Smooth Collies, Border Collies, Danish-Swedish Farmdog

January 2008Monthly Archives

Clicker Expo!

Okay so tomorrow afternoon I am flying outta here and heading to the Clicker Expo in Los Angeles. I am excited. It is Friday through Sunday. I’ll fly home Sunday night.

Not only am I looking forward to learning a heck of a lot about clicker training, I’m looking forward to it being 60 degrees in California! I’m so tired of the cold around here. Though I do like the long dark nights. But they will have those there as well.

I hope to buy some good clicker products, and I’m really looking forward to the labs and seminars they will have. I will try to blog from there, but not sure how much time I will have. I’ll have my camera with me, too, because it’s new and I just have to take it, and I want to get some good pictures while I am there.

I do wish I was taking a dog… and Tatum just almost would fit in my carry on suitcase.. she tried super hard to scratch into it when I was packing. :) But alas, I don’t think she’d like to be cramped in there for two hours!

Anyway.. I may or may not blog before I go. Or while I’m there. Either way, should be fun!

Cynthia
January 30, 2008
Daily Posts, Training
18 comments
, , , , , ,

Giving is Good

Do you have an old boat or car you don’t want anymore? Does it run… or not? Well, if you want to donate to a good cause, think of Car Angel! They are a is a non-profit organization, and they use cars and other donations they get to make videos for kids and teens. Not only do they make these videos, they also give them away, and have given away over 2.4 million videos so far.

So if you want to make a boat donation with an old boat you have sitting around taking up space, check them out! They will do something good with it.

Cynthia
January 30, 2008
Daily Posts, Info
2 comments
, ,

Quiet Before Tatum

We used to have such a quiet house. I could work from home, and the dogs would be mellow and snooze through the day. Waking up in the evening to get dinner, some chew bones, and play. Or training, of course, always training.

But now, with Tatum the Wild Child, there isn’t as much quiet. She will quiet down, but mostly she entices the other dogs to play. They run amok in the yard, run around like maniacs, and bark too, unfortunately for the neighbors.

Angel has a stick outside now, and even Tony is playing with Tatum out back. It’s cold out there, I can feel the cold come in from the dog door. But if I close it, the silly dogs will barrel head first into the closed door and maybe hurt themselves. So a little cold it will be.

Ah… I do love the excitement of Tatum, though. She is such a doll!

Cynthia
January 30, 2008
Daily Posts, Tatum
5 comments
, , ,

What Is Mahalo?

Well, besides the fact that is it means Thank You in Hawaiian (or at least that is what I think it means), it is a web site search engine thing that seems to be new.

So I signed up. I’m still learning. I have started a little page for dog blogs. So if you know of good dog blogs, go visit the Mahalo Dog Blog page and suggest your dog blog link!

I’ve added a couple myself. Would be fun to get a great big list of them. :) I don’t know how they get approved, why, when, or by whom. But it seems interesting anyway!

Here is an interesting blog post about Mahalo at TechCrunch… if you want more information.

Cynthia
January 28, 2008
Daily Posts
19 comments
,

Green Dog Seminar!

Touch n Go, the flyball club in Las Vegas giving the seminar in March, just announced they are also having a Puppy / Green Dog seminar on the Friday before! Yay! I sent in my entry fees and I’m going to bring Tatum. Woo Hoo. I’m excited. Not only will Chase get some good instruction, Tatum will too!

And I was all set to leave her home. I am glad she can come with. And I’m especially glad that she gets to be a part of the seminar. I just sent the check off today, they should get it Wednesday, and hopefully we’ll get a working slot. If not, I would audit that class. But I’d rather have a working slot. Tatum will be one of the very few collies in flyball. I think there are only 3 in U-FLI, and not too many more in NAFA.

So now we have to find some good discount hotels Las Vegas style. That, of course, take dogs. Still not sure where the seminar is, yet, but we want to get on it soon because the sooner we book them, the better a price we get.

I’m excited!!!

Cynthia
January 28, 2008
Chase, Flyball, Tatum
5 comments
, , , , ,

Good Training

I went to practice obedience today at the closer by training facility. My obedience instructor is sick again! I feel bad for her, she gets sick way too much. I have been wanting to get sick lately… to have a few days off to sit in bed at home. But alas, to no avail, as I keep waking up feeling pretty good. :)

Anyway I went with a plan and having a plan is such a good thing. I really need to work on novice obedience exercises. Including heel and the recall. I mean really, the only things in novice are, really, heeling, stand for exam, and recall. Three separate heeling patterns. And its hard, too! Heeling is not an easy thing to teach a dog. There are a lot of parts. Levi and Chase are both coming along pretty well. I have to transition off the treat on the stick, and we worked on that.

Chase is learning to watch the stick with no treat, and he did pretty good. Levi also did good looking at the stick with no treat. And Tatum, well, she is learning about stick rules, which is a good thing!

We also worked recalls and Chase did good. I put a small box in front of me so they have a nice straight tight place to get the front. And both the boys did quite well. Saturday I was wondering if Chase would ever get into the obedience ring! But I think he will, it just takes a lot of time and patience.

Maybe by the time I’m in senior living is when Chase will be ready…. LOL I hope not that long! I’m hoping by the end of summer, but it will depend on his progress, of course. I won’t put him in before he’s ready. Actually, I will probably be overcautious and not put him in until quite late!

Cynthia
January 28, 2008
Chase, Levi, Obedience, Tatum
11 comments
, , , , ,

I Got In!

Woo Hoo I got into the flyball seminar! I’m so excited. My flyball caption, of Thunderpaws here in Utah, is also sending off her entry. I hope she gets in, too. If she does we’ll drive down together.. such a saver on gas. And share a hotel room.

I wish I could bring Tatum… but I don’t think they’ll be room in the car for her. I hope she doesn’t get mad. I’ll ask and see but… I’m so silly. I want to take her everywhere and do everything with her. I just adore her! It’s so weird, I’ve never connected with a dog so quickly before. Ever in my life. And she’s not a sweet innocent docile thing, either.. she’s a brat! She has such a sassy attitude. I can’t give her up! So it’ll bug me more than her if she can’t go. And there will be other times she can go.

So anyway, the folk got my entry and I have a working slot. Yay! I can’t wait until March 1st and 2nd to go!

This coming weekend I’m going to the Clicker Expo in Los Angeles. That will be fun too. Wish I could take a dog. Hope I’m not repeating myself as I’m so bad at remembering what I’ve already said. ;) Maybe I’ll leave home my chemises since the husband isn’t coming.

Cynthia
January 27, 2008
Chase, Flyball, Tatum
8 comments
, , , , ,

MV’s Pitbulls

So what is happening to Michael Vick’s pit bulls? I haven’t posted about Michael Vick here on Tip Tail… the whole story is sad and depressing. How anyone can fight dogs I just don’t understand. And to put them through such horrible ‘training,’ which is actually abuse, is beyond me. But then again I don’t even eat animals because I want no harm to come to them.

But now the good news about the dogs. PR Web has an Article (click here to read PRweb.com) which links to www.dogtime.com that has some great videos on their front page about how 10 of the dogs are being rehabilitated and put into foster homes to learn how to live in a home and with people.

I love pit bulls. I fostered one for a short time, and she convinced me, beyond a doubt, that they are wonderful, amazing dogs. Strong willed, for sure, and also loving and sweet. But anyway, if you want some good news about these dogs, click the links above to read the good things about rescue.

The dogs might not need any Lillian Vernon coupons to get back on track, but that’s okay, they have a lot of help along the way!

Cynthia
January 25, 2008
Daily Posts
19 comments
, ,