Poodlebugs

Life's A Beach!

2008-05-01T06:44:00.001-07:00

My darling husband surprised me with 3 glorious days off at the beach! Not just any beach, but Gulf Shores, Alabama (part of the Redneck Riviera). It's a lesser known beach, but one of the prettiest beaches in the world! See what I mean?

The sand is not only white, but soft. It's a really fine grit, and soft on the feet. (No big chunks of shells to poke you in the feet!) If you've ever been to Destin or Panama City Beach, it's the same beach. (Just less crowded!)

When I landed, since Mom & Dad were driving up, Suzanne picked me up at the airport, and I hung around with her for a few hours. She offered to entertain me until Mom & Dad got there, just in case they were later than my flight. As it turns out, I was the last one in town, but that is a post for another day! :) To see Suzanne and her wonderful dogs, go to www.sonicagility.blogspot.com. Suzanne and Sonic are leaving next week to go to Belgium to represent the USA in International Team Agility- we wish them all the luck in the world! Go Get 'Em Sonic and Suzanne! Also joining her is Suzi with Sonic's older brother Jib, and another local agility team of Elizabeth and her pyrenean shepherd Hemi. 3 Great dogs that will represent the USA well!

The view from the Condo was AWESOME! (Not to mention the glorious sounds of the ocean!)

Monday, we spent all day lounging around in the sun. Here's Mom & Dad chilling on the beach!

Tuesday, Dad & I did some deep sea fishing! We had been with this tour before, and brought home more fish from that trip then we could handle. This trip was to be no different. Here's Dad enjoying the view on the way out to the fishing hole!

Here's our fish on the cleaning table- the fish were not as large as our last trip, and about 1/3 of what we caught had to be released, as red snapper was not yet in season. But, it was just as fun to catch them! The dolphins stayed about 2-3' off of the bow the whole fishing trip. Tried to get photos, but was too busy catching fish!

The catch consisted of vermillion snapper, white snapper (Or, blue nose snapper), and trigger fish. The biggest haul was on the blue nose snapper. Dad caught 2 Luna snapper, but since there are not many of those in the ocean, we let them release those. Also, I caught a nice sized moray eel- about 2' long- made a mess out of the lines before we got him up!

There was also a boat that was named after me- and even spelled the same! Tried to convince the owner it was my boat, but with no luck! (Oh, well!)

Day 3 was once again spent lounging on the beach, watching the gulls. Funny thing is, they've been fed so much by humans (a big no-no, btw!), that you can't eat without one of the little buggers eyeing your. (Or worse, squawking at ya!). I had a small bag of cheetos, and this little guy came begging.

When I didn't give him any, he called in reinforcements!

The sandpipers were cool-they didn't care much for the human grade food, but really enjoyed any dead or dying crabs that floated up in the surf!

Now, back to reality. It was a great 3 days, even if I did get a little sunburned on day 3! Thanks to a great hubby!

Bed Bounce!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-04-05T06:05:00.000-07:00

Bed Bounce, as with other activities in our house that we seem to have no control over, originitated with Hershey..."The Queen". It started years ago with just the 2 girls, on Saturdays, when we had a chance to sleep in late. The morning would creep in, and one of us would yawn, or stretch, and Bed Bounce was on!

Bed Bounce consists of the dogs, one at a time (sometimes together) jumping up onto the bed (usually onto the human inhabitants of the bed). Then, pushing off of said human lumps to leap off the other end. This is followed by a pause to see if we are ready to get up and serve breakfast.

Bed Bounce was not embraced by Boo. His preferred method of protest of delayed payment of breakfast is to curl up as close to the mother figure as possible and breath sighs into the ear. But, once Bed Bounce gets into full swing, Boo finds himself on the wrong end of the bouncing, thus joins in with the other two.

Hemi, on the other hand, has taken Bed Bounce to a whole new level! He doesn't just perform the bounce, but his burrows his head into the crook of the male human's neck and proceeds to lick and nudge. All the while the other three are leaping on and off of the bed.

The rules of surviving bed bounce are few but simple:

1.) The fetal position is the safest position- this prevents internal injury when a 40-50 lb poodle lands on the soft spot (full force) of the human gut.

2.) Stay as quiet as possible- if you acknowledge bed bounce, game over, you lose.

3.) Protect long hair- any long hair trailing on the pillow will be stepped on by poodle feet.

4.) Bury your face in the covers- this protects the face from being drowned by one or more of the poodles.

It's best to end bed bounce as early as possible, or better yet, prevent bed bounce by rising early on Saturdays.

