Costume Contest!

Our match and costume contest was a great success yesterday, and what a beautiful day to be hanging out with our dogs. Our costume winner was Libby, a German shorthair pointer in her Holstein cow costume. Thanks to everyone who came and supported the event, we had a great time!

Annual Halloween Fun Match!

Our Annual Halloween fun match is being held this Saturday at the Good Dog Center, starting at 2pm. We will be offering Agility, Obedience and Rally runs, as well as food, a doggie raffle and costume contest. The weather is supposed to be wonderful, 70s and sunny, so it should be a perfect day for us! I haven't decided yet what Noel is going to dress up as, last year she was a hula girl. Regardless of what I decide, I'm sure she won't be happy with it! I've attached a picture of a few dogs from last year...

2012 Calendars

Our HSNEI annual dog walk fundraiser was the biggest one yet, and we raised 3 times as much money as usual. Our next big fundraiser is selling our 2012 calendars. We had a photo contest in June, open to the public, for our 2012 calendars. Chip Peterson of Peterson Photography in Decorah was the judge and picked the 12 winners. I've attached the winning photo taken by R. Sutton, which also appears on the cover of the calendar. The calendars sell for only $15, and 100% of that goes to our new shelter fund!

Annual HSNEI Dog Walk fundraiser

The annual HSNEI dog walk fundraiser is this Saturday the 24th. The walk begins at the fairgrounds with activities starting at 9am. There will be vendors and games to play for kids and dogs, and the Good Dog Center will have some small agility equipment there for demonstrations and the public to use. We are hoping that this event will be our biggest and best yet! Included will be an adoption fair, which is where you'll find me. I'll have Betcee our foster coonhound there (see picture), and Raina the puppy shown on a post a few days ago will be getting adopted!

New CDX leg!

Noel earned her 1st CDX leg at the Rochester obedience trials today, with a 1st placement. I am excited about the leg, but most happy about Noel having a great time in the ring. My nerves were far worse than hers and she managed to cover for me, her butt never stopped wiggling. Most of our point decuctions were for fronts and finishes - we need to continue working on cleaning those up. Mason City in October will be the next trial for us, both days this time. Hopefully we can pick up at least 1 more leg there. The owner of her sire saw her today and said she'd like to show her in breed, so Noel will be back to the conformation ring at Mason City too!

New Foster Puppies

We've unexpectedly added 4 foster puppies to our home this week. The first is Scarlett, a red border collie who was found left next to a local impound. Next came Jagger and Jenna, two black lab mix puppies who were dumped next to a cornfield (we are pretty sure Jenna is blind - we will find out more after vet check today), and last but not least is Raina, a min pin who was found on a county road in the middle of nowhere. All 4 puppies are enjoying having playmates, eating well and coming out of their shells. Jagger is up for adoption on petfinder. Jenna and Raina need to be vet checked first, and Scarlett isn't quite old enough for adoption yet. I really have a hard time thinking of people who are capable of leaving a helpless puppy in the middle of nowhere, especially a blind puppy who never would have survived without her brother. Here are some pictures of the motley crew...

Animal Allies

The Luther College Animal Allies group spent their entire Friday evening socializing the foster puppies at our house. All of the puppies will be going to their new homes this week, as well as their mother. Despite the extra work, I will really miss all of them!

Good news! Sweet Halle is also getting adopted this week! I'm very happy for her, she has a heart of gold and will make a wonderful family dog.

New Foster Dog

Halle is an 18 month old yellow Lab that we just took into foster care last night. The poor girl isn't feeling well after her spay yesterday so we haven't gotten to meet the "real" Halle yet, but so far this girl is a sweetie. She was roaming with another dog for a month and then got taken into the city impound. At that point we were called and Halle came to our house. Hopefully it won't take long to find this girl her forever home. The Collie babies and their mom are all going to their new homes next week!

Dog Walk

I enjoyed a nice walk with Jacki and Linda, both UITC members, at the Decorah bike trail on Saturday. This is the start of a regular tradition that we are starting to visit and enjoy the company of our dogs and one another. Here is a picture from our walk.

