RedDogRunnin

on the hill

2009-09-08T18:47:00.006-04:00

You may recall some photos last fall of the dogs on a giant pile of dirt. This 'mountain' was the result of digging the pond. Finally - this dirt is leaving our property! But before it is totally gone, I decided to shoot some new photos of Cash and Sophie on the hill - which makes for a mostly sky back drop.

First image - we have the boy we all know and love looking goofy as usual...

However, the young man can occasionally put on a more serious demeanor to appear regal and handsome...

Really love this one - so peaceful and dreamy...

However - the silly puppy comes back quickly for a roll in the grass :)

Now, Sophie on the other hand, had one mindset while on the hill - freaked out. There were very few shots of her that didn't make her look like a total crack head. Here's two that weren't terrible...

I like the angles on this one - its a bit French Vogue - ha ha!

Cash-man WEAVES!!!

2009-08-31T09:41:00.013-04:00

Mr. Cash is now a weaving fool!

This was his very first set of 12 closed poles :)

I started the official weave training on August 12. And on August 29, Cash was weaving 12 closed poles with nice footwork! 17 days may not be impressive to the "professionals" who manage to train poles in one week, but for me, its huge! Jesse took several months to figure out the poles and Sophie and I spent over a year butting heads on this skill - and still butt heads to this day over the poles!

I trained the poles a bit different with Cash. With the girls I kept the poles totally isolated from all other things in the agility world. This created trouble when it was time to add the poles to a sequence. So for Cash, I started adding 'stuff' to the poles from day one. As soon as he realized his job was to go through the channel, I added jumps, contacts, tunnels, front crosses, rear crosses and distance to the poles. Cash accepted all of these challenges and continued to do his job - go through the channel. I gradually closed the poles - a 1/2 inch or so a day - but EVERY day, the poles closed. It was really interesting to watch him learn to collect as he entered the poles - regardless of how far open they were - because of the previous obstacle. Collection is something that causes Sophie and I trouble - so its very cool to see him getting it at this early stage of training.

What's more exciting to me than the time in which he learned this tricky skill is the attitude he brings to training it! When I release him into the agility yard, he runs straight to the poles and offers them on his own! He appears to enjoy this obstacle and really tries his hardest!

and yes - I'm training him in a skirt... I had a willing videographer and didn't want to miss the opportunity to tape this monumental day!

Afternoon at the pond

2009-07-31T11:16:00.004-04:00

Our summer started out really cool here in Jersey. No humidity, temps in the 70's, breezes galore and minimal storms. Well, those days are over and now its 90+ daily, HUMID and it storms almost every night! YUCK! The dogs aren't thrilled with this change in the weather because it means less fun time outside for them. So I decided it was time to make use of the pond and let them cool off a bit. Here's Cash's version of the day...

"Woman, PLEEEEEZE! Do you really expect me to look at the camera when there is an entire flock of geese behind me in the pond??? Sorry, just can't do it!

"Now that's better. Throw this bumpy again when I get out, K? I love my bumpy!"

"Hang on a sec, I gotta shake it!"

"Woman, just because I'm wet does not mean that I will now LOOK at you! Camera's are so stupid and you really need to recognize that. THROW the DAMN BUMPY!"

"Ahhhh... Thank you Momma!"
"OK, I'll look at you now."

"But I prefer the profile shots cause then I can still see what's going on out on the pond."

Posing Pups with Pansies

2009-07-29T13:17:00.006-04:00

OK - so the flowers aren't pansies... but it made for a cute title!

The Kids - Left to Right -

Jesse, Cash, Sophie

My girlie-girl, Sophie, LOOKS so pretty with the flowers even though she is the toughest thing in my house.

My uncooperative girl, Jesse, says "I will not look at your face with that thing in front of it." She hates the camera some days...

ALL boy - Mr. Cash says NO WAY to posing with flowers! He much prefers the shrubs!

Very handsome boy - as he alerts to the chainsaw noise in the distance...

Then, off to Allentown, to see the C.W. Corgi Princess - Miss Summer!

I am so glad I got this shot - I wanted a 'sniffing' shot all day with my kids and they wouldn't cooperate!And peaking - how cute is that puppy???
HEY! Those might be PANSIES!

Q!

2009-07-10T17:48:00.003-04:00

Our agility drought is OVER - or at the very least, temporarily drizzled upon! Sophie Q'd today in Open Jumpers at SOJAC - a Q with second place! This is leg #2 toward our OAJ.

Very nice judge for not calling a refusal on jump #3 if I do say so myself...

OT - there's amazing wildlife living among us...

2009-07-08T18:23:00.003-04:00

So before this post gets started, let me apologize for the image quality... It appears that the 75-300 lens is not gonna cut it when shooting wildlife.

Ok - so wildlife...

There is a crane of some sort (Great Blue Heron?) living in the area. A few days ago, Mr. Cash saw it perched upon our agility yard fence - he stalked it like he was some sort of pointing border collie freak. Good boy that he is, he didn't bark at it and scare it away.

I've also seen it flying in and around the pond. But the other day, I saw it with a partner - a mate maybe? Hope so, cause that would be too cool!

Anyway - I did some stalking of my own and got a few shots of this amazing creature - which stands a minimum of four feet tall - and who knows how big the wing span is! Enjoy - and I'll try to be a better stalker next time!

one day late...

2009-07-05T21:58:00.003-04:00

Better late than never...

Happy 4th of July!

And Mr. Cash says ...

I'll take any extra picnic food that is left over - I'm ready with my bib!

Cash looks like a dog

2009-07-03T10:11:00.002-04:00

He's SO not a puppy anymore!

All the goofy stuff is coming together nicely ...

well, sort of...

School's Out for Summer

2009-06-23T15:51:00.008-04:00

As this is my first day free from school, I thought it was time to make this introduction...

Drum roll please... the newest member of my extended canine family....

Xtacee's School's Out for Summer - "Summer"

Summer is an adorable Cardigan Welsh Corgi born March 16, 2009. She belongs to Mike's Mom (and Dad - though I am pretty sure she will be Mom's dog!). I went to visit her today as this is my first day off for 'summer vacation'. We had a little lunch, took a little walk, and played for a while during my visit. Summer is so cute - and actually quite likable for a non-golden! And even though she's short, she's really cool!

All kidding aside, Summer is a great little dog and I look forward to getting to know her as she grows up :)

This picture is really funny when you get the story... We attempted to 'tape' her ears last weekend...

This was taken prior to the taping, and should have been a warning to us not to bother! As you saw from the top image, the tape didn't last. I think, in time, her ears will do what they are supposed to do all by themselves..

Congrats to the Cash-Man!

2009-06-01T10:40:00.004-04:00

Mr. Cash would like to announce that he is no longer just a 'dog'.

