Hello.....and Good-bye

It's Mother's Day 2012, and I should be in day 3 of an obedience trial.  Instead I'm at home ruminating over new beginnings and, once again, facing having to let go of some goals.
Day 1 of the Obedience weekend began with our Sheltie specialty.  Moto was in Open B and Pinch entered in Novice B.  Moto's run was not good.  No "up" attitude as he slogged through the exercises.  When we came back from out of sight sits I was almost relieved to see he had gone down on the sit.  That was our 2nd attempt at an Open leg, and our 2nd NQ. 
Pinch really isn't ready for competitive Novice but I'd entered him to support our club.  He had a nice run but I knew it wasn't high scoring.  As it turned out, it had tied with the winner from both the Open B and Open A class for High In Trial.  We had a very unusual (especially for a specialty) 3-way runoff for HIT.  What happened in our runoff was one of those Lifetime Memories.  Everything just came together.  While we were in the ring I was marvelling at how good the run was going.  Pinch was right there with me, and under the pressure he was giving me everything he had.  Regardless of what the judge saw I was so happy with him I could hardly contain my emotions.  As it turned out we won that runoff and here is the subsequent picture.  It's been a long time since I've had a moment like that.  As Pinch's career and story begins that will be up there with something I will remember the rest of my life.  I'll look at the rosette and remember that run.  What an absolute treasure to have.
Yesterday (Saturday) just Moto was entered in Open B.  His run was even more dismal than Friday's.  Outside the ring we'd tugged and played.  His eyes were bright when we entered the ring.  Our first exercise was Retrieve On Flat.  I threw the dumbbell.  I sent him.  He trotted out to the dumbbell, stopped halfway, turned and looked back at me as if to say "do I really HAVE to do this?"  We completed our run and did sits and downs.  We stayed through the end of the class to watch an up-and-comer from the A classes win.  I was very thrilled for her.  However during this entire time I thought about Moto and the way he looked at me.  And you know what?  My answer to him is No, you don't have to do it.  I love you just the way you are.  You have your own, very different gifts that you bring into my life.  Obedience is not one of them.  Oh yes, we may do some rally and some non-comp classes in the future, but his time for competing for titles is over.  Why do that to him and myself?
Which brings me to the good-bye.  This blog is titled Five Dogs and a Blonde.  There are no longer five dogs.  There will never again be five dogs.  The Theme of this blog was life with five (and temporarily six) dogs, and to track Moto's training progress.  With both those themes absent, there is really no more purpose to continue writing it.
So many things have happened in the 3+ years of writing here.  The really bad things - losing my brother-in-law to cancer and the car accident.  The really good things - two grandbabies entered my life.  I've enjoyed and learned so much along the way.
It's interesting to note that the bedroom walls have that new coat of paint.  It's just a gorgeous color of creamy blue.  Hubby surprised me with it when I came home on Friday.  No sooner had I taken down old memories when a wonderful new memory was ready to go up on that fresh coat of paint.  Coincidence?  I think not.
In closing, while I'm saying good-bye to one chapter in my life, I have a new chapter beginning with Pinch's obedience journey.  As with all things in life, it is a bittersweet Mother's Day today.  Even as I write this, Moto is sidled up next to me, doing his "pirate growls".  I think he feels the release to be who he really is.  Pinch is on the other side of this chair, snuggled as tight as he can possibly be.  He knows I need him, and he's telling he he'll be right here.  Dogs are amazing creatures.

In loving memory of Westwind Destiny (Dusty), and Northlight Dances with Wool (Shiloh)

Gone from this life but forever in my heart

Memory Serves Me Right

The time has come and the Walls of Fame have come down.  Yes, I cried.  A lot.  There were a lot of holes that needed filling in and a lot of primer before we even begin painting these walls.  Memories are stored safely away in plastic bins.

What amazed me most was, I have a bad memory.  I can hardly remember what happened yesterday, much less years ago.  But it seems to be different when it comes to dog shows.  Those big ribbons on the wall were really easy to remember.  Shiloh had a "blue ribbon drawer" where I kept his first place ribbons.  He won lots of times, and in many venues - obedience agility (those were the most), conformation, and herding.  When I went through the blue ribbon drawer I could pull out any ribbon from any venue and remember the story of each first place, how that run went, and sometimes even who placed in the class with me.  I remembered the venue, what it was like there, and the entire experience of that day.  So many happy memories.

Most of Dusty's first place ribbons came from the veteran's classes.  He had a long and happy Veteran obedience career.  Those ribbons are every bit as precious as those pretty blue ones.  Shiloh's first "first" that counted towards his OTCH blue ribbon was encased in a plastic baggie.  Dusty's last Veteran's class ribbon was also in a plastic baggie.  Both of those memories are as if they were yesterday.

And now the painting begins - what a chore.  My daughter loves to paint; wish she were here to help out, I don't enjoy it a single bit, nor am I as good at it as she is.

Looking forward to putting new holes in the wall from Pinch and Moto, much to the exasperation of my husband!

Using Compulsion

Sometimes, you just gotta do it - you have to use compulsion to make a point with your dog.  Moto had it happen to him at the fun match this weekend.  While I try to be mostly positive, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to give a correction, and even more thrilled with the way things turned out.
Moto was in the Open class, and just as we entered the ring there were several loud claps of thunder.
Moto does not like thunder.  He isn't terrified of it, but it does put him on "alert".  His ears were up and he was quickly surveying the ring.  I paused before entering, giving him simple things to do (pivots) and treating.  It worked somewhat.
First exercise was Retrieve on Flat.  I threw the dumbbell.  I sent Moto.  He went halfway, paused, and decided that was as far as he could go.  Running forward, I put my hand under his collar, we ran to the dumbbell, I gave him a light ear pinch and said "take it" (he did), ran backward, release.  Repeat throwing the dumbbell.  This time he did a beautiful job.  Good boy!
Next:  Drop On Recall.  I called.  He came.  Signal for the down.  No, he did not want to do that, he paused, and began a death march in.  Not good enough.  Back to where I said the Down command, pushed him into a Down, set up again.  This time his drop was a thing of beauty.  He came in after the down nice and crisp.  Good boy!
The rest of the run was qualifying.  It wasn't magnificent but he gave effort the rest of the time.  That's all I ever ask for. 
What was thrilling about it was a) having the opportunity to get in a correction, which is why fun matches are SO important; and b) the fact that Moto understood the correction and the job at hand, and did well after the correction.
Two weeks until our next Obedience trial.  Moto is entered in Open all three days.  I'd like for him to qualify 2 of the 3 days, and enjoy his time in the ring with me all three days.  That is our goal.

