Bark In The Park

Once in a while, my dogs pretend they have normal lives and get to go and do the things that the city dogs get to do.
Today was the annual Bark In The Park for the Windy City Canine Rescue.
I wish I could take all my personal dogs but I have too many alot of them right now - that's a whole 'nother blog.
Skid and Try got to go this time.

I thought I was bringing Try for his socializing but he's turned into such a solid pup/dog that really, he's more of a stabilizing force for me than I am for him.
And I figured, since we are going to a rescue fundraiser, I better bring the closest thing I have to a rescue, Skid.
They didn't disappoint me. Kids, dogs, loudspeakers.  Not a thing bothered them.
They spent most of their day hoping all the dog people in attendance would fork over the treats they all seemed to have in their pockets.
At one point, someone even fed Skid a frozen yogurt for dogs.  Peanut butter flavored.

He let Try have a couple of licks to taste it but he really wasn't much for sharing.

Try enjoyed meeting the dogs who were still puppies, but like him were a little on the large size.

This guy was his favorite and he was a lucky rescue.

Some of the demos were put on by our friends,

Hey Kort!

and we enjoyed cheering them on.

Go Leo!

(Leo is only pretending to be a sport dog, he's actually a serious herding dog)

Other demos were inspiring,

and we watched true heroes go through their paces.
We appreciated them coming to show us their stuff after they had so recently been working in the Alberta flood zones.

Even when it was time to pack up and go home, things were still entertaining.

I gotta get me one of those carts!  That could be really useful.

But finally, it was time to kiss everyone goodbye,

and go back to farm life.

Coy Cat

The last place you would probably expect to see a cat is at a sheepdog training clinic.

However, Piper likes to ride along with her owner, Diane Ruud, (she's also the owner of Josie, Togo's mother) to clinics in Michigan.

Piper doesn't just hang out in her camper.
She likes to make forays out and around, and have adventures.

She's very aware of the people and dogs that are around and no one can catch her until she's ready to come back to the camper.

You are only allowed to appreciate her beauty from a distance.

Swim Fun

We are in Cortland, NY right now at one of the prettiest farms.  

Unfortunately, it's very hot.  

But no matter there is a lovely creek for the dog's to cool off in.

Try-Baby had never been swimming before so Lad and Ford decided to show him how it's done.

Come on, Try.  We'll show you!

Like this...

Yeah, like this...

Well, how do I get in?

 Just jump!
Bwahaha!  That's funny!

Just do it.
Umm, ok... I'll try.(no pun intended)

MOM!  WATCH THIS!  Ahhhh!

I am here to tell you, readers, that although he looks like he was thrown, he actually jumped!
I'm swimming!

Let's do it again!

Meanwhile Back In California

A boy and his dog...

(my nephew, Ryan and Kane the Collie)

Training Pleat

I recently received an update on Pleat's fitting in in his "new" home.
I believe the training is going well.
As reported by Sarah: 
Step 1: go outside to pee.
Step 2: run to the cookie jar, do a little dance, get cookie
Step 1a: pretend to go outside to pee, twirl 3 times on the front step and want back in
Step 2b: run to the cookie jar, do a little dance, get cookie
The newest version:
Step 1.1: wake mum up in the middle of the night because she hears me dancing in the kitchen.
Step 2.2: run to the door and go out to pee or dance on the front step
Step 3.3 run to the cookie jar, do a little dance, get cookie
Step 4.4 go back to bed
He turns 14.5 in 2 days, needless to say, he's still got "it"

Pleat and new buddy, Mr. Fitz- photo by Sarah Novak

Leaving

We are preparing to hit the road again for our annual trip.
The guardians have gotten suspicious.
Even though they love their farm sitters (donuts go a long way to soothe them),
they hate it when mommy goes away.
Hey!  You guyz!
Get away from that camper!

Don't you have some sheep to be guarding?

Bringing Up Baby

Try, otherwise known as The Sweet Baby, or Try-Baby, (ok, Scott would NEVER call him that, but he does answer to it), is 7 months old now.
He's at that in between stage for border collies - not old enough for training but desperately looking for something to occupy his border collie mind.
It leads to him doing things he probably shouldn't do.

So, Scott suggested, that I not start "training" him on sheep, but just gently coax him to start moving around them in the round pen.

At first he just wanted to put the sheep on the fence and hold them there,

 But with some gentle coaxing, he finally agreed to go around them.

So now what?

More of the same.

Some practice,

some developing,

and some growing up with no pressure.

But now he's got something to do.

(thanks to Amanda Labadie for the pictures!)