Videos and Countries

Lowri - TM and I were watching the Nationals videos and, poof, the puppy sweepstakes one just quit.  Before we got to see ME!  We were watching and having a good time and it just quit.  TM even tried the DVD reader on the computer.  The other two videos worked just fine.  Oh well, I am sure TM and MC will take care of it.

MOM!  She's pulling on my lips!

MC came up and brought little Dinah.  Boy, she is rough!  She was chewing off my lips.  Dinah said that's how she and Treasure play.  I say it's good that she lives with MC!  I don't think my lips would hold up.  I was a good big sister though.  I donated my lips to the cause.

Kearney - TM has been keeping track of all the countries where people have been reading our blog.  Today we hit 50, the big Five O, countries.  That is since March of this year!  Wow!

Lowri - We are famous!  We are famous!  Do you suppose Leno will want to chat with us?

Kearney - Here are the countries (according to Blogger's stats):  Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam.

Thank you so much for joining us!

Fixing Fence

Kearney - We are back in town for the week.  TM was busy working today.  When one of her friends came for a massage, TM pulled back the drapes to show her the baby ducks.  They are really cute!  Anyway, they were talking a little bit more, and the friend jumped and said the baby ducks were out in the front yard.  TM put some shoes on and dashed outside.  The babies made a beeline for the fence and dived through the hole.  TM made a quick fix and they went to do the massage.

When they came out, the babies were out again.  It was pouring rain and they were really enjoying the front yard.  TM tried another quick fix  - it didn't work either.  She ended up spending a couple of hours out working on the fence.  We think it will hold the stupid ducks now.

Lowri - shhhhhh, Kearney, I am sleeping on TM's foot.  I WANT to keep sleeping.

Ducks, etc.

Lowri - TM went to town and bought a kennel run.  It is for the ducks.  They are going to get out of the bird house with the pheasant and have their own yard.  That will make it a lot easier to get them out so we can work them!

Late yesterday, MC brought over my new half-sister (my Daddy is a wandering kind of guy!).  She got her from the McCombs in Texas.  Last week, MP flew to Texas and got her.  Then on Saturday, she shipped her to Tennessee.  MC is very happy to have her very own puppy.

Kearney - I took Dinah out into the field and showed her what to do.  She caught on really quickly.  I am going to enjoy showing her the ropes.  MC took her home after TM worked Treasure.

This morning, Lowri got to work both sheep and ducks, while I just got to work the ducks.  TM is working on my skills for B course, but mostly I am going to help TM with lessons.  That is a lot of fun too.

Dog Breaking the Duckies

Kearney - We are at PR's (our country home) for the long weekend.  TM got up bright and early this morning and went to work in the garden.  She is putting out weed barriers and then using hay on top.  She finally figured out to put the hay UNDER the plastic so the rain will slide off to the plants.  She only has a little bit to rework.  Her goal is to get the garden done this weekend.

Then she took us down to the barn.  We had to sit in our crates while she finished putting up duck fence around the field.  But, she is done!  We have a regulation sized duck field to work in now.  I am SO excited!

TM caught the six 6-week old baby ducks and put them out in the new field.  They are almost as big as their mama!

Lowri - That would be the mama who hatched them out and then deserted them when they were about 10 days old, so she could start a new nest.  She hatched out four baby duckies and a baby pheasant last night!  Since everyone was being mean to the baby pheasant, TM brought it up to the house and put it in the pen with the four other baby pheasant that just hatched from the incubator.   We have babies everywhere!  And more on the way!

Then TM took us back down to the field.  Kearney and I both got to work the young ducks.  Kearney got to go first (he always is first at dog breaking our stock).  I got to go next.  By then, TM had caught the white mama duck and put her in the field too.

I should explain - the white duck isn't really a mama duck.  She is just a stupid duck.  She built a nest and sat on four duck eggs and half a dozen pheasant eggs.  Then she moved the nest - eggs and all - about six inches.  Then she moved again.  Then she moved again.  TM checked under her at one point and she had only the four duck eggs.  This morning, she had one duck egg and three pheasant eggs.  All in all, she moved about four feet and then around a corner and a foot further.  She is a dumb duck.  TM put her eggs in the incubator and put her out in the field to be herded.

