Happy Birthday Caden! I can't believe he is three years old today!

It's Caden's birthday! Happy Birthday buddy! I have met so many great friends through this dog. He is the most wonderful dog, forcing me to toughen up and step up as a trainer. I was pretty much in shock-zombie mode when I got him having just lost my old Thorn, and having my life basically unraveling. Above he is pictured with Thorn's favourite big ball. Hard to believe, Thorn was gone and this new pup was lying there! But it was truly meant to be, as he has been quite a presence in my life, actually leading me in so many new directions.

Below is a picture of him in my old field kissing Shaman my Rough Collie - who actually tolerated this! Since then, he has moved across the country with me. I can't believe he is three years old. And a few more flashback pics of Caden in April-May 2008 back in Thunder Bay. Since then, he has travelled to Alberta with me, and has matured into a very good buddy, athletic, smart and protective! I am safe with him!  

Jet was with Scott Glen at the time, she didn't meet Caden until June of that year and in the beginning, they HATED each other! But they are now best of friends. Below - Nose Hill, Calgary walk.

 Below, Caden with Wade Waters, our club's training director

Thanks to Bill and Sandy Wilson, for my Caden von der KleinenWiese, from Pennsylvania

Ted Hup!

Ted is always showing what a bright and eager dog he is. I brought him into our SchH training session today just to goof around to keep him happy and give him some mental stimulation since it's too cold to track and we have no sheep handy.

He did a long down with dogs working around him, just like any self-respecting SchH dog, and beautiful attention work. I think that if you have a bond with a dog, you can get them to do things with very simple explanations.

As part of our 'attentive walking' routine I did a go-back where I dropped a tracking glove, walked him around, then sent him to find it. He LOVED that, since it involved a glove. After that, I hid the glove here and there and sent him to find it and he adored that game. It was around that point that I thought I would do a retrieve over this low fence of babygates, aboud 3 feet high. What was funny is that although Ted can easily jump, he's never been asked to do it on command. I had to let him know it was OK - it was not a test to see if he would be a 'bad boy.' (Ted worries about those things).



After praising him for jumping, Ted turned into this impressario. I added a lie-down to it, and threw the glove, then sent him. He flew over and flew back! This was so amazing - I took this video - only the third time being asked, and he put it all together. Isn't he beautiful? This dog just wants to work, and wants to please. Oh, I hope we find land and get sheep this year!!

PS this can be motivational and carry over to tracking by the way - it involves a glove, it's a bonding activity, and it keeps Ted sharp and asks him to perform a task (I'm just sayin')...

Musings on a first obedience trial

I saw the following post on facebook and asked for permission to share. It is written by guest blogger Rebecca Lynch and stars her dog Karma. I think it captures the spirit of what dog showing can and should be. Enjoy.

This weekend my dog, Karma, and I competed in our first AKC Rally Obedience event. This was my first time ever competing in any dog event and it was quite the experience. I learned a lot in these past few days.

1) You don't need a group class to compete.

All my training was done at home. I had planned on taking some drop-in rally classes before the event, but they were canceled due to weather. I was very worried that I would not know all the right things to do and would be an embarrassment to myself. I found that all of the people at the event - those working the event and those competing - were very willing to help me find my way. Did I make mistakes? Certainly! In fact, I lost 10pts before I even reached my first sign because I started before the judge gave the "forward" command. The great thing is that I will never, ever, do that again! AND I learned that making a 10pt mistake is not the end of the world! I still qualified and got my first leg.

2) There is a time to be in "working mode" and a time to let your dog be a dog.

I spent a lot of time observing others at this event. There were a lot of very competative people who were very focused on winning and keeping their dog focused on winning. Unfortunately, it seemed as though they have forgotten that their dog really doesn't care about winning and is a dog. I'm sure that some people frowned at me as I sat on the floor next to my dog as she was sprawled out offering me "dead dog" and other various behaviors to see if it would earn her a reward. Those frowney people had stressed dogs next to them. Each time their dog would break from a sit or look to the side it would receive a leash correction. No wonder they didn't do well in the ring! I was sure to give Karma lots of down time in her crate with a stuffed KONG and go for walks and let her sniff around. If we were waiting to go in the ring, I asked for focus right before going in, but rewarded heavily with the last treats in my hand.

3) Premack is your friend.

