Finally - I am in a "Parade" (and I'm exhausted)

Wow - no one told me how much excitement there was in a "holiday parade." It started out exciting - but I had no idea! I'm really glad I was with my dog and people friends with Paws4Ever (formerly APS of Orange County), because there were a few times it was really nutty with all the clapping and cheering, and the fire truck right behind us honking (he was told he couldn't use his siren!) I wonder what kind of holiday this is? Now I understand why we did so much 'distraction work.' (between you and me, I think people are a little crazy)

These photos are of us at the start of the parade. Sharon was in the dog costume, and we all had to get used to how different she looked! Since we were really busy during the parade, we couldn't get any photos. Jenn's husband Eric took some action shots, so you'll need to go to Royal's blog, and Niamh has some good photos on her blog, too! You can see our other drill team friends Bernie, Elmo, Jib, Vicki, Penny, Amiga, Casper, Hadji, and their people. This was the first parade for Niamh and Royal, too. And now I have my own bandana (thanks Barbara) and I don't have to borrow Ruby's anymore!

Happy Holidays (is this another food holiday?)
Ayla

A Glorious Day

Well, It has been ages since Sandi has taken time to post on my blog. I've been really bored. We haven't tracked because of the snakes and the farmers who let us use their fields have been harvesting wheat, hay, etc. Sandi has been showing my big sister Ruby to finish two Rally titles - I have been neglected....

But now it's autumn in North Carolina, mornings are a little frosty, the colors and smells are amazing and life is good. Sandi went to the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (www.apdt.com) conference in Louisville, Kentucky a couple weeks ago, and she brought back all sorts of ideas about playing games with dogs, an interactive dog puzzle game (www.nina-ottosson.com) which is very cool - and a bunch of different kinds/flavors of dog treats.

Sandi has been very excited about an election (whatever that is). She did some work with registering voters (whatever that is). And this past Tuesday she stayed up all night watching television. She felt really happy but kinda lousy Wednesday. I really don't understand humans. I think everyone should Wag More and Bark Less. Anyway, now Sandi is walking on sunshine and she says to check out BarkObamablog.com - a blog for dog and cat lovers who support Obama. I think my cat sister Rose got her photo on a website for Cats for Obama. Is there a website for Dogs for Obama?

Wow - Time flies!

I can't believe that three months have passed since Sandi posted last on my blog! But really, I have to confess that in a way it has been nice. It really drives me crazy sometimes how much time a human can spend sitting at a keyboard.

It turns out that early in the summer Sandi's computer started getting really really slow and weird things were happening. So she took the computer to a computer repair shop - after a little while it was sent home with a new hard drive. Then, something else went wrong (I am bored by computer stuff so I didn't pay attention to the details). Something about a 'motherboard.' Anyway, she had a good hard drive, but nothing else.

Then she had to get a new one. Then Herman helped to have a local computer place customize a replacement, which really made Sandi happy because she really doesn't want to mess with those kinds of decisions. The problem was that this new computer went back and forth into the shop until all the kinks were worked out (not sure if that has really happened yet).

The good side of this was that instead of sitting at the keyboard and screen - she was playing with us! She didn't check email anymore, and we got to go on longer walks and play in the yard. I got to chase a groundhog out of the vegetable garden (Sandi wouldn't let me actually catch him - bummer) So while you have been wondering about my blogging, I've been having fun!

We don't have the camera plug-in thing installed yet (I think it's lost somewhere in the office) so you don't have photos with this post. Sandi needs to get this set up, and to carry her camera with us when we head out for training or other adventures.

Tonight we went to APS to practice Rally, and my friend Niamh was there. She has a freestyle routine she and Barbara are polishing for competition. I think Niamh is a born dancer! We also ran into my friend Royal - he is growing up and really really handsome! WOW !

But --- sorry, no photos. Maybe next time. And maybe Sandi can keep up with her computer stuff and still give all of us at home long walks and playtime.

So far you have met Ruby, my Aussie big sister, and Rose, the cat goddess. This post I'd like to introduce one of Sandi's horses, Annie. Her full name is D'Annalynn. She is a Hanoverian mare - and she just had her 18th birthday! Sandi got her when she was about 4 years old, and Sandi spent a lot of time training her and taking her to shows. Annie won the Filly of 1990 class at Dressage at Lexington (VA) Breeding show, and she qualified in 1997 for the Bengt Ljungquist finals at Training Level. Sandi said the finals were great fun, although it was pouring rain.