I was the VERY GOOD DOG!  I moved the ducks around the field and sort of got the idea of driving.  TM was very happy with me.

Railroaded

Lowri - I am being railroaded.  TM has NO evidence and yet she is calling me a baddog!  How come I am the only one who gets any blame around here???  You would think that Kearney, the Wonder Dog, NEVER did anything wrong!  He has!  Let's see...He...no, that was me.  He... no, that was me too.  He...okay, so he doesn't do anything wrong!  We still have neighbor dogs!  They might have done it.  Just because we have a fenced yard, they might still have jumped in, eaten the hose and jumped out.  Yeah, that's it.  THEY did it.

Kearney - Do you really think TM will buy that the neighbor dogs did it?  I think you need a lawyer.

Lowri - Besides, I HEARD TM say that the hose was too long.  Now it is only four feet long.  That isn't too long.  I did her a favor...yikes, I did NOT just say I did it.  I want my lawyer NOW.

Play Ball!

Lowri - Tonight I was nagging TM to play with me.  She got up and picked up the ball.  We went to the hall.  TM put up the barrier so she and I were the ONLY ones to play together.  She would throw the ball and I would get it for her.  TM would cheer when I picked it up.  I had so much fun!!!!  First, I started grrrrr'ing as I carried it back.  Then I started barking!  TM was laughing so hard.  Do you know how hard it is to bark when you have a ball in your mouth? <VBG>

Kearney - Then TM let me into the hall and put Lowri in the kitchen.  I got to chase the ball.  TM only threw it a couple of times because she knows it really isn't my thing.  On the other hand, I DO like to make TM cheer.  She did every time I brought the ball back.   That made me wag my tail really hard.  I had fun too.

DC and Baddogs

Kearney - TM and PR put up lots of hay today.  They had two guys help them.  TM was VERY happy about that as she would have been the one doing all the hard work without them.  PR would have helped some (he works VERY hard!), but TM would have chewed him out the whole time because of his bad back.  They also got 16 round bales.  TM was VERY happy about that too.  PR can move those with the tractor <G>

Afterwards, we came back to the house in town.  TM stopped and picked up the mail.  There were three envelopes from AKC for me.  I am now official with all my letters.  That made TM happy.

Lowri - I have to say it...First we were locked up all day in the kennel run.  Then Kearney gets lots of official letters.  THEN TM catches me standing over a deceased baby duck.  It was NOT in my mouth!

Kearney - Not when she caught you.

Lowri - TM only applies the rules to what she actually sees.  I did NOT have the baby duck in my mouth.  TM took it away from me and buried it.  I was told I was a baddog.  TM didn't emphasize it because she didn't see it in my mouth - but she definitely was not happy about it.

Kearney - Then TM counted the baby ducks.  There are only eight.  She doesn't have any idea what happened to the 10th one.  We don't either...

BOB Again

Lowri - My foot is much better today!  I didn't hardly limp at all.  TM and MC put more of the liquid bandaid on my pad.  It made it feel much better. 

I got to show with a bunch of other Cardigans again today.  The judge was a very nice man.  TM wasn't sure he would like me, because he didn't like me overly when we saw him in the group place yesterday.  He didn't dislike me, just didn't use me.  When I went into the ring, he didn't waste a lot of time before pointing at me. 

That meant that I got to go to the Group place again today.  TM and MC made a big effort to keep me cool.  They also went shopping for me.  TM came back to get me so I could make the final decision on the toy they were buying.  I fell in LOVE with the blue rabbit fur squeaky toy.  It is awesome.  MC teased me with it in the Group place.  I had the BEST time! 

Kearney -  When they got back from the show, TM went down to the herding field.  She was putting duck fence around the bottom.  I am very excited that I am going to able to work ducks in a proper field!  That will be excellent!

Tomorrow, TM and PR are going to be bringing in hay.  It should be pretty brutal work.  I would help if I could, but I am not built to buck bales. 

Cut foot and BOB

Lowri - I started limping last night.  TM was very worried and kept me in her lap while she massaged me.  I would get a little better and then a little worse.  TM wasn't sure what to do because today was the dog show at Gray, TN.  MC came up to pick us up and we drove up.  When I got out of the car, I was really limping. 

