When passions collide - of sheep and hay, of dogs and fur trade history, of the Scottish Highlands - and Doris

Haybales in the fall bring back memories of the 10 years I owned sheep in Thunder Bay. I just loved hay day, filling the barn with square bales and standing in the barn afterwards inhaling the sweet smell. It was such a cozy feeling, knowing we were ready for winter. The sheep even celebrated, gathering around the hay trailer like kids in a candy store. This year I live in a small hamlet that is surrounded by huge Alberta fields full of round bales. I took this picture a few weeks ago just west of Penhold, about 5 minutes from where I live!

As the week continues, I am still housebound but feeling so much better. I decided to reorganize bookshelves. Tucked into one of my shelves was an envelope from a friend in Thunder Bay. I realized she sent it to me, returning a book I lent to the "farmer" at Fort William Historical Park, Brendan Grant (note, to purists like me, of the early Fort Days, it is known as OLD FORT WILLIAM).

Brendan borrowed my book The Farmer's Dog by John Holmes. Aside from playing the farmer character, Brendan is also a sheep farmer in Pass Lake, Ontario - located on the Sibley Peninsula that forms the famous "Sleeping Giant" rock formation seen from Thunder Bay. I had never opened the envelope - shame on me. I opened it this afternoon and found that Serena had sent me a copy of Bayview magazine. In the magazine was a feature article about Brendan's "Sleepy G" organic farm. Serena had a post-it note stuck on one page, to point out this picture. On the note she had written "do you recognize these sheep?" I just smiled with delight, because there in the magazine are Doris and Pebbles pictured with Brendan. They were MY sheep! That is Doris pictured at the top of this post, taken at my house a few winters ago...and there she is below...angling for some food -- yup, that's my girl!
What a wonderful treat to find that magazine today! I placed my four older sheep as I needed lighter sheep for Jet and Ted's training. I was so lucky to have connections with the Fort, having worked there myself for ten years. Here are my sheep following me to the trailer that would take them to their new home. They would do anything for corn (makes you wonder sometimes why you really need a dog when you have your own flock that come when you rattle a bucket!)My two darker girls, Hazel and Heather, stayed at the historic farm, because they would produce coloured offspring which was more historically correct for the living history farm. Pebbles and Doris went to live in Pass Lake with Brendan. Below is a picture I copied from their website, where you can see the Great Hall and note that the sheep have run of the reconstructed headquarters of the Northwest Company. My goodness, I spent YEARS sitting at the Main Gate looking at this view when I was a tourguide. Seems like another lifetime ago. Thanks to working there for so long, there is not one fiddle or bagpipe tune I don't know. And now, I live an hour from Rocky Mountain House where David Thompson, my hero, spent many winters...the land of the Hivernants, the Winterers who actually traded goods for furs. Yeah, I know, I still sound like a tourguide...but working there did inspire me to major in Canadian History, and I rarely get to spout this stuff! And there are very interesting historical connections between the NWCo and the history of sheep and sheepdogs, too - read on....

Below, a week after sending them to the Fort, I went to visit them. Here Doris is, kind of looking at me like "do I know you?" Of my four sheep, I sort of favoured Doris who is an Arcotte - Dorset cross. When Tanya Wheeler sold her to me, she said that maybe she would bloom at my place. She was quiet and homely, and came with that name. In all the years I had Doris, I never once heard her "Baaaa." But, we did form a little bond. In the winter when I fed them hay and grain, I would always sneak a handful of corn to her, to make friends. She liked that, and learned to hang back while the others ran to the feeder, because she knew I would have the corn for her. When I worked the dogs, she was the most compliant of the sheep, whereas Heather and Hazel were very stubborn, and Pebbles never acted like a normal sheep - being a bottle fed brat before I got her! I liked Doris the best.

This picture (below) is the last time I saw Doris, before she went to her new home in Pass Lake. They say that sheep are the smartest of the barnyard animals (please take a moment to click and read this)... with long memories and facial recognition. The man who trained the animals for the move Babe wrote a beautiful tribute in a sermon about sheep that is also good reading, called Lambs of God.

