Fun Friday!

I need a Fun Friday after the week we've had around here.... Sophie ate sugarless gum on Monday, how much I don't know.  Let me tell you, the gum sure didn't kill her, but I wanted to. More on that in a post to follow, since there are HUGE dangers to Xylitol I now know about.

ANYWAY, on to the fun...Post the 10th photo from your album. Well, for me, that happens to be a picture taken in Victoria, while on vacation quite sometime ago. It's a lovely, scenic picture, taken in Beacon Hill Park.

SO, of course, being that this silly blog is about dogs, I have to post the 10th doggie picture which happens to be a Sophie pic. It does need a tiny bit of explaining.My mother has two wee little dogs, trained to use a doggy potty on days when she works. So, Sophie when little, of course thought it would make a great napping spot. LOL, I'm pretty sure it was a clean potty at the time of the nap.

She was just a wee thing then. I miss those days, kinda.

Training Time!

I know it seems that I never take my dogs anywhere out of the yard, but honestly I do... it's just that I never seem to remember my camera when I go. And, today we needed a play time, but I have to be honest that it really wasn't the most fun. I was working with Spike on some agility stuff and I had NO patience today. And, poor Sophie. We need to do Rally Obedience work but I haven't been disciplined lately. I want to, but the last two weeks of classes for the semester maybe aren't the time to be doing these things so I end up throwing a ball for her and that's about it.

So, I tried to video Spike working the weaves, but that was frustrating. I don't have enough hands to hold the camera, direct Spike and throw his reward (soccer ball of course!). And, he got frustrated in return and barked until I finally snapped and yelled. Poor boy. Even worse was when I accidently stepped on him as he was fixing to chase a ball. :(  All in all frustrating!

However, on an up note, Spike is almost perfectly solid on his weave entries, with me just about anywhere. He is getting it! I have been working just the entries to get it nice and solid. And, he did some great teeter work in class on Saturday; it's a tough piece of equipment and we haven't had that much time on it. He'll get it, I know he will!  Spike and I have been doing distance work in the yard; I have been asking him to take a jump from way back, and he's getting it mostly. I can see that he is understanding more and more what I am asking of him, but we still have moments where he's frustrated so he barks or he spins, in typical Border Collie fashion.  I am seeing more and more Border Collie in this dog, and it's interesting to watch his drive, determination and brains come out. It's good, very, very good.

Sophie on the other hand, poor baby, I feel like I am neglecting in the training department. We have been going to Rally O, and yet I haven't been working it at home. I am determined to get her outside, in the front today to work it, on a martingale collar, rather than her usual gentle leader. I need the challenge with heeling and so does she. I have great treats (beef heart cooked up by me), so she should be motivated. I'll feel much better about where we are at if I practice with her. I am still hoping to enter her in the Hub City Kennel Club's show end of April so I have to get working on it!  I have been feeling badly because while she has been moving much better lately, I have slacked off on her physio a bit. Not good!  And, I think she may have had a seizure the other night. One moment, she was standing on my bed, looking at me, the next she was falling, hitting her shoulder into a step stool. She got up and shook it off, but it's not like her at all to not get her paws out. These moments always make me sad and wonder what else can possibly happen with her. It's frustrating to know things are going on with her, but not have the tools to communicate and understand what she is feeling. I just keeping hanging in there with her, knowing that she still has quality of life and is happy, so for now, it's ok.

Anyway, on a lighter note, I DID manage to get a couple shots of the dogs in....

Spike, barking of course... it's all he seems to do lately! Not a great shot, but I thought it was pretty funny that he threw his head back just as I was clicking... haha.

He's a tired boy!

Barking, barking, barking. Seriously... it's his way of telling me "let's play more!"

This photo was a total accident, but it was funny nontheless. Soph was in a great down, and I went to shoot the photo, just as she started to crawl backwards, away from the ball she was fixating on... too funny, I had to include the photos!

"Maybe if I scooch away from it, she'll throw it again??"

Seriously, funny, funny girl!

Post play session, Sophie is tired. I always remind myself in these moments, a tired Sophie is a good Sophie!

My dogs go to the best kennel ever!

