Long-Dangerous Tails

Laura and Lance’s brags from this past weekend at the Taking-the-Lead CPE Agility trial.

Saturday Q’s and placements:

• 1st Place Standard
• 1st Place Standard
• 1st Place Fullhouse
• 1st Place Snooker
• 1st Place Jumpers

Saturday Q’s and placements:

• 1st Place Standard
• 1st Place Colors
  
• 1st Place Wildcard
  
• 1st Place Jumpers

I love this picture of Laura at the start-line. She is taking one last look at the course before she starts to run it.

Liesje and Chopper’s agility debut at Taking the Lead CPE Agility trial. I don’t know the final count but I saw a lot of big blue rosettes hanging on Chopper’s crate. I also know she finished two level-one titles: CL1-R and CL1-F.

The class Q’s and placements are:

• 2nd Place Standard
• 1st Place Standard
• 1st Place Fullhouse
• 1st Place Jumpers

Liesje, aren’t you glad I twisted your arm into entering that extra game? CONGRATULATIONS LIESJE and CHOPPER!

Yesterday I was calming Chopper so I could clip her nails and she rolled over for a belly rub.  Her belly was sort of a grayish color, very dirty looking, probably from the humidity and all the dust that gets kicked up at our dog club.  Usually I take her to the pet store for a self-wash, but I finally figured out how to use the hose at our house (the spout leaks so the landlords turn off the water from the basement).  I gave her a bath in the driveway, which she was not too pleased about.  Then she saw me putting stuff in the car for the SchH club and agility trial so she got all excited.  I waited until it wasn’t so darn hot and we went for a walk with her new backpack (she carries poo bags, my cell phone, and my small camera).

Wet dog head shot

Being stubborn about posing b/c I gave her a bath

Still wet and decides to spite me by playing and getting dirty again (oh well at least she still SMELLS nice)

Drying off under the desk

Nice stack! (threw the grilling tongs to get her ears up)

Many dogs are terrified of thunder and lightning; my dogs couldn’t care less! Last night I went out to snap some pics of a nasty front rolling in. It was about 90 degrees inside the house and humid all day. The front was bringing in cooler air, so the dogs played and played. I had to grab Coke’s collar and pull him in when it started raining, all they care about is playing!

Dogs running through my cloud pic.

Chopper (bottom right), not giving a “crap” about the loud cracks of thunder. She also thinks it’s hilarious to always poop in front of the neighbor’s porch (we live in a duplex, that is the neighbor’s drive and garage).

Non-dog pictures: making use of the light before the storm

Chopper passed the ATTS “Temperament Test” this morning at the Falconhurst Police K9 Corps in Saginaw, MI under Sergeant AJ Slaughter III. Sgt. Slaughter said this was the first time he has done this test and had only working breeds show up (yikes! pressure). Chopper was the only dog not a “working” dog (all the others do SchH and/or police work) and not part of Sgt. Slaughter’s club. I may be biased, but I think she blew most of the others out of the water! Especially the “footing” test where the dog has to loose leash walk (with NO command given) over a long strip of plastic and some weird metal grating on the ground. Several of the other dogs either leaped off the material or simply refused to walk on it. She followed me across with no commands or coaxing, never flinched, and even sniffed the material, which Sgt. Slaughter scores highly because the dogs are supposed to show interest in the objects being tested. She also took the gun fire like a champ even though we had to stand with our backs to the gun in the blind only a few feet away. When we finished and she did her “platz” to wait for our score, I looked back at the gate and this guy with big tough Rottweilers gave us a big thumbs up. Several club members commented on her temperament and obedience. One member in particular mentioned knowing Mos and told everyone how taken he was with Funny (said he saw her at MSU?). He affirmed that Julie is a very reputable breeder with top quality dogs. We already know that though!!

I am very, very pleased with Chopper. This is a big accomplishment for her because unlike our obedience titles, this test was ALL on her. There was no obedience involved and no real training that could have been done. I was not allowed to look at her, touch her, talk to her, or command her in any way during the test. Sgt. Slaughter said she is calm and reserved, but not at all nervy or aggressive. She investigated on her own the objects she was supposed to show interest in, she approached the friendly strangers in a friendly and attentive manner, she stood her ground during the noise tests and did not spook, and she remained alert and controlled when I was approached by an aggressive stranger.

So now she is U-CH Alta-Tollhaus-Krieger Lamb Chop RA RN HIT TDI (3x)CGC TT

She likes Sgt. Slaughter

I’ve had Chopper for almost a year now and she has earned six new titles/certificates. Our new goals are the RE in Rally, CD in AKC obedience, FO in UKC Dog Sport, and the big bad BH in Schutzhund. After Julie’s agility trial next weekend, we will be taking a break from training and shows but I hope to pick up again in the fall and work on those titles in that order.

Monday was Coke’s second birthday so Phil got off work to come to our agility classes.  This meant I could finally take some pictures of the dogs riding in the car.  Chopper LOVES riding in the car, I’ve always wanted to get pics of her smiling.  Since it was Coke’s special day, we let him keep his head out the window, even though he keeps his eyes shut!

How we spent our holiday…

First, new collars arrived!  We did a collar exchange on a dog forum.

Coke said he was too hot and tired to come out and show off his collar, but you can’t see it anyway in his fur.  It is blue. For whatever reason, he always sleeps in Chopper’s crate even though he doesn’t exactly fit.

So I like to lay out in the sun.  Am  I forcing her to stay there with me?  No!  Is she on a leash?  No!  There’s cool, shaded cement about 5 feet away.  But this is the face I get…”why do we have to stay in the sun aaaaalllllll day mom?”

“Ooooh, it’s sooooo hot mom!”

We went downtown for fireworks.   This was initially very disappointing.  Someone thought we were going to the dog park.

“Mmmmm, possicle”

“Oh hai Fill, I can haz possicle?”

Oooooooooh, aaaaaaaah