Star Invents Tug

It was a stormy summer day.

"Mom's moving furniture again. I'm getting nervous.

My bed's in the middle of the living room floor.

I better stick by it."

"Good idea. I'll join you."

Mom got the furniture just the way she liked it,

and then realized she was missing the best sunset in two weeks.

The next morning, the furniture was on the move again.

Now the work table is in front of the window.

Mom has a commanding view of all she surveys.

And the dogs have a great cave under the table

and against the wall under the window.

The next day was warm with picture perfect clouds floating

aimlessly across the sky. While Mom built agility equipment,

Sunny posed in front of nature's backdrop.

While Star tried to get comfortable in her hot rock sauna.

Hey, nobody's forcing her to lay there.

But by far the most fun of the weekend was when Star invented Tug. I had tried to get her interested in tugging before, but she didn't get it. So I think this was an accident. I wasn't even thinking about what I was doing. She was just laying on the floor chewing on carcass of fox when I happened to pass by.

Out of habit, I reached down and picked it up to try to get a game going. I don't think she was thinking about it either when she instinctively got up and started tugging back, and realized she liked it. Yippee! Something else to do with this dog other than just training.

If I were to actually tug against her with the fox's tail, it would come off in my hand, so I ran out the next day and got a real tug rope. I didn't even have the minimal packaging off when Sunny grabbed hold, and the games were under way.

Synchronized Sulking

Why the long faces, kids? Heck, their whole bodies were synchronized. Exact same posture from tip to tail. Right arm sticking out, left arm tucked under, and their (rear) legs were folded up the same way too, I realized after I put the camera away. Oops - ears aren't synchronized. Sunny's airing out one of his - they both got ear drops this morning. That might explain the depression.


But why were they depressed here? Beautiful weather finally. Mom home all day. Sunny just loves to have his face squished up against a wall. Sleeps that way all night and most of his naps too.

No fenced yard for spontaneous play? I guess that would be depressing.

And here's the "barricade" that's keeping them fenced in. I was worried that we wouldn't be able to enjoy an open door policy without a fenced patio, but since we don't have people walking by (except our 2am prowler) this does the trick to keep them in.

We went up to Idaho for the 4th of July weekend. Uncle Timothy took some more jump pictures so I could check out Star's lazy lab legs. She sure has good clearance up top.

She needs it, since those back legs hang down so far.

Looks like on this one she might have kept them stretched out.

Got another picture of Sunny fetching the dog bowl - he wants to enter another contest. This one is about dogs that do work. Good luck, my little boy! And thanks for your help twice a day handing those bowls up to me.

Dog Sitting Redefined

This car episode isn't nearly as graceful as this one, but it sure was entertaining. Fortunately I had already pulled the car off the road for something else, so I could watch it unfold.

Similar to the previous story, Sunny was again trying to get into the front seat. This time he got hung up because his silly sister in the back seat was sitting on his leash. I'm imprecise on a lot of the details here but stick with me.

For some reason he couldn't move backwards either. I looked back and it seemed that he was stuck with his rear end wedged against the back seat just to the point where his back feet didn't touch anything, so he couldn't give a push. So I gave him a nudge backwards. And next thing ya know, the poor little guy was really stuck. And I am not kidding when I say this is exactly the position we had gotten him stuck in:

He was sitting on his rear end just like a zebra, his hind legs dangling and not able to reach the floor. Arms probably flailing - I can't really remember. And I was laughing and trying to figure out where the cell phone camera was and could I get it out in time and laughing some more and then decided to just watch and see what happened.

He got himself unstuck, but a minute later I couldn't recall how. I guess my mind was just so full of the image of him dog sitting there, wondering how I would ever tell the story. I wouldn't be surprised if it's the funniest thing he ever does. I'm sure the look on his face was priceless too. But, alas, I didn't record that image anywhere either.

Star needs equal billing - sitting on Sunny's leash and making his story happen isn't enough of a story about her. For creating his most embarrassing moment, I'll share her most embarrassing moment.

This one happened on June 9th, which I note from her training blog, is about when we got serious about her agility career. We had been doing jumps and such for a few days, and getting into a training mindset.

When I am getting ready for bed, she has a habit of hopping up onto the bed and claiming the best spot. That evening, I was training her to wait until I got settled into bed before claiming the left-overs. She was on the ground by the wall, Sunny was between her and the bed when I gave her the all clear. She was so excited that she vaulted OVER Sunny to get on the bed!

It was not her shiniest moment - she had a bit of a crash landing on the edge of the bed, and I don't recall how Sunny made out - if she cleared him before the crash or if he was dragged down in the mess.

Anyway, no animals were seriously injured in the making of this episode. I got back out of bed and made her do a few more mounts and dismounts to make sure she ended on a good experience. Then lots of cuddles in bed.

