Why Everyone Should Train Dogs

Memorial Day Swim

2011-08-23T18:35:00.006-05:00

What?What? (envision hands in the air)

That's right readers (Dad). I'm back so soon!

So yeah, yeah, Memorial Day was three months ago. We are just now getting around to blogging about it! (I forgot I took all these awesome photos)

So it turns out that Charlotte loves to swim. I mean LOVES. She is a water baby and has been since we put her in that first bath. She loves her bath water, she loves the baby pool, she loves being in a floaty in the big pool, she even loves the river which is super cold. She's an indiscriminate water lover. She actually gets that from both sides. AND, right about now as you were thinking, wait I thought this blog was about dogs, well it is, but my Dad wants to see photos of his granddaughter too.
So the point here is that it turns out, Charlotte also loves swimming with dogs.

Two westies - she's in!
Simon panting heavily. Duh, she's willing. (and don't be fooled by this grimace - she's just annoyed we keep taking her picture and thus distracting her from the Water and Her Dogs.)

Plus in the pool she gets to pet Simon. Because he doesn't know it.

And this one just because it's cute. So pensive.

Hi, Dad! Looking good!!
(oh and she got that helmet off two weeks later - in June)

The House Walk

2011-08-11T16:34:00.002-05:00

Hey. Did you think I died? Well, I didn't. (and hopefully if I did someone would write a dedication blog)
Turns out that being at home with a baby doesn't afford that much free time for blogging. Hm...that's weird. Plus we haven't really done anything blog worthy or had any fun pictures for the one person left reading (Dad - I'm looking at you).

So I finally busted out the camera the other day to record what goes on regularly around here that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seats - The House Walk.
We are on a record number of days that are a million degrees so walks are out of the questions. The dogs barely want to go outside to go to the bathroom.
So we strap up the House Stroller and take a House Walk. This just entails circling around the rooms in the stroller. Lizzie thinks this is stupid. Simon on the other hand, is not at all picky about walks and trudges along loyally the entire time. No matter how often we stop or how slow we're going. He doesn't care. He just follows along. So here's the set-up:

Baby in the stroller with her favorite dog toy for company.

Simon following patiently along.
And Lizzie stopping by to say we're stupid.

Happy Summer everyone!!

Best of Friends...

2011-05-13T16:29:00.002-05:00

Well, maybe not best yet, but getting there.

Hello! I know, I know... but it's hard work having two dogs, a baby, a full-time job, a husband who travels, and a blog. But everyone get excited because it's about to be summer, and that means it's about to be blogging time!

See you all in a few weeks...

Sweet, Sweet Simon

2011-02-27T21:42:00.004-06:00

Can you believe your eyes?? A mere TWO weeks from my last post. WhatWhat?? Hands up!

AND it contains pictures. You have the 10 pm feeding that I have to stay up for so try and get a full night's sleep to thank(so far it's not working so I'm just extra, extra tired, but I'm hopeful - or maybe stupid). I've got 30 minutes to kill...

So here's the story of how I have the best dogs in the world. Seriously. I can't imagine dogs handling this gigantic life change better. They are sweet and accepting of the baby and only mildly needy. Plus they took the hormone rage in stride during those first few months.

We are fostering a deep, deep love of dogs in Charlotte. I've fairly certain her first words will be Lizzie and Simon because we talk about them so much. Dewayne thought it would be hilarious to set Charlotte on Simon. See the ensuing excitement (keep in mind this is the dog that HATES children, hates their tiny hand and their tiny toes. Hates them coming toward him with their teeny tiny excitement. Hates them...)
Simon thinking "Are you kidding me right now? Is this what I must endure for some attention?" Yes Simon, yes it is.
Neither Charlotte or Simon thinks this is particularly funny. We on the other hand, think it is Hilarious. You can almost see the chastisement in both their faces.
Still funny, still so funny. And darling and precious. I just can't help it.

"HOW MUCH LONGER CAN THIS LAST?? IS IT WORTH IT??" Yes Simon, yes it was.Best friends already? I think so. Pretty soon he'll have bows in his hair and be sitting in at tea parties.

(And yes, Simon was rewarded handsomely for his participation. As was Lizzie for just being in the room)

2 months. Still 68....

2011-02-17T12:06:00.003-06:00

Well, hello. Did you think I'd fallen into a black hole? Actually, I have. It's called the Full Time Working Mom Who Still Has Two Dogs and a Husband and a House To Keep Up And a Website to Run And Never Gets a Full Night's Rest black hole.
Sorry, blog, you get left at the bottom of the priority list. Just behind paying attention to the fact that Simon's get F.A.T because he's not running enough.

So it's been two months since I posted. And I still have 68 followers. Thank you loyal readers for not unfollowing me and understanding that I'll get back into it. Eventually.

Here's the lowdown on what's been kicking at our house. Working. The Baby. The Website. Poor Dogs. And not sleeping. A lot of that going on... So we're basically just treading water. And I kept telling myself that I would blog when I had time to take pictures of the dogs doing something cute or just something in general. And it still hasn't happened. So I just thought I would give a shout out to anyone out there still reading when these posts pop up and say, Thanks! I'm still here!

I promise to come up with some pictures...

A total tease

2010-12-15T09:42:00.003-06:00

We have this issue at the house of the squirrels. The unrelenting, squealing, drive the dogs crazy squirrels. I for one don't really have an issue with the squirrels, however, Lizzie and Simon feel differently. I spend my days yelling at them to quit barking at the squirrels in the tree, the squirrels on the wires, the squirrels on the house, the squirrels on the fence... need I go on. Every time I open the door to let the dogs out, both make a beeline for the fence. Simon jumps so high he practically goes over it, and they run along it just to make sure the squirrels aren't there. I've taken to making them wait before the beeline - talk about torture.

It's probably just one or two squirrels that are driving the dogs batty, but boy are they getting really, really brave. Check out these pictures of one of our furry friends taunting the dogs from the window.
This squirrel is so thirsty he's slowing bopping over to the water dish. Lizzie is about to lose her mind.

And seriously, this guy doesn't know what he's doing. Yeah, right. He stood there fluffing his tail and checking out the acorns while the dogs were clawing to get out.
It was hard to get this pictures because we were giggling so much at this ridiculous scene.

To. Die. For.

2010-12-05T14:26:00.004-06:00

Yep, I'm still here, just busy with baby stuff. But not too busy to sneak in a few dog activities as well.

So, when I was pregnant, my friend Joanna announced she was starting a photography business. I jumped on this and challenged her to get a picture of a newborn and my two dogs. This week, she accepted that challenge and came over for a photo shoot of the 2-month old and the dogs.

Blog followers, she is amazing. Not only did we get some great shots of the three, she took some amazing shots of just the baby. And did some amazing photo editing. A-Maze-Ing... I can't say it enough.

Here they are - my little family...
And please, like a photographer can come to my house and not snap a photo of Simon's gorgeous eyes. Delicious.

Her website is http://www.sugarpiephotos.com/ - She's in the Dallas area, she's totally reasonably priced, and she's hilarious (check out her blog). Oh, and she's AMAZING.

just so you don't desert me!

2010-10-25T14:17:00.002-05:00

We are all doing great here, getting *some* rest - not much, but some. The dogs are very interested in the newest family member and want to sniff/lick her when she starts to make noise. Overall though, we are seriously impressed with Simon, who as you know is perpetually scared of everything. He has taken not only the baby's arrival in stride, but also the arrival of all the baby stuff. The swing with the spinning parts, the noise makers, the bouncer - all baby apparatus totally not phasing him. I'm really seeing more maturity in him these days - at 2 1/2 he's finally starting to take on a more regal look and doesn't still seem like a puppy - all the time. Don't get me wrong, we're still getting the jolly ball thrown at our feet everytime we step outside (all our family members that came to stay with us over the last three weeks can now confirm that), but he's just less silly and more grown up. I can't wait to get him back to agility.

And, just for sticking around, here are a few pictures with the dogs and baby...

And she's here....

2010-10-04T20:06:00.002-05:00

Charlotte Jane - Born 9/29/10, 2:59 pm, 7 lbs 12 oz.

We're good here - the dogs are enjoying our newest member. Too tired to use full sentences... will have more to say later.

Wednesday's the Day....

2010-09-27T19:15:00.002-05:00

Well, the news is blood pressure is down, but not enough so we're getting her out on Wednesday.

Now, I'm officially nervous.

What did the dogs and I do to celebrate the upcoming momentous event? All three of us took a nap on the couch before we have to nap on someone else's schedule.

Alright, I'm off to wrap up a few more details and make sure I've got specific instructions for care of Lizzie and Simon while we are in the hospital for a few days!

Just a quick update....

2010-09-24T17:29:00.004-05:00

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the planet, but am actually the size of a planet. Seriously. I'm concerned I might be throwing off the Earth's rotation.

This week has been crazy - Dewayne started a new job, it was the last week at my job before my maternity leave starts, oh and I have developed high blood pressure and had to go to labor and delivery for them to monitor it for a few hours while Dewayne was in DC for his new job, only on that particular night. (yes, I realize that's a run-on)

So, needless to say, my poor dogs have just been hanging out, waiting for baby with the rest of us. It looks like if the blood pressure stays up, baby might be coming soon. Simon's ready and waiting - he doesn't quite know where babies come from....

A little playful

2010-09-12T09:45:00.004-05:00

So we finally got some rain this week. I mean it was because of tropical storm Hermine and caused some flooding other places, but we skirted past the bad stuff so I'm just happy my lawn got a little (or a lot) water.

That means that we do a lot of playing inside. Lots of ball throwing, lots and lots of ball throwing.

And even Lizzie gets into it when the spirit moves her. The dogs constantly lose the ball underneath the entertainment center and require someone to get it for them. As I am giant, I generally can convince Dewayne to do this lately. Lizzie cracks me up, she really prefers to have a soft toy and push the ball around. Simon refuses to let her and we have to actually make him lay down for the two minutes that she wants to play. But here they are waiting, not very patiently, for the ball to re-emerge from the entertainment center. Lizzie is ready with slippage.

Crazy eyes, oh, the crazy eyes. Simon's two favorite things, the ball and playing with Lizzie. He can barely contain his excitement.

Throwit throwit throwit throwit

Homebrew

2010-09-05T15:22:00.006-05:00

I know, I know - it's been forever since I posted. But here's the deal - I went back to my full time day job, and it turns out that working full-time, running a website AND being pregnant takes a lot out of you. Who would have guessed?

So in all reality, I really don't have much to report about my poor neglected dogs. We haven't done much but throw the ball for Simon at night and work. I am happy to report that we have taught Simon how to exclusively put the ball on the couch or chair where we are sitting so as not to disrupt all the excess sitting we are doing at night. I would say he minds the laziness, but he really doesn't seem to care as long as the ball throwing continues.

But, there is some extracurricular activity going on. Dewayne has taken up a new hobby - high time if you ask me since the poor guy has really just had the hobby of school for two years. So his activity of choice, making wine and beer. That's right - you heard it here, my kitchen is now a homebrew haven. Complete with all sorts of homebrew essentials and a new fridge to ferment the beer at precise temperatures. He and his friend Michael have spent the last few weekends testing out recipes and generally making a mess. But they're having fun, so hey, I'm going with it.

So far, we've got a fruit wine almost ready to bottle, some pilsner fermenting, and today we're moving onto lager. I've requested a little more care to be taken this round to keep the kitchen somewhat clean because last weekend it looked like a bomb went off in there.

So instead of the rug, they put down a towel. Which Lizzie promptly assumed was a lovely place to rest. She is so helpful.
Simon as well. But really, this is what the dogs do during the brewing. They enjoy that the weather is finally a decent temperature and lay in the house, while watching their domain for squirrels or other intruders. Well, Lizzie does, until Simon disrupts her quiet time with, yep, you guessed it, the jolly ball.

So just in time to celebrate new baby's arrival, we should have a nice sampling of home-made alcohol. I'm sure all our guests will really appreciate it.

Giant, Swollen Pillow

2010-08-21T16:28:00.003-05:00

As it is still 100 degrees outside, and I am giant just 6 weeks from my due date, Lizzie has found herself a new place to rest. She doesn't even notice when it starts kicking her.

Holy, Moly It's Hot

2010-08-10T08:49:00.007-05:00

I don't know how else to put it, it's hot here. Really, really hot. Over 100 degrees everyday with no chance of rain in the foreseeable future. This is not the time of year you want to be giant and pregnant. But with only 8 weeks to go until my due date, here I've found myself with two heavily panting dogs. It's too hot to do much of anything, but a couple weekends ago we made our last summer trip down to the river so the dogs and I could finally cool off. Simon's become quite a swimmer and it was so nice to wear him out in the water rather than with running where he gets so, so hot.Everyday, at least twice a day we took him swimming down at the bulkhead at our house. We also walked the dogs down the street to the small dam to go swimming as well. So 3-4 times a day, Simon was swimming. We found that just as much as he loves catching the frisbee, he loves swimming for it. I meant to bring our Bumi with us, but totally forgot so the frisbee was a welcome surprise. Our friends Brandon and Kathryn stopped by with their new dog Ellie. They rescued Ellie a few months ago from some horrible friends who were treating her terribly, and she has really flourished in her new life. Since Kathryn was at this point also hugely pregnant (she had her baby two days after we left!) we commisserated together and didn't mind the dogs shaking water on us. That's right, we Didn't Care if frigid water was shaken on us at random because maybe, just maybe those droplets might make the cabbage patch feet go away. No such luck.

Now, Simon didn't really take that well to having to share the frisbee. He especially did not appreciate when Ellie tried to take his frisbee. He kept looking at us like, "um, when is she going to leave." Sorry, Buddy, she's basically family. Get used to it.
Ellie seriously learned to leap. Check out that form! She got so good at jumping off the steps into the water, but the end she was way faster than Simon. He did not appreciate it.Now, while Lizzie does actually like to swim, she really prefers to wade in and swim out as she sees fit in true Lizzie-fashion. Jumping into the water off of some steps just isn't really her idea of a good time. But, digging up the fire pit on the bulkhead where some squirrels live is what what she lives for. She spent a good 30 minutes digging this up and trying with all her might to get at their squirrel hole. We were pretty sure she was going to pull something out, but I think they might have moved on. All weekend, when we let the dogs out, Lizzie would bound down here to check on the hole.
Digging a giant hole is seriously hard work.
The whole time the hole digging was going on, yep, you guessed it.
Still swimming.
In the end, he got a little confused about where the steps where and found himself marooned here on this rock outside the bulkhead. Or he was trying to avoid Ellie who was rapidly getting his frisbee.
At the end of the swim, Simon took solace with Dewayne who had to go retrieve the last frisbee throw.

