Guess What I Did Today ????

I have stopped and started tracking more times then I can remember.  Since moving to Lethbridge in 2007, the year Tate got his TD, I lost all motivation.  I no longer had my friend Donna to track with and mentor me, and it just wasn't the same.  There are many people in Lethbridge that go tracking with their dogs so I don't know what the problem is.
Donna and I had a great system, we had access to many many fields in Thunder Bay, so we had our pick.  Donna would often wake up early and to my surprise have already laid a track for Tate to run before I even arrived!

Dawson and Tate getting their TDX and TD's

I also had a great tracking partner in Katie who I met at my very first tracking seminar with Tate.  She was just a kid with her first tracking dog, a Golden named Dawson.  Katie and I would meet up after work in the evenings and lay a track for each other, we would sit in our cars while they aged and chat about tracking.  Dawson got his TDX on the same day Tate got his TD, what a great day that was!

We had a great tracking group in Thunder Bay.  Donna would teach classes then we would split into groups and lay tracks for each other.  After we would head out for lunch and talk about the day.
We would organize mock TD, TDX tests before trials as well.
UDT was brand new back then, we had the honor of listening to the owner of the very first Tracking Champion in Canada when she came up to give a seminar.

I have been watching Lync for the past couple of months, this boy is a tracker, there is no doubt in my mind he has what it takes.  He has more interest in smells then the Collies.
I talked with my friend Kim who has a puppy Bernese Mt Dog.  We decided to get together today to lay a few small beginner tracks to see what interest we have with our boys.

Rundle was very keen, he caught on very quickly, Lync was a bit more distracted, he grabbed a few sticks, watched Kim who was videoing, smelled the air haha!  but this was day 1, he had no idea yet what was expected.
We had fun!!

So Diana here you go, a tragically long video, of course!!! I actually cut out lots!!!!

Winky lol!

 Lyncoln!!!
What can I say, I love him!!  He is growing like a weed and I am having a blast with him.  He is funny and goofy and makes me laugh all the time!  That is a good thing as I have been in a funk lately, with the cold weather going on and on and on, and the soreness in my chest going on and on and on.

I have had some bad days, not going to lie, but my dogs are my therapy.  They make me laugh and comfort me.  Walking them brings me peace, lately we haven't been able to go everyday, I did go out the day before yesterday with booties on Kort and Lync, and they loved it!  I am just about to head out now with the two of them, Tate will stay home, it's too cold .

Lync has been one of the easiest puppies I have ever owned.  Maybe it was due to getting him at an older age.  From day one he has slept in his crate at night with not so much as a peep, even if Brad and I and the other dogs are wandering around.  He sleeps until at least 8 am and at times until 9.  He has had one accident in the house , only one!!!! and that was totally my fault, I was brushing Tate and thought he looked antsy but dismissed it, next thing I knew he was peeing on the dog bed behind me! bad mommy!!

I have heard him bark only twice, seriously!  Collie owners know how weird this must feel, collies bark ALL THE TIME ! 

Everything is just so different with Lync, he is confident, will walk on any surface, bounds up and down stairs like a pro, jumps into the van, it's just like living with an already trained older dog and he's only 6 months old!  I love him!!!

He will be in his first dog show in 3 weeks, I found someone who owns a Flatcoat in Edmonton and convinced him to enter.  I've never met the guy but he agreed to enter!  His puppy is 2 weeks older then Lync so they will be in the same class.  Hopefully we will split the points between each other, well obviously I'd like to get the points at least 2 days hee hee, but even one day would be awesome!! If he wasn't entered, Lync would be showing everyday without a chance of getting any points, there is no way a 6 month old puppy is going to take a group placement in a Sporting Group here, the competition is way too stiff.  I suppose we could of had a chance at a Puppy Group, but I'd rather have competition then not.
I am really looking forward to it, hardly any grooming on him as well makes it a bonus!

Obedience is going very well with Lync, he is starting to understand more and more, I find the beginning stages so boring!  I like the heeling! but so far we only do a sit at my side and one step with focus, that is it!  I did 2 steps forward the other day but only that once.  I want to be sure Lync understands before going ahead too quickly.

Brad thinks Lync is going to be a mommas boy like Kort, I'm not so sure, he is more independent then Kort, but he does follow me everywhere I go and if I shower I find him laying outside my door when I open it!
I have just started giving Lync more freedom, such as when I shower, I can leave him out and he is great, just stays by my door. 