People think they are not smart because they run when they are frightened. I hate to tell you this, but people would do the same - as we are much like sheep, without claws or sharp teeth for fighting. There are many good reasons sheep and people are compared in the Bible and I find them positive overall. The shepherd knows his sheep. It is true. I remember every idiosyncracy of my girls, and could pick them out in a flock with no trouble. The sheep know their shepherd. Also true. My sheep used to run to greet me but if I walked up with a stranger to them, they hung back.

There are lots of good reasons why so many Far Side cartoons featured sheep too! I love the ones where the sheep are on their hind legs working out scientific formulas, but when the farmer appears they are on all fours going baaaaa. I think Gary Larson must have had sheep. Most people who work with sheep dogs know how smart and tough sheep can be, often getting the better of dogs.


In Biblical days, and in many places still today, the shepherd walked at the front and sheep followed, because they knew their shepherd. John 10:4 reads: When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. The dogs would hold the sides and bring up the rear, and protect the sheep. This is much like tending, the natural work of German Shepherds. As sheep became commercial, with large flocks displacing Scottish Highland farmers, gathering dogs started to be used to round them up, rather than have people move nomadically from one place to another. That marked a major change in the relationship between sheep and shepherds, and was the beginning of modern, large-scale farming. I find this so interesting, because it also marks a change from tending and protection to gathering and driving, and I have both kinds of dogs with my German Shepherds and my Border Collies. In fact, the Border Collie and the "Rough Collie" later split into two types from one common ancestor simply known as the Collie.

When the Scottish Highlanders were forcibly removed during the Highland Clearances from their farms to make room for large commercial flocks of sheep, many emigrated to Canada. Some of them became famous explorers and founders of the Northwest Company, opening the west by establishing trade routes and laying the foundation for what would become Canada. And hey, that is what I wrote my thesis about, way back in University. All my passions seem to come together with sheep, dogs and history in this post! Including my new passion for local, organic, environmentally friendly food.

Here is a snapshot of the whole article about Sleepy G Farm in Pass Lake. I like to think that on a smaller, organic farm like Brendan's, Doris and Pebbles and the other sheep enjoy a more pastoral life, and are enjoying sunny days and cozy winters back home in Thunder Bay.

Here is the info on Sleepy G Farm:

Sleepy G Farm
Brendan Grant & Marcelle Paulin
RR 1, Pass Lake, ON P7B 5N1
(807) 977-1631
sleepygfarm@gmail.com
Products Available:
Grass Fed Lamb, Farm Gate Eggs, Mixed Vegetables
Where to Buy:
Farm Gate by Appointment, Phone/Email Orders, Silver Islet General Store
Sleepy G Farm is a traditional small-scale farm which produces food in an
ecological manner. By integrating crops and livestock, the farm is managed
as a living entity. We aim to produce the highest quality food while
enhancing the fertility and integrity of the soil

Epiphany on Teamwork w/ My Dogs

Epiphany(s) Regarding My Doggy Partnerships

A few weeks ago I was running Spot in a trial on a very fast Jumpers course. Ahead was an off-course tunnel and to the right, but not immediately obvious, was the correct weave obstacle.

As Spot and I approached the intersection of obstacles I began my usual weave alert drill which is to say 'weave' early, stop my motion, allow him to load and then off I go while he performs the obstacle independently.

As was expected for the course design, Spot didn't immediately see the weaves (but a glance at his head told me he did see the tunnel), so I held my ground, didn't move from my well-placed position and just kept saying "weave, weave, weave, weave, weave" until he successfully found and loaded into the poles, just as I had trained him to do.

Epiphany No. 1 Well, I wasn't surprised IN his abilities, but I was amazed at how much faith & trust I had in him. When I think back on the moment, I knew that he'd be able to accomplish the task (years of repetition had taught me this) and just like in training, I needed to give him room to figure it out for himself and to own that part of our teamwork.

Epiphany No. 2 was that at some point in our Agility Relationship, my role had moved from Mentor to Leader and Spot's role had moved from Trainee to Right-Hand-Man.

This is interesting because with my young dogs, I'm in the Mentor Role (where successful skill repetitions in varying situations is the goal) and will be for several years. After all, the kind of effortless partnership Spot and I have doesn't evolve overnight, but it did successfully develop over years, just like it did with Pinky. Our team work is equivalent to that comfortable pair of shoes you automatically reach for and know you can count on for a sense of security, comfort and fit. Sometimes we just forget that those comfy pair of shoes started out a little stiff.