He is now (drum roll please....)

an official Canine Good Citizen of the American Kennel Club!

He passed the test with flying colors on Sunday, May 31st at the Bayshore Companion Dog Club agility trials in Freehold, NJ. I truly believe that Cash KNOWS he is special now and that his behaviour should reflect that specialness... why you ask? Well, I fell asleep on the couch last night with him loose and (gasp!) shoes on the floor! I woke up and he too was asleep and (gasp again!) DIDN'T EAT THE SHOES!!!

Congratulations Mr. Cash - you're growing up!

Happy 6th Birthday to the SOFA DOG!!!

2009-05-28T21:25:00.005-04:00

Sophie turned 6 today! Here are some silly pictures of her running a bit of agility in the birthday bandanna :)

I LOVE her ears when she jumps :)

That's a happy birthday girl if I ever saw one!

Here's to many more happy, healthy years for the little red-dog!

Lenape Specialty & Trenton Kennel Club News

2009-05-04T11:27:00.006-04:00

The Lenape Golden Retriever Club Specialty is held in Mercer County Park - about 15 minutes from home. I try to enter this show yearly because it is a Golden Specialty and because its CLOSE! This year, I entered Jesse in Rally Novice B in hopes of getting her second leg. And, on a total whim, I entered Cash in Rally Novice B - in hopes of him not totally embarrassing me and to support the club! If Cash's entry comes as a surprise to you, GOOD! I didn't tell anyone about Mr. Cash being entered in a show for the first time because I really didn't know what would happen!

So - its a lovely Friday in May, drizzle, cool, grey and blah. Not a fun day to be out and about with the dogs. I got to the show site and prepped the kids for the ring. They both seamed uninterested in the entire thing...JOY!

Cash was first to go. He was so happy and bright it was ODD. I'm not used to a dog that 'up' in obedience settings. It was very cool. He was not perfect and did a few silly things, but all in all, he held it together and we made it through. The judge even complemented us on our heeling - and I promptly informed her that he was just 1 year and 1 week old! She was impressed :)

A very few dogs later, Jesse got her shot. She also did very nicely and cooperated fully - even on the dreaded DOWN. She was as bright and happy as the J-dog can be.

At ribbon time, Jesse was awarded 3rd place with a score of 93. Cash scored a 90 - which was 5th place. I was very impressed with Jesse's score - I do not train this dog at all anymore and her idea of fun is the couch. Cash pulled off a nice score as well for a very young dog who has never been in a ring with Rally signs or done half the stuff you have to do in Rally! Add that to the fact that he is really just learning to heel and WOW - 90 is a great score for a baby-dog!

Jesse's picture from the show...

Mr. Cash's picture from the show...

Photographs by Asheby Photography of Gilbert, PA

On Sunday, Jesse and I returned to Mercer County Park in the torrential rain to compete in Rally once again. We entered the Trenton Kennel Club Show in hopes of completing the RN title in 3 shows. Jesse is a bit of a princess, like her Momma, and did not think much of the wet grass and disgusting weather. Despite Mother Nature's attempts to foil our plan, Jesse managed to qualify in Rally Novice B again, completing her RN! I am not too proud to admit that this was a miserable, slightly mortifying experience, as Jesse refused to do the majority of the exercises and earned a score of 70 (which is the minimum score you must obtain to qualify). Oh well, it's Jesse, the dog I don't train, the dog who doesn't like to 'work' and the dog who was never expected to compete in anything again - let alone earn a single ribbon - after the doctors at Penn sealed her fate with their reports on ALL her joints. She did more for me in earning those 3 Rally legs than I ever hoped for. Thank you Jesse for being my partner for those three entries! You don't have to ever leave the couch again!

Thank you Momma - I like the couch much better than I like competing :)

My boy turns 1!

2009-04-26T16:06:00.006-04:00

Here is my boy - about a year ago - when he went by "Wally"...

Photo taken by Gerry Clinchy - I think :)

and here is my boy on his first birthday!

Wishing Mr. Cash a VERY happy first birthday - a few days late :)

He's such a lucky boy! On his birthday we went swimming and played with his presents - a big mallard duck dokken and a bunch of new bumpers - big boy sized bumpers! No special treats, as his guts are still weird from time to time, but a great first birthday for a boy!

Oh what a weekend!

2009-04-06T18:15:00.016-04:00

Sing the title of this post like you would the song "Oh what a night"! This was one of the best weekends I have had in a long time - it was ALL about the puppies!

To start off the excitement - Karen Hocker (http://www.karenhocker.com/), Kristen Hocker, Nikon (Cash's uncle), Snapshot (Cash's half-sister), and Trey (Cash's 'little' brother) came down on Friday night. They spent the entire weekend with us! Karen and Nikon were signed up to participate in the Lorie Jolly (http://www.rosehillretrievers.com/) Seminar being held on my property on Saturday. The seminar was hosted by New Jersey Pine Barrens Golden Retriever Club.

The seminar started fairly early Saturday morning - but this was no big deal because all we had to do was walk out the back door to attend! Lorie was instructing the seminarians on 'transitioning from Junior to Senior and Master Hunter work' - WAY above my head, but very interesting none the less! It was very interesting to watch these talented dog and handler teams work. I learned a great deal - and was able to see the connections between what I already train for obedience/agility and how they would apply to field work. Very cool! The only down side was the weather - it was cloudy, on the cold side and WINDY! Karen and I almost blew away a few times! Exhaustion and windburn followed the day of fun in the field!

On Sunday morning we started the day with a good breakfast and some agility. Karen had offered to teach me some of the skills she uses to take her amazing photographs and Kristen ran the dogs so I could practice shooting. The Hockers also helped me to practice taking more posed shots - stacked poses, seated poses and head shots using Nikon, Snapshot and Trey. And lastly we did a little field work with the young boys and Sophie - both on land and in the water. Oh how the boys love the birdies! Karen was nice enough to take some shots of Jesse, Sophie and Cash doing some agility, field stuff and posed shots as well. I can't wait to see what she got!

My photos were better than what I've taken in the past. Karen taught me so much - I just need to practice now and get the timing right! Here's some of the best shots from the day... focus isn't always 'on' - but I'm a green to doing this the right way, so give me a break and in time, my shots will ROCK! Or at least I hope they will :)

This is Nikon jumping the double - and he's not quite in focus...

Here's Trey jumping - again, not quite in focus and the composition is poor...

Here's another shot of Trey jumping - better focus and composition (better, not GOOD!), but POOR TIMING! Way too early with those dangling feets!

This is a shot of half of Snapshot on the bottom of the teeter. Of all the teeter shots, it was the only one where the dog was in focus.

This is Trey - stacked - looking like a big boy - but he's SOOO the 'little' brother compared to my MOOSE - Mr. Cash! I like this image though and there's not too much for me to complain about :)

Uncle Nikon stacked - and his face isn't quite in focus...

