Collie Nation

More handsome dog photos

2012-02-06T23:15:00.000-08:00

What a great little stretch of sunshine we've had! Apart from drying out my lawn, the sun makes photographing my dogs a lot more fun.

Lou

Did I mention it's impossible to get a bad photo of this dog?

Rex

Just a picture-perfect day :-)

The Dogs Who Stare at Sheep

2012-01-29T23:07:00.000-08:00

It's been over a month since the dogs worked sheep, I think, what with the snow, the general apathy of their handler, and the odd agility trial. The boys were happy to see the sheep again. Not sure that they sheep were as enthused.

Lou. I really don't think you can take a bad picture of this dog.

Rex. I think he's figuring out that when the camera is out, he doesn't need to take his stops. This might be the last series of photos for a while, until we get that sorted out!

Video post

2012-01-19T11:42:00.000-08:00

When you're too lazy to blog. :-)

My girl, Wick, at the K9 Cliffhanger trial last weekend. Didn't get the gambles, but still lots of good stuff from my crazy dog.

Lou and Rex swirling around in slow-motion.

And the Rexxon Valdez, also at the K9 Cliffhangers trial from last week. Or, as he is more formally known, Rex ADC SGDC. Yes! We have achieved alphabet soup!

Welcome to 2012!

2012-01-02T09:52:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! May it be your best year ever!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T11:20:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!!!

Two days of awesome at Fido's Farm

2011-11-09T12:00:00.000-08:00

The dogs and I headed south to Olympia, WA, for 4 hours of lessons with Scott Glen. The lessons were held at Fido's Farm, a literal doggy paradise with huge fields, small pens, and everything in between ... and lovely, not-dog-broke sheep! North Country Cheviots, to be precise. I love their bunny ears!

The traffic was non-existent, so we got to our lesson over 1.5 hours early. The dogs had a nice run in one of the fields.

When two worlds collide: Hello Kitty meets Alta Pete - Aim High versus Do What You Can!

One of the highlights of any trip - Red Lobster! So good, I couldn't even save a biscuit for the dogs.

Lou was zonked from his lesson.

Wick was zonked from ... who knows what? But it's always a good thing when Wick is sleeping, so we won't analyze root cause.

At the end of our lessons on Tuesday, Scott was nice enough to pose with the Hello Kitty stick. He is an awfully good sport.

Wick got to do a little agility in the sun. At 11 years old, she still has a ton of go.

The collies bid farewell to Fido's. What a glorious sunny day!

Seattle's skyline always makes me smile.

Scooby Snacks make me smile too!

And perhaps the biggest score - massive sale on Coach bags at the outlet store!

It was a fantastic two days with Scott. His understanding of dogs, sheep, combined with his timing ... let's just say he can make my dogs look pretty good. I've got some things to work on with both the boys, and hopefully we're turning the corner on Rex's angst/tension driving. Lou and Rex really enjoyed practicing shedding on the lovely, sheddable Cheviots. It doesn't get much better than private shedding lessons with a man who OWNS the shed. If you have the chance to attend a clinic, or take lessons, I can't recommend him highly enough. I understand that he will be the next instructor for the Online Sheep Dog Training Course and I am so signing up!

Oh, one of the fun things about Fido's is that they've got agility equipment too. I rented one of the rings and ran Wick and Rex through a few sequences. For Rex, it was his first time seeing some of the equipment (slatted dogwalk, rigid tire). Even though he must have been tired after his sheep lesson, I thought he did great! Even ignored the sheep in all the paddocks surrounding the agility ring. What a good little dog.

TMT November 3

2011-11-03T12:22:00.000-07:00

1. What are you thankful for this week?This week, I am thankful for miracles and Good Samaritans. My boss and his wife were in a horrible plane crash and they literally were pulled from the burning wreckage by people who jumped out of their cars and ran into the fire. Because of these brave men, my friends are alive and should make a full recovery.
2. How do you deal with a squeaker/shrieker/noisy dog?My Bear dog was a bit of a squeaker. I guess I dealt with it by sighing deeply. :-)
3. What would you say is ONE skill or attribute needed to be successful? I think that you need to be prepared. Like a boy scout. Was it boy scouts that were prepared? Or was it the cubs? Beavers? Brownies? Mmmmm .... brownies ..... What was the question again?
4. What are your favorite games?My dogs like Charge of the Light Brigade, where they storm out of a door and run in a straight line AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. Then they return to me, their benevolent dictator, and line up, waiting to be sent again. It's a stupid game but they like it. I like Texas Hold 'Em but I giggle when I have a good hand, so I'm pretty easy to beat. I also am not good at holding my cards in a discreet manner and often get reprimanded by the dealer. I should probably only play online.
5. What are some of your strategies for dealing with winter?My strategy is living in a place that doesn't really have winter. In Vancouver, we have "it's raining" and "it's not raining". We've entered the "it's raining" season, and my coping strategy is to cover up the white leather couch with a series of unattractive blankets. Hopefully, this will see us through to next July, when "it's not raining" starts.