Our Current Training Plan: These days I don't practice with Spot and coincidentally when Pinky was older, it was the same way. We don't train at home (at all), we don't take classes and yes, these days we simply show up at trials. I just want to say one more time that the early years of learning, training & repetition has made this possible. I also knew I'd hit this point when:

Epiphany No. 3 These days, when I enter that ring with Spot, there are several things I am absolutely confident about.

1. We are a team
2. I am confident that my dog knows his job
3. I trust him to perform his part (because I've trained it, proofed it, was consistent and thanks to prior repetition, it's ingrained for both of us)
4. I clearly understand both of our factual strengths & weaknesses
5. I know that my job on the team is to have a solid plan the moment we step into the ring
6. We will be successful, whatever success means at the moment, and
7. We are a team (yes, I intentionally added this in twice )

Without having the items above, going into the ring is the equivalent to a gambling crap shoot that always favors the house. I wouldn't take such a high risk using my hard earned cash so why would I gamble my dog's experience with me, our time AND my entry money with such poor odds?

As I mentioned previously, to get to that final stage that Spot and I are in, there was a period of evolution that lasted years. Some things to keep in mind during this phase are:

1. You & your dog are going to have periods of time and/or age appropriate skills. For example, a 16 week old puppy isn't capable of the mental challenges of an Excellent style course and a dog who has been trained in Agility for only 2 weeks isn't going to have perfect weave poles. These are natural progression phases that cannot be skipped by any team - no exceptions. Right now you're thinking "Dah!" but what makes this phase such a challenge is that every dog is different and there are no visible mile markers to tell you "Now entering 'I forgot all you taught me stage'" or "Now leaving puppy zoomey zone". We enter this phase blindly and we're continuously surprised by things as both ourselves and our dogs are developing.
2. You should always be building toward a working relationship with your dog. Let me guess, another "Dah" moment . But remember that my definition of a working relationship is closely tied with the words 'team' or 'partner' and not words like 'dictator'. I am a firm believer in creating a thinking dog versus a robot who requires me to make all of the decisions and be in charge of every portion of our interactions. I do this because on an Agility Course and in life, I need my dog to make smart decisions for themselves. I cannot be everything to everyone/dog, so why adopt that falsehood when it comes to my dog? This is where:
3. Teaching skills creates a common ground for my dog and I to communicate around and it reinforces my expectations and smart decisions.
4. There are moments when time with my dogs is about the skill and moments when it's about the relationship, but you can never have one without the other. I'm not trying to speak in riddles here, but the truth is that if you fail to have a relationship with your dog, you're not going to be successful teaching skills and vice versa, if your dog is lacking in skills, you're lacking the type of relationship that allows you to reach Epiphany No 3.

There are a lot of deep thoughts here for everyone to digest and it has taken me years to develop and put these philosophical dog training beliefs on paper! I look forward to any questions since this is just the tip of the iceberg : )

Dogs Enjoying Fall, Updates & New Electronic Timers

This year's fall leaves are just beautiful and make the perfect backdrop to take some updated doggy profile pictures. As usual, some of the dogs were more cooperative than others

I'll have to share Spot's picture in another post since I'm limited to 5 pictures per blog, but he's one who isn't fond of cameras. Rouge as well, (can't you tell by the not-so-thrilled look in the picture below). I'm certain she'd rather be running around : )

The Latest Updates

Being Sick: It's been a while since I wrote, but I have been so sick for the last 3 weeks. They're assuming it was the flu of some sort, but as time goes on and my symptoms continue to morph, I'm not so sure.

Ironically, last time I was sick (earlier this year) it also rolled on through a bunch of symptoms and I was convinced it was allergies. Humm....

Clicker Training a Horse: One of my friends/former students has a horse that she would like to clicker train. She didn't have a chance to clicker train (CT) her dog as he is deaf, so this will be a new experience for her.

For years now I've had an open invitation to go out with her to get some horse experience. And now to CT a horse? Yeah, I invited myself along and being the great pal that she is, she heartily embraced my attendance . I'll be sure to write about the experience as I have no doubt it will be amazing!

