Kidz & Dogz!

ADCH Jam!! :-)

2009-02-16T06:22:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it? My Jam...baby Jam...earned her ADCH at the Tucson USDAA trial this past weekend. What a girl! We needed one Pairs leg and one Gamblers leg going into the weekend. My Pairs partner was a very fast, nice Sheltie who did her half of the course with ease. Jam knocked a bar, but it didn't matter as their time was fast.

The gamble was very doable for Jam and had an a-frame in it...her favorite obstacle! She barely got the a-frame contact (thank goodness I hadn't cut her nails recently!) and won the class! I am so PROUD of her!

She started her competition career in May of 2007 in Bermuda. It took her about 1 year, 9 months to get her ADCH (from start to finish). We don't get to compete as often as many of my friends, so we had to make each outing count. And she totally came through! She is truly a special girl. I am the luckiest person on the planet to own such a wonderful little Toller...she ROCKS!

What's it all about?

2009-02-12T21:33:00.000-08:00

Wishy poses a question in her blog..."why do we do agility?" I responded in the form of a comment, but felt the need to expand on that thought.

My comment mentioned cameraderie. When I first started agility in 1993, I met and befriended some fantastic people. We became the best of friends and started spending a lot of time together. The highlight of each year was roadtrippin' to Pueblo to compete in a USDAA trial. We were together for 5 straight days and rarely, if ever, got on each other's nerves. We did this for several years and have fond, happy memories of those times together. THAT is what hooked me into this sport and kept me going.

At the time, I ran a Beagle (NEA, Her Beagleness) and we weren't wildly successful. It was those same friends that kept my spirits up and helped me to see the comedy in each situation. I cherish those times and miss them tremendously. You see, each of those folks ended up leaving the sport for one reason or another. Some lost interest, some moved away, some moved on. I keep in touch with them, but miss the times we had together.

I stayed with it (agility) and my friend set changed, but the one common bond we all share is the love of our dogs. While there are no more roadtrips (having kids put a stop to that) I still feel a wonderful bond with many of these friends and cherish each moment I get to spend with them.

Another aspect of friendship is the one I share with my dog. I've blogged about my tragic losses (losing 4 dogs in 1 year) so I won't go deep into that, but one thing I came away with after that horrible year was a whole new perspective. I went 3 years without an agility dog. Three very long years. When I got Jam, I was overjoyed, enthralled and fell in love with her almost immediately. While I was anxious to get back into the ring, lack of time and circumstances allowed for precious little training time. Instead, I worked on building a close bond between Jam and I. And that was time well-spent. We don't drill, we don't spend 30 minutes a day on backyard sets...heck, we were lucky to get in 10 minutes every 3rd day! Yet when showtime came, we hit the ground running. I am taking the same route with my new puppy and come showtime, we'll see what happens!

In summary, I do agility because it truly gives me a high. I get to spend quality time with Jam and socialize with friends...two of my most favorite things to do!

Motherhood and dog stuff

2009-02-10T12:15:00.000-08:00

Motherhood. One of those things that doesn't come naturally to me, but I figure if my kids are still breathing, fed, and generally happy then I must be doing something right! I have Erin with me all day on Tuesdays and Thursdays. These are actually tough days for me since she is always wanting me to just "be" with her. I, of course, have 1,000 things to do so at some point during the day she sits in front of the TV, watching Dora or Olivia or whatever else. I feel guilty.

Then there's Dani. She's in school, but if I happen to take Erin to McD's or to the park during the day, she gets upset. I feel guilty.

Course Dani gets to go to ballet, Erin doesn't. On ballet nights, Erin still puts on ballet clothes, but stays home with Daddy. Again, I feel guilty.

I head to a dog show...and this month, there are 3 shows in a row...and leave them with Daddy. They ask me if I'll be home that weekend and when I say no, they get sad. I feel guilty.

I'm convinced that no matter what mothers do, they are always feeling guilty.

Dog Stuff. We had a show this past weekend in which one of the days (Sunday) was canceled due to rain. It didn't actually rain all day, but the damage was done early on...when we all got to the show site the field was full of puddles of water and the mud was everywhere. In the interest of keeping a show site and keeping the dogs/handler safe, the club decided to not attmept to hold a show that day.

BUT, on Saturday Jam and I had 5 fabulous runs! We Q'd in everything we ran:

Masters Gamblers...2nd place and Q
Masters Standard...1st place and Q
Masters Snooker...1st place and Super Q
Grand Prix...1st place, Q and a bye!
Steeplechase...3rd place and a Q

All we need now for our ADCH is 1 Masters Gambler Q and 1 Masters Pairs Q. We have a trial this weekend and one next weekend. Hopefully we can pull it together in those two weekends! :)

I start my job next Tuesday. I'm both dreading it and looking forward to it. Dreading it because I barely have time for everything now...how will I manage when I have a job? Oh...and I won't be able to drop off/pick up Dani from school anymore...more guilt there. Looking forward to it because we need the $$ and I think it'll be an interesting job. The commute isn't that great, but I'm hoping to get in early to avoid the brunt of rush hour. Now I've got to start setting that alarm so I can actually get up AND function on Tuesday!