Humane Society of NE Iowa

Well it's been too long since our last posting. Both Scott and I have been volunteering for HSNEI (Scott is the new president), which has included fostering dogs. We are currently fostering a Collie named Emma and her litter of 6 puppies! They are 6 weeks old and all have wonderful homes waiting for them in two weeks. It's sure been an adventure. For more info about HSNEI visit their website at www.hsnei.org

This is a pic of one of the collie babies, Brooklyn.

Therapy Dogs during Finals Week

At Luther College, I am the adviser to a student group called Animal Allies. The students in the group worked hard all semester to get the college to allow a stress relief day with dogs during finals week. Their hard work paid off and this past Sunday (Dec. 12) Luther hosted its first stress relief day with dogs. We had four dogs there --three of them were ours--Paloma (Australian Shepherd), China (American Staffordshire Terrier), and Jack (Pug) and then Bugs (Border Collie)who used to be our dog, but now belongs to a student of ours who has her working daily as a therapy dog for special needs children at an elementary school in Iowa. All of the dogs were a big hit, but everybody was especially attracted to Jack--he's pretty damn cute--he's a Pug afterall.

Many more students participated than we had expected. With them coming and going over a period of about 1 1/2 hours, we must have had upwards of a 100 people. We plan on doing this every semester, but we are definitely going to need more dogs. All of them were absolutely spent by the time the session was over--in fact, the last 20 mins. or so they kept coming over to me with a look that said "it's time to get me out of here."

Dogs really are amazing critters. Whether its companionship, stress relief, therapy, or service work, they have a remarkable ability to impact our lives in meaningful ways.

Scott

China and the raccoon

About two months ago I was out walking my dogs on the land behind our house. I had Paloma, Maya, China, and Sula with me. I usually have all of them except China run off-leash. This time was no different, although when we were coming up to a stream I decided to let China loose--she loves going in the water, so I thought I would let her play in it a little without a leash restraining her. This was a BIG mistake. As soon as I let her off she dove right into a pile of brush sending two raccoons up a tree and getting in a fight with a third--the biggest damn raccoon I've ever seen. I'm hearing them growling and snarling at each other and then "boom" I know they are fighting. I see the coon run out of the brush pile with China following and eventually latching on to its back. Now there was no way to call her off--she's an Amstaff for crying out loud--a terrier through and through...but I tried. Paloma wanted to join the fray, but I called her off and had Paloma, Maya, and Sula all lay down while I tried to get China's attention. Oh yeah, did I mention I had Eva, our then 10 month old daughter, in a backpack on my back? So at this point I'm freaking out--I can't get close enough to drag China out of the pile because of Eva(it would have been a stupid idea even if I didn't have her) and I'm thinking that the King Kong of raccoons is tearing my 45lb dog apart--I mean I've heard of coons killing coon dogs and they're pretty tough and a lot bigger than China. So I high tail it back home with the other dogs and Eva. I put the dogs away and as I walked in the house, I handed Eva to Carmen and said, "I'm going upstairs to get my gun."--never in my life before moving to Decorah, Iowa did I ever think I would be uttering those words...so Igot my .22 and headed out the door and as I stepped outside, Carmen said--without skipping a beat--"do you have ammo with you?"--I raised my hand in the air with my clip in it and set out back to China.


Now it turns out I never had to use the gun; the fight was over--I couldn't hear anything anymore and I'm thinking "China's dead." But I called her and out she came from behind the brush pile--her face was covered in blood--the coon's and her own. No sign of the coon, but I suspect she ended up back in her den and probably the worse for it all. China appeared to be okay, but she had bite marks and scratches all over her (thank goodness she is up-to-date on her rabies)--a few days of antibiotics and she was in good shape. Like their cousins the pitbull, and other terriers for that matter, Amstaffs can be very aggressive toward animals they perceive as "varmints"--unfortunately, in their minds "varmints" often include cats and small dogs.

