August Already???? Where did the summer go?

I can't believe it is August already!  Time just seems to be going by so fast these days.

Steeler and I have been taking a bit of a break from dog activities lately.  After a trial in early May where our runs were not so pretty - I discovered Steeler had a shoulder injury.  In late April he took a hard fall while we were playing with the frisbee, and in typical Steeler fashion, he jumped right up and wanted to chase that frisbee again.  So I didn't think too much of it.  A week later, our obedience runs were very disconnected and I felt like everything was falling apart.  A friend asked me when he had last been checked by a chiropractor.  (Insert head slapping moment here!)  DUH!  So down to Dr. Linda we went.  Sure enough his right shoulder was very very sore still 3 weeks after his tumble.  So he got some adjustments and some laser treatment and was told no jumping for at least a couple of weeks. 

I decided that with the stress I was feeling about competing and Steeler not feeling up to par - that it would be a good time to take a break from things for a while.  And since I can't just stop doing something dog related (or I would have a very bored dog looking for trouble) I decided that Keegan and Steeler should have a night out doing noseworks.  Luckily there was a class starting just 15 minutes from my house!  Talk about the timing being right. 

Steeler has had some exposure to nosework before - so he went right back to workng without any problems.  He absolutely LOVES this sport.  I really think he would do this for hours on end if I let him.  The only part we are struggling with is being quiet when I work with Keegan. 

Keegan is also liking this new activity.  In typical lab fashion - if it involves food he is happy.  When we introduced him to birch - he wasn't too thrilled with the scent, but he seems to be doing pretty well now.  This week he was actually eating out of the bowl where the odor was instead of wrinkling up his nose and waiting for me to pick up the food for him! 

Keegan is 12.5 years old now, so he has days where he looks a bit stiff.  But he still acts like a puppy if you say the magic word .... "walk" 

In addition to the nosework class, Steeler is still doing some obedience lessons and we are starting to work on utility articles.  We are just starting - but so far he is doing great.  In fact I made him a new bag for his articles!  So we are still doing stuff - just not as much running around every night. 

Long Weekend!

Steeler and I spent the weekend at the Denise Fenzi Seminar.  I am EXHAUSTED!  But so excited to try some new things with Steeler.  There are a few people that I would always go see - even if I had seen them a few months ago, because I think I could walk away with something new every time.  Kathy Sdao is one, Patricia McConnell is another ... and definitely Denise Fenzi has been added to that list!  If you ever get a chance to see her - GO!!!  It is well worth the time and money. 

More to follow later - I am working on getting my notes on the computer so that I will be able to actually read them again when I want to go back and look at things.  I will try to get a review up ... unlike the review for the Kathy Sdao seminar that I did last summer that is still in edit mode!  She was incredible too! I need more usable hours in my day.

Getting back into the swing of things.....

After 4 to 6 weeks of feeling just BLAH both on my part and Steeler's - we are finally getting back into training mode.  The boys are both adjusting to Logan's absence and we are all starting to recover.  Tonight Keegan played a little bit with Steeler while throwing the frisbee out back.  Keegan went through a period where he didn't want to be left alone and didn't want to be in the house even when we were home.  Poor Keeg!  His entire life, Logan has been there.  We did everything together back then, agility, walks in the woods, trips to where ever.  At any rate, I feel that Keegan is on the mend. 

Steeler has been getting back into the swing of things as well.  We competed in another CDSP trial up at the Monadnock Humane Society, and while his runs were nice - they didn't have much enthusiasm.  Watch the videos and see what you think.

Novice C run #1
Novice C run #2

 Before I start to panic, I am going to chalk it up to the fact that we were both a little off balance.  We had a few not so great training sessions as well, BUT I think that we are both starting to mend.  We've had one great agility class, and last week we had a really fun training session with friends.  We worked on some specific obedience skills but we also worked on some "real life" type stuff.  A lot of it was similar to some of the control unleashed exercises in Leslie McDevitt's book.  We put a new twist on "group stays" ....

Following our training session Steeler and I went down for obedience run thru's.  We had two rally runs and one Novice run.  Steeler did awesome - despite the fact that I was a nervous wreck because there were a ton of people there.  I did get to see some friends I don't see often - so that was a nice bonus! 

We have a busy few weeks ahead of us.  This weekend I am taking Steeler to agility run thru's for the first time in over a year.  He has been doing pretty well in class, so we are going to give this a try.  The following weekend we are entered in another CDSP trial.  I entered him in Novice C again.  Then we have an APDT rally trial the following weekend.  Did I say BUSY?????    I think I might take a bit of a break in April.  Steeler and I are going to the Denise Fenzi seminar at MasterPeace Dog Training - but other than that I am not signed up for anything yet.  Hopefully I won't get too carried away and book up all my weekends.  :-)

Rest in Peace my sweet girl! Logan 3/21/98 - 1/28/12

 My sweet little girl lost her battle tonight. She's had a rough couple of months.  I am not sure what she was battling, but it doesn't matter now.  Now she can run pain free and breath easy. 

she put up with just about anything

I hate winter!

She was my first dog, and of course I got her for all the wrong reasons.  We went to the shelter just to "look."  I had just been laid off, so obviously it was a perfect time to get a dog.  She was all alone in her kennel and she was just so cute that I couldn't resist her. She and her littermates had been dumped at the animal shelter because they had come down with coccidia.  Logan taught me about dogs in general and what owning a dalmatian was all about.   We started a general pet obedience class together and soon moved on to agility.  She was never an agility superstar - she did agility because she enjoyed being with me.  Her favorite course was USDAA Jumpers!  She could really fly when she wanted to - and even better no weave poles in jumpers!  She always did try to entertain the crowd a little though. 

She loved to run in the woods, and never met a dog she couldn't play with.  She alway knew just what to do if a dog was scared or nervous about meeting other dogs.  She especially loved the big dogs!  We used to run into a guy walking his great dane - oh it was so entertaining to watch them play!  As a TDI test dog she had to be told that she couldn't flirt with the other dogs while doing the test.  She was supposed to be a neutral dog!

the original trio

She loved almost everyone - the couple of times that I remember she didn't like a person, I heeded her wisdom - especially since this usually happened in the woods while I was walking with her, Keegan and Puka alone.

If I stare at this piece of cheese hard enough - someone will give it to me!

Because of Logan I have friends I never would have met otherwise.  I will miss you my sweet little girl.