Training Rascal

Goodbye My Dearest One :(

2011-12-06T21:45:00.006-05:00

There will be no more Countdown To Christmas, or any more training posts, or anything really. My baby boy was hit and killed by a car tonight. I'm in pieces over this. He has been my life for three years now and I'm not sure what I will do without him. I'm trying to keep it together, but it's not working. He was the one I hugged when I cried and no there is no Rascal to hug. This is the most heartbroken thing ever for me and I'm pretty sure that this will never heal. No dog or animal will ever be able to replace Rebels Red Rascal. He is the best, was the best, and will forever be the best dog in the whole world. There will never be another one like him. The Aussie breed has lost a great dog this evening. Rascal stood for everything Aussie. And he is sorely missed by everyone. I will miss the way he attacked the wheelbarrows, the way he was obsessed with squeaky toys, the way he tryed to break the door down to get outside when he saw the treat bag, the way he danced around when you said "flyball" or "Mille Mae". I even miss the gas problems he was having. Rascal will forever be in my heart always and for ever more. I love you, Squeaky!!!!

Countdown To Christmas: Day 20

2011-12-05T21:07:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!!!! Whopp Dee Doop! Another day closer to Christmas. I'm so pumped. :) Here's today's song and picture. Peace Out!!!!!

Day: 20

What's in our stockings?!?!?!?!

From the wonderful movie "White Christmas" here is the song "White Christmas"

Countdown To Christmas: Day 21

2011-12-04T12:54:00.003-05:00

We are officially three weeks away from Christmas. I'm so excited!!! Yippeee! Deck the halls, everyone! lol. Here are today's picture and song. I really hope you guys are excited about Christmas and have finished all your shopping. I hope you got something good for your dogs. :)

Day: 21

Get me out of here. Please!

Eartha Kitt singing "Santa Baby"

Countdown To Christmas: Day 22

2011-12-03T13:56:00.003-05:00

OMG!!!! I can't believe it's only three weeks till Christmas Eve! I can't wait to sit down and watch our family Christmas movie and eat snacks and drink Cranberry Splash. Ok, I really need to calm down. lol. Here's today's song and picture. I've got to go and get ready for a Christmas party. Happy Holidays everyone! :)

Day: 22

Present Time!!!

Alabama singing "Thistlehair The Christmas bear"

Countdown To Christmas: Day 23

2011-12-02T22:46:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone! I still can't believe it is Christmas time. This year as just flown by for me, but I made some great memories this year too. Ok, today's song and picture is posted below. I hope you enjoy it.

Day 23:

Waiting for Santa

Josh Groban singing "Little Drummer Boy"

Countdown To Christmas: Day 24

2011-12-01T14:39:00.003-05:00

Happy first day of December everyone!!!! I can't believe that this year is almost over. My life flashed before my eyes. Well, we are now yet another day closer to Christmas. My sisters are finishing their shopping and I still have some shopping to complete. But instead of talking about shopping, let's listen to one of my all time favorite Christmas song and enjoy the little picture for today also.

Day: 24

"Please Sir, I want some more."

Newsong singing "Christmas Shoes"

Countdown To Christmas: Day 25

2011-11-30T14:08:00.005-05:00

Another day down till Christmas. I'm getting things lined up to start wrapping gifts. I just wished I was a good wrapper, but I'm not. LOL Ok. Here is today's song and picture. Enjoy!

Day: 25

We had better be getting a treat for this!

Alabama singing "Santa Claus (I still believe in you)"

Countdown To Christmas: Day 26

2011-11-29T20:32:00.003-05:00

Today is the day! We are decorating our Christmas tree. I'm waiting for my chance to get around the tree and hang up all my dog ornaments. This is one of my favorite parts about Christmas. Here's today's song and picture.

Day: 26

Christmas Puppies

Clint Black singing "Till Santa's Gone"

Countdown To Christmas: Day 27

2011-11-28T20:14:00.002-05:00

Hey again everyone. I hope you are all doing great. Things are moving along pretty good over here. We are staying busy with all the parades to go see and Christmas parties to attend, but nothing could make this time of the year my least favorite. Here's today's picture and song. I hope you guys enjoy!

Day: 27

Family Photo Time!!!!

Celtic Woman singing "Christmas Pipes"

Countdown To Christmas: Day 28

2011-11-27T18:37:00.006-05:00

Yippee!!! We're another day closer to celebrating Christmas. I love spending time with my family and friends at this time of year. I just wished that my best friends lived closer instead of 2+ hours away, but we keep in touch. OK. Now to move on to our picture and song of the day. I really hope you guys like what I have been doing and I would love some feedback on it. Have a great day!

Day 28:

Why do you guys humiliate me like this?

Bob Rivers singing "The 12 Pains of Christmas"

Countdown To Christmas: Day 29

2011-11-26T19:21:00.003-05:00

Hello again everyone. We are now 29 days away from Christmas which just makes me more excited. Here's today's picture and song. Enjoy!

Day : 29

When Will Santa Get Here?

Porky Pig singing "Blue Christmas"

Countdown To Christmas: Day 30

2011-11-25T18:51:00.004-05:00

Hello everyone! This is the first ever Countdown To Christmas. I'm so excited about bringing this to your guys and I hope you all enjoy seeing the things I bring to you. Each day till Christmas (30 days) I'm going to post a Christmas picture and a song. It can be any picture, any song. The one thing that it has to be is Christmas. I'm looking forward to doing this for you guys. So, lets begin!

Day 30:

Snowy Fun

Brad Paisley Singing "Kung Pao Buckaroo Holiday" with the Kung Pao Buckaroos

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

2011-11-24T19:45:00.003-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all my readers out there. I hope everyone has had a wonderful day. It has been a splendid day for me and my family. We started the day off as we always do, by watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which was good. Poor Scotty messed up his lip syncing, but I still love listening to him. Next I watched the National Dog Show, which was probably the best one I had ever seen.

Dog Show Results

Herding: Australian Shepherd
Sporting: English Springer Spaniel
Working: Bernese Mountain Dog
Non-Sporting: Dalmatian
Toy: Affenpinscher
Terrier: Wire Fox Terrier
Hound: Whippet
Best In Show: Wire Fox Terrier

Had a wonderful time watching the show. There were just some really amazing dogs there this year. Next we watched the Green Bay Packers game against the Detroit Lions. Go Packers!!!! After that we played our own family flag football game and came inside to watch the Dallas Cowboys against Miami Dolphins. Go Either one!!! LOL After that it was time for the turkey. Mom baked a 33 lb. turkey that we raised ourselves and it was sooo good. And the best part is.....There's tons of leftovers!!!! Finished the day off by skinning a deer and now I'm hoping to watch a movie or something and get ready for bed.

I hope you all have made some new memories with your family. I sure have. Thanksgiving is a wonderful day to spend with your family and friends. Have a great day!

The Fantastic 4

2011-09-28T15:37:00.003-04:00

Well, now that it has finally cooled off some, we have been able to get back to training the dogs for flyball. We have had two meetings so far and in that time, we have worked on box turns, fallen jumps, and have picked our team/group name. As you guys probably know, we were once called Puppy Play Group and then Canines For Christ, but since we have decided to just do flyball, we needed a name that would reflect on what we were as a flyball team. So after a discussion, thinking of names, and drawing from a hat, we picked "The Fantastic 4".

Now that I'm leading things up, I'm hoping things will get done and hopefully Rascal and Millie Mae will be ready to compete at the Raleigh tournament in January with the Fayetteville Freedom Flyers.

We also have the four dogs that we need in order to have a full team. We have Rascal, Millie Mae, Amber, and Peppe, but it will be sometime next year before Amber and Peppe are ready to compete and we sill need two more dogs as back ups.

Hopefully, sometime soon, we will have business cards, fliers, a website, and money to buy a new box and a set of new jumps. So, right now things are running smoothly.

I should have pirctures and info next week to post, so you will be able to meet everyone on the team. I will also be posting training videos and starting up the "How to Train Your Dog for Flyball" post series again.

I hope you guys enjoy hearing about our adventures on the track. Please let me know how your training is going and give me any kind of feedback on my post or blog. We would love to hear from you all.

Have a great day!

