Last week during all the fun agility stuff we did, we got some great news!
Squidoo announced that I am now a member of the Giant Squid Top 100 Club! That means I now have at least 100 quality Squidoo lenses, and I get some extra perks for being a top dog.
We are incredibly honored to be a member of this amazing group of Giant Squids. Since I started writing educational, and fun dog related Squidoo lenses in December 2006, these lensmasters (as Squidooers are called) have become some of my best online buds, provided amazing advice, camaraderie and laughter!
Thanks Squidoo, and the great Squidoo staff, including Gil, Megan and Seth for an amazing and fun ride. I'm looking forward to many more years Squidooing my little doggie heart out!
Gracie's bored out of her gourd! Yep, since she didn't get to go to the trial this weekend, she decided to get into something else, a roll of toilet paper. Poor Gracie....
We got back kind of early from the trial yesterday since we were just 5 minutes from the trial site and it was an AKC trial with two runs for each day. That was so great!
I had a pretty good weekend. 2 Q's, 2 NQ's. Our first run was Standard and really nice and speedy, but Mum didn't support me through the tunnel, so I pulled out early when she took off for the next set of jumps. Dang, oh, so close! And I was just a tad under 4 yards per sec on this run - really happy with that!
My next Jumpers run was pretty nice, but Mum had to do two front crosses to handle me best. Did I tell you how much I hate her doing front crosses? Yep, probably because she doesn't do them right, because she really can't get in the best position with me moving like I am now. We locked eye to eye on both of them, and I gave her the hate stare. Made her eyes pop! I Q'd but both Mum and I weren't happy with the run.
Sunday I got up raring to go again. Mum just can't believe my stamina now. After doing a seminar Wednesday past, then regionals for three days and another seminar on Monday and practice on Thursday, I ought to be dog tired. But noooo.....let me at that course!!!
Sunday's Standard run was a disaster. I blew my dog walk (after making it beautifully the day before), then Mum turned me out after the Frame and I went really wide (she used the wrong foot to turn me, silly Mum), so I got a refusal, then I think I knocked a bar, but we stopped counting at that point. I was nice and speeding however. Weave speed was just OK. But it's obvious we must, must, must do something about my DW contact, front crosses and a few more things.
We had to wait a while for our next Jumpers run. Mum stayed with me at my crate and rested. She got me out between and we did some tricks for our friends. They loved it and I had a blast.
When it was time for my last run of the weekend - Jumpers - Mum got out some treats and we worked on target, since that revs me up greatly! I ran jumpers beautifully. Took the rear cross impeccably, and then what did Mum have to do again, yep, a front cross (just before 16). But she was in a better position this time and I didn't give her the evil eye. We had a really nice run.
So we got a couple of Q's, no DQ's, but we don't really need them at this point. Wish we would have gotten that Standard Q on Saturday, 'cause we get so many more MACH points in Standard than in JWW. But we had a great time running. And Mum really thinks my confidence is back. You may remember that I sniffed the little white pieces of athletic tape the last time I was at this facility. This past weekend I only did it one time, and that was during our disaster Standard run. (Mum thinks it was stress, duh!).
Then what did I do again this morning? I went to the door that leads to the garage, raring to get in that car and go again! WTD??? Mum couldn't believe it! Guess all that endurance work and rehab has done me well!
But Mum has no intention of doing any agility with me at least until this afternoon. BOL! She's exhausted!!! I've never seen Mum so tired and still trying to get all our work done, clean the house, mow the lawn - she's going to kill herself if she doesn't slow down. Mum's only been getting about five hours of sleep a night for a week. She's even having the eye twitch thing, which she hasn't had since she was a youngin'. I think I may get her a wine refrigerator so she can partake in the evenings and get more rest! She's got to take it easy!!!! But the sad part is Gracie and I aren't really letting her.
But the good news is Mum has loads of work to do this week. She got two new clients last week and they are starting with consulting this week. She's also doing a teleconference with pet sitters to give them some marketing tips on Tuesday night. That should be fun!
We aren't signed up for another trial until August, so Mum should have some time to catch up, rest and keep things running. But she promises both Gracie and I will get our hill hiking and agility practice. She's also teaching the Gracester a few new tricks for her upcoming performance. A little leg weaving, and a couple of other things. Gracie will love that!
Hope you all had a terrific weekend! Sorry the week has come so soon for ya, but have a good one K?
Before I begin, Gracie was really upset that I didn't post a pic of her cheerleading at last weekend's regionals. So her is the obligatory pic of Gracie (BOL!)
See, she has her mouth open, not so much from the heat, but from getting all worked up screaming while I was running, sheesh!!!