Things are looking up!

2009-01-27T14:35:00.001-08:00

I haven't blogged in a while...I've been communicating through Facebook more these days, but you can't always put a lot into Facebook, so I'll still maintain this blog...when I remember! :)

I guess the biggest news of the day is I GOT A JOB!!!!!!! It's with a company in Phoenix that creates billing/acocunting software for law firms. My role will be that of a trainer, specifically training folks on how to install the software. The training is all done online, which presents challenges since you can't actually see the students, but with well-timed questions, I'm certain I can keep their attention...5% of the time anyway!! There may also be some opportunity for on-site training which will mean some travel.

All-in-all, it's a good thing. The company has won awards for their flexible workplace, so that is great. I can work from home a day or two a week, and I can also work 9 x 80's (8 nine hour days, 1 eight hour day with every other Friday off). The benefits are so-so, but not horrible. I am THRILLED beyond belief!

My husband is still looking to buy a business, and is close to making an offer on one of them, but he's waiting for some financial information before doing so. Meanwhile, he has a second interview with Wells Fargo for a Financial Analyst, so we'll see how that goes.

So far, 2009 is being kind to us. Let's hope the momentum keeps going in our direction! :)

Guess I should be sick more often!

2009-01-04T16:07:00.000-08:00

Like...wow! Jam and I had an agility trial (USDAA) this past weekend. And wow! I went into this trial with laryngitis, a decent cough and feeling generally poopy. I wasn't even sure I could tell Jam what to do while on course...I mean...when reading books to my kids at night, I was whispering them...that's how bad it was!

So I went in just hoping to get through the trial...and I came away with:

1 Masters Gamblers Q
2 Masters Standard Q's
1 Masters Jumpers Q
1 Grand Prix Q
1 Masters Snooker Super Q

The only thing we didn't Q in was Pairs...but that's because her partner went off course.

So, we are now 2 Gamblers and 1 Pairs leg away from our ADCH!! WooHoo!!! I couldn't be more pleased with my little red fireball! :)

This was also the first trial I was brave enough to bring Quila. I'm wondering if perhaps Quila's presence may have helped Jam to have an extra-stellar weekend...?! :)

2009 is lookin' good so far...here's hoping it continues in that direction!!

2009

2009-01-01T19:31:00.000-08:00

Funny...a year ago my title for the new year was "2008...gonna be great!" If I only knew then what I know now, I'd say "yeah, right."

Lemme get right to the point...2008 sucked. There are two good things I can think of off the top of my head that happened in 2008:

1. We had a great family vacation to Disneyland.
2. I got my beautiful, smart and wonderful Toller pup, Quila.

Other than that, it's sucked. Truly sucked. Course at the top of the list is both my husband and I being unemployed. In good economic times, not a biggie...but now, BIGGIE. Oh...and I should mention I was laid off TWICE in 2008. Nice.

Then there was the double-hernia surgery my husband had in February. His 2nd double-hernia surgery within a year.

Of course, in April Erin got stung by a scorpion. Any mom alive would NOT want to witness what their child goes through when the venom from the scorpion runs through their little bodies. It sucked.

Then there were all the other misc. things that went on...like the dryer going out which was more of a nuisance (an expensive nuisance) so I don't consider that part of the suckiness of 2008. The dog bite I suffered through was fairly traumatic, but thankfully I had a good friend who doctored me up and made me better.

Oh and the day my husband got laid off, I bent the shit out of my back passenger door on my SUV. Yeah...it sucked. I was pretty inconsolable.

So, I look forward to 2009 and hope she's a damn sight better than 2008. It's started out so-so...I have a decent case of laryngitis and my husband and I aren't speaking to each other at the moment, but it's gonna be OK (i think). I have a trial this weekend though if I can't issue commands (I can barely whisper right now) it could be rather comical!

I wish I could write something more poignant...I appreciate those who can. All I can say is with all the lemons I've been handed, I should be able to make the biggest, bestest batch of lemonade for 2009!

Snow play, puppy update, business idea...etc.

2008-12-21T19:52:00.000-08:00

We played in the snow today! We drove up to Flagstaff where they have a LOT of the white stuff. We went to a designated "snow play" area and sledded down the fluffy, white hills. I believe the girls had more fun EATING the snow than sledding IN the snow! Regardless, a good time was had by all.

We also rode a small-scale kiddie train through a light display last night. the kids just loved it and thankfully it was worth it since we had to wait in line for 1.5 hours just to get ON the train. There were other things going on so we were able to keep the girls occupied during the wait, thank goodness!

Moving on...

Quila (the puppy) is doing great! She is super smart and very eager to learn. We are working on foundational skills before I even attempt to introduce her to anything agility-wise. Things we're working on include:

* down (she is about 85% on this)
* target (LOVES this!)
* stay/recall (about 65% on this)
* "around" (going around a cone...doing great as long as I'm fairly close)
* restrained recalls (LOVES this!)
* wobble board (ADORES this!)
* leg bumps...going over my legs (she thinks this is so much fun!)

