Vaccine titers

I just got the results back on Colby and Roscoe's titers. Both dogs, regardless of the fact that they have not been vaccinated in over 6 years, both have excellent titer levels for both parvo and distemper. How cool is that?? I needed this paperwork to show the folks at "It's A Dog's World" in York for the Rally Obedience seminar we are doing this Sunday. I have all dogs signed up, but Roscoe will really be my focus dog. The other two will just give him a break once in a while.

Just shows you that we are probably very much over-vaccinating our pets!!! They just don't need all those vaccines!

Yesterday's agility trail

Amherst NH at American K9 Country, AKC agility trial. Colby double Q'ed for number 12 2Q, so she needs 8 more for her MACH (Master's Agility Championship). Roscoe managed to SMOKE his standard run, 5 seconds faster than Colby's run, but was WAY too high in his Jumpers run and ran to an off course tunnel. He has been a bit crazy lately! I love it, but it may get old if that keeps happening. I have to figure out how to manage the crazy man!!!

It was a fun day, but AKC trials run SO slow and we didn't get home until 7:30. Should not have taken SO long. I just don't understand why they can't figure out how to run the trials better. USDAA can do 5 different classes and still be done by 5:00!! It was also incredibly muddy! My truck needs a good clean out. The crates beds need to be cleaned and the whole truck needs vacuuming. Mud season is a bummer with dogs!!! Spur could really use a bath right now!

Beach race video

I can't seem to figure out how to load this here, so you have to click on the link -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObTj9b5O51k&feature=channel_page

Roscoe is in the purple coat, Stella the shihtzu is in the pink coat and they are chasing Spur!! Great fun!!!

Lovely walk on the beach!

Yesterday the tide was low at 2:00 and we managed to get to OOB for a nice long walk. We walked almost to the Pier and back, which is about 5 1/2 miles. The dogs did a bit more because they don't walk in a straight line, they chase seagulls and each other and are up and down finding crablegs to eat. It was wonderful! Great conditioning for Roscoe. It's so hard to keep him in good condition in the winter. His feet get so cold, so managing in the snow is very hard or impossible for him. If we can make it to the beach the sand is do-able for him. We have an agility show tomorrow, so I have to do what ever I can to keep him in good shape. They all had a ball. We walked with the shihtzus and Mary and her two labs. Stella's Mom took some videos, which I will post here as soon as she sends them to me. They are very cute of the dogs all chasing each other. Except the labs who think the little dogs are just plain silly!!!

Another snowy day?? Oh MY!

So, what's a "dog person" to do? More trick training!! Roscoe knows a ton of tricks. One of the benefits to tricks is no matter how BAD he can be if he does a trick he will make people smile. It never fails! What is fun is that by performing the trick he can defuse a tense situation. I use tricks when I am waiting in line at the in gate to run an agility course. All the competitors are tense and anxious, but they watch Roscoe "REV YER Engines!!" (he kicks out his back legs repeatedly and it is SO cute!!!) and everyone relaxes and takes a few breaths! Or, someone might approach and I have to blurt out my usual....."He is NOT friendly", but then I have him wave or roll over or back up or kick out his back feet and that person who just moments before tensed up, now relaxes and smiles. It helps in SO many ways.

Our favorite winter past time on these snowy days is to train MORE tricks!! I searched Youtube for some fun ideas I had not tried and found this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-2LdFoHEck&feature=channel_page and this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaJXkbdOIzY&feature=channel Both show how to teach these tricks, so I got started right away with the hind leg book trick instructions. Roscoe picked it up in no time, but I had no doubt he would. He is used to his kick trick, so he already has hind end awareness. I then brought out Spur and tried it with him. It took Spur a little longer and more of a struggle to figure it out, but we have a start. Funny how some dogs are not really that aware of their hind legs. I remember thinking when Spur was a puppy how his back legs just seemed to follow, not that his mind was setting them where they should go, but that they just follow along by default. He is much more coordinated now, but still this hind leg lift trick wasn't as easy for him as it was for Roscoe.

HappyTails training center is closing!!

We are all so bummed! It is SUCH a great space for training. HUGE room, lovely rubber mats, nice equipment. They just couldn't make a go of it and have sub-leased it to another non-dog related company. It just stinks! I can't believe Portland, Maine can't sustain an indoor dog training center!!!! We need to find a place!!

Will it ever go away?

All this snow!! I know some times a few warm days, some rain and it disappears remarkably fast, but right now it seems like it will take forever for it to go away. Little Spur is only 14" at the shoulders, so this photo shows how much snow we have. I dig them a "runway" around the yard, so they can at least have some running space out there. We are also quite lucky our neighbor takes his snowmobile and makes us trails. And with the rain we got on top of the last snow, these guys can walk on top of it for the most part, so our walks are pretty good lately!