A Perfect Training Opportunity

I've learned from watching great trainers about seizing training opportunities as they happen.  Normally for me it's just little things but today was the BEST training opportunity EVER!
My training sessions depend on weather and what we need to work on.  Today it was far too windy to set up jumps so I decided precision heeling and "find heel" would be the work of the day.  The cold and windy weather was sending Pinch over the edge and precision was a tough assignment for him.  I believe he's in the Teen-Age/hormonal stage and I watch carefully for frustration and make sure he's absorbing what I'm trying to show him.  Here's a dog that will work his heart out and wants very much to be right; trying to keep him from a Fun Explosion is my challenge.
Moto was up next.  What's new and exciting for this guy is when he's on a down/stay waiting his turn, he's beginning to whimper and bark - he WANTS his turn NOW!  Very exciting and a new behavior for Mr. Moto.  He did his precision stuff just fine.  Now on to some heeling to test what we've just done.  Everything is going OK until all of a sudden he just leaves me and takes off!  Turns out our neighbor's dog has come by for a visit.  Mind you we are inside our fenced yard (which is cattle fencing so they have a clear view of our and neighboring property).  All our dogs love the neighbor dog which runs free 24/7, in fact I frequently bring her into our yard to join in and play.  Or if we're walking our property she comes and joins us.  It's a love fest all around.  But this time was different - Moto was working and he just plain abandoned me.  He got a strong correction for that and a collar scruff back into heel position.  He returned to heel, but he was focused on Shadow.  I did an abrupt about-turn which he completely missed.  Another collar scruff back into position.  Things were fine for a bit as Shadow sat to watch the show.  I took advantage and heeled toward her then turned left - CLUNK went Moto's head into my knee.  He got the message.  After that he understood his job and I had some of the best heeling I've ever gotten from him.  I was absolutely thrilled.
Now, if someone will please bring Shadow to the next show and place her ringside we'll be in great shape!

Moving Forward

I received a thought-provoking article written by a club member for publishing in our club's newsletter (I'm the editor). It's about being stuck between grieving for a beloved dog with whom you accomplished a lot and beginning again with a new dog. The person writes that the Fire in the Belly, the excitement, is pretty much gone for now, but they hope they'll find it again with the new pup.
I've heard that a lot lately from other folks, too. I'm glad for this article as I think a lot of people will relate to it.
Maybe it's our age. All of us have already had and lost our very first performance dogs, and are now on to our 2nd, 3rd or even 4th dog. And everyone I've spoken to, it's the loss of that first dog that is the hardest.
I definately can agree with that. While losing Shiloh - my dog who handed my my OTCH dream - was tragic, I seemed to be able to move forward with my training and showing. Not that I didn't grieve, mind you. Maybe it's because I have his son Moto that helped me through that hard time. It was losing Dusty that completely knocked the wind out of my sails. Moving through this grieving phase has been harder and longer. I'm not as emphatic about training. It's been a very difficult, sad part of my life, moving forward without my Dusty in it.
So being "stuck" is a very easy place to be in. Grieving is such a personal thing and everyone moves through it at a different way and pace. Losing two dogs so close together has made it very hard. When they all were alive I enjoyed having six dogs. Now I realize that, if life goes in its normal progression, I'm going to have to say good-bye four more times. Having dogs is the best part of my life but it's also the hardest.
I'm slowly readying the computer room for that coat of paint. I think in a few more weeks I'll be strong enough to finally take down those ribbons, pictures and trinkets Dusty and Shiloh have won over the years and gather their life stories into containers.
Then, maybe then, that fire in the belly will return. I look at Pinch and know he deserves the very best I can give him. He's ready for many adventures.
Moto has taken over as Heart Dog and stands at the ready to offer his big fuzzy body for comfort. He's really, really good at it.
Life is for living and I have four dogs deserving of all good things. Dusty and Shiloh wouldn't want me to be sad. As my article-writer said, they look forward to watching their new dog's performance in the ring returning a smile to their face.
I look forward to that, too.

Becoming Show Ready

I haven't shown competitively since 2006. To say I'm itching to step back into the show ring is an understatement. However, doing so when my dog is not ready would not make it a fun experience for either of us. I must be patient and do my homework and correctly assess when my dogs are ready. Here's the current status of Moto and Pinch.
Pinch
Here is a Star in the Making, but when the wheels come off, they come off big-time. I learned that showing him at the UKC trials. While each dog is different boy I've never had a dog quite like him. He's a blast to train, he's fun to show but he likes to examine ALL the parameters of every exercise, and all the parameters of each building block of each exercise. So everything, absolutely EVERYTHING, needs to be ring-tested before this dog is ready. Just when I've got one thing nailed down, there's something else that needs fixing. And some things need to be done every day to get it into muscle memory. I really and truly don't have enough time to do all the things that need to be done every day with this dog. I was hoping to bring him out in the spring, and now it's been delayed to fall. It may push back even further as he may need to mature. I'm impatient! It's hard.
Moto
Here's a dark horse that is emerging. I was absolutely thrilled with his Open B debut. He NQ'd by refusing to go over the high jump, as he decided he just didn't want to do it right then. BUT! His attitude was great. The judge told me afterward: "he broke a lot of hearts by NQ'ing. He's a lovely dog." MOTO! That was a wonderful thing to hear. No, he wouldn't have won the class. He wouldn't have even placed. That's not my goal with him. It's to have fun, and we did. People enjoyed watching us. That is winning. We'll try again at our upcoming Sheltie specialty in May. He still needs some tweaking, but that's really it. I'm seeing an attitude and intensity I've never seen in him before. While we may not have thrilling run-offs and placements, my excitement will come from watching an unsure, low-confidence, low-drive dog put forth effort and realize he IS a Good Boy and he CAN do it. What a valuable lesson we both are learning.
I'm being stretched as a trainer having two completely different dogs to train. It will be very interesting when they both are in the Open and Utility B classes together and I'll have to quickly switch gears and approaches to performance success on the fly.
I hope I can be a Good Trainer and know I CAN do it!

