I often find myself at my desk, working away, until a commotion outside gets my attention. It usually starts with catching a black streak out the window in my peripheral vision. Then,
the noise hits me. Oh, is there barking? Indeed there is. So, I stop what I’m doing and go see what exactly has Lilly’s attention this time. Last week, it was cows. …
I mentioned a few weeks ago the birth of a litter of sheltie pups. They’re being raised by my friend and trainer Joy Bishop, who bred her boy Keen to a sweetie named Dash. I promised
photos, so here they are. All of them already have families, with handlers anxiously awaiting their arrival home. If you are one of them and want to tell us about your pack and your plans for baby,
please feel free to post a comment. …
After having a dalmatian that could not be trusted loose in the house alone until she was about 8 years old, I’ve alwasy been a little leery of leaving the dogs to run free when we’re
gone (which isn’t very often since we both work at home so much of the time). But, I had to be out of the office all day yesterday, and Tom was gone in the afternoon. He decided to leave both Ginko
and Lilly loose in the house. …
Another border collie gal I know here in CO sent me a link to this photo slideshow from a recent herding trial. Since it has been l-o-n-g day, and I’d better spend time with Lilly
rather than write about her today. I’ll simply share photos of other very hard working dogs, amazing dogs. Enjoy! …
Because I live in the boonies, my copy hasn’t come in the mail yet, but for those of you who get Clean Run, check out my article in the Sept 07 issue on help for the spatially inept.
It’s my first (of I hope many) pieces for the magazine. If you’re checking out the blog for the first time after reading that article, welcome. …
Our big dog, Ginko, loves Tom’s mom. L-O-V-E-S her. If we tell him she’s coming to visit, he’ll sit by the front door and wait. When she arrives, he mills around with excitement. As soon
as she sits down, he tries to kiss her. Not in a crazy way, but a sweet, deliberate smooch. At bedtime, we let her get settled, when we ask Ginko if he wants to “snuggle with Grandma,” and he blasts
upstairs to join her in bed. He’s very careful and very gentle. So, when Grandma comes, Lilly sleeps with us. …
I know that my non-agility friends don’t get it. I’m quite convinced they are quite convinced that I’m a total stage mom. Those of you with performance dogs (not pets) understand the distinction. We know and love our dogs in ways others likely do not understand. That said, don’t you ever look at your furry star and think, “Man! She ought to be in pictures …”?
I allow my dogs up on the furniture. I know some people don’t, but
I do. Strategies for preventing too much dogification include
putting comforters bought at garage sales on the sofas and using
extra flat sheets as a top sheet over the duvet on the bed. Still,
I buy dog beds. I cannot help myself. …
Now that the wild meadow grasses have gone to seed, it’s time to trim the pastures. It’s both a fire mitigation as well as a see-the-snakes-better tactic. This year, Tom decided to do reverse crop circles. The strategy lets us keep areas natural with wildflowers and so that the wildlife have a place to bed down come winter. But, it’s apparently causing quite a stir in our rural valley. …
I’ve given up taking Lilly for long walks in our rural neighborhood. It’s a safety issue, and I simply cannot take it anymore. Too many unsocialized, untrained, territorial dogs wander unsupervised from nearby homes. Then again, there’s wandering and pursuing. …