May the Force Be With You ... always

2011-11-01T15:57:00.000-07:00

Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi

She's lost her mind

Ashamed, I am.

Do or do not. There is no try. Though I am trying really hard to go to my happy place.

Come to the Dark Side!

We have cookies!

Even Lord Vader needs to nap.

Falling into Fall

2011-10-27T15:23:00.000-07:00

It must be Fall on the West Coast. The leaves are turning, the grass has been cut for what I hope to be the last time, and we've got only one more agility trial this year.

At the last trial, Rex missed two dogwalks (gasp!), so I thought I'd run him over it a few times, as well as work on a few other things. Hopefully, he remembers some of this stuff at the trial this weekend.

Today I am thankful for

2011-10-10T11:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving! Before I leave for my brother's to gorge on turkey, I will take a moment to give thanks for my canine blessings.

First, to my crazy girl, Wick, who continues to blaze around like a 3 year-old. Wick must be around 11, and shows no sign of slowing down. Hopefully, we'll be able to finish that ATChC soon, and then we'll work to get tuned up for regionals and nationals next year.

Second, I am thankful for my good dog, Lou. He just laid down two pretty nice runs at Paxton Valley this past weekend. We missed too many panels to get a decent score, but his outwork was, as usual, just beautiful. I don't think I'll ever get tired of watching him lift sheep. It's just ... perfect.

And finally, I am thankful for Rex. He has been the opposite of Lou for me - he's tough, head-strong, and has a temper. I've thought about quitting herding with him more than once, but I'm glad I didn't. This weekend was the first time I truly enjoyed running him, even though we earned letters on both runs. Rex tries really hard, and the least I can do is try with him.

RIP Steve Jobs

2011-10-05T19:12:00.001-07:00

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

Steve Jobs 1955 - 2011

Dites-Moi Jeudi

2011-09-29T12:02:00.000-07:00

1. What movie do you love but are too embarrassed to admit you love it?
I have horrific taste in movies (and music and TV) and it would take a lot for me to be embarrassed. I know my friends are embarrassed by how many times I've seen St. Elmo's Fire. I also was the only person willing to admit that I liked Gattaca.

2. How far do you drive/travel to attend trials, clinics, lessons? How far is too far?
I'll do a day's worth of driving, so 11-12 hours. So what's too far? I guess 13 hours. :-) Next year, I want to go to the trial in Sonoma, so that will be more than one day's drive. I just got a new truck, so I'm itching to explore some wide open spaces.

3. What is your theme song (circa Ally McBeal)?
LOL! Have you seen the TV show, New Girl? She makes up little encouraging theme songs for herself on the fly. I wish I had that kind of talent. I do have dog-sport theme songs. Let's see ... when I'm going to the line with Wick in agility, I am humming Edge of Glory, or something by Pink. Wick is all rebellious, yo. Going to the post with Lou, it's that Snow Patrol song, Chasing Cars ("If I lay here, if I just lay here ..."). Going to the post with Rex, while my outside voice is hissing threats ("I will EFFING KILL YOU"), our song is K'naan's Waving Flag.

4. If you had to choose a new dog activity, one that you had never done before, what would you choose?
Go to ground. Definitely. No cages, keep what you catch.

5. What would your dog choose?
Wick would choose go to ground, or whatever its proper name is. Lou would like to try sledding, though he would be bundled up in ermine and riding in the sled. Rex wants to go play in the Ikea ball room.

What the dog sees

2011-09-22T08:56:00.000-07:00

I've always had this idea of mounting a video camera on Lou's head, to see what life looks like from the POV of a sheepdog. Despite Lou having one of the largest heads in border collie history, the camera's never been able to stay mounted. Until now. May I present ...

The Looxcie.

Now this, combined with a little bit of elastic headband stuff, WILL stay on the dog's head.

The result (neither of these videos should be watched by anyone prone to motion sickness!):

And since that was so much fun, I wondered what agility would look like from the dog's POV. Again, if you get motion sick, do not click this!

Tell Me Thursday - Back to School edition

2011-09-08T09:12:00.000-07:00

1. What is the biggest thing that grossed you out over the past week?
Let's see, living a fairly sheltered life, I am not exposed to much grossness. I guess the dead chicken that I stumbled upon when I went to let the hens out of my friend's chicken house would be it. And even then, it wasn't super-gross. Just ... kinda gross.