So this weekend we have another agility trial. An AKC trial only five minutes away from our house. Cool! With all this agility, Mum definitely doesn't need to check out those diet pill reviews!
After last week's performance on the dog walk and this weeks practice with that certain obstacle, it is undetermined what I may do - bail or not bail - that is the question! But Mum promises she's going to do everything she can to support me in making my contact this weekend. She has yet to figure out how she's going to do that, however.
And after the last trial in this facility, guess we'll see if I am willfully disobedient and sniff those little white pieces of athletic tape all over the course soccer flooring. Guess we'll have to wait and see on that, as well.
Mum and I have been working super hard and long hours this week - I think Mum has averaged about 5 hours of sleep per night for the past five nights. So guess we'll have to see if she remembers those courses, too, huh?
We still promise to post about our great seminars with Stuart Mah and Mary Ellen Barry, from last week. We've been putting some of the tips we learned to good use already!
Oh and good news this week! We got the results from the Regionals (love it when the event organizers email us our results), and we did get that last day, last run of the trail Jumpers Q. So that means only 2 more Jumpers Q's until our Jumpers Champion title. Nice surprise!
Hope all of you have a puptabulous weekend! Stay cool, if it's hot, and stay out of the smokey air if you're in California, and stay warm if you're one of my Aussie buds.
You know I just love finding fun, interesting and cool stuff around the Internet - whether it's dog related or something I thinks pups (and pup lovers) would have an interest in. So here's this weeks list - it's a long one!
Can Stem Cell therapy help pups with hip dysplasia, orthopedic problems in tendons and ligaments, and bone fractures and arthritis? Seems pets are reaping the benefits in droves.
Want to see some really cool 3D flash animation? Check this one and this one!
Pet detectives are on the tails of the lost pups. Two Baltimore area sluths are helping owners find their lost best friends!
After five years (and 800 visits) as a "pet encounter therapy dog" at the Helen Woodward Animal Clinic in Rancho Santa Fe, Chester is being inducted into the California Veterinary Medical Assn. Hall of Fame. Way to go Chester!
Gracie is a reactive dog at times, the overly-friendly and playful reactive kind. So Mum is always looking for ways to be more 'connected' with her and help her be 'controlled' in new and exciting environments. Brenda Aloff’s Get Connected training philosophy helped put Victoria Craig and her border collie on the path to developing a strong and stable relationship. The book jacket says "the book brings you new ways to train your dog and to improve your understanding of how your dog perceives the communications you give to him. This is done by providing you with a series of exercises based on Positive Reinforcement training and a new set of protocols based on developing and improving any relationship." I think we'll check that out!
Ever since my 'incident' with the kids in the neighborhood, I have been pretty scared of the little guys and gals. It's so important to not only protect your pup from the environment around them, but it's really important that kid's know how to act around us pups. Here's an interesting article we found with tips to help teach your kids how to 'be' around dogs.
Trakr, once hailed as a hero, the retired Halifax police dog can no longer use the hind legs that pushed him through the ruins of the World Trade Center as he sniffed for survivors. His hearing has faded and, at 15, his dog days seemed numbered – until science gave him a second chance at life. A California genetics company has selected Trakr to be one of the world's first commercially cloned pets after his master – a former Canadian police officer now pursuing an acting career in Los Angeles – won an essay contest with a futuristic prize. Read more...
A new organization, No Paws Left Behind, is a focus driven not for profit organization, designed to bring awareness to the silent victims of foreclosure. They further pledge to act as a support group for those who find foreclosure imminent and need help to find shelter for their beloved pets; be a resource for those who find or know of abandoned pets; and last, but by no means least, they are uniting to end the needless suffering by creating a national movement targeting lawmakers to change the laws categorizing pets as personal property.
Want to make your four-legged friend a StarPet? Enter Tails Pet Media Group and celebrity pet trainer Bash Dibra new contest - StarPet 2008. The contest is geared toward getting one lucky animal companion the free training she needs to make it in the movies.
A new product coming on the market is a tiny camera on your pet's collar to let you see through the eyes of your cat or dog while you're away, or while they tour the neighborhood on your walkies! The Pet Eye View Digital Camera is scheduled to arrive in stores October 2008!
National Geographic Channel's Dogtown is returning with the season premiere that follows the rehabilitation of the Michael Vick Dogs. The two-hour season premiere will be held on Friday, September 5, at 9 PM, and new episodes air every Friday at 10 PM beginning September 12! Wonder what happened with some of the other Vick dogs? Read this from the Washington Post.
