Piper is movin' on up!

Piper is officially a graduate of Pre-Sports Puppy.... she has been invited to move on to:

Intermediate Training and Introduction to Agility 2
(Prerequisite: Pre-Sports Puppy Foundation or Basic Training/Agility 1 or equivalent with instructors approval)
Dogs and handlers continue their training by learning more advanced, off leash exercises with the goal of attaining the Canine Good Citizenship certification from AKC. The safe introduction to agility obstacles and jumping is fun, and helps handlers determine if they want to continue on to more serious agility training.

I can't believe she's going into a 'big dog' class. We did some off leash work tonight and she did pretty good for a 5 month old goon.

She's getting bossier and pushier with Chance lately - maybe some hormones kicking in? Trying to knock him down a few notches?? ;-) Who knows... :)

She's SUPER easy to train and work with... she's SUPER enthusiastic (most of the time) and is always good for getting the class to crack up at least once ;-)

Loving this little terd... she's a good little terd... :)

the ultimate compliment....

"if all Corgis were like Piper, I would get one in a second" - Anita

Piper is just SO good. She's one of 2 dogs (the other being a minpin) who don't think twice about going through the weaves (wide) straight through. She goes up and down the A-frame like she owns it, through the tunnels, checks out every obstacle put before her without a flinch. She sits, she stays, she downs. She can even sit stay OFF LEASH from a distance. Not for a Long time, mind you, but for 10 seconds or so... which in my book is DANG impressive for a 5 month old baby.

Anita loves Piper. She's made that crystal clear. :) I think she's pretty darned special (most of the time *grin*) too!

Something tells me that Piper thinks I'm pretty special too, which is nice... :) mama's girl, this one... :)

School has had me so busy (both work school and school school) that I haven't taken many pictures of the fur kids... I will make up for it soon, I promise.

Little superstar in the making...

Our AKC STAR Puppy class is incorporating puppy agility and Piper is an ABSOLUTE natural!

So far we've done the tunnel, a low low little a-frame, walking through a ladder, and tonight we introduced a low low dog walk... She charges up that little a-frame like she owns it, and rushes through the tunnel like it was made for her alone! I think I'll be training HER in agility as she goes through and earns her CH as well! Little superstar, that Piper.

More threats to dog-nap from Anita the trainer... she didn't believe me when I said Piper weighed 14+ pounds.... until she picked her up. "She doesn't LOOK that heavy" was Anita's comment... I don't dare ask her how much she thinks Kota weighs (She's only ever seen Kota). LOL

a few updates

CAMERA:

I finally lost hope and broke down and bought a new camera. After a TON of research, I decided on the Canon Powershot A1000 IS. I originally wanted another, but I found a great deal on this one that came with a 2GB SD card for a GREAT price... 10 MP, 4x zoom and in the price range I was looking for... life is great! :)
So to "christen" my new camera - this is the first "group shot" of the kids with the new camera!

KOTA'S EAR

It's been 2.5 weeks since Kota had his hematoma surgery - and he's healing really well. Here is a shot that shows the wiggles in his ear currently... you can't see it from the front - only from the side.


From the front the ear looks slightly smaller, but I bet I won't even notice it once the ear isn't nekkid!
and an up close picture of the ear - healing well, I think. We get the stitches out on Tuesday and from there it's just a process of letting the scar tissue settle in and heal. I'll be happy to be rid of the icky-sticky-outtie stitches... they creep me out when they brush against me!
AGILITY

Kota did really well at agility tonight, considering it was raining and he'd never been on the 'big boy' A-frame. We did a "snakes and ladders" game, which was fun. It really took quite a bit to get him up it the first time (and he got a round of applause for it), but the 2nd time, he just couldn't get it. He did everything else really well. :) He's dirty and pooped, but I think I am looking at a happy happy boy :)

FLAGSTAFF

I opted out of entering the shows in Flagstaff, despite them being in my favorite city :) Sedona will be hairless and there won't be majors for Chance, so I decided to save my money in case I have to fly Sedona to Portland. I might make a day trip of it (especially now that I have a new camera!:) ).

