Laughter in the rain

 strolling along country roads with my baby    it starts to rain, it begins to pour    without an umbrella we're soaked to the skin    I feel a shiver run up my spine    I feel the warmth of her hand in mine   Oooo, I hear laughter in the rain   walking hand in hand with the one I love   Oooo, how I love the rainy days  and the happy ways I feel inside  

Well, the heaven open up again this morning, it really pour! We had SO MUCH rain recently, a lot of agility shows got cancelled due to the showgrounds were waterlogged; and some of them still going ahead ... I can't believe those handlers running their dogs in this poor condition. I know once you are in the competitive mood, you just can't help but wanted to run your dogs and give yourself every chance to win what you are aiming for but is it worth it? I have been through that myself and learned, I have got Sing and Sizzle blew off the Dog Walk in the high wind, and thank God they are very tough shelties, they got up and ran up the plank again but I was feeling guilty afterwards! I've got Saturn slipped on the muddy condition, the both of us slipped onto the ground like an idiot! I asked myself again and again WHY? I love my dogs and we all enjoyed agility but why do we have to put ourselves at risk? Just because I want to win the class! How stupid was I?

For various reasons, I have chosen to take a break this season and did I make the right choice? I don't think I can or fancy camping in a soggy fields, running in the mud and risking my dogs. The shelties are very precious to us, they are tough little guys. They enjoyed walking in the rain, swimming in the pond and get themselves muddy sometimes dive into the muddy puddles ...

We go out walking in the rain everyday, get ourselves soaked to the skin sometimes if we have not got raincoat on but we are happy. Sadly, no photos of us looking like a drown rat! 

The shelties got treated a lot more than usual due to the rain, they got a bone each almost every 2 or 3 days instead of weekly! Seagull and Sipzie are really funny, they like their crate so much but due to people coming to view the house, we put all the dog beds/crates in the loft and left one out for Sipzie when she is in season. Seagull always find the crate is his comfort zone, so he is taking his bone into the crate to share with Sipzie :) How cute is that?

Sonic agility update ... Obstacle Discrimination

Life is back to its crazy self again. I was drifted in and out of sleep for a couple of days after finding Savannah. I have crazy dreams every night, not necessary bad but it's just crazy. Last night, I dream that Sonic has turned into bi-black, maybe there is a bit of tan on his face, I am not sure. I woken up sweaty and tried to find him to check if he is his sable-self. Phew! I am not sure if I am longing for a bi-black for so long (close friends that knew me well know my love for bi-black); or I am still in the post Savannah stressed!

Also, suddenly, the viewers are flooding back again. I am not complaining about this but the stressed of getting the house neat and tidy all the time is hard with six shelties chose to moult at the same time! I can't imagine how many times I have to hoover the house when there is a family coming to see the house. Get the dogs in the car with Sipzie in season! Ha! That's brilliant! Tried to spray some nice lavender or citrus spray to get the odor away. Whenever there is a bitch in season, the house smell. I sometimes wonder if I over do it?

Other than that, we have to seriously get into packing again. We got a few removal companies to come to give us some quotes, when the see the agility equipment in the garden, they shake their head. I didn't realised that I have almost a full set of equipment! When I show them the loft that is full of dog toys, dog beds, dog crates, rosettes, trophies ... they nearly fainted! They can't imagine a couple can have so many stuff and 2/3 are dog stuff! Oh well!

After the family with children trying to play with my agility equipment, jumping off the DW and run up the AF and then hit my V Weave. I now put the equipment away. It is a lot of hassle to set the equipment up all the time and I have not train Sonic for over a week! He is crazy! He loves his Agility and he wants to do Agility. We break up from training now, Leah is going to have her baby, anytime now, I guess. We won't be going back until September; by that time, we are probably in the new house and I am looking for a new club to train.