September 11th: Support Our Troops And Don't Forget

2011-09-11T00:00:00.001-04:00

Honor The Canine Rescue Teams Of 9/11

2011-09-09T21:26:00.000-04:00

Food and Water Container Review

2011-07-19T22:52:00.006-04:00

I always, always, always used to say that I would never use these containers, that I would never have any need for these containers, and it came right back and bit me hard in the butt.

With three dogs in the house it became really hard to keep enough food out for all the dogs to be able to get all the food that they needed. And when the dogs were out of food, they would come up and bug my dad which set him off every time, so in order to prevent this from happening again, and to also make our lives a heck of a lot easier, we got these containers for food and water.

They work super well. With three dogs, we only have to fill the food container up about once a week and we can normally wait even longer to fill up the water bowl. I have to say that this is one of the best inventions made for dogs, next to the gentle leader. If you are like me and you have lots of dogs and the food bowl can never stay full, then I totally recommend this to you. Get it and easy your life!

Rascal's Training

2011-05-11T15:44:00.001-04:00

OK! So, to follow up my "What's up?" post, I'm going to talk about Rascal's training. It's kinda funny. I really don't have a lot to say. LOL.

Jessica and I have been working the dogs pretty hard when we have time to get to together. Rascal and Millie Mae should be ready to compete at the Raliegh tournament in September.

We have gotten them both to do the jumps and box up and back, but we still are having to work on their passing.

I think we are going to try and go to Fayetteville to work the dogs with the team this Sunday. Wish us luck!!!

"Flyball has helped fulfill my life and it can help you, too."

BYE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Half Way There

2011-05-10T15:24:00.002-04:00

Well, look at this. It's my 50th post. I'm halfway to 100. I never thought I would get this far. I thought my interest in dogs would last a year or so, but I've been doing dogs for 5 years now. I want to thank everyone who has read and/or commented on my posts. It shows that maybe someone is learning from what I've posted. I hope that you guys will be inspired by my next 50 posts and I hope to hear from you all. See you all later!

What's Up?

2011-04-27T16:16:00.003-04:00

That's the question of the day. What's Up? I know that it has been a good while since I've done a regular post, and I'm truly sorry. Things have been kinda wild here due to my goats giving birth and a show coming up, but hopefully I will be able to pick up in the posts once again.

I know that some of the links on the side are old and/or inactive and it is on my list of things to get done.

I'm not sure when the next movie review is going to get done. I know I have White Fang somewhere it's just trying to find it amongst all the other movies. and once I find it, I have to find out if our VCR will work and play it so I can write the review. I haven't seen this movie in a long time, like 10+ years, so trying to do the review from memory would probably do more harm then good.

For any of you guys interested in more of my movie reviews, then check out my blog The Theater. Some of the posts are the ones that are on here, and as of right now there is only one post, but I have dozens ready to go and I'm seeing new movies all the time.

I will be continuing my flyball training posts and I would love to hear what you guys want to see from me next. Give me your Challenge, too. I need things to help motivate me!

A post on Rascal's training will be following this one. It's just me and one other girl training for flyball. The club that I had help with has fallen apart. So we travel about 1 1/2 - 2 hours every once and a while to train with another group, but I still have a dream of having our own team. We are hoping to be ready to compete by September.

Well, this is goodbye for today. come back and check in every so often and see what's up over here. I'm planning on doing so fun things and you don't want to miss out.

#11 Homeward Bound II: Lost In San Fransisco (1996)

2011-04-13T15:23:00.006-04:00

Sassy, Shadow, and Chance enter into a whole new adventure, when they get lost in San Fransisco and have to make their way home.

PLOT (Caution Spoilers)

A ski vacation sounds like fun to everyone including the animals. The family is headed to Canada and are taking Sassy, Chance, and Shadow with them. Before leaving Chance gets into trouble at Jamie's baseball game and Jamie is mad at him.

The plan was drive to San Fransisco and fly from there to Canada. Chance thought that Jamie was leaving him and so he escaped from his crate in the airport and tried to find Jamie. Sassy and Shadow break out of their crates and go to retrieve him. After getting back inside the airport, they realize that Jamie is on the plane, which is where they were supposed to be. With security chasing them, they run outside and try to stop the plane. When that fails, they escape under the fence.

Meanwhile, the family is unaware about what as happened until they land in Canada. They decide to head back the next day and look for them.

Living on the streets is a lot harder then any of them thought it would be. While they searched for the Golden Gate Bridge, they get attacked by two dogs, but are then rescued by another group of dogs. Riley (the leader of the group that saved them) takes Sassy, Shadow, and Chance to stay with them at their hideout.

Things start to happen. Shadow rescues a boy from a burning building while Sassy saves his kitten. Chance falls in love with a beautiful girl dog, and gets caught by the dog catchers a.k.a. The Blood Red Van, but the gang gets him out.

After all these things happen, Riley takes them to the bridge. On their way home. Chance is run over by a tractor-trailer. The family was right behind the truck and got Shadow and Sassy. When the driver tells them what happened, Jamie runs and looks under the truck and finds Chance - safe and sound.

After being home for a week or so, Chance's girlfriend shows up and comes to live with them. Things go back to normal and they are one big happy family.

4.5 out of 5

#12 Air Buddies (2006)

2011-03-22T15:27:00.004-04:00

Air Buddies was Don Knotts and Patrick Cranshaw's final film, released after their death.

Plot (Caution Spoilers)

The Sir buddies is Buddy and Molly's group of puppies that consist of Rosebud, Budderball, Buddha, Mudbud, and B-dawg. Each of the Buddies have their own sport that they adore, just like their dad. They also have their own set of personalities.

Things get out of hand when everyone leaves for a soccer game and leaves the Buddieswith the baby sitter, Mrs. Niggles. The Buddies decide that they won't be left out of the fun and bolt for the door, just to be headed off by Mrs. Niggles, who decides it's time for their baths. After their baths, Mrs. Niggles puts the Buddies down for their naps, and then she heads downstairs and takes one herself. B-dawg declares that no one can make him take a nap and so he takes off downstairs, followed by the rest of the Buddies. The Buddies start to play with their toy balls and Mrs. Niggles' yarn and when Budderball goes to claim his prize - which just happened to be Mrs. Niggles' blueberry pie - he nocks it off the counter and it hits the floor, waking Mrs. Niggles up. But, unfortunately for Mrs. Niggles, she can't move because the pups have tied her to her chair with yarn. The Buddies hear the family coming home and with everything a mess, Mrs. Framm thinks it's time the Buddies find their new homes.

Meanwhile, Selkirk Tander tries to impress Mr. Livingston's son, Bartleby, by giving him a female tiger. Bartleby is nopt impressed. He wants an animal he can play with. Bartleby says his wants Air Bud and Mr. Livingston offers Selkirk $500,000 if he gets Buddy. Selkirk sends his nephew, Grim, and his assistant, Denning, to capture Buddy.

At school, Noah and Henry (Buddy and Molly's owners) gather kids profile sheets and photos in order to find the best matches for the pups. After looking through every profile and finding the right one, the family decides to call the new owners tomorrow. Grim and Denning are waiting for Buddy and discover that there are two Air Buds or that Buddy has a mate. They decide that they will catch both dogs.

The next morning, the pups decide that the only way to stay together is to run away. Grim and Denning follow the pups and manage to catch Budderball by luring him with a doughnut. When the others try to save him, they are captured and used as bait for Buddy and Molly. In the effort to free the Buddies, Buddy, and Molly are captured. The Buddies ask Sniffer for his help in finding their mom and dad. Sniffer tells them that they were taken to wine country, and also that he couldn't help because he had lost his sense of smell.

Back in wine country, Grim and Denning hand Buddy and Molly over Selkirk who is pleased with the thought of breeding them and selling the puppies, making him millions. When Grim explains about the Buddies and how Denning let them get away, Selkirk was furious and told them to lock Buddy and Molly in the wine cellar and then go and get the puppies. Selkirk threatens them with feeding them to the tiger if they should fail. Grim and Denning go back to Buddy's place to capture the Buddies, but they can't find them. So Grim and Denning go to a Drive-in theater and watched 101 Dalmatains only to discover the Buddies there. Yet, Grim and Denning still do not catch the Buddies, due to the fact, that they upset a group of bikers when they knocked over their bikes. The bikers are so mad that they tie Grim and Denning in fri=ont of the screen and throw skunk's spray has fixed Sniffer's smell and so he leads Noah and Henry to the farm where they found Grim and Denning and called the police. Buddy and Molly dig a hole and escape just to meet up with Sniffer who tells them that the Buddies were inside.

