Paws Off Course

More from the set of White Knuckles...

2010-10-06T23:24:00.000-07:00

Below are some behind the scenes videos from the OK Go White Knuckles video shoot. Enjoy!

This is a two-for-one. First, you get to see some of our not-so-smooth moments in each of the 123 failed attempts. Then, the making of the winning take:

Here are some of the VERY early clips....like, while we were still using human and stuffed animal stand ins. Also, some other nice little making-of snippets.

This one is all about Bunny Carlos. Bunny (aka "The Potato") belongs to lead singer Damian Kulash. Bunny had to have a crash course in training during the shoot, and at one point she decided to go swimming in some nasty swamp goo....

This behind the scenes video shows the process of creating the "popcorn" scene. As you'll see, we went through several not-so-great ideas... With only a few days left to film, Spike (the Jack Russel Terrier) came to the rescue of "popcorn!"

And this one is our choreographer, Trish Sie, showing off our craft services table, along with some other fun things we had on the set....

Tim talking about some of the various behaviours, and the introduction of Tin Tin!

THE GOAT!

Yup, this one's all about Ranger....

This video shows our attempts at timing the last scene, "Dogamid," where the dogs all sit and down in unison. Dazzle and I didn't actually participate in the counting practice; as they mention towards the end, we were "dead on," and I had already figured out the timing of my cues earlier. Having a music background came in handy here! :)

Dazzle & Peanut take part in OK Go's newest video!

2010-09-21T20:06:00.000-07:00

We've been keeping quite the secret over this past summer!

First, some things to note:

1) Yes...that was a goat. His name's Ranger.

2) Oh, you didn't catch the goat? Watch again. ;)

3) You betcha! The entire 3:30 minute video is one take.

4) How? Patience and a lot of dog cookies....

5) Where? Filmed in Corvallis, Oregon!

6) Many of the dogs are rescues! Check out www.okgo.net for details.

Are you craving a few more details? Alright, then. Here you go; we'll start with a quick behind the scenes video:

Dazzle, Peanut and I were among a total of 12 talented pooches and 12 amazing animal trainers from Talented Animals that worked with the band OK Go (well known for their previous viral videos like the Treadmill Dance, the Rube Goldberg Machine, and the A Million Ways Dance) to create the video you see here before you.

The video began five years ago, when the idea to use dogs suddenly seemed possible upon meeting up with Talented Animals. A year passed, and then the planning and brainstorming began.

Fast forward to June 2010, and they were ready to put all that planning into action. Dogs were cast, trainers hired, and our location was settled.

That's when our little trio drove down from Seattle to the small town of Corvallis, Oregon, and called a big building with shaded pink windows our new home for the next month.

We started with 2 weeks of dog training - without the band members. We taught all of the dogs their various assigned roles, and also "crosstrained" each dog so they could perform any given behavior you see in the video...the whole time keeping fun our top priority for the canine members of the crew. To the dogs, this wasn't just work - it was some crazy form of work cleverly disguised as play (okay, so going through 4 pounds of dogs treats each day helped a lot with that).

Also during those first two weeks, we trainers practiced our own choreography. What you see in the shot is only half of the story; just off camera there is furniture being rolled in, rolled out, and staged up. Trainers are running this way and that, cuing their dogs or getting in position for their next move. And somewhere off stage the goat is munching on some hay, preparing for his big moment. Each behaviour alone was not particularly challenging. However, stringing all the moves together and getting the transitions from one behaviour to the next accomplished in time to the song was a different story.

With the help of spread sheets, stuffed animal stand-ins for the dogs, audio tracks with voice cues, and a metronome, we all learned out parts to this intricate dance.

During the third week of production, we were joined by band members Damian, Tim, Dan, and Andy, as well as Trish Sie, our wonderful and inspiring choreographer. I can tell you first hand that these guys aren't afraid to put in the work required to create something awesome. We practiced. We trained. We rehearsed. We prepared. We revised...and then had to practice again.

In a little over a week we learned how to work with the guys, and the guys learned how to work with the dogs. Then it was time.

The dogs were trained, the band members were practiced (and by now covered with puppy kisses), and we trainers had learned how to cue our dogs on the beat. The choreography was rehearsed a few more times, and at last we were ready to start rolling the camera.

Or should I say, "cameras?" We had three different cameras rolling during each run through; the main camera, a 3D camera (oh yes, you read that right!), and a wide-angle camera set up high above us to catch all of the action going on just outside those frame lines we had taped out on the floor.

We filmed for 4 days. Out of 124 total takes we successfully made it through the entire routine, start to finish, 30 times.

It was almost like a dream. We had actually done it. And more than once! 12 dogs, 4 band members, 2 furniture movers, 12 trainers, and 1 goat repeatedly hitting their marks for three and half consecutive minutes. We were each so caught up in our roles during the runs that taking a step back and actually looking at what we had just accomplished was somewhat mind blowing.

Of those 30 takes, Trish graded 10 of them "excellent." Of those 10, it was take number 72 that was deemed "the most magical." In number 72 the energy and excitement we saw in our dogs' eyes was enough to make the whole crew grin from ear to ear. The attitude the dogs brought to that take was just something extra-special. Without a doubt, that was the one.

What happened afterwards? Well, we waited, anxiously, for the release.

The video premiered on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on September 20th. Within the first 24 hours, the video received over 1 million views on YouTube. Within the first 48 hours? About 3 million.

Are we excited?

You have no idea. :)

Training = Play!

2010-01-25T00:30:00.000-08:00

The little crazy-lady has learned a lot - especially on that particular item from my list: "don't eat me." She may still be a little rough around the edges, but I'm very happy with her progress!

Here's a video showing one of the training games we play which helps her learn some impulse-control. The rules of the game are that she must:

- Not eat me (this is very important...).
- Drop the toy on command ("drop it").
- Lay down automatically when I have the toy.
- Stay down until I release her ("okay").
- Have a good time!

This is a training session, but as far as Brandy is concerned, we're just playing....and that's the whole idea. :)

Brandy!

2009-12-29T18:02:00.000-08:00

Hello, Brandy.

Brandy is the new, and current, foster dog.

She's a Lab/Mastiff mix, about two years old, weighs roughly 70 lbs, can destroy any dog toy in record time, and she's...very energetic.

Right now we're working on important skills such as "don't eat me," "stop eating that," and "spit that out."

She's also learning not-so-important skills...like how to weave & do perch-work.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T05:23:00.000-07:00

Rainy Days

2009-09-13T04:06:00.000-07:00

Fall in the Pacific Northwest is easy to identify; it's when the rain starts again.

Our backyard currently resembles a swamp.

The driveway is coated in gigantic puddles.

The trails where we run are underwater.

The "wet dog" smell never leaves the dog...

Rainy days (or rainy weeks, or rainy months...) like these are a good times to do some mental exercise with the pups.

So, grab a clicker, your pooch, and a handful of cookies and go have some fun! :)

Seafair Hydroplane & Air Shows

2009-08-03T15:43:00.000-07:00

Almost every year since moving to the Seattle area we've done Seafair stuff - run in the Torchlight 5k, gone to see the air shows and hydroplane races, eaten disgusting festival food, and so on.

This year, I was out of town.

But, luckily I just found some long-lost pictures from the 2008 events still on a memory card!

So, here you go. And if you don't like planes.....well, sorry.

First, some disgusting festival food:

Then some hydroplane races:

And some air shows:

Never complete without the Blue Angels:

Oooooooh!

Aaaaaaah!

and then PUPPY!

Oh my gosh, isn't he freaking adorable??

He was sitting next to us.

I loved 'im. :)

Oh wait.

This was supposed to be about airplanes wasn't it?

Right, sorry:

Wags to Riches

2009-07-28T03:25:00.000-07:00

We participated in a fun event on San Juan Island this past weekend, and it was for a good cause, too!

The Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor invited us (the Washington Mixed Breed Dog Club and...Dazzle) to come and do some doggy entertainment during their annual Wags to Riches fundraiser. Of course we agreed, and so "Two Mutts and a Dash of Dazzle" boarded a ferry and headed to San Juan Island.

The APS-FH were wonderful hosts; we got to stay in a very nice little place at the event site.

Dazzle approved of her new sleeping quarters.

Meanwhile I was intrigued by the 4th of July ducky in the shower...

The actual demo was on Sunday, so on Saturday...

...Dazzle learned to be a good swimmer!

After a full day of fetching tennis balls in the pond, she finally perfected her swimming skills.

