Welcome March

OK, so I'm like the happiest person in the world that Feb. is over. It definitely wasn't "our month". First I did something to myself to destroy my back for 11 -12 days, but then Bungee badly tore a toenail on her front foot, which kept her from training, which was followed by her coming down with some really bad intestinal problems. 3 trips to the vet in 2 weeks - ugh, poor Bungee, not to mention the bank account!

We finished Feb. off with all of us feeling back to normal, and Bungee in great need of a bath. So a trip to our friend Cynthia's Grooming Salon this weekend was a nice treat. Bungee got the full spa treatment, coming out beautiful, fluffy and sweet smelling. Guinness did some training in a different environment while Bungee endured the bath :-)) (not her favorite) and then Guinness strutted around like he owned the joint in between doing his tricks at a distance, as Bungee got dried. When it was done Bungee was still eager friends with her adopted Auntie Cynthia, so it was all good.

Poor Guinness just had a partially boring Feb. with me laid up, but stayed well. I hand-stripped him last Friday. He always looks so beautiful freshly-stripped in his "underwear". I love the feel of his velvety undercoat when his wire coat is off, it's really thick too. Not that he doesn't look great with his gorgeous double coat in tact too!

Guinness had an audition for a TV commercial last week, and fingers crossed, the early word is they want him. That said, knowing they are subject to changing their minds a lot. Keep you posted. During the audition he had 48 different things they asked him to do and it went great, he did all but one, which shocked me as it was "rolling over", which was one of the 1st tricks he ever learned. Since then we're working on a few things that were weak spots and they're all responding to the skills tune-up nicely, especially "roll over", sheesh... Wouldn't you like to know what they're thinking some time. I am going to get him checked at the chiropractor just to make sure all is well. Though it's probably a case of not having done it in a long, long time.

Bungee literally turned a corner March 1, waking up ready and raring to go, and looking beautiful & happy too. I felt the same way too!

The end of Feb. brought us melting snow followed by drastic low temperatures and then a lot of ice everywhere. YUCK. Thank goodness for lots of tricks & body awareness exercises and a basement in which to work!

The snow is down to just a few inches now and I was able to find some crunchy but not slippery spots in the yard today, so we actually got a little weaving in. Bungee was thrilled and wonderful as ever! :-))

Both dogs are entered in a trial later this month, so after just about a full month off, we'll see if we can't tune up their agility skills too! Back to class tonight.

Happy Training, It's About Love!

Surviving Canadian Winter

With A Little Help From Our Friends!

Gabby - showing the youngsters how it's done!

I don't know why this picture looks so over-exposed. Straight from iPhoto it looks perfect, uploaded to the blog it's completely changed - weird.

We got these pictures 3 weeks ago when Sarah & I took the dogs for a walk behind Tamsu one day and the DH (dear husband) could come along with his camera. Sarah's dad was already out back with his training buddies doing some field training with their dogs, with the usual stack of dead birds at the line and other birds laying out in the field for the dogs to find & retrieve. We were heading east, where we'd let the dogs have a good run in the open fields as we make our way across into the bush (Canadian woods) for trails not nearly as nice as Finland!

Gabby, unable to resist the bird-doggin' fun off to the north of us, veered off on a fast line disappearing out into the field, only to come running back, clearly happy as a dog can be, holding this big duck, and looking stunning in her purple coat too (!! :-) ...much to the chagrin of the "field people" I'm sure - who had been muttering just loud enough so we could hear them about ALL our dogs in coats, Hah! Clearly this grand Golden lady was showing their youngsters how it's done right!

Vince had come along to take pictures for us, but did so only as far as his long lens would allow him to follow us... :-)) But he managed to get this one of Gabby - what a perfect shot! You can double click on it to enlarge.

Below, Bungee, Guinness & I heading for the trails, with Bungee pretty interested in the "bird work" (field training) going on off to the side. I can guarantee her she doesn't want any part of what they're doing over there.



Below: Sarah, Gabby (purple coat) and her gang


Off in the distance, Gabby's gorgeous son, Cutter, doing what all good bird dogs will do, finds a spot a bird was laying (during earlier training that day) and rolls in it with exuberance!


Here's the whole gang, heading for the trails. See ya' in a few hours.



Surviving Winter - A Mental Reflection
Thank goodness for good friends, warm fires & home theatre! It's turning out to feel like a long season already. It's been 3 years since we have stayed home with no solid plans to get away and enjoy southern latitudes. We both want to but so far things just haven't been right. Clearly, I'm out of practice at this winter bit. Lately I've had a small case of the "winter doldrums", just a combination of things I suppose not the least of which was the news about Gabby, (diagnosed with lymphoma 2 weeks ago), the lack of outdoor warmth, sunshine, or the fact that some of my most favorite training camps & fun trials were going on down in the Florida sunshine without us. Though in my heart I really shouldn't feel that way as I know there are bigger and more important reasons we were meant to stay home. On that note we are both very happy that we are here for those reasons. Still, the last week especially, I've been pretty blue about this grey, blah, winter condition.

Then we had a near-blizzard and death-defying experience to drive 90 km. home in from our running clinic last night, complete with raging winds, walls of snow & white-outs. My goodness we were glad to see our house! Waking up (alive!) to this morning's peaceful landscape, even with a new layer of snow, suddenly seems pretty good!

Meanwhile, as we make our way through this winter, (at times one long day at a time) I'm LOVING the training we're doing, and Bungee's progress! Her contacts are coming along brilliantly and I'm just loving what we're producing now. Thank goodness for families, great coaches, great dogs & good friends!

Today we send out a very special prayer ~ God Bless Gabby!
We love her dearly and send her kisses & kisses & kisses & more meatballs!

Happy Training...It's About Love!

Guinness Learns Ring Toss too!

Our Border Terrier, Guinness, learns the Ring Toss Game too!




Busy with different tricks, Guinness is not quite as far along as his "sister" Bungee on this one, but he's off to a nice start just the same and has a number of others coming along too. It might help speed his ring toss skills along a little quicker if my CLICK WASN'T LATE (like it is in this video! :-) But, Guinness has been falling behind on his share of video time in this household and mistakes are valuable information too. Next time we have a shaping session I'm definitely going to prop up a mirror on the floor nearby, to see what he's doing a little more accurately. This time around I will have to lead by example in giving you a good demonstration of reason to video your work.



Happy Training, It's About Love!