. In other words, I took a few hours to recognize & appreciate the non-doggy part of who I am and in return, I can come back and appreciated my dogs so much more.

I believe that allowing my dogs the same type of opportunities makes them appreciate me more as well. After all, if they're allowed to play in the pond, run through the mud and chase each other in the forest area of our home, I believe they come back happier and more willing & able to work with me as well.

So while today I took time for me, tonight I'm giving my dogs the same enjoyable opportunity that I had - which is to just be themselves, to allow them time to get back to basic enjoyments and to let them run and play in a way that they like. 

Sometimes just letting go brings you closer and today was a perfect example of that. So, if you'd like to strengthen the bond between you and your dog, why not just let things 'be' and temporarily forget the notion of control. It's very refreshing, freeing & enjoyable to all!

Flashback - Hartnagles visit Thunder Bay herding trial

These are pictures of Caden in April 2008 at Tanya Wheeler's Tucker Creek farm on the weekend Ernie and Carol Ann Hartnagle came to Thunder Bay. Caden was only 3 months old

Here I am with the very famous "Father of the Aussie" in North America, Ernie. He was very interested in Caden's pedigree, coming from a long line of Herding GSDs from Germany. I had just written a book review of his latest book The Total Australian Shepherd, so it was nice to meet him in person, and listen to his many fascinating stories.

Caden was very interested in the sheep. He grew up on a sheep farm in Pennsylvania, and when he came home to Thunder Bay, I also had sheep, so it was not new to him.

Oh, and I entered the trial with Ted, but this picture tells you everything you need to know about my run. I had to be pulled from the mud, while Ted held the sheep in a corner like a good boy. I wish I had been given another run, but they did stop the clock until I could get on firm ground. I didn't have a run under the Hartnagles but got a run in under Marie Murphy who said I got the "good sport" award. Thanks Marie!

By the time I got going, the sheep were not going to cooperate, I was jangled, and Ted was over-anxious. Ted wrote his own commentary about mud-herding that was sent to friends by email, as I was not posting on the blog during this busy time.

That's Jack, Tanya's FIANCE and another friend, helping me get out. The mud was like quicksand and literally sucked my feet in so strongly I couldn't even pull my feet out of my boots! I would have been there for a few weeks without help. Another girl actually did her advanced run in barefeet when her boots were sucked off. Did we have fun - heck yeah.

AKC Invites Mixed Breeds to Join in on the Fun

Submitted to Clean Run Magazine for their Editorial Page:

This past week, the American Kennel Club (AKC), took a brave & bold step in creating a class where mixed breeds would also be able to participate in AKC Obedience, Rally & Agility events. In listening to some of the feedback, some folks weren't as impressed with this step as I was. I was initially very surprised by some of the lack of enthusiasm from mixed breed folks, but in thinking about it I can understand why.

As a bit of history, the AKC's mission (which was created 125 years ago) was to be a registry for Pure Bred dogs. Back then, I'm sure Pure Bred Dogs weren't necessarily the norm and the AKC was created as a means to solidify and bring order to the dogs who were being bred for specific purposes. Think of this as a bench mark, a standardization or consistency in breeding. For many, this was the start of record keeping, health statistics, temperament testing and so on.

Today, many of us benefit from that consistency - both pure & mixed breeds a like. After all, there is a bench mark for which a specific breeds' structure, temperament, characteristics and usefulness (i.e. their job) is being drawn upon.  This can only be done with decades & generations worth of data and for that, the AKC & Breed Clubs should be applauded.

Now for the negative part. During the last 125 years, the elitism that some AKC members have fostered and built their kennels on has turned off many mixed breed owners. It's true, some breeders have looked down their nose at a mixed breeds and it's also true that other breeders have looked at all dogs as...well dogs!

It wouldn't be fair to label all mixed breeds as mere "mutts" and it's also not fair to label all breeders & participants who partake in the AKC as snobs - especially those who focus mainly on the Performance Classes. I say this because the Performance Classes weren't created 125 years ago, but rather in the current times. For example, Agility has been in the AKC for approximately 15 years and Rally a mere 3-4 years. For the most part, Performance folks have come in with a much more modern & inclusive belief system.

