Save the Ladybird

Massey's bed

2010-12-16T08:57:00.003-07:00

This is Masseys favorite spot to sleep in the house.
Massey likes to plump up the sides just right and burrow in, but......
who's slepping in her bed???????
Crawford!!!

Leader of the pack

2010-12-01T11:40:00.003-07:00

Lately I've noticed that Crawford is always in the lead when I release the dogs from a group stay.

Is this because he is faster than the aussies or is it because he releases himself before I give the comand?

Hhmmm.........

Where I lay me down to sleep

2010-11-25T08:35:00.004-07:00

It always make me happy seeing my pets sleeping
Sometimes it's nice to sleep in a group, or with a buddy.

Jack and Impy

Impy, Crawford and Esmae

Rupert and Jack

and sometimes it's better to sleep on your own

Massey

Crawford

And on a day like today which is -7 with a windchill making it feel like -17 and blowing snow, I just want to cuddle right beside them.

Massey's first Q's

2010-11-16T10:26:00.004-07:00

Last weekend Massey and I had our 5Th trial, it took place in yet another new venue at the Fezdome in Calgary.
On our first few runs Massey was a little distracted and refused to enter the chute, however on our snooker run which I love she did awesome, she loves it when I run with her and she stayed with me the entire time and did all I asked and was fast.
We ran our jumpers run next and even though the course seems straight forward enough when I walk it some how when I run it I get all muddled up and forget where I'm going so that being said we did run clean and got a q and a first, the run itself was not pretty but Massey stayed with me again and we both had a blast.
On Sunday she was super distracted again, and I lost her attention on our runs that day.
I am trying really hard to figure out what she needs from me, and I am getting there , I know she loves it when I blast off the start line running, and I know I need to work on her attention to me so I shall be working on that, and when I'm training with her she will be focused on me and what we are doing and while listening to feedback or waiting for our turn she will be in her crate.
I think this should work as she does really seem to love the game when I have her attention.
I must also mention that I did shed some tears after Sunday's run and they were NOT from disappointment from us not getting a Q, but for me not doing a better job keeping Massey motivated.
PS; I must really thanks my fellow Go Dog Go peeps for their help and support it means so much to me, and of course I must thank Amanda for taking this beautiful photo of Massey. :o))))

Snow Shoes

2010-11-09T07:28:00.004-07:00

Last week my farrier came and fitted Max with his snow shoes. They have cleats on the outer shoe to help give him better traction on the ice and between the shoe and the bottom of his foot there is a piece of rubber to help keep the snow from packing in his feet.

This type of shoe is great because not only does it make the winter conditions more comfortable for him, it also makes it safer for me to ride in snowy and icy conditions.

Touch

2010-10-28T12:03:00.002-06:00

Esmae and I have been working on the touch command for her contacts in agility.
How cute is she?

It was FUN!!!!!

2010-10-26T07:32:00.004-06:00

So my update from this past weekends agility trial is I had so much fun.
I travelled up w/ my friend and her 2 dogs, so that in combination w/ my 3 my CRV was packed, however we had packed smart and even w/ all our stuff we still had room to spare, not a lot mind but room none the less. We arrived at the barn in good time around 8:30pm and set up camp ( I was very pleasantly surprised by the accommodations it is a very nice heated horse barn and the stall we camped in was at the end of the row and so we had lots of room)
The next morning was a cool one and I don't know if it was the cooler weather, the arena surface, where we were benched, experience, or the fact that my nerves are now gone when I run w/ Massey but she ran awesome. Massey often will get distracted when running a course so I know now where I need to remind her that I am there and so other than a couple of times she stayed w/ me the whole time, and w/ each run she was getting more and more confident and faster.
Our trouble areas seem to be the chute and me not making sure she is fully committed to taking It before I leave and the start line even though I have her attention right up to the release spot she still drops her head for a moment to sniff so I shall be working on those 2 things, but w/ that being said she was so great she was having fun and and so was I often w/ my training path w/ her it has so not been fun so I am glad that we are now on the same page and are having fun. :o)
I was also very touched (ok I may have shed a tear, lol) to have received an award for Starters Handler and dog showing great developing teamwork from Fionavar K9 training and Lynda Caughlin this means so much to me as I may not be the best handler out there and lord knows I have had my ups and downs w/ Massey but I listen, practice and try my best and it nice to have this recognized by an outsider who does not know my history w/ Massey.
On a side note both Esmae and Crawford travelled very well, when I had some down time I did training w/ both dogs and was very pleased to see that neither of them seemed fazed by the hustle and bustle of a trial.
I had such a great time w/ my wonderful and helpful traveling companion, the rest of the Go Dog Go crew, watching and learning the different handling techniques and meeting new people. Fingers crossed I get into the upcoming November trial in Calgary. :o)))))