Maenwhile, Budderball fell into the hole that Buddy and Molly dug and the others follow him in. Bartleby and his dad arrive to ick up Air Bud and found the puppies instead. Bartleby is happy with this switch and loads them into limousine. Noah, Henry, Buddy, and Molly arrive on the scene and rescue the Buddies. During their escape, Budderball falls into a container of wine and gets drunk. Bartleby catches Budderball, but is caught by Sniffer. Noah, Henry, and the dogs release a load of barrels toward Selkirk and Mr. Livingston. The barrels break a wine container that Selkirk and Mr. Livingston fell into and they are washed out. Sheriff Bob arrives and arrests Selkirk, Grim, and Denning. The Buddies apologize to their parents and said that they were ready to go to their new homes. Budderball even decides to stay with Bartleby, because he needed a friend.

5 out of 5 star rating

#13 The Ugly Dachshund

2011-03-02T12:37:00.004-05:00

Kenji: Rion! Rion!
Mark Garrison: Lion?
[Kenji points to Brutus, standing over Mr. Toyama, laying on the ground]
Fran Garrison: Brutus! Mark call him off. Mr. Toyama.
Mr. Toyama: Take away rion!
Fran Garrison: That's not a lion, that's a dog.
Mr. Toyama: [sits up] You call THAT, dog?

Plot

Mark and Fran Garrison (Dean Jones and Suzanne Pleshette) head to, what appears to be, the hospital for the birth of a child, but then you realize that they are headed to Dr. Pruitt (Charles Ruggles), who is the family vet. It was their Dachshund which was having puppies, three to be exact.

When Mark goes to pick up the three newborn pups and the mom, he sees a litter of Great Dane puppies that belonged to Dr. Pruitt. Dr. Pruitt talks Mark into raising the runt of the litter with the Dachshund puppies since their mom had more then enough milk. Mark agrees, but hides the fact that he is a Great Dane from Fran and lets her believe that he is a Dachshund.

But in no time, Fran realizes that the male dog, who Mark claimed to be a Dachshund puppy, was non-other than a Great Dane. She tells Mark that he has it take him back

Mark is devasted after giving Brutus back and is left, drawing pictures of Great Danes. But on Mark's birthday, Fran surprises him with the return of Brutus into their family. Mark is still faced with the fact that they may have to get rid of Brutus, who he has come to love and adore, because of his destructive behavior.

The Garrison's puppies cause loads of havoc in the house, yard, and studio. Yet Fran is convinced that it is Brutus, the Great Dane that thinks he's a Dachshund, that is destroying everything. But Mark continues to defend Brutus by saying how he's a great watchdog and guardian for the tiny Dachshies.

In order to prove that Brutus is special and great, Mark enters him in the dog show (which happens to be the same one that Fran has entered Chloe, one of the puppies, into). Brutus does really well, beating Chloe out, and discovers that he isn't a Dachshund, but a mighty Great Dane.

5 out 5 Star rating

Wellness Dog Food

2011-02-16T13:40:00.004-05:00

Pet Food Talk did a post on Wellness Dog Food and told us about it being close to the #1 dog food brand. Approved by the Whole Dog Journal and listed among the "Top Ten" dog food brands. In order to read this post follow the link here.

# 14: Snow Buddies

2011-01-19T21:10:00.001-05:00

Molly and Buddy's puppies live in Washington and love sports just like their dad. One morning, while in an attempt to play hide-n-seek, Butterball discovers an ice cream truck. Rosebud and the others follow him inside in order to stop him from eating himself sick. The puppies climb in, but before they can escape, are locked inside the truck which is shipping to Ferntiuktuk, Alaska.

After falling from the sky, the Buddies meet up with an Alaskan Husky named Shasta. Shasta's 11-year-old owner wants nothing more for Christmas than to follow in his dad's footsteps and win a dog-sled race. The Buddies agree to help Shasta and his owner pursue their dream. Unfortunately, Shasta's parents are dead and there is no one to help teach them how to be sled dogs. But Shasta finds out about a legend stating of the Greatest sled-dog, Talon, living in the mountains. Shasta and the Buddies go and visit Talon and Talon agrees to help them, not for them, but for Shasta's dad.

Shasta and the buddies train super hard and do everything Talon tells them. When Talon thinks it's time for the boy to know, Shasta shows Adam (Shasta's owner) the buddies and Adam knows what to do. Adam builds a new sled and starts working with the pups on pulling and turning a sled. Talon watches the pups pull the sled and the effort that they all put into it. But the older racing Huskies in town try to stop the Buddies by telling them that Shasta's parents died during the race, when they fell through the ice. The Buddies are scared, but they are still going to help Shasta and Adam win the race.

Meanwhile, back in Washington, Buddy and Molly discover Budderball's football on the back of the ice cream truck and follow the same route to Alaska.

Talon calls the puppies to the mountains one night to show them the Northern Lights. He tells Shasta that he has learned everything he needs to know and will be a great lead dog just like his father was. The next day, Adam enters them in the race against Jean George.

Buddy and Molly meet up with Bernie, the rescue dog, and he tells them of the race. Adam's dad also discovers that Adam is racing and goes looking for him.

The team makes it to the midway checkpoint without much trouble, but a storm is setting in. The sheriff checks his emails and discovers that the Buddies are from Washington. Adam's dad gets his truck stuck in a snowbank during the storm and has to go with the sheriff to the finish line. Jean George has started cheating. He is sabotaging other racer's sleds. Adam seeks shelter during the storm, in a igloo owned by an Inuit. They start back on the trail the next day.

Adam and Jean George have a run in in which Adam is injured. Adam recovers and continues in the race. Jean George's dogs crash through the ice within sight of the finish line. Jean George abandons them and leaves them their to drown. Adam can't bear to see the same thing that happened to Shasta's parents happen to these dogs, so he hooks the puppies up to Jean George's sled and pulls the dog out. Jean George sees that Adam has gotten them out and he climbs back on and takes off to win the race.

But the Buddies won't give up so fast. They start off, running as fast as they could. They wanted to win this race. Jean George's dogs realize that the pups had risked their lives to save them and Jean George had left them. They decided to give the race away to Adam and the pups. Adam's team goes on to win the race.

Adam meets up with his parents at the end of the race and the Buddies meet of with their parents too. The Sheriff has made arrangments for the goldens flight home.

The Buddies say goodbye to Shasta and Adam and head home with their parents. At the end of the movie Shasta has his own sled-dog team and Shasta is still the lead dog.

4.5 out of 5 for family friendliness

Ultra-Star Ultimate Disc Review

2011-01-04T14:20:00.003-05:00

Disc Golf Station has asked me to do a review on their store/discs, which I have to say is an honor. First, it's my first review and second, the have some really cool stuff. I got the Ultra-Star Ultimate Disc in the mail last week and was really excited about trying it out, unfortunately it was raining for a few days and then I had no one to throw it with. But last Sunday I took it to church for our youth group to try out. It is the best disc I've ever played with! It flies smoothly, sailing down the field towards the goal. You can get tons of air with it and throw it great with a curve.

No matter which disc you get, it takes a while to get the feel of that particular disc. But not with this Ultra-Star. Man, we were getting it to sail all the way down the field with no problem, as long as the wind didn't start up. Even this disc was great in the wind. You give it just the right amount of of pressure when you throw and the wind won't affect it any.

I think this disc would do great in freestyle competitions. It does everything you could ask for in a freestyle competition. It's easy for the dog to catch, and easy for you to throw. I SO recommend getting this disc whether you're doing Ultimate Frisbee, Frisbee Golf, or Freestyle with your dog. This disc is the best!

I want to thank Disc Golf Station for letting me do this review on this product and for more info, you should check out their site: www.discgolfstation.com

Merry Christmas!!!!!!