This weekend we also tested the limits of Lizzie's off-leash ability. It was a great weekend because we were the only ones staying at the house, and there weren't honestly a lot of people even on the street. Sometimes you go down there and it seems like every house has a party going on so it's just not safe to let the dogs off.
But this weekend was pretty quiet. We regularly let her off into the yard to play and do business without a leash (there's no fence) and low and behold, she did pretty well. There were a few instances where she took off and Dewayne had to go get her, but overall she is getting SO much better at listening and coming when she's called. And it doesn't hurt that still, to this day, when she comes to the house from the giant, expansive yard she gets something delicious - bacon, sausage, leftover hamburger. Hey, she's no fool.

What Lizzie does during the summer

2010-07-27T09:23:00.004-05:00

She alternates from sleeping on any pile of pillows she can find, to..

Some seriously slow yawning.

A little soaking up the sun

Some panting

And finally, straight up sun snoozing.

Keep in mind, we live in Texas. It's probably about 100 degrees in the shade. This does not deter Lizzie one bit - the hotter, sunnier the better.

The end of an era

2010-07-20T09:49:00.006-05:00

What is that weird, sad deflated toy on the ground you ask? Well, it's what Simon's been working on for about a year and a half.
The inside ball of the jolly ball. He's been working at that since he first laid his eyes on that shiny new toy (Christmas 2008). Now battered from teeth, weather, and hitting every single thing in my backyard (including a few times I chunked it accidentally into the window - none broken thankfully), the jolly ball has given up it's prize.

Simon's really not that upset about it as he's still looking to dunk it in the pool. No worries buddy, we're just dumping that old hot water...

Ah, refreshing. The jolly ball sans middle ball can still be fun.

What Simon did for summer vacation - laid in the pool and panted.

Did a random (cute) Cairn terrier wander into our yard? Oh, no, that's just Lizzie turned a nice shade of brown with her regular dirt lounging.

But check out what's next - it's like a big foot sighting...

Yep, that's Lizzie PLAYING. In the pool. WITH A TOY. Stop the presses...

This only lasted about 10 seconds but I was ready to capture the moment before it too passed into her usual sunbathing.

We've got a new jolly ball lined up for Simon - that's one of the benefits of running a website out of your house. I might have a warehouse in my dining room, but when Simon defeats a toy, we've got the replacement ready to go.

Slippage

2010-07-16T13:00:00.001-05:00

This is slippage.

What is slippage, you ask? Well, slippage is/are things that you "lose" in a retail store. This might be because someone "slipped"out with them, or in the case of our slippage here, it might be because it stops grunting. Yep, this big duck was supposed to grunt, and did grunt for a short time until, well, it stopped grunting. Therefore we can't sell it because who wants a giant stuffed duck that doesn't grunt.

Simon apparently.

While we were in mass reorganization mode, we dumped the box of slippage items on the floor because we needed the box. Simon then, in his most sneaky way, somehow slipped that slippage right into his bed. The next thing we knew, he was carrying it around, trying not to look guilty for stealing slippage.

And he really loves his slippage.
He generally nibbles and licks his slippage. Not tearing it up you notice. Just carrying it around...
Gently chewing it
Biting it (but not too hard to destroy it)
Licking Slippage's tiny hair tuft
Oh, sweet, sweet Slippage.

It's looking like Slippage might just end up on the Christmas card at this rate.

A Quick Trip

2010-07-12T16:08:00.006-05:00

So in my nesting period (I guess that's what it is) I've become a little nutty about making sure the nursery and guestroom (what I'm calling the babysitter's suite) are in tip-top shape. Now, I won't bore you with my bed-moving extravaganza (none of which I actually participate in, only supervise in my oh-so-delicate condition), but the plan I hatched required that we trek out to Shreveport to switch out beds. That's right, I said switch out. Dewayne's mom had a lovely queen bed with a headboard/foot board that she offered to us in exchange for our frame only queen. Queen-to-queen switch people - Nutty. Which of course we need because we have tons of time for bed switching while running a business, training dogs, and decorating a baby's room.But, on our quick road trip, we were able to fit in a little bit of fun time for the dogs who as I've said before love, love, love the water. Dewayne's mom's house in Shreveport is on a lake, so of course the dogs made a beeline for the dirtiest, muckiest water they could find. Simon's become quite the little swimmer and I'm even thinking about investing in some floatable toys. Because sometimes he loses the stick and then we have to go find a new one. Perhaps something in a bright color... And yes, Lizzie had to stay on leash this time because, well, she's a flight risk. No one was really in the mood to wade out and get her when she completely disregarded what we were saying and went into the muck or over to the neighbors. It's a tough life she leads.
We finally found a bit of cleaner water for the dogs to swim in.
Retreiving the stick - one time he actually dove down like a duck to get it. He seemed a little shocked when he came up, but got the stick back. Objective mastered.
Creepy lake creature - or Simon shaking off as close the camera as possible. You be the judge.
While waiting for stick throwing, it's important to stay rested. Don't tax yourself too much by standing.
Lizzie heads for the muck. Something smells delightfully disgusting I'm sure.
Let me just stick my face in it as far as possible and consider rolling in this delicious stink.
Simon can't be bothered with the muck when there's a stick to be thrown. Hello - please throw stick NOW.
Stick retrieval - but will he make the swim...
Ah, shallower waters. No need to have crazy bug eyes here.
That's one happy, and tired dog. Oh, and stinky.

A visual that summer's here

2010-07-06T21:59:00.002-05:00

Simon's never-ending pant...The squinty eyes. Too..hot..to..open..fully
The drool..oh, the drool. And the every hopeful eyes that that jollyball will get thrown.

Summer Simon

2010-07-02T09:13:00.002-05:00

So there's no surprise that summer here is hot. Really, really hot. This summer is no exception although we've caught a break from Hurricane Alex with some cooling "out bands" of rain - sorry for those of you that got flooded - but we're seriously enjoying the rain here.

Last night was our weekly agility class and poor Simon just doesn't really appreciate that heat. That beautiful, thick coat that my groomer told me I was never allowed to do anything to except furminate every once in awhile seriously slows him down.

So, my teacher has made a few suggestions to accommodate the training of "Summer Simon" - here are a few changes we've made.

1. Summer Simon jumps at 12" instead of 16" - "He already knows how to jump" apparently

2. Summer Simon doesn't have to go back and take jumps he chooses to skip - "He looks so defeated" when I make him stop. We can fix that sequencing issue in the winter (fingers crossed).

3. Summer Simon needs encouragement before running - So guess who gets to jump around and look stupid to pump up the dog who is constantly full of energy?

4. Summer Simon stops listening to which obstacle he's supposed to take - he gets to make his own course now because at least he's having fun.

The good news is that just as Summer Simon is slower, pregnant me is also slower so it works out for us both. Plus I've started working on Dewayne to convince him to take over the running once I can't make it around the course. So far, he's not swayed.

Musings on the Kiosk

2010-06-25T09:50:00.005-05:00

So this weekend, we are saying good-bye to the kiosk. You might be asking yourself, "Didn't you just start it?" and the short answer is yes. But the long answer is that the kiosk was always an experiment that had one month to prove it's worth. It didn't have to be a smash success, but the numbers had to make sense. The numbers being rent + payroll = not losing money. Those numbers don't add up, and as I add up the pounds and belly ginormousness, I refuse to work it at all after June. I mean let's be honest, no one wants to buy dog stuff from a woman who is 6 1/2 months pregnant and working at a kiosk - it's just awkward, although I think I made some sales from people who felt sorry for me (as well they should).

But that being said, it had one month and one month is what it got. It doesn't do horribly by any means, but it's A LOT of work for not really any gain.

Plus I REALLY want to spend more time spiffing up the website and getting more sales there, which I can't really do if I'm at the kiosk. So the decision was made and the boxes prepared to dismantle the kiosk and I've already been hard at work finding some ways to get the website more traffic.

But on my last few days at the kiosk, I feel I should share some kiosk musings about what it's like dealing with people at the mall:

1. People who say "my dog can destroy anything" are the bane of my existence. Many say it with a hint of pride in their voices, like they enjoy the strength of their dog's jaws. The ones that walk by and flippantly say to their friends "Oh, my dog would destroy everything over there" without even stopping are the worst. They don't want to hear about how West Paw Design makes the most amazing toys that they actually guarantee to last. That's right - your dog destroys them, the company will replace it. If I go through my whole spiel about the toys and the guarantee, and they don't buy it, I know they actually like the fact that their dog destroys things (despite my sneaking suspision that he's probably destructive because he doesn't get any exercise or attention). Move on people, move on.

2. Don't make me look at a picture/watch a video/talk for 2o minutes about your dog and not buy something. Hello! I work a kiosk - I am More than happy to look at your pictures/watch the videos/talk for 20 minutes about your dog if you are more than willing to buy something. But otherwise, move it along - I've got an email to check or a move on words with friends to play.

3. I am NOT a mall concierge. I don't know if xyz store is in the mall, I don't know where abc store is in the mall, there isn't a food court in the mall, if you ask me all annoyed where the nearest bathroom is, I will send you to the furthest bathroom. I park in one parking lot, come in one door to the kiosk, and leave the way I came. I am not a mall expert - please get a map from the stand 10 feet from the kiosk.

4. Don't walk by and say loudly while trying to sound important to your friends, "Oh, just the usual." Umm..I can hear you, and you may not know how much time I've invested into finding products that aren't just the usual, but it's rude either way. While we do have some products you can find in many places (because people kept coming by and asking for them and buying them - hello, we give the people what they want), I've gone to a lot of trouble to get fantastic toys and collars and hiking gear that isn't "the usual." That's my thing - I like to find great products and try to introduce them to dog owners. The problem is that innovative and exciting products are more expensive than your average product and not everybody is willing to invest in their dogs. Period.

5. Parents - I realize dog toys are bright and shiny like kids' toys. But they aren't kids' toys so please stop your children from picking everything up and making a huge mess of the kiosk. And as a side note on this topic - please don't pick everything up yourself and replace it upside down in the wrong spot and then walk away. I am happy for anyone to pull down all the products they want to see while deciding, but if you're not going to purchase something, it's a waste of my time.

I know, I know it seems like a rant. But here's the up-side. We've sold some products that just weren't moving on the website that I don't intend to re-stock so I've opened up room for products that have more online potential. I've actually learned how to use Quickbooks much to the surprise and delight of Dewayne. We've passed out tons of magnets and have already had a little feedback on the website (two submissions to The Pack page).

Plus, the best upside in my opinion, is that I do believe that there are some true dog lovers out there that I was able to introduce to some really great products. I had someone come by just the other day and tell me how much their dog Loved the canine genius toy she bought for him. All selling, business-y stuff aside, that really is what I enjoy. I really believe in some of the products and genuinely want people to have them. Cheesy, I know.

Playing Hooky

2010-06-17T14:01:00.006-05:00

I know what you're thinking, "Yes you have been playing hooky from the blog." But the truth is that while my blogging is lackluster, we've been doing the opposite of playing and work, work, working on the kiosk and the website (okay, mainly the kiosk - the website is in desperate need of some sprucing up).

No, Simon, we weren't referring to you. We know you'd NEVER leave a job unfinished.

But last weekend we decided we had to get away for the annual Randy Rogers "festival" aka concert down at the river and just turn over the kiosk to our lovely workers. As you know if you've read this blog before, the dogs and I have a particular affinity for our regular trips to my family's river house in New Braunfels. We don't get down there nearly as much as we'd like, but we soak it up when we do. Since Dewayne's officially done with school, we are hoping to get down there even more (you know, unless we decide to open something else).

I'll fully admit that my favorite part of the river is the tube - sitting on the water, with a nice adult beverage and our fancy, specially designed cooler that is actually a radio blaring some nice Texas Country music - heaven. This summer though, I am banned from the river due to sensitive condition and I do have to admit that playing the responsible driver role just isn't as fun as the wild youth livin' it up on the river. I guess that's what comes with the territory though of growing up - dang it!

But the dogs did enjoy their freedom and playtime as I was at the house most of the time. We took them down to the dam - which you may remember looked like this last summer,
but now looks like this!
The water is moving and it is so nice to have a summer where it's not flooded or drought (although there was a flood down river).
The water was not at all a safe level for walking and playing on the dam as we'd done the last few summers, but we did manage to get in a few stick throws for Simon who got quite brave at swimming out into the water.

Early Riser

2010-06-01T08:25:00.004-05:00

I am NOT an early riser. I in fact hate the mornings. Simon on the other hand loves mornings. I feel like he would be that person who gets up at 5 and whistles and wants to talk about the day's news (I'm talking about you Papa). He loves when I am working because I get up around 6:30 and we go get the paper and hang out before work.

But when school's out, I'm ready to sleep in.

Who me? I'm innocent

Forget about it. Simon's ready for everyone to get up at 7:30 at the absolute latest. He comes in the room, jumps on the bed and whines. Thanks a lot.

Evil Genius.

And it's not good enough for just one person to get up - everyone needs to get up, even Lizzie. If Dewayne and I get up, and Lizzie tries to sleep in. Nope. He goes in there and whines.

And yes, I know we could shut him out. But then what would I have to blog about?

Summer's here, but you didn't think we were slowing down, did you?

2010-05-30T08:03:00.003-05:00

I may officially be done teaching over here (hallelujah!), but we're never done cooking up crazy ideas! Yesterday we opened the curtain on our very own kiosk in the Galleria Mall (Dallas, TX if anyone wants to come visit). We expanded our offerings a little by adding in some clothes and some more collars, but it's mostly a sampling of what you can get on the website. It's been a crazy amount of work, but hey, that's just us apparently.

So far it's going okay. We have some severe technical difficulties - I'll give you the short version. Friday night we went to get the computer/cash register set-up. No internet. Keep in mind Dewayne has already spent an inordinate amount of time working with Quickbooks (his nemesis) and T-Hub (an amazing program that allows our website to talk to Quickbooks). We had to upgrade Quickbooks to the POS version - which stands for point of sale and not what some of your were out there thinking. The computer at the kiosk is supposed to communicate with the computer at "Headquarters" aka my house. But without internet, that isn't possible. So there was lots of yelling at the outsources AT&T workers to no avail.

So we got up Saturday morning to load the products on the cart, and at 9 Dewayne had to go to the wireless store to get one of those satellite internet receivers just so we could run our system. No internet = no credit cards - which is about 80% of what people use in case you were wondering. Then, once we got the products loaded and the internet working, Quickbooks wasn't working - the store wasn't receiving all the data we had input at "headquarters" the night before. SO, I had to go home and sit with the "headquarters" computer while Dewayne was at the kiosk - and we conferenced in Quickbooks support to fix it. We were up and running about 11:15 am.
I won't bore you with anymore of the details (yes, that was the short version) but it was hectic! Sales were pretty good and we had one sweet visitor (Thanks, Ali!) who came with her mom to buy some of the clothes. My friend Ali is our official "Dog Clothes Consultant" and had helped me pick all the clothes out.

