Happy New Year!

Wishing Everyone a Wonderful 2013!

May 2013 be filled with events worthy of handstands!

 
 

The inspirations for the above handstands:

1)  SNOW

2)  Winning BEST OF BREED two days in a row over a

      dog currently ranked in the Top 10 (Canuck Dogs

      CKC rankings)!  Thank you to both judges for 

      recognizing and rewarding a beautiful working Vizsla!

      Mr. F. Cresci (Mexico) on December 28th; and

      Mr. F. Rodrigues (Portugal) on December 29th
      at the Elora Gorge Kennel Club show in K-W, ON

      Great big thank yous to Edgar Rojas (Dec 28th)

      and to Thomas Curly (Dec 29th) for bringing out 

      the best in me and for keeping my ring experience

      positive, fun and successful!

What an awesome way to finish

an awesome year!

2012 = 12 Months = 12 Titles

                       CKC:           CH, FDJ, CGN

                       UKC:           BIS, CH, URO1

                       AKC:            JH

                       NAVHDA:     NA Pz I

                       Trick Dog:    NTD, ITD, ATD, ETD

 

  A Dog with a Job is a Happy Dog!

I Spy

I Spy with my little eye, something that

has a wingspan of 29" to 39"
  
  
  



a body length of 13" to 17" plus a tail length of 5.7" to 7.5"

                                                           v
                                                           v                       
                                                           v

Buteo platypterus platypterus

Where are you going, Hawkeye?

 
The Northern Broad-winged Hawk was very tolerant of Mom's presence even when she was taking pictures with the flash but he decided to fly off once I came outside. (The camera sitting on the railing just 10 feet from the hawk should have garnered sharp images but, unfortunately, no such luck! It was very windy so this may have been a factor.)  Here's a short video of the hawk trying to make sense of Mom's whistles and chirps.  

Happy Holiday Highlights

Hooray, Santa Paws has been here!!!

Thank You, Santa Paws!!!

I guess Santa wasn't watching the other day when I was working on this (a project I started earlier in the year here)!  Who knows how much fun I could have had if the Grinch didn't possess supersonic hearing!

  

So much excitement!
Now I need my breakfast and a nice long nap!

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

You know the melody:

The sun is shining, the grass is green

the oak and maple trees sway

There's never been such a day

to run and frolic and play

But it's December twenty-third

and I am longing to be heard...

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

Just like the ones that others know

Where the treetops glisten

and Vizslas listen

to hear rabbits in the snow

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

While I'm tucked in bed each night

May your days be merry and bright

And may all your Christmases be white

The birds are chirping, the yard is mud

the temperatures are soaring

It's warm and now it's pouring

Playing inside is so boring

And it's December twenty-fourth

And I am longing to be up North...

 

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

Mother Nature please put on a show

For Vizslas at their best
to aid in their quest

to scent turkeys in hedgerows

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

One I anticipate with delight

May your days be merry and bright

And may all your Christmases be white

(In my head, I sing like Michael Bublé.)


Wishing Everyone All the Best of the Season! 

Merry Christmas!

Wednesday's Work

Practice Rally-O course with 15 stations way back when I was 10 months old.  We were still in the process of working out certain hand signals/verbal cues for some exercises (for example, the "moving down").

12/12/12

Wednesday's Work

 One day last week, Mom set up a second jump to see what would happen.
Here I am being called over a jump grid for the very first time: 

Second time:

Mom was ecstatic that I instinctively knew to "bounce" in between the jumps!

Look Who's Clicker Training, Now!

 1.  Plan of Action

Cute Weimmie Girl! FOCUS! MUST FOCUS! FOCUS!

2.   Clicker

3.  Treats 

Where's my subject?

 4.  Subject

"Ready?"

 

5.  The Trick

"Say your prayers, Squirrel"

 

 6.  Click

 

7. Treat

Wednesday's Work

Back in the good 'ole days of summer when I was learning to "retrieve over a jump."

I know, I know, must hold the dumbbell by the bar not the bell !

18 Months of Age

HAPPY 18 MONTHS

Bently, Charlie, Elsie, Stella & Will
 

18 Days

Quite obviously not one to miss any meals!

The mystery of my frayed ricrac collar solved:

Uncle Tyro checking me out up-close for the first time

Chillin' with Uncle Tyro at 18 weeks

18 weeks

18 months

 In a whirlwind, I went from

Mr. Blue

to

UKC BIS UKC/CKC CH Varazs Mokany Kiralyi Orban
FDJ, CGN, URO1, JH, NAVHDA NA Pz I, ATD

Wednesday's Work

The Tire Jump

I was sent to the jump by the camera hound who was
standing 20' feet away facing the side of the jump

These photos and videos are from my Introduction to the Tire Jump. Or, should I say, the "tired" jump!  (The camera hound is not moving very well in these videos as she overdid some yardwork earlier in the day. Part of that work was freeing the tire jump from its job as a support for the temporary fencing.)

Here's my Introduction to Directed Jumping using the tire jump ("jump") and the bar jump ("over").  An arm signal accompanied the verbal signals (which you would have been able to see had the camera been better positioned...sigh).

The tire jump is LOTS OF FUN but it really does need a little sprucing up with fresh tape (not photoshop)!.

A Thanksgiving Faux Pas

HAPPY THANKSGIVING
to my
American Family, Friends & Followers!

 Safe Travels & Good Eats

Wednesday's Work

My Advanced Trick Dog title is official, here are tricks #2 - #5.

Trick #2
Jumping Figure 8s

Trick #3

 Head Down

Trick #4
Back Up

You can see my first attempts and backing up here:  back up

Trick #5

Treiball

The video I wanted to post could not be located so I will have to post another at a later date.  Treiball is like soccer for dogs.

Caught in the Act

But, why?

 

Why shouldn't I stand on the table?

[This was 9 months ago.  I would never dream of such a thing now ;)]

Fashion Friday

While deciding on a winter coat for me, Mom found a bargain she couldn't pass up.  There was only one in the store: an XXL!  The colour looks good on me, it is fleece-lined, it has reflective strips and it cost only $15!  With a small investment of time it can be altered if it proves to be too roomy for me. 

As the XXL is intended for Rottweilers, Mastiffs, etc.,

the neck opening is rather large for me. 

So, may we present


the Canine Cravat

which works best when the ends are all tucked in and out of reach!
Tee hee hee

 

Wednesday's Work

I am now working my way towards the next Trick Dog level - Advanced Trick Dog (ATD).  Here is my first Advanced trick:

Trick #1
Tap Light

[You can see some of the tricks I mastered for the Novice (NTD) and the Intermediate (ITD) titles here:  "2 trick dog titles"]

Caught in the Act

While Mom was busy trying to get a good shot of this plump squirrel (looks like he could be solely responsible for ripping up our yard) ...

I was busy pulling out a 3' bamboo stake from the temporary fencing.

Later, when Mom wasn't looking, I pulled out a 5' bamboo stake!