Greater Collin County AKC trial

2008-03-30T19:54:00.000-07:00

Well, we thought this would be our big weekend. With all of the "big dogs" in Tulsa, this was a small trial. Both days, we had run and were headed home before noon. Unfortunately, the Q's and MACH points were not as free flowing as one would have hoped. Despite the Q percentage (25% for the weekend- 0% of that for Boo)- we had some VERY nice runs! The blue line with #7 (which should NOT have changed the numbering- not sure why it did)- is closer to where the weaves were set up, not how it was on paper. It did give a much nicer entry off of jump #6.

I didn't get any tape of Saturday's runs, as we've been having battery issues with our video camera, and the battery was dead. A friend taped them, but she, too, had technical difficulties and somehow managed to delete all the runs and photos from her camera! (Story of my life! LOL!) Gene managed to get the JWW runs from Sunday taped. Here is the course map from it. Gene said that the actual built course was different. The weaves were at a more direct line from jump #6 to the tunnel.

2008-03-30T19:40:00.001-07:00

How can you tell when a 7 year old standard poodle has had ENOUGH of a pesky puppy?

Hemi's agility Class- I forget what week!

2008-03-27T18:23:00.000-07:00

The first video is a short sequence involving the A-frame (including touches). Hemi is doing REALLY well, and loves the A-frame! He is also doing well with his start line stays- and following Gene's directions.

The next video is one a short sequence including the tunnel- notice the distance- Hemi is going out to the tunnel- I just LOVE it!

In this sequence, Gene pre-cued the A-frame, and Hemi took the jump in between the tunnel and the A-frame. (Of course, it does help that he was a little bit pattern trained, but I'll take it anyway I can get it!)

This last sequence is Hemi's footwork on the weaves- I just LOVE the footwork developing here! He just shows such concentration!

Aunt Karen's visit

2008-03-27T18:00:00.001-07:00

Well, the poodle crew got a long awaited visit from their Aunt Karen over this Easter Holiday. Hershey thinks that Aunt Karen is hers, and made sure the others knew it.

(The room Karen was staying in is behind the gate!)

However, I think Hemi was by far the most excited to see his Aunt- what do you think?

Easter Agility!

2008-03-23T18:41:00.000-07:00

Well, today was a cold cloudy day with threats of rain throughout the day. Since the store was closed, and we didn't get in the 1 agility trial in the area, we decided to head out to the training property and play some. I wanted to get some photos and some video of all 3 of the kids for the blog, but as with many things in my life, the equipment did not cooperate- the cameras battery died before we got most of the photos we wanted, and the back up batttery lasted long enough for about 2 photos. The video camera's battery was just dead. Period. But, we started with Boo, and we got some good dogwalk photos.
Including this one when the wind caught him, and I thought he was going off the DW again- notice the right rear leg is on the very edge, and the front left toes are curled, trying to grasp the dogwalk! Poor fellow- he finished though, and even got back on!
We got a couple of jump photos- with the cloudy skies, they didn't really come out REAL clear, but he does look happy, doesn't he?
I did some major touch-ups on this one, and it does look better!
Gene pulled Kyra out to play- she was REALLY happy about it! They didn't get breakfast since we headed out fairly early. If we feed them, then get in the car, Hemi gets sick- and Boo gets sick if he has a full tummy and then runs agility. Kyra was ready to eat, and knew Gene had food!

The channel weaves were set apart, and Kyra didn't bother wasting footwork on them!
Gene got out Hemi- look at that concentration and jumping style! He doesn't have any trouble with 12" jumps- let's hope he is a typical poodle and doesn't have any trouble with higher ones. We're a little worried, however, because he attacks everything head on- and doesn't let anything stand in his way- when the jumps go up, will he decide that it's easier to go through them then over them? YIKES!

Another good one of him jumping, AND paying attention to his Daddy- what a good boy!
He is just learning the A-frame in class- but I really like his form- we'll see if it holds as the frame goes up. He leaps the apex, just like a running contact- his touches are REALLY steady- for now.
I loved this butt-scooting photo- it's not in great focus, but it gave me a snicker!
So, all in all, it was a fun day! The furr-kids got to play some agility, and we got to practice a few things that we had been trying to find time to. If only the video camera had been working, so you could see how well the all did! Maybe next time! (Let's see, the next holiday the store will be closed will probably be Thanksgiving- only 7 months away!)

52 years.....and counting!

2008-03-22T11:09:00.000-07:00

52 years ago today, Jim and Betty took that vow that would change their lives.

They would start their family immediately
They would continue to grow closer
And be a role model for their children.
I can only hope that my marriage will be as strong and as happy as theirs has been.

