We made it to the beach yesterday knowing today would be rainy and miserable.

We went with Spur's best friend, George. And my good friend, Kathy! No photos of us humans, but lots of the dogs!!! Handsome George........ George sports a nice orange vest. No, not because we worry about hunting season on the beach. In fact, we don't worry about hunting season around here at all. George wears that vest so WE can see him. George is all terrier and when that little terrier puts his mind to something, he's off. Keeping a close eye on him is essential and the vest makes it a lot easier to see him on these dim lighted November beach days. George off leash is always a risk, but the vest makes it a lot easier. George was a good boy this day. He spent some time on leash, but he also had plenty of time off leash. Racing with Spur!!!
Spur LOVES George, in that attach to the neck like a tick kind of love....... Poor George. Happy Spur.
Roscoe looks cold, but really it wasn't THAT cold. The trouble is his lovely Apache River dog coat has lost it's velcro sticky, so I have to attach it farther down the velcro and that leaves a gap under his belly. We have two new coats arriving soon. We have a "very sharp" blue plaid coming and a nice, new burgundy one. :D Roscoe gets some sharp new duds!
It was actually a really nice beach day!! If my camera had an auto-flash I think it would have gone off, but it doesn't. I have to trigger the flash if I want it to consider using it. I think it might have used it on this shot.
Not sure why the need to navigate the rocks, but my guess would be something smelled good to eat! I mean, really, does that look fun???

THIS is more like it!!! Poor Roscoe wants so badly to join in the race, but he feels intimidated. He will chase Spur, but when George is in the picture he won't go. Not really sure I get it, because George would NEVER speak to Roscoe. He won't even speak to Spur who attaches like a tick to his neck, over and over and OVER until I can't take it any more. It may have something to do with worry that Spur might not like him joining in. Spur has been a bit more aggressive with Roscoe. Rightly so, but still it's something I have to monitor. Roscoe is nearly 12 years old and Spur is only 3. The elder must be protected. Interesting fact, here, Roscoe now wants to play with Spur more than ever. Does that make sense? Spur beats up Roscoe more then ever and Roscoe now wants to play? Respect? He now has respect for Spur? Roscoe sure is an interesting Muffin Head. I haven't videoed my dogs interacting in a while, it may be time for that. It's all so interesting, if you are interested in that sort of thing.

Off to the beach today!! Again!!

This is definitely the BEST part about winter. The fields may be brown, dead and blah looking, but the beach.........THE BEACH.......winter runs on the beach are absolutely fabulous! The dogs can run and run and eat crab legs and chase seagulls, it's awesome!

These shots were taken last Friday when I met with Mary to walk with her "new" dog, Skipper, who we thought we might need to help find a home for. Mary's aunt died and Skipper is now looking for a new home. She thinks now her other aunt may take Skipper, which would be really nice! He is a sweet, shy, nervous little poodle, but starting to come out of his shell and will make someone a nice companion. He's really cute!!It was cold that day, but the sun is so strong it warms things up nicely. Still, the tide left a big lump of frozen sea foam to navigate.

Spur just LOVES racing on the beach!This is such a common look for him when running. Ears flat for more aerodynamics, mouth slightly open, lower teeth showing!This shot was last Friday, Spur is 2 1/2...........
This shot was taken when he was 5 1/2 months...................

Super fast recalls!!

We went to Old Orchard Beach last Friday and walked for about 1 1/2 hours! It was AWESOME, except when the horses galloped past. That wasn't awesome. Or was it? It reminded me of all the times I used to do that with Jewel and made me a little sad. Jewel just isn't sound enough for that right now, unfortunately. We haven't been riding on the beach in a couple of years, I am sad to say. After the horses galloped past, Spur, George and Douce had to be leashed. They just couldn't handle that crazy, fast pounding of the hooves past us. Spur's herding instinct kicks in, George's terrier instinct kicks in and Douce's..........um........Douce is a Shih Tzu........what instinct in a Shih Tzu kicks in when horses gallop past???? Beats me, but something kicks in and Douce is leashed. At least, until the horses are well out of sight. Spur was perhaps the worst, barking like a fool until we thought we were going to go nuts, but he finally quit long after the horses were out of sight. Then off came the leashes again. The dogs have a ball at the beach. It's winter, our beach walk time!! It's just plain fun, galloping horses and dogs on leashes or not, it's fun!

Perhaps my favorite part about Maine winters are walks with the dogs on the beach. The MinPins can RUN and RUN and Spur chases the seagulls, they all eat crab legs and seaweed and icky stuff, they race after each other and it's awesome!! We practice our recalls, always!! Even when there are crab legs to be eaten, my dogs come running, we practice.........



Good little doggies!!! Wish I were at the beach today, but noooooooooooooo........today we get about a foot of snow, so I spent the day shovelling their "run-way" again. This was actually taken on another day, but it's pretty much how it went today after shovelling the "run-way"........

Lovely beach day! First of December!

Is it really December, already??? So often the first week/weekend of December is SO cold and even snowy. Yesterday was LOVELY. Cold, but no wind, bright sun, awesome low tide in the afternoon so Kathy and I headed to the beach. Here she is....Pez Dispenser Extraordinaire! Notice which pushy bitch is first in line? Oh, wait, there is only ONE pushy bitch. The rest are boys! (That would be Colby........ in the purple!) George and Spur love to race!

Roscoe loves to race...........back to me for his cookie! Notice one particular border terrier finds peeing on things more important than a plain cookie? He is stuck at the "portapotty".

The "portapotty" was a popular destination spot.
This photo just doesn't show the pretty red glow of the seaweed. Maybe if you click on it you can see that. It had the nicest glow from the low angle of the sun yesterday. Just about iridescent! Really pretty!

This is the best part about winter. Our awesome beach walks!

Beach party anyone? November 10th, yes - we live in Maine!

They said 60's today. Low tide this morning. Kathy and I decided to take the dogs to the beach before I headed off doing my mid-days. We ran into the cutest shihtzu mix. Duke, Dude, we weren't sure, but he was cute and obsessed with George's ass! Spur, of course, could only think of one thing.........attaching himself to George's neck. Poor George, he puts up with it..........why?? Got me!? That's one tick I would kick it's ass if it tried attaching to MY neck! George just let's him do it time and again, so our walk consists of me yelling ...........SPURRRRRRRRRRR..........actually, it's more like........SPR!..............really fast, sharp, clear. It's said differently than Spur. Or SPURRRRRRRRRRRR. It's just a quick sharp......Spr!, as if the letters run together and there isn't a U in there. Spr!!!! He knows that Spr!, means "Remove yourself from George's neck, please, NOW!" It sounds different.........Spr!! SPR!I am just about to yell.........SPR! (see him hone in on George's neck like a magnet?)Phew, little shihtzu-mix broke it up and Spur looks at me, like..... Whaaaaat? Got a cookie?? George and shihtzu-mix sniff privates........

Finally Spur breaks free of his tick hold.............