2. What do you feed your dogs?
They eat a prepared raw food from Happy Dogs Raw . It comes in frozen, 125gr squares. Lou and Wick get 2 squares a meal, Rex gets 3. When we're on the road, they eat Go! Grain Free. They also get salmon oil, a joint supplement, and whatever I don't eat.

3. If you could move anywhere where would you live?
Right here! It's perfect. I'm thinking about getting a cabin on the Sunshine Coast, which is a whopping 40 minute ferry ride away. That way, I won't be too far from home. Wanderlust, that ain't me.

4. What is the funniest thought that occurred to you (or thing that happened to you) this week?
My friend and I were getting pedicures at lunch the other day at a place neither of us had been. They sit you in these great massaging chairs. Well, we dip our feet in the tub, the chairs start going and the undulating massage motions start in the most SURPRISING way. It's like a cross between a very slow mechanical bull ride and having your ass massaged like bread dough. When it started to VIBRATE on top of the bull-riding/dough kneading, we had to turn the chairs off.

5. If you couldn't have your breed of choice what would be next on your list?
I have always coveted little dogs, like IGs and Paps. I know that my collies would trample anything smaller than a sheltie, though, so I guess that will never happen. I like shelties too, except for the barking. But I doubt I'll ever have anything but border collies. My heart belongs to the tuxedos.

Western Canadians - the video version

2011-09-02T11:19:00.000-07:00

Well, I still haven't got around to processing most of my photos. I blame Lightroom and all their awesome presets for the delay.

In the meantime, here's a slideshow from the trial. These photos are not re-touched; the trial field truly is that spectacular.

Tell me Thursday - it's September already?!?

2011-09-01T08:03:00.000-07:00

1. What five things can't you live without?
Coffee. My geek gadgets (iPhone, iPad, MacBook). Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer. Audiobooks for the long drives. Food Network.

2. How do you transport your dogs?
Ah, that would be the Hello Kitty Van! It's a 2005 Ford Freestar that has about 156,000 km on it. I bought it with 15K km on it, so it's done a bit of dog transport for me. I am kinda over the minivan, though, and I'm going to go back to an SUV. Probably an Expedition or a Yukon. Maybe a Suburban if I can figure out how to park it.

3. What role does obedience play in your training or running of your dog(s)?
In agility, apparently none! So long as they don't cause trouble running with the other dogs at the trial and they don't make a scene when crated, I consider them suitably obedient.

In herding, I have one that is EXTREMELY obedient in trials, though he kind of blows me off when training. Seriously, Lou takes maybe 50% of my commands when we're training, but 100% in trials. I guess better handlers would do something about that. Still, he's a very natural dog, and I generally leave him alone on the outwork. Because he can't hold a line on the drive, I whistle a LOT, and he takes every one of them. Is that obedient?

Rex is as obedient as his genetics allow him to be. There are times when his tension overrides his obedience and then we have a big ol' wreck. But it's getting better. Slowly.

4. At what point do you start putting commands on your dogs?
I've never trained a herding dog (I buy 'em trained, or have them trained). In agility, I put a command on the behaviour once the dog is offering me the behaviour reliably (80% of the time).

5. Do you talk to strangers in elevators?
Oh yes. I'm very sad that I currently work on the 3rd floor as the elevator ride is too short to engage strangers in random talk. In fact, it has been pointed out that I should be taking the stairs, so short is the walk up. Pox on those people, I say! Have you seen the height of my heels?

When I worked on the 19th floor, I had a lot of fun talking to people in the elevator. It's also fun to eavesdrop. In venture capital, there's something called an "elevator pitch" where you have to sell an investor on your idea in the time it takes to ride the elevator to his floor. I enjoyed listening in on desperate entrepreneurs pitching their Next Big Thing to a bored, somewhat drowsy investment banker. Sometimes, I would even join in!

Somewhat random side note: do not, with four colleagues, bounce up and down in the elevator to see if you can achieve zero gravity. You will anger the elevator and it will stop, then you will have to make the call of shame using that little telephone under the number panel. It will take them a long time to restore service and you will regret drinking so much bottomless pop at Red Robin. Just saying ...

Western Canadians

2011-08-30T11:17:00.000-07:00

It's been 4 years since we've been in Cranbrook. When I signed up for the East Kootenay SDT in 2007, I thought Cranbrook was near Kelowna. When I told my dad this, he was quite alarmed (as it's about 6 hours from Kelowna, and about 12 hours from my house). I remember my dad meticulously wrote out directions on his little notepad while we sat at the BC Cancer Agency, waiting for his chemo appointment. I lost my dad a few weeks after that, and I always think of him when I think of Cranbrook.