Time for Walls to Come Down

The bouquets are beginning to fade and the cards fall down along the mantle. It's getting time to gather up the sympathy cards people have sent for Dusty, and in a few more days, the flowers will need to go away, too. I just hate to do that as these items seem to keep Dusty closer to me.
Same with the "Walls Of Fame". In the computer room, there is one wall that was dedicated to Shiloh's pictures, certificates and ribbons, and the other wall was for Dusty. I sit here at the computer and look at these walls and it just reminds me that my precious dogs are now Bridgekids, and these are just memories now.
This room could use a fresh coat of paint, and to do so, it's time to take these things down. Each boy has his own large container in which to put all these things, along with all their paperwork. I was going through Dusty's and saw his hand-typed contract that started with "You have purchased a Westwind Shetland Sheepdog..." dated 1995. So much has changed since that happy day when I brought my very first puppy home.
But when you walk down life's road there are changes.
And, putting away my boys' things, while many tears will be shed, will make room for good things to come: Moto and Pinch both need a wall, and now there will be room for them.
Here's to saying thank you and good-bye to lives well-lived and very much loved, and hello to promising new adventures with my young ones.

Where's Front?

Our club's obedience trial is over with and I'm finally catching up on some rest. I stewarded and showed at all three trials. Some very valuable lessons were learned.
Moto is really, really coming along nicely. Except for one thing: if he's unsure of something rather than try, he just won't do it. This led to an NQ for our Open B debut. His NQ came from refusing to go over the jump on the Retrieve Over High. He went to the jump, started to gather, then just....stopped. He did this in Wildcard Open at the earlier trial, but I'd made him go over so thought the problem was fixed. Apparently not. I didn't want him to think this was acceptable under any circumstances so risked an excusal by giving a second command and a step forward. The judge gave me a warning but we did get to finish the remaining exercises, of which Moto did very well. Sit and Stays out of sight - no problem! Good boy!
He will still balk at the ROH in different circumstances so this is something we will need to train as I do NOT want him to think refusing a jump is an option.
Pinch just showed in Wildcard Novice which turned out to be a good thing. He's still very much a baby dog when it comes to showing. He was reasonable at Show #1 but not great (score was a 196). In Show #2 with no time to warm up, I had to peel him off the ceiling he was so hyper. The heel off lead was a disaster. And the recall was his what I call a "recall splat" where he's coming in so fast he has no time to gather for a front and just body slams me and lands wherever. Oh, my. While I love having a happy dog in the ring, I would prefer happy AND focused, which is something Mr. Pinch is still not quite capable of.
So the training continues.
If you show in Obedience, you know your bread in butter is Fronts and Finishes. Both dogs need more dedication in the front, especially Pinch. When testing him I discovered he really doesn't completely understand the exercise. And doing front after front can become boring, but we need to practice. So I came up with a game called "where's your front?" He gets as excited about this game as a game of ball which is awesome! I ask the question, place him on a sit, and stand somewhere with either guides or sticks and do a recall. He has to find front to get the party celebration. This is helping him to realize that not only does he have to come in quickly, he HAS to find front as well. It also works great as a set-up, as when the judge will say "and now for the recall" I can say "where's your front?" and set him up and he'll know the game.
Now, to see if this game can be Ring-Tested.
Stay tuned.

Tails From Beyond

Here is the story of my childhood dog, Sunny, a chapter from the book "Tails From Beyond" - a story of afterlife contacts of our pets by Dr. Ann Redding. This is part of why Dusty was so very special. I also take comfort in knowing that somehow, somewhere, I will see him again.

SUNNY
"The bonds of love between ourselves and our pets live on as we journey to the other side. Love bonds, no matter with whom, always continue."—James Van Praagh

When my parents finally yielded to my persistent begging for a dog, I was 10 years old. They had deemed me old enough and sufficiently responsible to take care of a pet.

My dream was to own a purebred Corgi. Since that was beyond our financial means, we decided to check out the pound. As destiny would have it, there was a Corgi-mix up for adoption. He was the cutest thing I had ever seen. The young dog had been found wandering on the side of a road. Needless to say, we adopted him. I named him “Sunny” because of his happy disposition.

At last I had my dog. I remember sitting in the hallway petting him and thinking, “This relationship and bond of love is forever!”

That was 40 years ago. And although I have had other dogs since then, Sunny was the most significant dog of my life. That’s primarily because we went through so much together: my childhood, the early and tragic death of my father, my marriage, the birth of my daughter and, sadly, my divorce.

During my difficult marriage and divorce, I thought it would be best for Sunny to go and live with my mother. It just so happened at that time my mother needed comfort and companionship, adjusting to my father’s death. When things finally settled down—and I had a job and could support my daughter—I sent for Sunny.

I’ll never forget that crucial discussion with my mother over the move. At first, my mother said, “I really would hate for you to move Sunny. He’s older now . . .it’s going to be hard for him to adjust to a new home.” Then when I persisted in taking him to live with me, my mother finally confessed, “I need him.”

Well, that ended the conversation. Sunny continued living with my mother in the home where we both grew up.

Time glided on, and Sunny reached 16. He seemed to be in good health, but was slowing down. Then one day, I received an upsetting phone call from my mother: Sunny had stopped eating and drinking. All he wanted to do was lay in his favorite spot, even though he could still walk. My mom took him to the vet, who assured her Sunny was not suffering—but that he was ready to go. It was just a matter of time.

