A pool party

Yesterday I took Indi to a fun dog event at a pool downtown. They let dogs use it on the last day before cleaning for the season, 50 dogs per hour maximum. You can't tell by the pictures but there were definitely 50 dogs there, it was packed!

 Amazing to me that Indi was at one point running through the giant pack of dogs, I called her name once and she came right to me. She's awesome!

Are you going to throw it again for me?

I went with my friend who has an Aussie and a Boston. Who wants it more, the retriever or the Boston?

Blossom said no to the pool, even with life jacket on, but says "this toy is MINE".

My swimmer girl.

 

I love my puppy. For a while I was telling myself "I like my puppy" but it has turned to love. She is pretty neat. She loves to work and has a lot of focus for a 9 month old dog. She loves food, loves toys, loves to play and learn. She is very athletic and graceful for such a large, clunky looking dog. She is only annoying when I haven't had time to wear her out and she goes looking for something to do. That usually involves the cats. She does not hurt them, she just follows them around, sniffs their butts a little and makes them meow. Or if she's outside, shredding wood of some sort. 
She's pretty clingy. She follows me wherever I go. She can be sound asleep and if I get up, she gets up. If she's had enough exercise, she will lie at the back of my feet while I'm doing dishes or next to me at the computer.
She's a little "mouthy" as I've heard is common with retriever type dogs. She loves to come up behind me and grab the back of my pants in her teeth when she's excited. Sometimes she gets a little skin! She is getting much better about playing tug more carefully. If she gets my hands I say OW! and stop playing for a few seconds. I'm sure there's a better way to teach "gentle" but it does seem to let her know what I want.
She's been doing some baby jumps and tunnels and we start our first agility lesson next Saturday. She seems to pick up on what I want fairly easily.
And I just happen to think she's gorgeous.

Out of retirement

I ran Rye in a Nadac trial yesterday. The last trial he ran in was last year June, his "retirement" run in AKC. I wanted to be able to take Indi to see how she would do in that environment and also felt that Rye would like something fun and familiar to do. We ran Hoopers and Tunnelers.

Hoopers was a mess but he had SOOOO much fun. I had never done it before since I don't do that many Nadac trials. It was harder than it looked. The hoops are very close together and it requires a lot of control. He was all over the place. But so fast! I wish I had a video of that run. It was hilarious. He would take two correct hoops and then an extra one on our way to the next correct one, then another couple off to the side, then another correct one. He had me cracking up by the end. He was so excited to run back to the crate at the end to get his treats. He has not changed with his anxiety at being left in a crate though so I tried to stay close to him as much as I could. It was a small trial and it went very quickly so that was good for Rye that we didn't stay all day.

He ran Tunnelers next and got a blue ribbon for it. He wasn't as fast as in Hoopers but still had lots of fun.
Here is a video of that run. I love his tail at the end.

I've missed running him! I forgot how fun he is. Even when he doesn't qualify he is very joyful and it's pretty cute. I have never felt nervous to run him like I used to with Amber. There is something very "not serious" about him that transfers to myself and how I run him. I may have to enter him in an AKC trial in October. He can still jump 20 inches in my backyard. We would need to brush up on our weaves and contacts before then and I would need my husband to come to the trial and sit near him to keep him calm.

Indi did very well. She only knocked her crate over once. That was when Rye was playing tug of war with HER rabbit toy right in front of her crate. She didn't freak out over anything and ate lots of treats and was very focused overall. I really like her! 

busy

Indi, putting up with my photographing this morning but would much rather be DOING something.

 




Let's practice our tricks! Indi likes to walk under my legs (something Amber used to do), so I turned it into a trick. She often comes up behind me and shoves her head under my legs to look up at me. We walk together like this, forward and then back. I call it "Ride the pony".

Let's Kill the Chicken! She accidentally knocked him over once and is now afraid of him so I got her to knock him over on purpose for treats.

Let's go to the river!

Now we're talkin'

Another day, another tired out puppy (finally).

old man dog

Rye is doing so much better these days. He seems happy to me. This last week he stayed at home instead of coming to work with me and he did just fine. I have been keeping his tight shirt on but I don't know if that is what is helping or if he's just settling in to life at home alone while we are at work.
Then, our favorite brand of dog food, for Rye anyway, Before Grain, changed their formula, giving it a higher protein content. Rye never has done well on high protein foods so I didn't even try the new formula. I switched to another lower protein food, Pure Vita. He did not do well on that. Arg! So it was chicken and rice for a few days. He is back to good again and we are trying another food, Pinnacle. So far so good.
Last weekend we went to visit our family in the mountains. Ahh, so much cooler. I am so tired of the 100 degree days we've been having!
We took the dogs on a hike to Goose Creek Falls. 6 miles round trip. Rye had so much fun.

Half way there, happy and dirty which for him equal the same thing.

 A nice long nap after the hike.

Another little jaunt the next day.

I hadn't done any agility with him in weeks as he didn't seem up to it to me. He always watches Indi from the house when we train outside and I'm sure he is a little jealous but then I take him out and throw the toy a few times and then he's done. He lies down with it and wants to rest. My vet says his heart murmur has not changed so that is good.
Today I cooked up some beef heart and cut it in to little bits for treats.
Here is Rye doing old man dog backyard English Setter agility for beef heart.

Just one more little piece of beef heart?