This time, the trip to Cranbrook was to compete in the Western Canadian/CBCA championships. I knew it would be hot, and that the sheep would be tough, and that Lou is just a wee bit out of shape (reference earlier blog posts about his rigourous, pre-championship training). On balance, I'm happy with how he did. The outrun was short (maybe 385 yards) but the drive was quite long.

Before I sent him on his second go, I looked down at him (he has this disconcerting habit of staring STRAIGHT INTO MY EYES when he's at the post) and I thought of all the times we've been here, of how much fun I've had on this journey with him. I kind of got teary and whispered "Thank you". His eyes went wide with confusion and he flipped around to look behind him. Clearly, he was thinking "Great, she's changed my whistles twice, and now she's come up with new verbals too! What the eff flank was that?!?" Moral of the story: don't get maudlin at the post - it ain't the time or place.

Got to watch some great dogs, shoot the shit with people I see only at these kind of trials, and engaged in my favourite past-time: trailer mooching. I managed to get quite a few drinks, and some cheese and other snacks.

I've got a ton of pics, which I'll post later. In the meantime, here's one of the collies, relaxing against the stunning backdrop that is Pine Butte Ranch.

RIP Jack Layton

2011-08-22T15:42:00.001-07:00

My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we'll change the world. - Jack Layton

A Bronze Weekend

2011-08-22T08:43:00.000-07:00

We went into PAC needing 2 gambles to complete Wick's ATChC. We left PAC needing ... two gambles. Drats! I am starting to wonder if she might be approaching a record in terms of 'longest to ATChC'. In fairness, she barely trialed the last 4 years but still! Oh well, we'll just keep plugging away.

She did finish her Bronze Snooker and Bronze Steeplechase titles so that's ... something. She also seems to have lost her contacts. If you've seen them, please drop me a line. We'll need them by the Spring please.

Rex was very enthusiastic. I guess my thoughtful, quiet dog is gone forever. He did some nice things this weekend, including a 90 degree turn off the dogwalk over a jump. He also tried to take me out at the knees a few times, and seems to think the teeter is some sort of dock-diving prop. So ... yeah.

Our friend, Nicki, stayed the weekend. She brought the two shelties, Ninja and Ice, and Lou's nephew, FedX.

For the weekend, anyway, the border collie totem pole was 4 high. :-)

Tell Me Thursday for August 18

2011-08-18T08:33:00.000-07:00

Here we go again!

1. Who is your newest dog? Where is he/she from, and why did you choose this particular dog/breeding? My newest dog is Rex, aka The Rexxon Valdez (hardly a new acquisition, he's 4 years old and been with me for a year and a half). This little guy came from a friend in Evansburg, Alberta. I chose him because said friend told me he was a really good dog. :-) I also wanted something from these lines - tough, Western Canadian stock dogs with perhaps more heart than sense. His mother, Trax, goes back to Elvin Kopp dogs on the top, and to Ken MacKenzie's good Rope dog on the bottom. His father, Tweed, was out of Kelly (mother to Scott Glen's Pleat and Tala) by Peter Gonnet's Craig. It is quite probable that the crazy goes back to the sire's side.
2. What traits drew you to this dog or breeding?I wanted a dog with plenty of come forward and that's what I've got! I don't know that I've ever blown a walk-up whistle to this dog. That he is a tri-colour is a bonus - I actually bought him sight unseen. If only his ears were uppy, he would be perfect!
3. What's on your feet right now?
Ah, my beloved Fit Flops! They are my lay-about, go-to choice for the summer. They are also hideous to look at, and shouldn't leave the house (which is fine because I'm on the couch).
4. What are you reading right now?
I've started The Household Guide to Dying, by Debra Adelaide. It's pretty funny for a book about a dying woman making lists to leave to her husband and two daughters. It's set in Australia, and thus there are charming colloquialisms unique to the antipodes - love that! Oh, and it was on sale at Chapters, which is the primary criteria for my book selection.

I recently finished Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhonda Janzen. This seriously is one of the funniest books I've read. Think of all of your childhood angst rooted in your families' weirdness. Remember when your friends would come over and your mom would serve something vaguely ethnic? Remember your embarrassment? Her stories will put yours to shame!

5. What upcoming trials are you looking forward to? If you don't trial dogs I'll take whatever activity that you're looking forward to. Next week, we leave for the Western Canadian/CBCA Championships near Cranbrook, BC. I'll be running Lou in what likely will be his last time at this event. At 9, I'm starting to see him slowing down, and I don't know that I'm gonna keep asking him to go 600+ yards on a gather. Lou has other opinions on this, of course, so who knows, maybe he'll run til he's in his teens.