I was practicing with Karma in an area that had seen a lot of traffic over the last four days. Their were unidentifiable wet spots on the ground, treat remnants, straw, hair, dirt, etc. A doggie olfactory Disney Land. Instead of getting frustrated with Karma for wanting to be a dog and sniff the floor, I used sniffing to reinforce each behavior I asked for. After a few good sniffs and a few great left finishes, it was out of her system and she was fully focused on me and waiting for a treat reward instead. That was SO much easier and friendlier to my dog than what I witnessed from some of the other handlers. You don't need to leash pop, yell or kick at your dog. Again, let your dog be a dog!

4) Your dog is making a decision each time you go in the ring. Help them make the right choice.

Every dog in that building was making a decision between paying attention to the handler and paying attention to everything else. Trust me, there was a lot of everything else. Babies, toys squeaking, clapping, doughnuts, hot dogs, dogs running by, smells galore... All things that dogs could become distracted by. So many handlers tried to force their dogs to pay attention to them by collar grabs, muzzle grabs, growling at their dogs, leash pops, etc. I sat there baffled as I just couldn't see why a dog would choose to pay attention to that handler when there were so many other things going on. If I were a dog, I would rather sniff gum on the sidewalk than look at these frowney people, too!

This is a time when positive training shines. My dog was boring holes into my head with her laser beam stare because I had 1) taught her that eye contact and attention were highly rewarding behaviors and 2) I rewarded those behaviors outside of the ring. I never asked for her full attention unless we were in the ring or I was trying to keep her from visiting another dog or person that was too close. And most of the time I didn't have to ask for her attention because she was already giving it to me.

Yes, she got distracted in the ring a couple of times. That's ok. I made plenty of mistakes. But I watch our videos with a smile because that tail is wagging the whole time. And when we arrived to the Expo center this morning, she jumped out of the car and started doing a whole body wag because she was happy to be there.

That is what it is all about. Love your dog and share the fun.

(Congratulations to Rebecca and Karma on their first leg and first place ribbon! What a great example of positive training and what it can accomplish and a reminder about keeping showing fun for our dogs.)

Catching up and Alpha Idiocy

Some of this is a catching up post. I haven't been motivated to write much this last week. It was an emotionally draining week at work. Add to that my neighbor got a german shepherd puppy. Great, because yelling at his kids wasn't enough. Jenny is also having an itch fest flare up so I've been bathing her trying to keep her comfortable. I have decided to try eliminating peanut butter to see if that may be part of her issue. I bought a bunch of wellness canned chicken meat to stuff their kongs with instead of the peanut butter. So you can see why I needed to use a happy photo today. (taken a few weeks ago hence her relatively clear skin)
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The other reason for this post is that I read an article last night in my Pug Talk magazine called: "Establishing and Keeping Alpha Position". Interestingly it had no author credit. It was a mistake to read this just before I went to bed. It made sleep difficult. Why are people still passing this outdated nonsense on? Our dogs are NOT trying to "dominate" us "because that's what dogs do". To many people are still looking at wolf behavior, some of it MISINTERPRETED wolf behavior, as a guide to how to treat our dogs. The article is to long to go through point by point but here are a few highlights.
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Dogs should never be allowed to walk in front of you because this tells them in their mind they are the leader of the pack. They should also never go through a door first. Um no, this only means you haven't trained them to do otherwise. If they pull on leash and you follow them they learn that pulling works. If they go through the door without permission it is because you let them. They just want to get outside, not show you that they are your leader.
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You should not lay on the floor to watch television with the dog is around as a human should never put himself in an equal or lesser height position than the dog. OK Yes height can equal status to the dog but context is important. It is more common for height to be a problem between dogs in a social group IF any of them have status issues. I'm pretty sure dogs don't see us as other dogs though so this one is silly if you don't have a true dominant aggressive dog. (which 95 plus % of dogs aren't)
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During the time you are establishing your higher pack position, no hugs should be given to the dog by you, as a dominant dog may consider this a challenge of power. Wrong answer. Many dogs do not like to be hugged because it can make a dog feel trapped or our arm over the dog is body language they do not like and they can respond by trying to get away from it or growling a warning. Teach your kids to never hug dogs. Yes dogs in your own family can learn to relax when we do it and some dogs do love the attention. This is about the situation, the individual and is NOT a challenge of power play.
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If you establish eye contact with the dog, the dog must avert his gaze first. If the human averts his gaze first this reinforces the dogs higher power position. Danger, Danger, Will Robinson!! Wow am I glad this was in a pug magazine and not an akita one! Staring at a dog, in dog language, can be a threat or a challenge. This is a perfect example of why some dogs bite people in the face. Dogs are fight or flight and when you stare at them they are forced into a decision. If they can't get away they may lash out. Dogs do not stare at each other for this reason and why we need to teach them to have good eye contact for obedience work. If you stare at a dog that doesn't know you well you can create a lot of anxiety. NEVER do this exercise! It will freak out most dogs.
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This article goes on but you get the picture. Bad information abounds. Yes dogs are a social animal. Yes within their social group should be a clear leader so they aren't confused. Good leaders (like parents) are ones who communicate clearly, set rules and boundaries, and discipline fairly. It isn't about preventing a hostile takeover. Are there dogs out there who care about status and try to exert it over people? The short answer is yes. However those dogs are few and far between. They are the exception and not the rule. For those dogs a Nothing in Life is Free program is usually recommended. (also known as NILF) This is a non-confrontational method that is basicly teaching a dog to "say please". They need to earn everything they get and this teaches them they have to listen to you to get anything they need or want. If you need more guidence on leadership in dogs check out Patricia McConnells booklet called How to be leader of the pack. Again more non-confrontational methods that are based in science, not assumptions, of dog behavior.
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To be fair to Pug Talk they have many other good articles including one on breeding vs rescue I will share some thoughts on here soon.
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For more information regarding the "Alpha Myth" in dogs check out my past posts here:

