Reflections on a Year

It's that time when most bloggers review what's happend in the past year. I really don't want to do that, for as we leave behind 2010 I leave behind two beloved family members. Our family's pain is well-documented and I don't want to go over it yet again.
Instead, I'm looking at the good stuff that happened, and in spite of our losses there were some bright spots.
I feel I'm truly "back into myself" in terms of healing from the car accident. I'm frequently asked "are you all better now?" and there is no such thing after such a bad accident. Scars are left both physically and emotionally. But my body works great and aside from some scar tissue limiting mobility in my left arm and the occasional ache or pain, I'm pretty much good to go. Mentally it's been a long journey. I knew I wasn't myself for the longest time. I'd just act like myself and hope no one noticed. Turns out lots of people did but were too kind to say anything. A brain injury is a funny thing and it took an awful long time to bounce back from that. In the past few months I do feel comfortable in my own skin again and can look forward to parties and crowded events without panicking. I never thought I'd be so glad to be "just me"!
My dear friend Laurie paid us a visit and I got to meet her newest addition to her family, Sassy. It seems each visit gets more and more fun and we just had the best time! Friendships are such treasures and I'm lucky to count Laurie as one very special friend.
Erik got a job. It's been over a year. Yes, it's not what he used to make but the drive is reasonable and it looks like a great company. He's fitting right in and very happy at his new place of business. We will have to revisit our budget which I'm not looking forward to, but no more fear or losing our home or other scary things that come with a negative cash flow.
I started my new business as the town's Welcome Wagon lady. I love it! It's my own hours and largely driven by how hard I choose to work at it. This job will help plug the hole left by my husband's cash reduction. Truly, I was blessed to have this opportunity and will be forever thankful to Barb for her help and mentoring me along this path.
Two of my grandkids came for a visit and the timing couldn't have been better. They came shortly after the passing of Barry and Uncle Bill. They gave us a gift that is priceless: happiness.
Speaking of grandkids, we had a miracle that baby Ella came into this world safe and sound. Both my daughter and Ella could have been lost in this high-risk pregnancy and delivery. When a doctor calls it a miracle, you know you are far more than lucky. I'm nothing short of grateful to God for my daughter and Ella being completely fine in the face of such long odds.
In spite of serious health issues, we still have all six dogs. I cherish each and every day with all of them and enjoy the fact our house is chaotic with so many furry friends running around.
And the reason it's six dogs now is the addition of Pinch. It was amazing how quickly he fit in. There was no ripple effect, no jealousy. Every dog gladly accepted Pinch into the fold.
Holding Moto back from the show ring was the best thing I could've done. He's now exhibitng enjoyment in his training and at sho n go's. I'm getting comments that people didn't think he was capable of doing what they are seeing in him performance-wise. Working on our bond and building drive has paid off big-time. Maybe, just maybe, we'll enter a show in the Spring.
In summary I've realized if you get the priviledge of living a long time you don't go through life without some scars. In so many of my Welcome Wagon visits I hear stories of terrible loss and tragedy. Yet these people still smile at me as they begin a new life in a new town. Inspired by so many of these stories, I too put on a smile as we begin a new year.
We're all still here, so we might as well dance.

Do You Have A Favorite Dog?

I get asked this question fairly often, and it seems most other multi-dog households get asked this question too. I remember asking my mother the same question, only it was did she have a favorite child (I was hoping she'd say it was me). But my mom, ever so wise and I believe honestly, answered the question with "I love you both the same."
I only have one child so she is easily my favorite. But when it comes to that question with my dogs, I don't answer the question the way my mother did, as I do not love them all the same: I love them all, but in so many different ways. Each personality is so distinct there simply is no way I could love them all the same.
Take Dusty for instance. He's my first Sheltie, my first performance dog. I believe the soul of my childhood dog occasionally pays visit upon him. Dusty has helped shape the person I am today, and he's the one who started me on this crazy, dog-filled journey. He's my Heart Dog, the one who cuddled with me in bed when I was single, has seen my daughter grow up and me become a grandmother. At almost sixteen years he still rules the pack as a benevolent dictator. Dusty's soul shines through his eyes and I know now that I was the luckiest person in the world to have him as a Novice A dog. Because of this he holds a special place in my heart.
Now Shiloh....oh, Shiloh. He's the polar opposite of Dusty. Shiloh loves himself first and foremost, and his ego surpasses the size of any room he enters. Strong-willed and spirited, Shiloh has more of a Border Collie work ethic, which means his reward is letting him work. Shiloh loved Agility best and should have had a MACH, if not a world team representative, except for the fact that I just can't seem to remember the agility course. Because he loves me he did Obedience and handed me a life-long dream of attaining the OTCH. Not only that, he was the #3 Sheltie in 2006 and we got invited to compete at the Eukanuba Obedience Invitational in Long Beach, CA that year. Because of this he holds a special place in my heart.
Blitz's illness was discovered when I only had him for two weeks. I could have returned him but I decided that even though he would never be able to show to his full potential, I would keep him. I've never regretted that decision. He'll be four years old this coming February, two years longer than they said he would survive. The disease is beginning to take its toll and I believe his story will be coming to a close soon. What amazes me is that in spite of this awful disease and all its afflictions, his zest for life has never waned. In fact he seems to be more joyful than ever as his body wastes away. Blitz has taught me to find joy in this remarkable gift of life we've been handed. He greets every new day as a thrilling adventure; how could I not do the same? Because of this he holds a special place in my heart.
Shiloh was bred to a lovely working bitch and my pick was Moto. I knew he'd be over size but not to the proportions he is today: 50 lbs and 20 inches at the shoulder! But I actually enjoy having a larger dog. People take his bark seriously and I feel safe when I walk with him at night. He's been a bit of a training challenge as, unlike his dad, Moto will work but it's just because he's a good boy. Work of any sort - obedience, tracking, herding, agility - are OK but he is happiest just giving and receiving love. And that is where he excels. I scoff at anyone who says dogs do not have empathy. I saw it first-hand when I returned home from the hospital to recover from my car accident. I saw it again as he took puppy Pinch under his wing, teaching him Boy Dog stuff and gently playing with him. I am in awe of Moto and he will take on the role of Heart Dog when Dusty goes to the Bridge. Because of that he holds a special place in my heart.
Enter baby Pinch. He's still a blank slate. I'm thrilled with his training and he has the drive and focus of Shiloh. His ego is almost as big as well. I'm thrilled with his temperament in that when the house is quiet, he is quiet, but if I want to train he's up and ready to go! We have so much fun together and I have high hopes for an exciting obedience career with him. Plus, he has this adorable way of jumping into my arms and delivering a quick round of kisses. Because of that he holds a special place in my heart.
John Edward, a psychic who "talks to those who have crossed over" once was able to feel the energy of a former dog-owning relative. John told the grieving family that it was her beloved dogs to greeted her first, and whose barking she followed to get to the Other Side. Along with my other loved ones who I miss now, I know it will be a joyous reunion to see them again and be joined with all my beloved pets. That, for me, will be Heaven.

Winter Training

What an exciting weekend it was for Obedience enthusiasts - the NOI, or AKC/Eukanuba National Obedience Invitational was this past weekend. I wasn't able to go, but am forever grateful to friend Laurie for calling me when she was able to with updates. It got more and more exciting as friend Kathy was 1st seed to go into the Finals on Sunday. Then, she kept advancing....to the final two...I was sooo nervous waiting for that last phone call. When the phone rang I was sooo hoping for good news and yes! It was to be: Kathy had won. THANK YOU Laurie for letting me know, and huge congrats to Kathy and Buoy on an amazing accomplishment.
It's cold outside, Christmas parties and events abound, so it makes for challenging training opportunities. We've done lots of indoors training but the "big stuff" (jumping, go-outs) need to be done outside. This takes time, which of late I haven't had a whole lot of. Things are settling down and today I'm hoping to do some outdoor training this afternoon.
Sweet Moto is stressing, really stressing, over the scent discrimination. We need to work hard on this and make it fun. You can see the relief on his face when he finds the correct article. He's learning to use his nose finally. Once he gets it, like everything else, he will be rock solid. Overall his work ethic is improving nicely - is it the thyroid pills or is he maturing, or is it a combination of both? Either way he may be ready for his Novice debut this Spring!
Now that we are moving on to more advanced work with Pinch, he's developing his own set of problems to solve. He LOVES to work, but is extremely impatient. I THOUGHT I was a fast trainer but this little guy has proved me so very wrong. I am way behind the eight ball with Pinch. Latest is the dumbbell retrieve. Again, kudos to Laurie for helping him get a nice start. I'm trying to move this along to be an actual retrieve now. Pinch has a nasty habit of putting his paw up when I have my hands out to take the dumbbell back. I have to give him information fast (uh-uh), when paw is lowered (goooooood) and take the dumbbell out. But sometimes I am too slow. We have to work on the Hold and keeping that paw down before we can move forward, or I'll have a mess of other problems to deal with.
I hope one, or both these boys will make it to the NOI some day. Shiloh and I had a blast when we went. Meantime, it's time to break out the heavy winter coat, gloves and hat to train outside today - brrrrr!

It's That Time Of Year Again....

Yes, for the annual Christmas Photo. Or should I say Annual Christmas Argument? Trying to get three, then, four, and now SIX dogs to sit still long enough to snap a picture and have them looking in the same direction is always challenging. When we have a puppy like this year it is always particularly challenging. Hubby is always there to help but it always turns into a quibble. The Annual Disagreement usually goes something like this:
Me: I'll get the dogs ready and tell you when to take the picture.
Hubby: Fine.
Me: (setting up each dog, pulling cowering Daisy repeatedly back, grabbing an escaping dog) There! OK! They're all looking at you! Take the Picture!
Hubby: no sound
Me: TAKE THE PICTURE! NOW!
Hubby: (fumble) wha?
Me: NOW!!!
Dusty lays down, Daisy slinks off, Shiloh grumbles because Moto is touching him.
*Click* goes the camera.
Me: (sighs loudly)
Hubby: You said to take it....
You get the picture, pun intended. I'll post some out takes as we undertake this year's portrait.
Meantime, Happy Thanksgiving!

