Happy Hallowe'en

I just had to post this!!! My sister Debra just sent it & it is just hilarious.....this is Shane her golden retriever......it is his first Hallowe'en!

Enjoy!

Road Trip

Well tomorrow is my first "dog show" trip since I moved to Alberta!!! I am sooo excited! I should be packing but I can't get into it, so, I will get up early & pack tomorrow. Tate will be competing in Rally Excellent....he got his 1st 2 legs in Sept. 07 but there hasn't been a trial for me to get to so I could finish up his title, until now. I only entered 2 of the 3 days so I hope I can pull off a pass at least one day! We haven't practised at all! I know, bad, but really, he knows the stuff, maybe going in cold turkey will work to my advantage, or not!!! We'll see I guess!
Kort gets to come too, thanks to the new rule about allowing puppies under 6 mo. to be on exhibition , as long as you have a dog entered in a regular class. It will be good for him to see the sights & smells of a show. I will be putting him in the van when I take Tate in the ring though, I'm not taking any chances that he might bark while I'm in there.
I'm not so sure about spending 2 nights in a motel with Kort either!! He has a tendency to bark at every little noise....I doubt if I'll get much sleep...but that's all the fun of dogs shows isn't it?!
Well I guess I should think about going to bed, tomorrow morning will come quick enough......keep your paws crossed for us!

Lessons in Photography

Amanda took some pictures of Kort at our Hallowe'en party on Sat. It was nice of her to do so, however,!! the first one she took she had Kort sitting & she was standing over him, so his head was back, this was the result!

Oh my!! I can here Dave cursing now, LOL!!! Anyway, I told Amanda that she must take more pictures!! and she graciously obliged, thanks Amanda!!

Here are the results, much better!!!!......However, I can see I need to do some ear timming!

More Tate

Michelle & Monique wanted to see more show pictures...here are 2 that I found, I guess I didn't get alot taken as I usually went by myself, & didn't have anyone to take the pictures. All the ones I have are from when Brad came with me. These 2 are more recent then the the ones in the last post...they are from May 07, he did win Best of Breed all 3 days, but alas, no group placements.
Hey Amanda, check out the dog about to come down the diagonal in the first picture....it's a blue cardigan!
Don't I just look lovely in a skirt..with running shoes!!!

Tate the Show Dog!

I love showing my collies....getting them all pouffed up & looking handsome! You have to do it with an open mind however, it's just one judges personal opinion...if you can't handle loosing, don't show your dog! My collie Drake won everytime he stepped in the ring( I should say "almost" everytime he got in the ring!!) ,there was this occasion I remember, when my good friends Michelle & Monique entered their collie Keeper, he beat Drake that day & finished his championship!!...Drake had attitude & was one handsome dog....Tate on the other hand is a gorgeous collie, however, he is tri colour.I find alot of judges do not like the colour . I didn't show Tate as much as I did Drake, Tate was more interested in the performance events, but when I did show him he sure made me proud!

These pictures were taken by my husband who was sitting in the bleachers....they are my favourites! It was June 2005.

Tate in the ring with the winners dog behind him, Tate was already a champion so he was competeing for Best of Breed......

This one shows the winners female running down the diagonal......

Here you can see the judge checking out the winners male, he had just finished looking at Tate......

We won Best of Breed, now we are competing in the herding group...... We won a 4th in Group on this day, Whoo Hoo!!!

By the way, did anyone notice that both the winners dog, & winners female were tri coloured?? This judge definately likes the colour!

The "Ears" are winning!

I am being worn down by Kort's ears, it's true! I try & try, but he keeps getting the darn things out! For instance, both ears came out at the same time Fri. night, it was late, I was tired, so I waited until Sat. to put them in. I put Kort on the table, do all my necessary things, take him off the table & bamm, one of the ears have let loose! Ok, I take a deep breath, put him back on the table, fix the ear, take him off the table, turn around to do something, look back, & you guessed it, BOTH ears are out!! I wanted to cry! So, I ended up sticking hair to hair, which I hate doing, I think it pulls & it matts the hair too. At this point however I just wanted them done!! Teething should be over soon, hopefully I can leave them out for a bit then...until that time I'll tough it out.
Toughing it out has it's benefits....Tate has lovely tipped ears, even in the heavy Lethbridge winds, his stay tipped over! I know the right one looks high, but as collies age they do go higher, it's still tipped though!!

I'm A Big Boy Now!

