Another Step Towards the UD goal

This weekend we came another step closer to obtaining Levi's UD. He earned the first leg of his Graduate Novice title. We have some things to work on, specifically and always, heeling. He did a nice drop, the longest distance we have done, both recalls over the broad jump and with the dumbell were great. However, he is not one to forget that the judge has his dumbell. When he saw the steward walk toward me with it in his hand his little eyes got big. She could have had a steaming hot steak in her hand. His ears pricked up and he rose up a bit on his front toes. "Oh, boy. Now we can have fun!" He seemed to say. I am still working on the handover of the dumbell to the judge after the recall. He is so preoccupied with it leaving my hands he can't think. I remember a trick Sylvia Bishop taught for this specific problem. You teach the dog that you too have a dumbell, hidden under your shirt. If the dog thinks there are two dumbells he isn't as heartbroken over giving one up. I will be working on this. So if you see me sporting a big lump under my shirt you'll know what is going on.
Levi should be entered in the Rally Advanced ring. He is under control and I think it is time. Maybe we need a weekend of just Rally for both dogs? $$ With Graduate Novice to finish, Novice B still available to us and his debut into the Open ring I'd better start playing the lottery again.

Under the Old Oak Tree

Although not officially summer the temps are warming up, making dog training a daily challenge. Fortunately an old oak tree spreads its ample limbs over a wide area in the back yard. The challenge each day is to confine my obedience ring within the shade the oak tree provides. I usually train about 11am in the morning. The dogs look forward to our training time because it usually involves treats and toys. In my mind I would think they’d say to themselves, “Oh, crap. It’s too hot to do that stuff. Go away!” Amazingly the competitive spirit between them helps me. If one is in the kennel, he is jealous of the other being trained. So when it is his turn he’s willing to fork over obedience exercises I request of him in exchange for a piece of the action. It has also become apparent that one dog watching another do a certain skill set helps the younger dog to learn. Kind of like, “Oh, so that’s what she wants!” To motivate me to train I sit down in the shade with some Front and Finish articles I’ve saved over the years. It always helps to have another perspective on problems that are universal in the sport. Usually within ten minutes I get excited to try something that has worked with a more experienced trainer.
Notes from a recent training session:
Levi-start with jumping which he loves, work more on fronts with chute and close work; “Get close”-with collar old fashioned way; doing great on “around” command, doing poorly on “about turn”. Wide-lazy, used food throw as well as Sylvia Bishops’ method. Stand much better, work on stand-sit-down stays. Work on broad jump, running over/past like the old days.
Mickey-doesn’t work well in heat, start over with retrieve, be more consistent with my training; amazing-he is doing distance signals with River.

Blue Tubular Peyote Necklace

I had made a green odd count tubular peyote necklace when I still lived in Oregon. I received a lot of nice comments but several people asked if I had one in blue to sell. So recently I made this one. Sure enough, someone asked if I had one in purple. Currently I have an order in with Fire Mountain Gems for some purple/violet beads and Szarovski cystals to make one in purple. Hmm. I guess I should make one in red too. Future tubular peyote necklaces I make need to have some more variation, maybe dangles off the side and bottom or a mix of strung beads and tubular peyote. Either way this is another easy project. I used size 8 beads and some large triangle beads that I had in my stash. As luck would have it I ran out of large beads and had to order more for the last 2". Oh, well.

After this project I found instructions in the magazine Step by Step Beading for a Russian Spiral necklace. Along with netting that is easy and fun to do and opens up a lot of possibilites for variations. A new friend is asking about bead crochet necklaces and bracelets. I have done them in the past but need to gain more confidence in finishing the ends. Should I use cones or weave the ends together? I also tried to teach myself the African helix stitch and decided it was something I should save for another day. It IS beautiful so that is on my list of things to learn along with tubular Herringbone.

Dogs and Jewelry

In between dog training I've had time to do more beading. My goal is to post the results of my work along with a description of the products used.

