My 2009 In Review

The good, the bad, and the just plain awful.
Good: All my family and friends and myself made it through the year with our health intact. Everyone I love and care about is still here. VERY GOOD.
Good: I still have all five dogs here, Dusty's age is beginning to show as are the effects of Blitz's disease, but relatively speaking all dogs have great quality of life and good health. VERY GOOD.
Bad: I had to give up the dream of competitively showing Blitz. He simply does not have the stamina to train to be competitive. I still may show him in Novice next year, but it would be unreasonable to expect and/or train for those dazzling scores. He loves to work and needs to work, but it's just too much for him. That was a bitter pill to swallow.
Good: Moto is turning into a nice Obedience dog. He surprised me a great deal as we bonded this year. He doesn't miss working but when he does work, he puts a lot of effort into it.
Good: Effective tomorrow I will be the proud owner of Community Hospitality LLC, aka "Welcome Wagon". I'm really excited about advancing my role as the Face of Kearney and this will greatly add to our income, which leads me to
Awful: The Sony plant in KC shut down. This means my husband is unemployed, and has been for six months. We are lucky that Sony gave him a great "parachute" but he does need to get a job, and soon.
Most Awful: The car accident. The effects of this will not go away for a long time. While my body is pretty much healed now, the emotional effects have kicked in as the law suit heats up and I have to relive it again and again. I may need to seek psychological help as it takes days after dealing with reading and talking about the accident. But back to Good: I survived. It was a horrific, high-speed car crash and that in itself is a miracle. Even Better: I survived with no disfiguring injuries, or mental (well, sometimes I wonder about that - or is it menopause? Hmmmm.)
New Year's Resolutions - this will be fun to look back on and see if I did it!
- Lose Weight. At LEAST 10 pounds
- Get in Shape. And by that, have a nicely toned body that can easily run 5 miles.
- Take the plunge and show Moto. I'm going to allow some flexibility here as I won't put him out there if he's not ready. But I believe his readiness will be determined mostly by ME, with conditioning and training. I think he'll have a nice, long Rally career and maybe some Wild Card Classes.
- Have Moto ready for "real" Obedience classes by the Sheltie National in 2011, which will be in St. Louis.
But most of all - a HEALTHY and HAPPY 2010 - and I wish the same to you!

Proofing

With both Dusty and Shiloh there was absolutely no question when and how to begin proofing these dogs - Dusty was so unflappable from day 1 proofing was a breeze - how lucky for this Novice A person! When Shiloh came along his sound sensitivity and trying to be "the boss" required early and constant proofing. Blitz is too ill to undergo the stress of proofing - he gives me what he gives me, and if he is well enough to show I'll take whatever score we get. Moto is a completely different personality from all the others and totally lacks confidence. I cannot figure out why or how this happened, but whenever we are in a new situation it takes him quite awhile to acclimate to it, feel comfortable, before we can begin training.
He's made leaps and bounds lately in our training regimen, and I entered him in Open at a fun match this weekend. When we got there they were running ahead of schedule, no one else was able to do their run, so I had literally a quick warm-up and into the ring we went. This was not good for Moto; his heeling, while correct most of the time in placement, was NOT what I wanted in attention. I chose not to ask for attention as I felt this was too much for what he was capable of.
In discussing this with others, other opinions are that I SHOULD ask for it and quickly reward. I think that they are right - I'm not talking about jerking into position or correcting for not looking, but perhaps it's time to start upping the ante more. ON the good side he was able to do all the exercises just fine. I would have liked more speed on retrieves but they were quick trots out & back - but again, maybe it's time I start letting him know what I expect of him. It's a very delicate balancing act I have to take, for overdoing it has a long-term negative reaction with him.
But, all of a sudden, I have dates I'd like to make: there is a 1 day Sheltie specialty in February in Des Moines. I'd like Moto in Rally Novice; if Blitz is feeling well I think I'll bite the bullet and throw him in Novice. Then, in March, our Sheltie specialty. Both boys will be in the same classes again. I want/need Moto to get lots of ring experience to help season him, but I want him to look good, so time to get moving.
The Sheltie Nationals for 2011 will be in St. Louis. Oh, I HAVE to have a dog to enter in obedience, and it HAS to be competitive. We have over 1 year. I think we'll need that full year to get Moto ready.
So, that's my early resolution for 2010 - begin proofing, get out there and start showing Moto. Oh dear!

Amazing Therapy Session

...no, not the "talking on the couch" kind, but Cranial Sacral. I am so blessed to have the best chiropractor and massage therapist right here in my town. This remarkable team really gets the lion's share of the credit for my healing. This isn't dog-oriented but I just had to get this down, as this session was amazing.
In "looking through my body" she intuitively and accurately targets where she will need to work, and I came in today because my left leg was really paining me. So, that's where I thought I'd feel the energy flow but something incredible happened....all the energy went into my head and she said she felt she had to just hang on and try to disperse it. On my side of the table, it felt as if my head turned into a giant crystal ball, and I began to rock from one side to the other and got extremely dizzy. Then, I had a terriffic headache in the front of my head, which is how I felt while in the hospital. I believe it was my body releasing the head trauma I suffered.
Next, I felt as if something sharp was carving its way to my solar plexis, then it rose into my trachea, then through my head in a stream of smoke. Marla said she believes this was an emotional release.
After that she worked on my left leg, which when she attempted to release the fascia began to jerk violently, so she changed it to be a muscle release (not the proper term). She held my leg a few inches off the table with one hand supporting under the knee and another under the ankle and let the leg do what it needed to do. Amazingly, it needed to go towards her then rotate knee-down back toward the table. I cannot tell you how good this felt. Then the knee bent and began to compress back into the hip. Then straighten and rotate the knee outward.
After the release she then worked the muscle which had softened considerably in my hip. When I got up I felt lighter and a wee bit shaky. I do believe I did release the tension held in my body, and I can feel a good flow of energy from the hip area. Oh, that's the other thing - she said during the release my leg released a tremendous amount of energy (a good thing).
So, today, I feel worlds better. I'd forgotten how pain brings so much stress and depression, both of which are gone now.
I'm so lucky for so many things, and today I'm grateful these two healers are in my life.

Christmas, Training, and Car Accident Stuff

It's been quite a roller coaster the past week as I've had to deal with the impending lawsuit from the car accident. Reading the police report I learned a few new unpleasant things - it took over 1 hour to cut me out of the car, they described how I looked (shards of glass embedded in my face) but that I was "awake, but obvious brain injury, as she asked repetitive questions". I don't remember a thing except two police men - one with a note pad - and telling them my home phone number. I don't remember a thing about being cut out of the car or what the hell I asked. Anyway, the following medical report ofmy condition was equally as terrifying but helped me in a sense as some of the pain I've felt in areas other than my left side now make more sense. Then the pictures of the accident. Oh, My God. I am very lucky to be alive. It looks REAL BAD. I won't go into details as yet as even just writing about it is very difficult.
I went into a funk of paralyzing depression and many old aches and pains returned. So, not a very pleasant past few days. My husband, as always, has been wonderful, patient and understanding. I'm very blessed to have him.
But finally, the fog left my brain and while I'm still in pain, I felt well enough to finish off the Christmas cards, finished my Christmas shopping for my wonderful hubby (he is going to get a LOT of presents this year, he deserves it) and took Moto to the training building to work on things that require more than the small space of our basement.
Moto lifted my spirits by being amazing!
Oh, I have to add that friend Kathy taking 1st runner-up at the NOI this year was a great mood-lifter. That, and my other friend Laurie calling regularly from the NOI with updates. Since I couldn't be there myself, her description of who-did-what really helped.
Moto had a wonderful attitude and his fronts are looking good. He has the most important first step and that is a lovely tuck-sit. Accuracy of course will always be an ongoing piece of work. Heeling is really, really nice. The technical parts of utility are really coming together. Now mind you the building was completely empty and there were no distractions. We'll have to slowly start integrating distraction, but for now,my dreams of him being a future NOI contender are solidly in my mind!

The Annual Christmas Photo

It's the time of hear Erik and I have our annual, um, "discussion" as we try to get our growing pack to sit still for a few minutes and take pictures. Here are some outtakes - I have no idea what the heck happened in this one, but the wreath wrapping is falling off, somehow Blitz's Christmas scarf got tucked up into Moto's neck, and Shiloh is sticking out his tongue. Please notice that Daisy looks nice and relaxed. She firmly believes that the camera is going to steal her soul, so before this picture was taken I ran the heck out of her so that she would be too tired to care. By the time I got the scarf back on, the dogs reassembled, here is the second try.

WHAT THE HECK? I guess I was at the wrong angle, the damned wreath continues to sag, Daisy is trying to get the Heck out of Dodge, and long story short, these series of pictures sucks. So I go inside and try yet again. Unfortunately by this time Daisy has rested up and allowed her parania to take over, which brings us to the following photo:

This is a typical Daisy expression. I gave up that day. After about 50 takes I DID manage to get one decent photo, and it will make its way to you over the course of about a week. Getting five dogs to sit still, look at the camera, and look cute and in the same direction all at the same time is no small undertaking. I always enlist Erik's help during these photo sessions, which makes for a lot of interesting "talk". But it's over for this year, and I hope you enjoy your card and picture!