A Veteran's Day Story

I believe people come into our lives for a reason, and so it was with Bob. He was to be one of my bosses at my job in Sunnyvale CA. I didn't like him. At all. No way. He was aloof and cocky. And kind of weird.
I complained often about him to our director Al, but he said to just hang in there, Bob brought special knowledge and talent in to our group.
Those were the days of Desert Storm. Some of our people were overseas to help with the operation over there. When the war was over and our employees came home and a return to work date set, we tied a giant yellow ribbon around the building and a big welcome back party was planned. As I was leaving to attend the celebration, Bob was hanging back. When I asked if he was coming, he said no. I asked why and his eyes teared up. He said "I'm glad for them but I just can't. I was never welcomed back when I came home from Viet Nam."
My heart absolutely shattered into a thousand pieces. I was guilty. I'd been one of those war protestors in my very early teen-age years. Here I was, seeing a direct result of what we had done.
After that I made a point of getting to know Bob. Turns out his plane had been shot down over enemy territory. With no one to save him and nothing but his smarts, a little luck and a lot of grit he made it back to safety. This was a man who almost gave his life for his country and no one had even thanked him. As we continued to work together he became one of my favorite people.
Time passed, our company was sold and most of us lost our jobs. I married and moved to Missouri, but I still kept in touch with Bob occasionally by email.
One Veterans day I received one of those chain emails, but this one was a bit different. It talked about our brave soldiers and the sacrifices they had made. The email concluded by saying "send this on to one of our hero Veterans if you know one."
This was my chance to right my wrong. I forwarded it on to Bob, and started the email by letting him know that he was MY hero, and I meant every single word of it.
Bob wrote back, saying "Siouxsan, THANK YOU. This means more to me than you will ever know."
I was so glad to maybe give him some relief from long-held pain.
After that I lost contact with Bob. I hear he's doing well in his new job, that his wife and daughters are also doing just fine. It's really not necessary to keep in touch with Bob any longer, for I believe the purpose of our friendship had come full circle.
Thank you, Bob, for your brave service to our country. And to all the vets who have served or are serving now....THANK YOU. I learned to say this because of one very special person, for which I will be forever grateful.

Backchaining

The weather has been fabulous out here. 60's and 70's in Midwest November is just plain freaky, but I'm delighted for it. I would have been absolutely insane if I didn't do some outdoor training, the stuff that requires setting up jumps and large amounts of area to work in. Pinch and Moto both did go-outs (Pinch is learning Renee's method, Moto is learning my method, which isn't great but seems to work for him). Lots and lots of fun. Directed jumping for both dogs was a blast. Moto loves directed jumping. Pinch still has 4" jumps pushed together, run to the raised hand. I just wish I was independently wealthy and didn't have to work for a living. This is a dog the LOVES to jump and will be a fabulous agility dog. Sadly, we may never find the time.
Then scent discrimination. Pinch is learning a la Renee method, Moto was started on my earlier trainer's method. Here's where the backchaining comes in: Pinch still searches for the cookie under the folder. He roars through almost 20 folders with eagerness and confidence. Poor Moto seemed just confused with his article work. Even with just 4 articles out, I could tell he just hasn't learn the lesson he needs to use his nose. This is a dog that lacks self-confidence anyway, and a dog not confident in article work does not a Utility Dog make.
So, I decided to go alll the way back to what Pinch was doing. Poor Moto lacked so much confidence he panicked right away when the cookie wasn't immediately found. Once he did, and tons of praise given, he got the idea there's no pressure, it's a game and should be fun. We are going to need to do the folder method until I see he thinks it's fun. What I believe I'll do once he realizes to use his nose, keep working when it isn't found right away, I'll put the scented article under a folder and see what happens. I'm hoping for a happy confident transition.
Meantime, I *think* the thyroid pills may be kicking in: he did some of the most amazing herding work EVER yesterday. It has the WOW factor. Gosh, if he became a herding dog I would be over the moon thrilled. He has a way with stock I've never seen in a Sheltie. Only once before have I seen this - with an HC Terv named Cali. I had the pleasure of working with Cali many, many years ago, using her to do some pen work. I literally fell over in awe working this dog: I could FEEL her communicating to the sheep! She worked calmly and smoothly and I believe it was the energy she was putting out that kept the sheep calm and cooperative. While Moto wasn't communicating to the sheep, he had a calm manner that put the stock at ease. This dog could do great things - if he'll continue to work at it!

Getting Back My Mojo

It seems quite a few of us trainers have lost our mojo. There's been various reasons. The end result is we all have dogs with gaping holes in our training. Of course I'm one of the guiltiest, most mojo-losing in my group of friends.
Enter friend Laurie. She did very well at the Aussie nationals, with lots of HIT awards. I hope to upload a picture in a few days. When she unpacked her booty of gorgeous rosettes and various prizes I must say, I was a bit covetous. See I've dreamed of owning JUST ONE rosette like the ones she was displaying. Big, fat, with nice long streamers. And then there was the embroidered cloth crate, the chair, the medals...the prizes went on and on. We had fun decorating our fence and taking pictures of her dogs with all the prizes.
I know I've been pretty remiss in my training with Pinch and Moto. Unfortunately Moto had some sort of stomach bug so we weren't able to work with him. But Laurie quickly found lots of holes and impending bad habits that would have hampered Pinch's success in the long run. Bless her heart, she worked with me extensively, sometimes holding my shoulders straight, other times gently scolding, but in the end I believe I "got it". We've already revisited several of our new tools to make sure it is finally embedded in my head.
THANK YOU LAURIE! Plus, we had such fun doing various doggie activities: went to my obedience class at Renee's, herding, and the dogs joined us for my town's downtown trick or treat. The time went too fast and the house is awful quiet this morning without my pal and her wonderful pooches.
Now for some exciting Moto news: when I took him to the vet because of his tummy troubles I asked for blood work to test his thyroid. Lo and behold, it's low normal. He's now on meds to help raise it to a higher level. It's exciting because I want to see how it affects his personality and willingness to work. He's been making good strides and this may give him the final boost.
So now it's up to me to keep the momentum going. C'mon Mojo, let's get going!

Lots to Look Forward To!

The weather's been great here, almost like SoCal weather and the dogs and I have been soaking it up. With lots of doggie activities coming up it's helped keep my mind off sad things and focusing into the future and exciting things.
First up: an obedience fun match on Sunday. Moto is entered in both Utility and Open. This will be his first time EVER in a Utility fun match. He's been doing fantastic in our back yard; it will be interesting to see how he does somewhere other than the safety of his yard. We'll backchain quite a bit there as the goal here is confidence-building. But I have to say he finally seems to be "getting it" in terms of his obedience work. We may not do Open, depending upon how he does in Utility. If he does really really well and tries super-hard, we may just call it a day and go home. We'll see.
Pinch continues to challenge me in heeling. The little bugger is just SO excited to work and wants to do things really really fast and heeling is WALKING dag nab it and he has to be beside me instead of walking sideways. Wow. I know it will be spectacular once he gets it, but I still struggle with the "get it" part.
Next my friend Laurie from CA arrives some time next week. Lots of doggie activities planned: bringing her to Renee's Open class, taking her out to my herding instructor to instinct test her dogs, coming with me to Pinch's puppy class and renting rings and training together. I can't wait. She's as obsessed as I am with the sport and it's wonderful to talk endlessly about all the minute technical stuff we find so fascinating.
And again, the weather is supposed to be great while she is here, so a good time should be had by all!

Finding My Feet

Since I last wrote I've been trying to get back to my normal schedule. I've learned that being happy takes some effort but it is paying off: if you act happy (please note I'm not saying Pretend - big difference)happiness does come to you. Hubby is calmer and most notable is Moto's countenance. He's brighter when training with me and all the creatures, both two and four-legged are much happier. Happiness begets happiness so we are on an upward trend.
This weekend is a fun match and I've got Moto entered in Utility for the very first time. We haven't trained much in utility so it will be a way scaled back version but he is really enjoying his utility work. If this trend continues I may try to debut him in Novice spring of next year. Still not expecting much in Novice, not in Open either, I'm just waiting to get him into Utility to see what he is capable of.
Pinch continues learning at warp speed. Heeling is something he still doesn't have much of a concept about. Of all the dogs I've trained he's the one giving me the most problem when it comes to how to teach heeling - can't seem to find which way clicks with him. I'll continue to experiment with various strategies to see which method conveys what I want. For now it's quite clear he hasn't a clue what I'm asking of him.
Day by day I'm getting control back into my life - the house is clean again, the dog's grooming schedule is getting back on track (though they badly need a bath) and I'm keeping up with the paperwork from my business and volunteer organizations.
It's nighttime when it's the hardest. Waking up 3:00 a.m. and images still haunt me. The one that elicits the most emotion is when I saw my sister for the first time when I arrived in CA prior to Barry's passing. I was prepared for Barry's condition and how he would look but seeing my sister - her eyes swollen from crying and grief in every fibre of her being that tore me to pieces. But she's doing everything right to help herself get on with life and I'm so very proud of her. Because she is going on and doing such a good job of it, I'm able to as well.
And the weather is gorgeous. It's hard to be sad when the skies are beautiful and the dogs beckon you to come outside for a good came of ball.