Please, please if you have an Amstaff or a Pitbull be very careful about letting it loose around other animals and please don't take these breeds to the dog park....that can be a disaster. The problem is you never know what might flip that switch in their brains. Don't get me wrong, I love these breeds--all bullies, but especially Amstaffs and Pitbulls, occupy a very special place in my heart. They can be the funniest and most affectionate clowns around, but just as with any breed, people need to remember what they were originally bred to do.

Scott

First Obedience Trials

Well, Scott and I took the plunge and entered Sula and Noel in their first obedience trial, the first weekend in December. We only entered one day since we have other commitments that weekend, and also to see how things go with them. While the first trial with a new dog isn't quite as nerve wracking as the very first trial ever (with our first competition dogs), there is the still the stress of the unknown. What will they do at their first trial? Will they get distracted and nervous in the strange environment? Will they freeze and forget everything we've taught them? (this is unlikely but something we still worry ourselves with!) We have worked hard getting them ready for this, practicing in new places and with all types of distractions, but there are still no guarantees. However there are a few things we can do to make sure the day goes as smoothly as planned: First, arrive early at the trial and allow ourselves plenty of time to get crates set up and get checked in; Second, allow the dogs some time to get acquainted with the new setting before being put in their crates; Third, remember that this is just a dog show and in the whole scheme of life is not a big deal; Last but most important, have fun with our dogs - that's why we do this in the first place!

Training clubs

My activities have been limited the last few days due to another bout with pneumonia. Yesterday was the worst and I couldn't walk across our living room without getting winded. I need to recover soon though because November is going to be a busy month. Scott and I are busy volunteering for the Humane Society of NE Iowa (formerly PAW), helping them move forward toward the goal of building a shelter. Then of course is Thanksgiving, as well as our local training club's annual AKC agility trial which we will be working at.

Several years ago our club (the Upper Iowa Training Club) had died down to just a few members. Now our club is thriving with new members joining regularly. In addition to hosting annual AKC obedience, rally and agility competitions, we also are involved in many public events and demonstrations at the Winneshiek County fair, various nursing homes, schools, public library, parades, etc. We also have several potlucks, parties and training practice sessions throughout the year. While many of our members train and show their dogs, it's not a requirement to be in the club. Anyone who enjoys their dog is welcome! The picture is of a few of our members' dogs during a club practice.

Halloween weekend

What a busy weekend! Friday morning started off with an early morning track for Noel, to find a deer that had been shot with a bow the evening before. It was a tough track with very little blood and it took Noel a little while, but she succeeded and found the deer. Unfortunately coyotes had gotten to it first. I was very proud of this find because it was the toughest deer track we've run, and it would have been a really tough find for the hunter without the help of the dog. She never quits working. It's amazing to me how she took to this so easily - we're only able to practice a few times a year during hunting season.

Friday night was our annual kids Halloween party, which consisted of 10 boys staying overnight at our house. First was the tour through the haunted barn, then the night scavenger hunt, topped off with Frankenstein's dungeon (aka our basement). The kids all had a great time, finally fell asleep at 1am and were up at 6 to play football. After the boys were all picked up Sat morning it was clean up time, then nap time for us!

Sunday morning started off with another deer track. This time the track was very fresh with plenty of blood. The scent was so strong for Noel that she was all over the place on the track but easily found the deer within a few minutes. Most of the deer tracks we've run have been between 12-24 hours old, this was only 1-2. I've noticed during our regular tracking training (tracking human scent) that Noel is often less accurate when the scent is really fresh and in ideal tracking conditions (cool, wet, no wind). I think the scent becomes overwhelming to her, although she always finds what we're looking for.