Thanks, Dad

On Christmas Day in 1975, my father lost his battle to brain cancer. I don't remember the holiday season that year, nor do I remember my birthday which follows a week afterwards. For many Christmases after that I could not bear to have a tree in my home, it brought back too many sad memories. Years of grieving and healing helped me to realize this is not what Dad would have wanted, and while there will always be a twinge on Christmas day, I can fully celebrate the season now.
The reason I bring all this up is because my annual visit to California was particularly poignant. Maybe it was all the new babies in the family, or the fact that we had almost everyone gathered around the table, but during our annual family crab feed Dad entered my mind and I swear he clearly suggested we go visit his gravesite. I suggested he help me remember to ask as I'm quite forgetful.
On Saturday all us women do our annual Christmas shopping together and have lunch. It's a tradition we've treasured for over 20 years. At one of the huge craft fairs there was a barbershop quartet singing. Dad was in a barbershop quartet. Which reminded me of Dad's suggestion. I mentioned it to my sister and asked her to privately ask Mom if she was up to it. The reply came back that it would be good. So after our shopping was done and lunch eaten we drove to the other side of town to where Dad was buried.
The weather was beautiful, blue skies and in the 70's - typical California weather. Mom led us to his marker and I must say I've forgotten what a beautiful job she did designing it. On the marker with his name, birth and death dates was a beautiful cross and the Easter lily. My Redeemer Lives - his favorite hymn - was the inspiration for the marker.
My daughter Kimberly had never been to this place. I was surprised to see that she too was moved to tears at the sight of her grandfather's marker. Oh, how he would have adored her. She would have been the perfect foil to his wicked sense of humor. They would have played off of each other beautifully. I told her so. We exchanged some memories, hugged and tears were shed. But in the end, it was a beautiful ending to a lovely day.
I was so glad for the suggestion.
Thanks, Dad. I miss you.

Thanksgiving and Snow Games

Happy Thanksgiving! I'm particularly joyful this year as I get to celebrate with my cousins who recently moved into Missouri. We both feel like it will be a bit of "like the good old days" getting together. Plus - with the car accident and my recovery - I have a renewed appreciation for life.
Haven't trained much as I have plenty of excuses - the weather's been nasty and then I got a cold - so Moto is enjoying a nice winter break. It snowed last week and Blitz and Moto particularly enjoyed the snow and I was able to catch about 30 seconds of it in this movie - enjoy!
This is the biggest turkey I've ever prepared so I'm a bit nervous. Erik has been a wonderful husband, handling the cleaning portion allowing me to focus on the meal which has been a great time-saver and stress-reliever. After today I board a plane to California to spend time with my daughter, four (soon to be five) grandkids, mother, sister and respective spouses. Look out Moto when I return! I'm very hungry to return to the show ring so we'll hit the training when I return. Meantime, hug your dogs, your friends and your families. Today is a very special day, and THANK YOU for reading this blog - I'm grateful for all of you!

Blitz Update & maybe I created a monster!

First the Blitz update - he had his regular 6 mo checkup with the doggie dermatologist who is the tri-state expert on DM. Overall his condition is good, but my fear that he is losing muscle strength in his jaws was sadly confirmed. He also has a deep, nasty, non-healing wound on the joint of his left rear leg. His little body does not have the strength to fight infections so he's on yet another round of antibiotics and it has to be bandaged and redressed 2X/day. It causes him no pain for which I am grateful. I asked our vet what is the "typical undoing" of a dog with DM and he said it really varies a lot. Some lose control of their legs while others eventually cannot eat, and he said Blitz will probably fall into this category. However, if Blitz is feeling great overall and can intake food of whatever kind (we may be reduced to a healthy gruel) I do believe I will keep him going as long as he wants. As is his usual he is the Happiest Dog Alive and the vet commented that he's matured into a lovely dog with a great temperament.
As for maybe I created a monster: my dear little Moto is at the bottom of the pack and frequently gets picked on by other dogs outside of our home. After talking with my friend Laurie who offered some good pointers I began implementing a plan. One was to occasionally feed Dusty and then Moto while the others had to watch, then feed them. Other than the remaining three being confused about the change in routine this went over just fine. Second, when Moto had a bone I helped him defend it by shooing the other dogs away. Before they'd just charge him and take away his bone and he'd just let them do it. I praised Moto when he finally began to growl off stalking to-be-bone-takers. All was going fine until....
...this morning. Oh dear. This morning was the weekly Raw Egg breakfast. Moto in particular loves raw eggs, the shells are his absolute favorite. Dusty doesn't care for shells any longer so I give him Dusty's eggshells too. As usual Moto ate his special meal with great gusto but then the huge change: he began stalking the other dogs, trying to take over their food! When he approached Blitz (who takes longer to eat now) Blitz snarled over his bowl. To my absolute horror Moto's lips curled and I've never seen so many teeth or such a savage face. Honestly, for a quick second I was scared of him. Fortunately I was close and got him away from Blitz so he could finish his meal in peace.
I guess in the future once Moto finishes his food I'll put him outside to head off future conflicts. Never in all my dog-owning years have I EVER had a dog fight over food, this was the closest I've ever come.
With that said, it should be safe to say that Moto is gaining self-confidence, which in the big picture of his life is a good thing.

Today is not a good day

It's not a bad day either, it's just not a good day. I'm referring to Dusty, my companion for 14+ years now. I knew he wasn't feeling good by the way he was cuddled up next to me this morning, it was as if he was pressing his body into mine and wanting to be held. This is what he does when he is not well.
He ate fine, pooped fine, but his general demeanor is not the same. In spite of his advanced age he is always playful and happy. Today he is content to snooze on his pillow. It's cold and it could just be that he is old and it's cold. Either way, I told Erik to keep an eye on him while I am at work. It concerns me.
Meantime Blitz comes to work with me today. He's getting his nails clipped by a professional groomer today. She is awesome and groomed my dogs for me when I was too injured from the car accident. She has that magic way with animals, gaining their trust and doing a great job without inflicting any pain. I'm hoping she can do the same with Blitz. When I trim his nails it's at least a 40 minute ordeal with lots of screaming. His nails grow out wooden-like and deformed which make it challenging. I wish her luck. Then, it's off to the vet dermatologist this afternoon to look at a wound that hasn't healed for over a week. It's not infected (I treat it with neosporin daily) but it won't scab or close. So, time to take a look at what is going on.
Moto continues to gain confidence in his obedience work. Erik came to class with me last night and said he was very surprised at how nicely he works. I am toying with entering him in Rally Novice at the Des Moines Sheltie Specialty in February.
We'll see how everything plays out.
Off to begin my day....

Tweak Weather

It's in the 30's with a rain/sleet/snow mix. Not good outdoor weather training. So these are the days I call "tweak weather training" as I can only train indoors in a small area. Boy am I glad for these tweak days as I found I get quite greedy pushing for the big picture and the really important bits that go into a successful obedience showing slide or get sloppy.
Today we worked on fronts, setting up, and the turn/sit for go outs. I was saddened to discover that Moto still does not understand front. To help him I made one of those PVC U-shaped things but he is such a big boy and clumsy he slid all over it, knocked it sideways and even busted it several times *sigh*. So then I tried my heavy plastic guides I use for the broad jump, placing them in a chute formation on either side of my feet. Again, my big gangly puppy knocked them sideways in an attempt to get to me, straight or not. This is going to take some work and creativity on my part and I anticipate lots of tweak days will be spent on front work. Hoo boy.
He really enjoys the "get close" command but needs a little work on understanding correct heel position. But he picks this up fast and enjoys it - same as the turn and sit.
Now, I just wish it would be all snow. This yucky slushy stuff makes me crazy!

Whose Poop Is it?

It's a game I play daily. Yes, it's kind of sick, but when you have five dogs you spend a LOT of time picking up poop. In fact I'm so good at it, I can tell just by looking at the terd whose poop it is. Erik is very bad at this game. Men just don't pay attention. Here's some Helpful Hints to the "Whose Poop Is It" game:
PERIMETER POOP: This is from Blitz. I don't know why he does this, but he backs into the fence to poop. I think he's just a very tidy boy and this way he won't step on it. Or maybe he's marking his territory.
POOP ON A HILL: This is Shiloh. Part of the fenced yard has a dramatic upward slope. Shiloh likes to poop on the crest and it tumbles downward onto the slope. Again, I think it's because he's a very tidy dog.
HEALTHY COLON POOP: These are voluminous poops that can only belong to Moto. He eats the same food as everyone else, this the sheer size of each terd continues to amaze me.
FOLLOW THE TRAIL POOP: belongs to Dusty. Ever since he was a puppy he walked and pooped. I think poop distresses him and it's his way of getting away from it as quickly as possible.
BORDER COLLIE POOP: anywhere. This dog will poop on stepping stones, stair edges, wherever and whenever she feels like it.
ACCIDENTAL POOP: inside the house - if it's in the dining room, it's Shiloh. If it's at the foot of the stairs, it's Daisy. Dusty, Blitz and Moto so far haven't pooped in the house.
So next time you stop by, come into the back yard with me and we'll play the game. Maybe this time YOU will win!