I think this image needed that reflector thing to eliminate the shadow on Nikon's right side (left side of image), but other than that, its an OK shot I guess...

Trey was the last of the Hocker dogs to pose for portraits, so all of his are nicer, in my opinion! This one just looks cute and dignified :)

Then there's Snapshot's head shot... Do you see her PINK nose? At first we all thought the poor baby had sunburn - she has a very light nose. But nope - she rubbed it raw trying to escape her crate in the house! Silly Girl!

This is the best shot of the day - Trey is a handsome young man!

However, this is my FAVORITE shot of the day! Its so TREY!

updates - long time coming!

2009-04-02T13:45:00.006-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts - been a little distracted and busy during the month of March. After the snow at the start of the month, I enjoyed a week with the stomach flu. Then, my Momma fell ill, with what turned out to be a ruptured appendix! Then, my Papa came down with shingles. Not much time for photography and puppy stories with a month of illness! The good news is that Momma is on the mend, Papa's shingles are almost totally cleared up and life is getting back to normal for everyone!

So - what's happened since our last post?

On March 18th Jesse turned 6! I can't believe she's been in my life for 6 years... She is such a peaceful creature.

On March 21st and 22nd Sophie and I trialed at Dream Park again - SOJAC trial. This was a special trial for us for many reasons. First, our judge for the weekend was family! Clyde Closson - owner of Cash-man's grandma "Rosie" was the judge. This was Clyde's first official judging assignment and he designed some beautiful courses! Sophie Q'd in his Open Standard course on Saturday (Q#2 for OA). Then she Q'd in Novice Fast to finish her NF title - taking Second Place! On Sunday, Sophie took Third Place in Open Standard to finish her OA title! (Her time was actually the fastest in her class, but she lost points with a wrong course and refusal, so she came in third) Our Jumper's runs were not bad, but not worth talking about either...

On March 27th and 28th Sophie and I trialed in Freehold - Afghan Hound Cluster trials. Our Friday Open Jumpers run was AWESOME! We took first place and had a beautiful run. She was fast and connected to me. The run felt 'right' - a great feeling! We also ran in Excellent Standard - but fell off the table and couldn't manage the tricky weave pole entry. Saturday was also a great day, but no Q's. Excellent Standard was another amazing run, but a handler error sent Sophie into the wrong end of a tunnel - NQ :( Open Jumpers was at the very end of a long day and we were both shot - not our best effort and another NQ. Either way, showing on Saturday was a great way to spend my birthday.

Cash started a 'super star' puppy class on the 16th with one of the area's premiere obedience instructors. What a great class this is! He and I are learning so much - and its so nice to be starting off on the right foot!

This coming weekend is a big one - Lorie Jolly Field Training seminar at my house hosted by New Jersey Pine Barrens Golden Retriever Club. This should be a really cool experience and to make it even better, Cash-man's family is coming to visit again :)

Sophie's rear cross froze over hell...

2009-03-02T10:43:00.014-05:00

And now we have almost a foot of snow! Thus, more snow pictures...

Thanks Sophie - Mamma needed a day off after getting up so early all weekend for the trials!

This might be one of my favorite pictures of Miss Sophie Dog... She is such a pretty red girl!

Under all that snow is the Jesse Dog. She likes to roll in snow, nuzzle her face in snow, run in snow, eat snow, etc...

Snow makes the Jesse Dog a very happy red girl!

Then there's that blonde thing...

The dialogue for this portion of the pictures sounds something like this:

the Mamma: "Mr. Cash - look! Cash-man, wanna cookie? Mamma has cookies!" big sigh...Cash wanders off...
the Mamma: "Mr. Cash - COME! Mr. Cash - COME NOW! You little %#*$-er, get your @$$ over here NOW! Cash-man, COME COOKIES NOW!"

the Cash-man: "Mamma, calm down. I'm here now. Pictures are stupid in the snow, but I'll sit for a minute. You better hurry up though..."

the Cash-man: "then I gotta go... It's far more fun to run and play in the snow than sit still for stupid pictures! Ready girls... Let's GO!"

Chaos begins, as the Mamma shuffles into the house to warm up and get more cookies... muttering aloud,

"Stupid %#*$-ing dogs... Please let spring come soon!"

If you too are having a snow day, we all hope you enjoyed it!

What a weekend!

2009-03-01T16:42:00.020-05:00

This was the first weekend of agility trials for the area. DCKC trial was held at Dream Park in South Jersey - awesome indoor site!

Cash's family came to visit - Uncle Nikon, half-sister Snapshot, and brother Trey. Kris and Karen Hocker drove them down to compete at the trials. It was great seeing Cash-man's family. This put some real perspective on just how big the youngster has gotten! He dwarfs his brother! Karen took some shots of the boys together - I'll post them as soon as I get them :)

The trip was a great one for Karen and her kids. Huge congrats to Uncle Nikon for going 6 for 6 in Excellent B to complete his MACH 3! And huge congrats to the baby dog - Snapshot - for finishing up her Excellent Titles, earning lots of MACH points, and earning her first double Q toward her MACH! Me thinks Karen and the kids should come down our way more often! We loved having them!

Sophie and I entered for Saturday and Sunday. I really wasn't sure what to expect since its been so long since we last trialed - since NOVEMBER! I spent the week feeling nervous and unprepared...

On Saturday she played well, but had a few moments that blew the Q's. On Sunday though, she pulled it (almost all the way) together for a Q in Open Standard - one wrong course, but her idiot handler sent her there! There are no videos of the qualifying run at the moment - as I had a superstitious moment and realized our last Q was the last run we DIDN'T tape... so I didn't 'officially' tape the run, but some friends taped it anyway! We'll try to link to that video later... Sophie took 2nd place in her Standard run - nice job for the rescue kid!

For now, here's video of the NQ's on Saturday. There are some moments of brilliance in there (look carefully - I swear they're in there!).

OMG - did anyone see that rear cross? Lora and Sophie did a rear cross! No wonder we got a foot of snow today - it's usually a cold day in hell when we pull that move off!!!

Damn table - gotta work on that!

What a fun and memorable weekend! Can't wait till the next trials!

more snow!

2009-02-03T20:23:00.009-05:00

"Before this gets started, let me just say, that I think its NONSENSE. These two run around like idiots. Don't they know there's work to be done? Skills to practice? All this running, chasing and (ugh) playing...its disgusting...

I mean, the poles are still in the yard guys! We can still train! Stop the sillyness!!!"

"No way Sophie! The boy isn't as agile today - I can actually CATCH him when the white stuff is on the ground!"

(insert sound effects... 'BANG, CRASH, BOOM!' ...think Batman cartoons)

"WHOA Lady! Its called 'playing'! Fun, remember???"