Perhaps it was the motivation the other ball-crazy dogs provided?

Trooper (the barking Mal) would like me to correct myself. He is not ball-crazy, he is Dino-crazy.

We would do anything for his beloved green Dino-Butt.

And his sister, Zoe, couldn't care less about his devotion and was more than happy to steal Dino-Butt.

Dazzle chose to follow Zoe's lead, and also took a turn in stealing the green Dino-Butt.

Sorry Trooper.

Wally, an Aussie/Border Collie and Dazzle's best buddy, was much too kind to participate in any Dino-butt theft activities and preferred to stick with the tennis balls.

Good boy, Wally.

Saturday night we got to witness an incredible thunderstorm that passed over the island. The rooms were lighting up, the rain was pounding, and the whole house was shaking.

During the night, little miss Dazzle-the-thunder-phobic-dog succeeded in clawing me to bloody bits. She also succeeded in pushing me off the couch.

The good news: Sunday was beautiful.

The demo went fantastically well.

We did Rally, Competition Obedience, some Team Obedience, and Dazzle finished off with a trick show.

Overall the APS-FH had a hugely successful, entertaining, and well-run fundraiser!

Kappa!

2009-07-01T13:14:00.000-07:00

Wow.

The puppy mill Eskies are quite a pitiful bunch. My own little Eskimo has some crazy behaviours that unfortunately are proving quite common for the rest of the group too.

She barks. All the time. No kidding, this little girl barks like, 24/7. She also walks in circles while she barks. Just around and around and around. She also loves to tear up my clothing, but that's a forgivable puppy thing.

After a few baths and about 16 hours of brushing (that's not exaggerating), she looks pretty decent. Pretty darn cute even.

I named her Kappa.

For two reasons - the first because Kappa are old folklore creatures who are described as "mischievous troublemakers" (a very accurate description of this little pup!) and secondly I named her after the Phi Theta Kappa honour society.

Now that I've had her awhile, she is settling down. I've been able to interrupt the barking and teach her some of the basics like sit, down, leash walking, housetraining, and of course a recall.

While she doesn't bark at me or at the walls anymore, she does still bark at Daz.

Although she's really smart and caught onto clicker training instantly, she still hasn't caught onto is the fact that Dazzle hates her. Honestly, I don't blame Daz because Kappa frequently does stupid things like, oh I don't know, jump on her head:

Dazzle isn't shy about expressing her opinions.

Anyway, after a month here little miss Kappa has actually turned into a wonderful, well adjusted, little dog. Upon returning to the Humane Society she got adopted almost instantly. Perhaps because she's so darn cute.

I will certainly miss her, but truth be told, I do hope my next foster is not an Eskimo.

Are they cute? Yes.

Are they sane? Not so much.

I think I've seen enough of these white fluffy dogs for a little while. There are still quite a few living at the Seattle Humane Society waiting for homes, and plenty more getting some much needed TLC in foster homes before they go up for adoption.

Are they photogenic? Well, yes.

Again? So Soon?

2009-05-30T01:36:00.000-07:00

Nobody thought it would happen this soon - but once again Washington has busted a puppy mill. A big one. We worked late tonight at the shelter getting as many dogs as we could processed and sent out to foster homes. You can read more about the raid and watch the news story video here or here.

I did end up taking one home. She is a four month old female - and she's in need of a name! If you watch the video in that second link, she's the pup shown cowering in the back of her crate. She is definitely a cutie...

I'll get some pictures of her soon - Dazzle and I are off this weekend to do the filiming for her first movie.

On another note, you can now follow Daz on twitter! Here is the link for that:

http://twitter.com/KatnDaz

Photos of "Puppy" soon, I promise! And please, send me some name ideas. :)

Oh yes, and last but not least - Bu, my foster from the last puppy mill raid, got adopted within a day of her becoming available! Congratulations little one!

Speech!

2009-05-20T23:51:00.000-07:00

Dazzle learned a new trick!

Pardon? What's that you say?

Oh, you want me to show you what she learned?

Okay. :)

Enjoy:

Let's Pretend...

2009-04-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

Let's pretend, just for a minute, that Dazzle herds sheep and not discs.

Are you pretending?

Good! Then you may proceed and click play:

BOO!

2009-03-30T02:16:00.000-07:00

Says Bu.

Bu who??

Who the heck is Bu?

And is that pronounced like "Buh" or "Boo" or "Bou" or what?

Bu, - pronounced like Boo - is my new (and actually my first) foster dog. Many of you probably know about the various puppy-mill raids that have been going on. Well, little Bu happens to be one of the nearly 600 dogs that are victims of those puppy-mills. You can read a little about the situation here.

Bu is a three year old Yorkie (one of the Skagit dogs for those that care to know), weighing in at a whopping 5 pounds. When we picked her up from the Humane Society for Seattle and King County her name was Buttercup. Now, don't get me wrong, Buttercup is a cute name - but what are you supposed to call the dog as a nickname? "Butt"? We also tried out "Buttskie" and "Cuppie".

Yeah.

That's just not going to work here. Thus, her name quickly shortened to just Bu and it has since stuck.

When we picked her up she was a bit of a mess. Shaking, scared out of her wits, and smelling strongly of urine.

Dazzle's reaction....stunned horror that I actually brought that thing into the house.

But never fear. She'll get over it.

Peanut was slightly concerned as well. After all, she has always been considered the "baby" in the house and despite her slim figure, is nearly twice Bu's weight.

The little Rat (as she is affectionately known) got acquainted with everyone and then began trotting all over the place checking everything out. I got tired just watching her!

As I learned when walking her from the car to the house, she was not leash trained. Nor did she much appreciate wearing a collar.

Note Peanut's eyes bugging out of her head as It approaches.

It was drizzling outside (in typical Seattle style) and Bu was most definitely not impressed by the wet outdoors.

Oh hi there - my toes are freezing. We go back inside now please?

After investigating the house, yard, and other canines in the house - it was bath time.

My gawd, get me out of here!

It suddenly became very apparent that, when her hair is flattened, her ears are in fact...huge.

Ok ok ok, I promise I be good. Just no more bath-times please...

Once she dried off and puffed-out she was much happier.

And that much cuter....

Within the first day, she became hopelessly attached to me. She is so friggin' small that she can squirm out of the gates we have set up in the house and she does so whenever I leave the room. If I somehow manage to escape her for a few minutes, when I return she bounces up and down like a bouncy ball, little body wiggling the whole time.

Training has begun. She has figured out stairs, leashes, crates, food time, and grooming. Housetraining is going surprisingly well (I think Dazzle's look of disgust when she pottied in the house helped).

Because I like training with play, we've been working on building some play drive. She isn't really into dog toys but I can play with her if I have some scraps of paper handy. For whatever reason she really enjoys playing with paper things (most of all those annoying paper bracelets you get when you go to museums and such - she LOVES those!)

So far we've got a nice snappy down and a decent sit and recall. We also have the start of a stay, spin, and release word. I'll try to get some video of that stuff.

I am currently trying desperately not to fail at my first foster attempt. She sure isn't making it easy for me.

How Good is Your Hand/Eye Coordination?

2009-02-22T23:50:00.000-08:00

How about Mouth/Eye coordination?

Today I taught Dazzle a new trick - the classic Ring Toss (or Ring Drop) game. They say it is good for very young children to improve hand/eye coordination.

When I started teaching her this my plan was to break it down into very simple steps - first pick up the ring like this, then go touch your nose to the top of the pole, then drop the ring. I figured if she did all that the ring would fall onto the pole, right?

Well, appearently that kind of learning was beneath her. She, quite simply, just learned that she had to put the ring on the pole to get a reward. She understood the concept perfectly! And she figured it out in less than half an hour, less than half of a half hour actually. Golly Pete, sometimes I underestimate this dog!

Here is the video of her new trick, be sure to watch the bloopers at the end. :)

Waz Up, Pup?

2009-02-10T17:35:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile...well, alright....it's been a long while since I posted anything. Sorry 'bout that guys. We've still been doing stuff, life has just been getting in the way of taking the camera along.

In the mean time, here are a few agility videos from Dazzle's recent trials for you to enjoy:

First up is the ZAP NADAC trial from back in November. I was running several other dogs (not my own) at this trial but nontheless Dazzle kept her head and the teamwork was nice!