Gettin' Addicted Again

The weather has been beautiful, freaky really, but I'm loving the 70 degree weather in November. Took a glorious ride up to Omaha, NE with Dee to get a private obedience lesson with Kathy. We packed up Moto and Caleb and headed off. We got hungry on the way and began searching for a place to eat. Surely in Hamburg, IA there was SOMETHING. Mind you in I-29 there isn't a whole lot to look at. We saw a sign that said FOOD - Stoner Drug and it cracked us up so we went to downtown Hamburg to find it. It was exactly the way I pictured it - an old-time store front and inside were a bunch of friendly elderly ladies managing a soda fountain. Turns out this place has been around since the 1800's. We ordered a hamburger and chocolate malt and I tell you it was the best hamburger I'd eaten in a long time...yum. We bought ourselves a commemorative Stoner Drug T-shirt and continued our journey to Omaha. It was a complete Obedience Heaven day. I enjoyed watching Dee and Kathy work with Caleb and their training questions and issues. Gary and Kathy rotated back and forth between Dee and myself. I'm awfully glad I went since besides the problems I brought to the table, they found some others that I wouldn't have noticed until it was a serious problem. Biggest was the setting up between exercises. He'd been pretty sharp at it for awhile and I started letting him slide and he was getting sloppy and I was letting him. He can now take gentle corrections and get right back to work without pouting or worrying which is great. Moto is getting to the point where he needs to assume responsibility for HIS end of the leash! Kathy said what I've thought all along - he's not a flashy boy, but he is very, very accurate. This doesn't mean I have a robotic dog tho - I work hard at making sure he's having a blast and I want him to ENJOY our time in the ring. He's just not like Blitz who high-steps when he heels or leaps into heel position. But his tail is held high, good attention (we still need to work at it) and Kathy says we look like a team AND...my posture is good! YAY! That is huge.
What thrills me is the technical perfection of this dog: his dumbbell pick up is to die for. His drive over the broad jump is to die for. His utility signals are to die for. I need to really, really work hard on the heeling. And of course fronts and finishes. If we can get the accuracy there - and we're not terribly far off - we could be on to something.
My mantra: don't be greedy. Be patient. All good things will come in time. Moto needs to mature. When he is ready - and it will take longer than I'd like - I believe it will be worth the wait. I'll try to get hubby to video his open work and post it here.
Off to bed with a mind full of training ideas. The fire is returning to my belly and I think Moto's little ember is turning into a spark!

Stunned

Yup, I am stunned. At Moto. I don't know what "happened" but the past two training days have been nothing short of amazing. Last night at our obedience workshop (it's a 1 hour rental of a building where people with dogs at the open level work, the instructor will walk around and give training suggestions, plus 5 minutes of group heeling and sits and downs) I was simply blown away by his heeling, retrieve over high and retrieve on flat. Even the instructor commented that she's never seen such drive coming from him, and the pick up and returns were simply gorgeous.
I wanted to see if it was a fluke so we worked some utility this morning. All I can say is, those utility signals were the most beautiful I've ever seen from any of my dogs. Nice, crisp signals and an attitude to die for.
Now mind you these weren't 200 performances - there were still a few wides, or a little butt in but it was the ATTITUDE and DRIVE that I am looking for. The rest will come with work.
I believe Moto is blossoming in this new training environment. This is a dog that wants to be right, and when he IS right, he wants to be rewarded. Another thrill is he doesn't seem to care whether he is rewarded with praise - that alone is his "treat".
If this continues, we may enter him in Rally Novice next year. If I can continuously expose him to a show environment to build his confidence (and he can learn Mom being nervous is OK he is still a good boy not to worry) I hope this fantastic attitude will come into the obedience ring. If so, I have one heck of a dog I can be very proud of.

Heeling and Healing

I've had a slowly building pain in my left hip for several days, and by Tuesday I was in absolute agony. Every step was awful and fortunately my chiropractor was able to fit me in. I felt better after the adjustment but she recommended I also get some muscle work done with the massage therapist on staff. She's wonderful and has helped me since the accident. These sessions are continuing to get more and more bizzarre. The previous session yielded a lot of electricity, causing cell phones to ring (they were off) and lights to flicker. She also received electrical shocks via my body. Yesterdays session had its own set of strange circumstances: while she would work on my hip, the pain would radiate down my body, she'd work on that part, until we got down to the toes, then it went back up into the hip. She expressed frustration as this pain ping-ponged its way around my leg. I told her my theory is that for some reason I am holding onto the accident and it's manifesting itself this way, and the reason I think this is I feel myself resisting her efforts as she works on me. I don't know why. So, I think it's time I visit a "shrink" to explore what's going on in this head of mine. I do know I still have some leftover trauma and grief so maybe it's time to talk to someone about it.
After the hour session I felt looser and more fluid and I was sooo grateful for these two talented people in my life. I was able to go to Moto's Open class in the evening and he continues to thrill me with his enthusiasm and rapid progress. He has the concept of the BJ, DR and ROH down. What needs work now is the understanding that he quickly needs to return to me. Now that we have a proper-fitting dumbbell I think that will come. Front work continues to need work but is coming along. But overall I am really thrilled with how we are coming along as a team!

Lessons Learned

Blitz is recovering nicely after his surgery. He is walking well and seems to have no discomfort from his neuter. Now I'm monitoring him closely to see if the surgery did help (seems to) and infection from the stitches. So far, so good. He isn't 100% himself yet but heck, he's on pain meds and it said "may cause drowsiness". This disease is hell and I'd put it up there with cancer in the emotional toll it takes watching your dog slip away. But, he is still a happy guy and as long as he has that sparkle in his eye we'll keep plugging along.
Over the weekend I learned several lessons regarding training. On Saturday I took Moto tracking and laid a long track, several turns, aged 45 minutes with food every 15 paces. Even though we've worked corners pretty hard he still stresses at the corners. He really wants to be right and is visibly relieved when he finds the turn. Lesson learned: he needs easy, motivational tracks interspersed with these harder ones, and I need to back chain to semi-circle turns which are easier to work.
With this reminder that Moto is still an immature, insecure dog who really wants to be right, we went to an obedience fun match Sunday morning. We got there plenty early and walked around the show site, treated so he'd get a good association, and walked around the ring when it wasn't in use so he could get used to the sights and sounds in the area he would be working. This paid off big-time with another fantastic performance. He worked confidently with a wonderful attitude. Just a few minor things to work on at home. If he brings into a show what I had on Sunday, I might actually be able to dream of an OTCH. His heeling was nothing other than lovely.
A few hours rest and we were off to our herding lesson. Moto was thrilled to see sheep and ran to his stock and yet again turned in a wonderful working session. He rated his stock beautifully and his balancing was to die for. We had a nice "walk in the park session" and ended it on that high note. But here's where the other Lesson Learned comes in: I got greedy. Erik worked Daisy and they did great. I thought heck, we'll go in for just one more quick session and work on his Away side more (his weak side). BIG no-no. Moto turned into a silly puppy who raced at the sheep and he didn't give a hoot when he lost them. After a few gentle corrections he did a gather/fetch and we called it a day.
Overall lesson: this is not a drivey dog who will work all day, simply for the joy of working. He's immature and short sessions are still the most productive. The time will come when we can push hard and work hard, but that's not in the books for now.
But, I have one helluva dog who can do great things.
Just not now.

A Change for the Worse

Unfortunately my worst fears were realized and Blitz has taken a rather dramatic slide downhill. It's odd in the fact that the symptoms made themselves known THURSDAY - four days after the show - but that always seems to be the case with him. Yesterday morning he was unable to put weight on his left front leg. Typically it's been his rear leg. As always I examined his entire leg closely for infection, nail problems, and nothing could be found. His little leg was a mass of muscle spasms. We have a medicated soak, and I did it 3X yesterday and by the evening he was able to walk on the leg. This morning I was hopeful to awake to a rested and sparkly Blitz but it was not to be - not only was the left front leg not working, now the right rear was also not working. He struggled to potty and not fall. Additionally he took longer to eat, and when he drank lots of water ran out of his mouth and onto the floor. I'm getting ready now and will call when the vet is opened and hopefully there will be time to see him this morning.
Of course had I known he'd deteriorate so quickly after a show I never would have done it. With that said, if Blitz rallies (and I'm hopeful he will) he is officially retired from any showing. This is not worth it.
His spirit is still very bright and he is cheerful which is a great sign. I think this is what will pull him through this setback.

A great weekend

As you can see from the picture, Blitz finished his Rally Novice title in style with 2 first places, scores of 98 and 99. He definately was more confident in the ring this weekend and on Sunday we were a very nice team together. Now it's time for me to watch him carefully for any adverse effects from the stress of travelling and showing. We'll take time off through Christmas and if he is healthy, we'll try Rally Advanced next year.
What I loved about the weekend: Blitz clearly had a blast. Moto turned in a great performance at the Sho n go. I have hope for us in Obedience.
What I hated: the stares. Blitz clearly is disfigured and odd-looking. I have his note from our vet stating it is a non-contaigious, non-communicable disease, that she has examined him and he is well enough to compete in dog shows. It lay on top of his crate all weekend in case anyone was curious. It is just going to be a fact of life and honestly, I'd stare too. I ignore the stares but will politely answer any questions as Blitz's presence is a good opportunity to educate people about DM. But still having people stare at your beloved dog is no fun.
We kept the momentum going and Moto and I began finishing up what we'd started on his scent discrimination work. He is really blazing along quickly. Now, I need to finalize what method works best for his directed jumping. He'd been running to a cot which worked great, but once he leapt on it and toppled, so now he doesn't want to use it. I turned the cot upside down and got good results (the sticking-up legs kept his turns tight and a good straight on entry). He can also go out to his favorite toy but I fear wide turns. Maybe later on, once he has good muscle memory. What is exciting is he understands the exercise and can also do the jumping too. But, all this requires a lot more work.
If he continues to make this wonderful progress we may try Rally next spring and see what we have in the ring. He may begin his career sooner than expected!

Tired Unmotivated, a show - Oh My!