http://k-9solutionsdogtraininginc.blogspot.com/2008/07/debunking-dominance-myth-in-training.html

http://k-9solutionsdogtraininginc.blogspot.com/2010/11/alpha-rolling-in-wolves-and-dogs.html

Game of Tug (with one photo for Jenny)


This is 'every day' in my yard...

Check out Caden's expression, he is a little worried! And look at Jet's bad attitude tail...



This game of tug went on for minutes all over the yard. They are pretty evenly matched but I would have to say Caden is a sweeter dog than Jet, AKA the Wolverine...



River coasts by to have a look as the tug game moves down to the back of the yard, still going strong. I think this may be the moment Jet loosened her grip, as she is submissive to River. That's the Shepherds, teaming up!



And to add insult to injury, Caden then puts the ball onto Jet's favourite toy, the tire, trying to see how he can pick up both!

No worries, Jet is on it.

I am about to throw the tire for them. Note who has the blue ball. Ted just loves the chase - when they run for the ball, he sweeps around them all and runs back in a beautiful arc. I know it is because he really wishes they were sheep.

Crazy eyes! (Jenny, note... I actually posted this photo for you in honour of Hemp)

LOL. Jet hated me at this moment...

But as you can see, she does it on her own - this is her technique for pushing the tire into my leg after she fetches it, so I can throw it again. It's hard and cold on her mouth and she is so creative!

Introducing Kikopupextras- my second youtube channel

I have created another youtube channel where I can upload videos more frequently without worrying about annoying my subscribers of my main channel.

www.youtube.com/kikopupextras

Chinook!! Barefoot in January

Yup, this is how warm it was when I got home today! I still get excited when we get a Chinook (shin-ook). This is a spectacular weather phenomenon when warm Pacific air compresses over the Rocky Mountains and loses all of it's moisture, then roars down the lee side building up heat with it's movement. In some areas of Alberta it can cause tremendous winds - mostly in the south, around Lethbridge! Just ask my friends there who tell me the winds are very tough where tracking is concerned. We don't get them as often in Red Deer, so I still get very excited when the temps go fro below -20 C (0 F) up to nearly 20 C - that is a 40 degree jump! Check it out...

The last time I had barefeet was in Maui last October!

Snow is melting off the rooftop of my little church house...

My new metal roofs are doing their thing on the dog runs, and water is pouring out of the drain from the eaves... this is Caden's run. He clearly is impatient for me to let him out!

Jet and Ted's run has no snow on top - it gets a bit more sun all day. There's River lording it over everyone. She is in the house all day, while they are in runs. Her homecoming routine is to do a ball-dance while the others wait for me to set them free!

And the sun was just pouring into my church windows. What a big difference from a month ago when it was pitch black when I got hom from work!

My Dad built this hand rail last fall - the deck steps have no snow or ice. And Jet's igloo is nearly unburied! This is her little hideout - no one else fits in it. She goes in there with bones and balls. Jet = evil, lol

My neighbour took this of me - she asked to take some pics of me for her scrapbooking! So I handed her my camera to take one of me in front of my house. I am very lucky to have such nice neighbours!

And dare I say that's grass along the edge of the sidewalk! It is supposed to get cold again this weekend, but it sure is a nice break from winter.

