What you looking at?

seriously, no pictures

What part of that didn't you understand?

I won't stand for this

Mom, please!!!!

all right, just one.











Mole gave me a bit of a scare last week; he couldn't seem to stand up or lay down without being in pain. Poor guy would yelp and fuss and whine. And while he is a chihuahua, there is nothing wimpy about this boy. He is as stoic as they come.

A trip to the vet and some new x-rays revealed a progression of his disease along with some more vertebrae being affected. Notice, the lack of collar? Well, the deterioration is now most severe in his neck, making a collar (and use of a leash) not a very good idea. My poor old man is getting old and it's showing in some pretty painful ways. We are going to try to keep him comfortable for as long as possible. My boy means everything to me and I can't imagine a world without him in it. He is truly my heart dog.

The Peas

These two are always cuddled up together. Instead of calling them my "kids" I've resorted to calling them my "peas"

They often sleep in the strangest of positions

But they are always together, always touching.

I think it's just the sweetest thing in the whole world. It makes even my frost-bitten heart melt.

Now what did I do with the other one? I swear there were three here at one point. . .

Doin' Alright

Yesterday was a bit stressful as both Abby and Mole went under anesthesia for different procedures. Mole needed a dental with a few extractions and Abby needed that tumor out of her mouth. I was a nervous wreck all day and I think that my soft side was showing because the girls at the shelter I normally visit were laughing at me because every dog I met was "so adorable". When I explained what was going on with my dogs they understood but still laughed!

Everyone seems to be doing ok today. Abby is getting a small sore on her lip from where, I assume, the sutures are rubbing- although I can't see any sutures anywhere. There is a big chunk of gum missing and I'm hoping that we don't loose that tooth after all is said and done. She only has a few left at this point and I'm trying to take care of the ones she has as best as I can.

Mole is a bit fussy today now that all the drugs have worn off. He is still on pain meds but his mouth seems to be irritating him a bit so I gave him some of his muscle relaxants that he uses for his back pain to help settle him some. He is coughing a bit but that is probably from the irritation caused by the endotracheal tube. He isn't in so much discomfort that he has stopped eating, so I'm sure he will be fine in a bit.

I'm glad that everything is done and that both kids are settled at home and are doing well. I, however, wasn't glad to see the bill. The receptionist handed me the bill, I took one look at it, and handed it back saying " I want a discount". After all, I brought the business of 3 rescues into the office AND I am a former employee who still sometimes works there when they need more help!

working vs WORKING

vs





I've never owned/lived with/worked with a true working dog. I've asked both mole and Abby to work for/with me, but they have only done so because they love me (ie: I have super awesome food!) And while both of them have truly enjoyed working with me, they really only do it because I have asked them to and because they like to make me happy.

Abby has really benefited from working with me. She excelled at agility (well, excelled for a puppy mill Iggy) and she still does great at our Rally classes - and not just for a rescue but for any dog! Abby has come a long way from that shivering mess that she was almost 3 years ago, and I truly believe that she wouldn't be as well adjusted as she is if it weren't for the confidence that she learned from working.

After living with a true working dog for almost two weeks, I am starting to see the difference between a dog working because they love me and working because they have to. Sniper is extremely well trained, but he needs constant reinforcement from me. If I am not reinforcing his good behavior, he will find something that is rewarding to him - and that can be something as benign as finding toys and entertaining himself, or something worse, like trying to play with the cats. If I am giving him negative reinforcement for something he is doing that I don't like, it doesn't mean he will stop doing it - it just means that he will try again later when I'm not looking. And while I can tell my kids to "go lay down" and they will understand that as "go away and settle by yourself"; if I tell that to sniper, he reads that as an actual command and he will down in an alert position waiting for my next command.

Its an interesting experience living with a dog that needs so much. And while living with Abby has been a ton of work in the past, she has been relatively easy to live with for quite awhile now. Sniper is generally easy to live with, but he still needs a lot of work, and he needs it in a very different way. Where Abby needs calm, stability, Sniper needs active, entertaining, go-go-go. In my years of training dogs of all shapes and sizes, I've never had to train a dog to settle. And while I am training sniper in agility and rally, I'm also working on the seemingly basic "settle". It is also a challenge to me to work with him in a more positive fashion. Working small, easy dogs using strictly positive methods is easy. But working both a physically and mentally strong and large dog using positive methods is harder. It's much easier to put a pinch collar on him and make him behave. And while I have used more corrective methods with him, I am also working on adjusting what I can and am moving towards a more reward based system.