However, even those of us who partake mainly in the Performance Classes have often joked that we we're once thought of as the "step child" in the AKC family. While times are changing and a ton of progress has been made, there are still some from the traditional days of the AKC who just don't understand or care about Performance Events. After 15 years, we realize that we're not going to change their attitudes by acting disgruntled. Instead, we move on, continue to grow, act in a sportsman-like fashion and have quietly moved our chair closer to the adult table each time the AKC Family has come together. It took awhile, but I think we're finally there! In summary, change doesn't happen over night, but change does happen.

Some mixed breed folks are resentful that they're having to join the AKC family at the kid's table. I can understand that. However, we've ALL been inducted the very same way. We all started out with paper plates & plastic ware and as we 'grew up', we were handed the china & silver utensils at the big table. 

Is it right? Who knows, but from the AKC's point of view, it seems to be the prudent thing to do and the best way to move forward and still keep the base of the organization intact. Think of it this way, it's the AKC family culture and just like my personal family, we don't always make sense to those looking in from the outside.

I think the mixed breed folks can learn some valuable lessons from those of us that have come before them.  

• The first being that NOBODY goes straight from kindergarten to Harvard - there are the in-between steps that help to acclimate newcomers to the environment. 
• Second, even long lost family members need time to get to know each other. The AKC has extended an invitation to dinner and now mixed breed folks have an opportunity to either acted graciously and accept or decline the invite - it's as simple as that. 
• Third, every relationship has to START somewhere. We've all heard stories of happily married couples who met under not so perfect circumstances and years later they laugh together about that initial awkward moment. This could be one of those times!
  
• Fourth, it is the Performance Event participants who are WELCOMING the mixed breeds. We're the ones who have opened the door, greeted mixed breeds with a smile and invited mixed breeds to come and play. We're part of the modern, hip and new way of thinking, so don't shun us because our AKC parents have some older beliefs that you don't agree with.
• Fifth, just like an older brother or sister, Performance Event participants have helped pave the way for this new & exciting change. Why not come out and get to know us and let us be your friend & mentor when it comes to AKC matters.

In the meantime all agility participants, regardless of what branch of the family tree their dog comes from, can come out and play together.  Heck, I'll even arrange for this family event to serve finger food - no paper or china plates allowed!

Class Course - April 15, 2009

This course is courtesy of someone, unfortunately I don't know who! Except for a few minor details, this was the setup when I arrived on Wednesday evening, so I used it. : )

While the course wasn't hard, it did point out a few training holes for some of my students. Most notably was the serpentine at the start. I think part of the challenge was the lack of momentum starting this sequence and the handler's urge to move & run prematurely.

Several handlers attempted to start this sequence on the landing side of #1, but facing the #2 jump. They were surprised when their dog failed to take the first jump and moved in between #1 & #2. This was easily resolved by having the handler shift their hips so they were facing #1 and drawing the dog onto the correct path.

Another issue that occurred was that handlers began to move too soon and the dog's came over the first jump, but went between jump #1 & 2 as the handler turned toward their left to run down the line and get to the landing side of #3. This was another easy fix where the handler's shoulders stayed facing the 3 jumps.

Several handlers were stuck in a pattern of repeating the same mistakes mentioned above and so that signaled me it was time to change things up a bit to get them thinking differently. These handlers needed assistance to understand how their body language cues their dog and so, I had each handler run #1 - 7 with either their hands to their side or behind their back.  It's amazing how taking away the swinging arms forced handlers to concentrate on their shoulders and hips to relay information to their dogs.

This worked out beautifully and also made the teams successful. For the heck of it, why not try this yourself? It's and eye opener!

On a personal note, I ran Ru for a few minutes last night and was VERY pleased with her enthusiasm.  As she gets more confident, her speed is increasing and last night I finally got a glimpse at what I'll be working with. As hoped, she's going to be a fast little thing and I'm going to have to start working a bit of distance now. I also need to go back and work my contacts. While she wasn't blowing them, I'm hell bent to be very specific about my criteria and that's what I need to hold myself accountable to.

The next few days are supposed to be nice out so I'm hoping to get some more practice time in with her.

Spring is in the Air & Baby Animals are EVERYWHERE!

Tonight's agility classes were seriously derailed by nature. For once, I'm not talking about snow, hail, floods, avalanche or heat....nope, tonight it was all about animal babies!

The arena where I teach agility is on a working ranch and in the Spring, we're surrounded by the cute, the cuddly & the amazingly photogenic! It's a perk we all enjoy and look forward to each year.

