Monday, December 30, 2013

The best Christmas weekend ever: Agility and barn hunt!

Mum knew that work would finally let up a little bit these holiday weeks. And boy are Gracie and I sooooo glad! We were getting very bored.

Since she anticipated the time off, she planned way in advance a super fun weekend for all three of us - Mum, me and Gracie!

First up was agility practice on Saturday last. We headed out at 9 AM early that morning and drove the two hours to the practice facility. We got there just in time and were able to get in three runs each during the two hour run thrus!

Can you say soooo fun!?!

I've been feeling really good lately, since I've been taking the proteolytic enzymes, in addition to my other joint supplements. So Mum expected me to have a bunch of fun. And that I did!

My first run was pretty darn speedy, and perfect if I do say so myself. Mum thought she over handled me in the beginning few jumps and made up for it in my third run; giving me some space and trusting me more. My running dogwalk was great, my weaves were speedy, and I even almost leaped off the teeter. A sure sign that I'm feeling great.
Aikiou Squeak

For my second run, Mum decided to have some fun and got out my Aikiou Squeaky Toy (love that thing)! She also had me run the novice course to see how much speed I could handle. What fun!!! One big, big loop, while Mum was squeaking away with good boys, sent me to the tunnel from three jumps away, squeaking through the weaves. Oh boy, I loved it! And Mum said she hasn't seen me that fast in years. On my third run, I even took a few extra jumps.She loves it when I'm ambitious.

Gracie ran after me and did really well too! She did her teeter three times (with a little treat help from Mum), but she did it without Mum touching her or the teeter and that's what matters. It's been a long time since she would even go near the thing. She did really great, had nice speed. We are both so proud of her!

We stopped at Whole Foods on the way home and got about 30 lbs of organic chicken backs. What a fun long day!

The next morning we got up, did a few things around the cabin and then headed to Cumming for barn hunt practice. Yes, you heard me right, barn hunting!

It was stressful driving as it rained really hard all the way there and all the way back. As a matter of fact that stretch of rain lasted a full 24 hours before it ended.

Anyhooo, we got to the facility and met up with our pal Rocco from To Do With Love who was going to try Barn Hunt with us.We were all first timers.

Mum took us inside and set up our crates for waiting time. Then we got to check out what we were going to be doing. They gave us a little overview of the sport of Barn Hunt. Mum was ready as she had read the rules before hand. We got to ask a few questions, too and got some great info.

Gracie listens to the instructions!
Then it was time to check out the rats! They let us smell them in their little tubes where they stay safe from us dogs (although Mum thought they were probably pretty scared). Mum watched carefully to see what type of 'tell' I was giving once I met the rat, as that's key in the event.

Hey, there's a rat in there! Can you see it?
Once we got to check out the tube with the rat, we were able to try out a simulated instinct test which is an actual title (RATI), the first title of five+ total for the events. Since this was just a fun day and practice you can see the simulated instinct test which is first in my video below.

After both Gracie and I successfully found the rat in the tube of three tubes for the instinct test (two of the tubes are fake outs with no rats), we moved on to a simulated beginner level and even a senior level type of competition. You'll see in the video that I did pretty darn well finding the tubes with the rats and on one of my runs I gave Mum a very good tell of pawing the tube which makes it easier for Mum to know that's the tube with the rat and not the fake out tube.

You can read all about Barn Hunt on their website. And you can also find Barn Hunt clubs near you that may have fun days or instinct tests so you can try it out with your dog, as well!

Mum was very surprised how much concentration and effort it was for both her and me, and Gracie. We were tired after the 1.5 hours of practice and about three runs. It was a blast and would be a great sport for fun in my retirement years, which we hope are a long time from now.

Enjoy the vid!

And hope you all had a very Happy Howliday, and got lots and lots of love, treats and presents!

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Black and White Sunday: Broken foot?


Back in 2007, Mum boarded me and Gracie when she had to go to Las Vegas for work for four days. It was the first and only time that Mum has boarded us, because I got a broken foot while in their care. Can you see the break? 

Since I am an agility dog, I had a great orthopedic surgeon help me even though I didn't need to have surgery. They didn't want to put a pin in my foot because of how the weather may affect my agility career (those pins get cold in cold weather and can hurt sometimes). So they put me in a cast up to my shoulder for three months to be certain that it healed properly. 

Nearly every week, I'd go in and have the cast re-positioned because the up and down swelling would make it move. I'll never forget my Ortho, down on the floor with a grinder, grinding away at my cast every week, so that it wouldn't make any bad rub spots on my leg. What a great guy!

After being in a cast that long I had a lot of rehab to do to build up all the muscle mass I had lost on that side of my body. But with the help of my rehab vet, lots of underwater treadmill work, and unbalance/balance work, I was back running in agility in a total of about seven months from the date of  injury. 