2010-12-25T00:00:00.003-05:00

Christmas Poem

2010-12-17T12:59:00.003-05:00

Some One Does Care

Snow fell with a great big "flop"
Straight onto the head of little Cindy Lop

Cindy Lop, the hound with no fear,
Climbed out of the snow free and clear.

She ran around, chasing her tail,
And when she bit it, let out a wail.

Joey, the boy, called her annoying
And his parents thought she was just boring.

She knew it was Christmas Eve that night,
And she knew Santa would come into sight.

That night she slept by the fireside
Dreaming of a bone, ten inches wide.

But he left her something better,
Even though she never sent him a letter.

He gave her a heart shaped pillow
That almost made her cry like a Weeping Willow.

She finally knew that someone did care
It just happened to be the man from up there.

-Michaela Seitter

#15: 101 Dalmatians

2010-10-17T20:54:00.006-04:00

This is the classic story adapted from the book written by Dodie Smith. This story involves romance and adventure between humans and even their dogs. The love that animals have for each other shows from beginning to end. This furry movie will have you laughing and crying while you watch the best actors-both human and canine- display their colorful talent.

Plot (Caution Spoilers)

This story starts with the meeting of Roger and Anita in the park one day. Roger, played by Jeff Daniels (Dumb and Dumber, Speed) and Anita, played by Joely Richardson (The Patriot, Nip/Tuck), fall in love and get married and so do their two Dalmatians, Pongo and Perdita. Roger designed video games while Anita designed clothes for a well known fashion person, Cruella De Vil played Glenn Close (Sarah Plain and Tall, Air Force One). Cruella falls in love with a design of Anita's that would look wonderful in Dalmatian puppy fur and when she finds out that Pongo and Perdita are going to have puppies she plans on buying them. The puppies come, but Anita and Roger won't sell. Cruella gets mad and fires her and then threatens them.

One night, Roger and Anita take Pongo and Perdita for their walk and come back to find that the puppies had been stolen.. The police stated that they would do their best, but Pongo wanted to help. That night Pongo sent out the twilight bark. The next day, a message came back and they took off to find their pups. Meanwhile, some other animals are trying to help recover the pups. One dog, an Airedale Terrier, helps get them out of the mansion where they were being held, and then a Old English Sheepdog hides them in a barn.

Roger and Anita are still waiting for word on their puppies and now Pongo and Perdita. Anita realized that it had been Cruella that had stolen them for their fur. Pongo and Perdita meet up with the Sheepdog who takes them to their pups and the other 84 pups that Cruella had stolen. The police now know that they are looking for Cruella. They trace her to the barn where the puppies were at. She was trying to find the puppies, but had pigs, sheep, dogs, horses, and even raccoons trying to stop her. Pongo and Perdita start taking the pups back home. The police pick Cruella and three of her henchmen, but they were still looking for the puppies. They finally find them and took them all back to Roger's and Antia's place. They counted 101, but only 17 were theirs. None of the other puppies had identification tags and no one contacted the police about missing puppies. Anita and Roger agree to keep all the puppies.

Roger makes a video game based on the story and it becomes a best-seller. They move to a big place. The dogs have their family and Roger and Anita start their own.

5 out of 5 stars for family friendliness.

Top 15 Disney Dog Movies

2010-09-16T15:40:00.003-04:00

Ok, I thought that it would be cool to watch the top 15 Disney dog films of all time and rate them. So I will come on later after I've watched the movie and tell everyone what it's about and anything else I can find on it. Here is the list:

#1 Lady and The Tramp
#2 The Fox and The Hound
#3 101 Dalmatians (Animated)
#4 Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey
#5 Oliver and Company
#6 Old Yeller
#7 Bolt
#8 Eight Below
#9 Iron Will
#10 Whit Fang
#11 Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Fransisco
#12 Air Buddies
#13 The Ugly Dachshund
#14 Snow Buddies
#15 101 Dalmatians

I will be going from #15 to #1. I hope everyone is looking forward to this as much as I am. Check back soon for an update.

Birthday Pictures

2010-09-07T14:59:00.004-04:00

Here are those pictures that Rascal promised behind my back. I'm going to have to have a long talk with him. By the way, I wanted to let everyone know to zip over to my friend Rudy's blog after your done here.

Birthday

2010-08-24T16:47:00.003-04:00

Hi, Everyone, it's me, Rascal. I hacked into my owner's account to talk for a little bit myself. Now as you all are probably thinking, "How is he typing?", I'll tell you. Pencils do wonders! I came up with the idea of using a pencil to type and.......NO! I did not get that idea from the Shaggy Dog. I would never take another dog's creation and claim it for myself, well not unless treats were involved, but they're not so back off! Anyway, August 15th was my second birthday and I couldn't believe that my Mom didn't bother to mention it, so I'm doing that for her. Also
I just wanted to let everyone know about my buddy Riley's blog. He is the dog that my family and I rescued. He is a lot of fun to play with. We chase cats and goats and have races through the cotton field. I wish I had the camera, but I don't, so I'll post some pictures later, if my Mom doesn't find out that I hacked her account and change the password. Pray Not! But I will post this picture just to make you smile.

New Blog

2010-08-09T15:10:00.003-04:00

Yes, my new blog is up and running. I just did the first post and I think I got everything set. You can check it out here. I hope to eventually make it into a website, but right now I don't have the time to manage one, but please check it out and follow along if you like. I will also be adding a gadget so you can subscribe to it and to this blog. So then you can follow along with Rascal and Riley.

I'm Back!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-07-16T11:15:00.002-04:00

Yes, I'm back, again. I actually haven't been doing a lot of dog stuff. I haven't been able to go and volunteer because the lady has been to busy. I was swamped with goat stuff, birthing, registrations, show entries, etc. But now I think I can come back and talk to ya'll about what I'm doing.

The Puppy Play Group has started. We have about 12 dogs. Ranging from Golden Retrievers to Labrador Retrievers to Australian Shepherds to Jack Russell Terriers. We accept any breed of dog as long as they are well behaved. We are currently working on Flyball, and it is going awesome. The people are willing to listen and do anything to let their dogs have fun. We are actually going to watch a tournament in September.

As far as Rascal's training, well, I don't think He'll ever compete in Obedience, but I do want to do him in Rally, so I think we'll be working on his Rally, and Flyball. I'm also looking at getting into SAR training. Wish me luck. I've got to go. Remember, I'm back to stay.

Rally-O 101

2010-04-27T06:00:00.000-04:00

I wish I had a penny for every time someone asked me what Rally-O was. So, in this post I hope to help explain it by telling you what someone else said. Hahaha. I'm just not good at explaining Rally-O. But who knows, maybe you will become interested in it.

Rally

"What in the world is that?!" someone asked me at a recent show and pointed to the ring where stewards were setting up ground-level signs. I answered simply, "rally obedience," and explained the strange goings-on in the ring.

Rally obedience, or "Rally-O" as it has been termed by enthusiasts, is the latest American Kennel Club event to hit the show circuit. Rally-O combines characteristics of sports car racing, dog agility, and traditional obedience into a new fun sport.

Rally is timed, includes 12-20 performance stations depending on the level of participation, and is scored by a judge who watches for a smooth performance as well as skill in following the directions at each station.

As it does with obedience and agility, AKC offers Rally titles at three levels:

Novice, with on-leash exercises that demonstrate the dog's understanding of basic commands such as sit, stay, down, and come and heel position;
Advanced, a set of exercises performed off-leash that includes at least one jump; and
Excellent, a more difficult off-leash course that includes at least one jump and demonstrates more precise skill and coordination between the dog and handler.

As in agility, courses are designed by the judge and are different in every trial. Exhibitors receive a course map from the judge and can walk the course without their dogs prior to the start of the class. Judges design their courses by choosing from more than four dozen stations that direct handlers and dogs to perform specific exercises.

A sign at each station gives instructions to the dog-handler team, and each team must execute the station's particular task within two-to-four feet of the sign. Once the judge gives the command "forward," the dog and handler complete the course on their own without further commands from the judge. Handlers may not use treats or toys in the ring, but may do anything else to encourage their dogs at the novice and advanced levels except physically touch them or make corrections with the leash. Encouragement is allowed at the excellent level but handlers cannot pat their legs or clap their hands as they can in novice and advanced classes.