Catching Up

We've been pretty busy the past couple weeks.

Grandma and Grandpa stopped by on their way to Alaska, and Sunny found a playmate in Grandpa . . .

Star got what she likes best from Grandma . . .

It rained a lot so we got to splash in the mud . . .

Star got a used crated for Agility, and Sunny moved right in . . .

Now I know why he naps smooshed against the wall on his dog bed, and sleeps jammed into the corner on top of the blanket chest in my room at night. He was apparently raised using a crate for a safe sleeping place.

Star did a great job getting used to the crate (without the door on) when we were in Moscow. Then a bad thing happened. Mom went away from the crate and Star, whose leash was clipped to the window bars, tried to follow Mom and pulled off the top (which wasn't attached).

The next morning a good thing happened. She did the same thing, but a bowl of treats on top of the crate spilled all over the ground. What a great reward for the wrong behavior, but it did remove the sting of the roof falling on her head. Now she sits calmly inside, watching me prepare my strategy or the equipment for her agility exercises . . .

or just waiting out of the way while I'm putting my shoes on to take a walk . . .

Sometimes they both get in together . . .


We went up to the mountains for a day - we sure took a lot of stuff for just one night.

But we gotta keep Star practicing her moves . . .

And Mom has to keep up on taking pictures in preparation for the Safe Harbor 2012 Calendar Photo Contest.

The dogs posed very patiently and professionally for 25 shots in this configuration . . .

and 29 shots down below on the grass . . .

One of Sunny's favorite activities in the mountains is intently staring at the hummingbird feeder 6 inches outside the window . . .

And Star shows off her new crate once again . . .

Aren't I Just The Cutest?!?

But Star Sure Missed Sunny

Totally wiped out from the weekend hanging out at the Agility Trials, Star snuggled up next to Sunny and slept all the way home when we picked him up after his weekend with Uncle Tim(othy).

Sunny Doesn't Miss Me

On Jun 18, 2010, at 4:51 PM, Timothy wrote:

the good news is that your dog was oblivious to your departure.

the bad news is that your dog was oblivious to your departure. I mean he jumped in an unfamiliar truck without being invited, curled up, and went to sleep.

when you said "gentle leader," i thought you meant a prong collar. The leader looks too complicated for me to figure out, but we don't seem to need it.

I'll try brushing him with the clippers. The ears seem a bit long, anyway.

________________________________________
From: Kara
Sent: Thursday, June 17, 2010 5:40 PM
To: Timothy
Subject:

I meant to give you the dog brush, not the nail clippers, I realized
as i pulled away. He goes comatose sometimes when you brush him.

I hope he wasn't too traumatized when I pulled away.

Have fun!

Thump Thump Thump

I lied! Here I am writing again, after I just said I wouldn't write again for 2 weeks.

I just had to share a couple fun images, mental images, alas, from last night.

I didn't feel like getting up and getting the camera, even though I knew the moment was developing. Sunny has a new habit. As soon as Star and I are all cozy, snuggled into bed at night, Sunny goes back out to the living room and gets another tennis ball. I guess he figures he's finally got a captive audience. So I indulge him, having declined him earlier in the evening when I sat in my microfiber rocking rotating recliner that I don't want destroyed by wet tennis balls.

The game has become Kara tries to toss the ball into the laundry hamper, in the closet across the room. The first time I got it in the hamper was empty. It's a tall one, so I had to get up and retrieve it after watching his desperate and futile attempts and rescue and recovery.

But last night, it was about half full so I decided to let him work it out. I have learned from observing the dog groups that I do that letting a dog solve a problem is a good thing, and it was a fun exercise. One of the best parts was when he got his teeth around the handle and tried to lift the whole hamper up. This hamper is taller than he is so it was a real stretch. He managed to move it around the closet a bit that way.

At one point he went behind and I thought for sure he was close to figuring out how to tip it over, and of course that's what he eventually did, after moving it around by the handle a few more times.

Good job, Sunny! You got the prize, and your reward was a dozen more ball tosses before bedtime was enforced.

The other image that I love happens frequently. The dogs and I will be laying on the bed. They have their heads on my shoulder and my stomach, or are sandwiched up against my side. They'll be totally still, but when I say something, one or two tails will go thump, thump, thump. When I stop talking, the thumping stops. I start again - thump, thump, thump. It's so cool. I guess it's fun because I can turn it on and off so easily. But I wonder too what it means. Does the sound of my voice make them happy or excited? I just love it.

And as a final note - I went back last night and re-read a lot of my old posts. I was surprised to see that when I wrote less often, it seemed more inspired. I chose more recently to write weekly, to capture more of our story and to get more practice writing, but I don't feel the result is as good. I miss the old stories that were better stories, in and of themselves.