My goal for this trial is to enjoy every moment of it. Canadian handlers are a fairly unique bunch, which makes for a hilarious handler's tent. There are folks that I see only at big events like this, and I'm much looking forward to the gossipping and wagering (oh yes, we bet on stuff). But mostly, I want to do right by Lou, a dog who has literally carried me since I stepped to the post in the spring of 2006. I know he doesn't read the scoreboard, or lay awake at night re-living the shame of a late whistle, but I would like to have 2 runs where I'm in the moment, focussed, and a holding up my end of the partnership. I don't know what I'm going to wear though. Amanda always has such nice outfits. She sets the bar high.

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's ... Lou?

2011-08-17T12:30:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's Lou! With very minimal training (like, I threw him over some jumps in the backyard two days before), Lou made his Jumpers debut at the ASCA Agility trial.

I think we can all agree that he is the Cutest Jumper Ever!

Then there's the Rexxon Valdez. He is nothing if not enthusiastic. Sometimes, though, enthusiasm can get you in trouble. Witness Tire Fail™ . These pictures are courtesy of Bob at Wild Hare Photography. Thanks Bob! And don't worry, Rex was just fine. The side straps on the tire gave way as soon as he hit it.

And just to prove he's not a complete spaz, here are a few of his runs.

Tell Me Thursday for August 11

2011-08-11T08:39:00.000-07:00

Brought to you by the good folks (ok, Laura) at Crooks and Crazies, even though she doesn't have me on her blog list. :-)

In sheepdog training (or lets call it *any* type of training), how do you keep from taking yourself, your dog, your lack of progress too seriously?
Um, by not training? :-) No, that is not a responsible answer. Think of something else. Oh, a dog's life is so brief, we must treasure every single freakin' moment with them because soon they'll be dead. No, too maudlin. Drats. Focus here.

OK, in agility, what one has to say/do to get a dog around a course should be enough to negate any seriousness from training. My neighbours bear witness to this as they are subjected to a skinny chick and a barking dog running a little obstacle course in the backyard. When your verbal cue for the dogwalk is "GIDDYUPGOGOGOGOGO", how seriously can you take it?

In herding, well, clearly I'm not serious because I still refer to it as 'herding' and not 'working stock'. Sign 1 that you are not in the presence of a Serious Handler. The one thing that I consistently care about in herding is the welfare of the sheep. So long as our training doesn't involve subjecting the sheep to stress, then I figure we're doing ok. Except lambs. It's ok to torture lambs if it involves getting a good photo.

How many crates do you have? For reals.
For realz, I have three in the van, one extra crate in the garage (RIP Bear) and two soft crates that I use at agility trials. So 6, for 3 dogs. Oh, and 2 ex-pens, not sure if those count, but those are used for communal crating at agility trials. I have no crates in the house.

How do you keep your dogs in shape?
This is an area in which I am ashamed! I am not very good about this at all. Let's see ... the dogs have a dogwalker who takes them on hikes 5 days a week. Wick and Rex bomb around for a few hours on the hike, but Lou kind of trots with the dogwalkers. I've been meaning to take them to the trails around here and running them but that would involve (a) getting off the couch and (b) running.

Last winter, I took the boys to a swimming place a couple times a month and I think I'll do that again. Other than that, they play ball in the yard, 2 of them go to agility class weekly, and we do a little agility practice 2-3 times a week in the yard.

Who is your favorite movie/tv star eye candy at the moment?
Bradley Cooper. Yummy!!!

Honourable Mention to Eric the Vampire:

What is your livestock situation? Have your own? Borrow? Herd the cats? (You can subsitute other equipment for livestock if you don't work stock with your dogs).
Currently I have a lot of slugs. I don't know why there are so many this year but it's added a new post-work activity: slug stomping. They have eaten my peppers and are setting their sights on my squash. They will die. Oh, and they don't flock well so we can't work them.

For sheep, I am terribly fortunate that my good friend with sheepies lives only 45 minutes from me. I try and get out there once a week, and the boys work her sheep (and Lou occasionally gets to work the chickens). To be honest though, my friend and I usually find an excuse not to work sheep, and we go plant shopping. Not my fault, read preceding paragraph about marauding slugs.

Oh! Hey! I'm done! Woot! Cookie time!

The Road to Western Canadians

2011-08-08T21:49:00.000-07:00

As part of Lou's rigourous prep for Western Canadians at the end of the month, we've signed up for three agility trials ... wait, what?? Lou says if anything goes sideways in Cranbrook, please note that while his peers were going to trials and working tough range ewes, he was here:

This was a nice local trial and we only competed on Sunday. I just wanted to get Rex out of Starters Jumpers and maybe pick up another Standard. Um ... fail! In fact, Rex went 0/4. Still, he did some nice things, and I am really happy with his contacts. Each trial, though, he is getting louder and faster. The latter is good, the former is driving me nuts. For the umpteenth time, I will declare: I should do something about the barking.