Today I'm leaving for Springfield, MO, to finish Blitz's RN title. He's looking good but I do see him flagging just the tiniest bit. Most noticeable is it's taking him longer to eat. And he's not as active. Oh, he's still active but it's not the constant "let's GO Mom!" active. But still, he is ready, willing and eager to make this trip.
After the weekend show I was on a roll and was training Moto every morning. Our new articles arrived and I had a blast doing articles with him - my favorite teaching process. We also had a great tracking session, and a herding lesson. He's really doing great.
Then....crash. I *still* am not able to do my normal schedule. Monday and Tuesday were great - up at 5:00 a.m. and hit the treadmill. I'm just walking 2 miles for God's sake, nothing big. Then make the dog's breakfast, my breakfast, my lunch, and do errands around the house until the sun is up. Then train Moto, exercise all the dogs, pick up poop, and the rest of the morning is spent getting ready for work. I was thrilled that I could do this...
...for two days.
Wednesday I awoke exhausted. Too tired to go on the treadmill. Drug myself out of bed and did everything else....except training. Training Moto takes a LOT of energy as he is not a drivey dog. I just didn't have any. Maybe when I come home from work....
No, not then either.
Ditto Thursday.
And today it's Friday, the show is tomorrow, and I've not done a thing with Blitz. Not that he needs it - it's Rally after all, but Moto really should be trained daily at this point. I'm still exhausted but we're packed and ready, and we'll make the 3 hour drive to Springfield after work.
Maybe once I'm at the show site or hotel.....

Fantastic weekend!

It's early Monday morning (no holidays for the wicked) but I wanted to post about Blitz's accomplishments. With very little training we entered the Rally Novice B ring. Blitz held up his end of the leash and did all the exercises at the various Rally stations, and I held up my end by turning the correct ways indicated and not missing a station. But because I am slow and Rally is based first on score and second on time, we got a 3rd place both days. Day 1 he got a 98, Day 2 he got a 100. So, the little guy can do it I think. I'll watch him closely this week and if his health holds, we will go off to Springfield, MO to finish his Rally title. At long last, this amazing little dog who has defied the odds will have a title behind his name.
Again, Moto continues to surprise. After the Obedience show we went off for a herding lesson. Moto was clawing at his crate door to get out. When we went into the field I decided that he needs to learn a little self control so I made him hold a sit and obtain permission to go to his sheep. We are still in the large field with about 20 head of ewes. Moto did a pretty nice near-outrun and while he was wild for about one minute, on his own he quickly settled down and went to work. We fetched beautifully in the large pasture with the typical "walk in the park" that I've always wanted to have. I took a few turns here and there to see if he could balance on his own and he did. It was jaw-dropping wonderful. I think, after what I'm seeing, that we will skip the instinct test and try for the PT title in the spring. Of course we need to pair down the number of head and try different stock in different places but I am really, really encouraged. The way he is working at present makes me wonder if I might be able to go to the "big pasture" with him - really!

Another big breakthrough!

We had a thrilling Sunday afternoon. Hubby brought his BC Daisy and I brought Moto out for a herding lesson. Daisy's been the superstar, remembering everything and working very nicely for Erik. In the beginning of herding Moto has been pretty unimpressive and making slow progress. But our instructor suggested moving Moto into a bigger area with more sheep and he's been improving by leaps and bounds. In this video, while it's not pretty, he is RUNNING and going around the sheep which is thrilling for us! Our second time out later on that day was even better than what is shown here. I'm elated! Blitz is still holding healthy and we're moving forward with showing him in Rally Novice this weekend. I just hope I hold up my end of the bargain and don't do something stupid to NQ us or cause a major point loss. I know he will be wonderful. After this weekend I will monitor Blitz closely to see if this will cause him to deteriorate. I hope not - it would be great to pursue a Rally career since for him it requires no training.

Keeping on track

After a particularly bad showing at the fun match last weekend I was profoundly discouraged. But then my article bag arrived on Monday. It's soooo beautiful and just begging for those fancy articles to come and fill it up. And the custom-made dumbbell is on its way to me. The articles will be a few more weeks. I've set the wheels in motion to see this through.
Yesterday I decided no obedience, we'll just do agility to get him "up" and he was pretty sloppy with that, too. This dog just doesn't CARE when he's not in the mood. What frustrated me even more was when I'd gotten what I wanted (let's just do all 6 weave poles, please) and released him he was more than delighted to leave me to go to his pack buddies who were waiting in the house. Not so fast Moto. I "made" him play with me before he got to go with his buddies. Didn't play too long as he seemed tired. But nooooo, when his pals were let into the yard he had LOTS of energy! ARGH. The trick still is to figure out how to get him to expend energy with me, even when he's not in the mood to. That is obviously still a work in progress.
This morning, however showed a new Moto. I decided we'd just work on attention and precision heeling. I chose to train on our street as it offers some mild (not scary) distractions of neighbors outside, barking dogs in yards, etc. He was absolutely fabulous, very up and eagerly offered behaviors. Our heeling/doodling session was wonderful. So were utility signals, front work and finish work. Since we had a full head of steam we played for a bit and out into the back yard we went to work on weave pole entries. There were a few bobbles but he really tried hard and focused and bam! We had some good entries! So, today was a good training day. Agility class for Shiloh and Moto tonight, we'll see if it carries over.

Making the Commitment

I'm somewhat commitment-phobic - not about people, but to my hobbies. I don't know why this is, but I dawdle on buying the necessary equipment in the hobby of current choice until the last possible moment. For years I played soccer in tennis shoes, skating and sliding and falling. But finally I took the plunge and spent a lot of money on some really nice cleats and then the obsession took off at a really serious pace.
Now I'm middle-aged (or my daughter would say I am OLD) and I retired from soccer and Obedience has taken over. I was heartbroken over Blitz's illness and he will never be well enough to compete in Utility. So, purchasing articles for him never entered my mind. I'd measured Moto awhile ago and his mouth is too large for Dusty's articles. I needed a new set. But as you know from reading past posts, I've been ambiguous about his obedience career. Surfing around websites I came across Clouds and Company - where my friend Diane purchased her article bag. This woman knows how to shop. And, on their "ready to go" page was this article bag. It was stunningly beautiful. I called and asked if the measured articles would fit in this bag. Moto's size is unusual for a Sheltie and I didn't know if this would be a smart purchase. Bless her heart, Jill (Clouds and Company owner) rounded up a student with articles that size, placed them in the bag and said it was fine. The transaction was made and this beautiful bag is on its way to my home now. So I took the plunge. Once I started I couldn't stop and went over to another site that hand-makes beautiful articles and requested that the numbers be painted in purple, just to be different. Those articles are also on their way in a few weeks.
This means I HAVE to show Moto at least through the Utility level. I hope that it will become an obsession, he does well and we have a nice long career together. Like his sire, he is a very complex dog and I still haven't quite figured him out yet. What I do know is our bond is getting very strong and that I love him beyond belief. I think it is this bond that will make him do his best. But what will define "best"? I know what I want. I hope he will want the same. We won't know until he enters the ring, and that is at LEAST another year, if not longer. But we sure do have a pretty article bag when he gets to Utility!

ANOTHER setback *sigh*

...and this one is embarassing. My friend Dee was kind enough to offer me a mini-Rally lesson at her home, so Sunday morning Blitz and I went off and had a fantastic time. He met her mini-poodle and her Bostons and all was great. On Sunday afternoon I would meet with Dee again and some of her Novice students at the training building with Moto. Again, all was well until the sit-stays. Moto's rear legs began splaying out so I went over to him to tuck them back under, when a Yorkie pup for whatever reason became enraged and ran over and attacked Moto. To my mortification Moto got up and ran from the 4-lb terror (Moto is a whopping 42 lbs). We caught both dogs, pup was corrected, Moto calmed and we tried again, this time with Dee standing on the Yorkie's leash. Alas, Dee lost her balance, the pup took advantage and AGAIN ran over to attack Moto. Suffice it to say Moto was done with any training for the day.
Initially I was upset with the Yorkie, but upon thinking it over, I realized Moto's reaction prompted the problem. If he were more confident with himself, he would have remained sitting and looked bemusedly at the pup as if to say "what is YOUR problem?". With Moto's thick massive coat and size, there is absolutely no way this pup could have inflicted any pain. So this, and the "card table incident" are absolutely terrifying incidents in his young life. *sigh*.
So, here is what I think: I think Moto is very young and very immature. It's going to be a very, very long time before he can enter the Obedience ring. I need to continue to train him of course, but have no planned obedience debut schedule. He needs to have positive experiences and lots of them, and reinforcement from me that I love him and reward his efforts.
IN the meantime, we'll move forward with an agility debut and possibly a herding debut in the winter or spring of next year. Both these two venues are great confidence-builders. And of course, his beloved tracking. So obedience will be on the back burner for awhile, he'll probably go to class 1-2 times a month, while we focus on other things for awhile. It's discouraging, but he is what he is, and to force things would be a waste of everyone's time.
Meantime, Blitz got a clean bill of health so he will be entered in Rally Novice for the Lawrence show. Now - that is exciting!

Moto's coming in to his own!