My next steps are:

* teach left and right
* build more toy drive
* circle work
* stride regulators
* 2x2 weave method
* plank work

Which leads to my business idea. I'm getting a major kick out of this foundation training. I did a similar program with Jam and she hit the ground running and progressed very quickly through the ranks (USDAA-wise). I'm thinking of working with puppies/young/beginner dogs to teach these valuable skills. I can do it with the equipment I've got so no cost to build anything. I've started compiling videos of the skills I've taught Quila and I'm going to build a website around these videos. Now, I'm quite certain I won't make a whole lotta cash offering this service, but it'll be fun to watch the dogs learn these skills and then put them to use on the agility field.

It's all very preliminary, but I'm hoping I can make something of it.

Meanwhile, the job search still continues (for a Tech Writing job) though right now (holidays, end of year, etc.) there is NOTHING out there. I am looking very forward to the new year though as this current year has totally sucked!

Just stuff

2008-12-11T11:53:00.001-08:00

Weeelll, the show wasn't as successful as I had hoped last weekend. Jam did not get any of the Q's we need. Pooh. In Gamblers, she did the hard part, but then I failed her and didn't handle the rest of it like I should've. Sooo, today we start intensive gamble training with a wonderful instructor. Let's hope it helps!!

Our GP run was going smashingly well...until a tunnel bit us in the butt...AGAIN!! She was to come to me and enter the right side of the tunnel, but instead she made a personal choice and went left. Pooh pooh.

As for Pairs, we did our half wonderfully, but my partner ended up going off course. Pooh pooh pooh.

On the upside, we got our second Steeplechase Q of the qualifying season, and we got another Masters Standard leg and a Snooker Super Q. I also was able to realize the generosity and overall goodness of the agility community. So many want to help in my time of need, and for that...I am eternally grateful.

Meanwhile, we are busily prepping for Dani's birthday and her dance (tap actually) program on Saturday. So far we have 7 yes's for the party on Sunday...I'm expecting that number to go up a bit before then. Tonight we make oh-so-fudgy brownies for her birthday treat...YUM!

Right now, a Toller (Jam) is whining at me...BEGGING me to throw. the. ball. I've come to the conclusion that Jam is slightly neurotic. She attacks the vacuum cleaner, goes nutso when you slam shut a hard-cased glasses case and goes absolutely bonkers when you pull out the fly swatter. Oh...and blow drying your hair? Impossible with a crazy Toller around.

I ended up splicing together a photo of the dogs for our Christmas card (ain't no WAY I could get them to sit still together)...whaddya think?

Ramblings

2008-12-03T21:17:00.000-08:00

I now know that I truly wasn't meant to be a Stay-At-Home-Mom. Erin has been out of daycare for a month now, and I just can't seem to get into a groove with her. I have no doubt that she's bored to tears, but thankfully she's very forgiving. We do workbooks and I come up with crafts every now and then, but I just can't fill the days with enough stuff to occupy a 4-year-old. I'm hoping we'll be able to send her back to the daycare soon. Please keep your fingers crossed that I'll be gainfully employed shortly after the new year.

Speaking of which, an agility friend who works at GD (General Dynamics) has been my biggest advocate. She keeps passing my resume around and hopefully it landed in the right hands today. I won't get too excited until an interview is set up, but at least it's SOMEthing in this sea of NOTHing.

Jam and I have a show this weekend. I was going to take Quila to get her acclimated, but she is a screamer. I bring her to class with me Wednesday nights and she SCREAMS in the crate. Tonight I had to put her in the car so I could actually hear myself tell my students what to do. I'm going to have to do some crate games with her to help. I also need Jam to focus this weekend as I'd love for us to get Gamblers, Pairs and GP Q's. with Quila there, I'm thinking she'll lose some concentration...mostly cuz she'll be pissed off at me for bringing the monster! :)

Dani's birthday is coming up. Her actual birthday day is the 13th, but since she'll be dancing to "Run Run Rudolph" at a great Christmas program that evening, we're having her party on the 14th. It'll be a "Pirate Party" and she's inviting 17 girls. I'm kinda hoping not all of them show up!

I got a decent picture of the girls for the Christmas card today. Whaddya think...?

Now I've got to get the dogs lined up for a picture of them. Mucho easier said than done!

OH, and speaking of Quila...her foundation training is coming along nicely! She targets to my hand, sits and downs and has no issues with the wobble board whatsoever. We're working on stays and recalls...she offers me downs and sits when she breaks her stay...she's so CUTE! And we're working on drive by racing to her ball. She's really picking up her speed! She's also incredibly food motivated which really helps.

Some upbeatness

2008-11-23T18:24:00.000-08:00

We had a show this weekend. It was my club's show for which I am the secretary. This is typically our small show...we usually get about 145 entries. Well, we had 193...YIKES! We offered Team/PVP, but that wasn't the draw as we had only 9 Teams and 9 PVP's.

I wasn't going to be on a Team because A. I don't need it and B. I couldn't afford it. But, I was approached by a couple people, one of which needed the Team Q, to be on their Team to help her qualify. I said Yes, but only if they pay my entry. They agreed, so Jam and I ran Team. I then entered her in just the other classes we need for our ADCH...Jumpers, Gamblers and Pairs.