Excited

2010-10-21T11:18:00.003-06:00

I am so excited and looking forward to this weekends agility trial.
It will certainly be an adventure as I will be staying on site (at a horse barn) in a box stall with my friend, her 2 dogs and my three dogs.
I don't typically rough it, usually my idea of camping consists of a 5th wheel complete w/ solar panel for electricity for essentials ie: hairdryer and a full bathroom w/ shower.
Needless to say that although there is electricity and bathrooms on site there will be no showers or hairdryers on this weekend trip. ugh!
It will also be my first trip traveling w/ all 3 dogs, (Massey is the only one competing but I thought I'd bring the other 2 for socialization.) which can be an adventure all on it's own.
This will be Massey's first indoor trial and as she gets easily distracted in new settings I am not overly confident on how she will perform however I am super excited about it and hopefully that will rub off on her.

No more excuses

2010-10-14T07:44:00.003-06:00

I love riding my horse, like a lot.
This past few months I've been super busy and have not made/had the time to ride. I've been busy with work, dog activities and the weather has just plane sucked.
While my work schedule has somewhat slowed down, I still have my dog activities and as we are heading into winter the weather will continue to suck, Max and I will just have to tough it out and I will make the time to ride, it may not be a long ride, but I am determined to get out and just do it!
so........ No more excuses!

Come on everybody, let's roll

2010-10-12T08:51:00.003-06:00

Massey loves to roll.
Sometimes I don't even know what she is rolling in, I wonder if she even knows.
Davin and Esmae don't seem to quite see what the fun in rolling is.
However.......

Crawford does!!!!!

:o)))
Another dog that loves to roll.
PS; and yes they all got bathed (again) once we got home.

I don't wanna get up

2010-10-05T09:50:00.003-06:00

It's almost 10am on a Tuesday morning.

I am up.

The aussies are up.

The cats are up.

The horses are up.

The corgi???????

Not up.

PS. as scary as it seems this is an actual photo, no posing.
omg!! what is happening to me? not only is there a dog on the bed he is also in the bed. lol

Training Sessions

2010-09-23T07:54:00.003-06:00

When I'm training the dogs in the house I find it easiest if I go in the office and shut the door, that way I can work on what I want to with out the other dogs getting in the way.
At this time Crawford is the one being trained. Esmae waits patiently on the other side of the door for her turn.
Speaking of Esmae, at class last night she was pretty unmotivated, I got some good advice from my instructors as to how to make the reward (and me) to be more exciting and thus more rewarding for her. I also think I need to find the perfect motivational tool for her, be that food or toy. I know one thing for sure she certainly likes it when I can run with her, so that is something I need to continue doing with her.
I also had it "mentioned" to me how important it is to do right side weave entries (something I failed to really teach Massey).
I have inadvertently taught/let Esmae to back weave or to go back up the A-frame etc, until last night night I didn't realise how foolish this was.
All in all there was a lot to think about at last nights class, and if I am serious about competing with Esmae and I am, I need to really take these suggestions to heart and while training on my own hopefully will not teach her any more bad habits.