TM spent the next two hours massaging me.  I got off the table and moved very nicely.  Then going over to the ring, I started limping again.  When we got in the building, TM moved me around a bit and I started moving well again.

In the ring, I started limping - just a little bit.  I think TM and MC were the only ones who really noticed.  The judge didn't see it.  She gave me Best of Breed! 

When we got back to the set up, TM flipped me onto her lap on my back.  She went over my foot really carefully.  She finally saw the split on my pad.  Both TM and MC heaved a big sigh of relief.  A little cut was much better than an unknown leg injury!

MC dashed off to the drugstore to get a liquid bandaid for me.  She found one that didn't sting at all.  They tested it on on of TM's cut fingers.  No sting.

I got to go to the group place, but I was pretty tired by then.  The judge thought I was pretty, but I didn't get a piece of the group place.  I did get some food from MC.  That makes the group place very worthwhile!

Letters

Kearney - This is my new name: 

DC Bluefox's Kearney HSAds HSBd HIAs HIBd HXAds

TM is very proud of me.  I got all of these letters before I turned three years old.

Lowri - Holy cow!  Kearney has LETTERS!  I NEED more letters.  TM, when can I go to more herding trials so I can get letters???  I need letters!

 TM - Lowri, you will probably get more letters when you start herding like this instead of with your preferred style.

Lowri - I have never injured a duck...while herding.

Herding Pictures from Nationals

Around the cone (and TM) Ladies.

 Kearney - Finally, I get equal time with Lowri in the pictures category!  Here are some of me working.  I was a VERY good dog!

Go clear into the corner by the #2 before turning.

"That's a Hold"

 

 

 

 

Notice that I am actually "holding" my ducks.  My attention is on my ducks and not on what TM is doing.  I am not going to let them move at all!








Lowri - Then there are MY pictures.  TM allowed me to pick the ones I wanted to show.  There is no way SHE would ever let these be seen <VBG>       <Snicker>  and I was High in Trial <snort>

RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!  We are going to be pounced on!

TM, spread your arms a little wider.  I'll see if I can't get one to fly into your arms!

No, I ain't a dang Border Collie!

Kearney - There are still 10 little duckies.  They look very tasty...er... CUTE!  That's it, cute!

Lowri - I have found a new pass-time.  I am going to have to tell Nicky about it.  If you dig holes in the yard, right after a rain, you can get really, really muddy!  It is great!!! 

For some reason, TM has been keeping me in the house a lot today.  I am not sure why.  I did get to go out and gait with her.  We went down the road with TM running.  I have to say, I think the exercise is very good for TM.  I am going to try to encourage her to do more running with me.

I also got to work on the treadmill.  I don't like it, but TM gives me good treats for getting on it.  I am learning to trot at a steady speed.  I still think TM and I should be doing more roadwork, not me (alone) on the treadmill.

We have a dog show this weekend.  It will be a local show.  TM is going to give me my hot oil bath and massage tomorrow night.  I love being a show dog!

New Ducklings!

Lowri - We came home to TEN new baby ducks!  I am so excited.  Last time we had some,...

Kearney - LOWRI!  Remember, we promised NEVER to mention them and the fact that one came through the fence.  NO, NO, NO.  TM liked them. 

Lowri - But, Kear, I thought you said Dogs would be dogs?  Isn't that what you told TM? 

Kearney - Well, yeah, but we don't want to bring up that unfortunate episode.

Monday at PR's

Kearney - This is our first full weekend at PR's with TM taking Monday's off.  It was great!  We had the best time.  We got to go herding AGAIN.  I think I like this new schedule.

One of our friends came over with her dog for a herding lesson.  Since her dog was a little confused, I got to help.  I LOVE helping.  Usually it means I get to run the sheep wildly around the field.  I get to grab any sheep that comes in my reach.  It encourages the new dog to chase the sheep.  I love it!  This time it wasn't like that.  TM had me help by keeping the sheep on one side of the arena.   I was the fence making the arena about 60X60 instead of 60X120.  That was pretty fun.  TM was very proud of me!