That's right Cash-man, shake it off. The girls are very serious sometimes.

Respect your elders and you will live to see your first birthday.

Family Pictures ... The Reincarnation of an August Shot

2009-01-30T16:47:00.008-05:00

It was requested that I re-do the family portrait taken in August. The 'baby' is huge now in comparison to the girls, so it was time for a re-shoot.

In our first image, we have the kids cooperating.

Though Miss Jesse Dog refuses to smile...

Left to right - Cash, Jesse, Sophie

In our next image, we have Miss Jesse Dog showing her true emotions toward her canine house mates...

"I can't stand these two beside me... One day, I will get them..."

And in our final image, we have Mr. Cash attempting to show Miss Jesse Dog his love.

If she strained her neck much farther away from his kisses, I think her head might fall off!

Tug of war...

2009-01-29T15:38:00.005-05:00

Sophie and Cash played tug of war in the snow...

Actually, Cash was playing, Sophie was all business...

Too bad for Sophie - Cash out weighs her by almost 20#s!

Cash says "Mine! Mine! Mine!"

why is Cash's ear ALWAYS messed up?

2009-01-20T21:37:00.003-05:00

"Derz sumthin' wrong wit mah ear again! wutz up wit dat?"

Training with snow flurries...

2009-01-19T14:06:00.024-05:00

OK - maybe it was barely snowing, but I was still out there training Cash and 'weather proofing' Sophie. It wasn't too cold so it was fun to be out today. Cash did a bit of jump work and weaves entries, while Sophie and I focused on weaves. Enjoy the videos...

Here we have Cash in the horse shoe grid. He is getting so big that he took some of the jumps as doubles...not exactly the point of this exercise! 5 Jumps, set at 8" and at about a 45 degree angle to one another. Then we moved on to some entry training with the poles...

And for Miss Sophie Dog it was all about weaves. First, the send through 12 poles...

And the soft side angle work that we need so desperately...

And the hard side entries that come so naturally...

a little more snow...

2009-01-15T16:14:00.006-05:00

It appears that our part of Jersey will remain snow-free this year. Each time the weather-man calls for snow, we get a dusting at most. Not very exciting for me, as all I think of when I hear the word snow is ... SNOW DAY!!! However, the dusting made the kids happy and inspired me to go outside, freeze my right hand off and take a few pictures of the kids. Enjoy...

Mr. Cash is really not THAT much bigger than the girls. The sidewalk slopes, and Jesse is at the lowest point.

He is, however, growing up to be soooo handsome!

Sophie, hiding from the brother... She's not that fond of him when he is off leash and out doors. She will stay better than the other two though!

Santa came - even for Mr. Cash!

2008-12-28T14:14:00.012-05:00

Santa did not disappoint the goldens! Despite the rowdy behavior of late, presents were delivered for the furry kids in my house.

Mr. Cash, Sophie and Jesse all received stuffed ducks with Santa hats on - that honk! If you were not already aware of this, please take note... HONKING toys are the very best toys on the planet!

Sophie promptly took the hat off her duck. She felt strongly that ducks should not be wearing hats.

Jesse thought that Sophie's plan was a good one and made quick work of her duck's hat as well...

Mr. Cash had is toy in private and has managed to keep the hat. He is a metro sexual puppy - he likes accessories!

See... accessories! Isn't he the cutest?!?

The kids also got giant hedge hog toys. They also honk so they also rock :)

Santa also delivered an A-Frame and a new tunnel. That would be Santa:AKA Grandma & Grandpa for the A-Frame and Mikey for the tunnel!

We had a wonderful holiday and hope that you all had a blast as well!

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-21T12:25:00.008-05:00

Thought it was about time to share the 'good shots' from our holiday card shoot :)

Jesse - being the perfect pet as always... put the hat on and she turns into a statue instantly! What a good old gurly she is!

Sophie - though rather disgusted with the idea of WEARING the hat, she thought that holding the holiday toy was quite good and tried to smile with it in her mouth. If only we held the dumbbell that well in obedience...hmmmm...

Cash - Mr. Serious for the pictures...but the minute I put the camera down ~ look out! He's a holly terror the last few weeks. I guess that feeling better and gaining weight equals behaving badly! This is a very serious situation - Santa may not come for Mr. Cash if he continues down the naughty path!

Photo by my wonderful and patient Momma - Carol Durr

Cash, Lora, Jesse and Sophie in the front.

Hope this finds you all happy, healthy and done with your shopping!!!

the bed buddies

2008-12-08T06:03:00.003-05:00

Jesse - doing what she does best...cuddling! Poor Mikey - he's working way too hard lately :(

At least Jesse had time to nap with him :)

SANTA!!!

2008-12-07T13:34:00.005-05:00

My good friend Rocky stands in for Santa every year at our local feed store. All the locals bring their kids, dogs, cats and various other barn yard creatures to have a photo taken with Santa. We joined in the fun this year...

Left to Right: Sophie, Jesse, Santa Rock, Mr. Cash

Thanks to the crew at AGWAY in New Egypt for hosting this awesome photo opportunity :)

Looks like I should've asked Santa for a new pair of jeans!

First snow!!!

2008-12-07T13:21:00.009-05:00

It wasn't much, but the first snow to fall and stick began last night about 7:30. It is so much fun to see how a puppy reacts to this monumental event in life. I still remember Jesse's reaction - she went out into the snow, threw herself onto the ground and began making her version of snow angels! Then there was Sophie - quite the girly-girl when it comes to weather! She took one look at the cold, white ground and wouldn't leave the porch! Both the girls now enjoy the snow - though it is in Jesse's GENES to be exuberant about it - after all, she hails from upstate NY, home of the killer winters!

So, the new guy...well, last night, Cash went out the door and threw on his brakes so fast I thought he was going to slide right off the porch! He then cautiously walked down the steps and into the grass - nose to the ground investigating the cold, white blanket that had appeared. Then he looked up at me and realized there was more 'white stuff' falling from the sky! Cash went ripping around the yard doing his 'chomp-chomp' thing, no doubt trying to catch the flakes as the fell! He was so cute! Too bad it was too dark to take pictures!

This morning we did manage to get a few pictures. They aren't great due to the light and the lightening speed at which Cash was ripping around in the snow.

He is SOOOO good at stopping his madness for a quick photo op! He always says the same thing...

"What happen? It wasn't me! I a GOOD boy!"

the shots that didn't make the cut...

2008-11-29T07:33:00.009-05:00

I've been working on taking pictures for our holiday greeting card over the last few days. These shots did NOT make the cut, so I thought I would share the funnies...

Sophie says, "Momma - PLEEEEEEZE don't make me where the stupid hat!!! Can't you see you are killing me???"