Summer, please get here...

2010-05-25T22:26:00.002-05:00

We are busy. And tired. I know I promised to update more, but in all honesty there's not much going on with the dogs besides the status quo. We are working. Simon's playing jolly ball. They went to the groomers... the usual. But just so you won't abandon me as an altogether lost cause - here are a few of our favorite photos of Simon's summer pastime. The frisbee, and of course the pool.

Playing Dead!

2010-05-06T12:34:00.003-05:00

The possum was gone in the morning, leaving a sad, lonely grave ready for the next spring victim of our pint sized killer.

Playing Dead?

2010-05-03T22:27:00.003-05:00

Excitement of the night - Dewayne opened the door to let the dogs out before bed. Approx 10:15 pm.
Lizzie goes into stalk pose and then chases after a baby possum. Seriously. We live IN THE CITY. And we've trapped 2 baby possums last year so you would think they'd get the hint. Nope. She catches this poor baby possum and "kills it." All the while Dewayne is repeating, in his best country-twang, "Oh, no, Lizzie's got somethin'" as he searches for his shoes.

I look out in horror to see the dead rodent looking terribly sad on the porch. Lizzie wasn't quite sure what to do about it either. She actually listened when we told her to leave it - I think she was shocked that she caught something after all those years of chasing, sniffing, and stalking the animals in our yard. We've discussed her prowess for Earthdog, and the multiple times we've had to rescue animals from her. And of course there was the bluejay.

So I jumped into action bossing Dewayne around and insisting that we bury the possum even though it was raining and ten o'clock at night. So he set out to dig a hole. By this point, he doesn't argue about my nonsense animal rescuing/properly burying - he knows it's futile. Now keep in mind, the ground at our house isn't sand. You can't just pick up a shovel and knock out a hole. Oh no, he had to bust out the post hole digger and crack through some rock to get deep enough.

It was that moment that Dewayne looked over and said, "What if he's just playing dead?" So we dumped him out of the giant ziploc we'd used to move him from the backyard to his grave, and shined the light down. Moments passed. In the light, he blinked. So we just left him in the hole - uncovered of course - and will check again in the morning. I guess if he's fatally wounded, he won't make it and we'll cover him up. But maybe, just maybe, he was just playing dead and he'll steer clear of our backyard from now on. And no, we didn't take pictures. It seemed morbid.

Ah, the joys of owning a terrier.

Single-Dog-Mom

2010-05-01T16:00:00.000-05:00

So today is a big exciting day over here - Dewayne is returning from his MBA trip to Asia! I've been single-dog-mom'in it all week and I have to say that it is exhausting. I have some serious respect for all single moms out there - dog and otherwise.

I have the most inflexible job that if the weathermen threaten one drop of rain, I've got to keep the dogs inside all day long. Now, I feel so lucky that my dogs are actually really good in the house. They really don't cause any problems, but I'm so overcome with guilt when I get home that I can't do much else besides throw the jolly ball to work out poor Simon. As you can well imagine, he doesn't do well without his routine of keeping the backyard clear of squirrels from dawn to dusk. He gets very concerned that those evil squirrels are out there running amok without his necessary policing. Plus, those early morning walks are just tiring. And yes, for those of you that know my intense hatred for the morning, take a moment to let that sink in - I walked the dogs at 6:45 am. This coming from the girl who gets up at 6:30 to leave for work at 7.

Plus, business has been picking up mildly (yeah!) but that also means I'm shipping orders in between jolly ball throws. Not that I'm complaining - keep 'em coming I say!

But we made it through - this trip has been hanging over our heads for two years now so I'm glad to put it all behind us and move on to the big graduation! And then the end of my school year so I can devote all my time to blogging, updating the site, and playing with the dogs.

Simon's Two - I'm only a few days late

2010-04-18T15:04:00.006-05:00

On Tuesday, Simon made his grand entrance into the world of doggie adulthood - or so I hope. Although I hear that it's really age 3 that I can expect a mature, distinguished Aussie.

I don't even know how to start a tribute to Simon. This dog is as infuriating as he is amazing. He is as carefree as he is cautious. He is as aloof as he is loving. He is as beautiful as he is awkwardly strange looking. He is a true individual. To us, he's just Simon. That's all you can say sometimes.

Simon always was a special soul. I picked him because he was the adventurer on the farm, because he wanted to play, and because I loved his crazy markings. He wasn't the most striking puppy there, but we fell in love with his funny little face.

There's really no way to sum up in words about what makes Simon so special. So I'll share a few anecdotes and then send you off with a photo montage that can better explain who this little guy is.
One thing that stands out was from my sister Kinsey (you can see her and my darling nephew at A Little Wall on my blogroll). She of course was one of the first readers of my blog, and said when she finally met Simon, "Oh, he's so much cuter in person!" That sums up Simon - you really have to get to know him to appreciate him.
About 6 months after we had him, my dad came over for a visit and Simon raced up and acted like they were best friends. My dad said, "Well, Simon, you've decided I'm okay I guess." Simon's not everybody's best friends - he is very cautious, yet still has that puppy spunk and curiosity that keeps him adventurous. He doesn't accept everyone at first and he doesn't trust everyone. He's not vicious or rude, he just takes time to warm up to people. Unless you're a child - he Hates small children with their grabby hands and unpredictable behavior.

Simon is blowing me away in agility lately - he loves, needs, wants, craves a job. And agility is absolutely an answer to that. My instructor always comments about how well he listens and watches. 99% of the times he has errors in class are due to my novice handling skills. One day he'll be great in the ring - and yes, despite some naysayers - I'll have him in the ring. Even with a business and a baby.

So here it is - a few photos that sum up the craziness that is Simon:

Agility
Watchful, peircing blue eyes. This intense gaze earns him lots of treats from unsuspecting people who he stares down.

The river and his westie. He LOVES to swim and he LOVES Lizzie.

The play bow. Always trying to play with Lizzie - rarely succeeding.

On the move. This dog doesn't sit still for long.

The jolly ball. I've often discussed Simon's intense love for the jolly ball. It has not wavered or declined in anyway. He truly believes he'll get that ball in the middle out one day. A friend of Dewayne's once tried to wear him out with a jolly ball throw down. It was impossible. He'll chase that jolly ball for as long as someone will throw it. And then play by himself for a bit longer.

The pool and the frisbee. Two things that make Simon's life complete.

Play - tug or ball, he doesn't care. He just wants to play.

So in a nutshell, that's Simon. We can't imagine our life without him. Happy Birthday Buddy!

And Baby Makes Five

2010-04-05T09:58:00.002-05:00

Okay, loyal blog readers, it's time to let you in on an additional secret that's been keeping my blogging level low. We are expecting the newest member of the family, the two legged kind, in October! So if you're keeping score, yes, we have a new business, both work full time, try to train and work with our two crazy dogs AND have a baby on the way. Oh and Dewayne's finishing his MBA program in May as well. No one can say we play it safe around here!

So, thanks for sticking around and checking the blog, even though I've been slow to keep up the blog. Luckily, I'm getting a little bit of energy back so hopefully I can keep up a little more. Plus I love, love the spring and the warm weather so we'll be getting some shots of the dogs outside again.

And, just for fun, I thought I'd share some photos of the dogs on the SPCA Strut Your Mutt event we did recently. It was raining and cold, but we had a great time supporting the SPCA of Texas and passing out a few magnets for the business.

Yes, that is me on the left of the photo, but that's not baby weight. I'm wearing jeans with wind pants over them, then a long-sleeve shirt, with a jacket, and a t-shirt over that. I'm like the marshmellow man. It was freezing!!
By the end of this, Lizzie was ready to go home. She doesn't like to be cold and wet when she can be snuggling up on the couch.

Bad, Bad Dog Owner

2010-03-22T19:28:00.003-05:00

Okay, I'm going to admit something to the world that I'm not proud of, but I feel I must because the story is one that must be shared.

The other day we were going to pick up dinner and we did what dog owners shouldn't do - we let the dogs hang their heads out the window. I know, I know, they should be restrained. But sometimes I just give in to that look of exuberance that Simon gets while the wind whips through his hair.

But this post is a cautionary tale. Not for the weak at heart.

So there were are, driving along when we pass someone walking their two dogs. And Lizzie jumps out the window. Of the moving car. I drive an SUV.

I couldn't see the event, but Dewayne recounted that she rolled across the pavement.

There was screaming that ensued, brakes slamming, and frantic chasing. Lizzie really just wanted to go and meet the dogs and was actually not escaping. Once she said hello, she ran back to the car. We were not amused.

And actually she wasn't either. She broke a back toenail and got a scratch on her chest, but was amazingly unharmed. She was a little fazed though - which rarely happens. She stayed pretty subdued the rest of the day and even into the next one.

So let this be a lesson for you all - restrain the dogs. I'm thinking I'll invest in one of those zip lines (yes, we carry them on the site if you were wondering) so they could still enjoy a whip of air that finds it's way into the car, but couldn't escape.

Luck O'the Irish

2010-03-17T17:10:00.003-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

It's officially spring break which means that the dogs and I are napping regularly while they intermittently run to the door to chase the squirrels and birds that I am actually encouraging with the new bird feeder. And in the midst of this, I am checking my email every hour or so (thank you iPhone) to see if an order has come through...

It's the life over here...

Agility Funmatch

2010-03-07T19:30:00.006-06:00

I know, I know. I'm the worst blogger. I'm lucky you're still here reading this at all. I know.

But here's the deal. Getting a business of the ground is A LOT of work. I mean A LOT. And we both work full time so it's pretty exhausting. But I'm committing to you, my loyal blog readers, that I'll get better at managing my time.

So as promised, here's what happened at the agility funmatch. So for those non-agility people, a funmatch is basically a practice agility competition. A local group put on a funmatch at a popular trialing place nearby. I signed Simon up even though I know his weaves are really way too weak to actually trial. But he's such a scaredy in new situations that I figured it would be a good way to expose him to the noise and the atmosphere.He actually did really well in the environment (he's getting much braver) except I wasn't sure when to get there, so we did end up waiting around for about 6 hours (Dewayne was none too pleased) and he got a little anxious.

The run was better than I thought it would be. He got so excited that he launched off about every contact possible - that's our number one training goal - HIT YOUR CONTACTS. But overall, I was pleased that he didn't run out of the ring, or get scared, or sniff around (as Lizzie would surely have done). He really surprised me with how well he did. If only we had a little more training time - that dog would be ready to trial in no time.

But here's the bad news, Simon's FAST. And while the camera can go fast - it can't without a flash. And the trial was indoors. So all the pictures of our run are super blurry. I included a few, just to prove we were there, but the quality not's great.

Gone in a flash - he's on the dog walk.

Nothing but air - this is getting us a straight NQ if we can't get him to slow down. Any tips on good contact training? I'm gonna need it!

Ta-Da!

2010-02-21T11:17:00.004-06:00

Announcing, the newest project at my house, www.completedog.com.

That's right! Dewayne and I finally got a business off the ground - a dog supplies website. We have literally been pouring all our extra time into getting this thing going. It's why I haven't been blogging as much, and why my friends wonder where I've gone to.

I haven't before mentioned our venture because I didn't want to jinx it before it happened. But it's officially here so I want to share the good news with you, my loyal blog readers!

I'll spare you the official website spiel (in hopes that you'll go there and read it yourself as I'm sure you're dying to hear it) - but you know we love our dogs and we wanted to come up with a place where you could get lots of stuff you need and want in one place. I've worked really hard to have a comprehensive list of products available, but I'm always open to suggestions. So if you see anything missing that should be there - I want to know!

Sorry to all my out of country readers - right now it's just USA, but please don't abandon me! My grand plan involves international orders as the company grows, and I figure out how to do it.

Here are a few questions I'm sure you're asking yourself about now:
1. Can I share this link/post/website with my friends? To which I will say - Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! And thank you! We need all the clicks we can get.

2. When you say you want feedback about products, are you really serious? Yes, I can take it. I know there are certain things that I want to add long term (agility equipment, field equipment, sports themed stuff just to name a few), but there might be something great that I haven't thought of, and I genuinely want to know. The site really is designed to carry stuff that people want.

3. Do I get a discount because I read this blog? The entire site is 15% off right now so everyone automatically gets a discount (taken when you checkout), but I'll definitely share special discounts along the way with you guys.

4. Will you still be blogging? But of course! In fact, I'll still blog here about Lizzie and Simon, but I'll also be blogging over at the site's blog, as well as doing facebook, twitter, and myspace for the business. That's a lot of online time, I know.

5. Can I get involved in the business? I would love it! I will be needing people willing to review products purchased for the blog, and we're taking photos and stories of dogs right now to create an image rotator for The Pack section.

6. The dogs on the logo look familiar. Have I seen them somewhere before? You guessed, that's Simon and Lizzie. We had to take many a pose to get the perfect side view of each, but I think it turned out quite nice.

Now enough business stuff - coming up this week: Simon's first agility funmatch!

A good year for Uggs

2010-02-13T08:11:00.007-06:00

Well, we've hit a record. The most snow we've ever gotten has officially fallen here. Wow. We had an actual snow day off of school yesterday. Now I've lived in Texas my whole life and we've had lots of "snow days" but they were always for ice. This was the first time that we've every had school canceled for actual snow.
Simon really is a snow dog. He loves the stuff. He's spending as much time running through the snow as possible. And we're learning about the perils of ice stuck in dog fur.
Lizzie isn't quite as sold on the snow. She had a few moments of running in the drift, but then realized that she's really a couch dog and wanted to come inside.

Look how deep that is!! It's crazy! (and yes, I do realize for those of you in the north this is nothing - but it's the big time for us)
I'm really thankful that this was the year that I decided to invest in Uggs - and decided that they needed to be weather-proofed, just in case of snow. Which I was laughed at for, but look who's laughing now!! Me and my warm, dry feet.
Lizzie wanted to check things out just to make sure everything was okay, then it was back inside.
Oh, you didn't think the Jolly Ball got any time off just because of a little snow, did you?
My gorgeous snow dog. He's packing his bag for Wyoming for the summer.

6 Words

2010-01-30T08:49:00.003-06:00

Recently, Patricia McConnell wrote a beautiful blog post for her dog Lassie who passed away. In it she wrote a tribute modeled after a 6 word short-story by Hemingway. The post itself of course made me cry - I one time woke Dewayne up with my excessive crying as I was finishing the book Merle's Door (I knew it was coming, but I just can't help it). The responses have been just beautiful, so despite being overly verbose, I decided I'd take a shot at defining my dogs in 6 words.

I'll start with Vinnie, who though most of you don't know him as he's long passed away, he was the westie of my childhood, the westie that fostered my love of dogs and training. I could write 600 words about this great dog, but I'll try for just 6:

Gentle Soul. You changed my life.

