Merry Christmas!

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!

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

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!

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!!!!!!!!!!!

August 15th was Rascal's first birthday.

An Award

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

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!

Have a jolly and wonderful fourth of July!

-From Rascal and his Trainer

Paw Jam

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

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

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!

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

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

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

1. Bungee tugs
2. Crunch N Tug toy
3. Your long braided hair (if you have it)
4. Your hat
5. Plastic shopping bag
6. Sheep skin toys
7. real leather
8. Bird Feather with or without added scent
9. Rabbit fur
10. Deflated soccer ball
11. Shower puff scrubber
12. Water bottle (with or without small pebbles inside)
13. Tug-It!
14. A Stick
15. A crumpled up piece of paper
16. Your sleeve
17. Cheap, dollar-store scarves
18. Towels (tea towel, hand towel)
19. Your Leash
20. Flying Disc
21. Golf Club head cover
22. Old stirrup leather
23. Feather duster
24. Fly Swatter
25. Shoe laces
26. Empty toilet paper roll
27. Empty Paper towel roll
28. A shovel (ouch!)
29. Dog Show Ribbons
30. A Broom or wisk
31. Hollee roller with a stuffed a rabbit fur mouse rubbed with rat litter
32. Hollee roller with a tennis ball
33. Hollee roller with a Ball with Feet (Cuz)
34. Hollee roller with a mini flying disc
35. Hollee roller with a babble ball
36. Hollee roller with a mouse with a realistic chirp
37. Dusting Mitt
38. Piece of Rope
39. Vacuum cleaner hose
40. Winter mittens
41. Hair scrunchie
42. Dirty Underwear
43. Dirty Sock
44. Pillow case
45. 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)
46. Anything with Fringes on it
47. Paper cup
48. Paper plates
49. Palm Frond
50. Pantyhose with knots in them
51. A sock with a tennis ball or squeaky toy stuffed & knotted inside
52. Tissue paper braided together–let the dog shred the paper afterwards
53. A tea cozy
54. Nylon strapping
55. Cat toys, feather boa on a stick
56. Smooth items
57. Soft fleeces items
58. anything that makes a ripping sound (like a stufffed animal ripping open)
59. A branch with leaves on it
60. A tough cotton table napkin with cheese rolled in the middle the knotted
61. Plastic bag with food inside
62. Tugging on food: a raw chicken wing or a steak, then put it in sock, then just use the sock
63. A previously tugged toy (one with another dog’s saliva on it)
64. A springy telephone cord
65. A dust buster (mini vaccum)

Hope these ideas help you in your training

AKC Nationals

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

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

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.