It's been a couple of exciting days around here. Moto - since he's my only healthy dog - has been signed up to take Agility, Tracking, Obedience and Herding. I do expose my dogs to multiple venues, but not all at once like this poor little guy. The only one we work *really * hard at is Obedience, and I take a casual stance on the other sports. Mind you, we work at it, but not daily, and not really really hard.
Anyway, yesterday afternoon was our herding lesson. Moto has been gaining momentum in this field. Never in my life have I had a dog go from absolutely *nothing* to beginning to herd. We began as usual in the small area and there were about 9 head of lambs in there. The other 2 students (my hubby and Moto's littermate) went first and both were awesome. Daisy the rescue BC is a lovely herding dog. Moto's littermate Belle is a real dynamo on sheep. She's much smaller in size than he but that doesn't stop her. This was only her 2nd exposure and she gathered and showed no fear at all in peeling them off the fence. Hoo boy did we have big paws to fill when it was Moto's turn. He was OK, but nothing really exciting, and the sheep were getting stuck in the corner. I repeatedly would grab him gently by the caller and we'd walk against the fence - me saying encouraging things to let him know this is what we wanted - and those smart sheep would just go to the next corner *sigh*. So, my trainer recommended we go to the "big field" with about 20 head of a lamb/ewe mixture. I was fearing a real disaster but my fears were allayed - once in the pasture Moto seemed to realize what was expected of him: made a rough version of an outrun and brought me the sheep! I was thrilled! He circled a few times (he loves the Go Bye side) and it was time for a change of direction. He's not rating his stock yet, nor fetching and he really didn't want to go to the Way to Me side. But with a little encouragment and praise when he did it, we had a couple of lovely gathering/fetching sessions. Even my instructor was excited with this huge step. When we left, she said "it's been a joy". Cool!
This morning we were up and at 'em early for our first tracking lesson of the season. The weather has cooled down and tests are coming up so it's time to get into gear. Since the car accident I haven't done a thing with Moto in tracking. I told my instructor that and she said "well, I've laid a 400 yard track with five turns. We'll just see how it goes". It had aged just 20 minutes so we figured we better get going. Hot dogs were every 8 paces. Moto saw the start flag and dragged me to it! This re-confirmed that this is his favorite sport. With a nice down at the article we were off at a fast trot he was so excited. He became methodical and thoughtful at his first turn but made that turn and all subsequent turns beautifully and accurately. There was an article midway each leg and he downed at all of them. We all cheered when he found the glove! Again, I was completely thrilled with him.
Tomorrow is a marathon obedience day and I cannot wait. First, I train with Dee with Blitz as she goes over the rally stations with me. Later on that afternoon I'll meet up with her and a few others with Moto at the Club to put each other through Novice. It's just wonderful to see Moto enjoying these different venues. He's gone from "you what me to do WHAT?" to "Let's go Mom!" I LOVE it!

There IS a place for Rally

I've been one of those Rally-bashers. I will apologize in advance. Thought it was lame and useless. Felt it did not succeed in its original plan - a stepping stone for Obedience newbies to enter the Novice ring. All that is changed for me now, however.
Moto is making huge strides in the more advanced training now - his Utility work (go-outs, scent discrimination, directed jumping) is almost at full ring-size and all articles. Whew! He just needs fine-tuning for Open work. But Novice? Nooooooo, we're not ready. Why? That darned attention and the technical perfection needed for heeling just is not there.
Enter Rally. You can talk to your dog. You can pat your leg. It has some cool pivots, 180's, and non-patterned heeling that is very cool. It is the perfect stepstone, even better than Wild Card. So I'm eating crow.
And...because of the cloudy cool weather, Blitz is feeling really really good. He's begging to work. I know now that he cannot withstand the rigors of training needed to enter the Novice ring. But...he has enough foundation work to go all the way through Rally Advanced. We can enter with maybe a few brief reminder sessions before-hand. It will be stress free and he'll have a great time and can earn that much-deserved title behind his name. He'll get to work and we'll get our time in the ring together. There's a trial in Lawrence in a few weeks. I'll enter him, and of course if he takes a turn for the worse we can pull. But in the meantime, we'll have a good time working together and I'll learn this new sport.
Yes, Rally is a Good Thing. I've said it, and I'll stand behind that statement.

Dusty's Poem

My sweet boy will turn 15 years in February. I had a scare with him last week but he has recovered and is doing well. It just really brought home that we are into that Every Day Is A Gift time of his life, and I make sure every day he knows how much I love him, that he is comfortable, and it is filled with happiness.
He woke me up around 2:00 a.m. to potty an I can't go back to sleep. While tossing and turning, I remembered this poem I wrote many years ago (maybe 10) when we got our first herding High In Trial. Thought I'd put it on my blog as I can't find the paper anywhere. I wrote it the next day while at work in a very boring meeting. Here you go my Dusty, this poem is for you:

Wake Up little Dusty, it's time to go
We have an important big dog show.
The truck is loaded, the sun's about to rise
You slowly open your dark brown eyes.
Way to me! Go Bye! is what's on my mind
Crook's in the front seat, your crate is behind.
We arrive at the show site - I unload all my gear
Our time at the handler's post draws rapidly near.
And then it's our turn! My heart is thumping
Ears are buzzing, blood is pumping
Go Bye! I send you, the trial's begun
You reward me with a beautiful outrun.
Through the left chute, the right chute, the cross drive panel
No bobbles at all - those sheep you can handle.
At the pen now the sheep slightly scatter
But heck - we've qualified! To me it doesn't matter.
I'm flying high as I accept our prize
But I look again at those dark brown eyes
And realize...
It's so much more than just first place
It's about teamwork, your heart, style and grace.
You've shown me that I can believe
In that magical union dog and man can achieve.
Back home now - you're tired - and fall quickly asleep
Your eyes flicker, your feet twitch
You're dreaming of sheep.
Thank you, Dusty, for all that you've given to me
Today was a great day for "Come Bye" and "Away to Me".

Out of the Fog

Finally today is a much improved day since the crash-and-burn of Tuesday. I was still in a lot of pain, but my outlook was bright enough to try to train Moto again. These cool Fall-like mornings have been delightful and Moto was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and eager to work. Heeling was pretty nice. He still doesn't completely understand the concept of remaining in position but he's actually trying. Flaring butts and wide sits are our next big problem to work out.
But most exciting was the broad jump, retrieve over high and go-outs. Dee gave me one of her Boston's cots and it works perfectly as a go-out device. My mat was working OK but sometimes he'd approach it from the side, or not turn as tightly as I liked. With this raised cot he HAS to turn tight. Boy he understood the concept once it was that clear and we made extremely rapid progress. To my delight he did an Obedience regulation go-out. I got greedy and threw in directed jumping (throwing a toy over correct jump) and he did it just great and had a ball. It was thrilling, and just the shot in the arm I needed. Once again I have a flicker of hope we may be able to eventually enter the obedience ring together.
After work I had an adjustment at the chiropractor and I wasn't too badly out of alignment and then treated myself to a much-needed massage. This talented gal spent the entire 1/2 hour on my left hip, the source of so much pain. While the pain is not altogether gone it's much improved.
Hubby continues to be Mr. Wonderful and topped off a beautiful day by taking me out to dinner. So here I am, happily blogging with five dogs scattered around my desk. Life is indeed good again.

Meltdown

In the big picture of life, it's all a bunch of really minor things. But somehow all the minor things came together and I had a meltdown of huge proportions today. It started with discovering Erik had eaten all the peanut butter (two jars in one week) and I'm addicted to peanut butter. Well actually things had already gotten off to a bad start, I was in bad pain I guess because of the cold weather and didn't want to get out of bed, and when I did and went for my beloved peanut butter and there wasn't any let's just say I didn't have a happy start to the day.
But it was just a little thing, and the pain wasn't so bad, I wanted to give in to it but decided to take some Ibuprofin and push through it. This has never worked in the past but heck it's been six months now so at SOME point I figured I can push through this. So I'm peanut-butter deprived but there is Ibuprofin so I get ready for Obedience class. I trained at Dee's last night and we had sooo much fun and Moto was adorable with her dogs and did great training. I was even thinking of doing rally with him in 2010.
So we're at Obedience class and all is going well when in walks a lady I am not fond of - she has a large aggressive breed and her dogs have attacked mine in the past and she is neither remorseful nor careful with her dangerous dogs. My trainer positions me next to her and like the pain I decide to tough it out and just ignore her and be vigilant around her dogs. Everything is fine until as a distraction my trainer decides to fold a card table. Normally "bomb proof" Moto completely freaks out and is like a wild horse. He is so terrified he literally has Checked Out. I'm hanging onto his fur and I cannot even sit on him, he is so terrified of this table. Mind you Chris is not threatening with it, not moving it towards him, he's simply folding the legs and putting it away at the other end of the building. Chris chides me for not exposing Moto to more situations, which, for God's sake, is not the case. Moto has been around guns, fireworks, my grandchildren, an assortment of dogs, cats, shopping centers, you name it. I say this is a freak situation and he laughs and said "they all say that". Now I'm getting pissed. Then the lady I don't like starts giving advice. I ignore her until she gets on me about why I don't want Moto to grow any more and why do I care to which I say (struggling to hang onto Moto) I didn't PLAN on having a giant Sheltie! and then she says I should get rid of him.
I was so pissed I decided to simply walk out of the building. She followed dispensing advice so I walked back in. I told Chris I was leaving and off we went.
When I came home I completely lost it. Poor Erik - all he did was ask how class went and I burst into tears. It was the worst meltdown I've ever had - couldnt' stop crying and bless his heart he just held my hand and let me rant. I said I was tired of being in pain, tired of always trying to resume my normal life and not succeeding, tired of not having a dog to show, tired of having FIVE dogs and NONE were capapable of being shown, I was just plain sick of every day facing a long uphill battle of pain and dog training.
Now that the day is ending, I think what happened was I've never really expressed any emotion about the car accident. And, it's only been a few weeks where I've accepted the fact that Blitz, as bad as he wants to work, will never be able to enter the show ring. So I think all these little things were the straw the broke the proverbial camel's back and I needed to grieve. And grieve I did, for several hours.
Bless my dear husband for being there. He was wonderful. I just never realized how good I'd had it - Dusty, my dear 14.5 year old Dusty, was the best possible dog a first time performance person could ever have. How lucky was I to have him for a first dog. Shiloh - while it wasn't an easy road - he loved to work. His deafness now prohibits him from the ring. Blitz - who could have been a phenom - has this horrible disease and needs his strength to survive. Moto is the world's sweetest dog, but not much of a work ethic. We've spent a lot of time team building and relationship building. I'm not sure where he will excel, and in which field. I think it will be tracking, but I would love it if he could do Obedience too. I miss the show ring desperately, but am willing to take the time to make sure he is ready. This wait could be several more years.
Meantime, I need to dust myself off, dry my eyes, regain my senses and do what I've done since the car accident:
Wake up, be glad to be alive, and try again. When you're alive and healthy, there is always hope and the promise of tomorrow.