Seminar: Next weekend I'm out of town conducting an agility seminar, which I'm very excited about. I love doing seminars and there is so much going through my mind on all of the things we could cover. So many choices and only 8 hours to work with them : ) I'll be sure to do a post-seminar write up.

New Electronic Timers: This is a preliminary write-up on the new electronic timers we purchased. While ETs may not sound so exciting, these absolutely are!

First, they're made by a different company and are not your big and expensive trial timers. While those are great for the big events, they take a ton of batteries, require a car trunk for transportation and cost about the same as a used compact car (costs can range from $2,500-$6,000). In other words, not feasible for the average Agility Joe (Josephine) .

Our new timers were made by a different company, AgilityInMotion.com and were designed specifically for personal and class training. They are amazingly simple and a fraction of the cost. We opted for 2 sets (a start & finish set) which also comes with the main console for around $450 (without tax & shipping).

We just started using the timers last night at class and we're working to get a baseline on all of our students' dogs on each obstacle.

Specifically, we've started with the individual contact obstacles, different shaped tunnels and a couple of basic jump sequences. Next week we'll do weave poles and play with different style crosses.

The system is very easy to use, is small and the accuracy is spot on. Feedback from my students has been overwhelmingly positive not only on the system itself (they helped to put the timers in place at each jump height and read the console), but they LOVE the additional information obstacle timing has given to them. It has also brought out a bit of healthy competition among the groups so people are pushing harder, just like they would in a real trial. So many positives!

I doubt this is the last time you'll hear me write about this product (no, I'm not getting paid by the company), but I encourage each of you to check out the details at www.AgilityInMotion.com. Finally, someone came up with a timing alternative for us 'budget conscious' (yet quality minded) agility folks.

High Hopes and Healthy Changes

Exercise! We can all use more. So...I have decided a treadmill is in order for me and for the dogs. I am so excited about this. I have lost 40 pounds in the past 16 months, and it just stalled, but I am so determined to keep going. Since I work full time, I don't like going out to a gym - I like to be around my "family" of dogs. This will be great for everyone. Why do this? Well we should all be healthier of course. And I want to keep up with my dogs! Having young vibrant dogs is a great motivator too.

Here are Jet and Caden posing on it in my little church basement. So far, I am just treating them for standing on it, as I research how best to introduce dogs to treadmills. I have been spoiled by living in the country in Thunder Bay where I had my own fenced field for the dogs to run, and nice quiet country roads for walks. I moved here late last summer, and found winter here very hard for good quality walks. This area is so ICY! It is because of chinooks, I am told. Warm air flows over the mountains, melting snow, then it refreezes into a dangerous ice layer. It is a scarey thing to walk multiple dogs on ice! Of course, we will still go out, but this treadmill will be a great addition to our physical and mental health with winter coming. You can see the tire of my mountain bike in the bottom corner of the picture - I am going to look into a training stand for that too!

Last spring I went to a fantastic "Hayhouse" conference called "I Can Do I!" The keynote speaker was Dr. Wayne Dyer, who I think is one of the most genuine, loving and positive people on the planet. I love his books. Below is a picture of Dr. Dyer saying hi to the crowd before he spoke. He actually sat on the edge of the stage and chatted, before reappearing for the official presentation. People attended the conference from across Canada and the US, including from Hawaii and a few from Europe. And what is this? More healthy lifestyle plans. Other speakers at the conference talked about diet and lifestyle. It was very motivating. In the same convention centre was a YOGA conference and we all had free passes to check it out. I remember my Mother doing Yoga in the 1970s - she was way ahead of her time! I have done Tai Chi and know it makes you feel very centered and calm. So Yoga and Tai Chi will be added to the winter plans. The dogs already do yoga - haven't you seen how animals stretch themselves? They naturally stay toned this way. By the way, that is my purple yoga mat...yes, I love that colour LOL. Now let's revisit this picture from a few posts ago. I wanted to mention the veggies. These are LOCALLY GROWN veggies that I got from someone I work with. As part of my healthy lifestyle changes, I have dropped meat, dairy and sugar as well as anything white (flour, pasta) following the book The Core Balance Diet. The author, Marcelle Pick, spoke at the conference last spring and the book is amazing. Other books I recommend are Skinny Bitch and The China Study. These will persuade you to live and eat in a more healthy way! On my new "vegetarian" diet I dropped 10 pounds in two weeks. In the Core Balance Diet, it says that your body will be so grateful when you let it detox and give it a break from these foods (dairy, gluten, meat, sugar). And of course, my dogs eat well too (but that is another post).