When I went to visit him, despite his weakened state, his eyes still lit up and that long tail of his slowly thumped on the ground. Though somewhat feebly, he growled and grumbled, as he always did to greet me. I stayed with him all that day and through the night, with him sleeping in the crook of my arm. It was like the old days, when I was growing up. The next morning, after a tearful hug, I left to return home. It was the last time I would ever see my lifelong friend alive.

After-Life Contact

The next night after leaving Sunny, a rather persistent knock at my front door awakened me. It was around 2:15 am. “Who could be knocking on my door at this hour?” I wondered. For some reason, I had a sense that an old man was outside demanding to be let in. Without hesitation, I ran to open the door. No one was there. “What on earth is going on?” I thought.

Then the unmistakable sense of someone inside my house overpowered me. “Wait a minute . . . the old man is inside my house!”

Quite agitated, I looked everywhere, going through all the closets, checking behind the shower curtain, and even looking up at the ceilings! No one was there. Finally I went back to bed, but found it difficult to sleep. I could still sense a presence in my house.

At 5 am, my phone rang. It was my mother, in tears. She told me that a few hours earlier, Sunny had died peacefully in his sleep. I quickly realized the presence I had been feeling previously was none other than Sunny. Apparently, “Old Man” Sunny had visited me one last time before crossing the Rainbow Bridge. It was this precious understanding that helped me cope with losing my first dog.

But that was not the end of his visits. Years later, I finally felt ready to get another dog, even though Sunny still lingered in my mind. Eventually I found my new pup, a Sheltie whom I named "Dusty". I brought him home, wondering if I would love him as much as Sunny. About one month later, Sunny came and visited me in a powerful dream.

In my dream, I went back home to visit my mother. Now in real life, she is still here with us, but in the dream she appeared much younger. My mother was wearing her hair long again, swept up in a bun—just like she did when I was growing up. Glowing with happiness, my mother told me she had a big surprise for me. Entering my bedroom, I noticed it was decorated like it was during my childhood.

Now for the big finale! Running down the hallway—barking, grumbling and talking as he always did—came my beloved Sunny. “Sunny!” I yelled, as he leaped into my arms. I could feel his weight when he jumped and smell him again. The best thing of all was touching him again, feeling his rough fur. My joy was so profound, I moaned loudly and woke myself up.

The dream with Sunny was so real . . . he had to have been there with me. Afterward, I recall feeling sad because now that I was awake, Sunny was gone. But I was reassured he had contacted me when I looked down. There, nestled in the crook of my arm (the very spot where Sunny used to sleep) lay my new puppy. Leave it to my dog on “the other side” to erase any doubts about my new dog on this side.

Through the subsequent years, there have been plenty of times when Dusty would do something exactly like Sunny. I usually smiled whenever that happened, knowing Sunny was checking in to say “hello.”

I'll close with this song that dear friend Glenda used to dedicate to her beloved dog Bailey when he passed recently. The words are perfect. As with Sunny and Dusty, I've Loved You For A Thousand Years, I'll Love You For A Thousand More.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHkvan-NFnM

Until we meet again, rest well, my love.

Dusty's Song

For the first time in 17 years, my day has begun without Dusty. He was my first Sheltie, my first performance dog, and along with that came a lot of other wonderful firsts, too many to list here. Now there are a lot of very sad firsts - last night was the first time he didn't sleep in my arms. I have to take my morning shower, which will wash his scent off of me forever.
Hubby has been very sweet and thoughtful and has tried to minimize the pain as much as he can, but even those acts of kindness bring tears. He laid out the bowls for the dogs' morning meal, but of course Dusty's was missing. Dusty had a little fenced-off area in the basement - covered with pillows and blankets - where he could rest undisturbed by the other dogs while I was at work. That is now gone.
Dusty's life with me began in a condo with a small back yard in California. I was a single girl then. For company he had a huge lop-eared bunny. They were best friends and frequently were cuddled together when I would come home from work. So many changes since then! I became hooked on the sport of Obedience and Herding, which led to Shiloh entering our lives, then of course all the other dogs. It breaks my heart that this blog is titled "Five dogs and a Blonde", but now there are only four. I am so glad I thoroughly enjoyed the brief time we had six dogs here, as we will never have that many at one time again.
I certainly didn't deserve a dog as good as he. As our vet said years ago during a routine check-up, "you can gaze in his eyes and see all the way to his soul, and it is pure." I learned far more from him as to how to be a good being than I ever could have taught him. Now I have to learn how to go on without him.
A few posts ago I wrote about how each dog has his own song. Dusty's song just happened on the radio as we drove home after winning our first ever herding High In Trial, and I was stunned to learn the song was titled "Companions" by David Arkenstone. Fortunately a friend videotaped our run and another friend scored it to that song. It is poor quality for which I apologize, from an old VHS tape, and then taped off of the TV. Seeing us run together again, me picking him up and he giving me kisses bring both smiles and tears right now. I'm so very glad to have this treasure memorialized forever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTkn9dUDhPo

Today is a dark and rainy day and the wall of water symbolize the tears that just keep coming. I am blessed to have had 17 wonderful years with my heart-dog. It just went by far too fast.

Front and Finish

Our next Obedience trial is coming up quickly. Pinch is entered in Wildcard Novice which is a good thing. Moto is in Wildcard Open for the first trial, and if all goes well he will debut in Open B at the second trial. There are two trials on Saturday.
Honestly, I don't know how I became so successful with Shiloh. And Blitz could have been amazing. But Moto and Pinch.....boy, training holes, and lots of them.
As I've always said it won't be fair to put a lot of work into Moto for several reasons. The biggest one is with him it's better to train smart than train long. He doesn't have the mental endurance for it. He IS capable of great accuracy, but you never know when he's going to feel up to putting in the effort.
Pinch could train every minute of every day. He is a blast to train and show. I learned from this past weekend I've not trained some of the basic building blocks enough: where "heel" is, and that danged front. Doodling, and lots of it, are in Pinch's future. And front games. He's not committed to finding front, nor is he committed to finding heel. I've got myself an out of the box thinker who does stuff none of my other dogs has done in the ring. He's not naughty by any means, he's just not making correct choices, and that's because I haven't shown him EXACTLY what those choices are.
Our goals for this next trial: Moto - be able to perform all the Open exercises with a good attitude.
Pinch: do a good front on the recall. Stay with Mom on the fast, off-leash. Be up and happy.
Me: remain the FUN mom who makes showing fun for both boys.
After next weekend, then focus on herding, and a possible AHBA trial in June.
Yup, Spring is here!

