Best Part About Teaching...

The people and dogs I get to work with :)

Things are going a little insane here...things beyond anything I can control...and instead of having a meltdown...I've decided to focus on the good :)

The dogs I teach are all so special...I love little things about each and every one of them...for example...last night I taught a Beardie---this dog cracks me up. Everytime he really nails a sequence and his owner really cheers him on, he will run over to me, jump up and put his paws right on me for a hug and give me this look like "DID YOU SEEEEE WHAT I DID??"...I will hug him, and then he runs back to his mom...content I witnessed this event and gave it the special consideration it deserved :)

This morning I had a lesson with a little dog that I CANNOT be sad around...there is NO way :)

Day 124: Bug...

Bug---who I have many nicknames for not limited to: Ghetto Yoda, Ball Freak, Black Bullet, Spaz etc....is, according to her owner, a Boston Terrier/Chihuahua mix. She growled at me the first time we met, she was an anxious little dog with some aggression issues...NOW...you wouldn't even know it. She is a complete and utter attention slut...to the point that she earned that nickname "Spaz" :)

The dog makes so many crazy faces it's hard for me not to spend the entire lesson smiling at her :)

There's the "It's gonna be alright, Momma Bug will fix you right up" look...

However...one shouldn't be fooled by that...as in a flash she can turn into Ghetto Yoda instantly!

SHAZAM!!!

BEEEOOTTTCCHHHH!!! Gimmee my BALL!!!!

What ball you ask?...her PRECIOUS...oh yes...you know that saying, off Lord Of The Rings...only THAT ball will do...and when she is bored while her mother walks the courses...she will walk onto the dogwalk, and drop the ball on the down plank and watch it roll to the ground...FREAK. I love it :)

Bug-a-Boo with "her precious"....

Then there's the odd things she does with that smooshed up face of hers...

Not sure what she's thinking there...probably looking at the course I put up for her to run :)

This one KILLS ME...PLEASE WILL YOU GIVE ME MY PRECIOUS....PPPPPPPLLEEEEEEZZZZZZZZ??????

I could hardly take the photo I was laughing so hard...the tough part about taking photos of Bug is...you have her precious..and in about .01 seconds she will start barking her head off if you don't throw the damn thing...

THROW THE F***ING BALL!!!!!!!!!

Give her the ball...silence...ahhhhhhhhh

That ball is her everything...half the time when you try to kick it for her, it hits her as she is by far one of the best goalies I have EVER seen...being the little ghetto girl she is however...she doesn't even notice it...

Oh...I notice...I remember these things...I'll get you back...when you least expect it...mmmmmwwwwaaaahahahahahaha

When she runs agility she is a crazy little thing...her mom has to try to keep up :)

She gotz to run FASTA!!!! NOT MY PROBLEM!!!!

She's super trainable...as long as you have the precious and chicken. She is good to go...

But she can't actually RUN agility with precious in her owners hand...it has to be taken and placed on a bench...where she can SEE it's there...and safe. Once she is happy all is well, she will go run with Deb :)

Only to return to her precious :) Doesn't the dog have HUGE paws?? Like a Dane got in there somehow...freaky big, finger toes...LOVE IT!

She now gives up her precious when asked...this was a problem when she first started working with me...she thought that was the DUMBEST IDEA EVER...but with time and work...she now gives up her ball...although at times, reluctantly...and you know it :)

Deb brings a plastic bag FILLED with the same kinds of balls as this one...just different colors...and she will go through them, one by one...squeezing them with her mouth, until she finds the pink one...ONLY THE PINK ONE...

Then she takes a hit :)

DUUUUUUUUDDDDDEEEEEE!!! This is some good sh*t.....

I love you my precious...we will never be apart...well, unless my sister Roxie the cocker spaniel is around...then if she gets near you...I'll beat her ass...

I feel so grateful that I get to help people train dogs like this...I told Deb if something every happens to her, I get Bug...and I would fight someone for the little dog. I am not saying I would WANT anything to happen to her...I mean, maybe I have CONTEMPLATED cutting her brake lines...once...or everyday...but how can you resist that face and all that attitude in one tiny little package...

Day 125: Like mother, like daughter...

Those of you that have read the blog for awhile...know that one of Zip's nicknames is "Pillow"...due to the damn pillow from out couch she tends to carry around...today I saw this...how can THIS be a genetic trait passed down to Even...it's creepy. I have decided, Even was produced asexually...she budded off Zip...it's creepy...

I did not give birth to that one...not claiming her AT ALL...

Day 126: Lynn :)

I am excited about the weekend and running Lynn! I want to see where she is, I want to see how her DW's are doing...and I want to just RUN and not have any expectations...I worked her last night and she was brilliant...great jumping, great weaves, great contacts...just great. So...we shall see how things pan out. It's also going to be nice to head to WI...the people are SOOOOOO nice there...love seeing my friends :)

I think I JUST might have this girl figured out :) Knock on wood.

It's nice to not care about stuff...makes things so much more fun :)

I haven't decided if I am going to care about Klink or Gator...I suppose in pairs it might be a good idea to care :) Seems like the more amp'd the husband is getting about all the World Team stuff, the more laid back I am getting about everything...I like the laid back me...I'm having more fun. And realistically...that's what it's about for me. It needs to be FUN. Otherwise why bother?

Day 127: WTF Zip??

I finally got this shot!! WOO HOO!! Most dogs I know, ok, all but Zip...roll on their backs in the grass...

But Zip, OH NO...she can't just do that. She will actually ROLL OVER in the grass...over and over and over and over...20 feet sometimes...just rolling and rolling. What possesses her to do this...no idea...

Whew..now I am caught up on the picture thingie..only to fall behind for the weekend :) Zip TRIED to get the prize winner picked out this past weekend...but her mother was too busy huffing fumes and being sick to get that done....SO...thinking next week.

Goals for the weekend: RUN...that's it, just RUN.

Oh...and maybe have a beer or two...but not while running... :)