Signs instruct teams to go fast or slow, to halt (dog must sit at heel), to make turns and circles, to reverse direction, to do a sit-stay-recall, or to follow other basic obedience exercises.

Each team has a starting score of 100 points from which points are deducted for such faults as missed or incompletely performed stations, touching the dog, leash corrections, etc. The team with the highest score (i.e., fewest number of faults) wins first place, followed by the next highest score for second place, and so forth.

If two teams achieve the same score, the judge determines the placements according to the time recorded for each team's course completion.

Rally-O is a wonderful introduction to the sport of obedience for dogs and owners, an end it itself, an opportunity for veteran dogs to remain active, and a chance for shy or anti-social dogs to get ring experience without worrying about being examined by a judge.

Many dogs enjoy this change from the usual silent heeling of traditional obedience as their handlers can clap hands, talk, whistle (even sing!) to them throughout the entire course without penalty. Those who participate in agility trials will recognize the pre-class "walk-throughs" and the challenge of working with their dog partners in an almost dance-like flow from one station to another. A complete description of Rally Obedience is on the AKC website at http://www.akc.org/pdfs/rulebooks/RO2999.pdf. Station signs for all three levels can be found http://www.akc.org/pdfs/rulebooks/ROR999.pdf. Information is also available at dog clubs that are sponsoring demonstrations and classes for an increasing number of dog owners who are happily exclaiming "Rally-O!"

By Denise A. Gordon

Flyball Training - Part 2

2010-04-13T06:30:00.001-04:00

Now that you know what flyball is, you can start to plan what you want to do. You need to decide if you are doing this for fun or competition, if you're going to join a team or start your own, are you going to build your equipment or buy it. These are choices that I can't help you make, but I'll do my best to help you get started as best as I can.

Fun or Competition

Let's start here since this is the first thing you need to decide. If you're not willing to spend time, money, energy, etc. Then competition is not for you. Even though training flyball for fun still takes these things, it is less stressful since you don't have to hurry with training, and spend loads of time, energy, and money on all training. So talk it through, and decide then move on to the next step.

To Build or To Buy

Well, I didn't have the money to buy, therefore I made the jumps. Ok. I did buy the box from a friend who was getting out of flyball, but that was because it was cheap and my dad wasn't sure how to build one. But if you're deteremined to buy then you can skip this section and go here.

If you want to build your equipment, there are really easy directions to go by, but I'll warn you, that if you're doing competition then I would build the equipment, train uses that and save money and get the ones made for competitions and uses those, because there are so many rules on six=zes of the jumps and box that it will save you a lot of stress at competitions if you buy equipment to use at competitions. Here are the directions.

Joining or Starting

Well, it depends really on where you live. See where I live the closest team is 1 1/2 hours away. So, I was going to have to start my own. I started with putting flyers out and getting the word out about it. I was contacted and found out that the lady was starting a dog club (puppy play group) and now I have about five other people interested in flyball. So now I have almost enough dogs for two teams, but if you still want to join a team then go here.

Well, this is the end of part two. The next part will be on equipment and books to read that will also aid you in your journey in flyball. Until next time. Bye.

Show-n-go

2010-04-11T06:30:00.001-04:00

I took Rascal to his first Show-n-go. He was so excited. He drooled and wanted to love on everyone. It started at 9Am. Excellent was first, then Advance, and finally Novice, which is what we were in. Barb McNinch from Ringtime was there and she walked me through the Excellent course just to let me get a feel for it. Rascal whined when I stepped away from him and even when I just went to the bathroom which was right beside where we were sitting. We did two runs. The first one wasn't go good. I practiced on the sidelines right before and he still freaked when we got out there. He was just focused on everything, but me. We reached one sign and I told him around and started to walk when I noticed that he wasn't following. I turned around and there he was looking at his reflection in a mirror against the wall. He never showed interest in his reflection at home, but there it was different. He acted like he was in a trance and everyone was laughing. I pulled him away and the next thing happened. We came to an off set weave sign. We needed to weave a figure eight around two cones, but there were two dog bowls with toys. One had a tennis ball and the other one had a squeaky hedgehog in it. " Oh No!" I thought. Two of his favorite toys just sitting there, waiting to be played with. I started the figure eight. He lunged for the tennis ball. I kept going. Then for the hedgehog. I continued on my not so merry way. We finished with not to many more problems.

The second run was better. He paused for just a sec at the mirror until he realized that I wasn't going to stop. Then at the figure eight, he glanced that the toys, then imediately looked right back at me. He did fairly good even through it was his first time.

If you don't know a lot about Rally-O (Rally Obedience) then I encourage you to go look it up. It just might be the dog sport for you. Have a blessed day.

Flyball Training - Part 1

2010-04-09T06:30:00.001-04:00

Well, before we get started in this series of posts dedicated to training your dog for flyball, let's talk about some of the history of flyball.

It all bagan in the late 1960's, when a group of trainers from Southern California created a scent discrimination hurdle race. When the dogs finished, there would be someone who would throw tennis balls to the dogs. They then decided to build something that would launch the balls known as a box. The first box was created by Herbert Wagner and Herbert also did a demo on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Doing that enabled the word to spread on this great sport. It was several dog training clubs in Toronto-Detroit area that held the first competition. After it was a big enough sport the first real tournament was held in 1983 and in 1985, Mike Randell wrote the first ever NAFA rule book and became the first NAFA Executive Director.

In Flyball, two teams race side-by-side over a 51 foot course. Each dog must run down the lane, jump over all four jumps, trigger the box, catch the ball, and go back over all four jumps again. All four dogs on the team must do this. There is no time limit, but you are racing at the same time that the other team is. Therefore, you are trying to beat their time.

The jump height is set to the height of the smallest dogs on the team's withers. The number is then rounded down to the nearest inch and another 5in. is subtracted, but the min. height is 7 in. For example, a 13 3/4 in. dog would round down to a 13 in. dog, then you subtract 5 inches and get 8 in. jump height. Like I said the min. jump height is 7in., while the max. is 14 in.

When flyball was first started there were no start and passing lights. It was all called by line judges who used stop watches to time the races and they would do "ready, set, go!" and when they called go, they would blow a whistle. The jump heights were set to a 10 in. min. and the height of the jumps was determined by the height of the smallest dog, like they do now, except it was rounded up or down. For example, if the height of the dog was 13 3/4 inches than they would round up to 14 in., but if it was 13 1/4 inches than they would round down to 13 in.

When the Electronic Judging system (EJS) came it made things a whole lot easier. The EJS uses lights and infrared timing to show the teams their starts, finishes, passing and individual times. Most teams run all four dogs under 20 sec and the World Record is 15.22 seconds. That's fast.

The NAFA divides their tournaments in divisions. Teams compete against other teams that are equal to themselves. Purebred and mixes can compete in flyball and earn titles. The NAFA holds nearly 300 tournaments a year.

Titles Each time a team races in a NAFA sanctioned Flyball tournament, their dogs earn points based on the following:

-under 24 seconds: each dog racing in that heat receives 25 points towards a Flyball title

-under 28 seconds: each dog racing in that heat receives 5 points

-under 32 seconds: each dog racing in that heat receives 1 point

20	Flyball Dog (FD) (includes certificate of achievement)
100	Flyball Dog Excellent (FDX) (includes certificate of achievement)
500	Flyball Dog Champion (FDCh) (includes certificate of achievement)
1000	Flyball Dog Champion-Silver (FDCh-S) (includes certificate of achievement)
2500	Flyball Dog Champion-Gold (FDCh-G) (includes certificate of achievement)
5000	Flyball Master (FM) (includes certificate of achievement and commemorative pin)
10,000	Flyball Master Excellent (FMX) (includes certificate of achievement and commemorative pin)
15,000	Flyball Master Champion (FMCh) (includes certificate of achievement and commemorative pin)
20,000	ONYX (includes commemorative plaque and pin)
30,000	Flyball Grand Champion (FGDCh-30) (includes Commemorative Plaque and Pin)
40,000	Commemorative pin and plaque
50,000-90,000	Commemorative pin and plate for 40k plaque
100,000	Hobbes Award (includes commemorative pin and plaque)

Well, this talk has been fun. I look forward to teaching you how to train your dog for flyball. I'm still not sure how long this series will last, but hopefully not to long. Keep in Touch!