Well, Jam did GREAT! We didn't get a gamble, but came mighty close. She ran very well regardless. She did get a Jumpers leg, which gave us our Jumpers Master...WOOHOO!!! In Pairs, my partner did great, I was an idiot. I ended up handling Jam on the wrong side and she took an off course. Oh well.

As for Team, Jam turned out to be the anchor! She got lots of gamble points (didn't get the gamble though), got the most Snooker points of ALL the dogs entered in Team :), won Jumpers and Standard and stayed clean in Relay! We ended up 3rd and Q'd so we helped the one member of our team who hadn't...I'm so happy for her!!

Quila is finally getting to be "of age" to come with me to shows. She gets her last set of shots on Wednesday, and then she'll be "free." She is SO CUTE!

And here's one of Jam doing what she does best...bark for the ball!

:-)

Can't cut a break

2008-11-13T07:43:00.000-08:00

I'd like to write more upbeat posts...but I can't.

My husband was laid off from his job last Thursday. He received a generous severance package, which is good, but is now looking for a job in this crappy market...which is bad. Same place I am. No jobs.

The same day he got laid off, I ended up bending the door on my SUV (long story) so it's now in the shop. Been there a while. Not sure when I'll get it back.

I had an interview that I thought was a good one, but it turns out I'm over-qualified. Story of my life right now. I was also submitted via a headhunter for another job, but they haven't called for an interview.

Erin is now out of daycare. And I suck as a stay-at-home-mom. Especially since I just want to keep looking for a job...ANY job.

It can't get any worse, can it?

The Ups and Downs of Nationals

2008-11-03T10:06:00.000-08:00

It's over. Whew. Another year of chaos by the wayside. Thank God it's over. There were some ups and downs as usual...

Downer #1:

A wonderful agility dog lost her life on the way to the Nationals. Local folks know her as Mesa, the little black dog that ran like the wind. She was loved and owned by Wishy and her family. She touched the lives of many of us here in Arizona and we will miss seeing her run with glee on each course she tackeled. It was a tough weekend for Wishy's family, but they still came and cried and laughed with so many. I don't think they knew how many lives were touched by their little "Spaz dog." We will miss her.

Downer #2 (sorta):

They did a balloon release in which anyone who's lost a dog to cancer could release a balloon in honor of their canine angels. I had 2 balloons to release...one for Fred who died of Osteosarcoma in May, 2003 and one for Chakotay who died of Myeloma in November, 2003. A poem was read and tears were shed. I miss my little Iggies. I hope they were looking down on me during the release cuz I was looking up at them.

OK...we need some uppers...

Upper #1:

Jam had an AWESOME Nationals!!! I am so PROUD of her!! She started with European Standard in which she ran clean. She didn't place, but she fared very well in the results.

Thursday she started with the Steeplechase Quarters. She ran fast and made the cut-off for the Semi's!!! I couldn't believe it! She just rocks!!

Then came Team Jumpers. Again, moderately fast and clean...no faults.

Then came Team Snooker. She ROCKED! She got 48 points...WooHoo! Again, no placement, but was within the top 15 dogs!

Friday we started with Steeplechase Semi's. She had to do the weaves twice so I didn't think she'd be fast enough for the Finals and sure enough, she wasn't. She ran it in 38 seconds though which is fabulous for us!

Then we did Team Standard. She ran that course beautifully!! No faults and a decent time. She was really doing well.

Then came the GP Quarterfinals. I really wanted to make it into the Semi's and we did!!! She ran so well and we ended up 11th...I am so freakin' PROUD!!!

Saturday was the GP Semi's and Team Gamblers. In the Semi's she had the fastest weave poles I've ever seen...they were awesome!! Then, she went into the tunnel...and popped right back out...a refusal. No Finals for us, though making it into the Finals was a longshot at best. I was insanely happy with her poles though, so no biggie.

Gamblers went very well. I think we got a bunch of points, but I never did check.

Regardless, our team ended up 67th out of 174 teams...not bad for all Tollers!!

Upper #2:

The volunteers. They were great!! They worked hard in the 90-degree heat and remained upbeat and happy. I couldn't have asked for a better crew. I don't think they know how much I appreciate them.

Upper #3:

I got to see and talk to so many people...I had a fabulous time chatting with friends that I get to see only a few times a year.

All in all, a good time. I'm glad it's over as I'm just spent, but I had a great time.

Agility folks and Nationals prep

2008-10-24T10:46:00.001-07:00

I've been officially unemployed for a week. Can't say my mood has improved too much, but luckily I've been pretty busy with Nationals and my club's upcoming show. But, I have to admit that agility folks are pretty darned cool.

The day I got laid off, Jam and I had agility class. I walked out of agility class with a job! I am now teaching 2 classes for this group and that's great. I also came out of class after talking to two other folks who said they'd send my resume on to their HR folks at their companies. Cool!