I am obviously excited, so wanted to share it with everyone! I will be attending another Woman's Retreat in November at Gull Lake being put on by my friend, who also attended the Hayhouse Conference (contact me if you are interested in information).

Now, get off the computer and get moving!

Side note: You might have seen this when you looked at the treadmill picture above. I got this funky orange cabinet for $100 at an antique show. On top, are the urns of my beloved dogs. They came with me to Alberta.
From Right to left, in order of when they passed on, are Hawk - my first tracking dog, with a glove on his urn; Kate the Collie with her purple collar; Robin, my BIS TDX girl, and a couple of her trophies - she lived to be nearly 15; my dear heart-dog Thorn and his favourite kong bone and his collar (in the end, I couldn't put it on Caden); and recently departed Shaman with a collar and toy he won for his herding HIT. These dogs are described more in the sidebar menu. My older dogs are buried at home in Thunder Bay and I have no pictures of their graves, but I carry them in my heart.

Happy Halloween!

I got a lovely update on our former foster frenchie Dash. Here he is with his brother Ivan.

It seems they entered a costume party with their bulldog cousin. The grand prize was a stay at a fancy Boston hotel for their humans. They not only looked adorable but they also won. (yay!)Mom and dad are very proud.

Their cousin as a hotdog, Dash and Ivan as the condiments.

He really is to cute for his own good. (not that I am biased or anything)

And check out the free jack-o-lantern dog breed stencils at the Better Homes and Gardens site: http://www.bhg.com/holidays/halloween/pumpkin-carving/pumpkin-carving-stencils-of-favorite-dogs/ Here's one of them that my friend Sarah did for work.

Enjoy your holiday and keep those pupsters away from the candy and scary masks.

Help Ashlyn awesome young trainer fulfill her dream!

16 years old and already a compassionate and  awesome trainer!  Vote 5 stars!

Dog Day Sunday

Yesterday for the first time I walked Jet, Ted AND River together around Three Mile Bend, the local dog park. I had been sick for quite a few days and feeling so guilty about not getting out with them!

Usually, I walk Jet and Ted. Then I take River for a walk and to the lagoon for a swim and play. Then I take Caden to a spit that we can have to ourselves for a swim. By the time I get home, I have been on about 4 walks! It was great to walk three out of four together.
River has aged gracefully - she used to be a handful but is really getting "wise" and yesterday I was proud of her with other dogs and people. At first I had her on a long line (loose) but took it off when I realized she was so great under voice control with me. She made me very proud!Three Mile Bend is a 55-hectare dog park in Red Deer along the Red Deer River. I love it there - it is so big with so many trails that I feel I am at a park called Centennial Park back in Thunder Bay. I was too busy monitoring everyone to take photos yesterday, but these ones from past walks give you the idea.
Before taking others for a walk I took Caden to a shopping centre (with a Chapters bookstore of course) and did obedience around the parking lot and sidewalks. He is so friendly and did a great job on heeling and stays / recalls. At the dog park, Caden had a swim on his own - probably the last of the year (the photo above is from July) . Then we went to a local soccer field to play with a ball.
Unfortunately, I thought I was over the flu, but today realized I am still whacked by a bug, so the dogs are in for another boring week.

Why I heart trick training

So is anyone else as excited by the new show on Animal Planet called Super Fetch as I am? Hosted by Zak George this is a show that literally shows how you can teach any dog any trick in a step by step process. I love it.

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The first episode had a french bulldog that was owned by a man with a hair salon. To help drum up business he wanted the dog to fetch the clients gowns once they sat down. The other dog on the episode was an akita mix. The wife of the household wanted to teach the dog to move the husbands alarm clock when it when off in the morning to prevent him from hitting the snooze button repeatedly in the morning. I won't tell you how it turned out, but I will say I loved the part where the wife was happy that the dog was now listening to her more since starting working with him. Before that the dog was much more into her husband. She realized that the training helped them build a better bond with each other. I found another episode with a guy that wanted his dog to do a trick so he could get women's phone numbers hysterical. (homework is always assigned which the owner never did)

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I have to admit I once thought tricks were a silly extra in dog training. I have since discovered that tricks have alot of power. Consider that for some reason people expect dogs to do the basics like sit and lay down. Stay and come are also not very flashy but also expected by many owners. Even when your dog knows these exercises people aren't impressed. But there is something about your dog showing off a trick that makes them look brilliant to everyone around. Even if that same dog eats it's own poo or gets lost in tall grass.