Lync is the best thing that could have possibly happened in my life and the exact time I needed him too.

That is Lyncer the Stinkers update ♥

Kortie!

Today is Kort's update :)
Kort is very happy to have Lync here.  He wasn't so sure at first however, I was a bit worried.  Lync is a Flatcoat, and Flatcoats lick, alot!  The Collies do not, and they are not used to it, so it drove Kort crazy!  He had to tell Lync a few times to chill and get out of his face, they understand each other now.  Kort often initiates play with Lync and I am so happy and can't wait for summer so I can just sit and watch them play outside.  I always felt bad for Kort when he was a puppy, Tate would never play with him, Kort loves to play!  He is very puppy like in that way.  It brings me so much joy to see him enjoying Lync's company.  It was part of my plan, to have Lync established in the pack before we lost Tate.  It is so hard to think about it, Tate not being here, but that is life , and Tate is almost 12, I have to be realistic :(

I miss doing agility and Obedience with Kort so much I want to scream!  I still can't bare to watch all the videos I have of him doing Agility.  I can look at pictures, but seeing the both of us in Agility breaks my heart, it still hurts so very much .

I am worried about him, he is favouring his left front leg, not a limp, but I can tell it hurts, he loves to run and play with Lync but pays for it after.
Tate has his Senior Wellness exam on Tuesday, so once he is done I will get Kort in for a check up, he may actually need pain medication such as Metacam, I have being going the natural route so far, but I think it might be beyond that.
I want to also make sure he is still approved for jumping 8 ", maybe he isn't , I'm scared.

I have to get more weight off of Kort too, he is getting a bit pudgy!  I now make all of my own dog cookies, as well as training treats, I make sure they are low calorie.
This winter has been pretty brutal, so there are a few days a week that the dogs don't get walked and that doesn't help either. Warm weather can't come soon enough!!

So that is the down low on Kort The Sport who's really Smort lol

Tater Dog :)

Oh how thrilled I am to still have this boy around!  He will be 12 years old on April the 11th!  I have noticed things that sadden me in the last few months though.   His hearing is really going fast! Tonight he was in the livingroom & I was in the kitchen, I called him....now any dog that hears properly would have looked immediately to their left where I was standing, but he perked up, stared forward and went straight, didn't even glance to the left :( 
He sleeps sooo soundly due to the deafness.  I am very careful to try and alert him that I am there as to not frighten him into jumping up suddenly.  His back left leg is getting quite weak, I can hear the difference as he going down a set of stairs.  I can hear the uneven stepping/slipping.  He needs to come up the stairs in one continual movement or he gets stuck & stops, if he is too close to the stairs he has to do 3 or 4 spins before he can figure out how to move his legs to come up. 
He has arthritis in his left elbow, I can feel the swelling. 
He still loves to eat which I find comforting. 
He is ok with Lync being here, actually tried once to play with him, but only once.  Tate has always been an old soul, never really into puppy games .
He still enjoys going for short walks and he still sniffs and sniffs and sniffs every corner!! I let him too! Tate can do what ever he wants :)

I really hope he feels up to competing at our Collie Club of Canada National which is in 3 weeks!!! I have him entered in both the Sweeps and the National.  The Sweeps I will do for sure, it's an unofficial class so no pressure, and I can just walk him if needed.  The National I will have to wait and see, he would have to actually gait around the ring with all the young dogs and he just can't, of course he would need to win his age class first!!
I will have no trouble pulling him and just watching the show.  I am thrilled to be going! I am meeting up with Dianne, who owns Kort's litter brother, we both need a vacation & we are going to have so much fun !!!!!  Kort & Lync will be coming along, Kort will just hang out & Lync is entered in the all breed, his first official show!!! I won't be able to show him however, he is still too strong for me and getting up and down to show a sporting breed is too much right now. 

My sister Debra lives in Sherwood Park so she is going to drive down on the Saturday to hang out and visit, did I say how excited I am about going!!!!

I hope the weather warms up soon, Tate finds it very hard on his old bones, I find it hard on my old bones too !!!

So there is my little Tater updater, lol! 

Love him sooooo much !! ♥

Tragically Tragically Long Video :)

Another of my epic videos, all 20 minutes of it is my 3 dogs, running around & me commentating....watch if you dare :)