Snow Shoeing and other stuff.

It has been an awesome week for snow shoeing, other than one very sticky day we have either snow shoed or walked every day this week except today and it has been great. It is currently snowing like crazy so we thought we would take a break and clean the house. We haven't got around to that yet. We were playing out in the snow when a pretty gold husky came wandering into the yard. Luckily she had on a city tag and they were able to contact the owners who came to pick her up. She was very good at tugging and had an awesome sit and down. Her and Davie chased to jolly ball and leather ring. Although she preferred treats. Smart girl too, two tries and she had nose touches down flat and her mom said she knew nothing about them. Said she didn't give her treats anymore because she got too pushy. Of course big mouth here said, "Well you should teach her tricks, because she is a fast learner and loves it." Maybe she might listen? She is a lovely dog. Anyway needless to say Gigi used up a good portion of our house cleaning time, or how about I am using that as an excuse.

Davie went for a visit to our vets this morning, he was providing moral support for Ivan and Lexi, the two youngest of his husky buddies. I was there to add a second set of arms. Two dogs and two people is much easier than one person and two dogs.  Then Davie went in for a visit. He was very good, pretty timid when we first went in but warmed up nicely. He had them sitting on the floor feeding him liver treats. You have to love a vet clinic that loves animals enough to have real treats and take the time to do this with a visiting dog. We will do more visits, I have been neglectful, as I was going to take him there every couple of months so he would be used to the place before he had to go for a real visit.

Training learning's from this week.

 I let Davie play with his buddy Rune too much lately, he decided he doesn't have to play with me if there are other dogs around, so we were on a "Runeless" diet this week. Monday we went into the centre and he kept looking at the door, saying, "Well were is he." Answer was sorry, so sad, too bad but you only get to play with me. He wasn't thrilled at first but was better by the end. Which was very good considering his little buddy was in the training centre next door and he knew he was there because he could hear him. Davie was almost back to normal Wednesday and today. He was tugging and playing like a crazy man this morning.He was good at home or out in the bush but had decided the centre was the dog play place. I learn soo much from this guy!! We started jump class this week, it is so interesting to watch the dogs learn. I love this about taking classes, watching the different dogs and handlers.

That's it for this post. Here are some pictures from yesterday's snow shoe in the beautiful sun.

They're off!!

Should read "Big Mouth" Hill

Squirrel??

Crystals

Big fir trees

Big Hill, not BA hill another one of many on our trails

Love the lichen and other fungi

Man on the move!

Davie and his Buddy Rune

I couldn't resist doing a special post to show some fabulous pictures Rune's people took of the two buddies when we went for a visit to learn how to dremmel Davie's nails. I have always been chicken to use a dremmel on nails but it is so easy. Well, Davie makes it pretty easy. Anyway thank you so much Cassie and Sheldon, these pictures are wonderful. Sorry there maybe a few too many but I had a hard time picking!

Where is he??

Incoming!

A little to your right should do it

Here it comes!

Blast off!!

Air-born

How rude!

If I push him to the right

I can get it!

Flying bums

Okay this is how you hunt squirrels

Yep you take one side and I'll take the other, they won't have a chance!

What?? We have to go??

A year with Davie

It was a year ago this past Saturday that I first met Davie. I had meant to do this post then but Davie and I seemed to have to much going on this weekend so it is happening this morning.

First I want thank all the people who have helped both Davie and I. The great people I train with, friends both two legged and four legged. And the special people who have given me confidence to get us through stages when I doubted I had the necessary skills. Thanks for being there for us.

I can not believe it has been a year since Operation Davie. Operation Davie was the drive from here to Edmonton to met my brother who so kindly volunteered to pick up Davie from Amanda. You have come a long way my boy in more ways than one. Davie has gone from a dog with little self confidence to a guy with so much more belief in himself. He still has a way to go but we will get there. He has gone from a dog who didn't want to herd sheep to this guy who suddenly went," Whoa, this is fun and what I do". This is the video from last October. We can't wait to start again this spring.

Davie has had many new experiences in the last year. He has learned that squirrels in BC live in the trees not on the ground. And that he has his own collection both live and stuffed. He has channeled his inner husky by learning to pull a cart and a sled with his husky buddies. He has learned how to go off leash in the bush and come back when he is called or whistled. He has learned a lot of behaviors, tricks and is working on the basics for agility and Rally. He has made me a much better trainer. He has definitely made me a believer in Say Yes Dog training. And above all else we have had so much fun.

One of our favorite things in the past year was our road trip to Saskatchewan. Davie is an awesome dog to travel with. We have had a lot of adventures and a lot of fun and I will admit some frustrations and some tears. I love this crazy guy. I have so many pictures I couldn't decide which ones to chose. So this is a random selection from the past year. Most of all it is to show Davie's new dog buddies. There are some missing like his two BC puppy buddies Wicklow and Diesel from classes. But I think we have most of the others.And of course I have included some of the famous Mudman pictures. I am not sure I really WANT spring to come. Davie has been so clean, but he claims his skin is suffering do to the lack of mud baths, snow baths just don't cut it for skin condition

http://youtu.be/gi_L1YFXVnk

We are so looking forward to the next year. Maybe this will be the year Davie gets a new buddy to keep him company.

Remembering Miss Abby

  
It will be one year tomorrow since we helped Abby cross the Rainbow Bridge. It was her time, she had congestive heart failure and was failing fast. It was almost as if once she knew Davie was on his way she could pass the baton and wouldn't have to worry about me. I am sure she had willed herself to live for me once Maggie went unexpectedly the beginning of December. She went surrounded by the four people she loved the most.
Abby had a good long life, she turned 14 in December 2010. We shared a birthday because she came from the SPCA the beginning of February 1997 and was about 8 weeks old. So we decided she could share my birthday.
Abby was the perfect dog. She loved everyone and everything. She was confident, out going and always happy. The only time her tail stopped was when she was sleeping. She was also my Caretaker. She looked after me through a bad hip and a hip replacement as well as cuddled when she knew I needed it.She was the one that got us into agility. She did it for me not because she was crazy about it. I used to get heck from Kim for always nagging her by saying, Abby, Abby, Abby!
She walked probably thousands of miles with me, first alone then with Maggie, then with Ludmilla and Benji then also Catja. Abby would bring up the rear. She learned that the first winter out in the bush when I cross country skied and almost ran over her. She always made sure no one was left behind no matter how many of us were on the trial. Her last winter we did short street walks which she loved. That little dog could pee more places in half a kilometer than any other dog I have known.
I still miss her although I know it was her time to go. I put together a little video tribute to her.

Plus this is her last agility run. She always had fun once she got going. Her favorite trick was to sit at the start line and start when she was good and ready!! But boy could she weave and move when she was ready. She did not like the titter as you can see. Even though we had our own she still didn't like it. Said it gave her motion sickness!! But I loved that little dog. We had sooo much fun together!
Please give all your dogs an extra hug tonight. They teach us so much and are never here long enough.