Then in January we did our first ever CPE trial - in the freezing cold. Still a lot of fun though. Dazzle loves the "take as many obstacles as fast as you can" games:

And last but not least, our most recent trial - the RHR USDAA, also from January. Dazzle did awesome with the exception of knocking the first bar (it's killer, but not as bad as knocking the last bar!). The major brag here was the Daz got her first ever Steeplechase Qualifyer and did so with the 4th fastest time - even with a really wide turn. Way to go kiddo!

Oh and one last video (because I still feel bad about abandoning you guys). Here is a video from Christmas and the major Seattle snow!

Speaking of snow...it's snowing right now. Maybe we'll head out for some photos...

Flopsy, Mopsy, Conttontail and Peter

2008-12-20T13:13:00.000-08:00

Okay, well, not really.

We only have two bunnies, and their names aren't Flopsy, or Mopsy, or Cottontail, or even Peter. Their names are Roo and Amber and they are my newest fosters!

Pretty cute huh?

As usual, Dazzle is none to thrilled with the new additions. She probably wouldn't want me to tell you this, but.... she's scared of the bunnies.

Oh yes.

My doggy that can leap tall building in a single bound, move tennis balls with her intense eyes, go through weave poles, traverse planks, and run across see-saws faster than the speed of sound is.........scared of a rabbit.

*sigh*

She's a goofy one alright.

Anyway, these little guys are a lot of fun - and they are up for adoption!

So, yawanna hear a little more about 'em?

Roodleoo:

Roo is just an all around great bun. She is female rex rabbit and about 7 pounds. She is very friendly - comfortable around not only people, but also around crazy border collies like Daz!

She is actually brindle and white and has mezmorizing markings on her very fuzzy and soft bunny-butt:

That's right - don't you dare call it brown or calico or anything else, that's brindle.

Like I said - she is very happy around people and eager to come and greet me in the mornings. The only negative thing about her is that....um...wait. Yeah, I can't think of anything negative. :)

Such a sweetie.

Now about Little Ambery.

(Is that not one of the cutest things you've seen all day? Come on now, you know it is!)

She is smaller than Roo, also a female rex but only around 4 pounds. She is more adventurous and confident than Roo - and as such, a little pushier than Roo. But despite that she seems less people-savvy (yet she is more Dazzle-savvy!).

When I got them she did have a URI and didn't really like taking the meds for it, so that may in fact be the only reason she is less of a people-bun. If so, I'm guessing that it will pass with more time.

Has she won you over yet?

No?

Well, in that case, I'll leave you with this:

As with all my fosters, these little cotton-balls are available through the Humane Society of Seattle and King County.

Did You Catch the Game?

2008-12-05T20:14:00.000-08:00

Dazzle did!

Little miss D won the Sports Fan catagory in Dogster's Annual "World's Coolest" photo contest, beating out 340 other entries!

World's Coolest Dog Photo Winner!

Also her buddy Kaine won the purse-dog catagory! Way to go you guys! Both doggies will be getting a special treat tonight I'm sure.

Here are the prizes they won:

Febreeze Pet Odor Eliminator gift pack of toys and samples
ConairPet gift set including brush and trimmer (Daz will be passing hers onto Popcorn and Peanut....)
A Furminator deShedding Tool
One-year DogsterPlus membership
100 Zealies (Dogster currency)

NOM's the Word

2008-11-25T15:45:00.000-08:00

Helloooo

Every so often I get inspired and take some "studio" type photos. Today happened to be one of those days. However, one of my two studio lights died just as we got started. :( Dang it! But I really wanted to take some pictures!

Why am I telling you this?

Well, because I took photos anyway and as a result of a dead light, these are all "one-lighted" - so I wanted to apologize for that. But I thought some were kind of cute, so I decided to go ahead and share them with you anyway.

"Enuff talk! It's NOMz time!"

"If you iz no delivering of Nomz, I eatz your photo"

Okay okay okay! Calm down sweetie, delivering of Noms will begin shortly.

"YAY NOMZ!"

"I iz ready for NOM delivery!"

I think these photos are really much easier with a point-and-shoot.

Curses this shallow DOF!!

So many a good shots that could have been end up looking like this....

You can still appreciate that though, right? Good.

Ya know, most of the time she is actually quite sane, I swear.

Ah, but we aren't done yet.

How could I call this a "studio" session without doing some doggy-dress-up photos?

"Srsly? Get it off. Now"

Oh but you're so cute in a tie!

How about some glasses then?

Ha! And people think I teach her things!

Little do they know, she actually does her own reading.

I think she'd make a good librarian, don't you?

After the glasses I tried to get her to pose with a toy but by then she was fed up enough.

She promptly took the toy and hid under my desk.

Oh well, 'till next time.

Dogster's 4th Annual World's Coolest Dog Show!

2008-11-18T21:26:00.000-08:00

Last year in the 2007 Dogster contest Dazzle won the big title - "World's Coolest Dog". This year she again made it to the finals in not one, but two catagories! AND little missy Peanut showed that she can be a cool dog too by also having a photo in the finals! The photos in the finals will now be reviewed by some judges to decide which wins their respective catagory. Here are the Doodles' finalist photos:

Sports Fan:

Working Dog:

And Peanut in the Car Dog catagory!

Keep your fingers crossed for 'em!

Bubbles!

2008-11-13T15:53:00.000-08:00

I recently watched a video of Josie, a little border collie (in Texas I think...), blowing bubbles in a bowl of water. (link) I decided to teach Dazzle that trick as well (of course!). Since I get plenty of "how did you teach her that?" questions I decided to videotape the whole process from start to finish - hopefully it will answer some questions people have!

You can skip to the very end if you just want to watch her blow some bubbles.

Enjoy:

The Leaves Have Fallen

2008-11-10T12:28:00.000-08:00

Say hi to Lark everybody

Good job.

To me, Lark and Daz look nothing alike....but to others....well, yeah.

So, let's get this straightend out right now. That way, I won't have to bug you later for getting everything mixed up.

Say it with me, this is L-A-R-K.

Lark loves to play with Dazzle's toys.

She would actually love to play with Dazzle too, but unfortunettly (most of the time) the feeling isn't exactly mutal.

The only way I got some good in-house interaction between the two was to bring out....

THE GIANT ORANGE BALL!

That is, until Dazzle got fed up and just stole it, then tried to lay on top of it so Lark couldn't take it back.

Brat.

Poor Larky, she tries so hard.

Time to do the only thing that can really cheer them both up - go for a hike.

Three days ago when we went on these trails there wasn't a leaf on the ground.

Now?

Let's just say that I got lost - twice - because I couldn't even find the trail.

"We iz lost nao?"

Not to worry kiddo! We go left here, I think.

POP QUIZ! Who is this dog?

If you answered "Lark" congratulations, have a lollipop.

If you answered "Dazzle" please stop now, review the beginning of this post, and try again later.

"I iz a Dazzle!!"

The strange thing about these trails - the deeper you go, the greener it gets. Check it:

Dazzle couldn't quite belive just how green it got...

"SPRING TIME!"

Hate to break it to ya hun, but no - it isn't spring yet Daz.

NOM!

Nobody ever did teach Dazzle the whole "size doesn't matter" thing. She is convinced that the bigger the stick, the more fun it will be to play fetch with.

Um, yeah...that isn't a stick dear, that is a tree trunk.

Eventually, instead of bringing me half the forest, she decided it would be much more fun to bring me roots.

*sigh* And just when some people thought she was sane.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot - time for your final exam.

Who is this?

(HA! And there's no ears to help you out this time either!)

2008 NADAC Championships

2008-10-15T17:15:00.000-07:00

What does mid-september mean to you? The end of summer perhaps. Usually a sad time. But for us it means a long road trip and 7 days of agility competition.

Peanut, even though she isn't competing, was excited to tag along

The agility that I'm talking about of course, is the NADAC Championships. They were once again held in Gillette, WY. On the way there we stopped in Missoula MT for a USDAA Trial the weekend before.

The trial site of the "A Rover Runs Through It" USDAA trial was really neat.

There was lots of stuff to look at between runs...

Daz did really well (as usual for USDAA). She only missed one Q all weekend and it was my fault (of course). She finished almost all her Starters titles that weekend (SSA, SS, SR, and SG) as well as her AD (Agility Dog) title! Way to go kiddo! After such a good weekend we were feeling pretty good about Champs which would start that wednesday.

So on the road again, we headed on from Montana to Wyoming.

It was a familiar site, people slowly queuing up outside the doors to get the best crating spots as soon as the building was opened to the exhibitors. I wonder if Daz remembers the place...