Weekend Report

Here's a picture of Pinch with his ribbons and toys from this weekend. No, we didn't burn up the Obedience ring in terms of winning classes and high scores, but we DID accomplish all the things I wrote about in previous blog posts. My head was in the right place, so there was nothing tentative about Pinch's performance. He WANTED to be in the ring and he was a blast to show. We had a great time this weekend and we have two U-CD legs to boot. He qualified all three times (3rd leg didn't count as it was the same judge, you have to have 3 legs under 2 different judges). Some training holes emerged but they are fixable ones. Pinch just needs more "seasoning" and a bit more maturity before he heads for Novice B. There was some silliness and some distractions that need to be worked on.

It's interesting to note that Pinch got the same score for his 3rd leg that Moto did; the difference was Moto - in Novice at least - was not a happy boy and just wanted to get it over with. I was absolutely devastated. With Pinch, well, he was having TOO much of a good time. He did the fast without me, briefly got "lost" before he caught back up to me for heeling. He flew over the high jump on the recall, started to go to a finish, caught himself, but just stood there. But then, when given the signal, lept into finish position. We did hand touches between exercises. He tugged with his leash. So while the score wasn't good, he did the best he could with what he knew. And he tried. He was up. He was happy. I'll call it a good day.

There was a fun match Saturday night and I worked Moto in Open. While a bit nervous in new surroundings he worked through it and turned in a very nice performance. He too did hand touches between exercises. His broad jump was just lovely.

It was a great weekend. Oh! The best part of course was snuggling with my two boys on the bed. Being wrapped in a lovely blanket of Sheltie was the best ever.

Now on to tweak our problem areas and begin some new training ideas!

It's a Head Game

Winning isn't always about skill, or who is the best. I believe a good part of winning is determination and grit.
I'm competitive. I like to win. But, in the sport of dog obedience (this probably applies to all other competitive venues) that blue ribbon isn't necessarily what constitutes winning.
Yes, I'm writing that, but I need to REMEMBER it. I can be my own worst enemy.
At a show n go recently Pinch didn't so very well. Someone was disassembling a wire crate with a series of loud BANGS, which distracted him. Lesson learned: teach Pinch how to recover from distractions and keep focused on the job. If we accomplish that, we have won.
Training with a friend the other day, Pinch failed the recall over the High (a UKC Novice exercise). Why? There was just one person instead of two. Pinch felt the pressure and ran around the jump, opposite side of where the one person was. Lesson learned: Pinch needs to learn to take the jump no matter if the picture is somewhat different. If we accomplish that, we have won.
Had a mini-run-through/private lesson prior to class last night. I was nervous and stiff. Pinch thought I was an alien (to quote Renee: "where was my FUN mom?") and lagged, went wide, sat crooked, and didn't respond to the down command. Lesson learned: get OVER myself and quit focusing on high scores!
I've been out of obedience competitively since Shiloh retired. I can go into the ring with Moto just fine, as I really just want him to have a good time and enjoy himself. Um, do you see what I just wrote? That is EXACTLY what I need to do with Pinch as well. See, I have high goals for Pinch. But he's unproven and while he does have potential I need to the same attitude with both dogs.
Take a deep breath.
Relax.
We are off on a really fun road trip.
Remember the previous blog post.
If Pinch is a happy, animated dog in the ring this weekend who tries his best, we have won. Regardless if we qualified. Regardless of the score.
Because, it's about the journey.
Note to myself: don't forget that!

Things to Remember Before the Show

Weather permitting, Pinch and I head off to our first Obedience trial this weekend. It's UKC, a new venue for us and I'm very excited to give it a try. I really want this to be a successful weekend. So, here's how I plan to do that:

- Remember I'm to be there for my dog. This is his first time in a real show, and he's going to take his cues how to behave from me.
- Be confident. We've done our homework.
- Set a reasonable goal for this weekend. What is that goal: to have FUN, and if I have fun, Pinch will enjoy his time in the ring.

Aside from that, this weekend I will see if Pinch is ready to enter AKC Novice this spring, or if we need to take a few steps back, retrain and let him gain some more maturity.

This is our first road trip in a very long time. Moto is coming too, for the travel experience and get used to different environments. He is REALLY coming along and coming into his own. He makes his Open B debut in just a few weeks. My goals with him are the same as above. He's not as green as Pinch, but he still needs to believe in himself and that he can do the job.

Hubby and I went to Trader Joe's this weekend, and I bought some "road food" for the upcoming weekend. S'mashing S'mores - check! Cheddar popcorn: check! Trail mix - check! One of the things I enjoy most about road trips are having a hotel room to myself, a rare treat. Moto and Pinch don't have to sleep in crates and get to snuggle on the bed with me. They both really like that. I'm almost as excited about that as going to the show.

So we have a few more days to train, then do laundry, pack, groom dogs, and off we go on what I hope will be a very fun adventure. I'd love for Pinch to get his U-UD some day, so it will be great fun to watch the other dogs.

Onward and forward to new frontiers!