I have been filling in & doing some extra hours at work this week. The longest Kort has been crated during the day has been approx 3-4 hrs.....lately I have been doing 6, so, I decided it was time to give Kort some freedom to prove himself as a big boy. I shut all the rooms off so he has the livingroom, hallway & kitchen. Tate has free reign of the house & because Kort still does not go "down" stairs, Tate can escape if he feels the need!

Well, Kort has definately proven himself to me this week....nothing in the house has been destroyed & there are no bodily functions to which I have to clean up upon arriving home.....such a good big boy!!

Beware the Bumble!

I thought I would surprise Wendy & dress Kort up for the Halloween party on Sat..... Amanda said she had a couple of costumes that would fit Kort.....she misjudged his size just a little!! I knew the costume would be too small but I took it home anyway just so I could have some fun!! Kort was not at all impressed with my sense of humor...however I laughed until I cried & had a wonderful time at his expense! This is payback Kort for all those pees in the house!!
Hope this brightens your day Wendy!
Enjoy!!......

All In A Days Work

So this morning I noticed the dust on my coffee table is so thick you can write in it!!, & it got me wondering what the heck I do all day that I can't manage to get my housework done lately!! I am a TOTAL neat freak, ask anyone, everything, including my dogs, have to be just so. I think it's because I'm a Virgo & apparently we are perfectionists...
Anywho.....here is a day in the life of me....this was yesterday....
8am- wake up, brush teeth, let dogs out to pee, make Kort's breakfast & put on coffee
8:30 am-9:30am- take Tate & Kort for their walks, get home & fill up all the bird feeders, pick up poop from yard, inside to make Tate's breakfast
10:30 am- shower
11 am-eat my breakfast
11:30 am- leave for work
12-6 work....day from hell!! LOL!!, see Amanda's blog....
6:30 pm -arrive home, grab Tate & Kort for their walks
7:30 pm-arrive home, feed dogs
8pm-have supper-FINALLY!
8pm-10pm must watch my shows-Prison Break & The Sarah Connor Chronicles, while doing laundry in between...
10pm-check my e-mail messages
10:30 pm-12pm-read my new holistic dog healing books
12 midnight, let dogs out for pees- then finally BED!!!
I suppose I could do housework instead of watching tv, or going on the computer, but darn it, I like my shows & my computer.....
Anyway, I've decided I need more hrs in my day, just like everyone else I guess!

10:30am

Kort's First Tracking Lesson!!!

Finally!!! I got off my butt & gave Kort his first tracking lesson! It was so much fun! I am starting Kort with a different method then I did with Tate. We started on a big scent circle that was filled with food.....this way Kort associates human scent with finding food.....after that I put him away to re bait my scent circle & lay a small serpentine track for him. He was anxious to get back to the scent circle where all the goodies were, but when I took him toward his serentine he was a little unfocused. On the serpentine I laid a treat at the big toe of every footprint I made, for about 10 steps....this made Kort associate the footstep with the reward......after that I spaced them out, sometimes rewarding at every second step, sometimes every 5th step....then I did 10 steps with no food at all to end at the glove...the glove had a huge jackpot on it & beneath it...he charged on to the glove & I made a HUGE deal out of the fact that he found it....we ended in a play session with him getting to run around with his glove!

He wasn't bang on the track, as a matter of fact he kept trying to "back track", which means he kept turning around to go backwards on the track looking for food, I had to stop him from doing this, the dog must always move forward. All in all he did great, very food motivated with only a couple of unfocused times....can't wait to get out again!

The pictures are the best I could do as I took them myself while Kort was tracking!!

Approaching the scent circle......

In the scent circle...... Tracking...... the flags mark where I have put a food drop......Kort finds the glove!...... Playing with his glove....good job Kort!!...... I know that tracking shots are boring to the person who doesn't track, but for people that do, they will understand why I am excited!

Find that Name

I'm on the hunt for my next doggy name....I have always had a name in mind for my next dog...even if that dog doesn't come along for years!! It's my quirkyness coming out again, I know....this time I am having a really hard time! I like one syllable names, & they have to be different, no Fidos or Spots....well you know.....

So far I have Rook......that's it! I've also considered Dane, but it reminds me of Great Dane, then I liked Wynn, but then he would get Winnie, & I don't like Winnie!! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Names are so important, I can't imagine Tate or Kort with different names now....

Guess This Sound!

Crunch, crunch crunch, crackle, crunch,crackle crackle, naw, crackle, naw, crackle, crunch, naw, naw, crackle!! Annoying to read isn't it! Now imagine this noise at 6:30 am....
what was the noise?? Kort, chewing on a plastic water bottle I had given him to play with the night before, yup.....
I should add, he doesn't actually "eat" the bottle...he just likes to play with it & make ALOT of noise!! How can something so darn cute, be so darn bad!!