The gifts for the exhibitors were really great this year - we got BALLOONS! We didn't get any balloons last year!

The pacific northwest was very well represented:

Daz and I both seem to enjoy the "high stakes" runs. Yeah, they say you should always run your very best and that there is really no difference between a regular trial and Champs - but if that were true why would we bother coming? And it's impossible to deny that you run just a little harder at a championship event. We like the adrenaline rush.

The only problem, there are a LOT of dogs. We had an average of two runs a day and the days went from the time we got up at 5:30 AM to well past dinner time each night. We got back to the hotel around 10 or 11 each night.

How about a few pictures of those doggies?

Ceilidh

Blue

Amber and Kody

And what would an agility event be without the occasional PUPPY!

This is Kash. I think he is THE cutest golden pup ever.

I think Blue is getting tired of all this boring talk....

Let's see, what else.....

Oh yeah, the raffle. The raffle is HUGE at Champs. Each state or region makes a basket to contribute. Usually the baskets include "native" things. For the PNW basket we had some locally made toys, leashes, and candies for example.

It wouldn't be the NADAC Champs raffle without the armadillos.

If you don't know, don't ask!

Next to the raffle table was the awards table. These are the Special Awards which are sponsored each year by different people or groups.

There were even special awards for the cancer surviving dogs and handlers.

And, of course, the championship trophies for each division and height class:

While we were waiting for the awards, my heart melted at the sight of this little dude's ears. I mean, check it:

Cocoa looks pretty happy about something, but I have no idea what.

Alright, enough pictures. I can only show you so much with pictures (mostly because for most of the event I forgot to take my camera out....ooops.)

How about a quick run down video? For those that couldn't be there, or those that were and want to bring back all the memories, enjoy!

Now I know I'm forgetting something here....what else do you want to know?

Oh wait, what about results? I think the PNW group did pretty good this year! Can you spot Daz?

She's the one with the trophy and the pretty purple Regular Agility Champion ribbon.

Yup, that's right. Despite our wild year, the little miss stuck with me through it all and pulled it off. This year my goal was just to be able to physically RUN at the event - anything else would be a bonus. But that's what Daz is all about, those bonuses, always going above and beyond.

Alright alright, enough wishy washy fluffy stuff. Here is the video of our runs - both the games and the Regular events:

In some ways the event came and went in a blink, in other ways it seemed to go on and on and on. In the end, it all balances out. It was really great being there, but we were happy to be heading home by the end.

Little Dee was pretty exhausted by the time we got home, but before she slept it all off I was able to snap a few award photos of her.

So that was our big event. We worked towards it all year, and now it's over. I guess it's time to set next year's goals.....

Dazzle is a semi-finalist in the WWF Awards!

2008-09-01T13:58:00.000-07:00

Dazzle has made it to the Semi-final round in the first annual Worldwide Fido Awards. She and 3 other dogs are now competing head-to-head for the chance to win Best Trick and go to LA and be on the TV special for the final round of the competition.

You can vote for the video once a day until the end of September.

Non-Doggie Randomness

2008-08-27T07:45:00.000-07:00

We had family come and visit this summer so we did some of the usual tourist sight seeing.

Here are some completely random non-doggie photos.

Summer-Time Swimming Lessons!

2008-08-13T10:28:00.000-07:00

Dazzle has a secret.

Although Daz loves water more then life itself, she can't actually swim.

Most people see her in the water and just assume that she loves to swim as well as splash around, but no. If ever her ball gets too far out, instead of swimming she stand up on her hind legs to go and get it:

Yes, she is kinda bizarre that way - but we already knew she was a little different didn't we?

Well, this summer I decided that at three years old it was about gosh darn time she learned to swim, so off to Bainbridge Island we went.

For awhile it wasn't going so well....
So we took a break and played in the sand for awhile.

Well, we tried to take a break. Daz however, was all business so we kept practicing.

Her confidence was definitely building!

For the first time she started jumping into the water.

But no doggie paddling action yet.

She really needed a break from the water so we found the one thing that can always distract her - a stick.

Ok, enough with the stick. She is quite obsessive about all things woody, so, like many good things, it must be delivered in moderation.

!!! Alert !!!

Flying Peanuts approaching!!

And Crazy-Monster-Popcorns!
Hehe. Come on now, who could not love a little puff-head like Popcorn??

Daz says enough with the pictures, let's get back to the water!

Okay okay...

The sun was starting to go down. The shadows were getting long. This was her last chance to become amphibian.

And then....

......just as I was loosing all hope....

...the little miss pulled it off and started doggie paddling!

Hurray!!

She, Dazzle the wonder dog, figured out how to swim. It was a long hard battle and there were moments when it looked doubtful we would ever get to this point, but here we are.

Now, finally, we can go home and rest!

Some Aussie Love

2008-08-02T10:27:00.000-07:00

I think everyone could use a little more Aussie in their lives! How about some pictures of a couple of the most handsome Aussie Shepherd boys I know:

Spike!

Spike would much rather I put the camera down and throw his kong.

INCOMING!

Who could that be? Ah, of course. Jackson!

J shows off his new talent - getting goodies out of the trees!

Silly man! He's always good for a laugh. :)

Say Hi!

2008-07-18T10:12:00.000-07:00

Say hi to Lark!

Larky is learning all kinds of new tricks during her stays here but we couldn't be all serious and learning all the time so we went out to play.

Lark and Dazzle were pretty good at sharing

Most of the time...

They really did play together nicely. Maybe because Lark doesn't keep jumping over and on top of Dazzle like some un-named Aussie!

Such goofy girls!

Woof in Boots

2008-07-15T13:29:00.000-07:00

Dazzle blistered and then cut open her pads while practicing agility the other day. Poor thing. I knew full well that keeping her inside until she was fully healed was not an option so off to PetsMart we went to pick up some booties.

She actually doesn't seem to mind them at all, as long as she got to keep playing!

If anything, I think she was playing harder than usual.

Now, overshooting the ball is normal - but to do it every single time? Good grief girl, slow down!

It looks like she managed to get this one right? Nope. She just couldn't quite slam on the breaks fast enough.

This one?

It ended in her doing something resembling a summersault....and still missing the ball. .
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Despite the impressive air display on this attempt she was, yet again, a little over the top:

Surely you can guess by now, but in case you still need help - no. she did not catch this one either.

Then, right as I was beginning to loose all hope, she made a catch. :)

And boy was she proud of herself!

With that catch, we decided to quit while we were ahead and turn back to home.

Better luck next time!

ShakeShakeShake!

2008-07-10T20:50:00.000-07:00

While we were in Canby Oregon for the USDAA Regionals, and the temperature hit 115 degrees, we decided to leave the agility rings behind that afternoon and go find some place to cool off. In doggie-terms means "BEACH!".

I brought Lark, a two year old girl belonging to our agility trainer, along as well because her family was still competing in the afternoon events and she really needed to cool off. So no, in case you were wondering, Dazzle's ears did not suddenly stand up and nor did she turn tri - it would be Lark you are looking at in those photos.

In case you didn't know...

Dazzle. Loves. Water.

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Time for some shakin' photos (tell me, can you take your dogs to water and NOT get some shaking photos?! I don't think so)

A cute series of Lark:

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You gotta love the Bully in the background looking at Dazzle like "dude, what the heck?"

"oh Hai!"
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This is a Dazzle pounce:

And this is a much more graceful looking pounce by Lark:

I think Lark is just all around more graceful than Daz....actually...I am sure of it.

"Look ma look! I gots me a stick!!"

Kersploosh

A rare shot - me with the pups. This was taken before I sucked it up and brought my camera out into the water. I am very happy to annouce that the camera did indeed survive the expirience

Dazzle, the hunter. What is she hunting? I have no clue, but she looks very cool doing it.

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"We come play in big water again sometime, yes?"

Walkin' on the Sun

2008-07-05T16:54:00.001-07:00

So, for the first time I really got to experience what if feels like to run agility on the surface of the sun.

The Northwest USDAA Regional in Canby Oregon was H-O-T. Friday wasn't too bad, but Saturday....it was 110 degrees in the shade. Dazzle has never even been in such heat, let alone run in it.

Except for the crazy heat, it was actually pretty fun. For the first time in nearly 6 months, I got to run. Well, as long as I did straight lines only, on level ground, not too long, and not too fast - but hey, it was still running and that's what counts! So in the video you may notice a slightly different (IOW - "way better") brace on my knee .

