Weekend Candids

Here are some pictures I took on Sat. at the trial, I didn't take any Sun. due to all the rain.
I like to be comfortable wherever I go, & I like the dogs to be too, it might have been a bit of overkill, but we sure did have an awesome set up :))......
My boys inside the larger ex-pen inside the tent......

Kort in the "front yard"...I added an ex-pen to the front of the tent....that way when Tate & Kort weren't enclosed in the big ex-pen they could wander inside or hang out outside :))....
can we say spoiled ! :))......

The boys relaxing inside the nice cool tent while waiting for their turn to play ! ......


Last but not least !....say hi to Wendy !!, the photographer from the weekend..I thought it would be funny to take a picture of her with her kick ass camera, & honkin huge lens, with my little pawn shop camera!...Hi Wendy !......

Videos !!

Here is my 8 year old Superstar making his debut in Veteran's !......

Here is my 2 year old Superstar in the making !......

Agility Day 2 !

Even though it POURED BUCKETS the ENTIRE day!!!!, we still had an awesome time.

At the risk of sounding like an Academy Award speech, I would like to thank some people first before posting a few pictures :))

To Amanda, Sarah, & Kim for being truly awesome instructors & helping all of us newbie/keeners all weekend even while busy running the trial & their own dogs! They were there watching all of us students, cheering us on & making us feel good about how we did even if we didn't Q.
Also to Amanda on being such a good friend & understanding when I ALWAYS challenge her advice :)), thanks Amanda!!, I still think I know it all, don't give up on me ! Thank you also for video taping every run of both Tate & Kort !!!

To Wendy, who gave up her weekend to come out & take pictures of all the dogs in almost every single run! Today she sat outside in that horrendous rain & cold to capture pictures, I for one truly appreciate this, Wendy you rock !!
Thanks also for the "earlybird" pictures of Tate, it sure pays to know the photographer :))

To the judges who will probably never read this but still..... Kiersten Lloyd & Christina Sanders, two of the most friendly, fun, & unintimidating judges I have ever had the pleasure to run under! These two ladies made us new comers feel relaxed & at ease by their good humour & happy attitudes. Thank you !!!!

And lastly to all of my fellow students who came out to watch every dog & every run for support! It was so wonderful to hear the cheers when crossing the line !
KEENERS ROCK....WE ARE LOUD & PROUD ! GO GO!DOG!GO!!!!!!!

Now for Pictures!!!
I just have Tate right now, many more of both dogs to come :))
These are from Tate's Qualifying Standard Run......

I love this shot of Tate's butt going through the tire......

Here he is coming out of the tunnel...I'm sooo happy says Tate !......

This is my favourite so far!, just look at the joy in his face!......

Climbing the teeter......

Jump!......

This is where the "go on" command comes in handy! You can see Tate is ahead of me, I indicate with arm as well as my voice to keep going until I say otherwise, or catch up ! :))

Stay tuned for more pictures!

Can't Wait!

I can't wait for pictures or video to post tonight as I am so excited!

Today was the first day of our agility trial here in Lethbridge. It is the first time I have done AAC agility & I can tell you it is much harder then CKC!! The courses are more challenging & you are not allowed any refusals or it is an NQ. In CKC you are allowed 3 refusals in novice & 1 in Intermediate, but must be perfect in Excellent. In AAC it is perfect from the get go!, plus there is either 6 or 12 weaves at the Starters level!!

I'll start with Kort...Kort made me so proud today, with limited class time, or even jumping at full height, he entered his first ever trial. We did Jumpers as he is not yet weaving or doing the teeter, the course had 17 obstacles....13 jumps, 3 tunnels, & the tire. Kort ran clean up to obstacle 13, for some reason he stalled in front, which earned him a refusal & an NQ. I got him back running & he managed to do his tire, a fairly tight pinwheel & get all the way to the last jump clean!! He ran past the last jump but Amanda said it was totally my fault as I dropped my arm & didn't tell him over...my bad!
I could just squish him I'm so proud !! :))

Tate was amazing, he brought tears to my eyes ! This was Tate's first Veteran's appearance & he just rocked ! He was fast!!, I even had to use my "Go On" as I couldn't keep up to him on the straight away!. He missed his weave pole entry in the first Standard run, I brought him back but he did not like that at all, he HATES to be wrong ! He gave the ground a sniff & I knew he was upset so I just said ok, let's go, & he turned & weaved through the last 6 of the 12 poles ! The rest of his run was clean.
The 2nd Standard run was rock solid, he hit the weave entry on his first try & just rocked the entire course! His time was 61.87 out of a possible 73. This was Tate's first Standard Q !
Then on to Jumpers, what a dog!!! he was perfect!!! A Q with a time of 30.35 !!!! Not bad for my 8 1/2 year old couch potato!!

