Simply BWild

Californication...

2010-04-27T11:20:00.000-07:00

So as I type this Vivi and I are in California visiting Gina and Zoom. Many of my worries of creating little "drive monsters" are dissapating. Zoom is a smart boy, but he does have a nice off switch and he reminds me of Andy with his adeptness at conserving energy. I am getting pretty excited about this whole prospect.

So far on our trip we have met new puppies each day. Brandy at the Lyle's (Spin X Gen), Gina's puppies (Eifel X Dare), Donna's puppies (Rubi X Taiko), Gina C's puppies (Cisco X Mattie)! Whew, it has been a puppy whirlwind!

I wonder what the rest of the week will bring?!

Clinic Work

2010-04-27T11:07:00.000-07:00

So, a few weekends ago, Vivi and I were able to go and spend a weekend with the Lyle's and Marti during the clinic that Marti was giving. I tried to work the pens without a dog, but I jsut wasn't having any success, the sheep were balky and the goats were worse. Saturday Amy and Toby did most of the work. Sunday I asked Ken if I could borrow a dog. He told me give it a shot with Vivi.

Well, I must say that my girl impressed me. We began the day on leash, me helping her to get to the fence and asking her to get to the back, pausing at the back and walking out calmly. While in the pens some of the sheep were being stubborn... so to protect my dog I would whap the ones that would face and challenge her, well in no time it became a tag team effort. I would whap one and she would see another turn an challenge... she would deliver the most perfect and clean face bites! I couldn't believe it! I was so proud of her. Couldn't get her to heel the ones that didn't want to go forward, but I think that will come in time. By the end of the day, she was working off leash, downing and staying when I needed her to and jsut being an all around good girl helping her mom. : )

At the end of the day she was one tired girl, but you could tell she was pretty darn proud of herself!

Delinquent...

2010-03-07T21:30:00.000-08:00

Ok, I admit I have been delinquent with the blog. Maybe I should have planned on monthly posts instead. ; )
Anyway, on the working front, I admit that after my last post Vivi and I had a couple of bad working sessions, we were not gelling. She was too "hot" and then I got too ~hot~ and it felt like a lot of two steps forward and then three steps back… Kind of hard to talk about the not so great days.
But on the flip side the last three sessions, the third being today, were Wonderful!

Three sessions ago, we worked two sessions. Things started out a bit rough and I was really frustrated and ready to throw in the towel. I told Marti that I was sick of having to seemingly re-teach the same things each session. I know Vivi is plenty smart and knows these things, because when Marti works her, she does it. For me, however, she isn’t always so good. So, Marti and I chatted a bit about it and she told me something valuable. She told me my biggest issue: Andy.

For those of you that may not know, Andy was my first working Aussie. Andy was a wonderful dog, extremely biddable, to a fault; he never wanted to be wrong and would go out of his way to please me. He was a dog I could drill and make improvements in one or two sessions. Sadly I lost Andy to Hemangiosarcoma July 2009. I am still quite heartbroken over it too. We were just getting to the point in our working relationship where I was willing to try some different venues, AKC, AHBA and the like. He was to the point where we were working finesse and not basics… It only took 6 years. ; ) So, I really miss my working buddy. We had finally made it to the point where we were a real team...

Vivi and I are not to that point yet.

But in Vivi’s defense, the past few sessions have been great, (maybe she heard my rant…) So, we go out for session two in the south pasture (about the size of an ASCA arena). And she is giving to my pressure, taking the steady, still pushing, but slowing then speeding up. Taking the down with some pressure, but generally just listening, doing her job and not giving me a lot of fuss. I found a good spot and called it a day.

On to our next session, I let her run in the yard with Marti’s dogs for a bit to burn off some steam as she had been cooped up all day. She was pretty amped when we hit the south pasture, but she settled in nicely in a few minutes. Again she was thinking and working with me. Wearing behind the sheep or taking the steady as I asked, downs were a bit rusty today, but I have learned with working dogs, there is a lot of give and take. Her pressure on the stock was good, she will forever be pushy, but when she gives it is just beautiful! She was even getting a good feel for a steady off the fence and keeping the sheep on the fence, the beginnings of a cross-drive. She was working so nicely, that Marti had us try the center… It went splendidly! She held her down while I opened the gate and gave nicely to fetch them to me, took the down to hold them in the pen and then we had a big party! Lots of pets and praise! Then to get them out… Set her on a down about 25’ behind the pen, ask her to walk-up and she does, flank her go-by with the stick and down her on the far side of the pen… sheep walk out… and she whips around to put them back in, lol, end her out and around again, down her at the far side of the pen again and tell her to wait. Sheep walk out, I close the gate and we fetch them around a bit more and find a good place to end. It went so well we decided to call it a day. We worked for a good half-hour and it was a very good session.