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I am a big fan of rescue groups teaching tricks along with the basics to dogs that are waiting for homes. Just one good trick can really wow potential adopters. People think that if you can teach a dog a trick, then they can learn anything. This can then translate for some people that those really smart dogs can learn to be very well behaved dogs. (which of course we know they can)

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Trick training is always a positive way to interact with your dog. And alot of tricks also utilize some basic obedience at the core so you are teaching more than just a trick. For instance you can't teach roll over until you teach down first. Trick training can also help you learn to communicate more effectively with your dog. If they do not understand what you are asking, they cannot learn the trick. It challenges the owner to bridge that communication gap between canine and human.

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Trick training can be great mental stimulation for high energy dogs as well. The act of having to figure out what their human wants can be challenging for them. Mental stimulation can help to tire out a dog that needs an energy burn off. Think rainy day and no walk. Or maybe the owner is physically limited in some way. Think broken leg and no walk. Mental stimulation can be a way to manage a dog that needs something to do to prevent boredom related destruction as well.

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Trick training can also be more fun for some owners to do than basic obedience training. If it is more fun for the owner then they will be willing to participate more training their dog. If they work with the dog more and because of that build a better bond they are then more willing to invest time into the basic obedience work as well. It is a win win situation.

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These are just a few reasons I like dogs doing tricks.

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Not convinced trick training has any real value? Check out this guys story. He has turned a trick into an enterprise to sustain himself. http://www.ohmidog.com/2009/10/20/two-beans/

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And here is more info on Zak George with some videos. http://blogs.discovery.com/zak_george/

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I haven't forgotten my goal of working through the 101 dog trick book, I have just been to distracted by Missy lately to focus on it as a priority. My trick training is "to be continued" for the moment.

A Minos weekend

My sister is out of town so Minos is here for the weekend. Being a (yet) unneutered 10 month old male is making the visit just a little bit more interesting. There has been lots of peeing on things (dog beds that smell like other dogs are his favorite) and ardent pursuit of the Jenny. (He looooves her.) Jack is still happy to play with him but a little less tolerant of some of his antics then previously. Add to that Missy's occasional accidents as a side effect of her medication and I am already doing an extra large load of laundry tonight. Thankfully in all other respects he is an easy keeper. No food aggression or toy possessiveness, eats on a schedule, good recall and crate trained. It could be so much worse. I am still tired of cleaning up dog pee though. Thank goodness for natures miracle.

I finally nabbed a photo of Thomas, the other clinic cat. He was also brought in years ago due to litter box issues to be euthanized. (which he interestingly doesn't have at the clinic) He is super shy and was considered difficult to place so he lives with us. (yes we got permission from the owner to keep him first for those that are wondering) He is one of the biggest chow hounds I have ever seen. He is always on hand to share food left lying around if invited or not.

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And on another note please send thoughts out to a friend who lost her cat yesterday to a tragic accident. His name was Bobby and he was a beautiful orange tabby. My thoughts also go out to another friend who lost her Italian Greyhound "Dragon" in a tragic accident and a friend who had to let her Collie "Rosie" go because of a painful tumor. It has been a dark time for to many people this week. No matter when or why, losing our beloved companions never seems fair. Our time with them is always to short. Godspeed sweet friends. May they all find the peace they deserve.

Photo op!

Since Missy's diagnoses I have been a little obsessed with getting a really good photo of the 3 dogs together. These are a few of the better ones I took yesterday. If I can figure out how to crop this first one the size I need I might use it as a blog banner.

Missy is not a fan of the camera as you can see by her ear set. To be fair the sun was also in her eyes. She is doing MUCH better on the prednisone at the moment. She is almost normal again and even felt good enough for a roll in the grass the other day.