I left the contacts as it is in the garden, they are too big to put away anyway and they are tuck into each corner of the garden, so it's ok. I decided to practice "obstacle discrimination" with Sonic. I taught him the difference between a tunnel and a DW. I thought that is the most common obstacle discrimination that you can get in a course. I taught him and left it. I realised that if I teach him something and keep going back to do it again and again, he only just got confused. If I were to leave it, he picked it up better, just like the pull through. I was really amazed how well he learned the pull through after leaving that for 4 days and go back to do the pull through. 

This is Sonic doing tunnel/DW obstacle discrimination this evening:

crazy weekend!

"What a weekend" continue ... from a surprised to SCARED!

I was lying in bed last night chatting to a friend on facebook, a worried Dog Lost message (LOST: Tri Colour Sheltie Female In South East RH12) pop up on a sheltie friend Nicola King's page that alert me to take a look. WHAT? The lost dog is Sing x Sunny puppy Savannah! What the heck? Why hasn't her owner informed/contact me? I hate to find out from a third party! I called Chantal immediately to find out about it and that was 11:00pm! I guess she is embarrassed and scared to call me?

I am sure you know how I feel all night. I couldn't sleep and my mind was busy ticking "what to do". I know that is no point going to look for her then as it was pitch dark and trying to find a "black" dog in the dark and in the area that I am not familiar at all. Colin suggested we tried to get a couple of hours of sleep, wake up at 4am and drive there. 

I was up all night printing the Dog Lost poster until the ink dry out. Tried to email everybody in my contacts, asking them to share the news, in the hope that friends that live around the area can help searching for her. I have not done any formal searching for a lost dog before, so I don't really know what to do but I think if we can get as many manpower as possible, that will certainly help looking out for her in all directions possible.

We got to Leechpool Woods where she got lost at around 5:20am. There is not a single soul in the woods, I tried calling her name and wander around with Sonic aimlessly for 10 minutes. Colin suggested we should drive around the surrounding housing areas. That make sense. I guess she must be trying to find her way to civilisation looking for food. We saw a few people while driving around but no one has seen a dog. 

We drove and drove and drove, with no directions ... everytime I saw a black animal jump out of the road (mainly black bird), I panic and became very jumpy. Colin teased me to say a dog is much bigger than a bird but I know in my mind, anything that flash by, I will not want to risk a chance.

At that time, we still have not met up with Chantal as I told her to go and search for her and we will do our searching. She told me she was around Hampers Lane where she last seen her. We drove passed her car but we carried on ...  I knew I was getting further and further from where she was last seen but Colin and I worked out that if we can try to circle around the outside of the woods, hopefully we might see her. As I was driving down Forest Road ... I suddenly spotted a black dog, a sheltie. I've just stopped the car in the middle of the road and ran out of the car. Savannah saw me but she took a pause. I called her name, she look unsure, so I quickly change to my common but unique way of "puppy puppy puppy ...". Just that split second, she RAN and JUMP into my arm. I can't tell you how happy I was and how relief I was. Savannah was crying when I picked her up, when I let her jump into the car, she saw Sonic who she adores, she cried even louder!  

Of course, I quickly rang Chantal to let her know I've got her and she is safely in my car. I can hear over the phone, she was crying! Well, that was a Happy Ending!

I didn't expect to find her that easy and quickly, it was 6:25am. We've been only out for an hour looking for her. I was glad I continue as I was nearly gave up driving further and aimlessly. I've got friends that say they can't believe I caught a lost sheltie so quickly and easily. I can understand why, normally a sheltie, a lost sheltie will be very timid/nervous/panic and you won't be able to get near them but I bred Savannah and I always have a good relationship with my puppies. I used to see Savannah every Thursday when I went training at Pachesham, I stopped going there a few months ago but I am glad Savannah remembered me. That makes catching her easier :)

Well, my poor shelties were dump at home this morning as we left. It's difficult to take all of them. Sipzie is still in full heat, boys won't leave her alone. Is either I take all the boys and leave her or take her and leave the boys ... I've decided to take her and put her in the crate in the car and take Sonic as a trap, as Savannah loves him. The boys stay at home. I think it is hard to take all of them as they walk different speed and we don't know how long this searching will be and poor old Sing and old Seagull can't cope with long walk anymore. Thank God, we were home by 8:30am.