Upside Down

2010-09-16T09:16:00.002-06:00

I've never had a dog with short little legs before and was finding it difficult to see where to cut their nails.
Amanda recommended that to put Crawford on his back. This totally works!, not only do I get to have great vision on where to cut his nails he also totally thinks it a fun game.
Thanks Amanda. :O)

Crawford's first week

2010-08-25T15:06:00.004-06:00

Crawford came to live with me a week ago last Saturday. He acts like he has always lived here and is such fun to be around.
I am finding out that living with a corgi is highly entertaining, he is always up for a came of tug or fetch, and he makes me laugh out loud when he get's the zoomies.
He is also a very good snuggler and loves to spoon. :o)
He gets along very well with all the animals around her even the cats, although one cat in particular does like to tease him, (Rupert).
He is respectful of the horses and stays well clear of the donkey, Massey and Esmae also are protective of Crawford until the donkey sees him as one of our pack.
I look forward to perhaps doing some agility with him in the future.
All in all he is a perfect match and I thank Amanda and Windy City Canine Rescue for suggesting him to me, even though I hadn't really planned on having a third dog. lol

Massey's 6th Birthday

2010-08-17T15:41:00.003-06:00

Today is Massey's 6th birthday.She got 2 presents, I wonder which one she'll enjoy more?

A woolie bone?

or Crawford?

Happy Birthday to my crazy wing nut aussie.

Bonding

2010-08-11T18:59:00.003-06:00

Massey and I have been doing a lot of bonding lately. This has included just lots of nice walks, and fun short training sessions.
It's hard to beleive that her birthday is coming up next week and she will be 6yrs young!

Massey and the Go Dog Go seminar/funmatch

2010-07-11T21:14:00.003-06:00

This weekend Massey and I attended an agility seminar on how to do games(snooker and gamble) followed the next day by a fun match.
Here are the pros's and con's of the weekend.

Pros's

-Learned about how to play these games. (i love snooker, and it would seem so does Massey)
- day spent with great people and their dogs, and got to meet some new dog/handler teams
- day out with Massey working on our teamwork
-once I have Massey working with me she is fast.
- homework that I have been doing with my treadle, 180's, pinwheels, and serpentine ques are paying off.

Con's

- learned that Massey can still get stressed at start lines/mid course if I do not have a "flowy path" and start sniffing.
- Massey needs work on distance ques, she really doesn't like to take direction to work away from me

Plan

- work more on distance
- practice her warm up routine and the ready, ready game in a variety of new places.
- reward more often

So basically what I have learned is that I put too much pressure and expectations on myself and when as a team we do not live up to these goals I am disappointed and upset that I was not a better teammate for my dog (which really really makes me angry at myself, because I know better and I let her down).
I can make excuses about how all the other crap going on in my life right now got in the way, but the truth is I was not what Massey needed from me.
If I look back to where we were this time last year I can not help but be proud of all that we have accomplished together and how far she has come and I truly need to remember this on a daily basis.

Live each day the fullest you can, not guaranteeing there'll be a tomorrow, not dwelling endlessly on yesterday.
Author: Jane Seymour

Max's Bath

2010-07-01T13:54:00.006-06:00

Max has been needing a bath for some time now, last sunday all systems were ago, I had the time,motivation and weather on my side.

Before

During

After

Carlos 3rd Birthday

2010-06-23T15:02:00.004-06:00

I first must start out by saying that I am sorry for not blogging on a more frequent basis, lately my mind has been elsewhere and keeping up my blog has not been at the foremost of my priorities.
Last week marked the 3rd birthday of my donkey, I had planned on taking pictures on THE day but on THE day we were having a torrential downpour and Carlos was not looking his best (although even now it is debatable as he is still shedding out his winter coat) so here he is a week later.
Happy Birthday Carlos.

something to smile about

2010-04-18T09:22:00.004-06:00

I like to buy things that make me smile and/or laugh.
When I saw this dog toy I just had to buy it.
My dogs agreed it was a good choice.

Whale watching

2010-04-08T08:42:00.005-06:00

My head is finally getting back to normal.

So now is the time to start with semi-regular updates on my blog.

On the ship our first port of call was the island of Mauii, we were there for 2 days, and has Connie new the island well, the first day we rented a car and drove around ; we went up a volcano, and went to an a aquarium. Honestly on that first day we may have done more but as far as I can recall that was the first days highlights.