Yesterday afternoon I met a friend at Aase Haugen home to make a dog therapy visit during their trick or treating time. Eva came along in her pumpkin costume. I brought Noah, who was a gentleman as always, and my friend had her two Pomeranians Sable and Gracie, who are both registered therapy dogs. The dogs were a hit with the residents and kids, especially since they were in costume, and brought a lot of smiles. I think Eva got just as many smiles as the dogs though. :-)

Friends

We speak frequently of our bond and loyal friendships with our canine companions, but there is another type of friend that is so important in our lives - that of the human variety. I call them my "dog friends", which basically translates to dog-loving friends. I have formed my deepest and longest lasting friendships with my dog buddies; those that love dogs; those that work with dogs through volunteer work or as part of their job; or those that show and/or train dogs. These friends understand my dedication to this amazing species, because they also have the same respect and love for them. I have so many wonderful memories going back the last fifteen years from spending time with my "dog friends". I was lucky enough to spend the afternoon on Monday with my dear friend Shirley. I practiced my photography skills to get a good shot of her and her canine family. Here is her picture, with Pete, Lucky, Bobbi and Red.

Happy Birthday Noah!

My dear old boy Noah turned 15 today! The most gentlemanly of all dogs, I feel so incredibly blessed to have him in my life for this long. He has been my BFF since I got him as a puppy and has devoted his life to taking care of me. He's beginning to show his age on the outside, although he still gets a bit frisky now and then, but his heart is as big as ever. I love you Noah, you're a good boy!

A free weekend!

No football games, no appointments, no meetings! A weekend at home with "nothing" to do (besides the long list of regular chores of course). I'm looking forward to getting out and tracking, doing some agility training and taking walks with the dogs.

Utility training with Noel has been going well. Scent articles have been great except for one day where she ran out and tried to retrieve every article in the pile. Thankfully that didn't last. We worked this morning on directed jumping. I started moving her more toward center position, as well as me gradually moving more toward center position on the other side. She was 100% this morning but we have a little distance left to go. We've also been working regularly on attention work during signals. This is something that I had worked hard on with Paige several year ago and it paid off in the ring, and it is something that I always tell my students. I reward attention before and in between signals as much or more than I do the signals themselves. I want watching me to be Noel's default behavior when she's nervous or unsure. Attention work is something that we work hard on in all level of our classes, especially reliable off leash. Not so much in the context of formal competition work, but just teaching the dog that looking at mom or dad is always a good thing. So by the time they get to competition level classes their attention on their handler is already distraction proofed.

Companionship of Dogs

I drove to LaCrosse, WI today, to meet an old friend for lunch, and along the way realized (again) how much the companionship of dogs means to me. I took Noah, Paige and Noel along for the ride since the temperatures were mild. I never feel alone when I'm traveling with one or more of the dogs. I used to make the hour drive to LaCrosse weekly to teach dog training classes and at least one of the dogs always accompanied me. I recall one week when my minivan (aka dogmobile) was getting repaired and I had to borrow a family member's car, a particular family member that does not allow dogs in her car, so that week I made the trip without one. I remember feeling surprisingly alone on that drive, especially coming home at 10:00 at night. I feel less lonely and much safer having a dog around. I'm sure this is a pretty common phenomenon among dog lovers but sometimes it takes being without to realize how much we appreciate their companionship.

Busy Sundays

I though Sundays were supposed to be for relaxing... That never seems to happen at our house, it's usually catch up day. Noel and I had a busy Sunday together. Yesterday morning I started jogging again (trying to lose baby weight - that what I'm blaming it on anyway), and of course I need a dog to go with me. My other two dogs are 15 and 10 so Noel was the obvious choice for a running partner. I came home exhausted, she wasn't even panting. So much for wearing her out. After our run I took all the dogs for an off leash walk in the field. Was she tired yet? Nope, not really. She's a Rottweiler, a high energy one, but still, a Rottweiler. This may make it easier to understand why someone who buys a Siberian Husky or a field bred Labrador and takes it for a walk around the block every day for exercise, is having a lot of behavior trouble. High energy dogs need regular exercise, or they and their owners will go insane. Noel finished off her day running a track. Now that we're working on TDX training I've been aging her tracks between 4 and 5 hours and she's definitely having to work harder to keep the scent. I think she was actually tired by the time we finished the track. Mission accomplished.