It's Still A Fight

Returning to a new normal takes a lot of effort, I'm discovering. My husband said this morning he hasn't seen me smile or laugh since the grandkids left. Wow, not good. He's really good at letting me know when I'm off the mark in our relationship, and my sadness has been wearing on him. He said I'm always saying how tired I am, too. I guess I better listen to myself. Depression does make for lack of sleep and heck yes I AM tired. But seriously, I need to make life a little easier for my hubby, who has been kind and supportive through all our recent upheavals. So I need to exercise patience and tolerance, try to smile more, hug more, and appreciate what I have. I'm richly blessed and even though it's been a rough patch, I really and truly have a LOT to be thankful for.
Had a wonderful doggie weekend which is always a nice diversion. An obedience and conformation fun match on Saturday. I was thrilled with Moto in Open and Novice. We're still far from show-ready but he's making huge strides in his attitude. Most impressive were the Novice stays. He was scared of the stewards in the next ring who were ripping duct tape off the floor, lifting and re-arranging mats. He started to get up from the down and run to me, and all I said was a low-voiced "ah-ah" and he laid back down and held his stay. GOOD BOY!
Pinch made his debut in conformation and he too had a wonderful attitude, no fear and lots of enthusiasm. It was a great day.
So I've been re-thinking how I train Moto. It seems he's a dog that does best with not training every day, which is hard for me to let go of. Also just quick short sessions when we are working a difficult issue. He needs to go with me to lots of places in a non-training situation to work on his self confidence. I think these recent tragedies have profoundly affected him and he'll bounce back once I do. So again, between my husband and Moto the Therapy Dog, I need to make an effort to be happy.
It's a Tuesday, so I don't need to go in to my Chamber job today. I still have my Welcome Wagon business to do, but I plan to spend my remaining spare time grooming dogs, training Pinch & Moto and then off to Pinch's Novice class this evening. All good things.
Dig deep, take a deep breath, and smile. It's going to be a beautiful day.

Out of Sadness, Moments of Joy

There's a big difference between Happiness and Joy. Happiness is still fleeting, but in my family's time of sorrow I've discovered many moments of Joy.
One memory I'll cherish forever - believe it or not - was several hours after Barry's passing. The funeral home had taken Barry's body away and Hospice had come and packed up the bed and medical supplies. Family and friends had come and departed, each into their own homes to deal with their grief. Janice and I were alone. She asked, "What do we do now?" to which I replied, "we eat ice cream." Chocaholism runs rampant in my family and my sister had some ice cream, I'm unsure of the brand or name, but it was extremely chocolate-y. We put on the movie "The Blind Side", put the tub of chocolate between us and our heads together, and quietly consumed it while watching the movie. It was a moment of such comfort and closeness it will burn in my memory forever.
With the passing of my uncle, I've rediscovered how precious my cousins are to me. We've always loved each other but we get busy with our jobs and kids and contact isn't as frequent as it should be. That's changed now. As children we always had Family Sunday dinners together so my cousins are more like brothers and sisters than cousins. Cousin Mike unearthed priceless photos while putting together Uncle Bill's memorial poster of us all growing up together. We'll be keeping much closer touch with each other from this point on.
All these events have made us realize how short and fragile our lives can be. I feel blessed to have a sister and I'm so glad we have each other during these difficult times. The same can be said for my cousins.
As Cat Stevens sang years ago, "we're only dancing on this Earth for a short while."
Might as well make it a good dance.

What Grandkids Can Do

The two "in between" grandkids - Dylan and Jenna - were supposed to come for a week-long visit two weeks ago. That schedule had to be changed as Barry's condition rapidly deteriorated, my uncle passed unexpectedly and the destruction of my aunt's neighborhood in San Bruno.
Once things settled a bit my daughter tweaked the schedule and I was able to have them this past weekend. They arrived last Friday and it was great to see them. Erik arrived home from work early and we took the kids to Sonic for dinner - a treat for them as they don't have a Sonic in their area.
The kids asked if they could eat their meal inside the camper shell of the truck. We gladly complied and had a mini-tailgate in the back of the truck, munching our food and looking out onto Kearney's busiest intersection.
It was a Friday night in a small town. A truck arrived at the watermelon stand, and they were readying the produce for the next day. Kids were horsing around at the U-wash car wash, squirting each other with the hoses. You could hear the band playing and the roar of the crowd at the high school's first football game of the season.
Then I realized I was feeling something I hadn't felt in quite awhile: I was happy.
Thanks to the grandkids, I do believe the healing process is beginning.

Back To It

One week ago today I was catching a very late flight back to Kansas City. The previous Saturday was the memorial service for Barry. I cannot believe so many things happened that last week.
Last Monday I resolved to get "back to normal" and got up at 4:30 a.m., ran a few miles on the treadmill, trained dogs and did all my morning chores. Went to work, came home and collapsed from exhaustion.
It's not physical exhaustion, it's emotional.
And I've discovered there are many levels of grief. At this writing, it's the Dull Ache part of it, where your heart is badly bruised and just wants to rest and heal.
Each day of last week I'd get up resolved to go back to normal, and each day I just couldn't. Fortunately sleep has come easily and I've slept long and deeply. I just seem to need a lot more. When will I feel rested?
Yesterday was the first day I felt normal so did normal Saturday stuff as well as my Welcome Wagon job. I resolved to do home stuff Saturday and devote Sunday to training and grooming the poor dogs, it's been awhile. Then ugly black clouds loomed on the horizon and I headed home early. We got the dogs and ourselves fed and cleaned up before the "fun" started...intense lightning, rain, and at one point the weather radio said to "prepare immediately for golf-ball sized hail, damaging winds in excess of 60 mph and deadly lightning. Take cover in the lowest level of your home and stay away from windows." Luckily for us that nasty storm petered out before reaching our fair town but the weather radio went off quite regularly all night. So, it's Sunday and I'm exhausted. It looks like another pajama day. I'm very fortunate to be able to have pajama days.
Pinch is signed up for the Beginning Obedience class at Renee's and it begins 10/28. Neither Pinch nor Moto has been formally trained for weeks now. I simply don't have the Heart to train. It's that Dull Ache thing getting in the way. Oh, I've done a bit here and there - tricks, the Sit and Down Game, things like that. I've decided to pull Moto from his Open class Wednesday nights and will bring him to Pinch's class. My game plan is to swap out the two dogs and do a lot of backchaining with Moto. He has more issues than I realized and if I ever want to show him, we need to go back to those building blocks to find the weak link. I have a feeling I got greedy and went too far, too fast.
Meantime my family is still trying to wrap its collective arms around all that has happened: so much in too short a time. We put one foot ahead of the other and surround each other with lots of love. Moto is truly in his element as Therapy Dog during this time: I don't know if my scent changes or how he knows, but when The Sadness envelopes me like a dark fog, he quietly makes his way over and leans against me - there if I need to hug him and bury my head in his fur.
So I am grateful that I CAN eventually get back to normal, and that I have my wonderful husband and six loving dogs to help me on my path.

A Few Words About Barry

He was so much more than my brother-in-law. Here's a snapshot of his life, taken from the memorial program:
BARRY PATRICK JOHNSON
October 1, 1956-September 2, 2010
Barry Patrick Johnson was born on October 1, 1956 in Prince George County, VA to Pat and Wayne Johnson. Big sister Gail was anxiously awaiting her new little brother. Barry was premature and was not given much chance to live. In fact, the doctors told his parents to start making funeral arrangements for their little boy. But Barry was a fighter and ne got stronger and stronger, and because his mom asked so many intelligent questions, they thought she was a nurse and let her take him home earlier than they normally would. She was under instructions to feed him every two hours, and sometimes it took him an hour and a half to eat, but his parents were determined and soon Barry began to thrive. However, Barry was then diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and the doctors told his parents he would most likely spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. Pat and Wayne sought out other opinions and found a doctor who fit little Barry with a leg brace. He struggled with it, hated it, but learned to deal with it and rode a tricycle faster with his one leg than the other kids did with two. He was determined to fit in. Pretty soon, the leg brace came off and Barry walked with a bit of a limp, but that was all.
Barry grew up in the Los Angeles area where Wayne was an engineer for TRW. But soon Wayne had a calling to go into the ministry and that led him and his family to the seminary in San Rafael, California, and then to Palm Desert for his first ministerial position.
Barry graduated from Indio High School in 1974. He went off to UC Davis for his first year of college but he was much more interested in fixing his Volkswagen than studying. Wayne asked Barry to go on a church mission trip to the Hoopa Indian Reservation in the summer of 1975. It was there Barry met his future wife, Jan Howard, whose friend had asked her to come with her on the church mission trip. It was NOT love at first sight! In fact, Jan dated Barry's cousin Dane first. But when Dane had to go back to Los Angeles to go to school, that's when Barry swooped in. He gave Jan a hug after he dropped Dane off at the airport and that hug was the turning point. From then on, Barry and Jan were inseparable and after one year of being together they were engaged.
They were married July 16, 1977 at Church of the Roses, Santa Rosa, with Wayne officiating and Reverend Lester Muhly from St. Mark Lutheran Church officiating as well. The marriage brought Barry and Jan three beautiful little girls, Julie in 1980, Amy in 1984 and Laura in 1986. Barry worked at a number of jobs, including selling cars at Zumwalt Magrini Chrysler Plymouth for years and was blessed to be working with his best buddy from college, Skip. But Barry had always dreamed of owning his own shop and started M.E.M. Auto repair in 1994 (which stood for Mobile Equipped Mechanical since he would come to your place to repair your car. However, they privately called it "Making Ends Meet"). Barry was finally able to open a permanent shop called The Car Doctor which was a dream come true for him. He was able to establish a Christian place of business and treat people the way he wanted them to be treated - with dignity and respect.
Barry struggled with alcohol for years, but finally realized his marriage and family were more important than drinking. He got sober and stayed sober and helped a great many others along that path. He was a well-respected leader in AA.
Barry also had a great love for kids. Barry and Jan started teaching Jr. High Bible class at St. Mark in the early 90's. It was a great source of joy for Barry to teach kids about the Bible and about God's love. Any child who has been to his Jr. High class will remember "the money talk" where he would take out a fistful of bills from his pocket and tell the kids if any one could guess how much money he had in his hand they could keep it. The purpose of the talk was to teach the kids that this was God's money - not his - and if God decided one of the kids needed it more than he, it was theirs as long as they used it for a Godly purpose. Once, just once, a girl won the money and Barry gave that money away joyfully. He also loved taking the Jr. High kids on their annual snow trip in February. He didn't enjoy the cold, but he loved the Bible study at night and talking with the kids.
Barry and Jan enjoyed a truly wonderful marriage. Not perfect, never perfect, but a God-centered marriage that brought them through many trials. At one difficult point, Jan asked Barry why he stayed with her, and he answered simply "because I promised." And he stayed true to that promise, as did Jan. They enjoyed traveling together, eating out, hanging out with friends and just being in each other's company. They were truly each other's best friend.
Now Barry is in his Heavenly mansion with all the hosts of Heaven. He will be dearly missed on this earth for his love, his sense of humor, his love of Jeff Gordon and NASCAR, his generosity with his time and money, his willingness to drop anything to help a friend, and his sweet, gentle ways. May God bless him in his new Heavenly home.