Puppy Play Group

2010-04-07T06:30:00.001-04:00

Our group has finally started getting together. We have about ten people and almost enough dogs to do two flyball teams. We get together and let the dogs run around and play and then we do some training. We have an Australian Shepherd, three labs, one JRT, one Golden, one Beagle, and one Labradoodle. We are going to be working onfFlyball, obedience, scenting, agility, and a lot of other cool things. We are also looking at getting someone to do an attack dog demo. Let's hope we can. I mean what's more exciting than watching a dog that is trained to attack on command, release on command and track people down? Well? Not much. I will keep filling you guys in on everything and be on a lookout for our blog which should be coming soon. But like Aslan says "I call all times soon". And remember, a trained dog is a happy dog.

Beach Ahoy!

2010-04-05T06:30:00.001-04:00

Well, Rascal went to the beach for the first time. How should I put this nicely? He didn't like it. The water moving towards him, the sand moving beneath his paws, and the water touching him. I would run towards the water and he would follow me. Then the water would come towards us and he would take off for shore, but the leash snatched him back. He would see me still standing there and would rush in front of me and try to block the water from me. Hahaha! He was so scared, but he did enjoy the sand and shells. We also discovered a jellyfish that had washed up on shore. He thought that he could just walk up and sniff it. Luckily, I stopped him in time. We stayed about an hour and then drove the hour home. Let's just say that Rascal was beat. He slept the whole way home.

Monty's Home Video

2010-03-26T06:30:00.000-04:00

Here's a video from Monty's Home. It was made by the volunteers at Monty's Home and the music was preformed by the inmates from the prison where the rescue/training program is located. Monty's Home is trying to gain national attention to share the plight of shelter dogs everywhere and with enough views it could happen. Pass it on to friends by email, blogs, facebook, myspace, send them to the Monty's Home website from my page or let them watch the video from here. Help us protect and save lives.

2010 Winter Purina Dog Challange

2010-02-25T15:00:00.002-05:00

A must see video. Watch Here.

Goals For 2010

2010-02-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

Here are some of my goals for 2010. All are dog related. Not to be finished in this order.

Complete Rascal's flyball training
Get a flyball box
Get a flyball team together
Enter a flyball competition
Complete Rascal's obedience training
Take Rascal to a show-n-go
Enter Rascal in his first obedience competition
Complete Rascal's rally-o training
Enter Rascal in a rally-o competition
Get Rascal's CD, RN, FD titles
Build a dog pen
Foster a dog
Rescue a dog
Volunteer at Paw Jam
Train Rascal in Search and Rescue
Train Rascal in Agility

I know that I won't get all of these done, but that's why their goals. At the end of the year, I'll let you know what was completed.

Keep training!

Dog Club

2010-02-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm joining a dog club. It's called Puppy Play Group. I had this lady (Lori) contact me about training her dogs for flyball. I said that I would be happy to help her. I asked her if she would be interested in starting a dog club with me. And it turns out that she was working on getting one started. So she invited me to join them. She came over and watched me work Rascal. All I can say is, I HOPE HE BEHAVES LIKE THAT AT COMPETITIONS! He did he's sits, downs , drop on recall, tunnel, flyball jumps. He just did everything I asked of him. I wish I could have gotten pictures, but I was to busy giving commands. The club is going to be doing obedience, senting, flyball, and agility. It's going to be so much fun!

So, we'll be doing fund raisers, relay for life, and different kinds of things. I'll keep you up to date with pictures of Rascal and everyone else. Maybe even some videos.

Talk to you all later.

P.S. The picture is not of any of our dogs.

Christmas/Birthday

2010-01-07T16:56:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was my 16th birthday. And I would like to mention the things I got for my Christmas and birthday.

Christmas

4-H Hoddie
Bolt DVD
Get A Real Dog, Get An Australian Shepherd T-shirt
Beagle Ornament
Breed Rescue book
2006 FCI World Agility Championships DVD
Bracelet & Necklace
Carhartt Jeans and Shirt
Dog pocketbook
16 &17 Nancy Drew books (I collect the old ones)
WillowTree Angel Of Friendship
Flyball Jumps

Birthday

Captain Blood book
Bath & Body Works Shampoo
Under The Greenwood Tree DVD
Taylor Swift CD
Brittany Dog Statue

Rascal got three squeaky tennis balls and a squeaky squirrel. Sydney got a blanket, so hopefully she'll sleep on that instead of on our beds.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-23T10:06:00.005-05:00

This video has been taken off for owner's reasons, but you can still make your own here. If for any reasons you need the video, please contact Rascal's Trainer. Thank You!

She Did It Again!

2009-12-18T11:42:00.008-05:00

The Scottish Terrier, the one that won the National Dog Show, got Best In Show at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championships. I know that there are a lot of breeders waiting for their chance to get a puppy from her. These are the dogs that should be cloned. I don't get the channel that the show came on, but you can find more on her and all of the other winners along with photos and videos at akc.org.

National Dog Show

2009-12-09T15:23:00.001-05:00

As it is every year, the National Dog Show was fantastic. Each category had a bunch of competition. And every year I try to pick the winners in each group and the Best in Show, and I normally get two groups wrong, but I have yet to get the Best In Show wrong.

Herding

Ch. Tolkien Raintree Mr. Baggins

There was plenty of competition in the Herding group. A wonderful group of dogs, but the ones that really stood out for me was the Bearded Collie, Border Collie, Australian Shepherd, and Cardigan Welsh Corgi. The first three were my picks. I think that this Bearded Collie, just stood out from all of the others. A certain runner in the Best of show.

Sporting

Ch. Casbar’s Hart to Hart J.H.

There weren't as many dogs in Sporting that really stood out, except the Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, Irish Setter, and the Irish Red and White Setter. I think that it was a close placing between the Lab and Golden, but the Lab charged past the Golden and took first place. I also think that the Irish Red and White Setter will do better when they have shown at Nationals more often. The breeders aren't going to know if their dog is going to do good unless it's up against competition, but by next year the breed may do better, I think.

Non-Sporting

Ch. Kepley's Showbiz Razzle Dazzle

The non-sporting group was really a shut out. The Bulldog walked into the ring and she should of just walked right in to first place. Although I did think that the Dalmatian was a pretty thing, the Bulldog showed off all of her stuff and got the place that she, her owner, groomer, breeder and handler deserved.

Toy

Ch. Kimro's Soldier Boy

There were quite a few dogs in the toy group this year and yes, every year I have missed the dog in this group. I was really going for the Chinese Crested, but the judges know what they are doing. That's why I leave it to them. I am not really a big fan of the toy group, so I really don't know what I should be looking for in them. I guess I should work on it before next year.

Terrier

Ch. Roundtown Mercedes of Maryscot

It was almost decided before she entered the room. The Scottish Terrier is a beautiful dog. She showed off everything that you should look for in a Scottie. I don't think that I even picked any other dogs. I was going for her the whole time and she did it.

Hound

Ch. Celestial CJ's Hearts On Fire

This was the other group that I got wrong. I really liked the 15 in. Beagle, but since I can only judge by looks, I probably won't get them all right. This dog showed the best though. He was the closest dog to his breed standard and that is what the judges look for.

Working

Ch. Allure Blazing Star Alisaton

The working group was probably the toughest class to judge. From the Rottweiler to the Alaskan Malamute, from the Doberman Pinscher to the Bernese Mountain Dog. I was going for the Doberman Pinscher, Rottweiler, Bernese Mountain Dog, and the Saint Bernard. Only the best dog in the group wins, and that is why the Dobie won. This dog displayed all of the muscles and strength that they should. I love watching these dogs work, play, and run.

Best In Show

Ch. Roundtown Mercedes of Maryscot

Best In show (BIS) was a tough class. I really loved the Scottie, Dobie, and the Bearded Collie. In the end it went to the Scottie who showed off her stuff. This was her 100th Best In Show. All I can say is well deserved.