Now - this is cute - but we've got better so this shot of Sophie and the candy cane didn't make the cut...

Cash says, "YESSS! New tug toy!!!"

Jesse says, "Momma, why don't you have the camera? I'm looking right at ya, take the picture already!"

And da momma says "I AM smiling! This is so much fun, just can't wait till next year!"

Another bath day...

2008-11-28T19:02:00.009-05:00

Cash and the girls all got baths today. Things went fairly smooth - until Cash got out of the bath and went running crazy through the house - rolling all over the place!

An intelligent owner would stop the madness, not grab the camera... but he is so cute when he's being naughty!
What happen? It wasn't me! I a good boy - just sitting here all pretty and clean :)

Didn't want to go there.... but....

2008-11-06T16:51:00.003-05:00

Ok - so I didn't want to turn this blog into the story of Cash and his intestinal issues, but here we are starting the 5th month of the "issues"... He has had these "issues" on and off since July 15th. The assumption at this point is that the "issues" are caused by food, but they come and go, so who knows.

This week finds us working our way back onto dog food after a very bad weekend that resulted in the loss of about 5 pounds and the little guy being restricted to a diet of only canned pumpkin. As you can see, he looks pretty scrawny these days :( But so far, so good as we work on this transition to food. Lets keep the fingers and tails crossed, shall we?

Sophie's HVGRC Golden Only Trial Results

2008-11-03T17:15:00.007-05:00

Lets do good news first...

Sophie and I entered FAST for the first time this weekend. We were entered in Novice B and took FIRST place on Saturday and THIRD place on Sunday. Nice job considering I didn't have a clue what I was doing! Thanks to Mardi & Clyde for your advice on this game!

This is video of our FAST run on Saturday - First place with 66 points and 24.78 seconds.

This is video of our FAST run on Sunday - Third plae with 52 points and 26.56 seconds.

And now the not quite good news...

In our Open standard and jumpers runs things were not quite as joyous. Sophie had a bit of the sniffies on both days and in both courses. No Q's but I had fun and learned a bit more about how to handle my girl. As I reviewed the videos, there were some really nice moments in there...

This is video of our Open Jumpers run on Saturday - NQ

This is video of our Open Standard run on Saturday - NQ

This is video of our Open Standard run on Sunday - NQ

THis is video of our Open Jumpers run on Sunday - NQ

This was our last trial of the year - and it was such a nice way to end the year! Golden Only Trials RULE! HVGRC did a great job of organizing the trial. And the weather could not have been any better!

It must also be said, that I love my GOLDEN Family :) Fast-Traks, Pine Run, and all the 'adopted' members...you ROCK!!! The support and the kindness offered by all of you was appreciated more than you know. It is so nice to be a part of such a diverse and amazing group of people.

And to the 'adopted family' team of Bill Gates and Cider - thanks so much for taping us all weekend - you did a great job and we enjoyed talking with you so much! I hope our paths cross again soon! Cider is awesome!

Pictures from the National by the wonderful Karen Hocker Photographers!!!

2008-11-03T17:07:00.008-05:00

All pictures in this post were taken by the wonderful and amazing Karen Hocker Photography photographers :) We love them very much - partly because they take great pictures of dogs in action, but also because they (Karen) helped to make Cash a part of my world :) Karen is Cash's co-breeder and owner of his momma - Flyte.

The pictures were taken in Warwick, RI at the GRCA National in September.

First we have Sophie on the return from her Retrieve over the High in Open. Nice hold on the dumbbell!

And over the jump to get back to the momma! Nice work little girl!

This picture is from one of her Open Jumpers runs at the National. She looks so happy and determined to me here! And I love the fly-away ears!

Thanks Karen and Kris for taking such beautiful pictures of my girl :)

the threesome...

2008-10-31T13:21:00.001-04:00

Photo by Jill B. Newman

Here's a picture of my threesome from earlier in the month at the Garden State Golden Retriever Specialty.

Left to Right - Jesse, Cash, Sophie

Mountaineering

2008-10-27T17:21:00.003-04:00

This is "Durr Mountain" - fondly named by my boyfriend Mike. It is the pile that was created after the pond was dug this spring/summer. It is leaving - one truck load at a time, but while it's here - it's fun to climb - and good exercise for the dogs!

We are the conquerors!

Back on the ground - Cash had just eaten a mouth full of dirt so I think that is why he looks 'less than happy' in this shot...
Behind us is the pond that created that mountain :)

Beautiful Autumn Afternoon

2008-10-27T16:47:00.009-04:00

Took some fun pictures of the gang today. It was such a great afternoon to be outside with them.

First, we have Cash showing off how good he is at the tunnel now. Anyone remember the first picture of him in a tunnel? He was so tiny then - now he actually ducks his head to get in!

Then, we have the little man on the run. I hope that when he is grown he will look a little more graceful while running...those floppy ears are quite a thing to see!

And then we did a little posing... Cash and Sophie on the table - notice, he is bigger than her in height now...and what a nice head he's growing in comparison to the little peanut head of my girl!

and then all three around the table... the light is weird, it makes him look like a little prince basking in the glow with his faithful harem below... HA! Looks are deceiving, aren't they!?!
And finally, the Jesse Dog pops up for a close up and gives the momma a big smile :)

Sophie - Agility 10/26/08 - Willingboro

2008-10-26T17:55:00.006-04:00

Today's trouble was all about ME. If I could get in her way, I did. If I get forget my cross, I did. My timing was off and I tried things that we just aren't good enough at to do in a trial. Oh well - at least she counted to 12!

Here is Open Standard - refusal on poles, wrong course after dog walk, refusal of jump 16...

And here is Open Jumpers - wrong end of tunnel, refusal on jump 15, B-E-A-U-tiful weave pole entry and completion...

BTW - does anyone else notice that I need a new shirt? Its one thing to have a favorite, but come on! If I wear this shirt to another trial this year, you have permission to smack me!

Many thanks to Darlene and Oksana for doing a great job running the camera!

Sophie's agillity runs at Willingboro

2008-10-12T14:46:00.008-04:00

Videos of the BCKC Trial held in Willingboro, NJ.

We're still working on counting to 12 in this standard run...

and now in jumpers we can count to 12 but we forgot about the rule - DON'T blind cross the momma! OOPS!

Both courses were great fun and I always enjoy being out with the dogs on such a beautiful autumn day! Thanks to Darlene for running the video - you're the best :)

Cash and the pheasant

2008-10-11T17:10:00.005-04:00

Today was a busy day. Besides participating in the TDI test with Jesse, the fur kids also went to a WC/WCX held by Garden State Golden Retriever Club. We went to investigate the situation - as this was my first experience with anything "hunt" related.