Obviously Mum didn't take this B&W photo....the nice orthopedic surgeon that worked with me back in Indianapolis did and then he let us have a copy of the x-ray to take home. We thought you would find an x-ray of a broken foot pretty doggone interesting.

When I got back to running agility, my first Q was a 1st in Masters Jumpers in USDAA. So what did I do? I went the next day to visit my ortho and gave him my blue ribbon, as a big thank you for helping me out. He liked it, a lot...he even got a tear I think.

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Black and White Sunday: Fog and Jedi Knights!


This time of year we have lots of weather changes on our mountain. From snow, to lots of rain, to lots of fog!  It can be cold one day and warm the next! The other day is was super foggy So foggy that I could barely see trees within about six feet. When it's really foggy like this Mum and I like to go out into the yard at night and use our flash light as a lightsaber and play Jedis!

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Keeping Gracie flexible with #NaturalStride!

Even though Gracie and I are 8 and 9 years old now, we are still very active!

Thanks to Mum finding us supplements that keep our joints and muscles working their best.

When we aren't playing agility in the yard, or competing, or hiking, Gracie and I love to run around our cabin, wrestle and generally have a great time together.

We usually start out with a nice little wrestle....


And a little more wrestle...


And then a great zoomie session which usually ends in Gracie wearing out before I do, BOL!!!



Mum has had us on supplements for a long time. Maybe it's the fact that we're so active, maybe it's the fact that Mum has kept our weight at the same point from the time we reached adulthood, or maybe it's the fact that we've been taking joint supplements, probiotics, fish oils, protolytic enzymes and more to keep us feeling our best. But we sometimes act like we're two years old!

BTW - Mum loves seeing us so active in our formative years, and wishes she felt as great as we do! Guess I'll have to help her work on that.

Some days we are a little shower, some days we take a second or two more to get up. But most days we are raring to go!

Gracie has been trying out a new product lately from Natural Stride. First she was on their Hip and Joint Powder, and just recently they sent us their new Hip and Joint Chews to try out. Both of them Gracie loved tasting and really didn't have a preference. She's not a picky girl.

Joint Supplement Survey For Dog ParentsThe chews contain all the same great ingredients that the powder does including, all natural forms of cetyl myristoleate, glucosamine hcl, glucosamine sulfate, msm, omega 3 from fish oil, vitamin c from ascorbic acid, yucca and hyaluronic acid. And the chews are available in both regular strength and veterinary strength. We like them!

If you'd like to try out Natural Strides products they are offering a 20% discount off any order through 3/31/14 on any dog, equine or human product! Just use code JOHANN20 at checkout. And they have a 60 Day Money Back Guarantee if you are not completely satisfied!

In addition, they would love if you could take a super quick (took us about one minute) survey to share info and important items to you involving joint supplements. Just click on the image to the right, or here, and feel free to share the survey with your friends and family if you'd like!



"This post is sponsored by Natural Solutions for Life on behalf of the BlogPaws Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Natural Solutions for Life's Natural Stride Supplement, but you know that I only share information I feel is relevant to my wonderful readers. Diamond Naturals is not responsible for the content of this article."

Barbra Streisand doppelganger!


Over the years, there have been certain times that I look at Mum just right and she says,
'You look just like Barbra Streisand!' 

What do you think? ~Gracie

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

#BarkBoxGifts: A pawsome holiday gift for dogs!

Look what we got to try!!!

Right on cue, when the post person showed up the other day I barked and barked to tell Mum, "Hey there's someone here!"

And again right on cue, I saw it was a box and started running around the cabin, barking my head off, then headed over right away to check out the box because from the smell I just knew it was for me!!!

Ok, ok, I've been accidentally conditioned over the years that when a box comes it's for me. Why? Because it usually is!!!

So Mum opened it up and I got to inspect the box. Then when I settled down a little, Mum put me to work to be a dog model. If you've read over the years, you know I love working as a doggie model. Always get to show off my good side :) and get treats! Lots of them!

So what did we find in the BarkBox? Look at this!

Three bags of treats and an uber cool stuff toys with a squeaker!
If you haven't heard of BarkBox, it is a subscription service that ships every month four or more high-end dog goodies right to your door. Goodies like toys (my fav) and treats, gadgets, shampoos, leashes and more, all tailored to the size of your dog; and all paw approved by Scout, the head product tester for BarkBox. What a wonderful job Scout has!

We inspected all the items and had a lot of fun, especially playing a little tug with Mum! I loved the toy the best, can you believe it!


BarkBox only includes homemade, all-natural treats and high-quality, unique toys and other goodies in their boxes. All their treats are made in the USA or Canada, and all their treats are sourced from the USA and Canada, with chews sourced from the USA, Canada, South America, Australia and New Zealand, which we love! And 10% of all their proceeds are donated to dog shelters and rescue initiatives.

