3dogslater

I'm torn...can't decide if this is hysterically funny or really sad. Either way it is marvelously entertaining!

http://whywomenhatemen.blogspot.com/

http://www.wherethehellismatt.com/

Not a huge amount of money - less than I spend on each dog for a trial, or what a set of agility classes cost. However, when that is what it costs to fill up the gas tank of the van it suddenly becomes a much larger sum. Taking the chance I sound like my mother, I can remember when I could fill up for under $35.

Even going to class each week is getting expensive - almost $20 each trip just for gas. 

I know that owning a car is not a requirement, however without a vehicle I can't imagine doing any of the things I do with my dogs, including work. Three hundred plus pounds of dog is not exactly transit friendly...although I probably would have made different choices without a vehicle. 

Who knows how much higher gas prices will go...no wonder I've all but stopped doing out of area trials!

Woohoo...or as Sophie would say Woowooowooo!

Twenty five Masters Standards and fifty Masters Games and Sophie earned her AAC Silver Award of Merit at the Q Ball trial. Three and a half years after she started trialing we reached a goal that didn't even exist when we started training. I had never heard of agility when we adopted Sophie from the SPCA and a Malamute mix wouldn't have been my breed of choice, even if her mama was a Kelpie.

Sophie and I alternate between running brilliantly and, well...not. Sometimes it's her, sometimes it's me and if things are really ugly then it's both of us. She is unbelievably soft and stress shuts her down which makes training her difficult. She's also very much a "what's in it for me" kinda dog but she makes me laugh and has taught me an awful lot about training. 

We're working towards her Gold, something I never dreamed we could achieve. Go monkey go!06

Heartbreaking...especially since the contact wasn't even close to borderline.

I don't have any ideas for a solution though. Electronic contacts that are sensitive enough for a 3 lb Papillon, but that won't trigger with the weight of a 120 lb Great Dane hitting just above? Two judges...although that does nothing about human error. I'd hate to see every run go to video replay, especially if there is a trickle down from Nationals to other competitions. You'd also have to have video cameras set up to capture the up and down contacts for each obstacle.

I love that the AAC doesn't judge up contacts except on the teeter and I've yet to see handlers running or training anything but a reasonable approach to either the walk or the frame. At least that means that our judges are able to concentrate on just judging the down contacts. 

Woohoo - Chester finally completed his third gamble under time and with enough points!!! Two nearly-impossible-to-get Masters Team Qs and the best African Mastiff in the world will have his ATChC.

Gamblers was our last game (IMO Team doesn't count since it doesn't really require any special skills beyond what you need for Standard). He managed to get both gambles last year at Regionals, and finished a couple more slightly over time. Sophie finished her ATChC with a gamble too..since I trained them both at the same time, apparently distance and independent obstacle performance wasn't a training priority. Poor dogs - good thing they love me despite my failings.

Chester has come such a long way from the fear-aggressive, crazy, untrained dog we pulled from the shelter. August 15 will be his sixth gotcha day and I love him beyond words. Every time we run together is fun, practice or trial. He is all heart and I couldn't ask for a more unbelievable companion. 

3dogslater was a screen name that reflected on how my life had changed since adding three (now four) dogs to my once dogless life. 

My oldest dog is Belle. She was a foster dog through the Vancouver SPCA. Belle had some aggression issues with people, dogs and food - I've worked thought them and she's a (mostly) good girl now.

Belle celebrated her 11th birthday and fifth Gotcha day in May. I switched her to raw food, stopped vaccinating, put her on an arthritis supplement and make sure she sees her doggy chiropractor regularly. I never thought the fat, crippled dog I adopted would still be around five and a half years later! 

Less than 24 hours after my foster dog had to be euthanized for aggression, I adopted Chester, a Dane/Ridgeback mix. He was due to be euthanized for behavioural issues. Once I had him out of the shelter, I realized just how bad those issues were. Chester was eight months old, 80 pounds, and on top of having no manners, he was fear aggressive with many men and with children. His prey drive was/is also off the scale for cats and other small furries. 

Chester has come a long way in the past five years. He has titles in rally obedience and agility, earned his Canine Good Neighbour certificate, and is a member of the Superdogs. He's my snuggle dog and is totally devoted to me. He's not the smartest dog but his heart is good and he always tries his hardest to please me.

Sophie is one of four pups out of a litter I fostered for the SPCA, on the condition that I would NOT be keeping a pup. Long story short, after 8 weeks I couldn't find a home for this ugly, black, fluffy, super high energy hellion of a dog...and I'd fallen in love. So...Sophie stayed and became dog number three. She's a demanding, pushy, evil little girl and I love her to bits :) 

Sophie's not an easy dog to train, and for the longest time wasn't an easy dog to live with either. Her mom was a black and tan kelpie, and her dad was a mostly-malamute. She certainly got the mal-ittude along with the tail and woowooo. Sophie has taught me a lot about training, and working with a soft dog who stresses easily. Sophie also has her Canine Good Neighbour Certificate, as well as rally obedience and agility titles. She's part of the Superdogs although she prefers visiting with the crowds to racing the other dogs.

I was specifically not looking for a puppy when I adopted dog #4. I don't like puppies. I especially don't like puppies after raising the spawn of satan, better known as Sophie. She was the puppy from hell and the main reason I was looking for a young adult dog as my next rescue. I love agility and rally obedience so I were looking for a dog who would hopefully enjoy those things too. I wasn't searching for a specific breed or size of dog - all of my dogs have found me by some quirk of fate and that's how it happened with Zephyr too. 

I met his litter when I dropped off a donation of 80 lbs of puppy food. I was greeted by a rush of puppies and couldn't help but notice one of the sable pups. There was just something special about him and I thought he'd make somebody a fantastic dog (but not me because I hate puppies). Two weeks passed and I couldn't stop thinking about that puppy. I checked the rescue's website frequently (obsessively?). After two weeks, he joined the pack. Zephyr was adopted from That'll Do Border Collie Rescue and he's growing up to be a great dog. 

Zephyr loves everybody and everything and is growing up to be a really nice dog. A little ditzy, not much self-control, but a sweet and happy dog. 

Four dogs is more than I thought I'd ever own at once but I couldn't imagine my life without any one of these dogs. They are wonderful, loving, forgiving souls and I am so honoured that I get to share my life with each of them.