Lunch Hour Walk

It was so warm yesterday I threw River and Ted in the car, and took them to the college for an hour-long walk at lunch hour! We had so much fun, it was hard to go back to work! The trails just south of the college remind me of the trails back home, because there are lots of trees and even a little creek.

Run! Ted runs like the wind when I call him. River is still doing great... she will be 11 in March. But puts on a great show running at the beginning of the walk. Towards the end, she strategically places herself, and leaps on Ted as he goes by. Poor Ted! German Shepherds have their own idea of fun - it's like a culture clash!



An update on the Vick dogs

CKC Tracking Seminar coming soon

Due to the many calls and emails I've been getting lately, I've decided to organize a CKC tracking seminar for people who are learning, and for those who want to know more about CKC trials, protocols, rules and regs. It will focus mostly on 'field' tracking for the people who are going for their first CKC titles, but there will be an urban component (depending on demand, this could grow).

If you are in Alberta (or can make it from wherever you are!) and interested, let me know.

How to Train a Dog: the two basic concepts

Happy Birthday Jenny!

Today Jenny turned 5 years old. We got her through Pug Rescue of New England and they had her previous owners vet paperwork so we knew her birthday. If there was ever a dog that changed a household she definately qualifies. Here she is looking like a diva.

I admit that getting a pug wasn't my idea. It was my sons. He wanted his own dog and we couldn't talk him into a frenchie. He had even collected pug stuff for years. Since I couldn't find what I considered a reputable breeder in the breed (see previous posts on that topic) we went the route of rescue.

Jenny came to us because she had been fighting in her foster home with the other resident pugs over food. She was a serious resource guarder and had hurt one of the dogs badly. I think the group was thrilled to get an application from a dog trainer. She was a bit of work at first but she fit in to our small pack very well with some management, basic training and behavior modification for her issues. Fortunately my akita was raised by a frenchie so her attitude didn't phase him much. I was more concerned with her and my other female in residence at the time. Same sex aggression can be common and is statisticly more likely to happen between females. (This is where the slang term "bitch" comes from.) Our frenchie Missy was a confident female and wasn't affected by Jennys' insecurities. Plus she was already trained which helps immensely when it comes to managing multiple dogs in a home. (Training works people!)

In going through my photos for this post I found this one above. I believe that this is her happy face. Wow does she love any kind of food! The photo below was taken today after dinner. It is a great example of how far she has come with her resource guarding.

Jenny has definately changed us in a few ways. One is that we have all fallen in love with pugs because of her. I guess you could say she is our "gateway pug". VBG While I have concerns about the breed and their health issues, I cannot help but love their personalities and their cuteness factor. What can I say, curly tails do it for me. Her being a bit higher energy than my other dogs caused me to become a better trainer too. I have to keep her busy so this means I have to think up fun stuff for her to do to keep her mind engaged. A bored smart dog is a challenge to live with and can be destructive or obnoxiously annoying.

Because of her I got off my butt and got into the obedience ring as well. Something I never thought I would want to do. She loves training because it is the opportunity for her to earn food rewards. She is smart and learns quickly, keeping the training as much fun for me as it is for her. I never thought I would be a "small dog" person either. I came into dogs as an adult with a large breed and thought I would always be a big dog person. Now I see the advantages to having smaller dogs. (they cost less to feed, medication can cost less, they are easier to transport, you can have more of them in the same amount of space, ect.)

So today Jenny got lots of extra treats and maybe even a few more scritches than usual. I am greatful for every day we have with her and we hope to have many more years together.

(More photos and videos of her can also be found on my K-9 Solutions facebook page and even on the K-9 Corrections facebook page.)

First tracks of 2011 - The boys

This is the third post of three about today's tracks. There are two more below.




Happy Mr. "All about the Article" Ted after his track

Today I did Ted first, then Caden. I am taking things really slowly with Ted. He is a bright dog but disagrees with me about how we should track. He would be the best SAR dog, as his attitude it - let's just go straight to the article. So today I laid a U track using concrete formations in the parking lot to partition the scent. It seemed to work (thanks Steve Ripley).



The concrete berms, and the fact that his article was not lined up with his start, helped Ted stay on track and not try to pull straight to the glove.



He did the first leg and took the turn nicely. Sadly, I accidentally deleted that video. The second leg is along a bluff of snow to keep Ted make the turn and stay on the line, and it also works. I noticed his track had a lot of shade and sun because of where it was laid. I would consider these transitions, as in the sun it was noticeably warmer and the snow was softer and probably held more scent. When he finds his glove, you will seldom see a happier dog than Ted Dog. He is All About the Article! We play fetch after (photo above).



