We have another swim star!

I know Sing is an exceptional sheltie, he is such a great swimmer and likes to retrieve in the water. Everytime he jumps in the water to fetch something, the others will bark their head off and yet they only stay at the bank watching him swim away and come back with a stick or a ball in his mouth and try to help him to bring the ball/stick closer to me.

I took Skye for a swimming lesson some weeks ago at Greyfriars Hydrotherapy pool in Guilford but he wasn't keen of the idea (he was very frigthened!). I was very surprised because he is the one that show most interested in water and fetch something out of it.

I thought I will give everyone a chance so yesterday I took Saturn in for his first swim. Obviously he does not like the tiny little jacket. The staff tried to put a SMALL jacket on him and poor Saturn was so tiny under his thick coat, so he can only fit in the EXTRA SMALL jacket! It was very funny to see him wearing such a tiny jacket (chihuahua size).

When the staff tried to take him into the water, he was a bit worried so I have to swim away to recall him from the other end of the pool. I knew he would come to me as he is very attach to me and never like to leave my side at all. The staff lift him into the water and he straightaway paddle naturally and swim towards me. The staff tried to help him to turn when he comes nearer to me just in case his paw will scratch me when he paddles. It was good fun and happy to see another one of my shelties can swim. It didn't take him long to realise he can swim and retrieve. After 2 rounds with assistant, he then started to jump into the water on his own and swim towards me and I help him to turn around and chuck a ball for him to retrieve. I didn't think he would fetch the ball as normally the first swim is very stressful for a dog but I was wrong, very wrong, he swim towards the ball and fetch it in his mouth and didn't let go until I released him.

What a clever Saturn! This is going to amaze his daddy, he thought he would never swim! The staff told me he is such a strong swimmer, I guess she is right. He swam so fast and trying very hard to pleased me.

Here is a video clip of Sing swimming in Mitcham Common:

The pups and the cat

I found this interesting video clip in my old files!

Flyball

I was talking to someone about flyballing yesterday and this reminded me the good fun times I have with Sing in 2005. He was such a great flyballer and we missed all the good fun together! I found a video clip of him doing his last flyball round in Maidstone:

size matters!

I've got both planets measured yesterday at Bagshot Lea.

Saturn is a MEDIUM

and Titan is a SMALL

snowy mood ... my favourite shots

I've been browsing on the Internet and saw many people post their pets in the snow photos, here are some of my favourite shots:

I like the snow fall on this picture and Sing's expression, my best shot of him in the snow!

I tried to capture some action photos of the boys and it is never an easy job!

I don't know why but this photo reminded me of the Japnese Sakura (their national flower).

I like this photo for no reason!

This photo reminded me the snowy storm when we were out there walking

playing in the snow

After the castration, Seagull becomes more open. He like to play with Titan whenever we go out walking ... here are some photos taken yesterday when they were chasing each other in the snowy wonderland.




Seagull teases Titan ...

and the game is about to begin ...






Here we go ...

Titan: I am ready!

Titan: haha... I've got you! (my favourite picture of them)

Seagull: I'm up, let's get me!


Off they go again ...






Titan: I nearly got you!

Seagull: ne ne ne ne ne ne ne ...

6 inches of snow?

Well behaved boys

I was told that we are going to have 6 inches of snow today. Will it? Really? That would be exciting ... we can built a snowman!

Sing loves the snow

There is no squirrel in the snow

I woke up about 4:30am and looked out the window, no snow! I thought we are not going to have any as the weatherman seems to be wrong all the time. It wasn't cloudy yesterday, so maybe no snow. I wasn't feeling too great since yesterday so I soon fell asleep again until Colin's alarm went off. He woke up and peered through the window and said: "Blimey! You gonna like this!", I asked him: "Is there snow?". He replied: "Look like we are having 6 inches of snow afterall." ...

Deep thought: do you think mummy is a bit crazy?

Saturn: I totally agreed with you, why is she snowball fight with Sing?

Unfortunately, there was a bad news for Colin, there is NO Northern Line, so he has to catch a bus into work and this took him nearly 2.5 hours to get into his Office. No wonder he hates snow! Can't blame him, can I?

I am always the lucky one, no need to go to work, my work is to look after the dogs, train the dogs, play with the dogs ... anything to do with the dogs!

Skye: Do you think I should join in the snowball fight, that looks a bit scarry!

We are out in the Common since 8am this morning, it was still snowing when we were out in the Common. The boys enjoying the snow, they have been running, chasing each other and experienced the snow fall. I too enjoyed myself with the boys, unfortunately there is no one to take a photo of me running like a mad woman!!!

BTW, we didn't get home till 10:30am, not until the batteries ran out!!

Seagull: Whatever you do, it didn't bother me at all, I just want to look pretty

Titan time

It is a lovely winter morning, I took the boys out for their 2 hours winter walk in the Common and they enjoyed the frosty ground and the frozen pond! After an hour rest, I thought I can't spend the beautiful winter indoor so I decided to do a bit of training with Titan.

Here is my boy on the See-Saw. I started him on the See-Saw with 2 tables at each end when he was 6 months old and I have to stop training him for a while. He was attacked by a nasty Border Terrier pup in his puppy class 3 times and he was off the agility training for 8 months!! He is a very strong dog and he has no fear of the equipment. He is quite happy to go up the See-Saw in his full speed and let it drop.