Doodling

Here's a somewhat lame video of Moto and I "doodling". Hubby appeared with videocam at the end of our session, but since he was there I decided to do a bit of this so I could see what I had. His attention is very nice but he still needs to work his rear end more and remaining in position still needs work. I did try Laurie's suggestion (Thanks Laurie!) and it's working very well, need to do this a lot so it gets into his muscle memory.
Had a fantastic time at the Heart of America Shows - Blitz's breeders finished their new dog at the tender age of 1 year and 1 week old. They so deserve this and it was great to be there to witness the special moment.
Kathy of course dominated the weekend and on Sunday had a runoff against herself with her two amazing Goldens. One can only hope to be half the trainer she is.
Ayway, excuse my messy appearance, it was 6:30 a.m. and I wasn't prepared. Also my right hand appears to be at an odd angle, it's because I have a shark line on Moto and I'm guiding it from behind my back. This video is good for a few laughs if anything else!

Stage Four

OK, so another bad phone call. This time my friend who'd called me about the cancer said the tests have come back that it's Stage 4. I don't know what to say or do and feel very helpless. I've offered to go to chemo (which begins tomorrow) but not this time. I offered to hang out and watch a movie during the recovery from chemo and this is something we may do. It's unchartered territory, this close-friend-having-cancer stuff, and trying to respect boundaries while being supportive is something I'm trying to do right. Time will tell, but in the meantime I'm just so pissed off at them having to go through this.

Moto Uses His Noggin

This dog continues to astound me with his problem-solving abilities. He really, really loves to think which makes teaching complicated tasks delightful. For go-outs I've been using a square made out of PVC. It worked but at Obedience Camp Gary pointed out it may be too big. After looking at Moto's long back he conceded that my square may be the only alternative. We've been working on spinning and in addition he understands going to the square that I call "Place".
At last weekend's Topeka dog show there were some extremely sturdy mats on sale and one smaller one beckoned to me to be Moto's new "Place". It would really take some work to make a tight turn and sit and he would have to work to keep his long body on it.
Since it was completely different Moto did not understand the exercise (which was fine) and I lured him with food. It was a lot of work getting him to turn and sit and remain on the mat. But, after a few times he caught on and he figured it out! What fun to watch him work it out and turn and sit on his mat. When he does something right he wiggles all over with pride which is too adorable. That's how we ended our training this morning. We also did some picky training stuff - staying in heel with a change of pace (easy at home, needs work in other places) pivots with attention, front drills. It's coming but I will need to continue to take him out to other places as I am not getting the same results as when we are home.
Today: herding! Since he turned on I am excited about going. If this trend continues we'll enter some instinct tests in the fall - what fun!

Six Month Marker

It's been six months now since the car accident, so thought I'd make an assessment of how I'm doing. I think pretty darned good actually! There are still lots of frustrations since I still can't do everything I used to (like exercise). I had gone back to the treadmill - just walking like I was told to do - and even then it was too damned much. So now as I'm recovering from THAT, I will try the treadmill again, but the Dr. said just do 15 minutes *sigh*. I look forward to the day I can once again run a few miles every morning on it, but the good news is that day will eventually come, and I'm lucky for that.

The saddest thing is I don't think I'm my "old self" mentally either. My brain is a bit re-wired. I never was a nimble on my feet thinker, but there seems to be a lot less static noise, in fact it's eerily quiet inside my brain. It used to be like a little machine constantly churning and working through things and I used to have the most fantastic dreams. My wonderful chiropractor did a muscle test on my entire body so we could determine what whole food supplements would help me move forward in my healing. There was no surprise when she found my brain was not functioning at its full capacity. She also said I was still stressed out from the accident and while I'm pretty much sleeping through the night like I used to, she said it's not a deep sleep. So some supplements to help aid sleep and more for healing of my poor weary brain. When with a group of people say at a party I feel out of place and want to hide. I've never been outgoing but I've never had THAT feeling before. So...things have changed and I hope that goes away eventually. It just makes me real sad.

My left arm still bears bruises from the accident but you have to look pretty hard to see them now. I still have to work at using it - reaching behind my back hurts, pulling a shirt over my head hurts, raising my hand straight out and back hurts. But I do it, every day, and it hurts less and less.

So it sucks but it doesn't suck. I'm alive, I'm whole and I will recover. I'm extremely lucky to be here and have a pretty good handle on how tenuous life really is.

Moto training notes: I took him to where my office is. It's in the center of town (mind you, it's a very small town). There's a fountain and cars stop regularly at the stop sign, and there's a day care next door. I was really happy that he took a treat right away. We did a little bit of play but he jumped into working mode very quickly. Now another problem arose: he's lagging when I change to the "fast" pace. We'll work on that at home, tomorrow morning. He did some nice heelwork otherwise and understands he has to keep his head up when working. I really hope I can get him to love heeling as much as I do, to me this truly shows the relationship with your dog. To the true obedience fanatic there's nothing better than a lovely heeling team. We'll keep working at it. This is a picture of Blitz in his one show he was well enough to enter. Blitz adored heeling as you can see. I know I won't get this much flash, but I think Moto can produce a lovely, floating cadence once we get our teamwork figured out.

The more you learn...

...the more you realize you don't know. I took Moto to a shopping center yesterday and discovered he has a completely different way of dealing with stress than his sire, Blitz, or Dusty. Well DUH he's a completely different dog! Maybe it's not stress, rather lack of confidence. Either way he was working very sluggishly. I had anticipated this and thank goodness I had a plan and that was simply to make every new place we went FUN so he would realize every trip with Mom was a new and exciting adventure!
So after I saw he wasn't able to work the way I wanted, we played "which fist has the cookie" which he enjoys, the "touch my hand" game and I did a lot of playing and having him do some quick tricks that he enjoys. When I saw he was relaxed we started doing some heeling and it was very nice. We did some small segments so he could be successful as well as some easy stuff and it worked out well. Patience is going to be key in building this partner into a happy confident performer.
In Obedience class today he was relaxed so I stepped things up a bit - I am fading the leash and trying to get the level of accuracy without using it as a guide. Moto enjoys problem solving and responded pretty good to my patting my leg and a light touch on the collar. As long as we have good weather he'll go a different place every day and I think/hope this will pay off in the long run.

Hey, I have a dog!

I had an absolute blast going to the Topeka shows this weekend. I miss showing terribly and find myself living vicarously through my showing friends. Kathy dominated going HIT and H/C all weekend with her two remarkable dogs. It was thrilling to watch some of my friends in runoffs for various placements. The weekend was topped off by a gal who got a 199 in Open A...an extreme rarity. Great gal and a lovely dog. She wound up doing a runoff for HIT with Kathy. Her lack of ring experience led to a bobble but watch out for this team in the future.
I brought Moto along on Sunday and as with the sho n go last weekend he was a poopy performer. I'm going to have to backchain even more to reinforce lagging and being slow is NOT an option, while being motivational at the same time. Kathy reminded me of some games I can use while holding him accountable for his end of the leash as well. I was not terribly pleased with what I was getting, and after all the awards we were all packing up our cars to go home. I went back to the building to use the restroom and empty rings were just beckoning me. Everything was done with and everyone was gone except for the janiters cleaning up. I asked permission to enter the ring, the gal shrugged and said go for it. I don't know what made such a difference but Moto was back! He pranced, he held his position, he did his lovely attention and his recall was to die for. We did it short & quick and he got a nice big jackpot reward and we called it a day.
It could be he just needs more exposure to busy situations. That's an easy remedy.
Shopping centers, here we come!

DANG it!