This isn't the greatest picture but it shows some variation from a pattern (Fanfare Earrings) I saw in an issue of the magazine Step By Step Beading. I used Nymo thread size D and next time would use a smaller size. The Delicas and size 8 beads were on hand as were the 4mm Szarovski crystals (color Lt Siam) that I purchased a long time ago at the Bead Fest in Portland, Oregon. It was a fun project even if the heavier thread made it a challenge to go back through some of the beads. I used the Brick Stitch to make this.

My Optimistic Border Collies

The morning ritual for my three Border Collies starts with them greeting each day as a new adventure, an opportunity to explore every inch of the yard as if it somehow miraculously changed overnight. They run out of the kennel, clearly in hope that I have changed something in their world during the night. Every morning I watch Levi and Mickey, the two youngest Border Collies, as they sniff and search and then appear a bit disappointed and dumbfounded. Maybe a few more acorns fell from the towering oak tree that looms near the kennel or the wild rabbits may have left some compact, little balls of poop under the leaves. After realizing that there are no changes Mickey then pounces on his indestructible eight inch ball while Levi chases after him with a tug toy or pine cone in his mouth. But old River’s ritual is exact, punctual and dependable entertainment. He starts each day by pushing past me out of the kennel to hopefully fulfill his lifelong dream, that is, to chase and catch squirrels. These critters are more numerous than the fuzzy grey squirrels that ran along my fence line in Oregon. In northern Florida there are more of them and their nests are situated high up in the nook of the two trees situated near the kennel, and the forest on other side of the property line. Poor arthritic River, who any other time can’t see an obedience Utility signal across the ring, who limps alongside me when I say “heel”, tears across the acre to the back corner to terrorize the squirrels. Occasionally River gets lucky and one squirrel skitters swiftly across the sand and pine needle covered yard with its tail up and zips up the nearest tree, then uses the branch highway to disappear into the woods. This optimistic game River plays never looses its appeal for him. Each morning he attacks the fence line growling with a tough James Cagney sneer, “Why you dirty rat!”

"I had two border collies, and no sane person wants three border collies" - Jon Katz

Border Collies and Books

Last night I finished Jon Katz’ book "Izzy and Lenore, Two Dogs, An Unexpected Journey, and Me,". It is so well written, drawing tears during the reading of the Hospice visits and smiles while looking at the black and white pictures at the beginning of each chapter. This morning I went to his web sites, www.bedlamfarm.com and www.photosbyjonkatz.com. The pictures show an unusual eye for detail and color. Forget the writing, Jon, show us the hundreds and hundreds of photos you mention taking during the writing of the book.
It was interesting to note that Jon has links to both the compliments and complaints about him on his main web site. While I’m sad that a movie about Jon and his dogs will ruin this wonderful breed I can’t put the man down for loving a breed that is both intelligent and loving. We all live by learning from our mistakes and he is no exception. How he handles the complaints and attacks against him is his business. My “business” is reading his books and enjoying the fantasy of the picture he is drawing in his words. I love his dogs along with him as he describes the same Border Collie traits I see in my three and will overlook, as I’m sure other readers will, the sometimes human traits he gives them. It is unfortunate that people will see the upcoming movie and read his books and take for gospel that all Border Collies are gentle, quiet, hard working beasts. In reality, from my so humble experience, they are indeed those qualities but also do NOT do well in an environment which does not allow them to work. They must have a job and being sedentary in a small house can make them frustrated and future candidates for the local shelter. At some point I’d like to see Jon address the problems he dealt with getting his rehomed dogs used to being house dogs…details, Jon, details. The public needs to see this breed is not for the sedentary. But if you are looking for a creature to help you lose weight, meet new people and introduce you to the worlds of herding, agility, obedience, tracking then this might be the breed for you. But be prepared for a dog that gives new meaning to the word “power naps”. They are the Donald Trump of the dog world.