This experience is a huge eye opening one for me. I'm truly enjoying the learning experience as well as sniper himself. He is easy to love, fun to train, and as sweet as can be. But I have a new respect for the breed and for people who work with and live with working dogs all the time.

Musical Beds

Typical day at the office. If only that worked for people too. . .

Training Room

We have a Rally trial coming up in 2 weeks and Abby and I need to polish up a few basic skills. We also need to seriously start training for some of our level 3 stuff. We really don't have a good place to train regularly. We have no yard, and out house is tiny and oddly shaped. I had to improvise, and I hope that LB doesn't mind too much.

New training space:



what used to live in that super awesome space:



Now that we have that super cool space, whose ready to work?


No surprise there. This guy will do anything for food!


great. . .we get to work with alien dog again. . .

The training space makes it so much easier to do distance work - a huge component of level 3. It also helps us work on stays - something that we haven't been working on very much lately. Abby does OK on down stays, but her sit stays S.U.C.K! She almost always goes into a down. I think part of it is structural (Never Say Never Greyhounds say that sit-stays are harder for these breeds) but I think that some of it is training. I allow her to go down because I know that it is easier/more comfortable for her and, honestly, I don't care what position she is in as long as she stays put. She still stays on her short sit stays for rally class, so I never really bothered to train a longer sit stay. . .but I guess it is something that we should work on. . .and it really isn't that hard. . .it's just so boring, and I feel like I'm nit-picking her. . .and neither of us like that. . .

Family Photo - Lets Try This One More Time

My photo goal this year was to get a family photo with all the kids behaving themselves and looking at the camera. . .but sometimes I feel like I'm playing referee trying to keep the peace between the girls.



Pocket! Keep your tongue in your mouth!



Abby! Don't instigate! You girls better behave or I am going to separate you!



ABBY!!!! Leave. Your. Sister. Alone!



Thank you!

And poor Mole, such a good boy, gets so frazzled between my yelling at the girls and so desperately wanting the treat in my hand.



Sometimes I wonder if we are ever going to get a good photo. . .



Well, at least everyone is looking. . . even if no one is smiling. . .

Eight Years

Best eight years of my life. . .

And Here We Are Again

It's the end of one year and the beginning of another. This time of year always brings a lot of hope and a little bit of sadness. I read a great quote about New Years by Bill Vaughan: An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves. I feel like a little bit of both this year. 2010 was filled with a lot of downs, and only a few ups, but those ups were pretty amazing. I'm a little worried about what 2011 will bring, but I am still hopeful that it will be better than 2010.

People all over the place are writing down their new years resolutions. Some include exercise, eating better, spending less $$; but among my circle of friends the resolutions come more in the form of training goals. Goals that they will try and achieve with their dogs - these are also known as titles. Earlier in the year, I blogged about titles and that we (meaning Abby and I) don't need titles to show the depth of our training or our relationship, but this year might bring one. And I will be proud of the both of us if we get one.

But my actual goals for 2011 don't include titles. There is no training plan laid out. I'm not even sure what phase of training we are in on our old plan - phase 5 maybe??? My only real plan for 2011 is to hang out with my dogs more. I know that seems silly as all I seem to do is hang out with my dogs; but most of our time spent together in 2010 was spent driving to classes, or trials, or fun matches, or to hiking/training spots. I don't want to drive so much with my kids this year. I want to enjoy our time together doing the little things that they love to do - walk around the block, have breakfast at a cafe, go to the beach, sit in the reading chair, etc. As my kids continue to get older, I want to ensure that they are having the best time possible. And if that means fewer classes and more vacations, then so be it. Or maybe, more sick calls into work and more day trips! Regardless of how it eventually works out, I want us to be having a great time for as much as we can of 2011. And my goal for myself is to take as many photos as possible. Ideally, we would have one awesome family photo, but even if we only end up with a few out takes, that would be ok too.

For now, we say good bye to 2010 and all the tears (both of joy and sorrow) that it brought. But I think that Brooks Atkinson said it best, Drop the last year into the silent limbo of the past. Let it go, for it was imperfect, and thank God that it can go.

Christmas Present: Family Foto Outtakes

ummm. . .this isn't going to be easy:


Well, at least we got everyone's head in:


Looks like Mole and Abby are trying to tell me something:


Let's try a different set up:


Pocket obviously hates this pose:



well, we still have a few weeks left before Christmas. We have plenty of time for more family photo fun.

Christmas Past

Pocket decided to help light the tree up with her alien eyes.

What I am most Thankful for

My Experiment



My snuggler



The love of my life




Each of my kids teaches me something new about life everyday. I couldn't imagine my life without any of them.

Wordless Wednesday: I love my mommy