Then, I had a show that weekend and was talking to the judge about my malady. He works for a company that has headquarters in the valley and he said he'd circulate my resume as well. Wonderful! Then, yet another agility buddy said she had lots of contacts and would pass my resume around. Fabulous! And THEN, one of my blog readers had me send my resume to her as well...it's a longshot, but heck...I'll take/do anything! Terrific!! I tell ya...agility folks are truly the best folks on Earth! I haven't received any word from anyone regarding a job offer, but getting my name out there is key. I thank all of them profusely as my mood gets lifted with each and every offer of support.

And then there's Nationals prep. Most of my efforts have been focused on volunteers. I am working feverishly on getting my schedule in order and being sure that I communicate adequately to everyone who is helping out. Not to mention that I have a dog to prep as well! I set up some back yard drills today. I have a friend (and Toller teammate) coming on Monday and we're going to head over to where I take classes and do some practice. I could also go to class Tuesday night, but I think I'll spend the time with my girls instead since I won't see them (except for Halloween night) for 5 nights. If Jam and I aren't ready now, we'll never be! :)

And then there's Quila. She and Jam are playing a LOT. I think they actually like each other!! She's still not 100% on potty training, but we're close. She is still nipping quite a bit, but it's getting better. She's definitely a cutie-patootie and somewhat of a troublemaker! :)

Can't finish without pictures...

:-)

The Black Cloud

2008-10-17T21:04:00.000-07:00

It's settled over our heads and seems to want to stay for a while. It is amazing how bad things happen in big, huge clumps. Amazing.

Started last week. Had a hefty vet bill and some more not-so-good news regarding Calvin. His protein levels seem to be down so there is a definite possiblity that either the Valley Fever has settled in his bones, or he has cancer. We opted out of the invasive tests (given his age) and instead have forged ahead with drug therapy.

That very same day, my back right tire on my SUV went flat. Really flat. While driving. With the girls. I was able to get my husband out to help me and another kind soul pulled over as well, but this all resulted in $400 for two new tires. Blah.

We had a wonderful hike in Sedona this past weekend (my birthday wish) but in the process we hurt Jeff's mom's feelings by not inviting her.

And then, the biggie...I lost my job on Tuesday. This job was a risk when I took it, in that it depended a lot on the economy. I just hoped for the best...and got the worst. So now, I am jobless...in what has to be the worst economy since the depression. To say I'm scared is an understatement. I have gone through all the emotions, but the one that stands out is an enormous feeling of terror.

Perhaps the only good thing that happened this past weeks is that I got to do a TV segment to promote the Cynosport games (dog sport) to be held at WestWorld here in Phoenix in less than 2 weeks. Jam and I taped it on Thursday and got to watch it this morning. (Of course, I had major issues with DirectTV and finally got it resolved within seconds of the start of my segment.)

I think I did a pretty good job...what do you think?

More puppy pictures!!

2008-10-09T07:37:00.000-07:00

It's hard to get a bad picture of her! :) Day 3 and she's doing great! The potty training is progressing, though she's had a couple of oops's. She's also sleeping better and woke us up at 5:45...about 45 minutes later than yesterday. Slowly we'll work her to 6 - 6:30. She's also figured out the doggie doors...just gotta get her to use them to go outside on a regular basis!

She's also taken to the ball, though Jam is NOT impressed! Jam is still quite growly with her, but I have no doubt they'll be fast friends. She's such a cute fluffball!!

:-)

Introducing Baby Quila!

2008-10-07T09:58:00.000-07:00

Here she is...

And again...running in from the backyard...

And playing with the girls...

She traveled very well, never making a peep from her Sherpa bag. When I brought her home, Jam was a bit growly with her, but they are slowly warming up to each other. Quila loves her puppy toys and has chewed on every single one. She also likes to lie in wait while Jam runs out to retrieve a ball, and then pounce on her when she comes back to me! :)

She kept us up a bit of the night whining, but otherwise, she's acclimated very well. She doesn't seem to be fearful of much and is being a pretty good puppy so far!!

Kinda weird to have a "baby" in the house again!!

Alb. results and I think we've got a name!!

2008-09-29T07:28:00.000-07:00

So, like...I went to Albuquerque hoping to come away with a DAM Team Q and hopefully a couple Q's towards our ADCH. But I DIDN'T expect what we did get:

DAM Team - Q and FIRST PLACE!!
Masters Standard (Sat.) - Q and 2nd place
Masters Gamblers - Q and 1st place
Steeplechase - Q and 2nd place
Masters Pairs - Q and 1st place
Masters Jumpers - Q (no placement)

We needed Pairs, Gamblers and Jumpers for our ADCH. Before the weekend we needed 8 legs, now we need only 5! We CAN do it!!

We were so close to a GP Q. We were running beautifully, but at the 3rd last obstacle, a tunnel, I sent her in the wrong end. Grrrr. My bad.

Jam ended up getting pretty sick Saturday afternoon/evening. She had diarreha (sp?) and was vomiting. She was one unhappy Toller. She wouldn't even run after her ball...not good. I wasn't sure about Sunday. Sunday morning she woke up much more perky and happy. I didn't run her in Masters Standard (which was the first class), but I did run her in Snooker (in which I sent her over #2, and then she backjumped it), Steeplechase Round 2 (she placed 3rd...won $16!) and Jumpers (Q'd).