And then there's the Wickens. She had 5 very nice runs, though she only Q'ed in 1. In each of the others, she had one mistake. Still, she's running really well and is obviously getting my hopes up for next year. If things continue this way, Wick will get better and better until about 2 weeks before Nationals, at which time she will develop a crippling phobia of either the teeter or the dogwalk (or maybe both - yay!!). Ah Wick, how you test me. In anticipation of this, I have bought her a Thundershirt and several gallons of Rescue Remedy.

So while she's running well, let's throw the video superstition out the window and show some of her runs, and Rex's too.

Tell Me Thursday

2011-08-04T08:32:00.000-07:00

Laura at Crooks and Crazies has this Tell Me Thursday thing and ~~since I have nothing else for the blog~~ because I think this is going to be both fun and informative, here goes my mine.
(1) How did you get into border collies (or whatever your dogs of choice are)? What started it all?

The year was 1999. It was a balmy spring ... wait, what? Oh, the short version. OK, my boyfriend broke up with me and I was so traumatized that I decided to make a radical change in my life. The choices were cut my hair short or adopt a dog. I like long hair. Therefore, I went to my local SPCA and adopted Bear, aka The Best Dog Ever.

Bear sent me down the path of dog sports and Being A Crazy Dog Lady. After a few years, I decided Bear needed a friend and I sought to adopt a rescue Aussie. There weren't many in rescue at the time, so I expanded the search to include rescue border collies. Enter ... The Wickens.

While she was not without her challenges, she and Bear became fast friends, and were inseparable for the next 8 years.

It was around this time that my obsession with Photoshop began too.

Because Wick is a border collie, I was told she probably would like to work sheep. I mean what border collie wouldn't? The answer - Wick! She had no interest in working sheep and 9+ years later, still doesn't. But Bear liked it, so we started that. After years (literally) of trying to get my dog to lie down, stop, or even acknowledge me on the field, I admitted that he probably wasn't going to cut it as a sheep dog. I really liked working stock though. Hmmm ...

I had an opportunity to buy a trained dog who was closely related to many dogs that I admired. His name was Lou, and he became my partner in this crazy journey of One Girl and Her Dog. Lou has carried me through the past 5 years of trialing and has shown me a whole new world. He also is really lazy and likes to be lifted onto the bed.

Oh, and this is Rex. He's insane.

(2) How many dogs do you have? All dog math variations accepted.

Three. One girl dog, two boy dogs. I like this number. They fit in one ex-pen. I can walk 3 while drinking a coffee. They fit nicely in a van. Also, it's the max number you're allowed in my city and I'm kind of a law and order buff.

(3) What do you do for a day job?

I'm a project manager at a technology company. This involves a set of complex tasks and skills. At a very high level, a project manager:

Makes a list of things to do
Identifies the resource responsible for each task
Identifies the date that the task should end
Assigns blame when the deadline comes and goes. This may involve naming and shaming not just the resource but his/her entire business unit. I really enjoy my work and feel I was born to do this.

(4) What questions would you like to answer (or ask)?

I'm not sure what this means. Maybe that's the question I would like to ask!

(5) What was for dinner last night?

Let's see ... I guess it could be described as rotini with a ragu sauce. The sauce was a concatenation of the previous day's pulled pork and a jar of Newman's Own Marinara sauce. And then I had a Diet Dr Pepper and three popsicles. 'Cause it's summer.

Who trained this animal?

2011-07-27T11:24:00.000-07:00

We survived another agility trial, though Lou says the boredom made him want to throw himself in front of a bus. Luckily, he is too lazy to walk all the way down to the busy road.

Wick continued to show that she is the undisputed Top Agility Dog in Collie Nation. She smoked all 3 of her Standard runs and had a very fast Steeplechase too. Her first Jumpers was a little messy but she Q'ed it. Her second Jumpers was GORGEOUS but we had a run-by at the second-last obstacle. The gamble wasn't to be ... still need two more. As usual, no video of Wick's awesomeness because of my deep-rooted superstitions, but trust me, she was fab.

And then there's Rex. My thoughtful, careful agility dog has become a screaming, bouncing big ol' mess! Seriously, who trained this dog? Despite the chaos, he managed to Q four of his classes, so he is now in Advanced Gamblers and Snooker, and he finally got a Starters Jumpers Q. His first Standard run was his nicest of the trial, even though he jumped off the table. Oh, and he finally missed a dogwalk! This was probably the 12th dogwalk he's done in a trial, so it was about time he missed one. Was starting to think the running contact thing was too easy. Here's a video of some of his runs.