Well, now I have to wait a whole year until the next show. And there is only one thing that I can say.

I Can't Wait!

I'm Back!

2009-11-24T15:47:00.003-05:00

Yes, I'm back. After a very busy September, October, and part of November I feel that I should come back and let my readers know what has been going on, but a post like that will take days to write, so I'll post short ones over the course of a few days.. I feel like a change, so I'll be taking off some links and adding new ones, changing pictures, and I may even change my background.

I hope that everyone has been doing great in the time that I have been away. I hope to be posting again very soon.

But for now, have a great Thanksgiving and don't forget to watch the National Dog Show. I'll be posting on that as well as many more things. So keep checking in and let me know what you all have been doing.

-From Rascal and His trainer

Happy Birthday Rascal!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-08-26T14:26:00.001-04:00

August 15th was Rascal's first birthday.

An Award

2009-08-14T14:55:00.004-04:00

Thank you to bookwormans for awarding me the Sisterhood blog award. So here I am passing it along to the people who have blogs that I love to read.

The rules:
1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate up to 10 blogs which show great attitude and/or gratitude!
3. Be sure to link your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Remember to link the person from whom you received your award.

So here are my nominees:

Ruby @ Ruby Roo & River
Susan @ Susan Garrett's Dog Training Blog
Lucy @ Lucy's Agility Blog

Sorry. I don't have a lot of blogs that I read and talk about what their doing and how I'm going to do the same as them, but here's what I have.

Ringtime

2009-08-08T13:58:00.001-04:00

Well, Rascal went to his first obedience class on July 12th and yes, I'm just getting around to posting about it.

We got there at about 11:05 a.m. I ran inside with Rascal's health papers so Mrs. Barbara could check everything on it. She told me that everything was fine and so I went to go get him.

I brought him in from the truck where he was waiting with mom and took him in and right as I was closing the door, Rascal looked at the other dogs, then at me, and ran to the door as if to say "Hey, uh mom we're in the wrong place,
I 'm supposed to be at home".

Well, I didn't think that he would act like that, but soon everyone else helped him calm down.

We started with attention. I (as his mommy) give him a 5 out of 10. Which is funny because at home he's normally a 6 or 7 out of 10, but everything changes when your off places.

Anyways... We then worked on loose leash and sit/down waits/stays (which ever one your dog knows best).

Loose leash:
Well.... LOL.... it took Rascal a while to figure out what to do, but after that he did fine. I give him a 6 out of 10.

Sit waits:
He did great. 7 out of 10 for him.

Down waits:
Yippee! 9 out of 10. Rascal didn't move until right before I released him.

Next, we worked on Rally. Which is sooooo much fun.

I messed up on some of the signs (oops), but that was usual for someone who didn't know how to do it like Mrs. Barbara.

We did all this in two hours and Rascal and I had a lot of fun. This was Rascal's first time around an intact male (dog that hasn't been fixed) and Rascal rocked. That's my boy.

P.S. I read some in a magazine called Front & Finish . Visit the website here.

Happy Fourth of July!

2009-07-04T16:21:00.005-04:00

Have a jolly and wonderful fourth of July!

-From Rascal and his Trainer

Paw Jam

2009-05-29T21:32:00.000-04:00

May 2, I volunteered at the annual Paw Jam. Paw Jam is where different Rescue Groups, Humane Societies, Training Facilities, and Dog Bakeries come to raise money for Rescue Groups. So I volunteered from 10 to 1 o'clock and then I walked Rascal around. But first things first.

My sister, bookwormans, and I left home with Rascal at 9:30 a.m. and arrived at 10 a.m. We walked around for about 45 minutes because my shift started at 11 a.m. Rascal was calm, but sort of hesitant. Rascal got a new tennis ball and squeaky toy from Petsmart. Rascal made friends with a deaf Great Dane puppy named Einstein.

At 11 o'clock I went to the park entrance where I was to sell tickets to get in. My sister watched Rascal while I worked the entrance. I saw so many different breeds of dogs that I can hardly remember them all. I met up with Snoopy, a Dalmatian mix (I walked Snoopy when he was at the Humane Society for a 4-H volunteer day).

Rascal meets Snoopy.

Me and Snoopy.

After my shift my sister and I grabbed some lunch and walked around some more. I bought a Paw Jam T-shirt and at 2:30 p.m. we left for home. I had alot of fun and I know that I will be doing it again next year. Rascal had fun and I had fun. And I think those are two very good reasons to go next year. Don't you?

Here's Rascal and me with Reese and Roo.

Scary Morning

2009-05-15T06:00:00.002-04:00

I was awakened at about 4:20 a.m. Wednesday morning by my mom yelling in a frantic voice to get out to the goat kid pen. I climbed down the steps to my bunkbed and ran to put my boots on. After that I ran out to the kid pen.

There was smoke coming out of the shed. I ran to the pen and opened the door. My sister saw the heat lamp on the floor and glass, but she thought it was parts of a goat. She yelled at me not to go in, but I jumped in and started to pull the goats out. My sister was so relived.

The only goats in there were my show goat, Kiki, and my brothers goat kid, Eva. We grabbed buckets of water and started to put the fire out. By the time we finished it was 5:00 a.m. We put kiki with the big goats and brought Eva inside where I gave her some milk and water.

We are very very thankful that kiki and Eva were safe. Thank God that my mom saw the smoke.

New Goat Kids

2009-05-14T15:22:00.001-04:00

Sorry that it's been awhile since I posted last. It has been really crazy here and that will continue for quite some time.

On May 4th, my Boer goat, Lynn, gave birth to two very cute bucks! Here are some pictures of them.

This is Amos sleeping peacefully.

Here's Theodore.

Amos is my favorite. Look at his long floppy ears.

And Theodore again. He's so goofy!

And on May 5th, Liz, my brothers Alpine goat, gave birth to a doe and buck. Here's their pictures.

This is Eva. She is so pretty.

And here's Walle. Our handsome boy.

Both goat kids together.

I hope everyone of you has a wonderful and blessed day and week ahead of you.

Cute Pictures!

2009-04-28T10:23:00.000-04:00

Okay, not all of these are dog pictures, but they are just to cute not to post. They were forwarded to me through my email from a friend, so I don't know who took these pictures but they did a good job. So, here they are and I hope you enjoy them.

May you always make the right moves!

May your cup runneth over with love!

May you always find shelter from any storm.

May you remain good looking and looking good!

May you find the perfect diet for your soul.
(If This Face Doesn't Make You Want To Stop Eating Sausage, Nothing Will)
May you find the perfect balance in the company you keep....

May you have as much fun as you can before someone makes you stop.

May the worst thing that happens to you come in slobbery pink and furry tan.

May you manage to make time for a Siesta.

May all the new folks you meet be interesting and kind.

May your accessories always harmonize with your natural beauty!

Should your mouth ever be bigger than your stomach, may you have a chewing good time!

May you always know when to walk away and when to run.

And may your friends bring you joy!

Susan Garrett

2009-04-28T10:13:00.001-04:00

Hope you've all visited Susan Garrett's blog, because she has recently put up some really good videos and I wanted to share them with you.

This is a video on sheepdogs and their handlers using Christmas lights on the sheep to make a picture. It is really cool.

JAY SISLER is my hero. He made the Australian Shepherd famous and also has some great dog training tricks. Jay trained his dogs to act in movies and you can find out more about Jay at Stockdog Library. These videos made me want to get out and train immediately and I hope it makes you want to, too.

Tug Toy Ideas

2009-04-14T12:01:00.003-04:00

Susan Garrett posted 65 different tug toy ideas. I love them all so here they are.