All in all, a rather excellent weekend! :)

Wishy and her family were at the show and thanks to them, I believe we have a name for the puppy!!! I called my hubby and he didn't pooh-pooh it right away, so I think it's gonna stick. And now, the name...

Formal name = Lakota's Tequila Sunrise
Call name = Quila (key-la)

Whaddya think??!

Roadtrippin'

2008-09-25T06:28:00.000-07:00

Jam and I are heading to Albuquerque today for a 3-day USDAA show. We'll be RVing it with a friend and her 2 pups, so it'll be a bit different this time. We're used to staying at hotels so now we're going to see how the "other side" lives! :)

Jam is ready. I think. I mean, she's been doing well in class and in my backyard, so we'll see what happens on the field. She's 100% on her weave poles everywhere but at a show. Typical, eh? Though at the West Valley show in July she was 100% on her poles...not sure why, but she was. Maybe cuz that's the show in which I returned home from Wisconsin on a Thursday and left for the show on a Friday without having done a single jump...? They say practice makes perfect, but maybe not really...?

Can't end this post without a puppy picture! They are 7 weeks old today! The breeder has been fabulous. He's had them on live birds, has had agility equipment in the puppy pen, took them swimming in his pond and has taught them how to retrieve! I'm going to have a very well-rounded pup and I'm SO excited!

Here is Ms Yellow (Green) after a swim. She is SO CUTE!

I bring her home in a week and a half. Can't believe it's coming already!!

And now a name...a freakin' name. Now I'm looking at the names of beaches in the Caribbean. Her "formal" name could be "Lakota's Life's a Beach"...! :) Anyone, anyone? (OK, so maybe 2 people read this thing, but anyone???)

Catch ya on the road....

Lots 'o stuff going on

2008-09-21T21:34:00.000-07:00

Lessee...where to begin...

Jam...NO VALLEY FEVER!!! The test came back negative...woohoo!! :) I am so happy. :)

Calvin...he seems to have stabilized. He hasn't had a nosebleed in a week, thank goodness. He still isn't nearly as perky as usual, but that's to be expected. He is still eating like a horse, so that's good. He does go after the ball, but he takes his time. I just hope he continues to improve.

Puppies...they are 6 weeks old now!! The breeder sent video of them with live birds. They were going after them like good little Tollers! (no bird dies during filming!) The breeder has pretty much picked out the pup for me...the one I've been eyeing all along, Ms. Yellow (who is now wearing a green collar). Here are pictures of her being stacked...

Isn't she adorable?!! Right now she's one big puffball, but soon her "real" Toller coat will come in and she'll be as adorable as Jam! She STILL doesn't have a name though. I looked up some Caribbean facts online and like the name "Soca," which is a type of Caribbean music. My husband was less than thrilled with the name. Ugh. It's gonna be tough naming this one for some reason.

Our air conditioner...the upstairs one...it went out. And yeah, it's still freakin' HOT. And of course, it went out on a Saturday. One trip to Lowe's and 3 fans later, we were all able to sleep well last night. And luckily I was able to figure it out this evening and was able to jump start it back to life. Ugh. Hopefully we can limp it along until it cools off...like not until the end of October.

The girls...both are doing very well in school! We meet with Dani's teacher this week for parent/teacher conferences. We are expecting a good conference, so no worries there. And Erin continues to do well in Pre-K. They are both a bit rambunctious and need to learn to listen better, but that's age-specific and to be expected, I suppose.

Me...I got sick, really sick on Friday. And this was supposed to be my day on Friday...1) wake up, 2) wish husband a happy birthday, 3) head to the scuba shop to get his gift, 4) go to lunch with my boss, 5) lead "smoothie Friday" at Dani's school, 6) celebrate husband's birthday with gifts and cake. NONE of that happened. None. I was flat on my back (or in the bathroom) the entire day. I felt slightly better on Saturday, but still not too good. By today, I felt better, but not 100%. We were at least able to celebrate husband's birthday on Saturday and do some kid-oriented stuff today.

That's about it. Jam and I are heading to Albuquerque on Thursday for a 3-day USDAA show with DAM, Steeplechase and GP. It's gonna be at least 20 degrees cooler, thank goodness, and loads of fun. I'll be staying with a friend in her RV, which'll be way cool.

Show season is starting...woohoo!!

So Tired

2008-09-15T15:45:00.000-07:00

I judged a show this past weekend in California. Nice show, nice site, nice people, etc. The show site was on a slight incline, so I was basically walking up and down a small hill all day, two days in a row. I felt it in my glutes, so there is some benefit there for me!

By the last class of the weekend, I started to feel the old familiar signs of heat exhaustion. My head started to ache and my stomach started to feel queasy. I also had a hard time focusing. Luckily I was able to stand in the shade to judge the last class, and I didn't feel too badly until the last dozen dogs or so. Right after the class, I sat down with friends and drank some water and Propel. It all ended good, but today I am TIRED.

I took Jam in for her Valley Fever test today. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the test comes back negative. She was coughing a bit after a ball-throwing session today and my paranoid mind kept telling me that she has Valley Fever. God...I sure hope not.