I am exhausted! Physically I am ok but mentally not!

Good thing is Savannah is un-harm, no injury, I've checked her all over, she looks like she is top condition. Apart from a bit wet underneath which is normal. She is very tired though. Poor girl. 

http://www.doglost.co.uk/dog_blog.php?dogId=40859

what a weekend!

We have a lovely weekend, the weather was kind and we thoroughly enjoyed having Silky & Coco coming over with their mummy and daddy yesterday. I woke up 6am to drizzle and cloudy and dull weather; then 8am, it pour and created a few puddles. Half an hour later, it was bright sunny and beautiful blue sky with lovely breeze in between.

Silky & Coco arrived late morning and we played agility in the garden, chat, snack lunch, then followed by a walk in the Common. 

Silky is very bright and ball motivated, it makes teaching her to look ahead a lot easier and fun 

... and she is always energetic and enthusiatic

 I believe I can FLY :)

and Coco have a go as well, she surprised her mummy what a clever girl she is, apart from being a Top Sheltie Model, she is fast and keen in Agility too!

and Silky takes on daddy's ball skill, a typical Sing baby! I was really amazed her catching ball style is just identical to Sing's.

 and a very proud daddy with his beautiful talented daughter, they even sharing the same smile :)

as usual, group photo!

Yesterday, while we were walking in the Common with Silky & Coco, we took them to 7 Islands Pond and we saw two dead geese :( I was feeling a bit uneasy about it. Just before we went out walking, our neighbours two doors down came to tell me she lost her dog on Tuesday night. She was drowned in this pond! Now, seeing these two dead geese ... I beginning to wonder if somebody trying to poison the animals. I wasn't sure if the "suspect Algae" killed the geese and the dog. I posted that on the facebook and had comment saying algae will not kill the geese. I am pretty much believe so because Algae happened in a water and the birds must be immune to it, otherwise, where are they going to live? But, now 2 dead geese and 1 drowned dog! My neighbour said, the dog died within seconds! 

 ???what happened to our pond???

I really missed the pond as we walk there almost everyday and my boys love to swim in there! But now, I have to avoid going there. I am NOT going to take any chance risking my dogs! 

We had a good walk around other part of the Common, without a pond! I have to carry water for them but I think I would rather carry water instead of letting them drink off the pond now!

We walked in the boring part of the Common, then walked up Pollards Hill. Good news is Sizzle is back to his weasel self, he is eating (after starving himself for 3 days!) and playing. WooHoo! No more "bitch sick"! It is so good to see him happy and playing again.

 Give me that Frisbee, daddy!

 I WANT that Frisbee!

 There you Go!

Zoom!

surprise Saturday ...

Our surprised guest is ...

Silky and Coco

surprise Saturday

Surprisingly how well cat and dog get on well in a family but still when a dog sees a cat in the street or outside their boundary, they have the instinct to chase!

Our Tortoiseshell Vindi is always the best playmate to our puppies. She came to us the same day we picked up Sipzie from Belgium. She was a real surprised. We weren't plan to have anymore cat after we lost our beautiful Persian Tikka. Tikka is very special to Colin. I offered to get him another Persian but he keeps saying, no other cat could replace Tikka. Oh well! Vindi was a surprised from our neighbour. When we were in Belgium, my neighbour rang, I normally don't pick up any calls when I am abroad but I thought that was something wrong to the house as we always watch out for each other's. I didn't tell her that we were away as we only plan half a day out. Anyway, she told me she bought this cat for her children but her husband warned her to get rid of it within 24 hours! My first reaction was: No, thank you. We just got a puppy (Sipzie). She kept begging us to have her so that her children can still see the cat if she lives with us. Crazy? I told Colin about it and he wasn't keen to have a kitten. When we got home and play with Sipzie in the garden, the neighbour saw us and kept begging us to have her. Guess what? Colin gave in! 