As Caden is footstep tracking, I had to find a place where there was undisturbed, shallow snow for a serpentine. He was so excited to track, it was hard to film him. He has not tracked since October and was pulling a bit hard. At the first tire tracks, he follows the scent drift so I have to say NO! He corrects himself.

You can see two faint pink arrows showing the car tire tracks Caden checked out

At the second tire tracks, he does a quick check and goes back to the correct track on his own. After this, he also ignores someone else's footsteps! This is just the first half. It was too long to upload entirely from my iphone.






Trotting with a glove, back to the car for a treat



First tracks of 2011 - River still has it!

This is another set of videos from today - Jet's are in the post below.

River is showing her age, but she still did a nice job on her short motivation track today. It had a couple of challenges. A short first leg to the first turn; and Caden and I walked back and forth across the second leg to get to his track. You can see her figure this out (excuse my line handling as she does it...she just has to put up with me). And then, a very short leg to the article after a long one down the parking lot. This track was about 300 meters with 3 turns and completely on snow - although in the beginning the snow is soft and untrampled - and on the last two legs, it is icey and shiney. She weaves a little from side to side in this area but I can see she is working so I elect to let her - as this is meant to be motivational, and for River, it would be demotivational if I pulled her in at all. She is a good worker.

It was simply great to follow her. She is such a great tracker, and she was so happy to be out today - it was plus one and her track was in the peak of the afternoon sunshine.

Start


2nd leg - where she has to cope with where I crossed her track twice


2nd turn from snowy lot to icey lot


Long leg on narrow lot - she weaves a bit to find scent but is definitely working - sometimes you just need to be able to read your own dog's style...


Final leg - she overshot her turn and backed up. At this point you can see her stumble once (oh, I cringed) but she keeps going. She slips or might be tired, I don't really know. I go a bit overboard with praise, cover your ears!

First tracks of 2011 - Jet steps up

I did short motivation tracks with everyone today. I ran them in this order - Ted, Caden, River, Jet. I did Jet last as I am putting a push on her this year and wanted to see how she handled the oldest track - 2 hours old and losing the sun by the time we did hers - and she was dead on. She is a very exciting dog to work with, as she is simply brilliant, loves a job and all-business. Here is her track - two turns, about 200 meters long, and on a snowy parking lot with one leg on a snow-free sidewalk. I thought I only had one article, but I dropped one along the sidewalk which was a surprise to me, when she indicated it! I broke these up as they are easier to upload from my iPhone.

It was a bit bittersweet as Jet is stepping up as my best tracker, with River starting to show her age. The push will be on for Jet to get her TDX and UTDX now! But River still loves to track and as long as she can, she will. I'm not closing the book on that one just yet!


Jet start - along a nice edge to help hold the scent and get her going. I love how she sniffs the snow along the side.


Jet first turn - nails it


Jet turn onto sidewalk - does a small cast, then sniffs the front grill of the car, which could hold a bit of scent, makes up her mind and goes - -


Jet along the sidewalk - fringes it a bit, but I decided to go with her as it looked good to me. She surprises me as I did not realize I dropped this. I knew it was missing and had dropped it somewhere... so was happy it was on a track! Good girl!


And a short bit to the last article...

I guess I am an Albertan...

I just walked through my porch and thought - now there's something you would NEVER have seen in my porch in Thunder Bay. TWO PAIRS OF COWBOY BOOTS! I truly have converted to being an Albertan!

I wore one pair to work yesterday, and the other today. The Ariat's (the brown ones) are REAL western boots and so comfortable. Thanks to my lovely western Border Collie assistants, Jet and Ted.

PS that rug is a Finnish rag rug. My Estonian Grandma Kahara gave it to me - she had it made by a friend and it is woven from my Grandma's own, old clothes! It just doesn't wear out. Now that is great old technology and economy.

Tug gets part in NBC commercial

Tug gets a part in an NBC commercial, the trick they wanted was a dog chasing his tail. Splash tried out for the same commercial, but she did her tail chasing in too of a sophisticated manner, and so the gig went to Tug who does it in a very demented fasion.

Train Derails - Video - shows my hometown (sort of) and ''neighbourhood"

Red Deer Advocate - Train carrying hazardous material derails near Innisfail

Pretty close to home! You may recognize these elevators as the ones in my Sun Dog pictures from last week... just south of Penhold, close to Innisfail.