The Working Certificate/Working Certificate Excellent is a GRCA title designed to show the dogs natural instinct. It requires some training, so I went to today's test to see what was required. I am VERY excited about training for this - I felt just like I did on the first day I ever watched agility. It was beautiful to watch the dogs in their natural environment doing what they were designed to do!

After the land portion of the test was complete, there were pheasants 'left over'. I took one for Cash and Sophie. Sophie didn't show much interest in the bird, but Cash was quite exuberant about this new "toy"!

Cash says - What's this?

Ahhhhh - very interesting indeed!

I think I will carry this around for a bit - feathers are fun!

Sorry for the terrible pictures, but its REALLY hard to take pictures while holding the leash and tossing a dead bird for the pupp!

Looks like I have to make room for another dog hobby...and room in the freezer for some dead birds - YUCK!

Jesse passes her TDI test!

2008-10-11T16:33:00.003-04:00

Clever K9 offered another Therapy Dogs International Test today. Jesse was entered and passed with .... well, colors. It wasn't quite flying colors due to some hesitation on the "down" and a slight investigation of the other dog during the "reaction to a friendly dog" - but she did pass and now has her TDI :)

This is what Jesse was made for - sharing hugs and heavy petting with the world!

The blonde-boy turns blonde-dude

2008-10-08T06:32:00.006-04:00

Cash is now a skater-dude. It came natural to him as he is the little blondie boy. This very short video is just a hi-light of his new found skill. I'm considering entering him in the X-Games next summer.... his litter mates will be debuting in agility while Cash debuts in half pipe! Do they make doggie helmets and knee pads?

Jesse earns a Rally Novice Leg!

2008-10-05T14:58:00.005-04:00

Photo by Jill B. Newman

Random! I entered Jesse in the Garden State Golden Retriever Club Specialty held today in North Branch, NJ. I wanted to support the club, so I figured, what the heck, put her in Rally Novice. I had no intentions of qualifying and haven't practiced ANYTHING with her in, um, years. Yes - I said YEARS.

Jesse was retired from all things "work" almost three years ago due to all her structural issues. She was never a fan of "working" and I saw no point in making her participate in things just because I wanted to. She has been happily warming the couch for us ever since.

But today, she came out of retirement and qualified in her first ever Rally Trial - earning her first ever green ribbon! Big, HUGE deal for my broken dog! And I think she might have even had fun...who knew?

Cash learns to catch

2008-10-02T17:39:00.004-04:00

My first attempts to teach Cash to catch treats were on Monday night in Rising Star Puppy Class. We were playing and I thought it was time for my boy to learn a 'manly' activity like catch. He was terrible! Every treat bounced off his head.

We practiced a bit more on Tuesday and the boy was starting to look like a ball player - catching almost every treat that was tossed to him.

Today when we practiced, he was super! Cash could be a short-stop for the Yankees!

Club flags from the National

2008-10-02T17:00:00.010-04:00

The artist in me loved looking at all the club flags hung along the fence line as you drove in to the National site for Breed, Agility and Obedience. I took some pictures to commemorate the Golden Only events that Sophie and I have attended over the years.

So we'll start the journey down memory lane with the GRCA Flag.

No need to recap that event, I'm sure you all remember how stellar our performances were!

Here is the Gunpowder River GRC of MD flag. Sophie and I went to this show in April 2008. It was our first entry in Open A Obedience and we took first place. We also took first place in Rally Advanced B. Great indoor show site - long drive south!

Potomac Valley GRC hosts great indoor agility trials in MD. Sophie and I went down for one day in June of 2008 and took first place in Novice Standard. We also went to their trial in August 2008 - which was a 'golden only' trial and took a first and a second in Novice Standard and a first in Novice Jumpers. This is where we finished our NA. Love their show site!

Yankee was the host of the first day of agility trials at the 2008 National... and for that matter, the host of the National!

We took the dreadful drive to Long Island in February of 2008 for a bumper leg in Novice Obedience. Sophie had a great performance but got weird on the stays. NQ, but really great working class!

Garden State GRC holds an annual specialty in October. Last year (2007) we entered that show in Rally Novice A. Sophie took first place and got a great score for never having practiced Rally before. We also got a really nice plaque to commemorate the experience.

At the Trenton Kennel Club show in May of 2008, NJ Pine Barrens GRC offered prizes for the highest scoring Golden Retrievers in Obedience and Rally Classes. Sophie took the prize for Highest Scoring Golden Retriever in Rally Excellent B.

Some videos of the National

2008-10-02T06:08:00.004-04:00

This is video of our first run on Tuesday at the GRCA National. This is an Open JWW course.

Notice the big bad off course tunnel...and the handler's pathetic attempt to deal with it...

This is video of our second run - Open Standard.

Counting to 12 is a skill that Sophie will need to work on for future trials.

Results of the National...

2008-09-25T17:30:00.009-04:00

Well, no good news to report. Sophie went 0 for 4 in agility and 0 for 1 in Obedience. It just was not our show!
First agility course was all my fault - I was a head case so she wanted no parts of me.

Second course was a battle of wills - and her's won! Our table down took at good 10 seconds to achieve, and the weave poles were optional in Sophie's world.

Third course was a beautiful up until obstacle 9 and 10 - when a big ugly off course appeared - serious tunnel suckage for the Sofa dog :( As though that wasn't enough, we missed the entry into the poles.

Final course was a big disappointment cause we were very close to getting it right! She got her entry to the poles, but then forgot how to count to 12 - popping out at pole 10. Huge bummer, but the rest of the course was REALLY nice!

On Wednesday we showed in Obedience. I was hoping to bring home a ribbon here, but again, it was not our day! Heeling was poor to say the least - we had a broken sit again for some reason and missed all but two of the halts! Her drop was lovely! Then retrieve on the flat - she must have gone blonde for a moment cause I told her to "take it!" and she looked at me like she had never heard those words before in her life...so she went on my second command, thus NQ. Retrieve on the high was nice enough, but it was already over at this point. Broad jump was a bit odd - she came over, then front, but no sit, then no get back...that was a new one. On the stays, I think Sophie KNEW it was pointless to sit for that long, so she took the first opportunity to lay down - the moment I stepped away from her! She enjoyed her long down, and fell asleep!

Our National experience was not at all what I was expecting performance wise. The kids did behave very well while on the trip, and all three enjoyed the love they got from strangers as they passed :) It was great to see Cash's brother, Trey, and compare notes with Karen - Trey's owner and one of Cash's breeder's. And we enjoyed seeing our friends compete, especially Cash's older family members. Uncle Nikon was very impressive on Tuesday at the GRCA show!

Here we are - all tired out after two days of agility trialing.