Also an interesting fact about today. On Sat. Aug 28, 2004, Tate entered his first agility trial at the age of 2, & earned a Jumpers Q.
So I think it's pretty amazing that 6 years ago TO THE DAY!, I was in my first ever agility trial with my first agility dog. Tate was 2yrs, & Kort is 2yrs, & also in his first ever trial, & Tate is now in Veterans....how's that for cool !!!

What a day!, I probably won't be able to move my aching body tomorrow, but I'm looking forward to competing, just hope the rain stays away!

Just Because

I felt like a smile :))......

Annoyed !

Ok so I have finally heard enough & have to get this off my chest!
This post is not directed at any one person, I have a TON of friends that feed raw, actually most of them do!, it is just something I need to say.
I am so tired of people that feed raw calling down dog owners that don't. I know that there are horrible things happening out there & horrible things being put into dog food. But...give us kibble feeders some credit for doing research & actually finding quality manufactures of high grade kibble! Not every kibble is bad, come on!!
I talked to a breeder who feeds her dogs raw, I may get a puppy from her one day, I asked her what she thought of me feeding kibble, & would she still be willing to sell me a puppy. She said that she would rather I fed a good quality kibble then feed raw & feed it wrong.
Why do raw feeders think they are right ?? Why can't you believe that there is good kibble out there? Personally it makes me feel as if you are looking down on me...shame on me for poisoning my dogs!!...seriously !
As you can see I feel very strongly about this...raw feeders, keep your opinions to yourself please...I don't argue with you about feeding raw do I?? , even though I think it is gross....I keep my feelings to myself, well, until now :))
You do with YOUR dog what you like & I'll do what I like with MINE!

Obsessed ??

Amanda & I headed out to visit the flatcoat puppies at Blazingstar Kennels again yesterday. Liz took some pictures which she has graciously allowed me to print here !
Thanks Liz!!
Lupine giving me kisses :)), I LOVE Lupine, she is so sweet & gentle, she is the puppies grandmother.
I find it funny that both Lupine & I have the same expression !!, could it be love♥ !! ......


Lupine takes a break from kissing me to play with the grandkids!......

Who needs to have their trees pruned when you have flatcoat puppies !......

Sleeping puppies after a busy day ......

Amanda says I'm obsessed, but I say I'm just passionate, what do you think ?? !!

Just Because

I posted these videos because I have nothing to blog about !! They are super short but oh well!

Kort found this glove on our evening walk....he was sooo proud of it & carried it all the way home :))......

Watch closely as Kort head butts Tate because Tate has the ball,he does this while never letting go of his glove, he's such a joy! :))......

Surprise Visit

Today Brian & Perkins surprised us at work and came for a visit !!
Brian had to take Perkins to Calgary today for another visit with Dr. Diaz. Perkins is doing fantastic! He also had all of his staples removed too, all 15 of them, I counted :)
This is the first time we have seen him actually walking since he was paralyzed over a month ago...it was very exciting! Perkins is still a bit unsteady, but seriously, this is like a miracle! He still has some rehabilitation to go but Brian does not have to travel to Calgary anymore & can just do phone consultations from now on.
Hurray for Perkins ! ♥

Teamwork

What an awesome day today !
I went to a seminar held this morning by Amanda & Sarah.
It was a trial prep seminar as our trial is in 2 weeks! After the seminar we were able to run our dogs in some jumpers & standard courses. As usual the girls set up challenging advance courses, which made us think, as well as use our handling skills.
Kort did so well!! I am so proud of him, he has come so far so fast it amazes me. At the last fun match he could only take 2 jumps then he would come & jump on me. Now, he totally understands to take the obstacle that I direct him too! He had a couple of bobbles, the first time he saw the tire he ran under it...it took 3 tries to get him to jump through it but I am glad I persevered as he did not miss the tire once after that! His weaves are still a work in progress, he has to use the gates, but I am in no hurry. His contacts were solid except for once when he came off the bottom of the dogwalk....then there was the "incident" of him jumping off the top of the dog walk!, apparently I had my arm up directing him, then I dropped my arm, he followed! We did it again & this time I was sure to keep my stupid arm at my side & Kort was fine....this is what fun matches are all about, figuring out your weaknesses. I just happen to have a few more then Kort, but I'm working on it !
Tate also got to play today, he was sooo cute in the jumpers run, he paused on top of the dogwalk to watch the dogs in the runs next door at the kennel....he flew off the end of the teeter as he was watching dogs in the audience, that wasn't so cute, ...bad Tate!! I put him back on & made him stick the landing. The rest of the jumpers course he rocked ! Later when we tried the standard course he just wasn't doing anything...I'm not sure if flying off the teeter made him sore or it was the heat...I ended up just doing a jump, the tire, & ended it....we will see how he is at the trial....I have him entered in 2 standard runs & 1 jumpers, I may have to pull him from 1 or 2...but that's ok, it's all about having fun now, and I certainly am :))
Here are 2 of the Courses from today......
Standard Course......

