Archive for the ‘Flyball’ Category
Sunday, July 19th, 2009
What a splendid day:>) Flyball with the border collies this morning was most excellent. Katie ran Sasha like the wind. Cricket is faster than the blink of an eye. We are struggling a bit with recalls – she seems to want to return the ball to the box instead of to me. But she’s getting better and had some great runs this morning. We are trying to get reaaaaaaaaaaaaady for a UFLI tournament in Canada at the end of August. Katie will race Sasha on the team and I will debut the Crickster in singles. The BC’s were bushed after practice – and it is hot. So frozen yogurt for all!!! This is just small cups of plain organic Greek yogurt frozen in their little containers. The dogs love it – and it’s good for them:>) Can’t beat that with a stick.
Brenda’s son and family are visiting and hanging this weekend. So for all the Cooper’s who follow the blog, here are a few family shots. Buddy is their dog. Nixie loves Buddy. Buddy also liked the yogurt treat:>)
-
-
Buddy
-
-
The Nix
-
-
The Crickster
-
-
Sasha
-
-
David, Brenda
-
-
David, Katie, Brenda
-
-
Back: Sage, Holly, Katie. Front: David, Brenda, Buddy
Tags: border collies hob nob Cricket dogs, Cooper, dog games, dog training, Flyball, Nixie, Sasha
Posted in Cricket, Flyball, General, Nixie, Sasha, Three Dogs | No Comments »
Saturday, July 4th, 2009
It is HOT. It is the 4Th of July. The dogs are HOT. The wading pool is full of cold water and ice. The big dogs are wet and lying in front of the fans. The baby dog has taken her frozen bone and retreated to her shady cool place in the garden. I see her peeking out every once in awhile. Mostly she is hidden from sight. We did some jump training early this morning before it got too humid. It is so warm, in fact, she hasn’t even been bugging me to train all day long:>) Fortunately, she does not notice fireworks. Neither does the Nix. Sasha will cower behind a toilet all night. But we’ll plug in the DAP (Dog Appeaser Pheromone) and put on some music and try to behave as if nothing bad is happening. DAP is the stuff that momma dog’s secrete in their milk to soothe their baby pups. It is odorless and has no impact on people or other animals besides dogs. I doubt it works on every dog, but our three zone out in bliss when we plug in the infuser.
The worst thing you can do for a fearful dog is coddle them. It reinforces the fear – afterall, if you are all mushy and treating them like they are eggshells, there must be something really scary going on. So it’s best to do what can be done to support them, keep them safe and inside and out of harm’s way, and carry on with the rest of life. We are all waiting for the sun to drop so it cools down enough to start the grill. Marinading the roast beast now, then throw on some corn and asparagus. Pour a little wine. Sit back and try to stay cool for the evening and keep everyone safe and calm. Then FLYBALL practice early tomorrow morning – YEAH!
Tags: border collies hob nob Cricket dogs, DAP, Scared dogs
Posted in Cricket, Flyball, Nixie, Sasha, Three Dogs | No Comments »
Sunday, April 5th, 2009
What a great day – the whole weekend actually! Sunny and warm enough for short sleeves all weekend long! Dogs to the park. Dogs on walks. Sasha and Cricket got to go to flyball practice this morning. It’s our first time back to flyball since December when I pulled Cricket out because she was just over-the-top unfocused and crazed. And Sasha has been out since her leg injury last fall. They were sooooo happy to play the game again even though all they got to do was flat recalls this morning. We’re going to take this slowly. Nevertheless they were thrilled to be there and to be racing and barking their little heads off. Crickey is so much more focused on me now. She’s matured alot in the last three months and her brain is starting to connect with her body. I’m glad we took a break – it was the right decision. And then more training this afternoon. A friend came over and taught me some tips on control techniques and beginning circle work. So that was fun. And of course, it’s never enough, as you can see from the expression on the Crickster’s face after a full day of training, racing and attention. “What’s next, mom?”
Tags: border collies hob nob Cricket dogs, Flyball, Nixie, Sasha
Posted in Cricket, Flyball, Nixie, Sasha, Three Dogs | No Comments »
Sunday, February 8th, 2009
I chased a bus. No, this isn’t the dogs writing – it’s me. I chased a bus on Friday morning and made the achilles tendon I’ve been babying for months complain really loudly again. The worst part? I missed the ^&%$ bus even after I ran for it – so all I got for my trouble was the re-injury and the ability to stand in the cold bus shelter for a half hour and lecture myself on my stupidity. Today, I feel like I may not make Vancouver after all, and I had been hopeful since we managed an hour and a half last week.
As you can see, Nix and I did get out. We walked a half hour, slowly, with limp. We made twenty minutes again today, again with limp.
Arghhh!
But hey, isn’t she pretty? Everywhere we go, the people we pass smile at her. That’s the magic of goldens. All of our dogs are beautiful, but Nix just always looks happy, she seems to trail sunshine after her.
The picture is her by one of the lakes in Bellevue – I think Phantom Lake? At any rate, on the way between the blueberry farm and Weowna Park.