Our one shining moment was the Rescue Parade, where Sophie was spot lighted with 50 other rescues. She received her big ribbon and a certificate for participating. It was a nice ending to the adventure of our first National :)

Sophie finishes her NAJ

2008-09-14T16:31:00.008-04:00

We've had lovely weather the entire month of August here in the Garden State... then September rolls in and the heat and humidity are back! Despite the disgusting weather, we trialed Sunday in agility at the Princeton Dog Training Club trial, held in Jamesburg, NJ.

Sophie ran her first Open Standard Course and impersonated a bird - HUGE fly-off on the teeter! It was humorous, and so unsafe! NQ for Standard. We waited around for hours and finally came the Novice Jumpers run. She did an awesome job on a very friendly course. Perfect score, 19.77 seconds - which works out to be 4+ yards per second. Sophie came in 2nd to a wicked fast Border Collie who spanked her by almost 4 seconds!

So now its on to Open in the Jumpers ring - first run will be at our National - one week from now in the lovely little state of Rhode Island :)

I just love agility ribbons - they always give such nice rosettes!

The simple joy of tennis balls

2008-09-07T11:05:00.007-04:00

Tennis balls do not come out very often at our house. Tennis balls can be dangerous. Tennis balls cause fairly well trained dogs to go berserk! Sophie will spend days looking around the yard after a tennis ball has been sited. But they do bring joy - so once in a while - tennis balls are brought into the mix...

Here's young Mr. Cash flying toward the yellow ball - and Ms. Sophie in pursuit as well, despite the fact that she already has the blue tennis ball in her mouth. She needs to learn to share the toys...

Then there's Jesse... Her idea of joy is more solitary and sedated. While the youngsters run amok, she manages to get two of the three tennis balls in her possession.

First she taste tests them to see if they really are tennis balls...

Then she raises the tennis ball up to the sky - as if to give thanks to the tennis ball Gods for allowing her this simple joy...

Then she rests, knowing both the tennis balls are her's...but she knows to keep them very close, as the two youngsters are always near by - ready to take away the tennis ball!

The elusive third leg...

2008-08-31T16:53:00.006-04:00

The third leg of Sophie's CDX has been a bit elusive... We earned two legs fairly easily then ran into some trouble trialing outdoors. As summer approached, I backed off all together on obedience entries to get ready for and spend some time trialing in agility. It has been several months since we were even at an obedience trial - let alone entered!

To focus my thoughts, I put a magnetic blurb on the fridge about three weeks ago. Every time I went to get a drink or feed the dogs, I saw this:

So today was our first obedience trial in a very long time. We were entered at Morris Hills Dog Training Club's show - held at Top Dog Obedience School in Flanders, NJ. The alarm went off at 4:45 A.M. and we were out the door and on the road at 6 A.M. Sophie and I were the second team in the ring - about 8:15 A.M. Things started out well - she stayed with me on the first step of heeling - always a good sign! There was a missed sit and a bit of lagging, but all in all, the heeling was acceptable for me - 9 points off - whatever - its a huge improvement from the days in Novice when she wouldn't move a single step on the off lead heeling! Her "Drop On Recall" was drop-dead-gorgeous! ZERO points deducted! "Retrieve on the Flat" lost us 1.5 points - no sit on the return and a bit of mouthing on the dumbbell. "Retrieve over the High" was very nice - .5 point deduction. "Broad Jump" was also very nice - .5 point deduction. Going into the stays I was VERY nervous - everything relied on her little butt staying put for the long sit and the long down - with an active Utility ring VERY close to her! But she did it! She qualified and earned that elusive third leg to complete her title! Saving Sophie - Companion Dog Excellent!

Here are our three qualifying ribbons for Open Obedience. No placement today with a 188.5 final score - but don't care at all! Having completed this title means we can take a break from obedience trials for a long time while we teach Utility...which means more time for AGILITY!!!
Here's my little star enjoying a new toy for the win :)

Auntie Kristin came to visit!!!

2008-08-23T07:19:00.006-04:00

Kristin is my very bestest friend on the planet. She and I have known each other since we were 2 years old! She is SOOOO busy these days, going to school full time and working almost full time, I don't get to see her as often as I would like :(

But she came up to visit last night and Cash was REALLY happy to see his Auntie!

REALLY HAPPY...
We all love Kristin! Cash needs to practice licking people till they cringe more often!

BOSU training with the fur kids

2008-08-22T16:57:00.008-04:00

Finally got a BOSU to help with core strengthening for the dogs. Everyone had a turn to see what they could do today...

Sophie says - I can stand with my front feet on and move my back feet around from left to right...

Cash says - ME TOO!!!

AND I can SIT on it!!!

Sophie says - Ha - sit on it, I can SIT UP on it! Silly baby, Tricks are for RED DOGS!

Meanwhile - Jesse says - I think this thing makes a nice pillow...

Photos of Cash and Sophie taken by Carol Durr

New family pictures...

2008-08-22T16:45:00.005-04:00

All photos in this post taken by Carol Durr - my wonderful, patient Mamma!

Getting one dog to stay for a picture, well anyone can do that!

Getting two dogs to stay - no problem, been doing that for 5 years now!

But getting three dogs to stay (one of which is only 17 weeks old) - now that's a big problem! But we managed to capture the moment and now you can share in the my fur kids' HUGE accomplishment for the day :)

We also got a quick update for the family photo - my happy kids, all smiles!

Cash's growing so fast - he's like a totally different puppy - and its only been 6 weeks since the last 'family picture'!

TV watching

2008-08-21T06:55:00.004-04:00

Jesse likes to watch the TV - all the dogs do actually... But Jesse likes to make sure that she is comfortable first - she MOVED the pillow to be just right for her... This picture shows her intense concentration on the Olympic Games. The dog has a good life despite all her physical pains...

Not sure how this happened...

2008-08-17T15:13:00.004-04:00

So at today's match at Clever K9 there was Therapy Dog Testing going on. I watched a few of the tests as they were being completed and thought to myself, Sophie could do that...

On a whim, I entered her. The tests were being done through Therapy Dogs International (TDI). Sophie passed the test with flying colors. Now, those of you who KNOW my Sophie may be some what surprised by the thought of her as a 'therapy dog'...but she did it and we are not going to question how! It may be some time before we actually VISIT as a therapy dog, but at least she passed the test and proved that she can control her joyfulness from time to time.

Sorry, no pictures.