Leaving Uplifted

This was the weekend I've dreaded since my brother-in-law, Barry, had announced that he had Stage 4 melanoma. At age 53 we had the committal ceremony graveside and the following day, his memorial.
My sister had an extremely difficult morning, not wanting to get up and begin the day. And yet, there were some amazing twists and turns to be had.
I received a phone call from Janet, my cousin by marriage. We'd just lost my uncle the previous weekend, and now she had more awful news: her mother lives in the San Bruno neighborhood where the gas explosion had happened. She'd escaped with her life thank God, and they were making their way back to Janet's childhood home to see if there was anything left. Depending on what they found, they may or may not be attending Barry's memorial.
It was a beautiful day in California and the committal ceremony was fine. My sister's grandson Aiden crawled onto her lap and hugged her. She rocked him as he wrapped his arms around her neck. How touching it was to see Barry's legacy - his beautiful grand-children - providing comfort to Janice.
On our way to the reception some good news and a miracle: While the entire row of homes were burned to the ground, Marilyn's home was the first one on the street that was completely standing. They would come to the memorial.
Saturday, the church was packed. It was standing room only as Barry's father, sister and one daughter spoke of their remembrances of Barry. Most touching was an "adopted son" named Ryan whom Barry had taken under his wing and mentored as a young teenager into manhood. He closed his talk by saying Barry lived his life paying it forward, and we should all do the same as a tribute to him. The music and songs were simply amazing, sung by a full choir and many musical instruments.
Then, one of those moments that when it occurs, you know it's something you'll remember the rest of your life: pastor was closing the service. My sister approached the pulpit and said she'd like to speak for a few minutes. She turned and faced the hundreds packed into the church. First, she said she wanted to look out on all who came and thank them for all they had done for her and Barry. Then, she lifted her hands into the air and began singing a song of praise.
My sister has a beautiful voice. Years ago she'd been asked to sing backup for Melissa Manchester. It's a soprano voice, clear and her pitch is always perfect.
She sang the first few lines alone as we sat mesmerized. Then a few voices added theirs to hers. Soon the entire congregation joined in. My sister stood there, arms raised and eyes closed, her voice strong and true. When it was over, Janice said "you know you're in a Lutheran church when you hear 4-part harmony!" to which everyone clapped and cheered.
Everyone went to the reception with a smile on their face.
I am in such awe of my sister.
In spite of her terrible loss, she did what Ryan had requested of us by paying it forward. She gave us joy in the face of incredible sadness. Instead of taking home images of tears and people breaking down, I will forever remember my sister at the pulpit, arms uplifted, leading us all in song.
Sister, you are a miracle. What you did is the most amazing and inspiring thing I've yet to witness.

Damnit

My sister couldn't have said it better.
Life took a sad an unexpected twist since my last post. Shortly after finishing that blog entry I received the call to fly to California as quickly as possible. While frantically looking for flights, I received another phone call - this time from my cousin - to say my uncle had suffered a massive stroke and it didn't look good.
My desperation to reach California ASAP was agonizing. I finally made it there last Wednesday morning. Barry was indeed at the close of his life. I volunteered to stand the night vigil to allow my sister some sleep. Barry made it through the night but by morning had ceased recognizing people and moving around. I walked to my mother's house (she lives just down the street from my sister) for a quick nap and a bite of food. That afternoon my cell phone rang. It was my sister who said I better come fast. Tearing out of the house at full speed I ran down the street and realized I should have kept up my exercising as my feet weren't carrying me as fast as I'd like. Al, my step-father drove up alongside me and we tore the rest of the way to my sister's house. Barry's parents, sister, children and my sister were there as he took his final breaths. It was over and it was peaceful.
My sister checked for a pulse and said he was gone. Then, the rise of emotion: she yelled out "DAMNIT!" and collapsed.
The rest of the time was a blur of hospice, paperwork, final details being carried out and grief.
I found out hospice had been called for my uncle. Unbelievably, my sister wanted to make the drive with me to San Jose to say our good-byes. Sadly he passed Saturday morning. We were to see him that afternoon. We still made the drive, this time to console and grieve with my aunt, my cousins, neices and nephews.
It's been a rough week. I'm home for a few days to tend to work and home details and will go back to CA for services and memorials. My wonderful husband and dogs have been a great source of comfort. Truly, Therapy Dog is Moto's calling. Never have I seen a dog who knows just how to "be": he's not too clingy or too withdrawn. He's just perfect. And that big fuzzy body is so huggable.
In spite of these losses that have rocked our family, I know that this fragile life is indeed a blessed one.

Sister: A Most Precious Word

Sadly it seems like Barry's battle with cancer is coming to a close. I've spoken to my sister a few times, and while it's not "time" yet, I believe I need to go and be with my sister.
I've been witness to her life for all her 53 years. We know each other inside and out, flowers and warts. The beauty of this is we can just be who we are and no need for brave faces.
My sister's house is full of Barry's relatives right now but the house will be empty in a day or two. That is when I think I should go.
It will be a short visit - for now - but we can sit together and cry together and care for Barry together. She doesn't need to be strong for me and I don't need to be strong for her. We'll just be together, and that will be salve for both our souls.
For in light of this sad tragedy, I realize in spite of it all, I am richly blessed. I have my sister. She is more precious to me than most anything on this earth. And she needs me.
It will be sad, yes. But we will have each other. And for that, I am very, very thankful.
I love you, my sister. See you soon.

Kate Bush Says It Best

From My Sister's Blog

Too beautifully written. I'll cheapen it if I add anything. Please read and pray for my sister and Barry.

Between sleep and awake

There's a great line in the movie "Hook" that Tinkerbell says to Peter Pan after he goes back to his home from Neverland. She says to him, "You know that place between sleep and awake? Thats where I'll always be. Thats where I'll always love you." I say this because in that brief, split second between sleep and awake each morning, my life is normal. In that split second, Barry will be getting up to give our dog his dog cookie in the morning, make coffee and bring it to me in bed. Reality is, the alarm goes off and I look at my shell of a husband who has had a bad night of nausea, vomiting and pain and I drag myself out of bed due to lack to sleep to do all of the aforementioned tasks while the tears run down my face. In that split second, my husband will tease me in the morning and kiss me good bye as he leaves in his big Ford F-150 that has a bumper sticker on the back that says "I love my wife." His arms will be strong and tan, and there will be mechanics grease under his nails. His voice will be strong as he will ask whats for dinner tonight and he will consume whatever I put in front of him with gusto. Reality is, the shop must be sold or let go because he hasn't worked since the middle of January. His voice is weak and his nails are white as snow, as is his face. He will not consume anything with gusto anymore as eating is a huge chore and nothing, nothing tastes good. In that moment between sleep and awake, we are planning vacations, and dinner out with friends and what fun things to do with the grandkids this weekend. Reality is, we cannot plan anything anymore. It is a day by day, moment by moment kind of thing. I'm gonna say this very cliche phrase, but its so true: Cancer sucks. Its horrible to watch the one you love suffer and try so hard and valiantly battle on and there hardly anything you can do for them besides hold their hand, their head and their heart. The tears flow frequently now as the cancer has spread to the brain, and we cannot start the clinical trial because of that. The disappointment and fear were tangible when the doctor told us at UCSF. We cried, we hugged each other.....we drove home as the numbness spread. Barry started talking about getting his affairs in order now. We start radiation today. Short of a miracle, things are looking very bleak. But we still hope, we still love and if love could cure him, he would have been healed a million times over by now with the outpouring we have received. We appreciate all those who have encouraged us, and never mind those who have come over and given us "premonitions" about what is going to happen. We place our trust in our Lord Jesus Christ. God is bigger than cancer. There are still miracles to be had. And God loves Barry even more than we do and maybe He can't wait to take him to Himself. And if that happens sooner rather than later, I will let go with dignity, trust and more love than you can even begin to imagine. Because he will still live in that place between sleep and awake. ....and in my heart forever.

Don't Fence Me In

Crating all six dogs was quite the experience last night. Let it be said I am completely exhausted. Here's how it went:
9:30 - dogs pottied, given Bedtime Cookies in their crates.
9:31 - Moto starts whimpering
9:32 - Shiloh starts whimpering
10:00 - Moto and Shiloh go outside to potty again. Shiloh marks, Moto just stands there wagging his tail at me. Back to crates. Everyone finally settles down.
10:30 - Erik comes to bed, walks into Daisy's crate - BANG! Swearing, both hubby and myself.
10:31 - Moto starts whimpering
10:32 - Moto goes back outside. This time he pees a river. Back to crate. Moto settles down.
11:00 - Hear a loud funny electronic noise. It's my cell phone, alerting me battery is low. Back up, find cell phone, find charger, plug in. Back to bed.
12:30 - Erik has rolled over several times and we are literally face to face. I like my husband next to me but he's snoring so vigorously it's blowing my hair back. I wake him up and tell him to move. It takes awhile, but eventually I go back to sleep.
2:46 - Shiloh is going crazy in his crate. He's frantically trying to move his bedding into a bunch, and is banging his paws against the crate door. Back up, I let Shiloh out. He's meandering and sniffing a lot. I leave him to his own devices and decide I might as well set up the coffee for the morning. Shiloh comes back up. We go back to bed.
Remainder of night: Shiloh is pacing, circling and restless. I am now desperate for sleep and just open the crate door. I decide it's worth it to get some shut-eye if it means cleaning poop in the morning. Once out, Shiloh immediately falls asleep.
4:45 a.m. - alarm goes off. The house is poop free.
And here we are! I hope tonight goes a bit better.