We are taking the Weaves very slowly, he mastered it very fast but I spent too much time with Saturn to make sure he has a perfect weaves before the agility season begin. I knew I am being bad so I have to catch up with little Titan. He is doing very well in his V Weaves, he is dragging me through to the pot at the end of the weaves.

He is also very fast on the A Frame but his target is not very good yet, we are practising the target on the ground and he was fine but I need to get his 2 on 2 off. I need more time spending on the A Frame!

Titan is quite a small sheltie, really tiny. I think he is about 12.5". He does not mind the jumps but accossionally he will go underneath it. I need to make sure he jumps every jump, so I always lob a piece of liver over the jump and make sure he jump over it and get the treat. We are going to work hard on jumping too!

Beside Sing, Titan is another of my shelties that like tennis ball. I've been wanted to train him in flyball as well as agility. I started rolling a ball for him to chase when he was 7 weeks old and he loves it. He likes to retrieve the ball for me everytime I roll it away. Here, you can see the picture above, he has a tennis ball in his mouth and jump over the jump, part of the flyball training.

Finally, reward time, play, play, play and play ...

Don't worry ... be HAPPY

I am glad the sun is out so I can do a little practice in the garden with my boys ...

He is such a confident young man, why should I worry?

His weaving is getting better and better each day ...

He is a born jumper

Don't worry boy, is just a see-saw.

I need a good sleep tonight!

my handsome BIG boy

I have not been sleeping well since Sunday and I desperate need a good night sleep tonight! I've planned to leave home around 6am, wanted to get there nice and early so I have plenty of time to do a little work with Saturn, basically I just want him to pay his full attention to me. I think it is very important for your dog to focus on you.

Saturn is always been a sweetheart, very attach. I don't think I will have a lot of trouble for him to be with me but you never know. The place will be all new to him, all the scent and the people and other dogs around ...

NERVOUS ... very nervous

Where do I begin ... to tell the story of me being nervous ...

Well, we are going to C Side agility this Saturday with Saturn in the morning (Starters classes) and Sing in the afternoon (Open classes). I don't know why I am nervous, I almost shaking since Sunday, could not sleep well, restless at night even dream of Saturn doing agility. I have not lke this before with Sing when I first started competing agility with him.

I started to train Satrun in agility when he was quite young, about 6months old. I took him to puppy class to learn all the basic then he have a rest for a couple of months before we started him in a proper agility class. He is doing very well and getting his confidence more and more ...

I didn't start Sing in a "right" way being lack of experience but since the puppies came along and I determined to do well in the future. I started to train with Bernadette and I learned a lot that I have never taught before. The puppies have stronger basic than Sing and I think this is why I think the pups should be better than Sing and I think this is why I am nervous ... I expect a lot more from Saturn!!

Bought a caravan ... AT LAST!

We bought a caravan at last! A 2004 Elddis Avente 362. A very nice small 2 berth end kitchen caravan! Eventhough this is a 2 year old caravan but the interior looks like new, the kitchen & toilet were well look after, no scratch or mark, lovely caravan!
Colin took Friday off work and we drove nearly 900 miles to search for a caravan. We left home just before 6am, heading towards Lancashire to look at a brand new caravan called GOING. It makes in Portugal but belongs to English company. Their small caravans are simple but the layout is a bit awkward, we were not too keen on them but the price is very good, a brand new small 2 berth caravan is only £6,300. We then drove to Chesire to look at this Elddis Avante 362, the minute we step into this little caravan, we immediately felt like we are at home, so here we go, it has to be this one. We both agreed that we like this one very much, so we made an offer and we are going to bring it back in 4 weeks time.

Here are some picture showing the look of the caravan, I will take some real photos when we bring it back.

it melt ... too fast

The snow melt away too fast ... it is very cold all day and I hope it will stay for a day or two but by 1pm, it has all turn into water ...

More photos of the boys in the snow, I'm glad I have captured some nice photos of the boys in the snow, you never know when the next snow is coming ...

By popular request, here is my handsone merles, SKYE.

Another gorgeous sheltie, Seagull.

The boys by Seven Islands Pond, Mitcham Common.

My planets, Titan & Saturn

The boys playing

Sing and Titan waiting for a throw of the ball

The boys: Be quick mum, throw the ball!

Titan and Skye playing

my little eveil, wicked dog, Titan

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow ...

Let it SNOW, let it SNOW, let it SNOW ...

At last, it SNOW!

Wow! I love snow, I really do and I am glad it snow and I am very happy like a snowman!!!



I woke up 4:30am this morning to find it is all while outside, well, quite a heavy snow for London, must be at least 1.5 inches deep.



The dogs are very happy to see the snow. This is the first snow for Skye and he is enjoying eating the snow!! Sing probably is the happiest, he always roll himself in the snow when he sees one. He is not that type of dog that like to roll in the mud or anything like that but he only does it when snowing.

Isn't this picture of Sing makes you think the snow is very deep? Well, not really ... I wish it is as deep as you can see here.

Saturn does not really know what to do, he kept looking around but it is all white flakes everywhere ...

Nosy Titan has some snow on his nose ...

I took them out to the Common this morning for nearly 2 hours walk. They all enjoying themselves very much. Saturn, Titan & Skye are tasting the snow and I hope this won't give them tummy ache.

Seagull as usual kind of dopey but jolly!