both Sipzie and Vindi became friends immediately! Photo taken at Day 3 after they arrived

Well, she settled in well with our shelties, so she stays :) In fact, she is always a good playmates to my puppies. She is so crazy about them. She and singleton Silky were the BEST playmate. I was worried that Silky will be so left out being the only one but I need not worry. They play and play and play ... I think Silky ended up thinking she is a cat! Silky's mummy and daddy once said Silky actually acted like a cat sometimes :)

Vindi and Silky puppy

Mai boy Sonic is obsess with cat. He grew up with Vindi being a naughty playmate to him. I surely think he acts more like a cat than a dog sometimes! I remembered so well that when Sonic was a little puppy, I took him out a lot to socialise, when he saw a cat in the street, he wanted to go and say hello to them. You know your dog and you know he is not aggressive that he wanted to chase. Sonic just wanted to lick the cat he saw in the street. There was a cat (could be a kitten as well last year) in the neighbourhood, whenever I took Sonic out on the pavement, he always come out to meet him and I think they both trying to make friends. Sonic probably is the only dog I knew that is not chasing a street cat!

Right, I better get off the computer now, we have a Surprise Guest arriving soon ...

guarding angel

Sipzie is in season and we have three very "devoting" guarding angels. They are constantly by her side. I have been busy "moving" her around. I find it very unfair to keep her in the crate all the time. The first week sailed peacefully, she was with us and the boys didn't bother her at all. They occasionally sniff her butt but that is pretty normal. We had visitors when she was in Day 7, this family came to meet our shelties because they are not sure whether to buy a sheltie puppy or a cavalier puppy. They've spoken to Saturn's breeder and she asked me if I can "entertain" this family as I am closer for them to come by. Surely, this family was impressed by our shelties. I am not surprised as they all have great temperament, even Seagull is beginning to accept strangers at a grand age of 9.5 :) I have Sipzie with us most of the time but put her away every now and then,  the family was amazed how well the boys behaved around a bitch in season. I have to say I was really proud of them too.

guarding angels

This week, Sipzie is in full blown heat, Sing beginning to take "notice" of her; Sonic, Saturn and Sizzle are all crazy. Thank God they don't make noise, it is their behaviour that irritate me. If I put Sipzie in the kitchen area, the three boys will sit in front of the gate and Sipzie will tease them from the other side! If I put her in the crate, they will lying around her crate like a guarding angel. 

Funny how these boys behave. Sing and Sonic are very similar, they both are keen but soon I take them out in the garden, Sing immediately will fetch me a ball and forget all about her and Sonic keeps barking at me to tell me he wants to do agility. Everytime I move, these two immediately thinks there are more exciting thing then a bitch in season. I love that kind of behaviour :)

Saturn and Sizzle are more difficult. If I have treat/food, Saturn is happily move away from his guarding position; Sizzle is what I called "bitch sick"! He would not eat (yes, he refused to eat!), he would not want to play, he would not want to do agility either! Mmmm ... he tried to hump me :(

NOW, Sipzie, please finish your season :)

Sing

Not sure what happened to my poor old Sing. There's some hair missing just down below his left eye. He was normal when we went to bed last night. Yes, I know he was absolutely normal as I gave him a quick brush and tidy up before bed time. I do that every night to all my dogs as I like to brush off the mud before they climb into the bed with us. 

you can click to enlarge the photo to be able to see bald patch immediately down below his left eye

Eventhough he is 10.5 years old with a dodgy paw but still very active and agile. Love my old boy so much. He is the dog that never fails me.

 he loves his new frisbee from daughter Silky

I wonder if Sonic will take over his daddy's agile in no time?

