Smooth Collies, Border Collies, Danish-Swedish Farmdog

April 2011Monthly Archives

Getting Ready for Obedience

Jet and my Leg

I got Jet’s confirmation in the mail today for our obedience trial. He is entered only on Thursday, Novice B. I need to find my darn armband. Why do I lose that darn armband so much? Ugh.

His Novice work is really nice, I think. As long as his stand for exam holds. I’ve been training up his open work too, so that he’ll be ready once he gets his CD. He might just scream right though novice, or I may be over confident, I’m not sure! But if he gets his CD then we’ll go into Open. He needs work on the Drop on Recall and the Broad Jump, but his dumbbell is really nice, so is his heeling. So those will be good. I think he just needs more time with the broad and the drop on recall. And I don’t want to mess up his novice recall either.

It should be fun. If I’m not too nervous. Maybe some coach gifts will perk me up. I’m kinda his coach.. and his team mate!

I Miss You Kip – April 29, 2000

Kip

Kip and Me

It always hurts, doesn’t it? And the pain never really goes away. You don’t get over it, you just get used to it. I think that’s how the saying goes.

I can’t believe it’s been 11 years since my Kipper dog died. 11 years and one day. I get sad looking at his pictures, and I still worry that I didn’t give him a good enough life. I was pretty stuck in bad times with my addiction to icky men. But he and I got to go camping and we did have some really good times too. He was my rock through my 20s and I”ll always love him.

To read more about Kip visit: Kip’s Page

Dang I was young in that picture.  :p

Happy Birthday Jet – 2 Years Old

Wow, Jet is two years old today. Time just flies by so fast. Wasn’t it just a few months ago that I discovered Danish-Swedish Farmdogs and was all excited about importing a puppy from Sweden?

Well, no, it’s been two YEARS!

Well, Jet and I got a birthday present in the mail today. A new Camcorder. It’s a Canon Vixia HF S200, HD, super nice, and seems to work okay with my Mac. Though I have to import the video with iMovie, which is working fine.

So there’s the new camera. Of course it’ll be for dog shows and training, of course. I’ve wanted an HD Camera for many years now. So I’m pretty excited about it. My birthday is the end of May. So it’s early for me, but right on time for Jet. :)

Oh yeah he got some treats and yummies from Ma and Paws Dog Bakery, too!

Jet and Obedience Training

Jet is doing so well with obedience, I am thrilled! We did some training at a park a week or so ago and I think he’s looking great. This is his Novice run through. I am trying to use less treats, too, since he’s entered in Novice B the first weekend of May. Just for one day, since it’s a 4 day trial and 3 of the days we are doing agility. And although he can probably switch from obedience to agility and back again, I get flustered with conflicts and so I’ve only entered one sport each day.

As long as his Stand for Exam holds up, he comes on the recall when I call first, and he holds his stays, I think we’ll do well. Of course it’s just a test. First time in a real obedience ring is only a test of our training anyway. But I’ll still be nervous. It’s AKC obedience.

I just love Jet’s heeling. I love his front feet trotting up he’s so cute. And he looks so happy. And happy is the best part. I wouldn’t even do obedience if I had one of those dogs that trudged around the ring like they are moving through mud and look miserable. I want happy dog!

So hopefully we’ll do well in obedience and agility. It’s still a couple of weeks away. And it’s the trial I pulled Tatum from. If she’s okay I’ll bring her a couple of the days just to make sure she’s fine for the middle of May agility trial I have her entered in. Why is it so hard to pull from trials? I don’t know, but even with if I had a usb barcode scanner to scan my entries with I still would have a hard time pulling from trials. It broke my heart when I had to pull Levi years ago when he was having such weave poll problems. And now Tatum. I just hope and pray and cross my fingers that Jet will be healthy and sound his whole life. Even though he can’t hear in his left hear, that shouldn’t stop us from doing what we love!

The only thing I don’t like about this video is how much weight I’ve gained! Ugh. I’m doing good writing down my calories every day, so hopefully it’ll come off soon!

I Think Tatum Is Getting Better

Tatum and Jet

Well I think Tatum is getting better. I’ve been worried sick about her for days now, so much so that I haven’t been able to sleep well. It’s been a week since I got home and she acted spooked and afraid. Last night, Tuesday, I went home from work early and fed the pack. Then took Jet and Tatum for a walk to see if Tatum would poop. And, fortunately, she did. The vet, on Monday, took an ultrasound and… Continue reading »

Worried about Tatum

smooth collie

I am worried about Tatum. Last week, it was Tuesday, when I got home from work, she was acting very spooky. She was not her normal usual sassy self. It was as though she was really scared. And unlike her fearfullness when we got her, she was afraid at home. And she’s never been afraid at home. So then Tuesday night, Wednesday morning, she’d go through periods where she would pace and sometimes whine. Or just lay down and whine.… Continue reading »

We All Have Food Issues

Jet in the Dishwasher

I think it’s true that both humans and dogs both have food issues. I mean… my dogs are in good shape. They are not fat, they are not skinny. They get enough to eat, but they sure don’t think so. If it were up to them, they’d all be super fat and happy eating all day long. And you know, it’s the same for me too. LOL. Though I’d add to that: sitting around on the couch all day would be ideal instead of running amok all over the place like the dogs like to do.

I guess when I was lots younger I liked to run around too. But now I’m like the older dogs, content to sit and veg. It’s good that I do have some younger dogs to keep me on me feet and moving. And I do move! I’m thinking, instead of jogging, I need to go sprinting. Since most of my dog sports where I’m moving are agility or flyball, where I’m sprinting full speed for only a half a minute or so. Maybe I’ll try to do that when I’m out with the dogs. Just take off full speed for 30 seconds and see if that helps. LOL.

Anyway, so I’m going to write down everything I eat… I think that’s the best way for me to lose weight. I hate it. My anxiety surfaces when I have to track something like that with OCD. It’s why I don’t clean well or cook well. Same anxiety. But alas, I’m getting too big. And the only thing that has really worked for me in the last year has been when I’ve counted calories and written down everything. Bleh.

And I need a long term goal, like a year. I guess I can’t expect to lose 10 pounds in a month. Even though that’s what I want. I’m now past 40, and yup, it’s much harder to lose weight now. Ugh.

Oh well, so me and the dogs hopefully won’t be sticking our heads in the dishwasher trying to lick out every dang crumb. LOL. If I get to that point, then please put me in therapy!

From Flyball to Obedience to Agility

Jet on the Beach

Well flyball is done for a bit… though not for too long, since we have a tournament in May that we are going to go to as well. But the next things are obedience and agility the first weekend of May. Jet is entered into his first Obedience trial. It’s AKC and it’s going to be on Thursday May 5.. errr, I think it’s the 5th. Is that a Thursday? Whatever. I think it is. He’ll be in Novice B… Continue reading »