And my two current crazies -

Lizzie - Bossy diva. Never misses a snuggle.

Simon - Still learning with watchful, blue eyes.

Catching Up

2010-01-22T11:37:00.004-06:00

Over the last few days I've actually had quite a few things that I thought to blog about, but not time, and sadly, no new pictures.

So, in a nutshell (which as you well know isn't my specialty) I'll fill you in on what's been happening with the pups.

First, I've put myself on a workout plan and thus Simon on one too. Three days a week, I've been working through the Couch to 5K Running Plan which basically alternates walks/runs in different time intervals to help you increase strength. Now, I've started something similar before, but honestly, I hate working out. Hate. It. So I never follow through - but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this time might actually work.
Here's my thinking - it's been great practice for both dogs on their walking skills. I never really took the proper time with Simon to work on walking appropriately (I know - shame on me) so he can be obnoxious on the leash. But when we jog, he's learning to stay close by and to alternate between fast and slow walking. We're also tackling his obnoxious barking. If we're jogging, he can't bark, and if we're walking, he responds really well to "leave it" and continue on. I should have done this long ago for the both of us, but hey, better late than never right.

Oh and don't think Lizzie gets left out. That little diva gets her own walk prior to each jog which she loves. Plus I forgot what a good little walker she is - very purposeful, but with a lovely loose leash, too dang cute to stand.

So basically, my dogs have provided me with all the external motivation to match my lack of internal motivation. When I feel like I don't want to go, I look at poor Simon who's thrown his ball on the ground and run to a spot to catch it looking back at me with a kind of desperate hope, and I get up and take them. Well, that's worked for 3 weeks anyway.

Well, that's not really a nutshell... oh well, I never have been concise.

But lastly, we're back to agility! Finally it wasn't too cold/windy/wet to meet for class last night and Simon was back in effect. I kind of wish that I'd gotten Simon once I know what I'm doing because that dog lives for agility and is amazing. I, of course, am such a newbie that most of the mistakes he makes are with my handling. And I'm learning, but man that dog could be really good. He is so willing to work and has gained so much confidence. I'm entering him in a local fun match and I'm excited to see how he does in the chaos of a real show.

I'll try to check in more regularly, our super exciting news is seriously close to being blog-worthy. And I'll take some pictures this weekend - promise.

Happy Birthday Lizzie...belated

2010-01-12T21:56:00.003-06:00

So yesterday, Lizzie turned 3. That's right, my sweet feisty girl is officially 3. So I thought in her honor, I'd share some tidbits about what it's like to live with the world's most spoiled west highland white terrier.

1. Lizzie's full name is Elizabeth - but Lizzie suits her better.

2. Her nickname is B - It started at Lizzie B, and has morphed into just B. I'm not sure where it came from, but it could stand for her last initial, it could be Lizzie Bee like Busy Bee, or lately we think it could stand for the "other" B-word as she's become quite set in her ways and is bossy.

3. Lizzie loves sleeping on the top of the couch. We thought it was cute at first and now we need a new couch. But she's so happy up there and we just can't seem to say no to that face. So, she sleeps on the top of the couch. And pretty much wherever she wants.

4. Lizzie likes to play ball occasionally, but she prefers to have a soft toy in her mouth and push the ball back to you. It's funny. And whenever she gets a hankering to do this, we have to make Simon take a break because she won't play ball with him - he's pushy.

5. Lizzie LOVES children (unless they're annoying her at a particular moment) - she can spot a child from a mile away and assumes they all have sorts of sticky goodness on their faces.

6. Lizzie prefers to ride in the front seat. She will wait you out, pawing at your arms in the most pathetic and delicate way asking to get up front.

7. Once she puts her mind to something, she will get it. That dog has some major persistence. Whether it's the "rats in the hole" (as my sister affectionately calls Earthdog) or getting in the house. She doesn't give up - you better just give in.

8. Lizzie loves to bask in the sun (see photo at top)- she's a true Texas dog - loves the sun, hates the cold. She hates mornings, but at soon as the sun hits the backyard, that's where she wants to be.

9. Lizzie is NOT a morning dog. She prefers to sleep in and does not appreciate being woken up early. This is how I know she's truly mine - we feel the same about mornings.

10. These could go on all day, but the last funny tidbit about Lizzie I'll share is that if you are working on the computer, or really at any desk, she wants to be in your lap. It's uncomfortable and annoying, but see #7 to understand why we give in. Here Dewayne is working diligently on our new-exciting project (I know you're all on the edge of your seats) and Lizzie can't stand to be away.
Now before all you nay-sayers come and post stuff about how I'm a trainer and I should know better about letting my dog run the house, please know that Lizzie actually does have manners and is eager to work (for treats). She's always in training, she's overcome her leash aggression, and found her new favorite sport of Earthdog. But she is our special girl and we do give her some liberties - especially on her birthday!

Not-So-False Alarm

2010-01-04T11:43:00.002-06:00

So lately the dogs have picked up an annoying habit - barking. All the time, at nothing. A slight breeze ruffles the leaves outside and the dogs start barking. Someone walks into another room and says something, they forget you've left the room and start barking. The doorbell rings, excessive, annoying, might just die if I don't get to that door barking.

I've worked on a few things, but honestly, nothing's really helping yet. We've been SO busy (on our super-exciting project/news) that our poor dogs are neglected a little. So they busy themselves by barking. At Nothing.

So we've been lamenting this development in our poor, neglected dogs' lives, until last night.

The dogs woke Dewayne up about midnight last night by, you guessed it, barking. He assumed that Lizzie was having an upset stomach (let's not go into detail) which is usually the only time she barks at night to go out. So begrudgingly, he got up to let them out - Simon of course just joins in for the fun of it.

And he said they went out and were acting crazy. Sniffing at the gate, running around like loons, barking frenetically - and he considered getting his coat on and checking it out, but was too tired so he just went back to bed.

Lo and behold, he got in his truck this morning to find that it had been burglarized! That's right, evil criminals broke in and stole his sunglasses and some CDs . Good riddance on the CDs - we got out ahead on that deal. I've been trying to figure out a way to get rid of them for years. But he was bummed about the sunglasses. We think the dogs probably interrupted the thieves, evil sunglass-stealing thugs.

Luckily, this isn't our first break-in experience there. Living with an alleyway gives thieves a dark and easy way to break into cars which we just accept as part of living in the city. We take all sorts of precautions, but you can't stop everything.

But the real moral of the story is, sometimes the barking is good. And seriously, don't mess with a terrier. That dog is Dead On with her warning bark. Every Time.

That time of the season

2009-12-22T21:45:00.005-06:00

A few weeks ago, I went to Petco on a Saturday to pick up food. I was annoyed because the last time I went, they only had the small bag (Wellness is apparently popular) so I had to come back quicker than normal. But, it was serendipitous because I saw that a reputable picture place was taking photos with Santa for charity later in the day.

Of course I made a special trip back with my crazies for the photo opp.

Are you kidding me?? Could this be any cuter?? It's so cute I'm using excessive punctuation which I usually hate!!!

Now, at this time of the year I get a little crazy about the dogs. I feel as though they should be treated as equals and everyone should invite them to Christmas functions. (My sister judges me heartily by the way so feel free to join in.) But seriously, I am crazy about these dogs. C.R.A.Z.Y. They have their own stockings, they get ornaments on the tree, they have special Christmas treats. Full on, need to be committed crazy.

And the photographers knew it.

After the Santa photo (proceeds going to charity - it happened to be the miniature schnauzer rescue) they staged a few more photos "just in case" you wanted to buy some.

Um, duh. I wanted to buy some. So here they are, my little angels.

I love this picture because it's totally Simon. Those crazy eyes, like I might break this stay at any moment. The photographer was like lightning and got this shot. It was amazing.If you don't think this picture is cute, we can't be friends.

Simon, so intense. I was so proud that he stuck in there through the waiting, and the Santa, and the excessive photos. FYI picture people, milk bones don't cut it. Thankfully, I'd brought my delicious smelly treats. Otherwise, these wouldn't have happened.

It's so hard to get a photo of Lizzie where she doesn't look annoyed to be wasting her time in front of the camera and not napping somewhere. This picture totally captures her little personality. Plus you can read her name on the tag - TOO CUTE!!!

Oops, there I go again.

Have a great Holiday everyone!!

Big, exciting news coming soon (Hence why my posts are so lacking!)

The Best Book I've Ever Read

2009-12-05T22:04:00.003-06:00

Seriously, the best book I've ever read. I'm almost finished with Patricia McConnell's The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs, and it is changing my life. I absolutely love her style and her analysis of dog behavior. It makes so much sense the way she describes how dogs tick and how we can make ourselves better communicaters with our companions.I've read her blog some (and just added it to my blog roll so I can remember to go there). Really, anyone with a dog needs to read this. It is so accessible no matter how crazy you are about your dog.

That's right - I'm nerding up and loving it. Although, Dewayne would say that me talking about books really is just an average day (please, I'm an English teacher, what do you expect). But family and friends beware, it doesn't matter if you have a dog or not, there's a good chance you'll be getting a copy of this book in your stocking. It's just that intriguing.

Hello Winter!

2009-12-02T21:53:00.004-06:00

Snow - That's right people, we got snow here today. It's true that it didn't stick and only lasted about 30 minutes, but when we get snow here, it's a huge deal. Everyone talks about it and acts like they've never seen anything like this, Ever.Now, I was at work when this magical moment happened, but Dewayne was able to capture the little bit that stuck for about 10 seconds in our yard. I know it looks pathetic to those of you northerners (who, by the way, Simon would like to come and live with during the summer if you have any openings), but for those of us here in the hot states, it's the big time.

So, Hello Winter! Thanks for stopping by!

A Walk to Remember

2009-11-25T09:27:00.003-06:00

On Sunday, the dogs and I went out on one of our favorite walks - the kind that include Auntie Erica. Erica is one of my dearest friends who is a New Yorker who found herself following love to Texas. In August. Now if you've never been to Texas in August (I don't recommend it) then you have never felt heat so searing that you think you're cooking while walking in and out of stores. I wouldn't be surprised if stores in Texas reported a decline in sales in August because it's so hot here that it's really best not to leave the house. And if you have to, please save yourself and purchase a car with the "remote start" feature. I realize someone probably created it for the cold weather, but it also cools a car down during that walk. But I digress...So Erica and I became friends when she showed up here to teach in August and was needless to say, shocked by the heat. That was several years ago and we've since moved teaching positions (to the same school again) and been there for each other through weddings, moves, and of course, dog purchases. Now, the reason that Erica gets such a big role on my dog blog (besides her obvious beauty) is that Erica is Not a Dog Person. (pause for a gasp) Yes, readers, it's true, Erica doesn't have a dog and has no plans to get one. Now she's not a hater (please, we couldn't be friends), but she just doesn't do dogs. So it's always fun when my crazy pack shows up at her spotless, perfectly decorated house and wrecks havoc. Actually, we go right to the back yard - I'm no fool. Now, Erica has taken quite a liking to Lizzie's spunky personality and always prefers to walk her. There is a great "greenbelt" (I'm using that term loosely) in her neighborhood, so when we can, the four of us get out and walk, and walk, and walk. The dogs Love it, and Erica gets a kick out of their craziness. So this time, I had to make sure there was a record of this walk - just because her mom didn't believe her.

But always the show-stopper, Erica takes her role as dog-walker very seriously.
She's also a dance teacher...in case you didn't pick up on that.

Simon doesn't quite understand the stops. It's for the pictures, Buddy, we'll be moving on in a moment.

Photo Opp

2009-11-17T20:22:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago before it got cold, we were down at the river for our annual trip to Wurstfest. Before we left my mom with the dogs to celebrate at the 10 day salute to sausage, I tried to get a good photo of the dogs in this tall grass. Butterflies were swarming around and they were romping in the grass. It was so cute, but this picture was the best I got.

My Little Earthdog

2009-11-08T19:58:00.009-06:00

This weekend was big for our little Lizzie. She was entered both Saturday and Sunday in an Earthdog Trial just north of town. Now for my fellow dog-competition people, you probably know all about this obscure event, but for my non-dog competition people, here's a little bit about Earthdog.It's basically for daschunds, and terriers that were bred for ratting. They dig tunnels (and line them with wood) in the ground, and put a cage of live rats at the end of the tunnel. As the dogs get more proficient, the tunnels get more intricate. But the idea is that they get to rats, then they have to "work the quarry" which means digging, barking, or biting at the bars in order to get at the rats. It's supposed to simulate a burrow where there would be actual animals. Don't worry, the rats are caged AND there are bars separating the dogs from the cage. I saw them, they are not at all distressed about the dogs.

I've always thought that Lizzie would be a natural at this because she's always been quite a little hunter - squirrels, mice, possums don't stand a chance in our yard. Which is why I often find myself crying at a makeshift funeral for some baby animal that I couldn't save from the dogs. Dewayne thinks I'm crazy, but continues to help me try and rescue the animals marooned in our yard, and digs the graves for the not so lucky ones. So right about now you're probably wondering why, then, would I encourage this behavior.

And here's the deal - I know that it's her nature to be a hunter and that's part of who she is. BUT, it's also not fair to trap the prey into a yard where they can't escape. Therefore, survival of the fittest is skewed in favor of the dogs. If we're out in the open and they were to actually catch something, that's fair game. But I don't feel like the animals have a fair shot. You can probably guess how I feel about deer hunting. But I digress...

So the rats, yes, are trapped. But as I said earlier, they are safe from the dogs, and the exercise is made to simulate one in the wild, except no animals get killed. It's my kind of hunting!

Since there's really no way to practice this without building tunnels in your backyard and buying rats, you pretty much enroll in the Intro class to see if your dog will do it. Which is just what I did. I wanted to see if she had the natural instict.

Saturday morning we drove out to Prosper, TX - about 45 minutes north of town to see if Lizzie had the drive. She went into the tunnel, but figured out where the rats were above ground and basically said, "forget the tunnel, the rats are right here." But, we came back on Sunday and all of a sudden, she got it! The judge on Sunday was SO wonderful and helpful. Since it's sort of a training lesson and a competition, she would let the dogs work a little even if they didn't qualify.

When we got into the ring on Sunday, Lizzie sort of ran around like crazy, going barely in the tunnel and heading for above ground, but then, all of a sudden, the judge said, "She's here!" with a look of glee. Sure enough, there she was at the rats. At first she just stared, mesmerized (there's a lid at the end of the tunnel where you lift the rats and the dogs out and can therefore check on the dog to see what they're doing). The judge was so kind and we just waited. Then, there it was, rising out of the rat filled tunnel, was the sound that I was waiting to hear. Her hunting bark. She worked that quarry like it was her job. Oh wait, it is.
She barked, and dug, and bit to get to the rats (remember, they're completely safe - no rats are harmed in the making of an Earthdog).
Our judge was so amazing. Because she was a little slow to get started, we didn't actually qualify, but she let us try the run a few times to get practice. She showed me how to work with her to encourage her to work the quarry, and was so excited in our success that you would have thought Lizzie was her dog. Dewayne was watching with such pride, and our new Earthdog friends were cheering and clapping. It was awesome.