Sheesh if it's not one thing, it's another! Good news is Dusty is continuing to feel better and is pretty much his healthy self. We will see if that lasts once the meds wear off. If he gets ill again it will almost certainly be that he has organ failure, we'll do a blood panel and change meds to aid his ailing kidneys if need be. But today is a good day, so I'm grateful for his being here, my special boy.
The bad part is I feel like I've been in a car accident - go figure! The 19th of August will be the six month marker. Dr's told me it would be over a year before I felt better. Recovery takes a lot of work and dedication - more than I ever imagined. What's interesting is before Dusty got ill I felt pretty darned good and had begun my exercise regimen again. I was told to simply WALK on the treadmill (which drove me crazy) but this time I listened and just walked for 1/2 hour and only went about 1 3/4 mile *sigh*. I guess between that and picking up Dusty constantly I re-injured a few things. The connective tissue in my hip area was simply agonizing and it felt like I had a cyst in there. Last time I experienced this pain I went to the Dr as it was right after the accident and they rushed me to the hospital fearing a blood clot. So I knew it wasn't that, off I went to the chiro where I discovered I was horribly off (she said one buttcheek was higher than the other) but she couldn't help the hip area - it was muscular so she sent me to her massage therapist. This lady is AMAZING. She said the connective tissue was all balled up the size of a walnut and did some simple touch therapy. The results were immediate and amazing - shock waves went all down my leg and my toes started twitching! I feel a lot better but am no way back on track. Rest is BORING. They said next week I can start walking again but only 15 minutes. My level of frustration is very, very high as I am so sick of getting into a routine that soon is disrupted - again.
Moto didn't get trained at all this week because of Dusty and now me. I find it interesting to note that he appears bored. This is the dog that loved lounging around the house doing as little as possible. He now finds things to do and stirs up the pack looking for action. This weekend is the Topeka dog show so I'm looking forward to cheering on my friends in their breed and obedience endeavors. Maybe after this weekend I'll feel up to training again, and Dusty will continue to be healthy.
As with my cancer friend, hope keeps us going.

Tough Sledding Ahead

I've learned a bit more about the cancer my friend has - it's Stage 2 Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. They have to do more testing this week to see the exact nature of it but the good news is that it is the slow-growing kind - thank GOD. Then chemo will begin. From talking to my friends in the medical field this is highly treatable with a good outcome. Meantime I need to find outwhere I fit in this and how I can be of help.
Next, my beloved Dusty isn't doing very well. A few days ago I'd found vomit on the floor of undigested food. With five dogs it could have been anyone. Then yesterday morning I saw it was Dusty. He began having acute diahrrea and when he didn't get up to greet me when I came home from work we rushed off to the vet. He was given rehydrating shots and shots to calm his gut as well as some medications. His night was a bit better - only getting up 3 times with diahrrea - and ate a few bites of yogurt and chicken broth and is resting. But, he's not snapping back the way I would like. The vet warned me this could be the first signs of organ failure which was my first fear. I hope this restful sleep will heal him and he will continue with me for awhile longer.
Moto training log: we went to a sho n go this weekend and it was blazing hot. Moto responded with a very unimpressive performance. Even though the building was air conditioned his energy was low. I think it's time he learns he needs to hold up HIS side of the leash and while he's too soft for a pinch collar, he did respond nicely to a "no, you're going too slow" grab underneath his head and forcing him to walk a bit faster. As always it's a delicate dance of motivation/compulsion with this guy. He's also responding beautifully to herding and showing instinct. We're going herding today if Dusty is feeling better. As it currently stands we're just making decisions hour by hour.

When a Friend has Cancer....

...what do you do? Just got off the phone with her and I'm numb and reeling. Tomorrow she and her husband will find out "the prognosis" and treatment and life expectancy. What the hell? It's one of those "it's supposed to happen to everyone else" syndrome. Not her. Not them.
Do I yell It's Not Fair to her? Do I cry with her? Am I supposed to be strong? I don't know any of this yet.
I just hope that this has a happy ending, that it's one of those cancer success stories. But for now, even though you don't know her, please pray or send good energy.
She'll be needing it.

It's getting Interesting

Thanks to Gary Platt for taking and sharing this picture. He could make a living with his wonderful pics. This was from Obedience Camp 2009 - what fun!

Moto has really been blossoming since the camp and surprises me each day now. Surprise #1: he LOVES the frisbee. None of our dogs loves the frisbee except as a tug or chew toy but he really lights up when I throw it and loves retrieving it. I've added this to our training repetoire as a reward. Surprise #2: he prefers praise over treats! He's such an eager eater but it's quite clear that now he would rather hear me say"Wow, good boy!" over Here's a Cookie. Surprise #3 came today as we reviewed some things we hadn't done since before the car accident. He understands now about going and sitting inside the box on go-outs. He understands directed jumping from a good distance. He understands the broad jump (with a little guidance). Really, all he needs is stringing everything together and some fine tuning. Last: that darned heeling. I thought I had pretty good heeling until I went to Platt camp. When there I discovered several holes, the biggest of which is he still doesn't have good control of his rear. The second thing is that darned attention isn't where I want it either. So we are doing some big-time backchaining to get this under control. Also, he can do signals at a distance but what degenerates is the folding Down. So still need to work on the "back back Down" to get that in muscle memory. But, the mechanics of ALL the exercises - Novice thru Utility - have been trained! Woohoo! I was shocked at how much he remembered.

I need to be very careful to nurture his New Attitude as it quickly deteriorates with drilling and overdoing picky things. My drive for perfection can sometimes go a bit too far and I need to take that 1 inch of progress instead of shooting for that mile.

Best of all, I have more energy than ever since the car accident and while I'm not pain free by any means it is not getting in the way of my doing things.

YAY!

Back Safe and Sound

Finally I have a few minutes to write about our 4-day Obedience Camp. It was fantastic, beginning with caring friends waiting for me along the side of a highway so I could caravan up with them, to meeting other friends there to ensure we all sat together, and of course the great instruction, food and good times. If you're an Obedience nut this is the camp for you. It's detailed, technical and 8 hours straight, 4 days of Obedience heaven. Many thanks to Gary and Kathy Platt for their wonderful instruction and friendship.
To my surprise Moto did much better than I anticipated. Blitz's health did not permit his going so we were in unchartered territory as Moto has never been a single dog. He loved it and I allowed him on the bed every night which he enjoyed a lot. He didn't appear to miss his doggie friends at all and seemed to relish his Mommy time.
My notes to self from the 4 days - as I've known for a while his Long Sit has begun the famed "Sheltie Slide". Kathy showed me an exercise to strengthen his core and help teach him a strong sit. It involves coming from behind and tucking in his rear paws with my feet, grabbing his collar and pulling his front feet under his shoulders, and gently pressing the back of his skull to shift the weight onto his front feet. We've been doing this daily and to my amazement I can see him now doing it himself.
On heeling: Moto can hang back if he's tired/hot/unmotivated which is quite often. To help with this when I release I need to quickly back up and call him to me, then restart the heeling exercise. Repeat until I have nice heeling. Moto loves this and we are getting nice results. Most exciting is he seems to understand attention AND correct placement now and he's even begun to prance!
One of the exercises I need to do regularly with him is serpentine heeling to enforce him working his rear. When turning to the outside I need to pat the front of my thigh as opposed to the side of my leg to encourage him to not lag and to speed up. Ditto on Figure 8 - he won't work his rear so for now I need to do squares when on the outside as opposed to loops.
Dumbbell retrieve: Moto is lackadaisical when picking up the dumbbell. Kathy taught an exercise called "tying the bow" which really surprises him when he picks up the dumbbell. Not only is it positive reinforcement it helps with a quick pickup. Also do motivational restraint on the retrieve. That one isn't committed to muscle memory yet but we're getting there. I have to backchain quite a bit and we're only on a 3' retrieve for now.
Finishes: on the swing, he's not driving deep enough so I need to step back with the right leg, reach back with my left hand and feed at the farthest point back and lure to heel. On the Around he needs more drive so when he is coming to heel I need to alternate between running forward or turn right. I love seeing his surprised expression when he has to hurry up!
Go back exercise - Moto's long back is making a tight turn difficult. I've been remiss in working the spinning exercise and need to do this more often. I need to start with him turning in a chute (two poles placed through the fence) and as he gets better I need to make a small platform or rug for him to turn and sit on.
At the end of the 4th day I thought he'd be exhausted but instead he was on a "high" and eager for work. He really brightened up and enjoyed the seminar in its entirety. In fact Gary said he turned out nicer than he thought and believes he can "do it for me" (meaning the OTCH). Of course that's uncharted territory but that is our goal!

One Step Closer to Heaven

It wasn't a big step, but a step nonetheless, I noticed Blitz slip away just a little further. He tires much more easily now and drools into his food while he is eating. Eating itself is becoming a longer and longer process and he is beginning to have difficulty swallowing. I don't believe The End is imminent but this "death by inches" is beginning to take its toll.
I've come to the decision that I don't want to fight for his life any longer. My goal is to keep him comfortable and allow him to have the best quality of life he can. If he weren't in pain it would be a different story but his skin is so creepy-crawly all the time I cannot imagine what it must be to live in that deteriorating body 24/7. I debated bringing him with me to Obedience camp next week - it's 4 days, 8 hrs/day of lectures and working, but unless he needs medical attention I am going to bring him, just so he can get out and do something. I think he will enjoy the "mommy time" of he, I and Moto in the hotel and in the class. He's not so ill that he needs to be close to a vet so we will all go together.
Plus...it will be the first "really big drive" since my car accident. I'm so fortunate that a caring group of friends is going to meet me and we will caravan up to the Camp together, and we are all staying at the same hotel. I appreciate their helping make me feel comfortable with this big step.
I've realized I NEED to take supplements to help me heal from the accident. I was feeling really, really great and when they ran out I didn't order more and then the pain hit big-time. It's taken a few weeks for them to kick back in and I am finally returning to a more energetic productive life. I wonder when and if I will ever have my old self back again? It's this question that brings on profound depression so I try to box it up and put it somewhere so as not to torment myself.
I'll end this on a positive note - it's an absolutely GORGEOUS weekend - no humidity, low temps and nothing scheduled. Moto and I will take advantage of this and do some training and I will attempt a hike in our beautiful nearby park, where Moto, Shiloh and I will walk around the lake. I do feel blessed to be alive and take in all the beauty around me. Life really is a precious commodity and I do feel like it's Christmas every day.

