Sunday, July 26, 2009

I've hired a professional.

Well with the Nationals next weekend, we've been training hard, and I hope we are all ready, we had our last practice yesterday. And I think we are are feeling good about it.

But, last minute I decided to hire a professional dog trainer. I just to needed to make sure I was doing everything properly to this point, and I was hoping it might just give us that competitive edge. Don't let the fact that she is 11 make you think is not qualified. It is her lifelong dream to become a dog trainer. We see her about once a year, and she gives the dogs all a tune-up in their training.

You can see the focus and determination on everyone's faces. She practiced recalls, she had all three staying and called each one individually to her, and they did some sits, and downs. They even got a refresher on how to shake a paw.

This trainer was great. She even took turns with each individual dog.

Kaleb ... well he licked her, and licked her.
She didn't even mind being slimed, multiple times.
It only took about 4 kleenexes to get her face dry ....

Then was Gyp's turn ... it involved a lot of snuggling.
Then came Jane.
The trainer brushed up on her tricks such as: sneeze, shake a paw, and take a bow.
She also practiced roll over.

A massage therapist too, she even managed to put Jane into a deep sleep in the process.

After the session, I wanted her opinion, and any other insights she might want to share:

When asked who her favourite was:
"I love them all for different things, I love Kaleb's kisses, I love playing fetch and cuddling with Gyp, and I do the best tricks with Jane."

Other notable quotes were:
"What would Kaleb do without me?"
"I wonder what it is like to be Kaleb?"
"Mom, but they don't want to me leave, they need me!!"

If anyone would like to have this trainer come to their house, I'll hook ya up!

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Gyp's guide to a GREEN lawn....


1. You'll need a Dog. A dog with a big mouth is even better.

2. A freakish Dog that loves the pressure of the water spraying in his/her face.

3. A long durable hose.

3. Lots and lots and lots of water.

4. Did I mention a freakish dog that loves the hose?

NOTE: Do not use traditional sprinklers to achieve your green lawn. The freakish dog will eventually get brave enough to bite the sprinkler, lift it from the ground, and destroy it, causing a slow painful death for the sprinkler, bringing you back to hand watering the lawn with the dog, see #1.

!

Dripping with excitement ... ! ...

Stay tuned for more photos of Gyp, and her backyard hose adventures ...

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Why you little!

I often compare Kaleb to Bart Simpson.
Bratty, hardheaded, and obnoxious, but you can't help but love the little guy.

Why you little!
(I WAS actually saying this too him at the time)

Amanda took this photo last night after Kaleb's multiple attempts to dart away from me (not wanting to go back to his Xpen after his turn), I almost peed my pants when I saw it. If you have ever seen Kaleb do his Backwards Bucking Bronco[TM] move, you would laugh too. I love this dog.


And what about Jane and Gyp you ask?

Jane would be Maggie, she may be small, cute, and look all innocent, but she packs a Glock and khows to use it. She shot Mr. Burns you know.

And then there is Gyp, little miss perfect...

The sweet, smart, sheep loving know it all.
Does this make me Homer? DOH!

I should have thought this through a little further. I do love a good donut though.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

The Nationals Gang.

Amanda and Wicca | Jolayne and Tag | Me, Kaleb and Gyppie

We head off to the AAC Nationals in Ottawa, Ontario on Monday. The event starts Friday July 31st, there are 581 dogs entered! CRAZY! We are going a few days early to get used to the time change, humidity and sight see! Pete and I are visiting family while there also. Jolayne's hubby Aaron is coming and he and Pete will spend time fishing, and talking about how crazy us girls are I am sure (maybe how crazy the dogs are too) ... well, atleast they have eachother :)

We had a great training session tonight and will finetune a couple more things this week, then a week off before the event so we can all be fresh and ready to go!

We will be updated the Go!Dog!Go! Blog regularly while we are away if you want to see what we are up to! http://godoggoagility.blogspot.com/

p.s. for the Jane fans, she is staying at home with Grammy .. somehow I doubt she'll miss me too much.

Thanks for Asking

On occasion I get ASKED if my photos can be used for various projects, fundraisers etc. I have no problem with this, and I have never asked for compensation as long as I am noted as the Photographer. My guys have been featured in a Calendar for a Parkinsons fundraiser, they have been painted, used in various art projects, and Kaleb is the face for Breast Cancer fundraiser for a young lady in New York City who is a dogwalker/trainer, and Gyp's photo is going to be featured in a dog Photography book this fall.

More often, my photos are ripped off and recently one of my contacts from flickr found my photos being sold as someone else's, on a stock photo site. NICE. Not to mention the stolen Identity of Gyp (she was being called Stacy), and let's not talk about the Malaysian Dog Food Ad fiasco ....

I am not going to get into the whole debate about this, because frankly my blood is already starting to boil just thinking about it.

I want everyone to be able to see my photos as it is my one sacred creative outlet, and I love putting smiles on other people's faces and inspiring something in someone. And most of all, I love being inspired by other people's photography, so it is only fair others should see my work. So until I totally freak out over something, my photos will remain public and ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ... which means nothings if you know how to "right click" and download a photo apparently ....

any hoo ...