Lowri - I got to herd too.  Not for very long, though.  TM said I was a very good girl.  Later she got me out of the van to wash me off.  I was not a good girl.  I had things to sniff, places to go.  TM called me a couple of times.  I started to go to her, and then got distracted again.  All of a sudden I noticed that TM was quiet.  I looked up and here she came.  THAT was NOT good!

I took one look and dashed off.  I ran around the van.  TM kept coming.  This was SO not good.  I ran into the barn so I could get out the gate.  Oops, the gate was closed.  TM said "that was your second mistake."  She snatched me up and chewed me out royally!  Then she put me down and left the barn.  I went with her.  When she called me, I was right there at her feet.  I got LOTS of praise!  I made sure I stayed close.  TM kept telling me I was a good girl.  I will have to rethink not coming when she calls me.

Bunches of Pictures

The face has been blurred to protect the identity of the victim.

 Lowri - Okay, I had to show the pictures of my Daddy's humiliation at the Nationals!

My poor Daddy.  At least it wasn't me <G>













Kearney - TM finally downloaded the pictures of the rototiller she and PR got as a wedding present and the infamous snake.

PR is working up the garden soil

This black snake is over 4 ft long!  TM wasn't getting too close.

Back at PR's Place

Kearney - We got back to PR's place tonight.  TM noticed that the ewe that she thought was imminent on lambing, was thinner.  She went "uh oh".  We parked and TM went out into the field.  Sure enough, there was a dead lamb.  It was a big ram lamb.   TM doesn't know why it died, but the ewe was pretty young.  I got to help sort that ewe out of the lamb field and back in with the big mamas.  TM didn't want to feed her grain when she needed to dry up her milk.  It was sad to see the poor lamb.  There is one more I can't eat.

Lowri - TM found her camera.  It was in the van back by our crates.  I could have helped her find it, but she has been losing a lot of stuff lately.  I have been finding her gloves everywhere.  I think she needs to be more responsible about her things.

Anyway, the camera with the cool pictures is here, but the plug in for the computer is at the other house.  So no new pictures tonight.

Now on a far more serious matter.  TM FORGOT our food!  How could she do that???  What am I going to eat?  I am pitiful.  I might starve! 

Kearney - Good grief, Lowri.  TM ALWAYS has a contingency plan.  I happen to know that TM is thawing some of our food right now.  We'll be fine.

Pictures

Kearney - TM has some really cool pictures.  One is of our new rototiller, one is of a BIG black snake that we saw headed for the barn on Monday.  It was over four feet long!  Sadly, the pictures are still in the camera.  TM doesn't quite know where she put it.

Lowri - That's okay.  TM decided to post a picture of me.  That is way better than an old snake!  Miss Carol  Ellis Richardson took this picture of me at the Nationals.  Isn't this better than an ugly, old snake?

Back in Trouble

Lowri - I am back in trouble.  I don't get it.  I was the BEST dog at Nationals.  Everyone was petting on me.  Now we are home.  This morning, Aidan came over to talk to TM.  I jumped in between so he would understand it was MY TM.  He didn't take the hint, so I snarled at him and bumped him with my nose (NO teeth were involved in the making of this move - NONE).  TM whaled on ME!  WHAT is with that?!?!?!?  It was clearly Aidan's fault for coming over to my TM.  Then she made a big deal of petting on Aidan.  I got some petting, but Aidan got most of them.

Then we went back to town so TM could get ready for work.  Kearney and I were hurling insults at the dog next door.  He was hurling them right back.  TM told US to shut up.  The neighbor's dog kept right on with the insults.  I started up again - "right back at you!"  TM went and got the baddog collar.  I, ME, I had to wear it!  The neighbor's dog didn't, I did.  That just isn't right.  TM said she wasn't responsible for the neighbors dogs, she was only responsible for Kear and me.  I tell you, the baddog collar is just wrong!  If you forget and bark, it reminds you.  I HATE the baddog collar.

Day Off

Lowri - Well, I got my butt busted again.  TM saw that I had peed on the carpet again.  She knew it was me, because it was a big puddle.  The boys seem to just wave it around more, so it doesn't puddle for them.  So I ended up in jail.  It was embarassing!