I love you, Mom & Dad! Happy Anniversary!

Hail to the Queen!

2008-03-20T05:47:00.000-07:00

The Same thing happens every day.

Because Kyra and Hemi can't be trusted alone, when Gene leaves in the morning, he puts them in the bedroom with me when he leaves. Boo's DAFM (Distance allowed from Mommy) is so short, that he, too, is put in the bedroom with me.

The Queen, however, refuses to give up her throne.

So, with the three dogs in the bedroom with me, Gene gets in his truck and heads for work. About 15-20 minutes later, from beyond the closed bedroom door, I hear a soft "bfff".

The Queen is speaking to her minions.

So, I open the bedroom door to allow her heiness to enter. She turns, runs back to her throne, and resumes her position.

Now that the other three dogs are awake, there is no sleeping in for me. (I swear, I can hear her laughing at me!)

Splish Splash I was taking a bath!

2008-03-15T21:04:00.000-07:00

I decided to do a "photo essay" on the wet dogs I've seen coming through the shop. Catching the looks, and the personality of the dogs seemed like a pretty fun idea. So, I got out the camera and started clicking away! I started with Kyra- since she was ours, and was a pretty compliant customer.

This Cairn Terrier looked HAPPY to be wet! What a trooper!

The poor yorkies always look like a drowned rat! This one was particularly cute!

This little Maltese wasn't having as much fun, but did try to put her best face forward!

I know I've already got one yorkie photo, but then this little guy came in, and well, you can see that his photo just needed to be taken- and how could I choose between the two?

My favorite (outside of my own dog)- is this Bloodhound mix. (although, you can't tell she's not 100% Bloodhound!)- If you look closely, you can even see the water dripping off of her ears!

This last photo, I know, doesn't involve a wet dog, but I just couldn't resist that little face! He was a mess when he came in. The owner says he was a yorkie/poodle mix, but I didn't really see much of either breed in him!

I hope you guys enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed taking them. I'm sure I will post more in the future. But, these were my favs so far!

Modified King Cut

2008-03-15T21:00:00.000-07:00

Hershey got a "modified" version of the Mel & Helen King Poodle cut. Didn't have the camera, so got some webcam footage of her on her "Throne"- enjoy!

Finally got some still photos of the "Modified King Cut" Hope you guys enjoy!

While being adventurous, Gene cut Boo down into a Miami cut. He now looks a little like his friend Teddy!

Time Warp

2008-03-13T06:26:00.000-07:00

"It's just a jump to the left....and then a step to the right.."

Yep, let's take a time warp. Many of you have enjoyed watching the newer videos of Boo and Kyra doing agility, and then the training videos of Hemi learning. But, I was looking at some old video last night, and I thought that I would offer up as blog fodder, some old video of Hershey doing obedience and agility. If you watch the agility video with Hershey, it might explain some of my handling problems with Boo. Being able to run a course by reading numbers, and having the time (after or during a front cross) to stop and tie your shoes, really effects the timing of your handling when it comes to running a fast dog.

And this is why Hershey is retired from Obedience. (It's so much easier to laugh at years later!)

And finally, I thought I would upload a video of one of Boo's early tries in agility- just to show that I really have gotten better at handling!

Hemi Starts Contacts!

2008-02-29T06:13:00.000-08:00

Here's video of Hemi's latest class. He is really attacking every obstacle with intensity! They are still doing short sequences, and the little bugger is picking it up so quickly. In between runs, Gene is tugging with him, playing with him, trying to keep him from being over the top while the other dogs are working- it's a full hour's workout for this pup. Even after that hour, Hemi is hesitant to get in the car and leave. He's not ready for the fun to be over.

This little guy is just so fun and so full of energy! He came without an off switch installed.

Weekend brags (or lack thereof) Part I

2008-02-23T18:00:00.000-08:00

This weekend's runs were both good and bad. JWW was first. I moved Kyra up to the first dog in so I would have time to wind Boo down. He does better if he has time to focus. The JWW course, as seen below, was pretty nice flow. It had some spots that really required some handling, but it flowed really well. The weave entry was fast and straight on.

Kyra stepped up to the line, and actually held her stay, which is hard on her. I threw in a front cross before the weaves, but somehow, it backfired on me! She ended up back where she was before, but she managed to save my butt, and hit the weave entry. The rest was pretty easy. I got my first excellent Q ever! (Too bad it wasn't my dog.)