WORK

1 more week of school left.... I'm starting to pack my room and getting ready to take all my stuff home for the summer... I will work at a different school for 09-10, so I have to clear out and make room for the next speech therapist! :) I can't believe I've been at this for 14 months! :)

the agility dog is back! :)

Kota went back to agility last night for the first time since 4/23. Last week was too soon after surgery, and the week before the hematoma was so heavy that I didn't want to put him under any more stress than was necessary... It took him 2 run throughs to realize what was going on, and after that, he was SPOT on! Hitting everything just as I wanted him to, and back to being the star of my show! He's the token "little dog" in our class... we have 2 Border Collies (Clemens and Mason), a Belgian Tervuren (Eagan), a Springer Spaniel (Bella), a Irish Setter (Miracle), a Dalmatian (PJ) and us.
Kota saw his old instructor, Anita, in the other field (we were moved to a new field and a new time) and he "roooooooooo'd" at her good and loud. It was VERY cute. :) He was back at it like he hadn't taken any time off. Like I've said before, he's not the fastest dog (he did speed up towards the end of the class), but he has a great time.
It's great to be back in agility, even though we were sweating like CRAZY afterwards. We have 4 more weeks and then we're off for the summer. It's hot already, at 7pm, I can only imagine what it will be like in 4 more weeks.

Next up for training?
That's a hard call. Both Sedona and Chance have TONS of potential!

dogs, work, and life

Well Kota is being a great sport about all this hematoma crap - doesn't seem to get him too bad, until I go to wrap his ear back up into a standing position. I figure if I can help in any little way possible so that 1) muscle memory stays, 2) no creases form or 3) it provides some protection, I'm good.

I'm taking him to Companion Pet Clinic tomorrow to get checked out and get an estimate for surgery (and to get the blasted thing drained again). I've got to make a decision pretty soon on what to do - I can't keep just getting it drained. If there were a way I could keep pressure on the ear, I wonder whether I'd be able to keep it from coming back... but since it's a friggin CORGI ear and INSISTS on standing upright, it's hard. :(

This is Kota today - after work - after taking off the wrap...

I'm trying really hard not to get down about it, but it bums me out.... I just want him to be 100% of course. :(

On the positive side, he's kicking agility butt, and I'm so excited about it :) He pooped out early last night (I think the stress and discomfort of the ear thing got to him after a while), but he's doing SUCH a good job, and is one of the "stars" of the class most times :) I'm going to enter him in a DOCNA trial this summer and run him in jumpers and gamblers :) It'll be a load of fun! :)

Work is in the process of wrapping up - we have 19 days in May and just one week left in April.... the light is at the end of the tunnel and teachers and students alike are starting to crawl the walls.... We're all tired and ready for a nice long break. :) I'm volunteering (I'll get paid) to work over the summer for Preschool evaluations and such - it'll give me extra money and more experience :) And heck, Preschoolers are cute, as long as I don't have to work with them every day! :)
I'll be moving to a new school for next year - a really nice school with a nice big speech room :) It's half the size of a regular classroom, as opposed to my closet I have right now. I'm not sure what I'll do with all that room! I'm having fantasies already! :) In addition to working a K-4 school, I will also be sharing the new "Intermediate" school (grades 5 and 6) which is going to be at the school *I* went to for 7th through 12th grades! A little weird, but kinda cool at the same time! I'm just happy to have a job in this economy, and am SO thankful I got out of Telecom when I did! Yay! :)
So i'll be packing up my stuff and taking it home over the summer, I guess... just more stuff I might have to shuffle when/if the house sells. *sigh*

Been feeling kinda sad about Dad in the last few days... This is the longest I've gone without talking to him, and I've been wanting to... knowing that I can't. I try not to focus too much on it, but I know it's a stage in the "process"... so I'll let it take it's course. I miss the old grump tho. *sigh*

I've been blowing through the Twilight books... I picked up Twilight 2 weeks ago this weekend and zoomed through it. Then I bought New Moon last weekend (Saturday) and had to buy Eclipse on Monday! I finished Eclipse last night and now am borrowing Breaking Dawn from a co-worker since I can't find it in the stores right now! I resisted for a long time, but I decided I just needed to suck it up and see what all the hype was about. NOW I KNOW! I can't put the books down! :) They're great! If you haven't read them, you really should.... they're wonderful! :) Another co-worker told me today that I'll probably finish Breaking Dawn this weekend... not sure about all that - it's over 700 pages long! Whew!

I entered the kids in the Rio Grande KC shows in Albuquerque in May - majors in both dogs and bitches.. Keep your fingers crossed for the kids.... Sis is in GREAT condition right now, and Chance is just ready for those majors to start flowin' in :) It should be a good time :)

Wish Ko and I luck tomorrow at the vet - I might get ONE MORE quote (they always say to shop around), and then make a decision... *sigh*

Oh, and a Tupperware party tomorrow - FUN!!! :)

this weekend (and the things I've done)

When I got mail (like USPS mail) from Mr. and Mrs. Tom Cannon I scratched my head.... "what could THIS be?"

Is this awesome or what?!? Thanks Tom and Carolyn!!!!! You guys rock! :) I love it! Now I have to clean the windows to find a place for it! :)

Since last weekend my camera has been an @$$hole, and I can't figure out why, so unfortunately I have to submit you folks to blurry photos....