Here is the recent Art work Gyp is featured on by a Graphic Designer/Producer/Hip-Hop Artist in Georgia ....


El Perro Del Mar - Dog by ~NedLeKim on deviantART

Monday, July 20, 2009

Hotdogs!


In an attempt to get the dogs (and me!) used to the heat that we will be running in at Nationals, I've been taking the dogs out for hikes, walks or runs in the heat of the day, on top of our regular morning or evening jaunts. I am prone to be sensitive to the heat and this weekend was especially HOT! HOT! HOT! We had an Agility Fun Match on Saturday, and it was 33 degrees!

Yesterday got up to close to 30. We took the dogs to Indian Battle Park in the heat of the day, a great hike for conditioning the dogs (and me!), I try to get to this park a couple times a week. We start this hike at the Bridge and take the metal stairs up (Jane has to be carried because her feet fall through the metal grates, the other two are fine because their feet are bigger), there are tons of stairs (up and down the coulees), switchbacks, bridges and a variety of surfaces. It is a good workout for everyone, I highly recommend it!

Pete and Kaleb stop to taste the Berries... I guess they weren't poisonous, because Pete is still alive this morning. He said they were Choke Cherries I think.

Water, must have water!
We generally go through 1 or 2 litres on a walk, Kaleb drinks most of it :)

Gyp we are half way there!

We leave for Nationals in Ottawa, in a week today, ACK! A couple more small training sessions, then that will be it! I am feeling pretty well prepared physically and mentally (still working on this daily). I hope the dogs will be ready too!

Sunday, July 19, 2009

lucky number 13.

Happy Birthday Rayne!
This is my friends dog, Rayne. Today she turns 13. Yesterday she got to play a bit of agility - a few 10" jumps and a couple tunnels. She thought it was great. We had some cupcakes in homour of her birthday. Rayne was happy to have one too, though with how fast she ate it, we are not sure if she actually tasted it :)

It is so nice to see the old girls still having fun, and she loved greeting all of her friends and hangin' out. Here's to many more heathly, happy times Miss Rayne!

Friday, July 17, 2009

Meet the HAIR.

What? I have a lot of HAIR you say?


I'm a Standard Poodle!

They call me Zydeco!
I couldn't imagine grooming a dog like this - it is an art form really! I hardly have the patience to groom my low-maintenance-coat dogs.

His owners wanted to get some photos of him before "THE HAIR" becomes a distant memory. I thought they would have the clippers in hand after the last photo snapped, but they didn't.

I think I might get them to save the hair so I can make Jane a coat for winter.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Prisoner #42561

Gyp often comes to class when we are teaching, since we work our dogs either before or after class. Gyppie also enjoys being the Demo dog during the baby dog classes.

She likes to look all pathetic and as if she is locked up for life. Her foot pleading her undeniable innocence ...

She maintains hope that she might get paroled early for good behaviour ...

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

cute + bad = puppy

Our friends, have a new addition to their home. Meet Sophie, Lucy's new little sister!
me sophie. me cute.

me want cookie.

me learnin' from Lucy.

me want to be like Lucy when I am growed up.

me don't want to be held, me sad.

me like this guy.

gimme, gimme never gets, don't you know your manners yet?

mine. mine. mine.

if you've ever had puppy teeth clamp down on your hand, you have experienced real pain.

The End ...
well, for 15 minutes, when she wakes up again ...

Monday, July 13, 2009

Weekend Fun with the dogs!

We had an action packed weekend! Dog Show, Herding, a BBQ, a couple photo shoots (those photos to come later this week) ...

Saturday we headed to Calgary for the FCR Regional Specialty Show - K can show as a vet now -the only way he can show being neutered. K had a fun day and placed 3rd in Vet Sweeps, 2nd in his regular Vet male class, and 1st in Working Dog. The best rewards came after, a kiddie pool and a cool chuckit toy he won!
Thanks to Amanda for taking all the great photos! Our friend Liz at Blazingstar took home the Best of Breed with Tinbie and Best of Opposite with Pipit! Way to go!

Back on the road Sunday morning for a herding lesson at PhantomRidge...

Amanda took these great photos for me.
Go ahead, make my day!!! I thought this stand off photo was funny! which was are you going to go Gyppie? This was my attempt to keep balance on the sheep and Gyp.
I was happy with how Gyp did. She didn't once get pouty and her lay downs were really good! I was actually able to lie her down multiple times and still have her stay keen - a little too keen sometimes - even the waving stick didn't freak her out much. She was however, working really far from the sheep at times which made the sheep go too fast away from me, for me to do anything with. Louanne took me into a corner to work her to encourage her to come back in and that really helped. Her COME BY is really good, but AWAY TO ME she goes really wide and it is by far her weaker side. By the end after she had a run in with the sheep, and it jumped on her ... she seemed to settle in to where she was her last lesson and we ended on a good note, finding balance and did a couple baby outruns and drove back down the arena back and forth a couple times. I was exhausted at the end of our lesson! We don't do it with the goal of ever competing, I just like to see Gyp's courage increase and learn something new, AND it is a fun way to spend time with her!!
True multi-tasking: sitting, laying down and stalking all at once!