Boo's turn was next. I had learned my lesson with Kyra (or so I thought). He handled pretty well, except for a couple of mistakes that I made. He hit the weave entry, but popped out. I managed to get him back in, and he was very tentative. When he finished them, I was so proud of him, and I wanted to reward him, and the weaves were pointing right at the exit- so I took the opportunity to reward the weaves. Based on how tentative he was, I felt he was not sure what his job was, and wanted to reward the behavior while I had it.

Next up was Standard. It also flowed well, but had a few spots that required some handling.

Once again I moved Kyra up, but Rusty and Maxwell moved up above us. She was really doing well, hit all the contacts, actually did a fast down on the table, and hit the weaves. I ran ahead of her on the weaves, pulling her through, but wasn't watching where I was going. coming off the weaves, I was in her way, and in front of the tire. So, she went around it, ending our run for a QQ. Rusty and Maxwell Q'd, so I told him that since he took Kyra's spot, tht he owes us a QQ- let's hope that's in the mail!

When it came time for Boo's run, I was feeling pretty confident. Here's the funny part. In our last class, we discussed a front cross at the teeter. We were cautioned against crossing too soon, causing the dog to pop off early, or off the side. Well, I crossed the teeter with Boo too soon, and he popped off the side of the teeter- ending up behind me, which threw my cross off, and so I pushed him out to a wrong jump. Our run was done. But, we kept going- he did the obstacle discrimination extremely well. I was very proud. His serpentine was great. Whean heading to the weaves, he pulled off at the last minute, and made a BIG circle. I stuck him back in the wrong pole, and when I brought him back around and put him back in, he got them all- with much less trepidation than the first time. Since we were at the end, we just finished the last three obstacles, me cheering him all the way.

Now, we'll see if his weaves will hold up tomorrow.

All in all, it was a really good day. Thanks to a wonderful instructor, my handling seems to be improving. One of these days, we'll actually get more than 1 Q at a time!

Week 6- Hemi agility

2008-02-21T12:00:00.000-08:00

Well, Mom has been too busy to post anything today, (Maybe too much celebrating her Birthday? Or maybe it's just because she's old?) so I'm taking over. Last night was our 6th week in class, and I'm not too proud to say that the teacher likes ME best! I've made some new friends. There is this really cool Doberman named Blaze, and I love watching him run. He goofs off a little, but he's really strong! We really want to run around and play, but Daddy won't let us. There's another big strong guy, and his Daddy calls him Doodlebugs, too. Daddy is always wanting the two of us to stand side by side. He calls us the "Dueling Doodlebugs". I don't know what that means, but he laughes when he says it, so it can't be bad!

Anyway, enough about those other dogs, you don't care about them! We did a really short sequence, and it was so easy. Daddy throws a ball or a toy for me, and that is just totally awesome!

We did some weaves- I just don't get the point of it, but I do it because Daddy gives me treats. It seems like it would slow you down to much, and Daddy says he likes me because I'm FAST!

Next, we did another sequence that had a tunnel- I love tunnels! Anyway, Daddy threw my toy underneath a jump and I hit the bar with my shoulders. Everybody thought it was funny, though. I have never seen a jump that high, so I didn't know anything other than go under it.

After class, though, I got some bonding time with Dad. I really enjoy class with my Dad. I don't know what I'm doing, but Daddy says I'm doing really well!

After class, I didn't want to get back in the car, but Daddy made me. An hour just isn't long enough! So, I hope you enjoyed watching how good I'm doing in class. It's really fun, especially since I'm teacher's pet!

Until next week! See ya!

"Could it be Magic?"

2008-02-20T05:55:00.001-08:00

Today is a special day. And, for those that know me, know why. My father, my nephew, a friend and myself all share today as our Birthday- I won't tell you how old any of them are, as that is just plain rude.

Dad and the "baby" (me)- wasn't I cute? He's always been so easy! Happy Birthday Dad!
Cody- who had the great fortune to be born on such a WONDERFUL day!

"This one's for you!"

As a Birthday present, my husband bought me tickets to a Barry Manilow concert. For those that have never seen him live, he is FANTASTIC- he's not just a singer/songwriter, he's a performer. He's the only performer I've paid to see more than once. And, just the like the rest of us, he has also aged since the last time I've seen him. I found an old photo of him, back when he was a baby!
Man, remember those days? Feathers, gold chains? WOW!

Now, I know what some of you are saying, "Barry Manilow?" Yes, that's right. Gene spent years scoffing his music, until he took me to a concert in St. Louis. He spent the entire evening saying "I didn't know he sang that, I love that song"- now, years later, he enjoys the concerts as much as I do.