On day two on Maui Connie and I decided to go on a whale watching tour w/the Pacific Whale Foundation. It was great, I don't think words can describe just how great it was. The humpback whales are all giving birth right now, and we were lucky enough to see a 10d old calf (the size of a ford escort) breaching 12 tx's in a row, a very rare sight to see so we were told. The calves mother was also one of the 14% of whales that can re-conceive while still nursing , so at one point their were 4 males viaing for her attention ( aahhh boys) with much tail and flipper slapping.

We were on a boat slightly bigger than a catamaran, and had wonderful seats right up front to view all of this behaviour, at one point we were even surrounded by all these whales and the boat was unable to move. bliss!

I for one love being on and around the ocean, so the 2 hour trip was over too fast for me, but it was great.

It reminded me of another humpback whale trip that Connie had taken in Tofino off of Vancouver Island, in a zodiac where we were lucky enough to see transient whales.

Many thanks to Connie for taking these pictures with her awesome camera. :o)

NCL Hawaii Cruise

2010-03-28T00:13:00.002-06:00

So I just came back from my cruise around the Hawaiin islands, and in one word it was awesome.

I went w/ my friend and her parents, it was a last minute decision as originally my friends aunt was to share a room w/ her but was unable to go at the last minute, luckily I was able to go in her place.

I decided to go a couple days early so I could spend some time w/ Connie before the cruise began, the cruise itself was 7d, but I was able to take 2wks, off of my work to make it a real vacay.

I am so happy I did, it was great to reconnect w/ her and her family as we have been best friends for many years.

The cruise offered many activities on board ship and Connie and I participated, in pretty much all of them that we could.

( I will post a separate post on them )

(I will also post pics later)

So while I want to update my blog my mind is still all over the place, getting by on 2 hrs sleep pretty every night will do that to a girl lol. I shall collect my thoughts and post them in short little posts over the next little while.

Bad Pets

2010-02-24T15:19:00.012-07:00

My pets are BAD.

Luckily I can always (almost) find my sense of humour when I come across something bad that they have done.

Last night was Massey agility night so I needed to cut up some rollover for treats, after placing the dirty cutting board onto the kitchen counter for cleaning later when I got back home, I then proceeded to get my keys from downstairs, when I walked back into the kitchen I found Massey on the counter! all 4 of her! I couldn't believe it, I guess increasing her jump height was not such a good thing?
After a very fun evening of agility, I walked into my home and heard a noise I did not recognize, what was it?
I entered the kitchen to find the freezer part of the fridge open and contents of said freezer strewn about on the floor w/ Rupert and Jack looking very pleased w/ themselves after they had had their buffet.

As if this all was not enough, this morning after finishing blow drying my hair, I notice the dogs are not in the the hallway waiting for me as per usual, what were they up to? where were they?

I guess I had neglected to properly shut my training bag from last night.
A jolly good time was had investigating the contents.

What will they get up to next?

Cowley fun obd/rally fun match

2010-01-26T15:14:00.006-07:00

On Sunday there was a fun match for both obedience and rally-o in Cowley. Allot of my dog friends were going and I thought that I'd take my 2 along just for fun.

While I know they are no where near ready to compete it is always good to get them out in new places for training.

I entered Esmae in novice obedience and I was pleasantly surprised with how well she did, I decided not to do the whole exercise as I did not feel she was ready for the stand for exam.

I was very pleased with her healing, although looking back at the photos I can see she is lagging a bit. I am really looking forward to competing with this dog
Thanks to Sarah for taking the pics
.

I entered Massey into the novice rally-o, I was getting myself nervous as I don't really know the rally-o signs, like at all!, so to begin with Massey was a little distracted, but once I calmed down in the ring and she realised we were really just healing she did very well, we even got a nice healing comment on our score sheet from the judge.
I have always wondered if I would ever get an obedience title on her but now I think that it is in fact possible.

grooming time

2010-01-22T15:39:00.002-07:00

The other day I gave Esmae a much needed bath.
Not only does her bff "Rupert" lends his support in the bath tub he also likes to make sure he helps w/ the blow dry after.

playing around

2010-01-20T18:12:00.002-07:00

So I LOVE my new camera!
I am finally able to get good photos of Massey something I've been trying to do for a long time.
I went to the dog park and took lots of photos, met 2 other photographers there too, they also had a canon rebel.
One of them even took lots of photos of Esmae.
I was just playing around in photo shop and am quite happy with this picture of Massey.

