Sunnie and Her Christmas Gear

I am blessed to have some of the best puppy buyers in the entire world, who send me photographs through the years of the puppies they've so lovingly cared for. It warms the heart, I can tell you. This lovely girl is Sunnie ... showing off her new Christmas presents! Her owners enjoy camping and Sunnie is no doubt a hiking buddy as well. Isn't she beautiful? She has grown up a lot since she looked like this:



Don't you agree?

Food for Thought

This sheep used to have a name but I have forgotten what it was. Or is. I no longer own this little guy, but the reason I sold him had nothing to do with his looks ... is he not gorgeous? Click on the photo so you can see it enlarged, and see the blue reflections in his eyes. My sister took this photograph, it's better than any I was ever able to get of him. She made coasters for me last Christmas, with photographs from all around the farm on them: this guy, my donkey, other sheep, a shepherd's crook leaning against a fence, Itty's happy face with the expression that says, "Let's play ball!" I love them all but this guy is my favorite. You would never know that he had absolutely ZERO personality and was totally uninterested in my admiration of his handsomeness. Alas. It was his loss.

Anyway, to make this dog related, shortly after this photo was taken, said sheep decided to try and commit suicide during a little herding session with Itty, and ran himself into a fence and broke off one of his horns. He was never so handsome again.

I came across a website recently that I thought I would share: http://www.dogfoodproject.com This is Sabine Contreras' site, and it presents factual information in a reasonable, rational, highly digestible (no pun intended) manner about an all too often controversial topic. There are articles on which ingredients to avoid, (and why), on identifying better products (divided by ingredient groups), and the clearest explanation I've ever come across on how to read a dog food label. She acknowledges that individual dogs have different dietary needs, and she presumes you are intelligent enough to figure out what is right for your dog and your circumstances. A really neat site ... check it out!

Acey's Weekend Accomplishments

If the truth were told, Acey could care less about what we do at obedience trials. To her, it's all about getting to go somewhere special with her Mom, getting bit sized pieces of flank steak cooked up with garlic as rewards, spending long amounts of time waiting in her crate and watching all the interesting other doggies and peoples walking around and doing their thing, and then finally, having a chance to do the things she knows she can do, with everyone watching and Mom acting just a little bit nervous (although she can tell it's getting better for poor Mom). And then, when it's all over, she gets to sit in Mom's lap and have her tummy rubbed. And if the rubbing happens to stop for a moment, Acey knows just what to do ... she just gently taps Mom's cheek with her paw and Mom (who is very well trained by now) immediately begins rubbing Acey's tummy again. LOL!

However, dog shows are more than an ego trip for Mom. They are independent verification by an unbiased outsider of the skills you have worked hard to learn and polish. The scores and the placements vary from day to day, but the titles tell the tale of time spent honing communication, coordination, and the development of a unique and priceless relationship. Obedience trials are also about getting together with other people who understand your obsession, other canine/human "couples". One of the best thing about obedience trials is that it's a venue where everyone can win, or "qualify". Not everyone does, but everyone can. It's not like conformation where everyone shows but only one team takes the points.

Yesterday Acey earned a fourth place and the second of three legs on her AKC Companion Dog Excellent title (CDX), and finished her Rally Advanced title. In the earning of her RA title, she earned three perfect scores, two first places and one second ... all of which prove, of course, that she's undoubtedly one of the most incredible dogs in North America! I am kidding, Rally Obedience is very easy and almost anyone can get perfect scores, but still, it looks so good in print!

These were our last shows of the year. Now we will be working towards learning her Utility exercises (the next level) and polishing small things, namely fronts and finshes. Every dog starts with a perfect score of 200 but points are deducted for errors such as crooked sits. Acey and I still need to refine my communication and her understanding of what is "perfect heel position". It is incredibly awesome to be able to communicate such precise information to a creature of another species. So if you see us out in the driveway, or in the Sam's Club parking lot, or in the aisles of Lowe's Building Supplies or Pet Smart in the upcoming weeks, you will know exactly what we are doing!