So then to today, Marti says to me… “Let’s take her out back.”
“Out back?” I say, “In the Big Field, do you think she can do that?” Marti says, “I think she can and we’ll find out soon enough.”

So after a quick game planning session, we head out to the back field which I would guess is about three acres or so. Marti warns me, when we get out there that these are lighter sheep, so Vivi will have to pay attention and work hard to keep them with me. I was a bit worried at first, but she did sooo well, better than I would have expected! She was even better in the ‘outback’ then she has ever been. It was almost like once she had to cover them and there were ‘no fences’ creating extra pressure, she could do this all day long… Just keep the sheep with Mom. She was taking her downs pretty well and giving me some pretty nice little outruns, thinking about cutting in, but then turning away from my pressure and getting out and around nice and wide. We went on walk about in the ‘outback’ for a good half hour or so, working her outruns, squaring our corners, steadies, and downs. Called her off and gave her big loves and scratches, you could tell she knew I was so proud of her, she was grinning from ear to ear and so was I. Marti even told her what a good girl she had been and gave her lots of loves. Again we decided to call it a day with only one good session. I have no problem with this and it was a valuable thing I learned with Andy. When you have a great session like that, sometimes it is best to end on the high note even though you may want to go out and try and re-create the greatness, it rarely happens twice, so it is best to keep it very positive for everyone.

Obedience is going well for the most part. For some strange reason though Vivi has decided that she no longer wants to jump the broad jump, it is just as good to do everything but jump it... so I borrowed a set of jumps from Evie and we have been working on it at home. I think when we practice it next time in class, we should be on the road to doing it right again.

All is progressing nicely on the puppy front. New linoleum is installed and hideous wallpaper is removed. Yahoo! We spent some time today planning the best way to get the puppies out when it is time for them to be going outside to potty, but haven’t come to a solid solution yet… I think it will come down to a fencing vs. ease issue once it is decided. Vivi is virtually bare naked… Dale called her “Baldy-locks” the other day, poor naked girl. I do think this is about the end of the shedding cycle so that is good. My carpet and vacuum will be getting a break until Jaki decides it is her turn. I think she is still on schedule to come in at the beginning of April, which would coincide great with a trip to Oregon to audit a stock clinic at the Lyles’ and also with the 25 anniversary of the Silver Bullet in CA, of course you know how it goes when you “plan” these things, but time will tell.

Well, until next time… “ )

Working in the rain...

2010-02-04T17:56:00.000-08:00

Well, let’s see… since I am a bit behind…

A couple of weeks ago, I worked Vivi at Marti’s (haven’t had a chance to get out there since, darn it!). It was raining lightly, but I figured I was there, there wasn’t any sense in going back home and doing nothing. I told Marti that if she didn’t mind I didn’t mind and if it was a trial we would still work anyway, so we might as well practice in it too.

Vivi worked really well… she still insists on working fairly close, but I think she is starting to see some value in taking some pressure off and how giving more ground keeps the sheep from running me over, I hope this isn’t something we battle forever. However, I don’t know that she’ll ever be as wide as Andy was. She also comes fast and tight when we attempt an outrun, so this is only something I do when I feel I have a pretty good shot at putting the pressure on to get out. She had really nice square flanks and was taking most of her downs without me having to load the pressure on her. She is starting to understand that Steady means to slow down and rate rather than go faster. : )

Second round, since she was giving to my pressure pretty well, I thought I’d give the center pen a shot… went pretty well, got them all in first time! Hard part was getting them out! She came up so fast and around the pen that they started to head out and then shot right back in! (Yup, need more steady work) So I set her back up again and asked her to down at the back corner and she did… but the sheep said, that she told them to say in there, they weren’t coming out! She even tried barking at them and they stayed in there! LOL! So, I took her by the collar and we worked it like a take pen. Which reminded me that often times with Andy, I would make putting them in the center the end of the lesson… that way he saw the end goal was to get them in the pen, I need to remember to do this with Vivi too sometimes. And I decide it is a pretty good place to call it a day.

So Marti is beginning to do chores and it is getting dark and I ask if she needs any help. She asks me if I will let the sheep out of the round pen. I asked if she wanted me to do it with Vivi or dog-less. She said to take Viv. So, we head to the round pen and it starts to POUR! I think, ok, I’ll do some light fetching, put them in the take-pen and send them out the other side and get the heck out of the deluge. First out run she is so fast and tight, she blows up the three sheep! Oh that little snot! So, we turned it into an outrun lesson. I set her up again and again and again until she was giving pressure to me on the very first step! Then we worked a little take pen and re pen and called it a day. Whew, soggy and tired we headed home and still had Obedience that night!