Jumpers Course......

Perkins Journey

It has been a difficult month to say the least.
My dad passing away was the beginning.
I was dog sitting Perkins when I got the call from my mom about dad, I called Wendy & made arrangements for Perkins to stay with her. A couple of days before, I noticed Perkins wasn't quite himself, he was quieter then usual, shivering alot & had some difficulty walking up the stairs. While I was in Thunder Bay Wendy e-mailed to tell me Perkins had gotten worse & she was taking him to see a vet....within the space of about 4 days Perkins had become paralyzed. The diagnosis, Grade 3 degenerative disc disease. Wendy called Brian & he immediately flew home. After talking with the vet here in Lethbridge, the next step was to take Perkins to see a specialist. Brian & Perkins went to the C.A.R.E. Center in Calgary. The vet Dr. Diaz was hopeful that Perkins could be helped but wanted to try strict rest at home first before doing the surgery. Perkins seemed to improve some, but then hit a plateau, so surgery was the next step.
The surgery was done a week ago & was more complicated then Dr. Diaz had thought...Perkins disc was very large & inflamed & it was pushing on his spinal cord. The surgery took longer then anticipated but the disc was removed along with alot of scar tissue. Then we all waited to hear what the outcome was. Amanda said it best "it is amazing how much we can love someone elses dog" .
The following day Brian got a call that Perkins was not doing well, he was neurologically declining & Brian needed to get up to Calgary. You can imagine what everyone was going through, especially Brian who had to make the 2 hr drive to Calgary wondering what decisions he was going to have to make when he arrived.
To everyones surprise by the time Brian got there Perkins had begun to improve, he even ate some food that Brian brought with him.!
On Monday Brian drove up to Calgary to bring Perkins home , last night Amanda, Wendy & I went over for a barbecue. It was very emotional to see Perkins up & putting weight on his legs again & taking a few steps! He has a way to go, lots of rehabilitation & rest, but it looks as if Perkins has won this battle!
Perkins has a huge fan club & I'm sure everyone will join me in praying for a fast recovery for him !!
We love you Perkins ! ♥♥

Puppy Fever

Serious Cuteness!......

Puppy #8 samples my nose :) ......

Julia & I went out to visit Liz, Andy & the new babies at Blazingstar Kennels yesterday afternoon.
I want one soooooo bad !!

Terrible Two's

Tate after his 2nd year shed......

Kort after his 2nd year shed......

Seems to me that Kort at 2 looks much more "terrible" then Tate at 2 ! :))...eeek!

Heaven on Earth !

(photo by Blazingstar)
I'm going out to see the whole litter of these guys this afternoon at Blazingstar Kennels!!!!!!!!!
Do you think Liz & Andy will notice if this guy comes home with me ? ♥

XOXO ♥

Rally Video

Amanda thank you sooo much for the video.....I LOVE it :))

New Rally Title

This weekend Amanda, Lisa & I traveled to Calgary to attend the AKC show. It was held at Spruce Meadows this year for the first time. What an awesome venue, it was huge to say the least, but stunning. I will be going back next year for sure! This show is Canada's biggest outdoor dog show also!
Kort was such a good boy & earned his last 2 novice legs to finish his very 1st Performance title! He qualified with a 7th place finish out of the 23 dogs that qualified under Gail Carroll, & a 4th place finish out of the 12 dogs that qualified under Judi Snowdon.
On the last day Kort had a mini brain freeze & again decided he could not possibly sit :)) He especially gets confused on the 1-2-3, front sits...Both Amanda & the judge think it is due in part to his show training, you just don't sit in front, you stand! We are working on it & on this particular day I surprisingly held my cool, asked to "re-do" the station, & tried again..this time Kort sat, whew!
When the judge announced the 1st to 4th place winners in the class, she said that my handling of Kort was fantastic & she could have watched me all day...I was honored to have this compliment from judge Judi Snowdon, she is known for being a harder marker & she expects that dogs & handlers should be ready when they enter a trial, I agree totally!
All & all we have a fantastic time, Amanda & Lisa are super great to travel with, we had tons of laughs, even if Lisa talks weird :), blimey Lisa!, are you going to take the lift?? hahaha!
Thanks to Amanda for taking the pictures for us too!

Lisa & I in the ring waiting for our ribbons......

Kort & I accept our Rosette for 4th place in class from the judge Judi Snowdon......

Kort poses in front of the Spruce Meadows sign......


Here is our gang of dogs, believe it or not, we all stayed in a hotel room together :))!
Left to Right, Kort-New RN !, Boone-New RA !, Pixel-1st RA leg !, Wicca-1st RAE leg !, & Zack-New RN !......

The Stop signs at Spruce Meadows !......

Spruce Meadows

It's now....CH. DAVENLOCH STORM WARNING RN !!!!!!!
more later :))