And in an "awwww" moment, Rex now has his own AAC Trial Results page. All together now ... "awwwwww". :-)

Dances with Collies

2011-07-20T09:24:00.000-07:00

Life is pretty tough when you're a working sheepdog. Sometimes, you just need to blow off a little steam. Here are four competitors (Gin, Creed, Rex and Lou) from the World Stock Dog Championships, enjoying time at the river behind the Saddledome.

Live like you were dying

2011-07-13T23:56:00.000-07:00

For the fourth year in a row, I made the trek to the Calgary Stampede. There was a field trial immediately prior, so of course I had to go to that too. I'd heard so much about the mosquito situation that I'd spent the couple days prior to departure clearing the stores of the various skeeter repellents. These things were awesome:

As I keep reminding myself, I won't have Lou to run forever. With this in mind, then, I went to the post each time with joy and pride in my trusty partner. Unfortunately for him, HIS partner didn't hold up her end at the pen. But the beauty of being a dog is that you don't dwell on things. You go out, move the sheep, sometimes you put them in the pen, sometimes you don't, and generally someone buys you fries. Lou knows the drill.

Here's a little video slideshow of our trip to Alberta. Live like you were dying!

My name is Lou, and I am a border collie

2011-07-04T12:13:00.000-07:00

Only Canadians are going to get this. :-)
-----------------------------------------------------
Hey, I'm not a heeler, or an aussie, or a lassie collie
I don't bite people, or dogs, or cats
and I don't know the dogs from Babe
although I'm certain they're really really nice.

I have eye, not a bark
I respond to whistles, not yelling
And I cast wide, not run up the middle

I am welcome on most farms
I can lie quietly for hours, until it is time to work
I believe in calm control of my sheep, not brute force
And that slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.
A flank should bend nicely,
And lie down means stop.

We are the world's premier stockdog
The smartest dog in the dog world
and the shepherd's best friend.

My name is Lou
And I am a border collie!!!

Unveiling the Masterpiece!

2011-06-27T20:13:00.000-07:00

Well, not a masterpiece, and still very much a work in progress, but Rex debuted his much-documented running dogwalk this past weekend at the Kee-Gigg trial in Cloverdale. The first one was a horrible toenail-in-the-yellow, but the other five were quite nice. He did a lot of good things and I'm really thrilled with where he is at this nascent point in his agility career. He earned Qs in 4 of 6 runs.

Atta boy, Rex!

And then there is Miss Wicky, who once again ran very very well. I don't have much video of her because I'm kinda superstitious and it seems like every time I have the video going, she has a horrible run (or I break my nose). So though there's no evidence of it, she picked up Qs in each of Snooker, Steeplechase and .... Gamblers! She almost Q'ed the other Steeplechase. In AAC, an off-course in Steeplechase is a 20 second time penalty. Well, Wick went off-course (into a tunnel - how strange) and still almost qualified as she was 19 seconds under time. That would have been so awesome! Oh well.

Here are the agility dogs in their keen harnesses. Lou is hiding somewhere in the house, ashamed of his lack of harness. :-)

Whidbey Island Sheep Dog Trial

2011-06-25T09:42:00.001-07:00

We travelled to Susan Crocker's gorgeous property on Whidbey Island for a sheep dog trial. We found a fantastic little cabin for rent, with a stunning view of the ocean:

If you are looking for a nice weekend retreat, check them out!

Aside from a stunning view, there were these cute little things on the lawn:

The trial field, while gorgeous, is not conducive to great sheep-and-dog photos so instead, here are some random ear photos.

Wick's awesome airplane ears.

Lou tries uppy-ears on for size:

Oh ... Rex ...

But the best ears belonged to the donkeys.

Nomnomnomnomnom ...

So that's about it. Lou had some very odd outruns, and his Sunday lift was, er, backwards. On the bright side, he had two lovely fetches, so we will dismiss the outruns as just a mere blip and we will not at all entertain the thought that, at 9, he has entered the crazy years. :-)

Lou says he's not crazy, he just wanted to try something different.

And now if you don't mind, he's tired and would like to nap.

My latest obsession

2011-06-20T12:58:00.000-07:00

** With apologies to those of you who have already been (over)exposed to this on Facebook**

I don't teach my dogs very much. They need to come when called, stay when told, and not lick. That's it. I'm a regular dog whisperer.