The evening started off with everyone -dogs & people - being overly giddy thanks to the rare & sacred sunshine. When you add in the Spring ranch life surroundings, their brains quickly went to mush.

I feverishly tried to keep classes on track, but with competition like those featured in the pictures attached, it was a loosing battle right from the get-go. I finally gave in and admitted that the animal babies were easily up-staging me and were far more interesting than some plain old agility exercises. So, I stopped pretending to teach and let my students gaulk, cooo, awwwww and take videos and pictures to their heart's delight. 

Those that have been with me for the long-term know the routine, which is that each Spring babies of all types join the ranch life. My students come prepared with their digital devices and even bring their grand-kids, friend's kids and a list of questions for the owners. After all, the babies are enthralling!

As a recap to the evening, first there was the 1 week old lambs (Borox the white lamb is pictured).

Next came the turkey's who combined their nests for a grand total of 19 eggs (picture attached)! Of course that meant that the Tom Turkey was also around strutting his stuff (sorry, no picture - he's very big and I wasn't going near him!).  Then, for some reason the turkey's came OUT of their nesting area and paraded around on the agility course! Luckily the dogs were only mildly curious as they'd seen the turkey's almost weekly now for the last 3 years.

Then there were the kittens (pictures also attached) found in the horse trailer where the extra hay is stored. Apparently a rogue cat commandeered the shelter for warmth and nesting for her new babies.

Last, but certainly not the least, several of us stayed around to watch a lamb being born.  Attached is a picture of the cute little baby within seconds of her birth. It was amazing to watch her work to a successful stand within 10 minutes of entering the world.

This event was particularly meaningful to one of my dear friends & student. She is a vet tech and one of her duties for the day was to ease a little Pug by the name of Daisy over the rainbow bridge after being hit by a car. To go from death to watching a birth all in one day was healing for her.

Another added bonus was that the little lamb was a girl and so the owners of the ranch named her Daisy...in honor of the little Pug she had cared for earlier that day.

While we're all serious about our Agility, it's nice to know that the beauty of the natural things around us take precedence. It really was an unexpected and enjoyable evening for all.

Competition Courses - Spot 4-12-2009

The courses today continued to have some unique challenges and were fun to run.

First is the Exc JWW course. The biggest challenge on this course was embracing patience! With the two pin wheels starting at #7 through #14, handlers didn't have to run to get places and keeping it simple was by far, the best way to handle this sequence.

Next is the Exc Standard course. The first subtle challenge the #5 tunnel to the #6 jump. Dogs tended to curl in and handlers had to be sure to push forward toward the #6 jump.

On the approach to the weaves, this was a place to let the dog land a bit wide to give them a nice approach to the obstacle. This also gave the handlers plenty of time to get a front cross in. Another note on the front cross, those handlers who stopped their movement until the dogs loaded were generally more successful than those who continued moving since it allowed the dogs to enter on the 2nd or 3rd pole.

The approach from the #9 chute to the #10 teeter was tough. On paper it looks ideal, however it somehow didn't translate the same in reality. No fault of the judge's and it could easily have been the way I chose to handle it (with a front cross after the chute). Remember, it's the handler's responsibility to ensure the safety of their dogs and this was one of those times. 

The next really fun part was #13 - #17, the double serpentine. This is where a stay at the table really comes in handy as I was able to lead out to just before #13. As Spot was approaching the #13 jump, I was sure to say his name so that he was collecting over the jump and turning into me on the landing side. I worked the rest of the sequence on the landing side of #13 and made sure my movement was the cue Spot used to know which obstacle and which direction we would be heading in once he landed.

Check out his videos below. We had a great weekend with 5 out of 6 qualifying runs : )

Pug Power! Client Dogs Succeeding

There is nothing better than watching your students succeed. Watching them maneuver through an Agility course, tackling the challenges, working their strengths & weaknesses and ultimately earning that well deserved clean run.

Sharlie & her wonderful Pug, Chubby are featured in the first video on the Exc. Standard course. Great job!! Thank you to Cheri for allowing me to rope her into filming since I was just about to run in the Exc. JWW ring.

Next we have Jill & Amos (a Corgi) running in Novice JWW.  This clean run gave them their title so now they move up to compete in the Open JWW class. Check out their nice run!