Meet Missy and Training Pics and Congrats!

Let's begin with a big congratulations to Sue Nowak and Milo (from the D Litter) who earned Milo's RN today -- Sue has worked through her own ring nerves and so good job to both Sue and Milo :)

I thought it might be time to introduce a couple of new family members. This is a picture of a cat named Missy that has joined our family -- my daughter rescued her and now Missy is living with us; she is a member of Galen's Diabetic Club...


In addition to Missy, we also have Ruby and here is her story -- I was working with a hospice patient that was just a wonderful, amazing person. She shared with me that she had found a home for one of her cats but not the other. I told her that if she did not find Ruby a home, I would take her -- well, somehow that translated to "Mary-Ann will take Ruby" -- sigh. So when the woman died, Ruby joined our family.

First we discovered that she is also in the Diabetic Club -- what the heck is up with that?! And most recently we have found a mouth ulcer that we are treating and hoping is not something really bad. Ruby likes to hide in her secret Kitty Condo so no picture just yet but she is a cute elderly tabby cat with white paws.

Having Dear Husband here is very helpful! Not only did he help me practice obedience by being a pretend judge, but he took some fun pictures of our training session today -- I thought you might enjoy seeing what we are up to these days -- all pictures were taken in the training yard.

Zoey is an agility fiend, as we all knew she would be. She is afraid of nothing and LOVES to work. I am not jumping her yet, although she does run through the uprights of the jumps -- just no bars are up and won't be for a long time (she is still a baby, after all). Here is Zoey on the dog walk.


Look closely at this picture -- it is hilarious! This is Zoey doing the table -- and giving me some attitude!


Tunnels are big fun!


At the end of the dog walk and teeter, Zoey stops and has to keep at least one toe on the piece of equipment -- she LOVES this game.


Here is Zoey on the teeter.


Okay, now we move on to obedience. For those of you who rush their dogs -- here is Asia who has been learning to heel for a good part of a year -- we still do only straight lines with no automatic sits. Separately we work a variety of little pieces she will need to have perfect heeling -- like learning to move just her butt one direction or another. Asia will show in obedience in the spring, having spent almost 18 months learning to heel and mark my words, she is going to be something special as a result of going carefully and slowly through this learning process.


Although I have certainly taken my time with Cadi's obedience work, I have not focused as much on it as I do with Asia since Cadi is more of my agility dog. However, I have decided it is time -- ready or not (more not) -- and she is entered in a show in two weeks to try for novice obedience legs. Here is Cadi heeling -- a very BALD Cadi heeling.


And here is Halo heeling -- she is a wonderful heeling dog! Halo is getting ready for utility, which is the highest obedience class.


This is Halo working on scent articles -- the correct one is #6, which she got :)


And here is Halo marking the spot across the ring that she will run to for her "go out".


Finally, some people have the strange idea that dogs prefer to just sit on the couch -- this is a picture of Asia racing to the training yard, SO excited that she gets to "work".


I hope something in your life is as interesting and exciting as training is for my girls but if not -- well, get busy!