Kota's hematoma has gotten bigger.... to the point where it is flopping his ear down. While cute on a puppy, it's NOT so cute on an almost 6 year old dog I was hoping to show in Veterans.... *sigh* So because it LOOKED like a puppy ear, I'm TREATING it like a puppy ear! LOL

Kota's not THRILLED about having his ear taped, but it's working, so I'm doing it. I'll do whatever it takes to not lose that ear if I can help it. If I do, I do.. but I'll do whatever I can to save it. If anyone has any suggestions, let me know...
He goes in on Monday to have it drained (to relieve some pressure) and I will be talking to the Dr about surgical options.

And since I've had 140 feet of PVC pipe in my back yard for .... oh gosh, I dunno how long... I finally got off my butt and bought the T-joints and end caps I needed to make agility jumps...


I got the plans from Instant Agility and it was SO easy! Tho because I'm working with 1 1/2" PVC piping, the stability bar ends up being ALMOST an 8 inch jump (which is what Kota has been jumping at class). I put marks for a 10" and 12" jump, but I need to find something to drill bigger holes in the pipe. My drill bits are too small :( for now this is fine - since the two younger dogs are just learning anyway, and Kota is comfortable jumping this height... Again, sorry about the blurry photos....

Here's Chancey trying out the new jump....

and Kota, excited to have one of his OWN now! :)

And Sedona - after having to learn what to do, gracefully hopped right over... I think she'll be a natural once she gets some training....

DOCNA day two

Before getting to the agility area, I had to walk past the sheepies... When I saw two little black sheepie ears sticking out of the trough, I knew I needed to stop.... :)

And on with day two... some amazing weave pole action....

Lookit that JUMP!
I loved this lady's dogs! (you'll see another in a bit!)

This dog was SOOOO excited to get started.... it's handler put it in a down, and the intent in it's eyes was amazing...
The athleticism.... oh my.
This is the same little guy from yesterday whose handler had to "talk" to him about going over the A frame ... LOL


And Diane and John Paster's girl, Lottie - bred by Jennifer Roberson...
Go Lottie, GO!

This was the jump that she knocked... :(
what a great finish! :)
And their Pemmie, Chupie (not sure of the spelling)


Lookie that dog fly!!!
Koty and her dog Striker... Koty is a trainer at MLF where Kota and I have been training... :)
And Connor... *melt* I absolutely fell head over heels for this dog.... *melt*
A sweet little girl who I thought might have been a Cardi mix, but am not really sure what she was... other than a great jumper! :)

and of course, the BC :)
a lab mix of some sort - great shot :)
and a Keeshond, I think....
Diane and Chupie doing Gamblers later in the day....


and a fast as lightening Sheltie :)
Got more sun today, and more learning.... I can't wait to enter Kota. It'll either be in Mid-April, or Mid-June... depending on when my BC buddy enters her dog ;-)

DOCNA Agility Trial

A friend of mine from agility, Amy, and I went to the DOCNA agility trial in Queen Creek today. It was So cool to see all the dogs running, and I was able to learn a lot more than I thought I would, just by watching... things finally clicked :)

So without further ado.... here are the pictures :)

Foster the Pembroke and Rhett/Darwin the Cardi - dogs of John and Diane P.
A lady in Kota's class has Irish Setters. Miracle trains with Kota, and this is Miracle's litter brother, Rounder...


Isn't he a handsome devil? :)
This BC was SO pretty, and SO fast!!!!!

John and Foster at the start line - giving good luck snuggles :)







And some dogs I caught as I was standing in between the rings -


This little guy kept going through the tunnel rather than over the A frame, so here, his/her mom was talking to it and trying to get it to do what she wanted :)
One fast dog....
I love the hair! :)
Go Corgi Go!!!
Not the best angle, but this guys face reminded me of my Ollie-Bear....
The Sibe was SO sweet to the little Irish Setter puppy (13 week old Rumor).
Go Corgi Go!
And the Sibe running agility - not something ya see all that often, from what I gather...

Kathy M..... does this face ring any bells??? I spoke to it's mom, and they know you.... quite well in fact :) Not sure of the mom's name, but I did get the dogs name.... Monkey!!! :) She said you played a large part in her getting Monkey, so I knew I had to get a picture to share :)
I had a GREAT time - tho I'm a crispy critter... I'm charging the camera and hope to go back tomorrow... I can't wait to do this for REAL with Kota. I kind of wish I had entered him in Jumpers now, but oh well. Another time. I know with confidence now that he CAN do this... (except for the weaves ;-) ).