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Jenny got a new harness. The step ins are great as a dual use tool because you can also use them as a seat belt. This is the "Zen" pattern from: http://www.marityndog.com/ I special ordered it at The Loyal Biscuit. She carries the line for those that are local. (Or not. E-mail her if you would like to purchase something from there yourself. She will ship. )

Missy looks happier in this pic because there was food involved.

This is a photo of the shirt I got for helping at this years dog walk for the shelter. You can buy them here: http://www.humanesocietyofknoxcounty.org/ (e-mail them for prices, sizes and colors) It is a beautiful shade in person. Very "fallish", and I think the logo is adorable.

I swear this year I WILL get a nice photo of the kids and dogs for this years Christmas cards. I always plan it and always procrastinate just a little to long. Wish me luck. Oh and feel free to comment and leave opinions on the new blog look. Likes and dislikes. I do love feedback.

More Adventures of Ted (and the Giggle Ball)

Yes, that is a potato between Ted's paws. What is Ted thinking! Follow the bouncing Giggle ball to find out.

So here's the context...I have been home with the flu, so don't have much in the way of outdoor activities to blog about, but the dogs provide endless amusement! I took a few pictures earlier this morning with no real plan. A few minutes ago, I turned around to see Ted with the potato...and realized I had a story! This is what life is like around here. I am just the official recorder.
Earlier this morning, I took this picture of River lounging with her Giggle Ball. Honestly, in nine years, she has NEVER taken to a toy like she has with this ball. Note how comfie she looks, while I sit on the less comfie chair, with a bad view of the TV.
Caden flitted about, to see if he could get the ball.
So River had to take it to the bedroom, which she refers to as "the Princess lair." I love the glowing eyes! As you can see, Caden defers to River. She has a lot of presence and he is still such a baby in many ways.
Yes, the ball is under her chin. I asked her to show me.
I took the ball away after hearing too much growling coming from the lair, and put it up on the counter. I "re-enacted" the placement in this photo. Are you with me now? All I can imagine is that sneaky Ted came in and zeroed in on the scent of the ball, and reached up to "steal" a potato from the counter! Ted never steals food by the way (I feel compelled to add this.)

And this is where I started - looking over to see Ted lying so happily on the couch with his prize. When I got the camera, of course he posed. Ted's quirky ways continue. You gotta love that dog. Look at his proud face! "Hey! I have a ball!" Well, it is sort of "ball - like."

PS throughout this entire event, Jet has been outside guarding a new bone. Hence, she is not featured in this story. And she thinks it is a stupid story anyway.

Ted's Karma

I always say that Ted must have been a bird in his previous life. Sometimes he will leap onto the back of the couch when I am watching TV, and literally be perched on my shoulder! He is so compulsive but always full of joy. He just lands and says "hey! it's Ted!"I had further confirmation of my beliefs when Ted and I went to the Post Office the other night. OK, I admit, he was not on a leash, because he walks right beside me (you border collie people understand that)...and it was later in the evening with no one around. He joyfully ran around one side of the building in the parking lot when I told him to go potty. I opened he glass door and called him in, and Ted RAN STRAIGHT INTO THE DOOR.I always have my little camera in my purse because there is a lot of pressure on bloggers to have images to share, so I was able to collect the evidence.
And what does this remind you of? ABOVE: Ted's fur, BELOW: Bird feathers
I take this as proof that Ted was a raptor in a former life, or maybe a parrot. A Budgie? In any case he earned some kind of karma in that bird life to cause his soul to come back as Ted the Border Collie. I wonder what kind of lesson he is here to learn this time? Maybe, not to run or fly into glass!

Here is another thought...the picture of feathers is from Stock Exchange (a free stock website) and it is called "Angel Feathers" so perhaps that is another possiblity and way to think of my loveable Teddy, or as Scott Glen calls him whenever he sees him -- "Theodore" which means Gift from God. It's actually why I didn't change his name!

Updating the blog and breed choices

My regular readers may notice a bit of change on the blog. I recently updated my business cards and my husband pointed out that since my blog is my web address on my card, then my blog IS my business front to potential clients. Because of that I have rearranged the blog accordingly. People coming to check me out can now easily find the info about me and my services. In all honesty I blog because it is fun for me. I sometimes forget that it is also linked to my job and how I present myself. I'll try these changes and see how I like them and may add more changes over the next few days. Bear with me.