Of course all of this was before I was even born, but Sandi and Annie have done a lot of training together. In November 2007 Annie got a fungal infection penetrating her hoof wall (white line disease). It was a very opportunistic infection with some coffin bone rotation; Annie had to have a hoof resection, meaning that part of her hoof wall had to be removed. So Sandi spends a lot of time with Annie while her hoof grows out, keeping her feet dry and serious farrier work (and lots of radiographs). I've been around Sandi's horses a little, and they are really big. I think it's best I stay clear of them, and respect them - definitely no chasing!

More of my family

I did promise awhile back to tell you about other members of my family. There are two cats in MY house, Rose and Belle. Belle has no interest in me. My person Sandi says that Rose was worshipped in a former life, and Rose sure acts like it sometimes. She was Miss November in the APS of Orange County (NC) 2003 calendar, and you'd think she was Miss Universe!

She is a very petite gray cat (Sandi calls her a silver tabby, which I think is silly) and truth be known, she looks like an overgrown squirrel. She spends a lot of time on top of Sandi's computer, with her head hanging off the edge of the monitor. Sometimes she wants to play with me, and I get the funniest feeling that she is playing mind games with me though. We don't get to play if Ruby is nearby, because Ruby protects Rose and puts herself between us. Obviously Rose has Ruby under some kind of mind control.

My life is very busy!

Wow - I've been so busy and Sandi is very behind in keeping all my activities posted on my blog. (we need to have a talk about this!)

First of all, the VST (variable surface tracking) workshop in February with Ed Presnall and Mary Thompson was so exciting! There were 18 dog and handler teams working, plus a lot of auditors without their dogs. I really like Ed - he is a very successful trainer, judge and author, and likes to motivate people and their dogs. The working dogs (including me!) ran tracks both Saturday and Sunday through the campus of Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst, NC. My track began on a strip of pinestraw/grass, turned onto a brick area, then onto a sidewalk, up concrete steps and into a bricked courtyard (along the way I picked up a chicken leg from someone's lunch but Sandi made me give it up - with VST you have the opportunity to find real good stuff laying around!)

Sandi had a great time and learned a lot -she was very proud of me.

Next on our calendar was our ASCA tracking test (TD) last weekend. We had been working hard to prepare and our friend Gretchen was coaching us. The test morning was really cold. Sandi drew track 4 and we waited for our turn. Gretchen entered with her Weim "Obie" and drew the first track. When our turn came, we had to get in the car and drive to the field. I could tell Sandi was excited and nervous at the start flag (we need to work on this part!). I finally got started on my track, which went down the side of a hill, we turned a corner and then the whistle blew. Bummer. We restarted and then off we went again and I quickly found the glove at the end. I'll have to try this again after we work on accuracy and starts.

I've had an easy week this week - except my stomach was a little upset. It's better now. Sandi and I tracked on Monday and Friday, and this morning Sandi and I went to the Animal Protection Society training facility to work on some APDT Rally course work. If you go to my friend Niamh's blog you can see some photos (her person Barbara is much more on the ball about posting photos and updates!) Sandi will try to get a photo up here also.

Training is really fun, whether it's tracking (my favorite) or doing drill team or rally moves. I really am a lucky dog!

more tracking...

Sandi is telling me that this coming weekend is going to be very exciting and fun. We are going to a 2-day VST tracking workshop in Pinehurst, NC.

I can't think that far ahead really, all I am thinking about is today. This morning we headed off early to run in the dog park, and what do you know!!?? There was Jenn and Big Sandy, Bernie, and a puppy. Turns out the puppy was Royal! Finally we got to meet and play and RUN. We ran a lot. It was great! You can find a link to Royal's blog on my page. There are photos of him there - he is very cute!

So..Sandi says that tomorrow we will run some fun short tracks to get ready for the weekend. I'll blog again soon to let you know how the weekend workshop goes (if I can get Sandi to type it for me - she seems so busy...)

Blogging Dogs

One of my human friends, Jenn, has a new dog in her family. I first met Jenn soon after I joined Sandi's family, and later when I joined the APS Drill Team - there was Jenn again with her dogs Big Sandy and Bernie! (Bernie looks like an English Shepherd like me!)

Jenn's new dog is an Australian Shepherd puppy named Royal (my 'big' sister Ruby is an Australian Shepherd). Jenn is a dog trainer and has her own business "Blue Dog Canine Coaching" and Royal is helping by talking about dog training on his new blog named 'The Life of Royal.'

I've added Royal's blog to my list of Dog Blogs. Check it out! And while you are checking out Dog Blogs on my site, go to Niamh's 'Setter Tails' blog. Niamh's special person Barbara is also a dog trainer. I read their blogs so that I can learn from them.