Tuesday Tale

After a couple of weeks of cold, wet weather; the sky turns blue and sunny again! The boys enjoy their early morning sun bathing on the patio. You thought shelties with a full coat will try to stay in the shade? Nah, not my lots. They love their sun bathing, especially Sizzle!

the boys enjoy the morning sun on the patio

Sizzle sunbathing

The only one that does not learn how to chill is crazy Little Miss Sipzie! She is always busy, while the others happily lie down and she is busy pacing up and down, bring me all the toys one by one ... she likes to tease me with the toy but never give it to me; then she will snatch it back and shake it like a rag doll. If I ignore her, she will go up to the boys, one by one to tease them to play with her ... normally, Sonic will give up and play with her. 

this is Sipzie teasing Sing!

As the weather been so wet, and Sonic has his hip scored last Thursday, I didn't get a chance to do some practice with him in the garden. This morning, I was full of enthusiasm and determined to do something with  him. He was so happy to be able to do what he loves. We were practicing the weave poles but somehow, I was putting a "pull through" in our practice and I realised I haven't taught him that. Ooops! I know why! I am hoping to put that till last as my pull through is my weakest of all handling. 

So, I started the basic pull through exercise with him. I have to say that was a big failure! He was very hyper and well up for it. He ignored all my handling and ran the three jumps as a snake (serpentine) sequence! I tried breaking it down but still, he ignoring me! In the last 4 hours, we have been out every 30-45 minutes for  a 5 minutes practice. I've learned to walk away if the failure continue. I know I am not a strong person in this handling, so I rather walk away then being frustrated get everything screw up for the rest of my agility life with Sonic. 

Although Sizzle is looking very good at the moment but I am not ready to put him back to Agility training yet. I have Saturn out to assist me with the practice. He is such a good boy. He made me think that I am not a bad handler at all. I sometimes wonder why Sizzle's pull through is so awful? Did I train them differently?

Saturn showing off how to do "pull through" properly:

and here is Sonic learning some basic pull through. I have deleted all the bad ones :) It was really awful :( These are the good ones, still not the best but I am hoping we can improve. Also, you can see Saturn barking at Sonic, he tried to tell him how to do it right! Love my dogs! They really made me laugh so much!

Sizzle update

I took Sizzle to his 3rd acupuncture appointment today, he was a different dog! As usual, the vet tried to "feel" him before she poke the needles into him. I didn't see any spasm anywhere! Is that a good sign? After the treatment, the vet removed all the needles, non of them bend! WOW! Amazing! I thought Sizzle looks rather happy in the last 2 days as well. I hope this is all good from now on. We are still not taking agility easy, no training, no competition ... just enjoy walking, playing .

all grown up now!

Mai handsome boy Sonic and his sister Brooke turned 15 months yesterday! Where did all the times go? We had a lesson with Bernadette yesterday and he worked so well. He definitely has grown up and is going through adolescent at the moment. He is still very good at his recall but is getting more distracted or should I say ... have his own mind? The only time that he will not come to me when call is time to go home after walk!

this picture taken yesterday after we came back from a long day out, he looked very tired but still very handsome :) I thought I must take a picture of my 15 months old boy.

this is one of my favourite Sonic puppy picture, taken in Burgehead, Scotland last August when he was 20 weeks old.

To get him to post a standing still photo is never easy and to be honest, all my shelties are so active, a stand still photo is abnormal for us :)  

so, here go some action shots:

We better get full used of the good weather, here are more from the boys ...

I just loved this lightweight frisbee, present from Silky. Not only that it is gentle to the shelties teeth but it also fly low easily. I've learned from my experienced and I am aware the way I play with my shelties now. Although, occasionally I still like to throw a ball/frisbee high up in the air for them to catch but I control myself for making such a bad habit for the safety of the dog's health. This frisbee flies low and it stays in one direction and the boys still enjoy catching it in the low air! Thank you Silky!!