Kearney - TM went to church this morning.  When she got home, she went to help PR.  He was down in the barn working on the new floor and the electricity.  TM helped with a little of the heavy lifting, but all she could do with the electric problem was make supportive noises.  PR finally figured out that the wire underground was the problem.  He fixed it!  Now we have power and lights in the barn again.

Lowri - We got to play the tracking game again.  I got to first.  I tracked TM up the gravel road.  We made a turn and then I found TM's glove in the grass.  I guess she is back to losing things.  It was a short track as I haven't done this in a while.

Kearney - TM really, really loves me.  She left me a short track up the path toward the new hay field.  She didn't realize until she lost her glove that she had no way back.  She climbed up the path and circled through the heavy grass (with ticks and snakes!) back to the car.  That is how I know she really loves me.  I went out and found her glove for her.  After she cheered and told me I was awesome, she called me off and we went back down the hill.  I was going to see where she had gone, but I guess she didn't want to go through the tall grass again.

Herding Again

Kearney - Woo-hoo!  We are back at Papa Ron's.  He and TM were working on the barn.  They are going to make a better floor to put the hay on.  TM also worked in her garden.  She planted sweet potatoes and put down a weed barrier.  I think she has a lot more of that to put in.  Hopefully, the weather will cooperate.

Lowri - We got to go herding today!  I had a great time.  Kearney got to go first.

Kearney - Yes, I got to go first.  I took the big mamas around the field through an advanced course.  Then TM worked with me on getting braver.  I held the mamas in a corner and walked in on them.  She made sure that none of them tried to get me.  It was my job to move them around and push on them.  I did a good job.  TM was happy with me.

Lowri - Then it was my turn.  TM and I went out into the field to where the sheep were.  I did a pretty outrun and brought the sheep over to TM.  It was kind of weird.  TM wanted me to just stand there and do nothing.  I did that for a little bit, and then I tried to move the sheep for TM.  She wasn't happy with me.  She wanted me to just stand there.  We worked on that for a while, then I got to finally help her move the sheep.  We went back and forth with standing and moving and then went down to a corner.  I got to hold the sheep right there.  TM said "hold them".  Kearney has told me how to do it.  TM had some ideas too.  We worked on that.  I think my job was to keep the sheep standing right there in one spot.  TM would stand with the sheep and then she would walk away.  I kept trying to bring the sheep with TM, but she didn't want that.  I finally just kept the sheep in the corner and TM said "that'll do."  She was very happy with me.  I had fun.

Back to the Salt Mines

Lowri - First, congrats to my brother, Tommy, and my half-sister, Naughty Nola, on their new official titles.  Tommy is a Champion and Naughty Nola has her Herding Tested title.  They both just received their certificates in the mail from AKC.  AND congrats to my half-sister, Nikki, on her Bronze Grand Championship!  It was a good week for the family.

Second, I guess it is back to the salt mines.  TM had me out gaiting tonight.  She says we are going to teach me to trot at a faster speed - as befits a special.  So, we were out running tonight.  Fortunately for me, I am wa-a-a-a-ay more fit than TM is.  We don't have to run very far yet.  On the not-so-good front, TM is starting to work me on the treadmill.  I know I was exposed to it before, but I still don't like it very much.  TM gives me treats and hugs when I am done.  I suppose that is okay.

I am going to get my hot oil bath and massage tonight.  I say yum!  She wants to keep my coat in great shape.  I have some dog shows in two weeks.

Kearney - Lowri got most of the treats while she was working.  I looked pitiful when they got back, and TM gave me some too.  She is a sucker for the pitiful eyes routine.

TM is Falling Down on Her Job

Lowri - TM is falling down on her job again.  I have had lots of thoughts, but she was too busy to record them.  Maybe I will have some thoughts again later.

Kearney - TM has been flat out busy since we got home from the Nationals.  She has barely gotten to see PR.  He came over last night and they went to dinner.  He was here most of the day waiting for his truck to be fixed.  We had a good time playing with Aidan and Daisy. 

Tonight, TM drove down to MC's place.  She had to put bands on the ram-lambs so they won't be butt-heads when they grow up.  Sheesh, it looked painful!  I drove the sheep into the small pen so TM could catch them.  She and MC worked together to catch and band the lambs.  It was over before I even got warmed up.  Hopefully, things will slow down for her so we can do some work together this weekend.