According to the LATimes, LA Unleashed blog, an Associated Press-Yahoo News poll found pet owners favor McCain over Obama 42% to 37%, with dog owners particularly in McCain's corner. And while the pup owners have their say in who should win the next Presidential Election, the AKC is polling readers to help the Obama's decide what breed of dog they should get! Hmmmm...bet they are recommending a purebred!
TISSUE ALERT! Our blogging and Twitter friend - SewCrazyDogLady - pointed this cool story to us, and Snopes.com says it's true! In 1969 two men, Australian John Rendall and his friend Ace Berg, bought Christian the lion from Harrods. But Christian eventually grew too big to be kept as a pet in London and was taken to Kenya, where he was rehabilitated into the wild by the 'Lion Man', George Adamson. See this clip of their reunion years later. Read more about Christian's life, see the movie and read the book!
Want to make some cool animated vids of your pups? Check out Animoto.com!
Are you mad about dog agility? Can't find enough info about agility on the Internet? Thanks to AgilityNerd.com, you can now search for all kinds of dog agility information through Googility.com! Check it out.
Check out these two key Animal Planet shows today and tomorrow. Sit, Stay, Die is about Scamp, a 4 year old Schnauzer, who has predicted the death of 58 residents in a nursing home in Ohio over the last 3 years with near 100% accuracy! Is Skamp psychic or is there a more scientific explanation for his behavior? 9:30 PM ET. And...the Animal Planet Dog Championships 2008, from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania will air at 7:00 PM, ET.
You may have known that not all pups know how to swim. They will most probably instinctively paddle, but keeping afloat and knowing how to get out of the pool or pound is something they may need to learn. Read this to teach your dog to swim! And check out my Squidoo lens for more info.
It's only two days away! This Thursday is the premiere of Greatest American Dog on CBS 8PM ET/PT! So set your DVR's!
Twelve extraordinary teams of dogs and owners from across the nation will live together and compete against each other in challenges that put the owners' ability to train their dogs to the test and for the grand prize of $250,000! Wow, with that kind of money you could get yourself some nice Corpus Christi real estate.
Want to know the odds on who's going to walk away with the big prize? Vulture lays it all out for you.
The Rescues (to the Res-Q) did it! We got a Q in team at the USDAA NC Regionals today. We are super excited!
You may remember that we were in 21st place end of Friday and end of Saturday. So we really had to pull it out for the last event today - Team Relay. And we did. Not one fault by any of the three of us on the relay course. Then we kept our paws crossed until the results were announced.
Out of 38 teams, the Rescues to the Res-Q came out 15th. Not too bad considering two of us on the team had never done team before and it was Regionals, with many of the teams above us big names, World team and USDAA and AKC Finals participants. Wowser, what an honor! Guess those Team company logo shirts really paid off! And look at the cool patch we got!
So Mum, Gracie (the best cheerleader ever) and I are having a little celebration tonight - just wish I could have more of my favorite treats, but the tummy is screaming!
Remember yesterday? I had a bit of an 'explosion' in my crate at the trial? Well, this morning I woke up, raring to go and even had a solid poo. Mum was incredibly relieved, and we set off for the trial this morning, bright and early.
First event for us this morning was the last Team event - Team Relay. Here's the course:
I started the run taking the Dog #1 spot, made it clean and not too bad on the speed. Mum handed the baton to our teammate and they took off, ran nice and clean; third teammate did the same and we woo hoo'd each other at the end! Too fun! I love three dog team relay - very exciting, energy is high. And I have to say that it ran really smooth considering all the jump height changes.
My second run of the day was Masters Gamblers. Yesterday I was bailing my dog walk and I did it again today. Mum had a nice plan for a Q. Jump, two dog walks, two tunnels, two teeters and then whatever until the buzzer sounded. Well, I bailed my first and second dog walk, got the two tunnels, tried for another dog walk (probably should have gone to the teeter, but), headed for the teeter - out of time, buzzer sounded.
So we headed for the gamble (without enough points) to see if we could work it. And we did. Dog, I was moving. I took the first jump and was up the frame and Mum was still 5 feet from the line. Took the jump and Mum tried to turn me out, but I turned in. But since she was back so far, she ran toward the tunnel - told me go tunnel, and I did! Then I took the last jump like a pro. So I got the gamble, but we didn't get the Q. But I have to tell ya, you woulda thought that I did the way Mum was giving me lots of 'good boys!'
Next event was the Grand Prix finals. Since I didn't Q yesterday because I was sick as a dog, Mum went over and gated the starters standard event. She likes to gate, don't ask me why.
After that, it was time for the final event of the weekend. By this time it was about 87 degrees, sunny, no wind and hot, hot, hot! But I gave it my all, was over 4 yards per second, but I knocked a bar, dang no Q! Three more needed for my Jumpers Champion title.
