Getting Back To It!!

Summer is here and its time to get back into training. I have taken the last few months off training and trialling for a variety of reasons, but mainly because there were becoming too many things that I was needing to 'fix' and that is never a good thing! I figured that continuing to trial with performances that were less than desirable was pointless. So we have all enjoyed a nice break, but now its time to get back to it.

So.... To that end, I have signed up for Susan Garrett's recallers 3.0 course. I had looked at it before but it is not cheap, however I think the time is right to splurge on what is in reality an investment in the welfare of my dogs and those to come. I must say I am very excited and a little nrevous at the same time. I know I am going to learn SOOOO much and that can only benefit myself and my dogs, however, I am a giant procrastinator and time waster!! I'm hoping that to some extent this course will be a good kick in the butt to get moving.

So what do I am to gain from this course???? There are two things in particular, besides wanting to have a better relationship with my dogs and for them within themselves...

1. To learn what I am doing that is enabling my girl to shut down. To that, is building her confidence, being able to help her cope with 'getting it wrong'. I know at times in my training I have made it 'easy' for her thus in the long term creating a bigger problem!
2. To build more desire for my boy to think that I am the bees knees when there are distractions. He's great in the back yard (assuming the cat doesn't decide to walk through!) however if there is another dog within cooee I am stumped!!

Looking forward to getting the process started. Stay tuned for future progress reports and hopefully some videos to go with it! Look out 2012

Mud Monster & Other Adventures

So the last two weeks have been school holidays - loads of fun with the kids and some fun adventures too. Well, ok I had to work for 1 week of them but my week off was full on!! Boy can you pack a lot into a week :) The Royal Show, 3 family birthdays, outing to Lower Chittering, and a big reminiscing trip to the outskirts of the wheatbelt, York - Northam - Goomalling (see the old house I grew up in) - Tooday - Home. Not to mention play dates, trips to the park and good ol fashioned cubby building!!

The dogs, in various numbers, joined us on our trips out to the 'country' - needless to say, and as you will see, they had a HOOT of a time!!

LOWER CHITTERING

So it was just Astro who joined our adventure to Lower Chittering to visit my sister, after all she is currently dog sitting 3 hounds and I figured that 7 in total might be a bit much!! The day was a lot of fun and if the title of this post didn't give away the theme for the day I'm sure the next couple of pics will :)

Yup - It was Mud, and LOTS of it!! The joys of being a kid - I hadn't laughed so much in ages!! Not to be out done, Astro had his share of fun in the mud...

But thankfully shook most of it off before the trip home ...

YORK AND BEYOND

Such a different landscape to our last adventure!! My brother has a little patch of land about 20km out of York - his escape from city life. Another day filled with family and fun and this time the 4 hounds joined us. Boy did they enjoy the room to run...

Not to mention a rest and a snack...

And to finish the day, a nice dip and a drink in the Avon River at Toodyay...

And a reminder from the Old Boy that...

He is STILL the "King Of The Castle"

Introducing ...... Astro!!!!

Ok - So it would seem that I am a bit of a softie :) I couldn't help it - He was just too darn cute!!

So for the short version of the story....

Mum and litter of 4 pound puppies come into work to be vaccinated - woohoo, that means puppy cuddles!! One by one we take the pups out of their crate to be checked over and vaccinated, a brown & white boy, a tri-colour girl, a black & white boy, and a brown & white girl - oh so very cute the lot of them. But there was one I was just drawn to - the black & white boy. I just had that feeling he was something special!

Mum & pups go back to foster carer and I cant stop thinking about the little black & white boy. After a few days I organise for him to come home on foster to see how he fits with the family ....... Well he waltzed into the house like he had been here for years and the rest they say is history!!

So here he is - The little Tenterfield Terrier mix .... ASTRO!!

See ... Told you he was cute!!