Now for the fun stuff. I totally lifted this from http://www.underdogged.net/. Yup I am a big fat copycat. But I just love this. I also agree that my answers may be different today than they may be tomorrow. Honestly there are just way to many breeds I can see myself with.


IF YOU HAD TO CHOOSE A DOG FROM EACH CKC/AKC “GROUP,” WHAT WOULD YOU CHOOSE AND WHY? (excluding your own breeds)

Groups:
1- Sporting Group
2- Hound Group
3- Working Group
4- Terriers Group
5- Toy Group
6- Non Sporting Group
7- Herding


1 Sporting: Irish Setter. I'm not sure why tho I did know a lovely bitch when I was a young impressionable kid. When she had to go out she would lead us to the door by putting our wrists in her mouth very gently. I am fascinated by the red and white variety as well. I find irish setters very beautiful and have never met an aggressive one yet. Full disclosure however leads me to admit they aren't very common in this area.


2 Hound: I am more of a sighthound person than the tracking hound person. (odd considering I love tracking) It is a tie between the Saluki , Greyhound or the Whippet. There is something about the look of a saluki that attracts me. I have of course never met one in person. I love greys because they have the cuddle thing going for them and the need for adoption off the racetrack issue. I once saw a documentary about them with video of them stacked 5 bodies deep after euthanasia that will never leave my mind. (NEVER) But I love the size of a whippet. I would definitely do lure coursing with any one of these beauties.


3 Working: OK this is a tough choice. I love most of the dogs in this group. I grew up with a Siberian Husky so I have a soft spot for those. I just don't think I have the energy for one anymore. (tho there is a bred down version called the Alaskan Klee Kai I have considered. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaskan_Klee_Kai ) I think a nice small Doberman bitch would be lovely. But I'd have to get an older dog or rescue because while I do appreciate the look of a cropped ear on this breed, and I really do, I could never do it myself. All of the Dobermans I have ever known were smart sweet dogs and I love their sleek look. My husband wants a bullmastiff as our next big dog. (and I want to down size so this doesn't fit my plan VBG)


4 Terriers: I met a Bedlington once that totally won me over for the breed. Not sure I could keep up with the grooming though. I love the look of the Irish Terrier but I think it is a tie. One of my choices is the Border Terrier. Cute, small and supposedly less terrier like than many others in the group according to the AKC rep I spoke to at a show about them once. Of course he could have been wrong. (one starred in a movie in a doggy remake of the cat from outer space awhile ago that was cute) My other choice is the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. I like the small size and uncropped ears.


5 Toy: It is a tie between a Miniature Pinscher and a Pomeranian. I admit it is totally about the looks. Did you know that Poms also come in brindle? http://www.americanpomeranianclub.org/colors.htm


6 Non Sporting Group: This one is easy because I think about it often. I would get a Chow Chow. I have a breeder friend who has chows with fabulous temperments. (Red Cloud) Having done some puppy socialization for her as well as taking care of her kennel has made me fall in love with them. I would probably go for the smooth coat though for ease of grooming. They are a great size and have a look I really like. Part of why I I chose the akita breed was the similar look to a husky. (I just needed a more guarding breed than a huskey at that time in my life.) I also agree that there are to many breeds in this group that are really more working dogs like Dalmatians. (which I also find beautiful)


7 Herding: OK this is a hard one. I am so not suited for a herding breed. I'm built for reading, not for running. VBG I've seen a few Australian Shepherds I like and I did go through a Collie obsession for awhile. If push came to shove I would probably go with a German Shepherd or a Smooth Collie.


8 Miscellaneous: The Norwegian Lundehund. A spitz breed of a nice medium size. http://www.nlaainc.com/main_page.htm


This was fun but I will point out I have also fallen in love with some of the "random bred" dogs at my local shelter too. A pibble named Worf and a GSD mix named Sidney come quickly to mind along with many of the non-sighthound hound mixes. (Casey, etc) It's easy to fall in love with a sweet dog no matter what the breed.

Happy Birthday Jack!!

Jack was born 5 years ago today. I am blessed to share my life with him, and blessed to know such fabulous breeders. Thanks Donna and Mike for such a wonderful gift.

Jack always makes friends where ever he goes. I call them his groupies.

He's my sweet and beautiful boy!