A Year Later

This week is filled with tons of mixed emotions for me.... one year ago today, Brad & I packed up our house & headed West! It has been a great move for both of us, I love being here, love all the wonderful people I have met, & I have made some good friends! I have a great job that I actually enjoy going to! But, it has also been a year since I have seen my family...except for Debra, who lives in Sherwood Park, before I never saw her! It is hardest not seeing my mom, I really miss her. Our family always celebrated holidays together, it was very strange not to have a big feast on Thanksgiving this year!

Here are a few pictures from my last day in Thunder Bay.....

Moving Day, Brad & Tate in the U Haul, Tate was worried I would leave him behind!......

The yard full of boxes & furniture to be loaded, you can see my sister to the right, taking a break to play with Tate......

Every room looked like this, boxes piled sky high!......

This is the side of our house which was "Tate's yard", it was huge, I miss that!!, so does Tate......
Even though I miss my family, I do not miss the Thunder Bay weather!! & the cold winters! I think I am a true Albertan now!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tate & Kort would like to wish everyone a Happy Turkey Day!!

Have a good one!

Teeth

For the last 2 days Kort has been loosing teeth....all the ones in the front, top & bottom, have been replaced & I never even saw them fall out. I am assuming he swallowed them. The ones he is loosing now are molars..I have found 3 so far, or maybe they are all pieces of the same tooth. Everytime you look at him you see blood! If he opens his mouth, there's blood, if he is playing with a stuffed toy, he leaves blood on it! He likes to play with the teeth too, I keep catching him, laying on the floor, picking up a tooth, rolling it around in his mouth then spitting it out. He will keep repeating this process until I scoop up the tooth, of course he trys to get it back, after all, it is his prize & who do I think I am! I think all he has left now to change are his canines on top, the bottom ones are already gone & swallowed!

He is changing so fast now, I just want him to stay little, he's soooo darn cute.

For Amanda!!

Here it is, my brownies outfit....I was a Leprechan! This would be from approx. 1969!!

Why Collies?

Amanda suggested to me about writing why I chose collies. I had to really think about it, & all I came up with is, I don't know! What I mean is, I believe collies chose me. As long as I can remember I have loved dogs, deeply. It was horrible growing up with parents that would not let me have a dog. In their defense, they both worked full time & there were 4 of us. So really, my mom didn't need the extra work or expense. I would take books out of the library & read them & just stare at the pictures, waiting for the day when I would have my own dog. I brought quite a few home in my day too, made them follow me, then told my mom they must be lost!

I begged my mom to buy me a dog book, I believe I was about 5 or 6 I think. There was a collie on the cover & I just had to have the book. I love all dogs, they have been my life, but when I look at a collie it's different. This will probably sound corny ( or quirky! ), but they tug at my heart....it's as simple as that, they are truely "my breed".

And of course I still have that first dog book! The copyright is 1966!

Here it is......

Here's the collie page inside the book......

Just Because

I hate it when days go by with nothing to post about.....I like to add something new everyday day but lately nothing has been happening!!

So, here are a couple pictures just so my blog has something new!

Tate at 5 months......

Kort at 5 months......

With any luck my life will get more exciting soon!

Tate gets to Play!

Today Go!DogGo! hosted an agiltiy fun match out at Bogdan's & I decided to take Tate out to have some fun. As you know Tate is having problems with arthritis so I retired him from agility one year ago. I just went to have fun & let him play, he jumped only 6" & Tate had a blast. He even surprised me by jumping off the end of the teeter before it had even dropped to the ground, maybe he was having a little too much fun! Other then that he was a good boy despite my horrible handling, gosh I suck!! I am out of practise for sure, at one point after I had made too many mistakes, Tate got a bit flustered, Amanda stepped in & got him going again....I think he was ready to run the course with Amanda, seeing as she knew what she was doing!!

Kort came out to socialize & cheer Tate on...& cheer him on he did, barking the whole time we were running!

I looked back & found pictures from our very first CKC trial in July 05......this was Tate's first leg in novice, & a first place in 24"!!......

Here we are in the ring waiting, something went wrong with the timer just as we entered, very nerve racking for a novice!......

The start, we had no lead out stay yet!......

Dogwalk......

Tire......obviously a professional photo!

Table, you can't really see it, but I was making a teepee with my hands to keep him sitting!!, I didn't even know I was doing it until my friends laughed about it after!......

Tunnel......

First leg!! High Score!!......
It is so much fun to go back & remember that day & how far we've come!!