Credit given where credit is due!!

Ok, I have been very remiss about something!.....

I continually enjoy & share pictures that have been taken of Tate, but I never give credit to the superb photographers that have taken these pictures.

So now I will do so, pictured below are 2 of my very good friends & tracking buddies from Thunder Bay....Donna Smith, my tracking instructor, who taught Tate & I how to track, with her beloved German Shepherd, Thorn, who just passed away on Christmas Day 07, Thorn had his TD & was very close to getting his TDX in May 07 , but decided that a deer trail smelled alot better!!, or maybe it was a bear trail!, & Karen Boyes with her aussie Jasper, who is pictured getting his TDX as well as his UTD in May 07. Jasper also became Thunder Bay's first Tracking Champion after receiving his UTDX in Oct 07.

Both Karen & Donna have taken all of my tracking pictures of Tate, & I am so thankful, for if it hadn't been for them I would have had no pictures to brag with!

The picture at the top of the post,is named BIG SKY, & was taken by Karen in April of 2006 & it is the favorite of all my tracking pictures of Tate.

Donna & Karen are great "trackers" & I have learned so much from them both.....I MISS you guys!!!

New Beginnings

Yesterday was full of surprises!
First I received an offer for a job at Paws On The Run, a local doggy care, it's part time, watching the dogs & cleaning etc., & just what I was looking for!
Then later in the day I received an e-mail from a collie breeder in Eastern Ont., telling me that she had bred the female that I am waiting for a puppy from! So, if all goes well , puppies will arrive the first week in May.
I feel that the time is right to add a new puppy to my house as Tate will be 6 in April. He is still young enough to put up with a bratty puppy & mature enough to show the puppy the "ropes".
Tate has been a wonderful performance dog, my first, & now that he is slowing down I want to give him a well deserved retirement. Of course I will still be getting him out to play at what he loves, but just not competively.
So, stay tuned for puppy updates!

The Mean Lady

There is a mean lady that walks her dog in the same park as Tate & I.
I have been walking there everyday, actually twice a day for the last 4 months.
I always say good morning to the mean lady as she passes by, I'm lucky if she manages a "hi" but she never looks up or makes eye contact.
Now I admitt, not everyone is outgoing or friendly, but come on, would it kill you to be pleasant once in awhile?
Anyway, yesterday I had Tate loose in the park, I know, bad bad, but....everyone else does too! So I was talking to another girl when I hear "Excuse me!!, Would you mind putting your dog on leash!!" Tate was standing about 5 ft from me, just standing there, really. So, I said in my nicest voice " sure, no problem" & quickley went over & leashed Tate. Well mean lady wasn't finished with me, she continued with " this is not an off leash park, it is extemely dangerous to have dogs off leash" So, now I'm getting annoyed, why is she picking on me?? The park is FULL of dog poop, not from my dog I might add, & loose dogs, I am a very good dog owner, I never let Tate go up to people or dogs when he is loose, I grab him well before anyone passes by. Anyhoo....I turn to the mean lady & I say in my sarcastic voice " I deeply apologize , it will never happen again, then because I am me & don't take crap from anyone, I add, "when you're around" Did I have to add that ??? Oh well, it's done & over with, but I did see the mean lady this morning & I quickly ran over to Tate & leashed him before I had to bare her wrath again!

Good Day

Today was a good day.....
It has been hard adjusting to a whole new life here in Lethbridge, but thanks to my collie Tate, I have started to meet new "doggy" people and they are the best!
Tate & I started a rally class 4 weeks ago and just getting out and socializing feels good....Tate is just happy to be around other dogs and to have a "job".
I have started this blog, just for myself, to write down thoughts and basically to give myself a "job" !!
To be continued......