Lizzie's new goal - Master Earthdog!
Here are a few of the best pictures from the day's excitement:

Pre-Tunneling - a gaggle of Westies

Lizzie and I patiently waiting our turn in the ring.

Getting ready for the hunt

We're just watching and waiting to see what she does. Notice that the tunnel is fenced in for the intro dogs. When you move up, the dogs do this off lead, no collar, no fence. So, we'll be fine-tuning that recall. Where the judge is sitting is where the rats are. The tunnel is 10 ft with a 90 degree turn in the middle so it's relatively short.

Here she had finally made it to the rats! We were watching and waiting to see what she would do. Once she started to work the quarry, we let her go at it.

Don't you just love the judge's excitement. Really, she couldn't have been more wonderful

Lizzie is working away. You can't see it, but she is going after those rats (remember, fruitlessly, they're caged, but it's still fun for her)

I am so impressed with her progress. She really is a natural.
Yes, I realize this angle of me is not attractive, but it's a good way to see how it works. The rats are in that flap on the left, and you lift the dog out of the hatch on the right. If you're really interested (I know you all are) you can click the picture to see it bigger. But I'll warn you, that means that angle of me will be bigger. Unfortunate.

A look of pure pride. My little Earthdog.

Trick and Treat

2009-10-29T09:08:00.001-05:00

I just couldn't resist that pun. I've decided recently that I'm going to teach Simon tricks (well, besides his well honed talent for singing). I recently got this book, 101 Dog Tricks to try and give me more things to do with him.

I'll be honest that this is like piano lessons all over again. When I was little, I took piano lessons. While I actually enjoyed playing, I never liked playing the boring classical pieces my teachers wanted me to. Much to the chagrin of my mother, I never practiced. After many years of this pattern (including a teacher that told me I was teacher's nightmare), we found a great teacher. He told me that he would let me choose a piece to play if I played one that he wanted me to. And he held true to his word. I learned to play "A Whole New World" from Aladdin (don't judge, it was big when I was little), the theme from The Sting, plus a few classical pieces I can't remember. But what I do remember is that I used to actually practice "A Whole New World" because I could sing along with it, and sing I did. (I'll admit that deserves judging).

So, how does this long-winded, non-dog related story go back to 101 Tricks, you ask. Well, they are so fun that we end up practicing them way more than the usual stuff. It's like I'm singing away to "A Whole New World" all over again - I keep making Simon shake with both paws, bow, and hold a treat on his nose. It's so much more fun than lugging out my weave poles. I know, I know, I'm a bad example. But just wait until I get Simon to get the morning paper, then you'll all be jealous!

And no, I can't still play the piano. Don't mention this to my mother, she'll regale you with the mantra my sister and I heard once we became piano dropouts, "I should have just driven down the road and thrown money out the window instead of pay for those piano lessons!" Just the words without her particular inflections don't really do it justice, but you get the idea. Look Mom, something good has come from my lessons (besides my appreciation and love for music) - a great analogy for my blog. I know you're so proud.

Back to the tricks...

Big Day at the Park

2009-10-25T20:37:00.006-05:00

The weather here was beautiful this weekend, so I figured it was a good chance to get out to the dog park. Simon's not a huge fan of the dog park, but he's getting more and more brave. He still prefers to play exclusively with Lizzie. She doesn't really appreciate it.Ah, can you feel the love here?
The dogs are actually pretty antisocial. They spend most of the time sniffing around. This is pretty much what they look like about 80% of the time they are at the park. Sniffing, sniffing, and more sniffing.
My friend Jenny met us at the park with her French Bulldog, Topanga. Now Simon and Topanga have a rocky relationship. She is way too much dog for Simon. One time at the river, she chased Simon hoping to play, and he ran straight home (it was just two houses down) and sat on the front porch looking pitiful. But the dog park's big enough for everyone and they're all learning to get along.
I don't know this Akita's name, but isn't he beautiful. And very sweet too. I just couldn't resist snapping his photo.
Classy. My two following the marking around.
Look at sweet Topanga! She was having such a good time.
This guy was my best friend, and what a face he had. I might have had a few treats in my pocket in case any leash aggression reared its ugly head on our walks to and from the park. Typical Lab, he knew it. But I couldn't disrupt the peace at the park so even his best face couldn't get one from me - even though I really, really wanted to share!
Is this a model shot? No, we're not in front of the Port-A-Cool, just a beautiful breezy day.
The funniest part of this day was Topanga terrorizes this guy who was trying to throw a ball for his dog with the Chuck-It and she just wanted to play with the Chuck-It part and not the ball. She followed him around for about 20 minutes trying to get it. But he was very good natured about it and just played along.

Then we took all three dogs to The Londoner, where they allow dogs on the patio and soaked up the good weather for a few more hours. And if you're wondering if all this wore Simon out, the answer is no. We still played ball for the rest of the night! Ah, life with an Aussie.

Hectic, Hectic

2009-10-19T22:31:00.002-05:00

Wow, did life get busy! Last week was packed full of stuff, and I'm just getting around to checking in.
So, the big news here is that I'm officially a member of my agility club, DAWG! Last Monday was the meeting, and since I've done all my volunteering and keep on showing up at class, they let me in. I'm super excited because this means that we'll have a lot more access to the field and more opportunities to get with people to learn. It's still pretty far from my house, but I decided that the drive was worth it because I really like the people, the field, and the look on Simon's face when he comes through that tunnel.
The only other thing of note here is that it's finally fall! Now, I'll admit we don't get much fall. There's no gorgeous leaf change, but we do get a few blissful weeks of 75 degree days and 50 degree nights. It's so nice, and the dogs are eating it up. We're just trying to get in as many walks as possible before it turns nasty again. Keep in mind, it rained (or was cloudy and looked like rain) for the first two weeks of October. Depressing.
But the sun finally has come out and granted us the most gorgeous weather. I'm looking forward to getting back to the field tomorrow. I'll try and get a few shots of Simon enjoying his new status as DAWG member dog.

These dogs have real problems...

2009-10-08T15:40:00.000-05:00

Need I say more

Simon Says...

2009-10-06T15:38:00.000-05:00

"I heart agility and wish I could do it everyday. Is that Dewayne over there taking this picture?!"

Moving on Up

2009-10-04T15:20:00.004-05:00

So I haven't lately posted about Simon's agility progress because it's been slow moving between weather delays and no-time-to-work-at-home delays. But it's finally happened - we've been promoted to Intro 2. I know what you're thinking, he's been training for quite awhile to still be in a class called intro. It takes quite awhile to get to anything called "intermediate." I think when we do that, we'll throw a party or something!

So, what does Intro 2 entail you ask. Mainly sequencing. For those agility pros, we'll be sequencing full courses now instead of just 5 or 6 obstacles. For my non-agility readers, sequencing means putting multiple obstacles together. Simon's always really been good at this - he's quite a natural (not that I'm biased or anything). But he's struggled with the teeter obstacle (it's very scary to plummet to the ground apparently) and of course, the weave poles. I bought some weave poles for the house and have tried to work as much as I could with them, but it's difficult to work on the teeter anywhere except class.

But last Tuesday Simon really started to do well on both of his trouble spots. I found that actually running the teeter within a sequence was easier for him. I guess the momentum of the excitement made it less scary (plus it was right after the tunnel which he loves and tries to do at every possible moment in class). His weave entrances still are really rocky, but he's getting the general idea so I'm taking that as a plus. Here he's working on the weaves.

And the scary, scary teeter. I've been having him stop at the point where it starts to head down and that really has helped him not to launch off of it mid-teeter.
Here we are working the A-frame. He's a pro at this, but has a tendency to launch off of this too so I'm still working on handling and how to prevent that.
The tunnel of course - his favorite.

It sort of looks like he posed for this tire picture - but really he's just that good.

Dewayne trekked out to the agility field with me this time so I could docment that we're still out there. The pictures aren't great because it's pretty dark out there, but you can see the excitement on Simon's face. The only downside of having my photographer there is that Simon would see him from across the field and make a bee-line for him. Dewayne felt bad about this, but I told him he needs to start coming to class more so Simon will get used to seeing him on the sidelines (where I'm sure he'll be faithfully once we get to the trialing phase!)

It's the Flu, People

2009-09-27T16:00:00.005-05:00

That's right, the flu. We've got it over here. I still don't know if it's the swine (more kindly called the H1N1) because the test takes 8 days to confirm.
Last Sunday (one week ago from today) I started feeling pitiful, and went to the doctor on Monday where she promptly said that I couldn't go back to work until the following Monday (that's tomorrow). That's A LONG time to be away from the classroom. Oh, and just to make things fun, it's the last week of the grading period and I had a test scheduled. Awesome.
But we made it through - thanks to the great people that I work with - and one great Westie who spent my quarantine like this securely snuggled up in whatever blanket I was burrowed under at the time. Sweet Lizzie.
Simon on the other hand did not appreciate the quarantine. He didn't get the concept of "the flu" - he assumed since I was home that meant we could play jolly ball whenever he wished. Which is All The Time. People, I couldn't even blog. There was no way I was throwing a jolly ball. So the dogs spent some time at their new doggy day care, Classy Canine Dog Daycare, so I could rest without the interruption of barking or jolly ball clunking. It was divine.
So we're recuperating over here, although I may have passed it to my husband now, but what can you do. Keep it in the family.

Lame at the Dog Park

2009-09-15T12:10:00.000-05:00

We went to the dog park recently and this is what my dogs did. Laid there and hung out. So lame.

Labor Day and the Port-A-Cool

2009-09-10T20:29:00.005-05:00

So we celebrated Labor Day this week in true Texas style, with a Port-A-Cool. Since it's still super hot here still, and I have a particular penchant for patio sitting, we have to adapt. So we borrow my mother-in-law's Port-A-Cool. Now, you probably have one or two questions right now - 1. What is a Port-A-Cool? and 2. Why do you have one since they are giant and usually only used by football teams?
To the first I say, you clearly didn't marry someone from East Texas (the birthplace of the Port-A-Cool) or obviously you would know. Everyone has a Port-A-Cool. It's totally normal. But for those of you not lucky enough to have the marital perks I do, the Port-A-Cool is a giant fan contraption that runs water down some cooling mechanism so the air that it blows is cold, as opposed to what feels like one million degrees.
Now, the true questions is, why is one of these giant, expensive fans at my disposal for an impromptu patio party. And again we come back to those martial perks (you take what you can get). When your husband is from Center, Texas, where Port-A-Cools are made, everyone has one. His uncle worked for them and got his mom a great deal on one. And since my mother-in-law lives right behind me I have access to this beautiful machine any time I like. I'm not going to lie that when Dewayne suggested getting the Port-A-Cool at our house, I thought he was a little crazy. I mean it's a giant fan. Really, we can just sit inside.
But when I'm wrong, I admit it. The Port-A-Cool is a little slice of heaven.

So, the dogs and I enjoyed the hurricane force cold air on a hot September day like it was going out of style.
Simon wasn't quite sure about this contraption...
He quickly fled for greener pastures. A squirrel, the pool, a leaf floating in the air, who knows. But he's such a busy bee I couldn't convince him to soak up the air long.
Lizzie on the other hand is a Port-A-Cool convert. It was just her style.
If only she were human this would be the perfect, windblown look.Seriously, hurricane force winds.
Eventually though, even the Port-A-Cool wasn't enough. She went inside, but stuck her head out the door just enough to enjoy the AC, but still be part of the party. And probably she was trying to avoid more jolly ball playing. You didn't think we could sit outside and not play did you?

Ode to a Jolly Ball

2009-09-02T20:34:00.003-05:00

Simon has developed a new, and profound love for his Jolly Ball. We've had the thing in the backyard for about 6 months, but a few weeks ago, Simon developed a particular affinity for it. We spend our evenings now in the yard throwing the jolly ball. Over and over again.

Here's the play by play of a regular jolly ball playtime...

1. Simon throws the ball at our feet and takes off across the yard waiting for the throw. (please note if you don't throw the ball immediately, you will be met with disturbed confusion about the hold up)2. Waiting for the throw.3. Oh, sweet release of the jolly ball. 4. Running back full of pure joy with jolly ball in mouth.5. Savor the sweet moments with jolly ball6. Levitate with excitement over jolly ballThen, throw the ball at humans' feet and start cycle again.

Imagine doing that as long as you're willing to sit outside (no matter the temperature mind you) and having the jolly ball thrust on your feet at regular intervals (it's not soft), and that's what it's like to live with an aussie.

So Grown Up

2009-08-24T20:22:00.002-05:00

I snapped this shot of Simon during one of the many, many rounds of frisbee/jolly ball/tennis ball throwing and was shocked at how grown up he looks. My little man really is coming into his own lately. He is getting so much more confident and brave. And has quite the personality too - always willing to play, and play, and play.

Back to School Blues

2009-08-20T22:22:00.004-05:00

Well, it feels like a million degrees outside so that must mean that it's time for school to start again. When you're a teacher by day (dog trainer by night) the sinking feeling of summer's end never goes away. Never. So alas, I returned to my day job this week, leaving this face behind.
If you live with a terrier, you know this look. If Lizzie could talk, she'd be saying, "Are you freaking kidding me? I've got to hang out with that crazed aussie all by myself again"
Sorry, Lizzie, that's the deal. We're a pack.

Simon Says...

2009-08-15T15:46:00.000-05:00

There are TREATS IN THERE!!!

Delish.

Are you considering taking this Canine Genius from me?

Please no! How will I go on without it!?
I love you Canine Genius

The Dog Oasis

2009-08-12T14:51:00.007-05:00

Hello again! I know you've all been missing my witty banter so let me fill you in on what's been keeping me from the blog lately.
About a week and a half ago, Dewayne and I decided that we were going to simultaneously put our house on the market while aggressively (read obsessively) house shopping via the internet. We just decided that we think we might like to be closer into town, where all the fun, hip action is because well, we're obviously so fun and hip. (stop snickering over there!) But in all seriousness, getting your house on the market is a chore. One that requires non-stop work on projects that you've put off for days, weeks, months, even years. The ones that you think, man I need to fix that, but it's so tedious that you never actually do. Those are the types of tasks that have been filling my days. I won't bore you with the details (mainly painting tips) but I will share the plight of my two awesome dogs.

Poor Lizzie and Simon have been so neglected. They've just gotten a few head scratches here and there but generally were let to fend for themselves in the area of exercise. I felt terrible.