Mystery Poop and More Changes

Having six dogs is a LOT of dogs, especially when they are not "outdoor dogs" (a term I never heard of until I moved to the Midwest) and spend 80% of their time inside with us. No, they aren't Great Danes so they don't take up a lot of space. But there's a lot of hair, you have to watch where you're walking - particularly if you're up in the middle of the night - and the occasional Mystery Poop.
That's what my husband calls it.
We get up in the morning and the house doesn't smell so fresh. Someone didn't bother to wake us when nature called, and left a deposit somewhere in the house. But like outdoors, I can pretty much tell who the culprit is by its location.
Dining room - Shiloh
Base of the stairs - Daisy
These are the biggest offenders. Blitz and Moto do a good job of trying to wake up someone if they have the Urge.
Lately we've gotten gift packages as often as twice a week. With both of us working pretty much full time now, cleaning up takes precious time we could use for getting ready for work.
This gorgeous Sunday morning found us discussing the Mystery Poop problem, as there was a pretty impressive package at the base of the stairs.
Since Dusty and Pinch are crated now, hubby suggested we crate ALL the dogs at night. Not a bad idea. But here's the catch: we have six dogs. Where are all the crates going to be? We do not live in a large house with nice big rooms. So the Crate Discussion began. I hauled up crates and arranged them a certain way, only to come back and find hubby had arranged them another way. There were a few tense exchanges and more re-arrangement. Finally, the compromise: I agreed to give up a piece of furniture in the bedroom to allow for more crates. One more arrangement. While our bedroom looks more like a Doggie Ritz Carlton, it works.
Now that the crate problem has been solved, I realized all the crates need Coop Cups in them. Can't have a thirsty dog in the middle of the night. Plastic vs. metal - again, hubby and I discussed the virtues of which to purchase. I vastly prefer metal. While it's a bit more expensive I think the water tastes better and they are easier to clean and maintain. Hubby volunteered to go to PetSmart to purchase more. We'll see who comes out the winner here.
Tonight will be the first night in my dog-owning history where all dogs are crated. None on the bed, no dogs strewn on furniture and in hallways. There will be no mystery poop in the morning. I wonder how they will like this new arrangement.
Dusty is actually doing much better sleeping in the crate. Erik and I are sleeping better. We'll see if the other four like this change as much as we do.

Life On Hold

Just heard from my mother that my brother-in-law Barry will not be receiving the clinical trial. The reason given is that the cancer is in his brain and pretty much everywhere else. It's spread too much for the treatment.
My sister then called and she said they will do some radiation for the cancer in his brain, some chemo and "some compassionate drug treatments", whatever the heck that means.
Aside from the wide range of emotions my family is going through, it feels to me like life is now on hold.
I've made plans to see people, attend meetings, volunteer at various events, have the grand-kids visit and entered dog shows all the way through spring of 2011. But all will be brushed aside if and when my sister calls and says she needs me.
I can't make Barry better, but I can help make my sister better, or at least offer her my shoulder or clean her house or just be there.
It's horrible being far away, and I await the call to say "come".
I dread it and welcome it at the same time.
And we wait. Try to be hopeful. Hug and pray.

The "Short Bus" Kids

A dog friend and I laugh lovingly about our "short bus" dogs. It's not meant in any derogatory fashion. We just happen to have dogs with various challenges. She has one dog with a soft spot on its head. It's very active, and she's fashioned a helmet for him. She has another one with a deformed rear leg.
I have Dusty, 15+ years, a tad senile with poor vision; Shiloh with his enlarged esophagus, weakening rear muscles and deaf; Blitz who looks moth-eaten from his disease.
It's nice to have a friend like her as we can commiserate about the joys and sorrows of having dogs with above average needs.
Today was an absolutely spectacular day weather-wise. Interestingly enough I felt awful. The aches and pains from the car accident had taken a terrible hold in my legs and I spent a great part of the day just laying on the couch with the heating pad. Later as the sun was setting the pain wasn't as bad and I wanted to take a walk around our acreage with the dogs. It's no longer safe to take all six out as Shiloh can't hear - if he takes off I could lose him forever. Dusty tends to just wander off and I simply can't keep my eyes on wandering dogs. So I elected to take the four that had working senses and let Dusty and Shiloh remain in the fenced yard. Daisy, Blitz, Moto and Pinch had a wonderful romp as we went around the property line. But coming back, I saw Dusty where I'd left him....sitting at the gate waiting for us. I put the four dogs back and took Dusty out. Just Dusty and I walked along the fenced area. He was delighted and I made much of him. He was smiling broadly as I put him back with the others. Now it was Shiloh's turn. I kept myself on the outside as we walked along the fenced area so he couldn't run off. Then we had one of those moments that makes it wonderful to have a dog. It was as if he was remembering us heeling together in the obedience ring and he came beside me. We heeled together around the fenced area. When released he wanted to play. I ran ahead of him and saw him chasing me. Seeing his fur flying and his eyes bright as he ran to me warmed my heart. When he came to me I held him for a long time and we sat together as the time just stopped for awhile.
The cicadas were singing and the sky was turning red, so time to come inside.
It was just another summer night, but one I'll treasure for years to come.

A Sad Transition

It's just part of life, but as I've said before, I don't have to like it. Dusty has slept in my arms every night for 15+ years now, but that time has to come to an end. He's fallen off the bed. The first time, was because he was along the edge of the bed. From that point forward Erik and I always made sure he was in between us. That is no longer working either. Senility is kicking in with a vengeance and he wanders aimlessly over our bodies and falls. So his time being the World's Best Bed Dog is over. I've brought up our biggest crate (can hold a German Shepherd) and put in the deepest, softest, fluffiest bedding possible for his old bones. Tonight will be the first night he's not cuddling with me, and I will miss that special part of my life with him forever.
In my story published in "Tails From Beyond" (www.tailsfrombeyond.com) I tell of the special dream I had of my childhood pet Sunny, only to awaken and find puppy Dusty cuddled where Sunny always slept. He's remained there all this time until tonight.
He's slipping away from me, it's just a part of life but I don't have to like it.
I hope he rest comfortably in his new abode.

I Gotta Take a New Picture

This blog has been here for close to 2 years now and I just looked at the profile picture. Well yes there's five dogs and the blonde, but really and truly it's now SIX dogs. I can still say Five Dogs as the Border Collie is my husband's dog. Since I'm now writing for Front and Finish as a correspondent, they ordered up a picture to go along with the column. Hubby and I traipsed out into the miserable humidity with all six dogs. It was not a pretty photo session. I was sweating and hot, the dogs were panting, and Daisy the BC has always thought that cameras steal your soul and was cowering. To get her to pose successfully you need to run her until she's too tired to care. But in this heat she would've stroked out. So, we eliminated her from the photo session after several tries and tried just the five Shelties. Now Dusty was too tired to sit. We had him lay down and the others sitting behind him. Pinch began to squirm. Sweat was now dripping down my back and my hair began to explode in weird frizzy tendrils. Hubby was getting cranky from my continuous "helpful hints" (Take the picture NOW, make interesting noises, their ears are all up HURRY!) At the end we had a lot of pictures of Daisy running out of the photograph, me yelling and Pinch at various odd angles. Suffice it to say it was not a successful photo session.
I finally eliminated all dogs but the young'uns to send something off to Front and Finish.
Next week it's to cool down, so we may try again. You'll know becuase there will be a new profile pic. Please congratulate us if this happens as you know it's not easy getting six dogs to look in one direction and be correctly posed along with their owner at the same time.
God bless all those kiddie and animal photographers out there.

Hope Springs Eternal

It's been a rough patch these past few weeks but for now things are looking up: my brother-in-law is eligible for a clinical trial close to home. We are now just waiting for them to tell him when he can start. Hurry up and wait, it's driving us all crazy and Barry is not getting any better while we wait. At least we have some hope and I'm grateful for that.
My husband got a job. It's a temp-to-hire one, but it's 12 weeks of no cash hemmorage so again, I'm grateful for that. It will be even better if after 12 weeks they decide to keep him.
The arrival of Pinch has changed things up considerably obedience-wise. Honestly speaking, it's a lot less pressure on Moto. I enjoy being competitive in the ring and while Moto *may* be competitive, it's more likely than not he'll be a dog who earns his titles with a happy smile and a green ribbon. Now that I have two dogs to train I'm OK with that.
We're off to another trial this weekend with Moto in Wildcard Novice. This setting will be a bit more challenging as it will be on soccer turf. They say it's "air conditioned but not refrigerated". Hmmmm. I plan on packing our battery fans. This could mean things will be a bit toasty. Depending on how he does I may debut him in Novice in the fall. He's qualified every single time in the non-regular classes so it may be time to get him out there.
Pinch will be coming along to get him used to the show ring environment. While he takes his surroundings in he reacts unlike any of my other dogs: say it's a big noisy fan along the wall. Most of mine will first shy away from it. Pinch runs towards it as if to say "Neat! What is that fun thing?" This pup thrives on change and new surroundings. This is both a good and bad thing. I'm pushed more than ever to keep thinking of new things to do with him, and how to present regular stuff in a new way to him. It's hard work but in the very best way.
So....hope springs eternal this weekend. First goal is for Moto to qualify. Ultimate goal is to have a good time and a nice effort. Best part of a road trip is snuggling with the dogs on the bed after the show. Moto's big fluffy body next to mine is a bit of Nirvana. Pinch cuddles briefly but likes to explore. We'll see if he's a good "bed dog" as he grows up!