Last night, as we sat in an eclectic crowd of men and women from all ages, a crowd that spanned several generations, we all sang in unison- our own "Kumbaya" so to speak- as he sang favorite after favorite. In order for Barry to play all of his best music, we would have been there for hours. But, he did his best to cram in as many as he could, leading in from one to another without taking a break. All of his best work, "Mandy", "I write the songs", "Copacabana", "I can't smile without you"...the list goes on and on.

He pulled out his lava lamp, and feigned smoking a "funny cigarette", to which he commented that "someone's gonna get a raise!". His ability to sing, play the piano, and add humor to his performance makes it more than just a jam session.

Even at 64 (Yes, he's actually 64!)- he can still play the piano with the same vigor he used to. He move more carefully, leaving much of the theatrics to his supporting staff, but he still doesn't fail to entertain. With a flashy wardrobe and pieces of the stage that disappear and reappear, his show has something for everyone.

If you haven't had the good fortune to be a part of a Barry Manilow concert, you are truly missing out on one of the best performers ever. Make plans to visit the Las Vegas Hilton in the near future and remove your name from the shrinking list of people who have not seen him. Thanks, Gene, for giving me a great Birthday present!

So, all I can say is, "Barry, we love you!"

A Day at the Spa

2008-02-18T18:15:00.000-08:00

Today, Hemi got to spend the day at the "doggie spa" with his Mom and Dad. I hope you enjoy the photographical trip through his day as much as we enjoyed taking them. First, the bath:

Looks real thrilled to be there, doesn't he?

One of these days, I'd like to do a photo essay of the poor, pitiful, wet faces that come through the store. This one is a really good start, dontcha think?
He didn't much care for the big dryer, but he put on his big boy panties and dealt with it! It made drying him soooooo much faster!
Hemi enjoyed the smaller dryers much more- look at the way he is enjoying that "wind blown" look!
Here's the yet to be infamous "Jimi Hendrix" look- This is the face we see after he's been out playing with Boo and has lost his rubber band! I sometimes wonder if he's part sheep dog. (I'll have to check with his breeder on that one!)
He is still not patient with the scissoring, but he's getting there. Can't wait until his chest drops so we can see the Easty/Westy go away!

The finished project! I love some of the lines, and some of his coloring. You can't really see it from this angle, but there is a straight line down the sides of both front legs. The front half is VERY light, the back half is much darker. I also like the ring around the puff on his tail.

He was a good boy for such a long time, he deserved time to just play! Love the way he curls his toes up when he playboys.
This picture was a little fuzzy, but I thought it was cute- ears flying in the wind, strutting, tail straight up. He loves his Kong! The good news, is that the bath DID tire him out!

And, yes, he got his day at the spa, but Boo's day was yesterday. Unfortunately (Or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) it was busy so we didn't get any good pictures of the process. We did, however, get a really good picture of him today after he had been scissored.

Isn't he handsome?

Despite the grizzling around his head, he still has the prettiest male poodle head I've ever seen.

Giving Props!

2008-02-18T09:58:00.001-08:00

Well, I didn't have any fodder for my blog until this morning. The whole story starts about 4 years ago. Boo was in one of his first shows at the Arkansas Kennel Club's show in Little Rock. I met a couple and their adult daughter who were just fascinated with Boo, and informed me that the daughter wanted a standard poodle. Not being a rude person, (alirght, Karen, you can quit laughing now!), I proceed to talk to them at length about Boo, where I got him, and anything and everything poodle.

Not much later than that, the daughter shows up with this little black ball of FUZZ! She had made the plunge and gotten her a standard poodle puppy. We quickly became friends. I mean, how could we not. We had so much in common from poodles, down to the same dietary needs. We started training together whenever possible. She had a very light hand, and this fuzzball began to rule the roost! So, with the help of many of my other *non-poodle* friends, we worked with her, helping her learn how to better handle her little maniac.

So, here we are some years later, and She has not only managed to make a well mannered dog out of him, but she has become the STAR! Obtaining titles in many different venues, including obedience and freestyle.

So, this post is a shout out to Melissa and Teddy as congratulations for their new title of Companion Dog Excellent!

See video of her title, and read more about this AMAZING dog and his AMAZING owner!

http://www.msskodiak.blogspot.com/

Melissa, I am so proud of you. I know that, if you set your mind to it, you and Teddy can and will do anything! Congratulations to a wonderful team!

This one's for the employees of ATX

2008-02-14T20:05:00.000-08:00

Okay, so the video camera's battery was dead Wednesday night for Hemi's regular class, so I couldn't get any new video. So, just so you guys could get your fix while I rounded up some more good agility footage- here's some of the unused footage from Gene and Kyra from Tuesday night's class. I promise, I'll have more good video up for you come Monday, fear not!