So yesterday was our deadline as we had a realtor showing (apparently realtors need their own showing - who knew) so the house had to be finished. So Tuesday morning I put the finishing touches on and loaded up my poor sad dogs and went to my mom's house - otherwise known as Dog Oasis.

Now my sister and I joke about my parents' backyard being The Dog Oasis - but it's actually true. I challenge any dog to romp around their yard and not have an awesome time. There is a fish pond (complete with greenery, fish, and gross water sure to turn a westie brown), a hill (perfect for rounds of chase) and tons and tons and tons of ground cover. My dad has a particular affinity for ground cover especially with the excess shade provided in the oasis by all the huge trees (seriously, no dog wouldn't love it there). Lizzie LOVES ground cover. I mean loves it so much that when we're walking and there's asian jasmine I literally have to stop and let her bound around in it with a look of pure joy on her face. She goes to town

So I get there, with my two exercise starved pooches, and release them into what can only be the most awesome place ever and they go to town. Before I can even set up the pool that I've brought for them, they're both in the pond. Awesome. But Simon looks so happy that I can't even be grossed out by the smell that I know they'll be exuding becuase he is running, and running, and running.

These three were on the move so this was the best I could get of all of them. Between the shady oasis trees, and the fast action shots not working with my flash, it was difficult to get solid shots. I need to get my dad to give me a lesson on shade photography.

This was what Simon looked like the entire time.

Can you see me? I'm hidden.

What about now? (Deep, deep love for ground cover that Lizzie has)

Chase. Lots and Lots of Chase. It was hard to get Simon without a crazy look on his face because that's what he looked like the entire time. Crazed.

Check out the form on Lizzie. Who says westies aren't athletic?
Seriously. I wasn't kidding about the non-stop chase. If it wasn't all three, it was at least Simon and Louisa.

The final pond blow - disgusting brown westie.

Plus he gets two westies to play with so while Louisa (Lizzie's sister) kept him running, Lizzie was free to spend some special time with the ground cover. But most importantly, the running. Even Lizzie got into it. The dogs had a fantastic time and finally, got a little energy out. Finally, a few moments of peace. And I'm not exaggerating, a few moments, then back to his old self he was carrying his toys around the house and jumping around. Typical aussie.

The Teeth

2009-07-30T15:18:00.006-05:00

So lately I think Lizzie's been spending too much time on the internet. She's clearly been spending too much time reading Three Woofs and a Woo and attempting to imitate the mad teeth (which are very clearly trademarked by the border collies over there!) Yet she persists. Usually in response to Simon. I mean to be fair, he's usually just pulled her tail which is rude as she can not reciprocate.

Need a close up?

And again, Simon trying to encourage playing.

Is this response unclear?

Nothing seems to deter Simon. "MUST PLAY WITH LIZZIE!"

She's Mod

2009-07-24T18:21:00.001-05:00

Lizzie's collar from Christmas was looking a little ragged. She is so hard on collars with all the rolling, digging, swimming, and Simon slobber(that last one's not her fault!) But regardless, it was time to drop by my favorite collar shop, The Mod Dog. I picked out this lovely ribbon and she put it together for me. I think it turned out quite stylish.

"Are you having cheese up there?"

The Great Crossing

2009-07-23T08:00:00.002-05:00

Lizzie was a little bit unsure about crossing the river. She is normally very sure-footed, but this was little bit more than she could handle. That being said, she is not one to be outdone, so when she realized Simon was fording that river like crazy, she had to take a shot.

Simon heads out
He is quite a good swimmer and even with a pretty good current made it all the way across.

Lizzie on the other hand...

Gave it a good try, but Dewayne was there to make sure she made it across.

As a side note - I also got around to updating my Flickr account recently so you can watch a play-by-play of this excitment by clicking on our Flickr-ticker.

It's Dam Time

2009-07-20T20:12:00.007-05:00

Here are some great shots of Dewayne and the dogs playing on the dam. Now normally water is rushing over where they are walking, but with this drought it's easily walkable (as long as you're wearing shoes!) These pictures are great blown up by the way - I didn't crop them so you could see the whole environment - but there are some great shots of the dogs so click away to see them big!
Simon tests the waters - sees it's not too strong of a current and hops in!

The dam creates an island in the river. It's always there (unless there's a massive flood) but this summer it's particularly expansive.

Little explorers.

Dewayne's making sure everyone gets across.

Simon is seriously wondering why everyone is so slow!

Ah, romping by the rapids. How safe!

I think this picture is so great. Poor Lizzie's back there on a rock just a little unsure. Those spindly little legs aren't the best for dam diving. Dewayne and Simon just walking along. Don't worry, she made it back over. Stay tuned for those pictures!

Regal Picture

2009-07-20T16:51:00.003-05:00

Well, I decided to beat the summer heat, we'd better head to the water. We took another trip to our favorite cooling summer spot - the Guadalupe River. Yesterday morning we walked the dogs down to a nearby dam. Now normally, it wouldn't be safe to cross the dam or let the dogs run around, but the river is SO low this year because of an absurd drought that we were able to let the dogs have a little fun. If we're going with glass half-full then a drought provides a perfect playing spot for the dogs.
I was carrying the camera, so Dewayne got to have all the fun wading around with them, but thanks to my dad's awesome zoom lens, I got some great shots. This is my particular favorite. I love that you can see the tiny dribble over the dam behind the dogs. I love the Lizzie so desperately needs to go to the groomers that you can see her wet, wet hair in her eyes. And I love that Simon looks so regal and distinguished. He is really starting to come into his own lately and turning into such a great dog.

It's Hot

2009-07-14T22:01:00.002-05:00

If you're wondering where the posts are lately, the answer is that we've melted away and are too hot to post.
That's right, it's officially summer here in Texas when we've had temperatures over 100 degrees for so many days that I've lost count. Go ahead, snicker away all your northerners, just remember it's warm here by March which is quite lovely. But this is the price we pay. Really, really, stinking hot.
If I don't get out before 9 am to walk the dogs, you can forget about it until at least 7 pm. We've been doing some training work in the house, but a few weeks ago the dogs stopped working outside. They looked at me like I was crazy and headed for the door.
So, I'll try to drag myself out of the summer heat stroke to take some pictures of the few moments we spend outside, but mostly the dogs are hanging out in the a/c and playing lots, and lots, and lots of fetch. Then some more fetch. Then some tug. Then some fetch. Oh, did I say dogs. I meant Simon.

Simon Says...

2009-07-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

"That's where I wanted to sit"

Poor Simon, with those pleading eyes, is always looking at me to tell of some horrible injustice being done to him. It usually involves Lizzie stealing something that the wanted, or reclaiming something he took from her.. they are a hoot.

First Dog Show

2009-07-06T15:31:00.003-05:00

This title is deceiving. You're probably thinking I'm going to tell some uplifting story about how my dogs have overcome all their neuroses and are ready to compete - not quite yet for that I'm afraid. This first dog show moment goes to Dewayne.

My lovely husband who truly had no idea what he was getting into agreed to go with me to the Texas Kennel Club show Saturday, July 4. That's right, our nation's holiday when most people are grilling in the backyard and flying flags, he went with me to watch obedience competitions and scope out good Aussies for my future show dog. And I insisted that we get there early because I wanted to watch the Novice competitions to see how much they've changed since I got my sweet Vinnie's CD a hundred, million years ago. Not at all it turns out.

We walked around for a bit to check out all the vendors while we waited for the Aussies and the Westies to come on. I got a fabulous shirt from Dog and Frog, which is darling and not at all as hideous as this my favorite westie shirt. I also realized it is difficult to find red merle Aussie trinkets as the majority are black tris and blue merles. Sad for those of us red fanciers.

The ring the Aussies were in was running behind but we got good seats right the front before the onslaught of other Aussie lovers showed up. We watched the Cane Corsos - including a girl about 10 or 11 showing a huge dog. It was quite amusing to watch her try and stack the dog when she couldn't quite reach around to get that opposite front paw. But what a testament to reponsible dog owners with breeds often deemed dangerous - an unneutered Cane Corso being happily let around a ring, pulled on and pushed around by a 10 year old girl in a pleated skirt. Too cute.

After that the German Shepherds came on, at which point I had to risk losing me seat to get a snack. Thankfully I had my Aussie shirt to hold it. Now, when the Aussies finally came on it was as if a light shined down from the heavens for us because it was only a short time later that the westies went on in the ring right next to us. Now what are the chances! In the front row to see my two favorite breeds.

What was truly hysterical what how into the whole thing Dewayne really got. We were commenting on breed standard and the different classes - which dogs were working towards points, etc. We were making notes about which dogs looked amazing and which kennels we might just avoid. Now keep in mind, the future show dog I mentioned won't happen for quite some time. I've got to get these two crazies of my own in line and get a bigger yard - but it's always fun to dream right? We got right into the talk about who didn't like the judge (lots of people registered opted to not actually show). I've never actually showed in confirmation and honestly don't really know that much about the classes and points and whatnot, but it was fun to get caught up in the excitement of winning.

Plus I came home and looked up some of the dogs that we saw. All in all, it was really fun. Dewayne even agreed that it was really interesting to see all the sights and get to peer into a whole other world that he never really knew about. I think he might just be getting a secret passion for the dog show world.

Do you see it?

2009-07-05T20:17:00.002-05:00

Look a little bit closer...

Ah, yes, Simon's favorite hiding spot.

For bones that is.

What Simon loves to do is take the bone that he gets, hide it, and then steal Lizzie's bone when she leaves it unattended for a minute. Then Lizzie gets all dejected looking and I have to go hunt Simon's down and make him give hers back. It's ridiculous, typical siblings.

The Great Bluejay Caper

2009-06-28T15:57:00.001-05:00

All through the spring we watched a lovely bluejay couple take care of a nest of birds in a large oak tree that shades our patio. We watched as the little birds got bigger, and bigger, and hoped they would soon start to fly.
Upon arriving home from a weekend at the river recently we opened the door to the backyard as usual to let the dogs do their business. Quite a ruckus ensued and I looked out to see Lizzie with our precious bluejay baby in her mouth. I screamed louder that I thought possible, scaring the dogs, and Lizzie dropped the bird. We shooed the dogs back inside and tried to figure out whether or not Lizzie had in fact killed the baby we'd been watching all those months. The good news was, she didn't kill it, but the bad news was that it was in the yard still because it couldn't fly yet, but was trying. So several hours of bird obsessing ensue. Call me crazy, but I just couldn't let this little guy get hurt. I have quite a penchant for the bird feeder in my yard and encourage birds to come by - it makes me feel less like I'm right in the middle of a major metropolitan area and more like there's still some wildlife left.

So, what happened next is almost too embarrassing to write. After much discussion and some internet research, Dewayne tried to grab the bird from it's little hiding spot so we could replace it on the tree branch where it's home was. This made the bird jump into our neighbor's yard - who also has a dog, but wasn't aware that backyards were then deemed "baby bluejay safe nests." So we ended up chasing the baby bluejay through their yard, only after we waved to them in their back window and explained what was happening. We then chased the baby bluejay into our neighbor's neighbor's yard (who we'd never met) and dug around her backyard (after the brief introduction) to get him.

At long last, we were able to capture him in some old shoe boxes (loaned from the neighbor who by this point had to be questioning our sanity) and take him back home. We tried to get him back in the tree, but to no avail. So Dewayne cut some branches off of one of the large shrubs to create a spot for the bird to hide (our shrubs are still in the baby stages.) It was quite a spectacle, and for a boy from East Texas, quite ridiculous. But I have to hand it to him, he was so nice about the whole thing and went along with my crazy idea.

In the morning, the bird was gone. I keep hoping that I'll see the three of them around, that something didn't get him in the night. Dewayne keeps pointing them out convienently when I can't see them, but I really do hope that the great bluejay caper wasn't futile for our little baby bird.

When Papa speaks...

2009-06-27T15:55:00.001-05:00

dogs listen.
And no, Papa's not wielding that knife in order to chop up the dogs, but in fact to chop up the ribs he just pulled off the grill. Hence the peanut gallery.

The Intruder

2009-06-26T20:00:00.001-05:00

The stink bug. All the while we were laughing as the dogs were playing with this interloping stink bug, I couldn't help but be afraid that the stink part of the stink bug might become an problem.
But the intensity of gaze was just too much fun to pass up.

A boy and his dog

2009-06-25T15:21:00.005-05:00

I've told this story before, but it's so true that it's worth repeating. When my sister gave her speech at our wedding, she said that anyone that loves me has to love dogs. She was right, although Dewayne didn't really know what he was in for.

He had never lived with dogs inside the house, or with dogs as family members. Lizzie was a gift from my mom, and despite Dewayne's reservations about having a "white, fluffy dog" (he seriously had no idea about westies) he's embraced her and she holds a special place in his heart.

But Simon is the dog he got to choose. He told me he wanted a dog that would come when he was called, follow him on walks, and catch a frisbee. We didn't want a dog that was too much bigger than Lizzie so they could play (plus our yard just isn't that big to support big dogs) so we settled on the mini-aussie. As Simon has matured, he has become that perfect dog that Dewayne always wanted. Simon was such a shy, fearful guy that we weren't sure he would ever come out of his shell, but with careful socialization and agility, he is really becoming brave. I watch Dewayne smile with a hint of pride when I tell him about our agility classes, and watch him carefully hone Simon's frisbee skills. It's really cute to watch.

The other day he looked at me and said, "you've done a really good job with these dogs," which to me is the ultimate compliment. So even though they always need more work, I thought just for fun I'd salute a boy and his dog (really dogs) today.

A wet Lizzie - just because she's so cute (and not at all fluffy!)

Simon Says...

2009-06-18T17:21:00.001-05:00

Wait for me!!
"I love the river. Can we play frisbee again?"

Simon really is in his element when he can run, and run, and run off-leash. He loves it and always has a happy smile on.

A Dip

2009-06-17T17:00:00.000-05:00

One things the dogs love to do at the river is try to get a drink from the steps on the bulkhead. The water is really low right now so it was more of a challenge, in fact, Lizzie went right in, much to her surprise. But no worries, Dewayne bailed her out, but not after she got good and wet.What a pitiful face.
She's about to shake it off.And not to be outdone, Simon decides to try it out as well.
But can't quite get a foot-hold to get out.
But Dewayne bailed him out too.
All in all, the dogs enjoyed the dip and we got a little splash as well.

Lizzie's Big Day

2009-06-16T17:00:00.003-05:00

So I promised I would parcel out the pictures of our big time at the river, so here are the pictures of Lizzie's momentous occasion of not running away from me, but instead choosing to just sniff and play while we walked around.

Now, here are my strategies: 1. Have REALLY good treats (see picture above). You have to be more interesting than some pretty interesting smells - think squirrels, snakes, ducks, hawks, rodents, deer, etc. For us it was sausage. 2. Walk in front of her rather than hold up the rear. Play offense instead of defense per se. If I'm blocking her way, she will often get the picture. Not always, but often. That's why you see so much of me standing assertively on the borders in the pictures.