Dog Days of Summer

It's been a long, hot, humid summer. In the 9 years we've lived here, this is definately the most miserable. We brought out the doggie pool for the pups to enjoy. Most of my Shelties are allergic to water, with the exception of Shiloh. He enjoys laying in it after a good game of ball and Daisy, being a BC, will lay in it all day if we let her. All enjoy a nice big cool drink from it. We introduced Pinch to water in the hopes he'd join Shiloh in liking it. He more than likes it, he loves the pool, the hose, and water more than any dog I've ever had. A dangerous new "trick" he's learning is taking the hose (while it's running) and running around with it, spraying all who get in his path. Clearly he loves the pandemonium of screaming and running.
All I can say is: Be careful what you wish for, 'cause you just might get it all.

Sometimes It's Just Hard

I apologize in advance as this is not going to be the happiest post. The header pretty much says it all. I find it harder and harder to put on a brave face, go out into my life and do normal life things while my brother-in-law Barry continues to decline. The emails from my sister are breaking my heart. I'm over 1,000 miles away and feeling helpless. Of course she can call any time and I've told her when she needs me I'll come...but still there is really nothing I can do to ease her pain or take Barry's cancer away. There is another clinical trial he is eligible for, but there are no spots available. Janice is frantically searching everywhere in the US to no avail. Meantime Barry continues to decline. He's only 54. It's not fair.
It's a sad, frightening time for my family. We have circled the wagons and surrounded them with love and support. Their church is bringing them meals and lending a hand with the household duties.
My stomach is in a continual knot and I have a permanent lump in my throat from holding back a good cry. I pray with every breath. All we can do is wait and hope that somehow this will all turn around and there will come a time we can look back on this and say "wow, that was a bad time. But we're all better now!" I am looking forward to sitting on the porch with my sister and saying that.
Until then, my family is in constant touch with each other, holding hands virtually, and walking through this long dark tunnel together looking for the light.
It's getting late and I must get ready for work. It's time to put that face back on. But sometimes it's just hard.

Conformation Boy

Here's a picture of Pinch at 12 weeks. This photo was taken by Gary Platt, a talented dog trainer & photographer, while we were at the St. Louis shows. He's changed a bit since then but it's such a lovely photo I had to share. Pinch continues to stay in size and develop a lovely structure and expression. His temperament is allowing him to make huge progress in his learning. At each puppy conformation class he improves by leaps and bounds. Whether or not he is competitive at six months, we are thinking of entering him in a local show Just For Fun to make his first ring experience an exciting and positive thing. Of his three littermates he will be the first to show as he will be able to handle it and enjoy strutting his stuff. He can come to a stop/stack and bait beautifully, great on the table and not a problem at all with the judge going over him and looking in his mouth. He's not rattled at all in the group go-around and gaits very very nicely. I'm just thrilled with him.
I would be delighted if he can get some points for a VC/VCX and would be over the moon if he could get a CH. Time of course will tell.
Of course he is loving his puppy obedience lessons. At class last week we learned how to back up through panels and are continuing that. It's a nice tool to have in your box and I've found it to be quite handy with Moto.
Speaking of Mr. Moto he is really enjoying his utility work. I'm glad. The way things are looking now, we'll probably have a lackluster Novice career, an OK Open showing, and I think he will really shine in Utility. Still needs lots of self-confidence in scent work so I'm just making it fun and ensure he thoroughly understands the exercise.
All five dogs have been bathed and groomed and look so lovely and smell great. Coat-blowing is in full bloom and the amount of hair everywhere is boggling.

A Northlight Family Reunion

Pictured are: Belle, Elizabeth, Dan, Collin (in his arms), 3 other Northlight pups, and Moto on the far right.
Dan came up from Alabama to pick up his newest Northlight pup from Elizabeth yesterday, so we all got together to play with puppies, catch up and show off Belle and Moto to Dan. It's been six years since I last saw him and boy a lot has happened since then. We both got a little older and we both collected some more dogs. Elizabeth and her family were the hostesses with the mostesses and laid out a table of food, drink and dessert that completely busted my diet. I ate with a gusto I haven't in years and we had sooo much fun watching the puppies, swapping dog stories and enjoying the day.
Moto was very reserved and didn't really warm up to anyone but then again he's just not an outgoing dog. He did enjoy himself and as always was extremely sweet and gentle with the puppies.
It's always so great to see old friends. I look forward to hearing wonderful reports from Dan's newest rising star Collin.

Life's Twists and Turns

This blog was created to track my training with Moto, but boy has a lot changed since he came into my life:
I had the car accident
My husband lost his job
My brother-in-law got cancer
and all the other Life Stuff that comes with all those really BIG changes. So, I find it hard staying on-track and just blogging about what Moto and I are doing. This entry will not be about dogs.
My brother-in-law's cancer has spread. He's had radiation treatment and was accepted into a clinical trial, both to no avail. My sister sounded amazingly good on the phone as she told me the awful news last night. I even spoke with Barry and he sounded even better. I don't know how they do it. Maybe because next is a clinical trial that specifically targets his particular type of cancer. This is the one we are all hanging our hopes onto.
Please if you feel so inclined pray for Barry. We all know how powerful prayer and positive thinking is, and we need every prayer and every good thought.
Standing in my shoes, I feel like I've been reborn as my life was almost taken away over a year ago and handed back to me. As I feel the humid summer days I rejoice that I "get" to feel the dampness on my skin and hear the crickets chirping. I'm sure on Barry's side he's doing the same thing, but for the reason that his time may be coming to a close. Of course we all never know when our time will come; but cancer is such an awful disease. I cannot imagine the emotional stress, let alone the stress of chemo, radiation and all the other drugs put into your body.
Life is always so full of surprises. Our family just hopes we get some good surprises soon.

He's a Pwah-di-jee!

I find myself talking baby talk to my puppy. The above is my latest statement to him after our fun training session this morning. Pinch really is getting the deeper concepts of our training games. This morning's big breakthrough was the "find it" game. This consists of manila folders set up randomly (thanks Renee!) with a treat underneath one of them. I'd been doing this already using tiny tupperware bowls but I think the folders are much cooler as it better hides the treat. We did the game in a new area (inside the basement) and I had about 10 folders up. Bless the little guy, he put his nose down and sniffed and sniffed until he found his treat. The biggest thrill was when a folder was knocked over. Unfortunately it was the one that had the treat, which was now underneath. Pinch realized this and used his problem-solving skills: he used his paws to move the folder, then stuck his head the rest of the way under and got the treat. GOOD BOY!
I've changed up the way I train Moto in the hopes of getting more out of him in the ring. It's exhausting but it's doing quick dynamic exercises in rapid succession. We're constantly in motion and maybe there's treats and maybe not until we're all done. A toy may be hidden under my arm and suddenly appear. Even setting up is fun (I hope) quick and dynamic, incorporating Rally moves as we go from one station to the next. We both have our tongues hanging out after these sessions. Everything is coming along but the danged broad jump exercise. I cannot figure out why sometimes he'll do the exercise beautifully, walk over the jump, or run around it. It's totally random. I thought if we did the BJ every day we'd get over this quirk but it's still there. Doesn't matter if it's at home or somewhere else, I still get this random behavior. Everything else is coming along nicely, thank you.
Today is my day off and it's a gorgeous summer day. I may make it a true summer day by bathing some Shelties. Nothing is more fun than five wet Shelties careening around the back yard. Yes, I'm being sarcastic! But it's high time they had a bath and Pinch needs to get used to it if he's going to be a conformation boy. Plus I could use the exercise.

Pinch Makes Progress

Having a puppy is sooooo much fun. Don't know why, but I'm enjoying Pinch's puppyhood and savoring every moment. Didn't get to enjoy Blitz's as he was ill, and Moto's puppyhood got pushed aside because of the car accident.
This pup loves to learn and I'm looking forward to our second puppy class this Wednesday. Tonight is his second conformation class. At this point he still is of conformation quality. Sheltie pups change so much it's almost impossible to tell for several months if they will make it into the conformation ring. To me he's the most beautiful puppy and a judge would be a fool to give a blue ribbon to anyone other than him, but I'm prejudiced.
He has no problem running 'round the conformation ring with other dogs, can stack and stand and pose very nicely. No problem on the table and loves the judge's going over.
My next hope is that he has herding instincg. He didn't show much interest his first exposure but heck I'd only had him 24 hours at that point. We were going to see sheep yesterday but a silly thunderstorm got in the way. Maybe next weekend.
Meantime I've been working on heeling with Moto. He's going to need a lot more work in this department. I found an interesting trial in August that we'll try our hand at Novice again in one of those nonregular classes. Once again I'll assess how he's coming along before entering him in "real" classes.
The weather has been so bad this year - bitter cold and lots of snow and spring/summer has been hot, extremely humid with lots of rain. This makes training outdoors difficult.
Puppy training is easy as Pinch doesn't neeed a lot of room....yet. But keeping Mr. Moto tuned up has been challenging.

I Was In A Car Accident...

...and it was really scary.
So interesting that those words popped into my head last night as I drove home from puppy class. It was dark and I was very proud of myself, driving on the highway at night. Then that statement popped into my head. I know what's happening, it's time for me to say it to someone, somewhere so that I can let it all go. Just like you say I'm An Alcoholic at an AA meeting.
My left side has been giving me terrible pain and I was losing mobility in my left arm, so went to Marla, the talented massage therapist to get that worked on. She does cranial sacral work and some kind of a muscle release that works very well with me. As she held my left arm (it just moves on its own as it needs to move) I felt tremendous energy racing through my body. I told her about the saying that popped into my head last night. She encouraged me to say it. I felt my body yelling at me to quit hanging onto the terror of that night. It was practically screaming for me to say it. So I did, out loud, to Marla.
I was in a car accident.
And it was really scary.
Then the rivers were released. Not crying really, just tears of relief and release. Marla said as I was speaking she felt shocks like lightning bolts coming from my body.
Fascinating.
Even more fascinating, while I still have scar tissue that is inhibiting full mobility, the pain is gone. So is the big goose egg of pain in my left hip.
After the session, I sat down with Dr. Julie (chiropractor) and we laughed at silly stuff like I haven't laughed in a long time.
I think it's over. Or, at least the worst of it is over. All I feel is huge relief and boy am I tired. Time to play with puppy one more time, watch the fireflies, potty dogs and look forward to a beautiful night's sleep.
Soooo grateful for the talent here in this town.