Overall we are super pleased with the weekend. We got that Team Q I really wanted, got in a pairs Q, I was super speedy, even with the Big D hanging over me a bit, even with the heat, and even though it was a super long weekend. Mum is really happy with my performance, and she thinks that I really stepped it up this past weekend. Maybe this high level of competition agrees with me, hmmmmmm.
While we were there this weekend, our good buddies Simba and Willow gave me a birthday present, see! I got to open it when I got home tonight. Love it!!! That was so thoughtful of them, thanks you two!!! We wuvs ya.
When I got home I had a little Big D, but not too bad. And Gracie even had a little. There were a lot of dog buds that I talked to that had the Big D this weekend too! Hmmmm....wonder if that happens a lot?
Anywho...here are a few other courses from the weekend. This is the course from Team Gamblers yesterday...
We're back from Day 2 at the USDAA NC Regionals here in Indiana. It started out fast and ended with a bang. Overall, another pretty good day!
Our first run was Team Gamblers. This one had a timed gamble at the end of the run. So the goal was to accumulate as many points as possible before the buzzer sounded, then get as many points as you could before the buzzer sounded again - about 15 seconds.
Mum put me over a jump, then the dog walk three times (I bailed my contact two of them), the chute, then up the frame, a jump, the frame again, two jumps to the tunnel - then the buzzer sounded and we got in a tunnel and three jumps. Real speedy, and not bad, except that I didn't get points for those two dog walks where I missed the contact. So we were low on points for our team, dang it! But at least we didn't E!
Next event was Team Snooker. Nasty course, but doable. We did three reds and three sevens in the opening. The closing 2-5 went well, the 6 was a super nasty weave entrance, so Mum put me around a jump to get the entrance more smoothly - worked great! We made it through to 6 in full, almost seven, just shy of one jump. We were happy with the run, even though Mum thought she was getting really confused with all the sevens we did (the seven was a jump, straight tunnel, jump combo), but she kept here memory together! The run was really nice and speedy and both our teammates made it through to the six as well!
Next event was Master Standard - and here's where the day's problems began. I bolted off the start, just like Mum has been working with me on, took the dog walk (with a nice tunnel discrimination), chute, then weaves. Just as I entered the weaves Gracie (my sis) put out the biggest scream in history and, of course, I missed my weave entrance. Then I went into the tunnel, for way too long. Mum finally got me out, and took me off the course. Hmmmmpppphhhhhppp!
Then, Mum went to build the Grand Prix course (she built courses today, 'cause she likes to do that). When Mum came back she saw that I was looking funny - then she saw why. I had the biggest, meanest, smelliest Big D explosion in my crate that she's ever seen! So it was off to get cleaned up - crate too. And Mum watched me closely to see if she thought I'd like to run my Grand Prix.
Well I did! At least that's what I told her before the run. But then the run started, and I didn't feel good at all. I was running really, really slowly, with my head down. So Mum said, 'it's OK,' took me off course and we headed for home.
We stopped by my vet (she was at the show too) just before we left and talked with her a bit about my Big D episode. Mum wanted to get her expert advice, because she remembers well last year at this very same location, nearly the same month, I got a nasty bout of gastroenteritis the last day of a trial.
So for dinner I had yogurt, cottage cheese, with an acetylator supplement, and some Emergen-C to hydrate me. It's been three hours since the big explosion, so far so good!
Mum really hopes I'll be able to run tomorrow. We're entered in Masters Gamblers, Masters Jumpers and our final team event - Team Relay. Right now our team is still at 21st, just two teams shy of the cut off for Q's. So we really need this Relay to be great - paws crossed!
Mum, Gracie and I are back from day one at USDAA NC Regionals. Had a pretty good day!
It rained, or drizzled almost all day at 70 degrees. Very unusual for Indiana during the 4th of July weekend. But we didn't complain at all. That's my best running weather - as long as the course doesn't drowned me with mud, and it didn't!
Our Team is 21st overall right now out of 38 teams, with two events held - standard and jumpers, just shy of the top Q placements, so there's still hope. Our teammates are doing well, and we're having fun!
My first run was Team Jumpers - all jumps with 12 weaves. Really flowing, open course, which are my favorite. I got some really nice speed going in that course! And ran clean. The timer malfunctioned during my run, but the Judge said that he was sure the time was just over 32 sec., so he gave me a choice - take the 32 sec or run again for time. So I took the 32 sec, since Mum doesn't want me to have to run more than I've already signed up for! We were happy with that, because we were within just about 3-4 seconds of some of the top dogs, cool!