Cash attends his first Obedience Match

2008-08-17T15:00:00.006-04:00

Cash tagged along to today's match at Clever K9. Sophie was entered - getting ready for the last leg of her CDX in a few weeks - and i thought it would be fun to let Cash experience the 'show' environment. We only did the things he knows - some sits, downs and a little loose leash walking. The judge held him for recalls and he did his very first 'stand for exam'. Cash also played with his toys - staying focused on me - while people were watching him and dumbells were flying near by. He caught lots of eyes from the crowd and all were impressed with his big feet :)

photo by Barbara Lassinger

Cash's first Stand For Examination with match show judge Patti Nicholson

Wrestling with a greased pig

2008-08-15T12:57:00.005-04:00

Yes - I KNOW - it would be TONS easier to wash the puppy without the camera around my neck. Yes - I KNOW that taking pictures of every milestone in Cash's life is silly. But, I don't want to forget any of these silly firsts and thus, I will make them all a bit trickier by having the camera around my neck :)

So here is our adventure of the day - Cash's first bath in the tub. His previous baths were given in the big laundry room sink. He doesn't fit there anymore so it was into the the tub...

and quickly OUT of the tub...

But as always, he is too cute! And as I sit here with sopping wet shoes and damp pants and shirt, I am happy that I had the camera in the bathroom to catch these oh-so-fun moments! Next bath will be in the walk in shower where I can close the door and trap him!

Sitting still is a task we will master...

2008-08-14T16:03:00.003-04:00

Mr. Cash actually sat still for 5 seconds - without being restrained - to allow me to take his picture! Unbelievable! Some day we will be able to achieve stillness on a regular basis, but until then, we must mark the calendar for each baby step that is made...

Look at me RUNNIN'!

2008-08-14T14:57:00.002-04:00

Cash and his buddy...

2008-08-11T11:26:00.005-04:00

So Michael was given one job - please get the dogs out of the car for me so I can finish organizing all my travel / trial gear and get it all put away...

I get done emptying the truck to find this...

Mikey - in the bed - with Mr. Cash...

Not quite what I asked for, but it was so cute that pictures were necessary!

Michael got a little lecture about puppies in bed and what not, but that face - I can see how one could be convinced that Cash belongs in bed for snuggling :)

PVGR Club Agility Trial

2008-08-11T11:11:00.008-04:00

August 9 and 10 found us in Maryland for the Potomac Valley Golden Retriever Club - Golden Only Agility Trial. Sophie, Cash and I headed down on Friday night and Sophie and I competed in Novice A classes on Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday yielded two first place runs for the Sofa Dog. Sunday yielded a second place run in Standard and an NQ (for having WAY too much fun!) in Jumpers. The Standard run completed our first ever agility title - NA!

Many thanks to the club for a great show and site. Huge thanks to the Fast-Traks and Pine Run family that we met! You are all amazing people and we had so much fun getting to know you and your dogs better! Cash is going to need his big feet to follow in those foot steps!

photo by a fellow competitor

Me and Sophie with Judge Donna Gomer after completing her first agility title!

Cash - settled in to his first over night away from home...he was such a good little traveler!

Sofa dog all tuckered out after her big wins of the weekend.

Sleeping Beastie Baby Blonde Boy

2008-07-30T17:49:00.003-04:00

Every time I catch the baby sleeping, this is how he looks.

Cash appears to be very comfortable upside down with his head in the exorcist pose...

Look Ma - No feet!

2008-07-28T17:25:00.001-04:00

Well, almost no feet!

Gotta love those big floppy ears on that little head!

The many faces of Cash

2008-07-28T17:13:00.007-04:00

This, my friends, is my sweet and happy face...

This is my sad face...

Doesn't it make you want to give me a treat?

Or better yet - how about you give me that flip-flop that I grabbed earlier?

This is my demon face - check out those eyes - YIKES!

What's this?

2008-07-28T17:07:00.002-04:00

Cash has discovered the existance of art. He recently found a sculpture of a golden retriever that caught his interest. I'm not sure what he thought of it - but he sure did think it was worth investigating! I loved the light in the picture so I thought I'd post his moment

cultural awakening - he, he, ha, ha!

Sophie figured it out...after 4 years!

2008-07-18T15:52:00.008-04:00

Whoever said that Golden Retrievers were naturals in the water didn't know my Sophie. We have been trying for 4 years to overcome a severe case of hydrophobia! Previous journeys near water resulted in screaming fits and racing panic in the dog...but not anymore! Sophie has channeled her inner swimmer and found the courage to take the big plunge! She is now a retrieving fool for the dummy in the water!

An interesting side note on today's adventure...

The flock of geese that has joined our farm was also swimming today. Sophie was so focussed on me and the dummy that she barely noticed the other bathers! She never even thought about leaving our fun to go chase the birdies. This, in itself, is a huge milestone for the Sofa Dog.

And now, the joy of getting out of the water...

She looks a little insane in this picture - but I love it!

First night of 'Rising Star Puppy' Class

2008-07-15T15:41:00.007-04:00

July 14th was our first night of Puppy Class.

Cash was a SUPER STAR!

photos by Rob Logan

Enjoying the view

2008-07-15T14:43:00.001-04:00

One of Jesse's favorite things to do is lay in the grass and enjoy the sites...

Yeah for Jump Grids

2008-07-15T13:06:00.006-04:00

20" Jumps set at 10' - Sophie bounces this distance with ease...

Look at my EARS!!!

Where's my toy???

Sophie practicing her weaves

2008-07-15T13:01:00.004-04:00

Cash's first time schwimmin'

2008-07-08T15:41:00.002-04:00

Here he is in the water for the first time...

and here he is flippin' out after being in the water!

I'm GROWING!!!

2008-07-08T15:37:00.006-04:00

Family Picture Time

2008-07-08T15:35:00.003-04:00

Photo by Dana Panacek

Left to Right:

Jesse, Lora, Cash, Sophie

Sophie's first two agility trials yield Blue Ribbons!

2008-07-06T18:18:00.007-04:00

Sophie's very first weekend out in agility yielded a first place and perfect score in her Jumpers Run, June 15, 2008, at the JAG trial in Jamesburg, NJ.
Her second weekend out yielded another first place and perfect score in her Standard Run, June 21, 2008, at the PVGRC trial in Westminster, MD.

Photo by Barry Rosen

Yeah for the Sofa Dog!!!

Cash starts his 'serious' agility training :)

2008-07-06T18:10:00.005-04:00

Cash has found his first agility obstacles and thinks VERY highly of them! The tunnel was a breeze and he is already doing 'U' shaped tunnels! The tippy board or baby teeter is another favorite to play with.

2008-07-04T13:26:00.002-04:00

This is Jesse. She is one of the sweetest dogs you will ever meet. Her main goal in life is to be petted and loved :)

Cash has arrived!

2008-07-04T13:19:00.003-04:00

Pine Run Kiowa I Walk the Line - aka "Cash" - joined the family on June 22nd. He is as cute as can be and full of energy!

Red Dog Runnin

2008-07-04T07:57:00.001-04:00

Red Dog Runnin' is a dream turned reality for me. My goal is to provide dog owners with the services and skills needed to make the lives of their canine companions full and complete. From dog walking to private lessons, I will help you to make your canine companion a treasured family member!
- Lora Durr