Puppy Class, Part I

Pinch got to go to his first puppy class last night. What an absolute blast. A Golden puppy about the same age as Pinch was the other student. There's nothing like a puppy and a nice blank slate. I always vow not to make the same mistakes, and I typically don't - I make a slew of new ones, sheesh. Right now Pinch has the capability of being that OTCH/200 I've always dreamed of, and I sure hope not to screw it up. I've already got some valuable pointers of things I need to improve on and new training ideas. What's so great at this point is everything is FUN and EXCITING and the time just flies by. We'll have a good time incorporating these new methods into our training routine.
Moto did well at class last night also. I've decided not to give him any room for error when it comes to heeling and he is tied to me as we heel. This worked well at class and I need to do this in strange places. Even though we had near-perfect ring conditions for our Wildcard runs, Moto was distracted at times and other times simply chose not to care which led to wide turns and extremely bad (by bad I mean 1 or more feet away from me) sits. I don't want him to EVER get away with that again, so for now, that option is removed by tying him to me.
Once home - at it was late for me (late is 10:00 at night) when I got a phone call from my cousin. We chatted for a bit and she came up with an interesting insight as I talked about Moto: she said for the first time since she's known me, it seems that Moto is a pet first, and an obedience dog second. All my other dogs have been the reverse. Huh. You know, I think she is right. While I'm not pleased with that priority, I think that is what is best for Moto. I'll train him and we'll work hard. OTCH is still a goal but the reality is, it just may not happen with him. I'm OK with that. Moto has a very important "job" at our house. He acts like the mama dog to Pinch and is always by my side when the chips are down. There's nothing better than hugging that big furry body and receiving those long-tomgued kisses as comfort. We have 2 sick dogs and one very elderly dog and it can be tough sometimes. I am very grateful to have a dog like Moto in my life right now.

Old timey dog show

On several obedience discussion groups it was brought up that the upcoming obedience trial in St. Louis was akin to the dog shows of yore due to the huge entries. I've not been in the sport long enough to regail such memories, however it was a treat to see the enormous classes and watch some really amazing teams. I do not envy the judges their long days and how to score such talent.
Moto and I were unspectacular this weekend. I let him down in Rally - one a handling error that cost us 10 points on Saturday, and another a handling error from the judges perspective which cost us another 10 points. In Wildcard it was Mr. Moto who was unspectacular, lagging quite a bit and not paying attention. In general, he hasn't learned that we are a team the whole time we are in the ring. I was grateful for the learning opportunity and looks like we'll be doing Rally until I see improvement. I was hoping to have him ready for the Sheltie Nationals next year but now I'm unsure about that. This handler gets too greedy and Moto really needs lots of time to mature. Heck, he may be FOUR before he's ready for the ring. The good thing, though, was he is not stressing and Kathy said his tail wagged the entire time in the ring. That's good!
Pinch, on the other hand, had a fantastic weekend. I was so glad I brought him. He was held by many, walked by a few, met tons of dogs and in general was a great little traveler. I was worried about him squealing in his crate and he uttered nary a peep all weekend. He peed and pooped in new places and was thrilled by all the new sights and sounds. Kathy says I'm right on track with my training so I'm very happy about that.
The two-room suite at the hotel was awesome. I felt like a princess. The pups had ample room to have many good games of chase. I was particularly grateful for this opportunity with a pup as he really needed the room to run after being cooped up all day at the dog show.
While I would have loved some ribbons, I went for the learning experience and learning I got. I give our weekend an A.

Off to the shows!

Bags are packed, crates loaded. Bringing a puppy to a dog show is like bringing a baby: there's chew toys, lots of extra crates and lots of interesting new toys that he won't see until Moto and I enter the ring. Hopefully this will keep him quiet while we're in there. I bought a fancy new soft crate for Pinch, the kind with shades that can be rolled down so he can't see out (again, hoping this will help keep him quiet while Moto and I are competing).
I'm nervous as this is my first on the road dog show in years. We are just in Wildcard Novice but it's our first step towards "real" competition. I'm also nervous about driving in St. Louis rush hour which is never pleasant, but everything is especially scary since the car accident.
On the plus side I am SO excited about the entries! The B classes are huge with 40+ dogs in each class. I can't wait to see who shows up, and am looking forward to seeing many great dog/handler teams.
Then there's our hotel. When I booked it I'd asked for a first floor room. When I re-confirmed I was not on the first floor. Dog show people like first floors because it's hard to schlep all our stuff and dogs up and down stairs and elevators and avoid it at all cost. When I asked why, the clerk said I had such a low rate there simply weren't any rooms at my rate on the first floor. When I said I would be flexible about the room (hey it's just me and my dogs, I don't care if there is just 1 bed or multiple bed) he said he wanted me to be happy and booked me a 2-room suite! Complete with coffee maker, fridge and micro. Life is good!
I'm clueless how Moto will do. These will be near perfect ring conditions so it will be a good test to see where he is at. I'm also looking forward to exposing Pinch to show conditions and traveling with these two. Moto and Pinch are best friends and should enjoy being on the road together. It's reminiscent of the Dusty and Shiloh days. Only thing different here is Dusty has always loved to snuggle and demanded Shiloh the puppy be in his crate with him. I'd purchased a large crate and the two used to cuddle together at the shows. I think Moto would be the same way but his sheer size would demand too large (translation: expensive) a crate to accomodate the two.
I hope to have a glowing report after the weekend. My goal with Moto is that he remains focused and gives a good effort in his Wildcard runs. We also have Rally Novice to do in case he needs reminders of what his job is. My goal with Pinch is that he enjoys travelling.
Off we go - ROAD TRIP!

Puppy Training

I am SO enjoying having a baby dog in the house right now. He brings happiness into the household with his puppy antics. He loves learning and literally begs to work. I'm looking forward to a private lesson this weekend with Kathy and Gary to see if I'm on track with him and of course get their training tips and advice.
One new thing I've been doing with him is the precursor to scent work, and also helps (in my opinion) grow his problem-solving skills and puppy IQ. Besides that, it's a blast to do. I have a series of tiny tupperware bowls. First he learned that one bowl has a treat in it. Then I'd add two bowls, one of which had the treat. We've gone up to 4 and he has to look for it. I saw an article from Connie Cleveland in the current issue of Front and Finish and it looks like I can evolve this game into the article search when he gets older. I haven't read it thoroughly yet but it looks like a fun way to teach article work to a young dog. It's so much fun to see the pleased body language Pinch gives me when he finds the treat. He just thinks it's the funnest game ever.
Moto is coming along in his heeling work. I'm anxious to see what he will do in St. Louis. We haven't trained as hard as I'd like due to bad weather and Shiloh's health. On our side is the fact that Moto doesn't do well with lots of training anyway. I still believe his big huggable self is in my life not to be the OTCH I hope he might eventually be, but to do the therapy work which seems to be an innate part of his personality. I find when the chips are down that hugging him is the best comfort I can get.

How do you know when to say good-bye?

Shiloh took a turn for the worse last night, and was up and vomiting throughout most of the night. Just his saliva, no food. When we did finally get to sleep the thunderstorms rolled through, more vomiting, which woke up the puppy, who had to potty. Shiloh and I both were limp rags through today. I am stumbling-exhausted, fuzzy-thinking.
I called our vet and updated her and we had "the talk" about it being up to me now about making the quality of life decision. I'm not convinced Shiloh is ready to go, but on the other hand I don't see much fight in him either.
He can eat, he can poop but is that quality of life? He is deaf, his rear legs give way and my active OCD barky dog is just a shadow of his former self. He does have some moments such as his nightly teddy bear obsessive chat, but most of his days are spend in a deep sleep or just wandering aimlessly in the yard.
We can still up his meds 2 more times, and the vet said there is some other medicine we can add to hopefully help bring him back. We will try those things of course.
But - if they don't work - he is so young. How do you know when it's right or fair to let a beautiful young dog cross the Bridge? Is he suffering right now? It is very hard to tell.
I just hope that Shiloh gives me some sort of sign either way. I'll mortgage the house if he wants to live. I just need to know what the right thing is to do.

Getting a New Groove On

Adding a new puppy to the pack wasn't as hectic as I'd anticipated. In fact, it's been amazingly smooth. I don't know if it's because we have two younger dogs for Pinch to play with, or that his personality fits in with the pack, but things are rolling along very nicely, thank you.
What needs tweaking is the training schedule. Training two dogs at one time - for me anyway - is challenging. Pinch seems to need to work immediately upon awakening. He's alert and hungry. And he's a puppy so we're not talking a big investment of time, just little short sessions that are a complete blast. I showed hubby his "tricks" htis morning - utility signals (lured with food) and that he's learning some verbal commands without a food lure (right now just the sit but the down is coming along), heeling a few steps with a food lure, the "watch" command and he can do the nose to hand touch verbally. Erik asked if he's advanced for his age and I don't think so. He just likes to learn so I'm just doing what he seems capable of.
I was disappointed not to go to puppy class last night - stoopid storms made travel unsafe - as I really need a bit of structure and an agenda to follow. Now I have to wait two more weeks dangit!
But I digress. Training schedule. So Pinch gets trained right away, and if the weather is good then it's Moto's turn. Or vice versa. Sometimes I put Pinch in his crate to watch as Moto gets trained. Pinch screams and claws at the crate but his "lesson" is to learn it's not always his turn. I love those mornings as we're all trained by 6:00 a.m.
More often than not though the weather hasn't been nice so little Pinch gets trained as it can be indoors and easy and I struggle to find time for Moto. Moto is entered in Wildcard Novice in a few weeks. I'm anxious to see where we are at and how prepared he is to enter the ring. I really, really want to have him enter a "real" obedience class at the Sheltie Nationals next year. But to do so, he'll need to have been in several shows previously as there is no way I want the Nationals to be his debut.
So, I need to get a new groove on. Once I can reorganize my training schedule, hopefully I can get back to exercising regularly too. When you get to be my age, WHOA do things deteriorate fast! And the gravitational pull in later life seems to be a bit stronger. I'll just leave it at that.