I haven't heard much puppy news in the past week. I am STILL looking for a name though. I just can't decide. What to do...

Valley Fever

2008-09-10T21:34:00.000-07:00

It's a disease localized to the desert areas of Arizona, New Mexico and parts of California. This disease is contracted from either the dust in the air, by digging (dogs) or just inhaling the "fungal spores." It is very treatable, though it can be fatal.

Why am I telling you all this? Because we just found out that Calvin has valley fever. :( Not only does he have it, but he has a very severe case of it. A normal Valley Fever positive titer is 1:4, sometimes going up to 1:32. Calvin's titer came back as 1:256. Wow.

The ONLY clue we had that anything was amiss was the fact that he woke up Monday morning with a bada$$ nose bleed. Like blood all over. I took him to the vet that day and they ran the Valley Fever titer. We got the definitive results today. The drug of choice is Fluconazole, so we started him on it immediately. Hopefully it will start to make him feel better soon.

Given the severity of his case, he will most likely be on this drug for the rest of his life. He's taking it all in stride...still chasing after the tennis ball, though not quite as quickly.

This disease is not contagious, rather it's environmental, so we're gonna have Jam tested. Both live in the same environment, so it stands to reason that Jam's chances of having the disease are slightly elevated. It is called the "silent killer" since there really are no visible signs.

In honor of Calvy-Walvy, here are some of our favorite pictures...

And the beat goes on...

2008-09-05T10:52:00.000-07:00

It's still hot here. Really hot. Like "unseasonably warm." Dandy. Just dandy.

Work has been slow so you'd think I'd make good use of this downtime...nope...not me. I am feeling entirely unmotivated right now and need a kick in the pants to get me going. I have courses to design which is NEVER fun so I'm practicing my avoidance tactics.

Jam is doing great, thank Goodness! I took her to class on Tuesday and she showed no signs of soreness or anything. I am very pleased. She has actually been quite a nuisance...wanting to play ball all. the. time. I finally had to give her a bone to chew on to get her out of my hair!

The girls seem to be doing really well in school. I still worry about Dani and her making friends and all that. I am trying to sign her up for socially interactive things (like girl scouts, science class, etc.) but nothing seems to be panning out. Hopefully things'll pick up soon. Erin is really doing well in Pre-K. She still has at least one "Erin-sized fit" a day (not at school, thank Goodness) so that is VERY annoying.

I have puppy pictures!!! They turned 4 weeks old yesterday, but the breeder sent pics of them at 3.5 weeks old. They are now out in their puppy yard and are getting so CUTE! He even put a couple agility items in the yard (thanks to my friend, Tammi!).

Ms Yellow (in front...green collar now)...she's the one I've got my eye on.

They have changed so much! This is a boy.

Learning 2 on, 2 off...! :)

Puppy recall...how cute is this??

I just love their little noises! Course, when I get my pup home, I have no doubt that I will NOT love those little noises at 3 AM!

Better get back to course design avoidance...

Oye

2008-09-01T20:41:00.000-07:00

Well, we went, we saw, we all came home in one piece! (Bay Team Regionals that is.)

We got to San Jose on Friday around 1ish. Got into the long rental car line and got my car (finally) and headed south for the 1 hour drive to Salinas. Jam, by the way, was the perfect "service dog." She sat on my lap the entire time and was a very good passenger. Anywho...we got to the hotel aroun 3ish, I got Jam's agility stuff out of the suitcase, changed my clothes and we headed to the show site. We were running in Masters Pairs which started at 5ish.

I had a fabulous partner for Pairs (Luka) so I was psyched. I chose the first half since I felt it was more "doable" for Jam. It did have the weaves on that half, but she's been doing them so well that I didn't think they'd be a problem. We started out beautifully, then got to the weaves. Grrrr. She popped out at 10 and I had a brainfart as to where to put her back in. We frittered away the time there, then finished up beautifully. BUT, as fast as Luka is, there was no way they could make up the time I had frittered. No Q for us. Pooh.

Saturday dawned foggy and misty. The fog stayed with us for a good portion of the day. I was a judge today, so poor Jammie had to sit in her crate under the scoretable and watch me all day long. I did go and visit her between rotations. I judged Round 1 of the GP and the Team/PVP Relay Finals. The GP course I felt was a bit on the easy side, and it showed. My Q rate was rather large! Good for all the folks who ran it and capitalized on it! I did have a lot of dogs missing the up contact on the dog walk however. I don't think I've ever called that many ups in any one trial. Very strange. Team/PVP Relay was fun! I did get ran into by a crazy BC, but thankfully I saw it coming and was able to brace myself. The entire time I was judging Relay, the other judges (there were a bunch of us) were ringside talking animatedly throughout. I told them afterwards that I didn't know which was more intimidating...having all the competitors watching me or the judges!

Sunday dawned a bit foggy, but it cleared pretty quickly. Jam and I were competitors today...yay! We started out with Steeplechase. She was a tad distracted the first 3 jumps, but then picked it up. And then came the danged weaves. This time she didn't enter correctly so I got her back in and she completed them, thank God! Then she ran very fast to finish, but pulled a bar. Needless to say, we didn't Q.

