Snow Dog

There are times Diva reminds me so strongly of Tessa.  One of those times is how she loves to play in the snow.  Diva and Tessa both enjoy tossing the snow and "snoodling" into it.  It never fails to bring a smile to my face.  Love, love this first pic of Diva with the snow on her face.

Dog Training

I've started a daily regime of dog training.  Just for short bursts to help keep the babies minds occupied. Diva is working on "sit".  She knows it but tends to break from it.  Tonight she was pretty good.  Very alert and willing.  I'm beginning to wonder if Calvin (stockdog trainer from Wales) was right.  He felt she was immature and should be left to grow up.  We'll keep working on sit until it's concrete and can be consistently counted on in a variety of settings.  For variety I'm going to teach her to "sit pretty".  I'm also going to continue working with her on her fetch skills.  She's coming along but I think if I focus and reward she may get the hang of it.

Ryder I began with trying to get him to "high five" but I'm afraid we've done so much hand targeting that he wants to nose me.  I had to tap his feet to get him to pick them up and even then he preferred to drop into a "lie down".  So I switched to "sit pretty".  This went much better and he seems to be getting the hang of it.  With him I'm going to toss in "get back" because he kind of understands it.  I just need to get it consistent.  I'm also going to do some target work with a plastic lid.  I think at some point I'd like to start taking him to agility lessons, but the reality of that is it likely won't happen until fall.  I have far too much on my plate now to add more.

He's gotten quite good at "hide and seek".  Granted my house is small, but it's good practice for his "stay".

I've decided I'll get the babies trained this year - even if it kills me!

Focus, my friends.  Focus.

Horses!!

Bugsy is a very alert girl.  Always on the look out.  

Look at those "buggy" eyes.  

Compare this to when I first got her and her body condition is sooooo much better.

Bugsy was stick measured at 15 hh.  Take a look at Guinness...

Cute as a button!

Nom. Nom.

This is what greets me twice a day.

Dog Love

I've hated how I've been stressing out the babies.  They don't like it when I'm stressed or upset.  Earlier both dogs crawled on my lap and licked up the tears that were falling.  Diva, while capable of being a super brat, has become my little shadow.  She sleeps by my room.  (I'm trying to stick with the keep the dogs out of the bedroom rule.)  She gives me cuddles.  When I was unable to sleep on my bed and moved to the couch she crawled up into the nook behind my legs and slept with me.  She's funny because she likes having a pillow (for real) or headrest.  Here she makes due with my legs propping up her head.  Such a little monster she fights sleep until her heavy eyes just can't stay open any longer.

I love my dogs.

Ponderings

So Ponderings is back up and running...

http://andreaspondering.blogspot.ca/

Catch Up

As of Friday I went on Christmas break.  Over the past week I kept telling myself I just needed to make it to Friday.  After saying goodbye to Tessa I was tired.  Really, really tired.  Unfortunately the week following was a week of Christmas concert preparations and shopping.  (A special kind of hell on earth is Christmas shopping.)  One of the hardest things was telling the students about Tessa.  Rotten luck in them asking if I'd bring her (she did therapy work there last year) in.  Of course they ask the day after.  I need to start working with Ryder.  I see him making a wonderful therapy dog with more confidence and exposure.  The babies have been neglected.  It's been quite chilly here.  Big wind chills keep us trapped inside.

I've been feeding up the horses.  There really isn't much you can do other than give them free choice food.  They have shelter, bedding and water.  I did have them blanketed but pulled them off because unless the blanket is thick enough they do more harm than good.  (Pack down hair so the horses can't fluff up.)  Plus both need a size up for the blanket to truly fit properly.

Tomorrow I'll binge clean.  Makes me feel sooooo good to have a clean house.  This break I'll be working on my literature review for university.  I have a "date" with Ken. Pending weather.  We'll play with horses and work dogs.  I'm also dying to get some work done with Bugsy.  I'd love to see how she responds under saddle.  She's definitely quirky.  When you tie her up she gets a bit jittery.  Doesn't want to stand to be brushed.  I discovered she doesn't like the round rubber brush.  Sensitive?  She does better with the dandy brushes, even the rubber mitt.  I've noticed when she's loose she always wants to face up to me.  She's not comfortable with me by her side.  As soon as it warms up I'm going to try to untangle the crazy wind knots in her mane.  If I can't get them out I'm going to roach her mane.  She's looking better now that she's lost weight.  I'd love for the weather to cooperate so I can see "who" she is.  Sarge thinks she's going to turn out okay.  She's already shown improvement and I've spent a limited amount of time with her.  Today (while I froze my arse off) I scratched her neck.  She let out this shuddering sigh.  But - she's starting to trust me more.  :)

Hopefully the weather lets me get some quality horse time.  I've decided to choose a trick to teach the babies.  Realistically I should be working with Dee on obedience.  She knows her stuff - she just chooses what and when she wants to do.  I think if I can get her working more this will help.

This is plan A.  If the weather clears I'll get some pictures of the fur family.

Shopping And Assorted Sundry

I am a mildly freakish girl in the manner that I despise shopping.  I particularly despise shopping in commercial people filled malls.  Bleh!  That being said, I have a sick and twisted horse obsession and LOVE horse shopping.  This I could do every day.  Sarge and I went to the horse auction on Saturday. (I played partial hooky from school.)  There was a never ending amount of tack so I never stayed for the horses but there were some cute weanlings and yearlings going through.  Realistically - I know I don't have time.  I need to focus on getting Guinness launched into the world of purpose and work.  He's a monster.  He's currently in a size 72 blanket and has his bum hanging out.  He's also super spunky.  When I tossed him his hay yesterday he had to have a buck and fart.

Back to my shopping obsession...

So, on my wish list is a draft horse, mule, donkey.  All of which I have absolutely no purpose for...  but wouldn't that be fun??

Over Christmas break I'm going to take some stock lessons with the two dogs.  I'd also like to have an agility lesson to give us some stuff to work on in the evenings.  I'd also take some dog trick and game ideas to help pass the winter nights.

Other than that I'm just trying to keep my head above water.