Human Fence

Ah- freewheeling Lizzie - She loves it!

Sweet Simon's play bow. Play without leashes! Woohoo!

Simon couldn't be more excited

Look we caught Lizzie playing! Don't tell!

Playing it cool again.
It's Lizzie without a leash still. Actually running in the direction of the house. Go figure.

Simon in his element.
Lizzie's favorite pastime - sniffing. Lots and lots of sniffing.

Hello from Summertime!

2009-06-08T06:39:00.007-05:00

The last two weekends the dogs and I have spent down at the Guadalupe river again - one of our favorite summer hang-outs. Dewayne and I took the dogs two weekends ago and spent the time with just the four of us, whereas this last weekend, I took the dogs down for some family fun time with my parents, grandpa, aunt/uncle...you get the idea. Dewayne had class so he couldn't join us.
So, the big news from last weekend was Lizzie's amazing progress. When we first got there, we walked the dogs down to a little park where they can easily get in and out of the water. As we were walking up to the large, downhill slope to the water a very wet, very large black, furry dog bounds towards us. We're pretty lax with the dogs at the river because the road is gated so there's not much traffic, and therefore Lizzie was fully at the end of her flexi-leash sniffing happily at some river scents. There was no time for me to react and get her back or practice anything we have been for her leash aggression.
But there was no need - she happily sniffed the dog and even attempted to play!
I was SO thrilled. There really aren't words for how excited I was at that point. We walked them both down to the river to play and the black dog followed us, and another huge lab also bounded across the river to meet us. No reaction from Lizzie.
I knew my sweet girl was still there.
I really do think part of it was my own agitation. When I realized that there was nothing I could do about Lizzie going after this dog, and me pulling the leash back was only going to make it worse, I just hoped the dog got the message. But I think when I relaxed and just let it happen, nothing did. Perhaps I'm stressing her out more than I think. Either way, I was so thrilled.
And noone out there think that I'm delusion that she's fully fixed. I know she's worse around the house because it's her own territory, but the fact that she didn't growl at a dog running right for her when she was attached to the leash is a huge accomplishment.

The other big news is our off-leash practice. I have long talked about my desire to have Lizzie off-leash like we can let Simon. She's just a free spirit, and a free spirit that enjoys running after critters and making us chase her like crazy people.

This time I had a plan. I had sausage. I know, not the most healthy choice, but I knew that if I was going to be more interesting than all those river creatures, it had better be the highest of the highest value. If I can get Lizzie to walk around off-leash with me, I'll try anything.

So, we let her off-leash and she darted of course. I darted after her, and got her to come on a recall. Not the full distance, but still a recall.
We started again, and low and behold, I got her to walk with me off-leash without her running off. Now, I did reward frequently with (tiny) bits of sausage and watched her excitement level. If she just does her thing and sniffs around, she's fine. The problem occurs when she's overly excited and starts to dart. Simon doesn't helps this.

Now, I've got tons of pictures of the momentous day, but I don't want to overwhelm everybody so I'll spread them out for your viewing pleasure.

Plus, let's be honest. My poor blog is like the neglected bird-feeder - left empty for days. This slow pace of summertime always gets me. Sometimes it's harder to get stuff done when you've got nothing to do!

Here the dogs are fully attentive to the sausage. Like I said, it's got to be high-value or nothing. Milkbones are not going to keep Lizzie from running after those squirrels.

The dogs also enjoy staring into the water.

Of course Simon bounds around, attempting to get Lizzie to play with him.

I love this picture of Lizzie because you can tell how much she loves getting to run around freely. If only she'd get it into her stubborn, terrier brain that she can do it more if she'll just not run off! Well, the good thing about terriers is that once they come when they're called, you know you've earned it.

Simon Says...

2009-06-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

"Lizzie has something that I want. How do I get it? I don't want to approach too quickly or the girls in this house will have a piece of me. ""Having patience is not my strong suit."

"Maybe if I stare at it long enough it will magically become mine."

The Dog Days of Summer

2009-06-04T18:41:00.004-05:00

Literally, that old phrase holds true at my house. The dogs live it up during the summer. Monday was my first official day of summer - by official I don't mean hot (it's been hot for weeks) or June 1, but officially the first work day that I don't have to work (at school that is, we're always working here!)
This is Simon's first full summer with me at home and he's not quite sure what to make of it. At first the dogs looked at me like, "Are you leaving soon so we can continue to destroy your so perfectly planted yard?" But I outlasted them and already they're at the door beckoning to nap on the cool hardwood instead of that horrid dirt out there. Simon is getting in as much play time as possible.
Usually in the summer Lizzie and I like to sit around, take naps and go for a morning or late evening walk (it's hot here). But with Simon, we've got to be more on the go. We've been walking, and working, and going to the park, and getting in the pool. Well, and catching up on some TV shows and movies I haven't seen. The Reader - thumbs up, In the Land of Women, thumbs down, Taken - one thumb up the other one is covering my eyes. Now, don't get me wrong, we're still getting in our afternoon naps, but this week we've epitomized the dog days of summer.Simon is enjoying the A/C after an exciting walk in the park near our house. (Don't worry, I was at a stop light and not endangering other drivers for this shot.)

Simon Says...

2009-05-29T18:37:00.002-05:00

I'll never let go!Your arm isn't that important!

Is this as easy for you as it is for me?

For any new readers, this is a series I started about what Simon says with those oh-so-expressive eyes.

The Spirit of the Blog

2009-05-25T10:40:00.007-05:00

Well, I feel as if I've officially arrived at blogging when I start getting rude comments! The anonymous comment from my last post claimed that Lizzie's CGC test was invalid and the tester incompetent.
I'm not going to lie and say that the comment didn't hurt my feelings at first which I assume was the intention since the post was made anonymously. I have certainly gotten constructive criticism on this blog - which I welcome - but never hiding behind the anonymity of the internet and always constructive, with suggestions and helpful ideas. I thought about deleting the comment, and turned off anonymous posting for awhile. But that seemed like I would be just doing the same thing as the commenter - hiding. So in the spirit of open communication which I truly believe is the wonderful thing about the internet, I'm going to remain open to comments and think them through. Since I put myself out there, I'll take the blows.
I'm sure the main thing the commenter wanted was for me to understand that my dog was not in fact a canine good citizen and I should not send in the form recognizing her. I considered it. I really did. I thought perhaps I'll have her tested again in a few months, keep on working with her, get better. But here's the bottom line - I'll be doing that anyway. Whether or not she's officially recognized as a canine good citizen is irrelevant to how I'll train Lizzie in the coming months and years. I'll continue to work on all her manners, her obedience, and hopefully agility again. Even if I do send in the paperwork, I'll probably still continue to have her tested multiple times to see how she improves. As I've said many times before, I am committed to my dogs' training.The second thing of note is that the commenter wasn't there for my test and doesn't actually know my dog at all. The evaluator is the professional and I assume is able to make professional judgments about different circumstances. I know I certainly do at my own job, and I would guess that we all do at some point. You make judgment calls based on your knowledge and expertise about situations that aren't textbook cases. I know in teaching that rarely a day goes by that is a "textbook" lesson or "textbook" behavior. I personally have passed a student that numerically made a failing grade because of different circumstances. I made those calls out of professional judgment because of things I knew that most didn't . You can criticize me all you want, but that's the reality of the world. Very few things are actually black and white.
The last thing I'll say is that my own love of storytelling probably played a role in this. Those that know me personally know that I have quite a penchant for a good story, and am prone to exaggeration (I get both of these traits from my mother who is the queen of storytelling). So you should know that I might exaggerate a little about Lizzie's bad behavior because it affects me so personally. Everyone that meets Lizzie says she is the sweetest dog, because she really is. In fact, just yesterday while visiting with my nephew, the 3-year-old grabbed Lizzie's face and gave her a hug saying, "You're the nice dog!" to which she replied with a big lick on the face. She is actually very well trained. We're working on her leash manners and her ability to control her excitement, but overall she's a wonderful dog.
Just a regular dog, waiting for me to open the door so she can go chase squirrels, and sleep in the sun, and bark at passersby. So maybe I shouldn't celebrate her cgc test, but I promise that I'll always celebrate her wonderful, unique spirit.

Shocker of the Night

2009-05-21T22:06:00.003-05:00

Tonight I had both dogs go through the Canine Good Citizen Test at the end of our obedience class - Lizzie Passed and Simon failed. Who would have ever guessed that??

I knew it was a stretch for Lizzie - I mean she growls at other dogs. But I wanted to take her through the test so I could get a feel for it and know what I needed to work on for the next test. I honestly expected her to fail and Simon to pass. In fact, the tester had to let us try a few of the tests twice because she growled, or jumped, or peed during the walking. I think she cut me a break because Lizzie did really well at the obedience stuff so she could tell that I do actually work with her. And she added the caveat that Lizzie does need to work on her dog manners. I assured her we were.

But Mr. Simon was having an off night. I think Lizzie was trying to sabotage him because while he was taking the test, she was barking in the car. He flew through everything until the dreaded "supervised isolation." In typical Simon form, he barked, and barked, and barked, and whined, and barked. He's quite a talker that one. So, we failed. I knew that would be his weak spot - he's quite attached. But we'll just work on it and try again.

But what a shocker!! The lunging, growling, darting, full of attitude terrier is pronounced the good citizen! That girl might be more of a charmer than I thought.

Simon Says: Part One

2009-05-20T22:05:00.000-05:00

I've decided that I'm going to try and put together a photo montage of all of Simon's faces. Those crazy eyes are so expressive that I want to try and capture them all. So, we'll start with what I like to call, "throw the freaking frisbee already"This is the face Simon makes when he drops something off at your feet - frisbee, ball, disgusting rope toy, etc - and runs to where he thinks you're going to throw it. Then he turns around when said object doesn't arrive and looks at you as though to say, "throw it already! I'm ready, I'm ready. Come on, Come on, Come on!"

Come on Summer

2009-05-19T22:10:00.000-05:00

One of the dogs' favorite things about summer is the baby pool that adorns our back yard. And don't go looking for this pool where they sell children's toys. Oh, no, this is a Petsmart special.

Simon prefers to dip his entire face in the water to cool off. He does this in his bowl in the house as well, much to my chagrin.

When the temperature gets up here (which it's already starting to) that thick coat of Simon's drives him to spend quite a bit of time in the pool. And there's an added bonus - they are playing in the pool more than digging up my yard. All in all, I love spring and summer here because I love the heat and the excitement outside, and well, I love not working. But most of all I love playing with the dogs outside. Here are a few of our favorite spring/summer activities. And for those of you in places where there are actually 4 seasons, I should explain that in Texas there really is only winter and summer, we have a few fleeting weeks of fall and spring, but other than that it's pretty much hot or cold.

Here are some of our favorite things to do in the backyard. Pool laying in between frisbee throws. He loves that frisbee so much.He goes from laying in the pool to waiting with a very wet frisbee for you to throw it.Oh, the excitement.Then he'll just enjoy the water. Oh, sweet release from the heat. I love his face here. It's more convenient to enjoy a dip in the pool AND a drink of water at the same time. The dogs play. Well, Simon attempts to get Lizzie to play. The minute Simon even gets the hint of play he goes into this play bow. He'll play bow for people walking down the street. It's cute and a little pathetic all at the same time.Lizzie is not at all swayed after many, many play bows.

All in all, these two are a hoot.

I'm back

2009-05-18T18:35:00.003-05:00

Have you been wondering where I was? Wondering why the posts have been sparse? Well, the answer is that life just got really, really crazy. I'll try to sum up what's been going on over here in a neat, numbered list because otherwise I'll just go on and on forever.

1. Simon is rocking in agility. He loves it and is really getting comfortable at the field so we can finally start learning.

2. Lizzie's leash aggression is getting mildly better, but it's a slow, frustrating process.

3. The business that we've been working on for months was cut short by the City of Dallas due to incorrect information delivered about zoning. While I realize this shouldn't be listed as number three, I could rant and rant about how the City of Dallas completely dropped the ball on this. We were told in February that the place we've been looking at for the boarding/grooming/day care/training facility was zoned properly for this use, but found out three weeks ago that they got that wrong and therefore there isn't enough time to jump through the hoops for re-zone and be open before the holidays. I'm not going to lie it was a hit, but we're regrouping and figuring out the next step with the business.

4. My consolation prize for this blow was a new computer and a new iPhone - which I was obviously playing with earlier as I'm figuring out how to do mobile posts.

5. There are only 8 days left in my day job. As you may or may not know, when I'm not training dogs, I'm training 16 year olds. Usually I wittily give my canned response that it's really not all that different except that dogs don't talk back, but living with a terrier shows that some dogs find ways to talk back even if it's not words.

6. At a wedding this weekend, I ran into my little sis from my college/sorority days. I know, this doesn't have to do with dogs, but it's one of those "small world" moments that makes you feel warm and fuzzy, like we're all connected someway.

7. Simon was officially accepted to the AKC Purebred Alternative Listing program as Australian Shepherd! This means we can compete in AKC competition events. I'm pretty pumped about this.

I'm still working on getting everything set up on my computer so I don't have all my pictures uploaded, but I promise that I'll add some pictures and will have tons of free time after May 30. So much so that you'll wish I didn't have the time to blog about nothing!

Uploaded - 5\18\09

2009-05-18T17:02:00.001-05:00

Lizzie's first pic on the iphone

Feisty Update

2009-05-11T16:38:00.002-05:00

So last week I opted to take Lizzie to obedience since it was technically her turn, even though I knew it would be hard for her. But I figured that I can't hide her away forever.

When we first got there she was a little out of sorts and growled at two annoying dogs whose owners didn't seem to get the memo that I was working on something. I finally had to tell them that she's developed leash aggression and to please refrain from letting their dogs rush towards her in a frenzy. She doesn't mind the other dogs if they are minding their own business, but the minute that one runs towards her, she's got a rebuttal.

There were some good moments. She friendly sniffed several Yorkies and a very docile golden retriever. Once she calmed down she did well not that far from the other dogs, but somewhat removed. I was able to integrate her into the class a little, but I didn't want to push her too far.

Overall it was a success, and proof that my feisty girl is re-learning her manners. And honestly, it's hard for me to really judge her for going after those overly excited dogs. They clearly seriously annoy her and she can't get away from them. Now, that doesn't excuse her nor is that a reason for her to be rude. But seriously people, it's called exercise. Take your dog who's in a crate all day for a long walk before class so they're not so hyper.

Now that we've established ground rules, we're going to work on appropriate responses to dogs that approach her. In Feisty Fido, it's the U-turn. I'll keep you updated with how well she learns to control herself.