Next came Masters Gamblers. I really needed this Gamble and it was so doable! I had a plan, but then changed it midstream. We started out great...she was really running! We came out of a tunnel to a straight shot onto the dog walk...when IT happened. She must've taken a mis-step while charging across the walk because the next thing I knew she was scrambling to stay on, but couldn't, and came down hard off the top plank. I ran to her and she was just laying there with her eyes half closed, panting every so slightly. I picked her up to get her out of the ring and put her down to check her out. Others came around me to see how she was doing. After about 30 seconds - 1 minute, she got up, shook it off, and seemed perfectly OK! I got an Ascriptin from a friend and gave her half of one. I walked her out and she didn't show any signs of lameness. I was very hopeful, but worried.

Next was Masters Standard. I had others watch me trot her out and she didn't seem to have any issues, so I decided to run her. And run she did!! She did GREAT! We ended up Qing, so that was very nice. She had no issues with the dog walk and was her normal self. THANK GOODNESS!! When it was all over, I had the doggie massage/chiropracter person give her a treatment to ensure that she was OK. Thankfully, she didn't seem to have any ill effects from her fall. Whew!

I drove back up to San Jose that night (after a fun dinner with the other judges) and we flew out this morning for home. Again, Jam was the perfect passenger.

I must say that the Bay Team did a great job with the Regional. You could never tell that there were over 400 dogs there. The rotation schedule seemed to work like a charm and I had a good time. I even learned how to ride a Segway! :) THAT was fun!!

I also found out today that I now have a complete team for Nationals! A friend asked if I wanted to be on an all-Toller team...I was very interested, but one of the possible team members hadn't yet qualified. She had her chance to Q this weekend and thankfully, she did! All of the Tollers are 16 inchers, so it's a bit unusual. We're now in the process of thinking of a fun name. It's so nice to have that loose end tied up!

Jam and I have some work to do before Nationals...like proofing the weaves!...but I think we'll be just fine. As long as we don't take it too seriously, it'll all go well!

Prepping for a Regional (puppy news too!)

2008-08-28T17:12:00.000-07:00

I've never shown my dog at a Regional. I have to travel too far and I just can't afford it (time or money). BUT, this year I was asked to judge one day of the Bay Team Regional in San Jose, CA. I was also told I could bring my dog and show her the other days if I so choose. Well, I "so choose" so that's what I'm gonna do!

I am judging the Grand Prix Round 1, so we won't be able to run in that (phooey!) BUT, we will be able to compete in Pairs and Gamblers...2 legs we need towards our ADCH. We'll also run in a Standard class and the Steeplechase. I will be leaving very early Monday morning to catch a flight home for a BBQ with the family.

Jam and I have been working hard on gambles. She is now about 90% on her "outs" so hopefully we'll be able to capitalize at the show. She's running real well, though we haven't seen a whole lot of contact equipment lately. I ran her over an a-frame Tuesday night, but no teeter (I'm too lazy to drag mine out!) and no dogwalk. I think we'll be OK though (cross your fingers!).

PUPPY NEWS! :)

The puppies turn 3 weeks old today! Their eyes are open and they're getting more active. My friend (Toller friend) went and saw them today and confirmed that the smaller girl (Ms. Yellow...though she has on a green collar now) seems to be the most adventuresome. The breeder posted a video link that showed her escaping from the whelping box...so cute!! Here are some more pictures:

Ms. Yellow (or green...whatever!)

Ms. White (what a FACE!)

Puppy Pile!!

Junior Handlers (agility...for non-agile folks!)

2008-08-23T21:40:00.000-07:00

I just had the pleasure of judging a Junior Handlers (JH) trial tonight. Our club (Good Dog Agility) hosts 2 JH trials each summer. Normally they are fairly well attended...tonight we had only 2 handlers and 5 dogs. A very small trial, but boy...did Good Dog have the turnout in terms of workers! The JHers were treated to a nice crowd of people watching them work through the courses.

I'm not entirely sure why the turnout was so low. Could be that the heat was too stifling? Or maybe folks were just plain busy or out of town? I don't know. What I do know is that it's a cool program that allows Juniors to compete against kids rather than against adults or "professional" agility handlers. The courses at the Beginners level are fairly simple, but once they progress to the Senior level, the courses are much like what I'd put out for the Starters class in the "adult" version.

I do enjoy watching the Juniors and hope that they come out in droves for our next trial which will be held in June.

My own little Junior Handlers were spending time with Lisa, our ex-Nanny. This was most likely the last time they'll see her as she (the Nanny) is moving. We'll miss her as she is GREAT with the girls and they love her and her son. I'm glad they had the chance to see her once again.

Time for puppy news!!! They are 2 weeks, 2 days old today. Their eyes are starting to open and they are whimpering quite a bit. I have pictures, but I'm too lazy to post them tonight...maybe tomorrow night! I also have made my flight arrangements for "project puppy pick-up." I am judging a show in Michigan the first weekend in October...since the pups are in Illinois, I am going to pick them up on my return trip home. I've scheduled an almost 3 hour layover at O'Hare and the breeders wife will bring my pup to me. I can't wait! :)