Our runs were not spectacular, but there was some good pieces that I was very proud of. We did PVP on Friday with Ali Johnson and her crazy noodle dog Taiko. That was really fun, despite our...um...very sad placement. Then we ran in Starters (okay, so it's only our second USDAA trial) on Saturday and Sunday. Miss Daz got 4 Qs and didn't knock a ton of bars, which was our main goal. She also got some fancy placements with those Qs.
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Joe Camp, a photographer, took some great photos of Daz that I can't help but share:

I didn't take a ton of photos because with four rings I was busy a lot of the time. Most of these are from the Grand Prix finals. I would have taken some of the Steeple Chase finals too but the skies broke loose and, sorry, but I wasn't going to sit out in the rain and thunder and lighting taking photos. Anyway, here are some of the highlights from what I got:

It was a long drive, and some crazy weather (we actually saw what can only be described as a tornado on the drive home, I am not kidding), but totally worth it. Hopefully next year, fingers crossed Dazzle and I stay injury-free, we can actually go and be a little more competitive...

Dazzle's Spring Tricks

2008-06-29T19:51:00.000-07:00

Here is a quick video of Dazzle showing off some of the newer tricks that she learned this spring. Check out the drool at 1:15. :)

The-Trial-Formerly-Known-As-Lacey

2008-06-24T21:07:00.000-07:00

I think the title of this post needs a bit of explaining, so here goes.

RAT (the Rainier Agility Team) has traditionally held its June NADAC trial in Lacey Washington. Now....we usually refer to different trials by where they are located. There is the Port Gamble trial, the Elma trial, the Ridgefield trial, and so on. This trial has been referred to as "Lacey" for quite a few years. Unfortunately, the field where this trial was held is going to have a building built on it and can no longer be used. I know, how annoying right? So the trial was relocated. However, that hasn't stopped people from called it Lacey. So the "official" name of this trial is now the TFKA Lacey even though it was held at Argus Ranch in Auburn this year.

Okay, now that I got that out of the way I can tell you about how the trial actually went. Daz did really good....for most of it anyway. There were a few sketchy runs here and there but for the most part we ran (well she ran, I walked) as a team. She got some Qs and some placements. She also finished her Open Hoopers title which was a bit exciting. That only took us 300 tries. Okay not really, but it did take about twice as long as it took to get her Novice Hoopers title. She is what I call "hoop-crazy" and whenever she sees a hoop she must run through it, so we have racked up plenty of NQs in that game for that reason. UNTIL NOW! Haha. I think we finally beat the hoop-crazies. That is wonderful news.

Here is the video:

I didn't actually take photos at this trial of the dogs running. I was just too busy doing other things (hmmm...like sitting around and relaxing...) but I was a "Follunteer Photographer" (aka, a volunteer photographer for Fido Follies).

At the TFKA Lacey there is an event called Fido Follies. It's pretty crazy, but a good kind of crazy. People and dogs get in costume, and do crazy things and bribe judges, and cheat, and all that good stuff. It's pretty fun actually. So here are a few of the photos from that:

I wasn't kidding when I said Fido Follies was crazy.

'till next time!

ZAP NADAC Trial

2008-06-10T20:48:00.000-07:00

This trial marks the start of a busy summer. For the rest of the summer we have a trial almost every other weekend and a few back-to-back.

Dazzle did pretty well at the ZAP trial. She was making a lot of wide turns and didn't have the fastest response time on a few runs, but not bad. She managed to grab a few Qs and some impressive placements to go with them.

Video:

Just a couple photos this time. :)

Wazzu

Elf

Colin

Bentley

Tucker

Ceilidh

Mega-Dogs NADAC Trial

2008-05-27T18:11:00.000-07:00

Dazzle and I went to the Mega-Dogs Memorial Day weekend NADAC trial. The weather was really great for all three days. A wee bit hot, but really not bad at all.

I still can't run but we "ran" anyway. Not many Qs, but we got the one that really mattered this weekend. She Q'd in chances which finished her Elite Chances title and also her Elite Versatility Award! Very fun!

Here is the video of a few of our runs:

This year's theme for the Mega-Dogs trial was "Talent Contest". So, of course, that meant there would be a talent contest for the dogs....and Dazzle entered. Actually nobody volunteered to go first, so we did. Dazzle did a small selection: wave, kiss, carry a package, roll up in a blanket, leg weaving (forwards and backwards), limping, crossing her paws, walking on her hind legs backwards, and climbing in a suitecase. Then after we went....nobody else did. I think we my have scared off the competition. Anyway, eventually a couple other dogs did some things but the next morning Dazzle was announced the winner! Way to go Daz! She got a neat little prize with toys and cookies and a collar and stuff. She thought it was pretty sweet.

Here are some photos fromt the weekend. This was the first outdoor agility trial I got to take the camera too, so there was quite a bit of expirementing that I had to do.

Now is she not the most beautiful little redbone you have ever seen?!

Pie

Elf

Sometimes you just gotta' shake it off

Sprinkles

Can you say "missed contact"?

Esther

Bling!

You can't not love these ears. Do you think it hurts when they slap him in the face?

Ceilidh

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Kelly

Someone is feeling a little impatient!

Nana

That's all I got for you this time. Just chill out, we have another couple trials coming up in a few weeks.

Esther

Simply Dazzling

2008-05-24T05:44:00.000-07:00

Dazzle has a new trick video up!

There are about 60 different tricks in this video! Enjoy.

Zoom Zoom!

2008-05-06T15:03:00.000-07:00

Look who it is!

Finally we had a day with minimal amounts of rain so I could take the camera to the park. Well, I guess I could take the camera in the rain too...but generally speaking, cameras and rain don't mix well.

Obviously it was still quite wet - as you can tell because Dazzle is SUPER-POOFY.

Dazzle's fur sticks straight out when it gets wet, thus the super-poofing. Poor girl. She has fat hair.

I have been working on my technique for low-light photos (for places like, um, Seattle). I have particularly fallen in love with panning for running dogs. Thanks to the knee, I can't quite get low and still turn smoothly to take the photos at longer shutterspeeds, but not bad for a first try.

It makes it look like she is going roughly 287 yps doesn't it? (haha! Yay for totally random numbers!)

In other news, Dazzle has totally fallen in love with her pink-really-loud-squeaky-thing that she has had forever and never before taken interest in.

She can't catch it worth a darn, but she does love it...

"Oof"

Dude, seriously. Work on your mouth/eye coordination.

Better....

Ah! Wait for it...

...wait for it...

OMG, I think she is actually going to CATCH it!!

That's more like it girly.

Oh yeah, she's proud.

We went to a USDAA trial awhile back.

Unfortunately we couldn't run (curse you knee!) but I was able to take some photos with my newly learned technique. A couple highlights:

And a quick knee update:

PT is going great so far. Many times I find the exercises are not challenging enough and am able to do significantly more then what they originally asked for. I guess that's a good thing. And except for my hamstring - which still annoys me a bit - I feel as good as new. But I am not as good as new yet. Arg. I want to just go outside and RUN but my physical therapist (would that make her a PTist?) says we won't do that until about 4 months post-op. I am just about 2 and a half months out now. *sniff* Still a ways to go. I want to hike, run, climb, and play with my doggies dang it!

Okay. Deep breaths. Approximately just 47 more days until I get to start jogging.

That's about, what? 4,060,800 more seconds? 4,060,799......4,060,798..........4,060,797.......4,060,796......

Small, Furry, and Dusty

2008-04-30T12:51:00.000-07:00

Chinchillas!

Let me introduce you to Prancer and Chatterbox:

These two little girls are available for adoption from the Humane Society for Seattle and King County and are my newest fosters. Lyla went back to the HS for the Tuxes and Tails event - but sadly she didn't get adopted, so she is also still available.

These two Chinchillas are rather unsocialized - that is what we are working on - and they do something called "Fur Chewing". Basically they chew each other's fur so it is really short in places. There isn't much we can do about that, so they just have funny looking coats.

One of the interesting things about Chinchillas is that they take "dust baths". About every other day I give them special "chinchilla dust" and they roll around and clean themselves in it....and simultaneously throw dust all over the room... But despite the mess, I must admit it is pretty cute to watch them go at it.

This is Prancer:

Prancer is, ironically, the less prancy of the two and prefers to hide in their little house when she gets stressed.

This is Chatterbox

It was quickly apparent why her name is chatterbox, she chatters! Actually the sound they make is more like a chirp. Chatterbox is really active and likes bouncing off the walls - literally.