The More I Train, the Less I Know

Sheesh.
That's all I can say. You'd think by this time in my life, after having trained several dogs, I should be an "expert" in Obedience training.
That couldn't be farther from the truth.
In fact, the more I train, the more I discover I need to learn, change, revamp, and rethink. I was truly blessed with Dusty as my Novice A dog. Dusty has the most sound temperament of any Sheltie I have ever met, and he's been that way from day 1. When we went for our 3rd Novice A leg our judge was in a wheelchair. Everyone in the class was freaking out about it. I didn't understand what the big deal was. Dusty didn't even flinch as she wheeled up to him for the stand for exam.
But now, with my subsequent Shelties, I understand WHY it was such a big deal.
Shiloh achieved his OTCH. Now with my other dogs in training, I come to realize I had a lot of luck, some miracles, and he just happened to peak when I needed him most to do so.
I've done a pretty good job training Moto, I believe. With him I've learned that it's not the titles that will bring the most rewards, it's having him just WANT to be in the ring with me and enjoy the experience. I will not care about placements or titles, it'll be about his attitude. If he's happy in the ring, that will be a good day.
I have very high hopes for good scores with Pinch. So with him it's really all about getting those nuts and bolts things down right. And that's where I'm realizing, boy, I have more to learn about Obedience than Pinch does. We didn't do so well at the fun match this past weekend. Moto did great. Pinch was very distracted by someone disassembling their wire crates. Lesson #1 for me: I need to teach him how to recover and continue doing his job. His about turns were wide. In working with him afterwards I realized I'd failed at lesson #2 that day: he truly doesn't understand heel position for the about turns.
We do have some shows coming up - UKC and Wildcard Novice - and I'll use those as a sounding board to see if and when he can debut in Novice this year. I hope to have a long, thrilling career with him and getting him out too early would not be a good thing.
Fortunately for me, both dogs are really enjoying their training sessions, so while I'm eager to get going and get out to shows, remembering "it's all about the journey" will be my mantra. Seeing their eyes bright and lips pulled back in happy smiles after our training lets me know that being patient is paying off in the long run.

Twenty-Four Years Ago

A Facebook friend and co-worker sent out a status update yesterday reminding us former ESL'ers take a moment to remember the victims of the shooting that occurred 24 years ago. While I will never forget the shooting, the actual date had slipped my mind. I cannot believe it's been 24 years since seven innocents were slaughtered just so a jilted lover could "get some attention."
Those of us who were at ESL that day will be forever changed by what happened.
By the time Richard Farley had been apprehended by the SWAT team, we had a good idea of who had not made it out of the building alive. However, the next day when the official word came out by way of our HR representatives tacking a piece of paper with the deceased names on it, seeing their names in print was really difficult. I'll never forget the faces of my co-workers as we gathered to read their names.
I'll also never forget that some of my friends were trapped in M5 as Farley walked from office to office, shooting whomever he found, walls, computers, anything that he could. As they escaped and made their way out, I cannot tell you the feeling of seeing them alive and all right. It cannot be described. One friend was in shock. He kept saying over and over "he walked right by me." We're very lucky he is still here today.
We had a public memorial at ESL to remember our coworkers. It was held in the parking lot of M5. ESL in those days had several buildings. I remember seeing all of us - about 3,000 - making that sad walk en masse to that memorial. I also resented all the TV cameras, ready to pounce and film anyone overcome by emotion.
A few months later a memorial garden outside of M5 was made, and yet another ceremony in honor of our fallen friends. There was a waterfall, a memorial stone with their names on it, and seven trees planted. Some of the family of those lost also attended. I still remember the looks on their faces as if it were yesterday, as the shock of how they lost their loved onces was still clearly etched on them.
Years had gone by, myself and the majority of us continued to work at ESL, but we were never the same. Due to the tragedy, the changing economy, a new president, the company began to struggle. Layoffs ensued, the company shrank, was merged with other businesses, the name changed, and then finally what was left moved to another location.
I'd already moved to Missouri when I learned M5 had been razed and a new building now stands where ESL used to be. A friend told me the memorial stone had been removed, but there was office space where the garden once was.
While I've been back to California many times, I've never been able to bring myself to see the new building that's on top of what I consider sacred ground. Some times progress really isn't.
To read more of the ESL trajedy, you can visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Farley

Dog Songs

Most couples have what they call "our song" - hubby and I do; but each of my dogs and I have "our song", too. Does dog owner have this? It seems for some of my friends, yes.
Music has always played a big part in my life. I play, or rather played, the piano. Certain moments in my life, or big events, always bring a song to mind. Just as the nicknames and the silly sing-songs, so it is how each dog in my life has "our song".
Dusty's is really the best story of how Our Song came to be. We'd just won High In Trial in herding. It was my very first HIT. I was on cloud 9. As we made the long drive home I was surfing radio channels, looking for something good to listen to. A song came on the radio I'd never heard before. It was an instrumental, but so sweet it was bringing tears to my eyes. I was picturing Dusty and I celebrating penning those sheep and running through the pasture together. I was stunned to learn the song was appropriately called "Companions", by David Arkenstone. Fortunately for me a friend had videotaped that precious HIT run, and I had a production video made of it to that song.
Shiloh's song was a big more contemporary - "Superman", by Five for Fighting. The words were just too appropriate: "It's not easy to be me" - that was my Shiloh. Once again, hubby made the rare trip to a dog show with me, and Shiloh won his first ever obedience High In Trial. I have a production video of that made with that song.
Blitz's song and video has been put on this blog about a year back I believe - it's what I call a Fight Song. It's "Lost!" by Coldplay. The words just struck me as so appropriate: "Just because I'm hurting, doesn't mean I'm hurt".
Moto's is "Firework" by Katy Perry. The words fit him perfectly. My eyes always mist over when I hear this song.
Pinch's is "Lillikoi Boy" by my beloved fave composer Jonsi. It's a coming of age song. Like Dusty's song, I can see Pinch running in slow motion and pictures of him flash through my mind.
A friend recently sent me a video of Pinch doing just that: running to me in slow motion. So it just seems to be destiny that a video will be made at some point.
Meanwhile Moto, Pinch and I are training for upcoming obedience and herding trials. Pinch especially is such a blank slate. I do hope these two enjoy their careers, and we'll have a special moment to share and put to song.

