We’re suffering a long, cold, windy start to the year here at Chez Champion of My Heart. Thanks to strategies we learned at a recent American Treibball Association event, however, we’ve been playing with the sport of ball herding.
We’re what you’d call “early adopters” of the Music to Calm Your Canine Companion from Through A Dog’s Ear. So, we’re so pleased to let you know that Volume 3 is now available. That means we can have 3+ hours of uninterrupted, relaxation music in the house.
Last Sunday here in Colorado, the American Treibball Association held its Winter Games. Now that I’ve seen how it’s taught and what the full game looks like, I’m happy to share insights.
Thanks again to all of you who contributed money during our Never Shock a Puppy campaign last fall. The money raised by the entire coalition actively supports the Humane Society of Boulder Valley’s No-Choke Challenge, which launched January 15, 2011.
The kitchen counters here at Chez Champion of My Heart now boast a stainless steel juicer, and I bought it for my hubs for xmas. Actually, I gave it to him before Thanksgiving because I’m a spaz about presents sometimes. This means Lilly and Ginko get the resulting fruit pulp. Suffice to say there is a price to be paid for dogs eating fruit pulp.
With all the herding excitement, I haven’t had time to report on our recent trip to one of our drop-in, advanced dog training classes before xmas. We really, really wanted to see Gigi Moss (our awesome dog trainer), so on the first official day of our holiday break, we hauled ourselves up to Boulder for class.
An exercise in perspectives — generational, mother-daughter, and otherwise — Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakthrough (by Ruth Pennebaker) reveals the grace and humor, frustration and (yes) anger, that consumes us … especially at times of big transitions.
We’re still on herding overdrive here at Chez Champion of My Heart, 10 days after Lilly’s big herding instinct test on 7 or so boer goats at Vademar Farm in Fort Lupton, Colorado. On our long drive home and in the days since, I bet I’ve thought of 100 things I wanted to remember to tell you.
Following a break to rest and drink, Lilly entered the round pen for the third and final time in her 1-hour herding instinct test. The task of working livestock is one of the most mentally taxing things a dog can do. Lilly showed tremendous stamina of body and brain. Still, she went a little wild on her third try.
We continue our tales of goat herding today, with perhaps the best video footage so far, of our brilliant/sensitive girl showing an inkling of skill and luck with her little herding instinct test flock of goats. She even rounds up a stray or two.