Obedience has been going well the past few weeks, lots of heeling drills, which we need, it is our weakest point, but I hate drilling and I think if the dog is doing well at it, it isn’t fair to keep drilling. Anyway, I think the past couple of weeks have been good for us. I can see much improvement; it is just a matter of keeping it fun for both of us. Vivi has her CD, but I think I may continue to trial her in Novice B for a bit longer… we are ready for Open, but only just and I would like to be a bit more solid before I move up and also, I would like to try and stay on the Finals list if I can, but I know I won’t with our current scores. So, we’ll see how that goes.

This is the one thing that I am not excited about with the litter plans… I was planning on this year to be Vivi’s year (And then Andy passed away and I decided I would breed her this year instead of next year) Trial her on stock, maybe get her CDX, but the way it is working out, she will be busy with the puppy process for most of the trial year… Oh, well, maybe next year…

On the home front, Dale and I went to Ocean Shores, WA and went Razor Clam digging this past weekend. It was really great, it has been quite some time since we have had a chance to get away and there is absolutely no pressure to do anything. It was very relaxing and we all (the dogs came too) had a great time.

Hopefully, I will get some time this weekend to get out to Marti’s again… Maybe if the weather isn’t nasty I will get a chance to get some better video too!

Captain's Log

2010-01-20T13:44:00.000-08:00

Well this past week turned out to be pretty fun filled. Sunday Dale and I took a dog walk on the dike. The girls really appreciated a chance to get out and really stretch their legs! It was also good to get out and have a chance to play with the new camera. Note to self: check images when you change the settings!

However I must say I think it created an interesting effect...

Once I realized my mistake I made the proper adjustments and viola~

Had a fairly average week and a busy weekend, Saturday visited Puyallyup AKC: shopped, watched the show and made merry with friends. Sunday we took another am dog walk and in the afternoon it was ASCofWA ROM awards, gift exchange and meeting. Monday we went to Fido's with Marti, Tanya and Erin and worked the dogs. Good dogs. And back into a normal week again.

Vivi has begun to shed... which means she is working towards coming into heat... It goes something like... lose all her undercoat... start to grow undercoat... lose all her topcoat... start to grow topcoat. Just when she begins to look a bit plush again she will come into heat, my guess right now is April. I like it this way... it is like a big warning to me. Thank-fully she doesn't shed again once she comes out of heat or she'd never have hair. ; )

I suppose I should mention that Miss. Vivi is in 'preperation' to be bred to Zoom, SVCH WTCH CH Windmills Need for Speed DNA-VP JS-N-OP JS-E RS-E GS-E OA OAJ, very handsome and talented young man if you hadn't guessed by all the titles. ; )

This will be my first litter ever (well other than kittens when I was a kid). I have been planning and debating for a couple of years now and I have finally gotten the "cahones" to go through with it. The litter has TONS of potential, there really isn't anything these little guys shouldn't be able to do, Stock, Obedience, Conformaiton, Agility, Flyball, Tracking... Now it will be up to me to get these little powerhouses the best possible start in life so that they can live up to all their potential!

I have begun preparing the "dog room" for when the little guys arrive... months from now. I purchased linolium to put over the carpet and bought some new crown moulding to be able to hang my ribbons higher up and in a more organized manner (and out of puppy reach; something I should have done years ago really). I am finding that puppies are a good motivator to get organized! I think that their first couple of weeks will be spent in the computer room though, just so that we can keep a good eye on the little ones, as it is closest to the bedroom.

Well, I imagine you have had enough of my ramblings for now... Until next time... " )

Born

2010-01-09T22:05:00.000-08:00

I couldn't tell you why I decided to start blogging and I can't tell you if it will continue, but today I decided to create a blog. No risk no reward, right?

I told myself that my goal would be to create an entry a week. Quite possibly a conglomeration of thoughts on the week or perhaps an estimation of what I expect my week to be...

As of the beginning of 2010 I have been married for 11 years, am employed at Starbucks as a 'Ba-Rrrista' (I think it sounds so fancy when you roll the R), have two dogs and a cat: Jaki, Vivi and Junior, and have been living in the same house for 6 years.

My job is what facilitates me being able to spend time with my dogs and my dog friends. I suppose that may classify me as a crazy dog lady, but it takes all types to make the world go round!

My DH is a good man, but doesn't have the same love of canine competition that I do and he tends to worry a bit too much about his job. However, he takes his responsibility of primary-bread-winner seriously and to fault that would be seriously grievous. I will give him credit though, in the past couple of years he has taken on two new hobbies, Mountain Biking and clam digging. He also enjoys playing golf and rooting for the Cleveland Browns as time permits.

Well, that is enough for my 'first time'.

TTFN!