He's a Maniac!

Well not really, but Moto is really turning on to agility. It's quite clear he is enjoying the jumping portion of his agility lessons and is picking up speed. As I'd mentioned earlier the jumps are lowered to 12" to help him gain momentum and that is working. I need to have him wicketed as when I measure him he's just under 19" which would mean he can jump 18 in Obedience, but I do believe he'll still be jumping 20" in agility. His A-frame is getting really nice and while he still doesn't attack the dog walk he is trotting across it much faster. Teeter needs LOTS of work, that one will be awhile. But each week he improves so rapidly it's fun to watch. He can do 6 weaves with ease so his homework is to work up to 12.
We're looking forward to our 4 days of Obedience at Platt Obedience Camp next weekend. I find their teaching methods most compatible with my dogs and I always enjoy my time there. Plus my friends Dee and Ray will be there as other folks from the MO area so it should be a good time.
The weather is so great I'm going to go out now and train Mr. Moto and continue our article quest. Wish I had more time and energy to work with him more as I'm really enjoying our training time. All those little building blocks are being strung together more and he's understanding the exercises so it's exciting to see him blossom.

All Kinds of Stuff

It's been one heckuva week since the 4th. We've entertained a lot, BBQ'd a lot and I'm extremely tired from it all. But it was all wonderful and although I hate the heat of summer I love the getting out and doing stuff part of it. The weather has largely been cooperating so when I have energy, I train dogs.
As I mentioned earlier we went back to agility class. Moto and I were demoted back into Beginning Agility which actually is a good thing since I forgot a lot of the really important foundation work. He doesn't like being up high now (i.e. the dog walk, teeter and A-Frame) and since I don't have any of these items, it will be a slow recovery. He also isn't real high drive so in class we've lowered the jumps to 12" (mind you he's 19" at the shoulder) to help him pick up speed and drive. While he'll never be like his sire Shiloh - who could run at World Team times during his youth - he may, I hope, be able to lope around the course at a moderate pace. This might actually be good for me as Shiloh went so danged fast I frequently got lost once we got to the Advanced level. With Moto I may have time to look around and find where I need to go.
Articles are gaining speed and confidence. I haven't added a 4th article yet, however I did see the lightbulb go on and I believe he understands the exercise now which makes it fun for both him and me. In Obedience he really takes pride in his work and I love it when he trots happily back with the right article, beaming as if to say "I did GOOD didn't I??"
In amongst all the guests we've had here the vitamin supplements have been kicking in and the pain is finally easing off. What a RELIEF. I still tire more than I ever used to and naps have become my friend. I hope at some point I really can begin an exercise regimen as I do not like the little fatty tire around my middle. And I REFUSE to give in and say "it's just old age" - to hell with that! I'm not sinking into that without a fight.
Lastly I think my brain is functioning better but when I have to talk a lot (like when I'm doing Welcome Wagon) I do discover that sometimes I "blank out" and it's really scary as I struggle to find the word I'm looking for. Along with this or maybe as a result of this I find I'm a lot less outgoing, have fewer things to say and prefer to sit quietly rather than engage in conversation. I'm making myself be my former self but it does take work. In fact, recovery is HARD WORK! I understand now why a lot of people just get addicted to pain killers and give up. It is the easy way out - this is very painful emotionally and physically. But to remain positive my husband is the best ever and continues to be patient and understanding and supportive. I am so lucky to have met him and am deeply grateful he is in my life.
So that is the latest here - trying to train when I can, but not as often as I'd like, resting up from all the party-giving, and the struggle to a complete recovery continues.

A Memorable 3rd

This post will have very little to do with dogs, and a lot to do with July 4th celebrations.
Our town has its fireworks spectacular on the 3rd and it's a big deal. We have it at the fairgrounds, a band plays, it's all for free and we usually get about 8,000 people. As in the past, I join a large group of friends that has a huge area roped off and typicall there are about 150 people hanging together eating, drinking, playing and enjoying the day. It's great and I love it.
One friend in this group has always stood out. It's like my friend Shannon in California - when we get together it's combustible and I find myself in situations I wouldn't normally, and the result is usually that I hurt myself from laughing so much. Well last night was no different. There she was, and we ran to each other and I'd heard she'd had some surgery but couldn't find out the nature of it. I'd deduced that it was something motorcycle-related as she had acquired a Harley lately and was frequently falling over on it while driving too slowly. Sure enough when I asked her she said it was her wrist, but when I looked at her wrist I didn't see anything so a little red flag went up.
Other people were around so I just wrote it off. A few moments later she came over and said she'd forgotten to give me a hug and as we embraced she whispered in my ear "I had my boobs done. They don't look real. When it gets dark there will be a show."
Here we go again.
Actually it wasn't as dramatic as that, when it got dark and right before the fireworks began a group of us ladies snuck into a friend's trailer and she bared all for us to see. I'd never seen freshly operated on boobs and it didn't look bad at all, in fact I found myself having boob envy and told her so. Another gal there had hers done a few years back and told her to expect certain things to move and it will look more natural as the months go on. But there we were, her half-naked and all of us ooohing and ahhing this masterwork. Not your typical gathering but when she's involved, it never is and I love her for it!

Huge Training Hole

Dag nab it! It seems with every dog I have, there is one big training hole. And, it's more mental than the actual training problem. With Dusty I had early success and my head got too big. I focused on winning than actual time with my dog. With Shiloh I didn't handle him physically as much as I should have, which led to leadership issues. Just discovered my issue with Moto, and as usual it wasn't ME that saw the problem, it was a trainer *sigh*. We attended our first agility lesson since the accident. Shiloh was sooooo happy. As we went around the course when he saw the weave poles he actually let out a cry of joy and accelerated into them. This dog has blazing fast weave poles, but these were lightening fast. His eyes were much brighter after that lesson. But Mr. Moto...oh, dear. I feared the intermediate class was above his head and told the trainer so. Doing more than 4 jumps was an issue but something we could quickly overcome. I knew he'd need a reminder of the dog walk and the teeter. When we got to the dogwalk he went up it slowly, freaked out at the top and jumped off. My trainer came over and with me on one side and she on the other, we encouraged Moto up the dogwalk again, and where he freaked out we let him stop and gather himself, then gently encouraged him to continue. He did so and came down just fine. Her observation is that I've "wussified" my dog! Normally I'd take umbrage to this fact but this time I believe she is somewhat correct. She was very kind as wasn't dressing me down, in fact she understood how it came about. During the early weeks after my accident Moto and I really built our relationship. I can say that it's rock-solid and he cares about pleasing me. He's my heart dog and I'm absolutely in love with him. But - probably because of my injured demeanor - I've probably done a bit of wussification. She suggested I move back down into the beginner class next week and we'll "macho" him up a bit. I think that will be a goal we can accomplish.
Obedience training: I re-introduced articles this week. Moto picked up almost exactly where I left off. In 2 days time we are already onto 3 articles. This dog loves to think and it's so much fun watching him reason out the articles. I'm teaching the "around the clock" method with squeeze cheese and he is enjoying this. Also worked on go-outs and he is quickly picking up the pace on that, too. My ultimate goal is that I can take him to a sho n go and put him in Novice, Open and Utility. when he is able to do that, and qualify in all three, he will be ready for the show ring. Of course that's years away but that will be my benchmark of when he will be ready.

It's the Claaaaahmb

Since all the grandkids have departed I've really come to miss them. I do enjoy having my house back but it sure was great when they were here. One of the songs they repeatedly asked me to play was the CD of Miley Cyrus and her new hit song "The Climb". I'd hear the tiny pre-teen voices raise when Miley sung the chorus "it's not the mountain, it's the climb" but of course the kids sang "it's the claaaaaahmb".
Never really paid much attention to the song while they were here - just enjoyed them enjoying the song. But when it came on the radio this morning I listened to the words, and they were very powerful. "there's always gonna be another mountain/I'm always gonna want to make it move/there will always be an uphill battle/something that I have to prove". And then of course, the chorus. It's a good song. I think this will be my theme song as I train Moto.
I've been suffering terrible pain in my legs. I cannot stand for long without paying for it. I do believe these are the last vestiges of my car accident. I was telling my chiropractor it seems I've been literally healing from head to toe. Began with my neck, worked down to my broken clavicle, them my cracked ribs, then my twisted sacrum, and now it's my legs. Unfortunately the legs have been the longest and for me the most frustrating part of the healing process. The pain is constant and I've been fighting a nasty case of depression this past week. I realize at this point in my life I will not be able to get up, run 2 miles on the treadmill, go out in the garden and work, train the dogs, and then go to work. If I want to survive the day I'm lucky to train the dogs and get ready for work. Perhaps this backsliding is because of all the family here for so many weeks. Whatever the reason, getting on with my life is a frustrating and disappointing process.
But! I did go back to group obedience class today. I was delighted that Moto did his pivot drills nicely. When group heeling came we did a bit inside the circle, then we did some work off by ourselves, learning for him to keep his head up when we came to a baby gate. I was surprised to see his fronts from a recall seem to be very straight. However he has butt-out finishes *sigh* it's always something. Dumbbell retrieves were great. So, after three months off it was a very nice re-start. Tomorrow Moto and Shiloh start their agility classes again. I hope this is something I can attend weekly but that's not a done deal at this point in the game.