The company provides three sizes of monthly plans each tailored to your dog’s size to ensure everything fits just right. And you can order different plan lengths. One month for $29 if you just want to try it out, three months for $72 ($24 per month), and six months at $19 per month (or $114.00 total).

Every plan includes free shipping! Since it's getting late for the holidays, for December only, BarkBox is offering extended shipping until Dec. 17 at midnight (PDT) for a $5 surcharge, since the regular shipping cut off is December 10th. And if you're interested, BarkBox is offering my readers a special discount on one box if you'd like to try it out with a 10% discount, just click on the this link to redeem!


"I have written this post on behalf of BlogPaws Pet Blogger Network for BarkBox. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about BarkBox , but you know Johann only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers."

Sunday, December 08, 2013

Black and White Sunday: My kittie bro, Wolfie!


This is my kittie bro, Wolfie! He was named after Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and he's 18 years old now, and still as rambunctious as ever. He can still jump up on top of the fridge!
Wolfie was six months feral when Mum saw him in her Mom's back yard. He would run from everyone, but when Mum walked close to him, he rubbed up against her legs. So Mum had to take him home!

This photo was taken before I was born and developed by Mum in her darkroom. It's a really bad scan so it looks a bit grainy. The original which looks much better hangs in Mum's office. Isn't he a cutie!

Saturday, December 07, 2013

Great rewards and super fun and yummy holiday gifts from #SitStay!

If you're a reader of my blog, you know I've been around the interwebs for over nine years, blogging away. Way back then it wasn't as easy to find super yummy and healthy treats (or fun toys for that matter) on the Internet.

One of the very first stores Mum frequented online was Sit Stay. We had heard about them from agility friends of ours way back in 2005. And after a trial we ran right home to check it out. It's been one of our favorite online stores ever since.

So when we were asked to review the Sit Stay Holiday Gift Guide and select one of the gift sets for review, we jumped at the chance! Oh yeah!!!

Sit Stay has been online selling great, positive, healthy items since 1996, way before I was a gleam in the eye. They have always thought about dogs a lot like we do - positively (with positive training), the center of the family, and everything is good dog approved. It wasn't easy for us to choose a gift as they have tons of great ones - 10  for just under $10 and 20 for just under $20. But we made our choice and within days our box showed up!

I couldn't wait to dig in...

Noms and fun!
Look what we found! A cool fish toy and some pawsome healthy treats, all in a super cool reusable (you know how much we love that) draw string cotton bag that we can take on hikes to agility practice and more.

So we immediately headed out to do some agility. Mum was working with me on some jumps to weaves with as much distance as we can do in our little yard. We worked for a while, I got the fish for a reward and some of those pawsome treats, too! 

Tug!!!!
 Then she got out the new fish toy, squeaked it, set me up at the first of two jumps, and when I got to the third jump (in the photo on the left, below) Mum was still behind near the 3rd pole of the weaves and I was moving! I jumped the jump, and Mum said 'weave!' and guess what, I made that nasty, nasty weave entrance while Mum was still standing at the third pole at the other end. I still got it!

My drawing we did on our cell phone, since Mum was too busy with her mouth open to take a photo!
Dog! Did I get a super big jackpot for that!

Then Mum took Gracie out and worked her a little. Gracie has amazing weaves and she hit some difficult entrances too, although not as difficult as mine, but she's getting there! And Gracie worked on some 'backside jump' skills which she's getting pretty good at. 

After Gracie's little agility session, Mum decided to work with Gracie on her fetch. She's not very good at fetch, but Mum kept working with her and when she would bring the fish a few inches toward Mum she got a click and one of those pawsome treats from the Holiday Gift Guide Pack. Then....look what she did! She brought it all the way back to Mum and look how happy she is!!! What a good girl.

Gracie coming for her reward!

We had a lot of fun playing with the new toy, agility and getting some of the pawsome new treats to try. When you get a chance take a look at Sit Stay's Holiday Gift Guide as there is still time to order for the holidays for your pup! Be sure and check out the under $10 gift bags and the under $20 gift bags, there is something for everypup!

But the best part? Sit Stay is sharing a 15% off discount for our readers, good for anything you purchase in their Holiday Gift Guide! Simply enter code "ENJOY15" at checkout, and enjoy!


"I have written this post on behalf of BlogPaws Pet Blogger Network for StiStay. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about SitStay , but you know that Johann The Dog
only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers."

Thursday, December 05, 2013

It's #ThrowbackThursday: Johann The Dog with Santa!


That's me, YoYo, in my first photo with Santa back in 2004!
I was only about six months old, just a wee little pup.

Sunday, December 01, 2013

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