Second run was Masters Gamblers. Difficult gamble - left side of the tunnel (u shaped) and then had to go in the left side of the tunnel again, then jump, jump. I took the tunnel the first time, but didn't make it through the second time. It was a 1-3-5-7 with no 7. Got in 27 points, but no Q.
Third run was Team Standard. Mum says I ran that run probably the absolute fastest I've ever run in my life in any trial ever. So much so that Mum had no chance to get in a front cross she had planned. But I still made it through and was doing great - until I came out of the tunnel and Mum said go weave. But I got ambitious and took an off course jump first. She loved the ambition - and the super speed. But was sad that we got our Team an E. We'd probably be in the Q range right now if it wasn't for my E. Dang it! Three more events to go, so we're still really upbeat!
Fourth and last run of the day was Masters Relay. Our partner was new to Masters. We weren't super speedy for the last run of the day, but we Q'd nonetheless! Cool!
Mum worked some, built some courses and did a little gate stewarding. We tented right near one of the Masters rings, so we got to see some great runs and some great handlers - many top handler/dog teams are here. But the Regional is small. Everything is running well and smoothly, from what we could see. We started at 8:00 and were done by 3:30. Most all the rings were done by 4 or so. Not bad. Heard lots of great compliments on the site location. Well, we certainly like it here a lot!
Gracie got to spend some time on 'control' around the chaos! Doing some tricks, sits, downs and stays for Mum just outside the rings. She did great, so Mum let her play with some pups that were on hand. She had so much fun, she's now out like a light!
Tomorrow is Grand Prix, Team Gamblers, Team Snooker and Master Standard - for me. Weather for tomorrow looks cool in the morning, around 60-70 with a little humidity. Will be sunny with a high of 78 or so later in the day. Sunday's weather looks like a high of 83-85 and sunny with low humidity. Couldn't ask for better 4th weather!
Hope you are all having a great 4th of July! And for those outside the US, have a super weekend, K?
Wow, have I been sooooo negligent in posting (and visiting everyone)! Last timeI posted was Friday and here it is Tuesday night already. Time sure flies when you are having fun!
This weekend Mum and I did lots of work on our Squidoo lenses. They're having a contest of sorts, and if you had 100 quality lenses completed by June 30th, you have the opportunity to be named to the Giant Squidoo Top 100 club. So we went for it! We finished up our 100th lens at 5:00 PM on Monday, and sent in our 'application.' We should hear in a week or two.
We created some really fun lenses - one on dog painting, prison dogs, deaf dogs, dogs and ticks, a few movie and book reviews, and I did some lenses on my favorite things, and teaching your pup to do some fun stuff. You can see them all on my lensography!
And we got in some hiking, some present and treat giving for my birthday - and Mum even let me run agility in the back yard for my birthday! Can you believe it? BOL!
In other news :) We got an email the other day from a parent looking for a dog to perform at her child's birthday party in August. So Gracie's going to do it!!!! She's going to do some tricks, some agility, and leap for the water coming from their garden hose. We sent off her 'audition tapes' from YouTube and they were very excited. We're excited too, because now both us pups in the family are making some bucks for agility! Woo hoo!
Mum had let our lawn go so long, because of work and agility, she was afraid that the Home Owners Association would send out the lawn police. But we finally got it mowed today. Mum had to mow back and forth several times, and that hill behind our house (which is great for my hill training) is a bear to mow. She's exhausted now.
This week at Rescue Me is sheep week - stop by and see if there are any sheep you'd like to adopt!
So the big week is here!!!! Tomorrow Mum and I are attending a Stuart Mah seminar all day. Gracie has a sitter to keep her company. Then we are competiting at the USDAA North Central Regionals on Friday through Sunday - including our first 3-dog team event. Gracie will be there to cheer me on! May have to get that plasma mount, so we can watch the vids in style!
Then on Monday, Gracie and Mum are doing a seminar with Mary Ellen Barry. And they said that I could tag along and mostly audit - but I may get to do some stuff.
I guess this means that we're taking a little vacation!
We have been incredibly sad that we've been so busy and haven't been able to visit with everyone - we sure hope stuff lets up soon so we can get back to reading your blogs (well, not the agility stuff, but the other stuff). And thanks to everyone for sending me the cool birthday wishes!!!! You all the best friends a pup could ask for, fur sure!
If we don't see ya, or talk to ya - hope you have an amazing 4th of July weekend (well, those in the US anyway). And for those not in the US - hope you have a great weekend! Everypup - stay safe, K? Those fireworks can be scary sometimes!
Last week during all the fun agility stuff we did, we got some great news!