A Doggie Birthday Tradition

I have a birthday tradition with each of my dogs - on the day of their birth I hold them tight, and whisper into their ear a short story created especially for them. Here is what I whispered into Dusty's ear this morning: "Seventeen years ago today, a puppy was born! And his name was Dusty. He grew up to be a great herding dog, a great obedience dog, and we had fun in agility and tracking too. But most importantly, he was my First Sheltie. Because of this, everything we explored and accomplished was a First. That makes my Dusty a very special dog indeed. Happy Birthday, my Dusty!!

It's with happiness that I have a dog who's reached such an old age in great health, and also a bittersweet realization that this most likely will be the last Birthday story I'll whisper into his ear. While he's still pretty cognizant of his surroundings, senility is winning over. He's begun to take some medication that will help him remember day and night, which he sometimes mixes up. His sight is pretty much gone and the hearing is beginning to go. He will eat nothing but baby food and broth.

I'm glad for the wonderful, mild winter as that's made life pretty easy for Dusty. He can easily walk around our back yard - no heavy snow drifts which at this point he could not negotiate. I'd probably have to shovel a little potty area for him if we'd had too much snow. Dusty enjoys a good barkfest with the other dogs, and he still views being Bed Dog as his most important job.

Even when he awakens me at 3:00 a.m. to potty that's a good thing - not many dogs his age are able to control their rear. So yes, I'm sleepy, but I tell him he's a Good Boy, and with a hug and a kiss we go outside so he can do his business.

I know that there will be a time when I can sleep through the night undisturbed by an old dog who needs to go outside. I am not looking forward to that.

So today there just aren't enough hugs and kisses for a dog who has made it to Seventeen, and made it in good style. We will celebrate this amazing day, and each wonderful day that will follow with my Dusty in it.

Good boy!

Who Needs TV When You Have Dogs?

Having five dogs lends itself to lots of misadventures. Like having lots of children, you have your poop and vomit stories, the "how did they get into THAT" story, or today, it's the "Why did they DO that?" story. Especially Moto. All I can do is scratch my head. And share.
First up is Pinch. We've had close to freezing or this morning, freezing temps. We have a very large deck that runs the length of the house. We also have a large metal water bowl on the deck for the dogs (and the occasional bird) to drink from. Pinch just loves it when the water freezes in the bowl. His favorite game is to dig out the chunk of ice and bat it around the deck. I of course allow this and watch with great amusement.
But this morning was different: the water was not all the way frozen. There was real, unfrozen water around the edges. I thought Pinch would do his usual thing but noooooo.....different times call for different behaviors. First he batted at the ice, watching it bob up and down in the water. Then he tentatively put his paw on the ice and pulled his paw towards him. The ice turned a bit. That looked FUN. He did it again. The ice started a slow spin. WOW! He did it again. Faster spun the ice chunk. Now it was Game On: Pinch quickly got it down to a science, and that ice was spinning so fast the bowl began to move. Pinch's eyes were huge with excitement, and I had to keep a hand over my mouth so I wouldn't laugh too loud to distract him from his game.
Then began our morning routine of training, then a nice long run. Tired, happy dogs, tongues lolling, back inside the house. Husband is working on the computer. I am picking out my clothes to wear to work. But then there's this....sound. It's a really weird sound. I can only describe it as a "wet" sound, but not like a dog licking. It was rhythmic. Erik heard it too.
It was coming from the guest bedroom. We walked into the room and discovered....
....Moto was sucking on the satin edge of the new blanket I'd put on the bed. He was really enjoying himself.
Erik snickered.
Moto turned and was clearly embarassed to be discovered doing what apparently was a guilty pleasure. Ears down and no eye contact he walked quickly out of the bedroom.
I've seen some young-ish Goldens that will suck on a favorite toy, but that's an oral breed. But a 4-year-old Sheltie? Who knew??
What makes it even more interesting is that my daughter, when she was a baby, had a "thing" for the satin edging of her baby blanket. She'd rub it between her fingers and make a silly little noise. She'd do this until she went to sleep. Kimberly was one of those who needed her blankie into her childhood years and as the blanket quickly wore out, she carefully safeguarded the satin edging, calling it her "doodleoo".
Well, I guess it runs in the family, as I've discovered that Moto also has a Doodleoo.
Now, tell me truly, can you find something more interesting on TV?

Dusty Approaches Seventeen Years

One week from tomorrow, 2/8, my Dusty will turn seventeen years of age. That is amazing. He's in relatively good health, although I do think I'll get him in to the vet before his birthday. It seems lately each week in my life he ages a few years in his doggie life. He frequently doesn't sleep through the night any longer, but the good news is he's cognizant enough to wake me up to tell me he needs to potty. And the OTHER upside is that he CAN potty by himself. At nearly seventeen years, that's quite an accomplishment!
He still knows who I am and still knows who and where he is. Another accomplishment at his age. The reason for the early vet visit is his deteriorating appetite, and he is losing weight. He still eats but it's only a couple of mouthfuls, and it takes him forever to eat these days. It seems he's having trouble negotiating the bowl. We've gone away from raw completely (too upsetting for his tummy) and gone to a broth/high quality canned food with some kibbles thrown in.
But he still wags his tail at me when I get home from work, and he is still somewhat playful. He really enjoys celebrating the poop pickup with the other dogs and follows me around barking.
I'm glad this winter has been so mild as I think it would be very difficult for him to negotiate snow and ice at this point in his life.
He's been my best friend for a very long time. I am beginning to see a transition from this world to begin the entrance to the spirit world. I don't know how much time we have left together. My prayer is for me to make him as comfortable and happy as possible, and my wish for him is to fall asleep when it's Time and just not wake up. But who knows how our Time will happen? Erik was going through old VHS tapes and came across Dusty's High In Trial herding run. It's set to "our song" - appropriately titled "Companions". We watched it together, and I'd forgotten that Dusty could run so fast back then. What a sweet video it is, I'm so glad he found it. That video is about 12 years old - we were BOTH so much younger then! And I was still single. Dusty's been through all of my grown-up transitions in this life, and a faithful companion the entire time.
I'll write again about him in a week - it won't be a big celebration, but certainly a day to honor the most special dog in my life, my sweet Dusty.