The Advocate rented a helicopter and took this video. Hey - my friends from home - when it is looking north (mountains are to the left, west) that is about 5 minutes to my little town of Penhold! And, five minutes south to Innisfail which is where Nancy Anstruther lives - breeder of Kate and Shaman - well, she lives in the country but that is the nearest town. I drive this road nearly every day. You can see my view of the Rocky Mountains!

The definition of irony

So guess who's dog ate some chocolate the day after my last post? Yup, that idiot was none other than me. I think I was the first person to go to the chart after posting. Gosh you would think someone who works for a vet and knows better would keep it out of reach. Ah but who doesn't like an adrenaline rush now and then?
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I had placed the bar on top of my treadle sewing machine. Jack normally doesn't bother food on counters or on top of tables but I guess this just smelled to good for him to pass up. I had broken off some pieces to take to work and assume that is why it attracted him. The good news is that because he is so large, and I came home for lunch and caught him, he didn't have a chance to eat very much of it. Add to that when I left for work he had a kong to work on so I'm sure some if his time went into that. He also didn't eat bites of it (like some dogs would have) but took a piece to the floor and licked at it. Then he licked the rest of the bar while it was on top of the machine. The evidence was still there. Chocolate doggy drool anyone? Yeah the rest of it went into the garbage outside.
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So once I figured out just how much he got and talked to the docs I work with (double checking the charts correctness) I calmed down. Then I laughed because it the whole thing was just so stupid. And Jack? Luckily he never even got any diarrhea from the incident. I gave him a dose of propectalin just in case. But I know I got lucky and I am grateful for that.
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The lesson? Keep your chocolate out of reach all the time but especially after blogging about the dangers of chocolate. You're less likely to look like an idiot that way.

Inspirational Video, Powerful Message - Justin Hines - Say What You Will

My good friend told me to watch this video today because he knew I would love it's message.
I simply can't stop watching it, and feel it is an inspirational and powerful video worth sharing. I am sure you will have to watch this one more than once.

Enjoy!

Canadian Open Champion Bob Walker 1923-2011 Obituary

My friend Susie Coutts (Birch- Bark Hill Tracking Blog) scanned this for me. I also shared it on Facebook. A very nice obituary. Nice to see someone pictured with his dog and recognized for his passion. 

This was discussed by the stockdog people who are on the Sheepdog List and someone is compiling some history about him now for the record books.

Thanks Susie for taking the time to send this!

Poor Caden! The joys of dog management.

with apologies for the photos, taken with my iphone...

Jet is in season and has been all week - while we've had temperatures of minus 25 C all week! I took the picture above this morning - he was exhausted from a bit of Benadryl and a good howling session last night. 

I've had to figure out how to manage all of the dogs and separate them in this weather. Normally they all get along, but right now, Caden and Ted both want Jet, and River is also anxious about Jet.

My solution?

Jet and Ted hang out downstairs all day. I'd be happy if Ted bred Jet, but her seasons are not normal, so it's not likely to happen. Plus he lives with her, and she bosses him around horribly. As you can see here - she spent the night guarding the best ripped up gloves and socks and bones, while Ted hangs back with admiration. I come home at lunch and let them out. They are so good in the house and make me very proud!

Caden is in a crate in the morning and goes out for the afternoon when it is a tiny bit warmer - and I do have insulated doghouses with doors, and a metal roof on the runs - plus tarps wrapped around them. Mind you, the cold air probably is good for him, and will tire him out a bit. My neighbours are so great - they talk to Caden if he is upset and he calms down becaues he knows them. They say he is being very good and just howls when they are out, because he is hoping it is me coming home. I've actually had to claim a half day of vacation for all the running back and forth I am doing this week, even though work is just 15 minutes away.

Jet and Ted get their time with me while Caden and River are out - and so on. Having four dogs is a total management issue at times like this but my house and yard are very well set up with separate doors and fencing. Caden and Ted are being super to each other, but I give a lot of credit to Ted who is so smart and knows how to avoid confrontation. He is a neat dog.

The only problem?

Caden is beside himself. I took this photo this morning with my iPhone as he was very determined I should get out of bed and let him join Jet in the basement. He is gentle, but I do like to sleep in on Saturday! He is pretty much lying on me, staring into my face!

In the middle of the night, I heard River punish him - good girl!

Maybe he will sleep in a crate tonight. And dear little Jet will be spayed this spring. I will probably neuter Ted too, as they are both 5 this year. If by chance Jet is preggers from Ted, I would be very happy to have a pup that I could start with, hoping to have sheep and land soon as I am looking very hard.