My plan is to try and get them used to people. They are very happy unless you try to touch them, then they run and hide. They don't mind people being close to their cage, or people talking to them, they just don't like being touched.

I made a cage for them because the one they came in wasn't appropriate for Chinchillas (they need room to climb). It may not be the prettiest thing, but it works. They were very happy to have a "shelf" to sit on in their new cage:

Can you tell them apart yet?

Dazzle likes these guys better than she liked Lyla, but she is still pretty terrified of them. Especially at night when they bounce all over their cage.

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So these little girls are my newest challenge. The main goal is hopefully to get them used to being stroked and not freaking out when you clean their cage - if we can get that then we will work to try and get them used to being picked up!

EAT April NADAC Trial

2008-04-28T00:38:00.000-07:00

So we went to a trial.

That is interesting because I can't actually run yet, and still won't be able to for some time - and the scooter can only get us so far on Elite courses! Luckily I have been working on Dazzle's distance work and my self control so I don't screw up my leg.

The amazing thing is, if our dogs have the slightest limp - we pull them from the trial. The people half of the team on the other hand will go out and run with their dogs no matter what injuries they have!

We actually did manage to get 5 Qs during the weekend, which isn't shabby, and a couple nice placements as well. We also did a bonus line on one course, which got Dazzle enough points to finish her 1000 lifetime point award! That was happy!

So, for your enjoyment, here is the video of some of our more successful runs from the trial.

We got to do Hoopers again too, the newest phase - which is kind of like Snooker. It turns out that Dazzle goes kind of crazy whenever she sees a hoop so we will have to work on that if we ever hope to get out of Open Hoopers.

Simi also loved the hoops!

Here are some other random pictures from the trial that I particularly like:

Stay tuned, I have some exciting news regarding some new critters in the house! I'll give you a hint: they are cute, furry, weigh about one pound, and take dust baths!

Hai!

2008-04-23T14:21:00.000-07:00

Oh....Hai

Wendell says hi!

So does Wally, who is Wendell's little brother.

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Wally likes cookies.

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He likes cookies almost as much as he likes tennis balls

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And I like doing black and white photos almost as much as I like doing color photos.

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Wendell and Wally happen to be excellent black and white photo subjects.

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So, of course, that means you get to look at some Wendell and Wally photos.

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Wendell says Bye!

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By the way, Dazzle ended up winning that video contest and is now America's ultimate sport pet. She even got to be featured in the local newspaper! Thanks for voting!

Furry Four!

2008-03-31T12:32:00.000-07:00

OMD!

Oh. My. Dog.

I can hardly believe my eyes! Dazzle made it to the "Furry Four" finalists in the Mutt Madness video contest!

The contest started with 65 videos and is now down to these final four. But she won't get any farther without your help! Can we make Dazzle "America's Ultimate Sports Pet"? Well, we can sure try! You can give Dazzle's video a vote at this link:

http://www.petfirsthealthcare.com/mm/FurryFour.aspx

Feel free to spread the woof about it. The contest ends on April 7th (next Monday).

Keeping our paws and fingers crossed...

Happy Woof-Day

2008-03-25T19:27:00.000-07:00

Happy 3rd "woof-day" Dazzle!

(for the record, that little cake was painstakingly handmade by me - I am pretty proud of it actually)

Dazzle's birthday was March 1st. I can't believe my little girl is already 3 years old. It seems like just yesterday she was a goofy little 8 week old pup - and sometimes she still acts like she is. I don't know how I ever survived without her.

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Popcorn likes birthday cake.

*shake shake shake*

Unfortunately it was raining on Dazzle's birthday so the camera couldn't go out and play.

But the good news is that we got to have a beautiful rainbow right in our backyard.

It was a really good thing that the rainbow was right out our window, because like the camera - I couldn't go outside and play on Dazzle's birthday.

I had my ACL reconstruction and meniscus "repair" surgery (it was more of a "clean up and let it heal" than a repair for the meniscus) . It went very well according to my surgeon. If you had asked me how I thought it went right after surgery I would have screamed - the pain was pretty intense for those first few days.

Thankfully now I am doing much better and I am very happy to have had the surgery. I am now 3 weeks out and ROM is little more than 130 degrees, quad strength is coming back pretty well, and I can more or less walk with a normal gait. Really the only pain now is my hamstring tendon (where they took the graft from). Hopefully that will go away in a few more weeks.

Dazzle is pretty happy to see me mobile again. Just in time for the beginning of spring! .

In case you didn't know, Dazzle loves spring. Not too hot, not too cold - and you can play outside for hours and hours.

Would someone like to explain to me why Aussies have springs in their paws?

I just don't understand...

It's ok that nobody understands Jackson sometimes, because he is drop-dead handsome.

Ya know, sometimes I don't totally understand Border Collies either...especially when Dazzle does things like this.

Maybe that is why they get along so well - the two misfits.

Happy Easter!

or

"meet our new addition"

Well, temporary addition anyway. She is a foster rabbit that is currently available for adoption at the Humane Society for Seattle and King County. Her name was originally "Smipples" but because that is impossible to say without getting your tongue in a knot, we changed her name.

Meet Lyla

She is a very sweet bunny and doesn't mind the dogs at all. She is also very smart - she picked up on litter-box training in just a couple days.

Popcorn secretly, well - not so secretly sometimes - wants to eat Lyla.

And Dazzle, well, all is fine in Dazzle's world as long as she can still go outside and play with her funny-shaped toys.

Do YOU Tether-ball?

2008-02-19T13:12:00.000-08:00

Dazzle does.

Dazzle loves Tether-ball.

Even though she has not cared about it in the past 3 years, she now can't live without it.

Who is to blame for this? Jackson.

Jackson has always loved Tether-Ball.

Now is this a happy dog or what?

As I said before, it takes a few days before Daz will accept Jackson, usually just a day or two before J goes home. Sure enough - the red monster is going home soon and now Dazzle thinks he is the greatest playmate ever.

So I don't have any more evil Dazzle pictures.

Only nice, friendly, pretty dogs this time.

In case you didn't know,

Dazzle is the queen of tennis balls.

She pursues them with unmatched grace and speed

She never misses her glowing green target.

Well, almost never. And she is graceful, most of the time.

She doesn't like it when I make fun of her. She just wants me to shut my mouth and throw. the. ball.

Now is J not the most handsome Aussie you have ever seen?

I can't stop taking pictures of him!

Everything he does is irresistibly cute.

He is just so gosh darn photogenic!

Poor Daz feels left out with J being so cute all the time.

Maybe that is the real reason that Daz doesn't like him...

I am finding out just how weird/cool pictures can come out with my 17mm lens.

I think Jackson likes it.

And Dazzle definitely likes it.

Because I have never had a wide angle enough lens before to show you this, here is our little park where we play.

It isn't huge, but it is pretty flat with plenty of grass and that is good enough for the dogs.

That is where we are headed now - this weather and these blue skies are almost to good to be true.

Yes, another stupid plea for votes! The contest ends on February 29th and Dazzle is almost in the lead again! Please stop by and give her a vote for just a few more days.

http://worldwidefido.com/watch/3738/dazzles-puppy-days

Bummer

2008-02-15T11:53:00.000-08:00

It has been awhile, and a lot of stuff has happened! .
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First of all, I hurt myself....bad.

I took a bad fall while bouldering and tore my ACL and meniscus. Basically that means surgery, lots of PT, and a very very long recovery time - which is the real bummer. No rock climbing, no running, no hiking, no dog agility, no dog Frisbee, etc etc. However - I will be able to bike, so that is good news. At least I can stay active somehow....

If you are curious, more info about ACL tears can be found here.

As if that wasn't bad enough, the day after I did that I got the flu. I couldn't even throw a ball or talk (much to Dazzle's horror). It was a pretty miserable 2 weeks, but once the flu went away I was feeling much better and the knee seemed like no biggie.

Oh, and did I say no Dog Agility? Well, that isn't exactly true. I would die if that were true.

Hmmm...

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THAT is how we are going to do our next trial! Well, except I will be the one driving, not Dazzle.

It is very different to handle your dog from a seated position on a little motorized scooter, but we are getting along okay so far. More about that later.

February 1st was little miss Peanut's 7th Birthday!

What do we do on birthdays? Photo shoots!

Annnndddd.... (see I told you, lots of news, and you aren't even half though yet!)

February 5th was my birthday! Maybe not the best birthday, what with the flu and being unable to walk, but a good one none the less.