Ten Years Ago Today

Ten years ago today, I got an early morning email from breeder Linda that six puppies, all with nice markings, had been born. Ten weeks later I came home with Shiloh and the rest is history.
When I awoke this morning and realized it was his birthday I immediately was reduced to tears. Not much of a celebration as deafness, injury and illness has reduced my rock star dog to a shell of his former self.
As I began making the morning meal for my six-pack a wonderful thing happened: Shiloh got a tug toy and threw it at my feet, demanding a game. I haven't seen this since his illness. We had a good game of tug complete with his usual vocalizations (this dog can talk like no other). Not wanting to overdo it I resumed making breakfast and he watched, alert and tail wagging. It's been a long time since I've seen that.
After breakfast and his treatment given he needs to sit upright for 10 minutes and have his throat massaged. Previously he's lain in my arms like a limp rag. This time, he sat completely upright on his own with me just supporting him under his arms. He looked around the entire time. The big change is because we upped his medication yesterday....WOW what a difference. I hope this continues. It would be wonderful to have my flamboyant boy back.
I should have been giving Shiloh a birthday present, but instead he gave me one. Dogs are just so wonderful that way!

Fireflies

I'm extremely grateful to all who have called, emailed and given hugs while we struggle with Shiloh's disease.  Dog people are just the BEST!
As with Sunny, my childhood dog who is featured in the book "Tails From Beyond", I am blessed with support from the Other Side:
During the worst of it when I was up practically all night with my very sick dog, at one point I looked out the window into the night.  There was a blinking light, so very pretty, in an unusual spot.  It wasn't the airport, it was in a different direction.  While I was trying to figure out perhaps if it was a plane, the firefly took flight.  It was sitting on the screen.  So beautiful.  But I am a doubter of Signs sometimes, and I said to myself Self, I would like something more significant if this really is a Sign.  Went downstairs to turn on the radio and lo and behold, Paul Simon's song "Father and Daughter" comes on the radio - just the final chorus:
I'm gonna watch you shine
I'm gonna watch you grow
Gonna paint a sign
So you'll always know
That one and one is two.....
And there'll never be another father
Who loves his daughter
The way that I love you.
Even from Heaven, Dad lends his comfort.  I am so moved by this act of love.
Next day the drug arrives.  Shiloh is showing signs of improvement.  We are not out of the woods yet, but we are making our way.
Thanks, Dad.  I love you too.

Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down

My absence from this blog is for the saddest reason - Shiloh began vomiting a few days ago.  Rushed to the vet fearing a blockage only to find out something far worse:  he has a rare disease called Myasthenia Gravis.  It affects the esophagus, causing it to enlarge, and also affects the muscles, particularly the rear end.  At this writing he has lost the ability to swallow and his rear end is failing him.  Medication is on the way but has to be ordered and delivered.  It could arrive as early as this afternoon or it could be a few days.  This medication - while it has proven to be effective - takes a minimum of 1 week up to a few months before it builds up in the system and starts working.  We are now in a race for his life.  Meantime we are to feed him soft food and then he is to be held upright for 10 minutes while we massage his throat to help the food pass the esophagus.  If the disease does not kill, aspiration can.  I have a call into our vet suggesting a feeding tube.  This might be a logical option.  But, there is nothing we can do to help his rear end control.  He is deteriorating rapidly and can only walk a few steps before his rear gives out.  I hope the medication arrives quickly and I am not forced to make a Quality of Life decision.
This morning I woke up so angry as I looked at all my dogs:  Dusty 15, healthy for his advanced age but a bit senile with deteriorating eyesight; Shiloh with a horrible rare disease that causes great suffering; Blitz with his awful disease which is slowly disfiguring his body.  It is so unfair that God has given me 2 wonderful dogs and then said "here are two rare diseases so you can watch your dogs slowly suffer and die."  I took Pinch and Moto outside to walk it off - Pinch is just the best puppy and watching him romp you can't help but smile.  And I know now why God send Moto to me and that is he is to be MY therapy dog.  As I sat there, head buried in my hands, Moto did what he does best and that is come up and quitely lean against me, offering his body for comfort.  Hugging that big furry body and accepting his earnest doggie kisses is the best therapy that I know of. 
Having a tiny puppy during a time like this can be difficult but I am grateful for the happy diversion of watching him explore and see the world for the first time.  Our puppy training sessions are joyful and I am thankful he is in my life.
We have a long hard road ahead.  I pray I do what is right for Shiloh.  But on the positive side - if it does take effect he can have a complete recovery and go on to live a normal life.  I just hope this happens in time before too much is lost.

Pinch's First Day

Wow, things have been going far better than expected.  Pinch slept through the night (to bed at 9 and up at 5) and hasn't peed or pooped in the house....yet.  He's a very busy boy and loves to interact with people and I was thrilled to see he is already offering behaviors to get praise.  He seems to understand Sit already and we are working on the down next. 
This morning we left at 7:30 am to go for the first herding lesson of the season.  We brought Moto, Daisy and Pinch.  Moto did OK and actually better than expected in the small pen, which he typically does not like working in.  Daisy of course was great - she's a BC.  Pinch watched the goings-on with great interest so we brought him in with one of her bottle-fed sheep to see how he would react to seeing a sheep up close and personal.  Not so much - but he had great fun chasing Cathy's boots, smelling and licking sheep poop, and he did bounce after the sheep for about 3 seconds.  I don't think he'll be much of a herding dog but we'll give him lots of exposure and see if the ol' instinct kicks in. 
It's amazing how quickly he is just fitting right in.  Moto and Blitz are already playing with him and I think Daisy will be next.  Shiloh is disgusted with all puppies and Dusty is tolerable of him as long as his naps are not disturbed.  Moto is just the best dog - he held out a tug toy for Pinch to play with, and ever so gently played tug with him. 
So we are off to a wonderful start.  He's sleeping now which gave me this chance to get on the computer.  Peace and quiet won't reign for long though so it's time to sign off and get laundry done!

Pinch Has Arrived!

It's been a wonderful day, and even thought I was prepared, I've forgotten how exhausting puppies can be!  OK, maybe I'm just getting old(er). 
The breeders did their usual fantastic job socializing him and the ride home was uneventful.  Once home we brought him to a neutral spot (the front acreage) and one by one he met each of the dogs, beginning with Dusty and ending with Moto.  Dusty didn't care, Shiloh practically said "not ANOTHER one!!!" Daisy was maternal, Blitz initially was growly and Moto and he hit it off immediately.  Then into the house and into the puppy pen where he could observe and be observed and everyone was safe.  That lasted about five minutes and then he wanted OUT!  I gave it a try and the result was puppy skitters followed by Blitz and Moto having a grand old time.
He's so far pottied outside every time, no accidents yet.  I have to say he is everything I could ever want in a puppy.  Just dying to learn and explore and great social skills with dogs and humans.  I'm very, very impressed and excited about our future.
But one day (or minute) at a time.  The true test will be his first night in his new crate.  I'm hoping for some sleep, good thing tomorrow is a holiday!
Pics or movies to come but it may be awhile as he is very fast and it's hard to capture more than a blur!

Pupperations

Here's a picture of Pinch taken from our visit on Sunday.  It was one of the few that wasn't a blur.  He's 8 weeks old now and very full of himself.  Even though it's been "just" 2 years since we last had a puppy, our homestead is no longer puppy-proofed.  Along with the basic hide-the-wires-and-get-stuff-away-from-eye-level things, we need to line our deck with puppy-proofed fencing as a little guy can squeeze between the rails and sky dive to the patio below.  We need to baby gate the stairs.  We need to make a Safe Area in the kitchen where puppy can see all going on around him without hurting anything or himself. 
I'm trying to be fully prepared as this is an action-packed little guy.  He'll need to wear a collar all the time so I can quickly attach a leash.  In the back yard I'm not sure yet if he can wriggle through the squares in the fence or under the gate.  We're in the country so we need to worry for awhile about hawks and owls, and always coyotes.  In our lives a 100% recall is MANDATORY.  On our nightly walks around our property, Dusty and Shiloh remain on leash.  Dusty because he is a bit senile now and wanders off on his own, and Shiloh because he is stone deaf and if he decided to leave the pack it could be disastrous.  The other three have amazingly good recalls.  But I digress.  Let's get back to the collar.  Yes, I know I bought him a beautiful purple-and-black velvet-lined collar.  It's too good to be worn daily.  That's for when I'm parading him around to the oohs and aaahs of people out in public.  So he needed an "every day" collar, which led me to a PetSmart expedition.  I found a simple little one and was ready to purchase it when I went by some really pretty ones.  I find I enjoy finding accessories for a black dog.  There was a lovely little black collar with diamonds on it.  Oooooh, shiny. It was only a few dollars.  Had to have it.  OK, all my leashes are brown.  Had to find a matching black leash.  I couldn't bear thinking of my new puppy in an "old" crate so had to get a new one.  Then of course had to get a bed.  Oh, and here's some cute toys.  You get the idea, one thing led to another and PetSmart extracted quite a bit out of my wallet.  God help me once he's ready to show as all my show clothes are for brown dogs. But the house and home are readying for our new arrival.  Our home and lives will be turned upside down for awhile as everyone's way of life is disrupted.  I can't wait!