Feisty Fido

2009-05-06T11:04:00.004-05:00

So lately we've been dealing with a new issue. Lizzie's developed an obnoxious case of leash aggression. This is super annoying because I went to great pains to socialize her, train her in different environments, etc. and now she's throwing it in my face. Anytime another dog walks by she starts barking furiously and lunging on the leash. If I've got Simon with me this sends him into an uproar and they both bark and lunge and then Simon jumps on Lizzie, then she turns her attention to growling at him... it's quite a spectacle. And an embarrassing one at that.

I thought one of our trainers might have some ideas but she just said, "remove her from the situation." Seriously, that's all you've got. That doesn't help at all. I can remove her from the vet's office or a walk down the street. I need an actual game plan to get back my friendly terrier.

So I invested in a little book called, Feisty Fido - Help for the Leash Aggressive Dog. I started this week reading and planning for how to fight this. First I had to determine the cause. I think that Lizzie fits into the category of once excited to see dogs, but then got overly frustrated that she could never get over there, got constantly choked, created negative associations. So, I started by putting her in a harness rather than our usual slip leash. Generally I am not a fan of training in a harness because people are just dragged around by a dog that doesn't care to listen or pay attention. I like to have a little more control. But since I know that Lizzie is capable of listening and refocusing, and she only weighs 18 pounds, I figure I can handle it.

We've started the last few days on determining her threshold for lunging and working on watch. Now the book goes into detail about how to teach watch, but luckily she already knows it. I mainly have to work on re-iterating the skill and setting her up for success on walks. It's really better if I can work her by herself, but not always possible. For example, it's been raining for days. I mean seriously, I feel like someone's going to build an ark soon. Therefore, the dogs are constantly cooped up. I just feel too guilty about leaving Simon at home when I know that crazy thing desperately needs a walk. So we're working around it.

I've realized that Lizzie can focus on me if the other dog is across the street, but not if they're on the same block. So we're taking it slowly and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

And I know deep down that my little feisty fido will again be friendly, or at least not rude. And as Sarah over at Dig-It Fetch-It Herd-It so eloquently put, my dog's issues don't define her. We are dealing with the issues so we can get on with it!

River Time

2009-04-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned earlier, we spent our weekend at the Guadalupe River in South Texas. It was a beautiful weekend, and the dogs really enjoyed their time outside. Simon loves being at the river house because he gets to run off leash - a lot.

And she's off.

This is where I always test Lizzie's recall skills. We practice all the time around the neighborhood, but the river is full of delightful smells for her so it's always a true test of how well she'll listen. And we do a fair amount of running after her. In fact, we mostly have to play chase. If we get her attention and start running, she'll usually follow. We just made sure we had our sneakers on.

The chase is on! Simon plays along just because it's fun.
Post-chase, I'm barring Lizzie from leaving the bulkhead at the river. She is not please with the human fence. There is definitely a squirrel that needs chasing.
The dogs also enjoy attempting to get into the river. Simon never quite makes it here, but Lizzie gets in to cool off. Keep in mind the river is 58 degrees year round so it's chilly in there.

7 1/2 Miles

2009-04-26T21:34:00.005-05:00

That's how long we hiked on Saturday. That's right, take a moment for that to sink in. 7 AND a half Miles.
Some of you out there are probably thinking, what, I ran more than that this morning, and alas, you will be horrified at the story that follows. For those lackadaisical about working out, you'll understand the story.
We went on a little family vaca this weekend down to New Braunfels, which is a beautiful part of the Texas hill country. If you only think Texas is flat land and cowboy hats, you've never seen this part. It is truly beautiful - rolling, lush hills, babbling brooks, wildlife - a true treasure. My family has a place down on the Guadalupe River and Dewayne and I thought it was high time we skipped the city for a little down time.
I thought it was a perfect opportunity to take the dogs on one of the hikes from my book, Best Hikes with Dogs: Hill Country and South Texas. I choose the hike at the Perdanales Falls State Park which was about a 45 minute drive from our place, but sounded amazing in the book.The day was beautiful, warm and breezy. I had one my trusty sneakers, workout shorts, and some tank-tops to keep cool. I had my big water bottle full of ice water for us and the dogs - although I was counting on the many creeks on the path to keep the dogs cool.I should have known better because in Texas, "warm" means scorching once you start walking and "creek" means a dried up row of rocks.
We go about a mile and I think Lizzie is going to pass out already. Panting heavily, tongue lolling. I give her some water (too much it turned out) and we moved toward the creek. Simon is like a water searcher and keeps running toward what is probably usually a creek. Even he has to stay on his leash because he becomes water obsessed.
We finally reach the "creek" and there is actually water, but it's mainly just pooled in places. The dogs soak in it, living it up. In fact, all of the pictures in the water are from Bee "creek" because after this, it was pretty much downhill. But I have my eye on the prize - Jones Spring. Now, in the book Jones Spring is described as "a natural spring" that's a great place to rest on a long hike. I can see the picture in my head, the oasis calling me.
I realize about halfway to Jones Spring that it is Hot, and I don't have enough water for 4. We keep passing people who are prepared with full-on hiking gear, backpacks, boots, appropriate clothing. That also should have deterred me from contining, but alas, the oasis taunted me on like a siren. So we continued. I figured I'd refill my water bottle at the "natural spring."

The dogs are panting heavily, Dewayne and I are starting to feel really fatigued. We end up on the wrong trail that takes us down by a cascading bluff. I attempted to get the dogs to pose for a picture, but no one was really willing.

(This is not Jones Spring, but in fact, Bee Creek. )

By this point, Dewayne knew we should turn around, but I said, let's just head for one more creek. I figured, if we're too tired, we'll turn around there. What I didn't count on, was that creek being completely, bone dry. There was nowhere to go but to Jones Spring. The oasis.
Or so I thought. Upon arriving, skin burning, feet aching, dogs panting, we realized that Jones Spring was in fact, not a natural spring, but a stinky mud pit. That's right - not water, but stinky mud.
So we had to traverse back the entire hike with very little water, sun beating down on us, and Dewayne's bad foot starting to act up. Needless to say, I wasn't the most popular person in the car on the way home.
Once Dewayne recovered from almost passing out, we did agree that it would have been really fun had we had enough water. And the proper gear. Rookie mistake.
So please, those of you reading that were thinking about getting me something for my upcoming birthday, get me a gift certificate to REI so I can get the proper gear (a bigger water bottle perhaps!)
And yes, it's true, we had not enough water, shoddy gear, and a very expensive camera. Survivorman would not be impressed.

A Rattled Simon

2009-04-23T11:37:00.003-05:00

Last night we started our Intro 1 class and it really seemed like we went from baby steps to full-on running. And I have to say that Simon got a little rattled.

Now it's true that he's easily rattled, but after he realized how he loved agility, every week had been a breeze. He was attentive, excited, ready to go. Until last night.

We started by introducing the teeter right off the bat. Our instructor is great and was really patient, but a moving downward slope was a bit much for the dog that runs from children. Seriously, he flees from miniature people that are often covered with delicious sugary substances. I can't explain it. But I digress - He was rattled from here on. I decided to introduce him to the A-frame and the dog walk to see if that might help with his fear of the downward slope. He absolutely loved the A-frame and kept trying to run up and down it so we worked on that quite a bit. He was a little unsure about the dog walk, but after the first shot, he was fine.

I did have to really work with him on calming and focusing. He was definitely a little overwhelmed with all the new stuff and new dogs. By the time we got into the car he just collapsed. But he was his usual perky self by the time we got home and tried (unsuccessfully) to convince Lizzie to tug with the squirrel.

While I don't think it's a good idea to intentionally stress dogs out, nights like this are perfect for Simon. We both got a little off balance, had to regroup, and re-focus. Since Simon is such a timid little thing, anytime he gets a little stressed and then realizes it's okay and we can pull through it, it gives him confidence. My bet is next week he'll be a little bit braver on that teeter.

And I'll try and get some pictures - my regular photographer generally has a meeting on Wednesdays so I'll do my best!

Intro 1 Here We Come

2009-04-19T16:52:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, Simon passed his agility basics class with flying colors. We are officially moving to Wednesday night and the new Intro 1 Class. Pretty exciting.

Simon is really amazing at agility. I mean it's true that we've only learned a few obstacles and had 8 lessons, but you can see in those crazy eyes that's he's glad we finally stopped just walking him and gave him something worthwhile to do. Quite different from my little terrier.

I also think that the combination of obedience work and agility has really given him the confidence that he was lacking. We did all the socialization stuff, but I should have started even earlier with him the basic training. He just eats it up. He loves every minute of it. Lizzie was born confident, but Simon truly needs to know his place in the world to have that confidence.

Now he might just be a little too brave - unless you're one of those small children (aka demon to Simon) then he'll run away and bark with reckless abandon.

National Holiday

2009-04-13T00:00:00.004-05:00

Simon turns one!

Our sweet Simon turns one today and what a whirlwind it's been since we picked up that little stinker in July. We regularly joke about how Simon's picture sure wasn't going to have potential buyers lining up. He had those scared bug eyes and his "I hate the camera" face on. The other puppies were darling posing for the camera, not Simon.In fact, my sister commented that pictures really didn't do him justice. When she met him she exclaimed, "Oh he's much cuter in person!" And it's true.

But I picked him for several reasons. He was the adventurer of the group - wandering off chasing bugs and running about. I liked that. Plus when I was in the kennel with the pups and I threw the toy, he was the only one that ran for it. So my playful Simon came home.He's the first dog that I've ever owned that actually wanted to work. I've always known that dogs like this existed, but I've never actually lived with one.

We really weren't sure that Simon was ever going to come out of his shell, but over the last two months, we've really started to see a change. He's much more confident, he's friendlier, he's more willing to play at the park (as long as the dog weighs no more than 10 pounds mind you.) He loves to play fetch and can almost catch the frisbee. He's an agility natural. He sings on command. And he loves his Lizzie.

We're glad we added this quirky soul to the family (although I think Lizzie's still on the fence.)

We've got some giblets in the freezer for you, bud. Here's to many more birthdays.

Two Dogs and A Baby

2009-04-10T10:24:00.004-05:00

My sister is visiting us with my precious 3 1/2 month old nephew before heading to our parents' house for the Easter holidays. Lizzie and Simon are enthralled with the baby and want to follow whoever is holding him around. Lizzie especially loves babies. She wants to smell them and lick their hands (and face if we'd let her) so she's quite thrilled right now. Simon was a little unsure at first, but now has decided that all those noises babies make are quite interesting.Dogs and babies might just be the cutest combo ever. The dogs will do something strange and all of sudden Zach will just stare at them with his big eyes. It's darling.

Simon's rapt attention is actually on the baby toy that he's pretty sure should be a dog toy just for him. He goes for it slowly.If he could just get a lick.

But alas, the toy isn't just for Simon and he must move on.

Buster Cube

2009-04-06T22:22:00.000-05:00

So we have a massive problem at my house with wearing Simon out. He's basically destroyed our drip sprinkler system and took out many plants along the way. I've been experimenting with a few things to try and tame the wild beast. One of my favorites is the buster cube.Simon is a cheap date so I actually just use dog food in the cube. Lizzie will leisurely follow Simon around as he is desperately running the cube around and steal a few pieces as they fall out, but unless it's actual treats, she's not that interested. Simon on the other hand goes crazy for this thing. We rarely let him use it in the house when we're there because it's so loud that you might just go deaf.
But he just loves the thing, and so far, I'm convinced that it's helped a little. We are still having trouble keeping the sprinkler running, but at least my plants are alive. For now at least.

Sunday Night

2009-04-05T22:20:00.001-05:00

This is a totally realistic rendition of what Sunday night feels like.

Make me proud, Lizzie

2009-04-03T09:25:00.002-05:00

So last night I took Lizzie to an obedience class. Simon went last week and this week it was Lizzie's turn. The first hour went really well. She was impressing everyone with her solid determination to stare me down for those treats - something she rarely does. She did a lovely sit-stay, walking happily and overall was lovely.

Then hour two commenced. And she became a demon.

Apparently, after an hour of work Lizzie decides it's necessary to rush all the other dogs making a menacing growl in a twisted attempt to play (I'm hoping at least - otherwise, she's becoming quite bossy and rude.) The wind was whipping through the field we were in, so my hands became icicles. It was unpleasant as she was fine one second and then the next would lung after another dog, slicing the leash into my hands. I did not appreciate it.
Basically, I had to engage her every second or she would lose it. It's a new development in her progress. Clearly we need to work on distractions so that is my official goal for this week. Practice with Lizzie around distractions.

Spring?

2009-03-31T08:00:00.000-05:00

Well, here in Texas we have a few fleeting weeks of beautiful 70-80 degree weather before we got a nasty cold front last week. Most everyone had already put away their winter clothes, and yes, I know we need the rain, but it is so annoying when things are crazy busy and you don't have your backyard to let the dogs play.

We have finally gotten to the point where we let Simon have a portion of the house to hang out in while we're gone, until last week. I came home to find this:

And was not pleased. So we're back to the crate on rainy days with Simon. And that Lizzie is so sneaky. I think she let Simon go crazy with everything so he'll stop bugging her when she's trying to nap during the day.

We're finally back to lovely weather. I know - sorry to those of you that still have snow, but a beautiful springtime is all we get here. In a few months, it will be so hot that not even the dogs want to hang out outside.

We Strutted

2009-03-29T15:37:00.002-05:00

Last weekend was the annual SPCA Strut Your Mutt event here in Dallas. It was also our official marketing event - very exciting!
I enlisted my friend Jenny to come with me. Dewayne was the official dog walker as he kept the dogs busy when they weren't showing off how well-behaved they are. And Jenny and I chatted with so many people about dog training. It is always so exciting to meet people that are really interested in getting their dogs trained, even if they're not sure exactly how. We got great response and were thrilled to be part of such a great event!

Simon and his Westies

2009-03-18T10:00:00.000-05:00

There has never before been an Australian Shepherd that has such a deep love for the little white terrier. If we are at the park and another Westie is there, he's in hog heaven.
Before I got super busy, Lizzie's sister Louisa came for a visit while my parents were out of town. It was perfect timing because Simon and Louisa love to play, and it gave Lizzie some time to recover from her pancreatitis. She would play when she felt like it, but overall, she just watched the madness.
You only thought this was Lizzie! It's Louisa!

There was a fight for the squirrel. (Great Christmas gift, Kinsey!)
Who can catch Simon? Lots of chase going on...Lizzie's holding up the rear - but hey, cut her some slack, she's post-pancreatitis!

And lots of rowdy wrestling. Louisa is a little bit more dominant that Lizzie so she really gave Simon a run for his money. (Notice Lizzie looking on with disgust)
They kept each other busy. And someone was able to tire Simon out - that's a feat.
And, seriously, those of you that take action shots of three or more dogs - how do you do it??