New camera

2010-01-13T16:12:00.000-07:00

I got my new camera yesterday.
I had to really think and think about buying it, it is a great camera and comes highly recommended both from reviews online and through my photo savvy friends.
It was however not cheap and I have had a lot of big purchases lately, plane tickets to Texas,Hawaii and horse mats to name but a few.
The deal was a good one and I thought that I'd really regret going on holiday w/out a good camera, so... I bit the bullet and got it.
The camera is a canon rebel T1I.
I love it! I took it out today to get some pics of the dogs and even though I haven't really acquainted myself w/ it, i think I got some decent photos, much sharper images than my old point and shoot.
I took so many photos that before I knew it my card was full, I will have to buy and bring a spare w/ me every time I go out on a photography shoot now.

Scousie

2010-01-12T18:07:00.000-07:00

My husband has been away the last little while, this is usual for his job, and it has given me time to go through some photo albums , and in doing so I came across this photo I had taken of my Old English Sheepdog "Scousie", this particular picture I took while we were on one of our beach walks, I think of it as the windy day photo shoot.
Little did I know what real winds actually felt like, on Vancouver Island we didn't get winds as bad as southern alberta does.
My family has always had a dog, an OES, to be exact, my dad used to show ours in conformation.
I still love the breed and would have another one in a heartbeat but I don't feel that they would fit into my lifestyle at the moment, maybe one day I will have another one.

Park Lake walk

2010-01-06T16:28:00.000-07:00

Today I took the dogs out for their walk, even though it was -18 it was very enjoyable.... at first.
Then the cold set in and I decided it was time to head back to the car, I didn't realize how far we were from the car... did I mention it was -18?
By this point my nose was running like a river, my bra strap had broken, and my socks had come off in my boots (both of them), it's - 18!
So I start to run back to the car through the ankle deep snow, Esmae thinks this is great fun and jumps at me from behind.
I fall down.
Now I'm covered in snow with all the above problems still happening, and am almost at the car, warmth is coming at long last, I can unfreeze my poor little tootsies, oh but look there is a man on the ice, drilling, ice fishing? anyway he comes over to make small talk about how cold it is today... really? it's -18
However, I do enjoy walking at Park Lake in the off season as not many people go there and the dogs can run off leash, as well it is a nice change from the usual scenery.
I will have to make a point of walking there more often, especially as it is quite close to me.

Fire

2010-01-05T15:35:00.000-07:00

Recently Don has installed a pellet stove into our home, it is one many home improvement we plan to tackle in the future ( ripping up the blue carpet beside the pellet stove is also on the list lol).
Since the stove has arrived the cats are rarely seen in other areas of the house, they have become the fire worshippers.

Happy New Year

2010-01-02T13:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was New Years day. Lately I have become really excited about taking pictures of the pets. Here is my photo shoot w/ the dogs yesterday morning.
I am looking forward to getting my new more advanced camera and then taking a photography course in the near future.
With this I hope to get more candid shots of the dogs, especially Massey as I find her hard to capture in a posed shot.
I also find my horse Max difficult in photo shoots, so expect to see more pics of him in the upcoming months.
On another note I am super excited about this upcoming year, I have recently found my niche among a great group of doggy friends, as well Massey and Esmae training is coming along great.
I am super pleased on how Massey is focusing better on me and the job at hand in both agility and obedience.
Esmae is coming along great in obedience, I am pleased w/ her healing , need more work on her sit stays, though I am confident it will come soon. as for her agility she is still a young to be doing a lot of but in that too I am sure she will do great.
Now I just need to find my horsey friends and life in here in southern alberta will be pretty much perfect.
Any one know any horsey people I can connect with?

morning fun

2009-12-30T15:03:00.000-07:00

Rupert adores Esmae and Esmae adores Rupert.
They love to play with each other, and they also love to snuggle together.
In my home dogs are not allowed on the bed, but when I walked into the bedroom and saw this I couldn't resist taking a photo.