*ppptttthhhh*

More exciting news, for the first time with the new camera, we went to the zoo!

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So we went to an agility trial (just after 2 hours of practice with the scooter....)

We actually did OK considering. We got our first Elite Chances Q (maybe I should be on a scooter more often?!?) and Dazzle (for the first time ever) got to run with a different handler, and she Q'd! She also finished her Outstanding Elite Tunnelers title!

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Peanut was there too. Unlike the super-Dazzle she was actually pretty stressed by the scooter and the scooter's highest speed isn't enough to make her run top speed through a course so although she was running clean she wasn't making time. I don't think I will do any more trials with her until I can run again because I don't want her to practice going slow and stressing in the ring....

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the directly above and below photos by Joe Camp

Video:

I got to take more doggie photos of course at the trial. I couldn't climb down in the dirt so these are taken from the bleachers, sort of a different perspective than usual for agility pictures.....

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(again these are all taken with the 85mm f/1.8 lens)

And yet more news!!

Guess who has come to stay again?

And now guess who isn't so happy about that.

It's Jackson! The red Aussie boy!

Here to stay for a week while his family goes to Hawaii. . .

Dazzle is pissed.

She tends to warm up to him right about when he goes home, and then when we get him again - she hates him again. Crazy dog. Jackson likes her though, and he couldn't care less if she tries to bite his head off!
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Such a good boy.
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Such a bad girl.

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'till next time....

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Oh one more thing - Happy Valentine's day!
OK wait, one last thing. Really, I promise this is the last thing.

Daz is in a video contest and need people to vote for her. All you have to do is go to the link and click on the bone beneth the video. You are allowed to vote once per day, so keep going back!

Help make Dazzle the "Cutest Dog" on Worldwide Fido!

EAT NADAC Trial

2008-01-22T10:05:00.000-08:00

The first trial of the new year!

The "Extreme Agility Team's" (aka - EAT's) January NADAC trial is well known for being the coldest trial of the year. Although it wasn't actually too bad this year, it was still pretty darn cold.

We had the usual 12 runs. Unfortunately, we only Q'd in 4. The good news is that those four were some of the best runs we have ever done. We are in the midst of trying new things (handling wise) that neither of us fully understand yet so either that or knocked bars were the cause of the NQ's. So far we both seem to like the change and when we get it right....we get it right.

We tried a few of the bonus lines (there were a total of 4 at the trial), and we actually "got" one on Touch N go except for 2 missed contacts! She did super though.

Video:

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And.....*happy dance*....pictures!! Yay for new camera! The indoor arena at ARF (Argus Ranch Facility) is the worst place for taking photos, not to mention action photos! No outside light at all, dark walls and ground surface, and a few fluorescent lights wich are hardly enough for human eyes. I won't even go to all the dirt and grit that floats around in the air. It is dim, dark, and dirty. But I am super proud because my camera, with my little lens, did much better than I thought possible.

I still have to work some more on getting everything set just right so I can have a higher percentage of good photos with the stupid fluorescent lights, but this was my first attempt in there with the 40D. All taken with my 85mm f/1.8 lens.
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More camera testing will go on next weekend at the RHR USDAA trial which is also at Argus Ranch......

Is it a Crime.....

2008-01-09T23:57:00.000-08:00

...to not play with a dog that looks at you like this?

Dazzle sure thinks so.

I actually thought so too, so we did play! Unfortunately, those toys get boring real quick.

She begged and pleaded that we go and play in the stuff that she just knew was outside...

Popcorn begged and pleaded that we would just leave her in the warm house and let her sleep.

The reason I didn't want to go outside early that morning? It had snowed.

Someone was sure happy about it!

Just like I knew it would, it all melted by 10am. But because she was so darn cute we did play in it while it lasted.

Ya know, snow is very serious stuff...

...It requires the utmost concentration....

Why you ask?

Because you have to catch every snowflake!

Sadly, Dazzle isn't very photogenic in the snow.

*Boing!*

These really don't look all that flattering do they?

Hmmmm.....

Yeah, this isn't lookin' so great.

Right about when I took this one I just gave up getting cute pictures of her catching a snowflake.

Poor little Dazzle.

But see what I mean? She really is quite cute as long as she isn't catching snowflakes!

Of course, she was pretty mad about having to come back inside.

Sorry lil' pup.

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Of course we did go back out, after the snow had melted that is. By the time we were done she forgot all about how mad she was at having to leave the snow in the morning.
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The little dogs say that I will have to wait until the weather is warmer before I will get any cute pictures of them outside.

One more thing.... When you get a chance, stop by Worldwide Fido and vote for Dazzle's trick video! You can give it one bone per day, so keep going back!

http://worldwidefido.com/watch/3599/dazzles-tricks-of-the-trade

Year End = Year Beginning

2008-01-01T22:43:00.000-08:00

Poor Dazzle

Yay!

An excuse to put silly hats on the doggies!

They are not pleased.

Anyway.....

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

In case you were wondering, Peanut was too dignified to wear a hat.

The little Snob.

Food is always a big thing for New Year's Eve in our house.

As a tradition, we always have fondue.

Cheese dipped apples and bread for starters, then the main course that includes chicken, beef, shrimp, mushrooms, and scallops. Then we finish off with the deepest, darkest chocolate - in which we dip strawberries, pound cake, and marshmallows. What can beat that??

The doggies wanted something yummy too.

Sooooo, they got it. Doesn't this look delicious?

Well alright, maybe it does look a bit gross but the doggies didn't seem to care, they wanted it.

And, they got it!

Of course, then they wanted more.

And, to their delight, they actually did get some more. I just couldn't resist the sweet little faces Y

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, and wonderful 2008!

A Very Very Merry Christmas!

2007-12-26T18:40:00.000-08:00

Dazzle says Hi.

She really enjoyed opening her Christmas presents....

So did Popcorn and Peanut

I enjoyed opening my presents too. Especially the one that came from Canon.

Behold, my new camera. The Canon EOS 40D (a dSLR).

I also got a few lenses (one a hand-me-down, one new, and two brought out from long long ago) From left to right:

EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 (old)

EF 28-105mm f/3.5 (0ld)

EF 85mm f/1.8 (new)

Tokina AT-X Pro 17mm f/3.5 (hand-me-down)

My sister got a camera too. Although, hers is quite different than an SLR.

It might take awhile for me to get used to all the different button placements, so I am experimenting as much as possible these first few days. I figured I might as well post some of the experiments (all taken with the 85mm f/1.8)

Alright, enough boring stuff

Let's sniff out something more exciting to take pictures of.

This by the way, is Tally.

My cousin's Toy Fox Terrier. She likes posing for pictures alright.

But she would much rather go do something else.

Like beg for her Christmas present

And then of course open her Christmas present

So what did Tally get? The most annoying toy on the planet that's what.

The toy itself is quite noisy and irritating but in case that wasn't enough it drives Tally nuts so she barks her little dog bark (read "earsplittingly high pitched shouting") constantly when the toy is within her paws. She loves it, and hates it.

But everyone else just hates it plain and simple.

So to keep my sanity I took it away for the evening. Tally pouted.

Or maybe she was just plain ol' pissed off at me.

Well....maybe it was both.

Needless to say, everyone else was thrilled with the silence!

This, by the way, is Jackson. He is a friend's Aussie that got to stay with us for Christmas while his family was out of town.

He is quite the handsome boy (of course he could care less, he just wants to PLAY)

Dazzle wants to play too.

"Hey, you with the camera"

"Do you think you could throw that toy you are holding?"

"Like...right now please?"

*after walking to a bigger piece of grass*

"How about now? Please can you throw it now"

"Yaaaayyy!"

Jackson spies his target....

And with the stealth and grace of a.......well alright, with no stealth or grace whatsoever, he attacks!

And he wins!

"Mom, throw it again. He screwed me up"

Time to place your bets, who do think will win it?

Dazzle!

Luckily J doesn't really care that much when he looses.

But he does love to steal if from Daz just for the heck of it.

Poor wittle Dazzle-wazzle.

"Mom, please make him go away"

Sorry Daz, I can't make him go away. But we can go out secretly while J takes a nap and play some more.

There we go. Now she's happy.

"Oh crap, he's back."

The little gremlin makes an appearance.

And the other gremlin....

Awww, nice and calm. Such a good boy.

Oh dear, I see silliness starting to set in....

So much for settling down I guess.

Yup, definitely getting goofy now.