It's true... I feel SO spoiled to have stumbed on Rebecca, of The Poop Guys! Not only is a great flyball buddy, but she has become quite important in the lives of my dogs. She is my "please, can you let me dogs out for a break and play with ball obsessed Sophie for a few minutes" go to gal, my dog boarder extraordinaire and my "oh oh, what do I do now to train these monsters to behave and run agility/flyball better" gal. Never before have I had the great luck to leave my dogs at a kennel with someone who takes pics of them and has devoted an entire facebook album just to my dogs! That's service!!  Not only that, she picked them up Friday for me, saving me from driving the whole 10 minutes to her acreage Thursday night and delivered them home to me on Sunday, Yup, that's service.

So, without further ado, here's my dogs stay at Rebecca's....

Apparently there was lots of fetching going on....

They also spent time chasing each other around... just like at home! HA!

And, Spike spent time barking at Rebecca to throw the dang ball already!

And, Sophie attempted to bath herself in the still frozen pool...

\

And of course, more fetching through the mud, of course!

Sophie didn't think Rebecca threw the ball nearly enough. She clearly is trying to will the ball to move.

When that didn't work, she tried the puppy dog eyes approach... "c'mon ball lady, through it already... please?"

And, my favourite of Sophie from the weekend... Sophie Mud Monster Extraordinaire...

Spike and Sophie came back tired but happy to see me! That's always nice. And, yes, they are a little on the muddier than they left side, but who cares?  When you have great friends who take such good care of Sophie Mud Monster and Spikey Barkey Pants, what else can you ask for?

But, it's still good to be home!

The Dogs go to the "Spa"

No pictures this post, sorry! It's because the dogs are on a trip...they have gone to stay in Borden for the weekend at The Poop Guys... just the best dog kennel I know in the Saskatoon area. It's all because I am off, doing Scorer Leader training for the Ministry of Education's Assessment for Learning. Fancy name for extreme pain and suffering, but making enough extra cash to pay for two, count them TWO semesters of full-time graduate studies. So, I can put aside my personal feelings and deal with it for the weekend. Not a pleasure trip, that's for sure, but I have to say, they have put me up in the Sandman Inn, in Regina and it is a NICE room. I'll have to get pictures; it's my first ever King Sized Bed. The dogs and I all would fit, too bad they aren't here to enjoy this. I didn't know that the Sandman Inn is actually pet friendly too, so maybe in May, Ill bring them along. I have to admit, half way here, I was already missing my kids terribly. I am happy to have a break, but boy do I miss them.... even if Sophie stinks.

St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog!

It's official, we have made our first visit. And, we survived! I'll tell you, Spike and I are both exhausted, but I am proud of the boy.. he done good. :)

Spike, post visit, but still dressed in his "working clothes".

I never thought Spike and I would EVER get to this point. Way to go Spike, you've come a long way, boy!

Bath day!

Spike and I have a big, BIG day coming for us- Spike and I are going on our first St. John Ambulance Visitation at the Langham Senior Citizen's home. In honour of the occasion (ok, really, I have thought he needed this for days...),  he got a bath. Now, anyone that knows Spike knows the pain that this is for him.

Poor drowned rat look

He is terrified right now, waiting desperately to get out of the tub. Poor boy, this is why I try not to do this often.

Spike used to get the zoomies, post bath. Now he obsessively grooms himself. This is his Spikey haired look (no, not how he got his name- he came with it, to be honest).

Really, got to make sure he's really clean, I guess....

The "oh leave me alone already" look

Sophie got a bath for good measure- something that happens infrequently in winter. Because Soph spends so much time at Bay's Waterpaws, I figure she really doesn't need a bath in winter so I avoid, it for the sake of her skin and oily coat she should have. Why strip the oil unnecessarily? But, Sophie loves the tub- in fact, she's been known to climb in the shower with me, when I haven't been looking. And, let me tell you, even if her face IS cute, it's not so cute at 5:30 in the morning when you turn around to see that standing in the shower behind you.

Anyway, for some reason tonight, she didn't want a bath and tried to escape.... and consequently has a drowned rat picture too.

Soph used to get zoomies too- she didn't tonight, just the lickies too. Of couse, she's tired, after that rousing game of chase Spike until you slide into a tree game, that left her limping slightly. Sigh. If only she would take it easy sometimes!

Anyway, stay tuned... update to follow, post visit to the home. :)