Bungee tugs
Crunch N Tug toy
Your long braided hair (if you have it)
Your hat
Plastic shopping bag
Sheep skin toys
real leather
Bird Feather with or without added scent
Rabbit fur
Deflated soccer ball
Shower puff scrubber
Water bottle (with or without small pebbles inside)
Tug-It!
A Stick
A crumpled up piece of paper
Your sleeve
Cheap, dollar-store scarves
Towels (tea towel, hand towel)
Your Leash
Flying Disc
Golf Club head cover
Old stirrup leather
Feather duster
Fly Swatter
Shoe laces
Empty toilet paper roll
Empty Paper towel roll
A shovel (ouch!)
Dog Show Ribbons
A Broom or wisk
Hollee roller with a stuffed a rabbit fur mouse rubbed with rat litter
Hollee roller with a tennis ball
Hollee roller with a Ball with Feet (Cuz)
Hollee roller with a mini flying disc
Hollee roller with a babble ball
Hollee roller with a mouse with a realistic chirp
Dusting Mitt
Piece of Rope
Vacuum cleaner hose
Winter mittens
Hair scrunchie
Dirty Underwear
Dirty Sock
Pillow case
Well in bed move your hand around under the covers while your dog is on top of the covers (seems like a live animal under cover)
Anything with Fringes on it
Paper cup
Paper plates
Palm Frond
Pantyhose with knots in them
A sock with a tennis ball or squeaky toy stuffed & knotted inside
Tissue paper braided together–let the dog shred the paper afterwards
A tea cozy
Nylon strapping
Cat toys, feather boa on a stick
Smooth items
Soft fleeces items
anything that makes a ripping sound (like a stufffed animal ripping open)
A branch with leaves on it
A tough cotton table napkin with cheese rolled in the middle the knotted
Plastic bag with food inside
Tugging on food: a raw chicken wing or a steak, then put it in sock, then just use the sock
A previously tugged toy (one with another dog’s saliva on it)
A springy telephone cord
A dust buster (mini vaccum)

Hope these ideas help you in your training

AKC Nationals

2009-04-14T12:01:00.001-04:00

What an experience! I went to the AKC National Agility Championship in Concord, NC on March 27th. We ( my dad and I) left at about 4:00 a.m. and got there about 9:00 a.m. We got a little lost, but we figured things out and reached Border Collie Central (as I liked to call it) in time to see some of the Jumpers course. Most of the dogs there were from a rescue, probably because they had too much energy. "Tons" of Schnauzers, Border Collies, terriers, and Shetland Sheepdogs. There were quite a few Australian Shepherds, Doberman Pinschers, Labrador Retrievers, but only one Dalmatian named Phoenix. I took some pictures, so I'll try to get them on as soon as I can, but here are some from the AKC website.

Her are some videos for the people who didn't get to watch the Nationals. I recommend letting the videos load completely for better picture.

Hope God will fill your life with joy and excitement and beautiful weather for training.

Lots of Things

2009-03-19T21:20:00.001-04:00

First, Rascal's breeder has a litter of puppies out of Rascal's Dad. So of course they'll be great pups. Visit his website here. So get a puppy before they are all gone.

Second, I just realized how much Rascal looks like his Dad.

This is Rascal's Dad (OBryants Red Rebel Drifter).

This is Rascal. Isn't he pretty?

Third, I saw this video on k9Performance and thought it was really cool. Wish I could train Rascal like that.

Volunteering and My First Show-n-Go

2009-03-12T19:27:00.001-04:00

Boy, it has been hectic the past three weeks, but here is what I've been doing lately. Sunday, February 15th, was a wonderful day for me. I went over to a professional dog trainer's house in my hometown to volunteer. I was going to work with a group of people . So, I went over there at 11AM and people were just starting to get there. Ms. Barbara gave me a training bag and a Labrador Retriever named Sunny.

We worked on attention, Rally, push-ups, figure eights, sits and downs, stays, and heeling. Sunny was just as inexperienced as I was, but we pulled through and finished the class not in last place.

There was a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Cardigan Welsh Corgi, Australian Shepherd, Dachshund, another Labrador Retriever, and I think a Chow Chow.

I had a lot of fun working with Sunny and I can't wait till the next class.

My first Show-n-Go was so much fun. There were about ten or twelve Doberman Pinschers, a Labrador Retriever, a Rottweiler, Welsh Corgis, two poodles, two Old English Sheepdogs, and a mix breed. I got there and worked with Sunny some more and stood as a post for obedience. There was a girl named Marlee who also volunteers with Ms. Barbara and another girl named Rebecca who was there to see if this was something she wanted to get her dog into. I had a lot of fun and I can't wait for the next one.

I will be working on Rascal in the class sometime, but right now I'm really busy with the goats. Rascal and I have been working on sit, attention, and heeling. I think he's getting the idea.

About two weeks ago Rascal got on to the road. I screamed to him to come back. He gave me a look like "why should I listen to you". He walked right onto the road right when a car was coming, luckily "slowly". I called him to come and he came trotting over to me with a look like " okay so that's why I shouldn't go over there; yeah, Momma knows best, I see that now". My Dad was out there at the time it happened and he said that I should spank him. I had to explain that you can't do that after they've come when called, that would be punishing them for coming when called instead of the thing that you really wanted to punish them for, but it all worked out for the better. Rascal has started to listen to me more about not going to the road.

Westminster Dog Show

2009-02-14T13:57:00.000-05:00

The 2009 Best In Show Trophy was awarded to "Ch Clussexx Three D Grinchy Glee," a.k.a. "Stump," a Sussex Spaniel

16 Ch Clussexx Three D Grinchy Glee
Breed: Spaniel (Sussex)
Sex: Dog
AKC: SN 61688903
Date of Birth: December 01, 1998
Breeder: Douglas Horn & Douglas Johnson & Dee Duffy
Sire: Ch Three D Genghis Khan
Dam: Ch Clussexx Sprinkled With Dew
Owner: Cecilia Ruggles & Beth Dowd & Scott Sommer
Photos: Breed judging / Group judging

Watch show videos at Westminster Kennel Club.

Flyball Team

2009-02-14T13:55:00.001-05:00

Well, I will be working on training Rascal for flyball sometime this year. Rascal's best friend Ruby (Border Collie) will also be doing it with us. B.J. ( a friend of mine/Ruby's owner) is working on building the jumps and the box. You can read his blog and look at our flyball jumps here.

We are also looking for more people to join us on a team. I will be talking about it here and showing you how to train your dog for flyball.

Read the rules for flyball here.

Watch This!

2009-02-05T19:50:00.000-05:00

This is a video that was on Susan Garrett's Blog. This girl's dog (Gabby) died yesterday, only a couple of weeks after she was diagnosed with cancer. "Gabby brilliantly represented Canada at both the FCI and the IFCS world agility championships. She had a great career that included both field titles and regularly modeling for TV commercials. Just last fall the two of them won the Canadian Nationals Agility Championships in the veterans class," Susan Garrett states in her blog. This dog was not perfect in her agility runs, but her handler and her made the best team I have ever seen. Which is saying a lot, because I have watched a lot of agility teams. Here's the video: Enjoy!

Zig Zigler: “The main reason for people’s lack of success in life is their willingness to give up what they want most of all, for what they want right now.”

2009-01-29T21:14:00.000-05:00

"A Working Dog"

I've seen the Rocky Mountains
And the Gulf of Mexico,
The California surfers,
And palm trees by the row.

I've read the works of Shakespeare
And seen Picasso's paint,
The sounds of concert pianists
And heard the bagpipes quaint.

And all of these have trilled me,
but not one can compare
With watching herding dogs a-working,
A single or a pair.

There's magic in each movement
That Mozart never had,
And beauty in each turn
That makes my heart feel glad.

There's science in each answer
Of every whistled tone,
That Newton never though of
Nor ever was he shown.

There's feeling in the handling
That only poets know,
Or men that work with stock dogs
And feel the teamwork grow.

Wherever life may take you
In sunshine or in fog.
You'll never quite forget it
When once you've worked a dog.

Author Unknown

Meet Rascal

2009-01-28T15:29:00.000-05:00

Rascal is my five month old red tri Australian Shepherd. I am working on training him in obedience and in November 2009 I will hopefully start on agility. Rascal loves to spend time with me or play with his best friend Ruby (Border Collie). Rascal's job has become herding. His job is to herd Clara and Annie (Alpine goats) to the milking stand and his reward is, well, some milk.

Rascal loves to be outside with the wind blowing the leaves for him to chase and he loves to play frisbee. I have such high hopes, but I know he can go higher than my hopes and succeed.

Rascal has taught me a lot in only two months. I am sure he will be teaching a lot more in the years to come.

I started this blog to chronicle my training of Rascal in herding, agility, and other skills.