But just as the bitey-face play was really getting good it was time for Jackson to go home.

I won't lie, Dazzle was definitely happy about that.

Happy Holidays to all!

Countdown to Christmas

2007-12-23T17:07:00.000-08:00

Dazzle wants it to be Christmas.

Right. Now.

But it isn't Christmas yet! The only thing we can do now is play outside....

And just hang in there until....

Santa Clause comes!

Oh yeah, and we can also go look at cute little Teddy Bears.

Awwwwwwwww!

The Doggies don't really like Teddies though, they just want to open their presents!

Two more days!

There's No Place Like Home

2007-12-23T16:49:00.001-08:00

Guess what showed up in our yard on a stormy afternoon?

.. .

This pretty little (well, alright, BIG) girl was wandering around the street with nobody in sight so with a few cookies I got her to come close enough to where I could grab her collar.

Unforunetly she didn't have any name tag, only her county license and rabies tag. Luckily, we could use those tags to get her home.

The veterinary hospital couldn't give out the family's phone number but they did give the family our contact info. The family called us awhile later and after talking for a bit we found out her name was Hailey and we got their address and I took her home. Apparently the two little kids where ecstatic to have their doggie back!

That night we found this little package on our doorstep that they had dropped off in thanks.

Just another happy ending for the Holiday season!

What's for Dinner?

2007-12-20T16:24:00.000-08:00

All This!

Canine nutrition is my new obsession.

...

I have done loads of research and - after deciding that I just wasn't going to be able to keep up with a 100% raw/homemade diet - I switched the dogs to EVO 95% cans (95% some kind of meat like beef, chicken/turkey, rabbit, venison, duck, etc - we use a different meat source often), then, although not every day, I will add in some Tripett (canned green tripe), some RMBs (Raw Meaty Bones), some different canned foods for variety (Natura, Timberwolf, Canidae, etc), some healthy table scraps, and ever changing bits of kibble (the usual high quality kibble brands like Timberwolf, Canidae, Evo, Nature's Variety, California Natural, Wellness, etc). They also get Salmon Oil supplements every day.

Whew! That's a lot of stuff!

The research will continue and the diet will probably continue to change as I look for the best, highest quality, semi-low-cost, simple diet. But the dogs love it so far! Esspecially the raw chicken feet, Dazzle's personal favorite.

The World's Coolest Dog is.....

2007-12-05T22:29:00.000-08:00

Dazzle!

Well....who else did you think it'd be?

Actually, I am serious though. Out of 348,000 dogs, Dazzle has been voted to be the coolest one of them all!

Dazzle was voted best in show in Dogster's Worlds Coolest Dog Show!

Dazzle sends out lots of slurps and wags to all of her fans.

Tricked You!

2007-12-01T22:24:00.000-08:00

No, not the mean kind of trick! Dazzle wants to show you her tricks!

Alas, they cannot all fit in a 5 minute song, so here are just a few for your entertainment:

ZAP - NADAC Thanksgiving Weekend

2007-11-28T20:56:00.000-08:00

One year.

That is how long Dazzle has been trialing now. Exactly one year ago was her first trial. Now, a year later we went to the same trial, and actually ran under the same judges! In that one year she has gotten 96 Qs, completed 22 titles, finished 2 Special Awards, qualified and then went to NADAC Championships, and gotten to the Elite level in all the NADAC classes.

Way to go little girl!

Anyway, enough soppy stuff. The trial went really well. She got 11 Qs out of 19. Pretty good, especially considering the risks we took. We tried all but one of the Bonus Boxes that Arlene Courtney (the judge) set up. She could make the physical distance in them all, but other things (like knocked bars and missed weave entries mainly) went wrong that kept her from one of those special Qs. Nonetheless, she was able to impress the crowd! There were three Touch N Go runs over the weekend, and she got 1st place in Every. Single. One. Keep in mind this is against all the other 20" dogs (the most competitive height class), most of which are some of the fastest dogs in the country! She also had a couple spectacular Regular runs.

She finished two titles over the three days: her Elite Jumpers and her Novice Hoopers title.

Video of some of Dazzle's highlight runs:

And Peanut has brags of her own!

That's right, little fluffy Peanut-the-couch-potato. Check it out:

It's no joke. Little Nut really did earn every one of those big ribbons!

Peanut has issues. If I had to pick one word to describe her, it would be

Paranoid

She has separation anxiety, she is very noise sensitive, she stresses out easier than a cornered chipmunk, and she despised agility. Now, almost 2 years after her major agility shutdown, 2 years of hard work and re-training, she has finally come out of her shell. She now loves "the game" and can be blazing fast too! I took a big chance and entered in all of the NADAC "core classes" (Chances, Jumpers, and Regular) for Friday and Saturday. She did do two Jumpers runs back in June (and Q'd in both) but this would be her first time doing the big equipment.

She had 8 runs total, she Q'd in 7 if them! OMD! I couldn't believe it! Not only that but she got a first place in them all too (except Chances which is just pass/fail). And the amazing-ness continued. She finished her Novice Jumpers title (she only need one more Q for it) but she also not only started, but finished her Novice Agility Title! You need 3 Q's for the title, and she got it in 3 runs! She got a lot of extra cookies for that!

The one run that she didn't Q in was just more than she was ready to handle right now. It was Chances (for a velcro dog, obviously not her favorite class). The course required me to send her out about 15' to a curved tunnel (her worse nightmare) and layer a jump (he favorite obstacle). She tried, she really did - she would look at the tunnel, then look at me, then danced her paws like there was an invisible wall keeping her from moving forward. That was fine, I stepped over the line to help her out. No need to keep trying something I knew she wasn't ready for. Maybe at her next trial!

Here is Nutty's video:

Peanut will now hopefully be going to more trials. Both NADAC for the core classes, and USDAA for the Junior Handler class (when it is offered). And Dazzle, well - 300 more points until her NATCH....

(photos by Todd Coon - "Infinite Exposures")

First USDAA!

2007-11-14T23:38:00.000-08:00

We decided to go to the RAT (Rainier Agility Team, a club in which we are members) trial to be our first USDAA. Also, because it was right after Nationals it was increadibly small - about half size at least compared to the rest around here.

I think Dazzle did increadibly well and I couldn't be prouder. Standard was just the usual stuff, sort of like a NADAC open course. Jumpers, well, great except for the bars that all came crashing down... Pairs was fun - we were so lucky to get a wonderful partner (we were being drawn one). That was a bit strange for Daz, but she got to go first so she didn't have to much time to think about it. Gamblers was a lot of fun. I had seen it before and understood the goal - Daz seemed to pick up pretty quick on that. She got double the score of any other Starters dog! And Snooker, well I didn't even understand the rules until 5 minutes before our run. None the less, Dazzle did absolutly great! We had the highest scoring opening going and were halfway through the closing when a bar came down. Oh well - it was still a wonderful run!

We will definetly be doing more USDAA now! Just need to work a little more on the whole idea of the chute and we should be good to go....

Overall she got 3 Qs out of 6 runs. However I feel that it is important to note that the only reason she NQ'd at all was because of knocked bars - and it was her first time ever jumping 22" at a trial. The courses, and the different games...like Snooker, which had me baffled....didn't phase her at all.

Here are some photos of the little girl herself in action. All of these are by the wonderful photographer - Joe Camp.

Halloween Hullabaloo - NADAC Trial

2007-10-31T16:42:00.000-07:00

The Hoodoo Howlers put on a trial right near halloween. This year we decided to drive out and join them for it. It was the perfect day too - the night of the "Hunter's Moon" which basically means the moon would be very large.

Very very large! It was quite impressive.

The statistics really don't say that Dazzle did very well. She only got 4 Qs out of 12, BUT she only had 2 crazy runs, the rest were nice - but with tiny mistakes like a dropped bar or something.

She finished her Elite Regular title and her Open Chances title . Her Open Chances completed her Open Versatility Award! We got to get some of the very seasonal title ribbons that this club offers.

And, as a nice bonus, we won the costume contest! Dazzle in all her sheepiness: No, this photo doesn't have a watermark. That DOES NOT mean it is up for grabs! So don't touch it!

So, without further ado, here is the video:

Good Bye, Dear Roscoe.

2007-09-29T13:25:00.000-07:00

Roscoe. Dear Roscoe. Young and innocent, you were taken much to soon. Your family weeps for you, but finds joy in what you brought to their lives. Nobody will ever forget you.

Rest in peace my lil' cousin.