It MIGHT Be an Exciting Year

Training has begun in earnest for Pinch and Moto. Our 2012 goals (not set in stone, of course, since life happens):
- Both boyz get their Started titles in Herding; and
- Moto gets his Open title in Obedience;
- Pinch gets his Novice title.

It's very difficult training two dogs with completely different temperaments. My thanks to Renee for helping me remember this. At a fun match this weekend I wanted to take too big of a proofing step with Moto which could have had disastrous results. Pinch - definately a cool thing to do, but would've destroyed Moto's confidence. It was the putting of a mesh screen behind the Broad Jump, to help the dog to not cut corners when taking the jump. Had Moto stepped on that in a new place he probably would've thought ALL Broad jumps had scary things that would come out and get him. Sheesh. Good thing I have people there to remind me I can't train all dogs the same way! But his performance was great! Now by great I don't mean OTCH-worthy, he was upbeat and happy and he tried. That's all I want from him, is to have fun in the ring and for us to be a team. We accomplished that. We'll dip our toe into Open some time this Spring and I'm looking forward to it.
Pinch tried Utility for the very first time at a fun match. I was impressed and thrilled! I have high goals for Pinch in Obedience. I still have lots and lots of work to do and I just don't ever seem to have enough time. We'll try some Wildcard classes and UKC Novice and if all goes well, maybe late Spring I'll put him into Novice. I want him to be as prepared and ready as he can be, as I hope to have a long, thrilling Obedience career with him.
Herding is, well, interesting. Moto has an innate understanding of the stock, but his performances are hit-and-miss, depending on how he's feeling that day. Some days he's very keen and others, well, let's just say if the sheep get away from him, he'd rather just call it a day. Moto was simply spectacular yesterday. He really IS ready for the Started class. It's just about building up his confidence and exposing him to different situations. He can do it, he just needs to be reminded he CAN do it, and do it very well.
Pinch has tons of "want to" but needs to be taught more of the basics as he lacks the understanding of how to work stock. I'm a green handler myself so this gets dicey. Again, thanks to my trainer Cathy who stopped us when I was confusing my poor guy and helped get us back on track. He will do it, eventually, but I'm going to need help getting him there.
Moto may be ready to try in the Spring; Pinch, probably in the Fall. Since I'm not an experienced handler in Herding and I don't feel I "get it", I just hope for that wonderful qualifying green ribbon. Anything else is icing on the cake.
If we can accomplish these things, it will be an exciting year indeed!

Not What I Wanted to Hear

Blitz and I went for his annual appointment with his DM specialist. He's not had any flareups over the past year and is doing so well. I fully expected him to pronounce Blitz in remission and have a glowing report.
It was not a bad report, but it certainly wasn't what I expected. Since he is a professional and an expert in this disease, he's been carefully collecting statistics on Blitz as he is one of the worst cases he's seen.
He told me Blitz has definately declined, and that the muscle wasting has increased, especially in the facial region.
I was kind of surprised, but then he kindly took me on a tour of Blitz's body, and explained his findings to me.
I was bummed. I told him I felt Blitz was doing pretty well, and did he think Blitz would live a normal-length life. Pause. I don't LIKE pauses. He replied that because of my good care, the disease has slowed way down and because of that, I've given him LOTS of extra years. He then reminded me that he only expected Blitz to live to be 2. He is now four.
Blitz isn't dying by any means. He's not even close to it. But the reality is, he may only have a few more years.
Honestly, I shouldn't be saddened by this reality: Shiloh was in raging good health and his disease struck, quite literally, overnight. He was gone by age 10. Blitz was born with a horrific case of Dermatomyocitis (we didn't know it, and it wasn't officially diagnosed as DM until 12 weeks of age) and wasn't expected to live long at all.
So, I continue to take inspiration from Blitz: he doesn't know he has a death sentence. He continues to be the happiest dog on the planet. We all don't know when our time will come to leave this earth. So do as Blitz does: wag your tail, bark with joy, and be happy.
It's all any of us can do.

Dogs and Nicknames

Does your dog have a nickname?
Mine do. I don't know if this is something everyone does, or just some of us, or just....me. I don't think it's just me. I think you do it, too.
How did your dogs GET their nicknames?
Mine came in a variety of ways.
Dusty = Dustmite. That one is really obvious.
Shiloh was Scooby, then shortened to Scoobs. I shortened it because Scooby took too long to get out of my mouth, and he was so darned fast at reacting to anything. Shiloh acted on impulse before he thought, which got him into lots of sticky situations. This led to me saying "ruh-roh!" which of course is what Scooby-Doo said. That's how he got his name.
Blitz = Beedle Deedle. I don't know.
Moto = Boo-Boo-Bear. It's because he is so cuddly.
Pinch = Dipper. That's because when he barked as a puppy, he'd snap his jaws and bark at the same time, making it a two-syllable bark. Instead of the usual-sounding "woof", it actually sounded like he was saying "Dip-per!" It's cute. It stuck.
Along with each of their nicknames comes a little sing-song that each dog has. I did an experiment recently to see if each dog understood that a particular song was for them. I sat on the couch, not making eye contact, just looking straight ahead, and softly sang one of their nickname songs. Sure enough, that individual would brighten, wag their tail, and step forward. Dusty is largely deaf now but back when he could hear his song he did this cute little back-and-forth with his head and begin prancing; so cute!
Shiloh adored his song and would try to match the pitch of my voice when I sang it to him. The two of us would "sing" it together.
Blitz wags his tail and spins.
Moto makes a very low "whuh" and rolls over on his back.
Pinch, of course, snaps his jaws at me with delight.
I don't know how the songs were born. They just sort of happened. I don't try to make a song, they just seem to come along in their own time.
It just seems to come with having a dog.