Posted in Flyball, Nixie, Sundays with Nix | No Comments »
Sunday, February 1st, 2009
I got to go to Flyball today!!! It’s always a blaaaaaast:>) But I only got one set of runs and then I got taken away to the Puppy Garden to play chase with Katie and Toni and THEN I went to jail and THEN we went home early. NO FAIR NO FAIR NO FAIR
When we got home I snitched a piece of bread off the counter! Whoo Hoo! Two firsts in one day – I’m brilliant! First I completely blow off mom in practice and then I stole food! I’ve been thinking about the food stealing for a long time but I never had the nerve before. I don’t know what got into me at practice, tho. I just decided to do what I want for a change. Mom walked in on me in the middle of gulping the food thievery evidence so I had to hurry and inhale the rest of it. Back to Jail – this time my own house. Mom says I need a nap and I need for my brain to reconnect itself around all the new hormones running around it. 
Mom is muttering about my hormoneees alot these days. I don’t know what they look like so I can’t help her find them:>(
She’s also wondering if maybe I’m over training. NO WAY She says she’s going to refocus me! Is that gonna hurt?
I just think I’m having a grand time and to heck with everybody else. Let them figure out their own fun. She’s worried about that too. She’s thinking really hard about me these days. I can feel it. Somethin’s gonna happen! I hope it’s fun!!!
Tags: Border Collies, Cricket, dog training, Flyball, hob nob
Posted in Cricket, Flyball | No Comments »
Sunday, October 19th, 2008
Puppy Toasted Oats
Ingredients: 1 (one) 5.5 month old border collie + Early morning start + 4 sets of 5 recalls in sandy dirt + 3 jumps/recall + lots of ball chasing beforehand + watching team dogs race in between recall sets = 3 hours of focus and exercise in a new place and a new surface
Mix well. Take toasted puppy to Starbucks in the afternoon to people watch. Follow with brief trip to the toy store (Eastside Dogs). Feed well.
Produces one toasted oat pupster. But will she sleep past 5am? Stay tuned.
Tags: Border Collies, Flyball
Posted in Cricket, Flyball | No Comments »
Sunday, October 19th, 2008
Flyball practice today was very strange and VERY exciting! We had to leave early and packed up a bunch of weird things – tarps and folding chairs and extra dog towels and “just lots of stuff in case”. Then we drove a long way – well maybe not really but it seemed that way ‘cuz it was really foggy – to a brand new place! Mom said it was “barn practice”. No mats!! Just sandy, gravelly dirt at Becky Bishop’s Puppy Manners place. I got to run around with Zoey and chase tennis balls and warm up while we got the lanes and equipment all set up. I would steal the ball and get a mouth full of sandy dirt – now what’s that about??? But all the dogs there were team dogs running at the tournament next weekend so I got to do lots of recall repetitions while they rested between their team runs. It was really fun. I was really fast! I’m doing three jumps now (just baby jumps – but they count for me!!!). And in between my recall sets I got to rest up in my kennel and watch the big dogs. It was a lot of work for a little pupster like me – but I held up just fine:>) At least I didn’t have fumacious farts like Zarky. Wow! Zark farted and it filled up the whole barn! I was really impressed.
Tags: Border Collies, Flyball
Posted in Cricket, Flyball | 3 Comments »
Sunday, September 14th, 2008
Woo Hoo! I got to go to Flyball practice today and Sasha had to stay home. Neener Neener Neener:>>)) That’ll teach her to go off and herd sheeps without ME. Sheesh. Actually, I feel kinda bad for her. She hurt her knee and is on some medicine and not supposed to do anything. Not even catch toys or play tugga! Just easy walks – which she thinks are verrrry boring. So the Flyball gig is all on my shoulders – and I reeeeady!! I am verrrry fassssst. And I get to jump over puppy jumbs now. Well, one jump anyway. It is 4 inches high and almost not even a jump at all. See my kid tryin’ to hang onto me? That’s ‘cuz big mom was on the other side of that puppy jump teasin’ me with a tugga. Mine! Mine! Mine!
Tags: Border Collies, Flyball
Posted in Cricket, Flyball | 2 Comments »
Monday, July 28th, 2008
Perhaps out of blog sequence, but just got approval to use this photo so I will! Sasha at the Jet City Tourney earlier in Seattle. You cannot even imagine a hundred dogs barking in an airplane hanger for 10 hours! The Sash didn’t seem to mind and the Cricket spent the entire day with a sign hanging from her kennel that Katie made “Hi! My name is Cricket. I am 10 weeks old. I am a Hob Nob Border Collie!”. But while every passerby admired the pup, the Sash dug in and did her best! She was awesome!!! And I, of course, was very proud of her:>) We have great fun playing together!!!!
Tags: Border Collie, Flyball
Posted in Flyball | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, July 16th, 2008
Here’s a couple more pics from the Muddy Paws Tourney.
Raja is my big dog buddy! He is soooo consistent and so realxed at the tournaments! He can even sleep in his kennel!!! He trains Leslie and she helps my mom alot. My mom neeeeeds alot of help:>)
Then there’s Hank, who trains Amy. Amy’s mom has to stand at the back so that she doesn’t distract Hank (Katie has to do that when I run too!) Hank alternates with me as start dog when I need a rest. Hank got a perfect start too! All the dogs and the peeps were great – we have an AWESOME team!
Posted in Flyball, Sasha | No Comments »