The birthday girl

2009-12-28T11:26:00.000-07:00

Hip Hip Hooray for the birthday girl!
It is Esmae's first birthday, and wow what a year it has been.
Esmae is such a fun and beautiful dog to be around, she is very smart as well.
She was very patient while posing for these pictures but much more enjoyed the outdoor photo shoot.
I think she was even maybe? getting a bit ticked off while I tried to get the perfect shot while she was wearing her birthday tiara..
at the end it is best to just let sleeping dogs lie.
Happy 1st birthday Esmae looking forward to many more.

can't help himself

2009-12-24T12:52:00.000-07:00

Rupert came to live with us last winter, I have had the finches the entire time.
For some reason Rupert has just discovered them and is enjoying watching them.
Rupert is such a clown that you can't help but love him, he also loves to chatter to himself or us.

buds

2009-12-23T16:46:00.000-07:00

This is Carlos and Finnigan sporting their cold weather gear, evn though they do grow thick winter coats I hate to see animals with snow on their backs.
These 2 quickly became best friends and can often been seen playing everyday.

In rememberence and a new attitude

2009-12-21T07:20:00.000-07:00

In the fall of 2008 I lost my beloved Australian shepherd (Rhea) to cancer, it was a very aggressive type and I didn't see it coming, she was diagnosed and died within 2 weeks. I did a lot with this dog from competing in obedience and pet therapy, she was a great friend. Her 13Th birthday would have been on Dec 16Th. Lately she has been on my mind a lot so maybe writing this will help me have some closure on her death.
I don't deal well with grief, I still am not over my dad's death and that was over 20 years ago, or maybe I should say that I am do not deal well with sudden grief? I found out my dad had died when I was pulled out of school ( it was an accident, I don't talk about it much, it still makes me cry) and then of course Rhea was a sudden cancer.
I have lost family members in the past and they have been older and so expected, as well I lost my wonderful Siegfried cat to renal disease this past fall, this too was expected.
Life is too short to be unhappy, I moved to Lethbridge about 4 years ago, and I have not made enough of an effort to make friends and to be a member of the community, well if my past and sudden losses have taught me anything it is to seize the day and to do what you want to do, you may not get another chance.
So with that being said I am making more of an effort to gain friends and to get out being social again, I have had enough of being lonely!

Massey and Me

2009-11-05T15:42:00.000-07:00

Massey is my 4yr old aussie shepherd, we have gone through a lot of ups and downs together training wise, mainly because I did not fully "get" her.
I would get upset when she became distracted in our training sessions: now I understand that she is not being bad, it is just her coping mechanisms when I put too much pressure on her.
With the help of my agility instructors they have shown me what I need to do for Massey, together we are working as a true team, it is a great feeling to have your dog work with you, especially with all the frustration I have had in the past.
I now know how it can be working with her and look forward to our future as a team.
Kinda soppy I know, but it is how I feel.

About the blog name

2009-11-02T16:36:00.001-07:00

Many of you might be wondering about the name "save the ladybird", and while I do not have a great answer the answer is; I have always loved ladybirds (ladybugs) , and always feel myself quite fortunate when I see one.
I was out for lunch a couple of days ago w/ some friends and found one inside the restaurant, I was mortified that they were wanting to squish it, after I rescued it from them I set it free outside in the safety of a potted tree.
On Sunday morning I happily showed my husband another ladybird inside our house, he too wanted to squish it, but after a discussion common sense prevailed and the ladybird was allowed to remain in the safety of our house.
So that is the reason behind my blog name and next time you see a ladybird you will think of me. :0)

Me a blogger? who knew!

2009-10-31T17:16:00.000-06:00

Well here I am , entering the blogging world. Please bear w/ me as I figure this whole thing out. A number of friends have encouraged me to go for it , so here I am jumping in w/ both feet!
Today is halloween and Esmae and I went to a doggy dressup party at the local doggy daycare, oh what fun was had by all, there was a costume contest and party games (Esmae won the musical mat game) and received a stuffed pumpkin for her performance, unfortunately jealousy took over ( Massey also wanted the pumpkin) and the pumpkin has now gone out to the great vegatable patch in the sky. :0(
I am now sitting down figureing this out w/ a cup of hawaiin coffee.
More later.