But every now and again, something catches my fancy, and I think "Hey, I think I'd like to train THAT". Further, it seems that I like to teach things that meet the following criteria:

Require purchase of expensive equipment (such as a dogwalk)
Require purchase of training aids (such as smaller, fancier HD camcorder and a Manners Minder)
Can be trained in my backyard
Can be tracked on overly complex Excel spreadsheet

Luckily, the running dogwalk met all these criteria and so much more! Other benefits that are just icing on the cake:

Learned that I was incredibly out of shape and vowed to change my ways (this is a work in progress)
Convinced the neighbours that I am, in fact, insane (Gogogogogogogogo yay for you!!!!!)
Found out that Wick can send to equipment such as dogwalks if I, say, practiced it every once in a while

So here it is, the short version of Rex's Running Dogwalk Diary:

For those that truly have too much time on their hands, here is a painstaking, session by session account. We'll see how it all works this weekend when Rex debuts his much-documented dogwalk at the Kee-Giggs agility trial.

Not a very good blogger

2011-06-16T22:17:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess I'm not too good at this blogging thing. And by not good, I mean I suck. But I'm going to try a little harder, and will even venture to say that I will post at least once a week. Ish.

The sheepdoggery has been going well. Lou and Rex competed at Lee's Stirling Acres trial. Rex was very naughty his first PN run (resulting in me running up the field, screaming thinly veiled threats).

His second run was better, and but for a bit of craziness at the beginning of the cross-drive, I was pretty happy. Rex was happy he got to pen. The sheep were happy that Rex didn't turn into a wolf. A whole lotta #winning all around.

Oh, and Rex's momma and brother were at the trial. Brother Nic had a spectacular run in Open 1, with a 92. Momma Trax won Open 2, with an impeccable run. Rex is clearly the underachiever in the family. :-)

Lou was lovely, as only Lou can be. Neither run placed, but he gave me his all. At 9, I am afraid that his days of charging up hills to bring me a sheep may be numbered. Yet he still had a beautiful gather, even if he had to slow to a trot a few times to catch his breath! It's ok, Lou, you're still the king!

Wick says she's really glad that we missed the agility regionals so that the boy dogs could run up a field to get sheep. Yup, super use of the weekend. Judging by the number of rodent-like things that Wick dispatched at Coldstream Ranch, I'd say she was in a bad mood. Maybe 'cause she read this sign.

This weekend, we're off to the Whidby Island SDT. Only running King Lou because I don't want to stay over for Monday, when PN runs. The field for this trial is spectacular, and we're staying at a B&B that also looks very nice. So if nothing else, it should be pretty!

The Horror, 2010 Edition

2010-12-19T11:13:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Jen and Sheena for the great Santa pic.

Extreme Makeover, Part II

2010-10-06T12:18:00.000-07:00

Rex has learned to do the teeter now.

His first session at full height:

And here's his next few sessions:

His first sequences with the teeter, weaves and jumps.

And from yesterday, more sequencing. He's such a fun little guy to train. Can't wait to run him in a trial! But first, I guess we should learn the rest of the equipment. :-)

All hail, the champions!

2010-09-26T15:45:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Patrick Shanahan and Riggs, the 2010 USBCHA National Champions. This proves that nice guys CAN finish first.

Although I like to think I taught him everything he knows about double-lifts. :-)

Extreme Makeover - Sheep Dog Edition

2010-09-11T23:05:00.000-07:00

Hello. Rex the Dog here. You may know me from such hits as
Walking Gigantic Sheep Through Grass

or maybe you've seen me in Soaking in Tub Softly

How about my performance in Splendour in the Grass?

Well, I've embarked on a second career. Don't worry, I'm still doing the sheepie thing. But I'm also learning this new thing called agility. It's like doggy obstacle course. She Who Blows the Whistle gives me wieners and tells me I'm clever, so I like agility. To date, I've learned to jump the hurdles and to weave the poles.

At first, I just walked through a set of poles.

Then there were more poles.

And the wieners just kept coming!

Before I knew it, I was doing the weave pole shuffle, which makes She Who Whistles and Yells very happy.

Suddenly, there were a LOT of poles out there. Still, the wieners kept coming so I kept weaving.

Even in the rain, we practiced, which is weird because She normally does not let us outside when it rains.

So after a couple of weeks of training (though not every day, because She is too lazy/disorganized), I am now weaving 12 poles.

Apparently, I am going to learn to tip a teeter-totter next. Wick tells me I'm gonna get spray cheez, so I'm quite keen to get started!

But again, don't worry, my heart still belongs to the sheep. This is just a hobby, and a really good way to earn wieners!

Wick at the AAC Nationals

2010-08-22T17:25:00.000-07:00

I've got some candid photos from our road trip, but this video summarizes how much fun we had in Calgary.

Wick at the AAC Nationals from Kristi Oikawa on Vimeo.

Thanks, Wick, for the wild ride. My life would suck without you.

USBCHA Finals - Webcast

2010-08-18T11:58:00.000-07:00

The 2010 USBCHA Finals will be webcast live and FREE! Click on the poster below for more info.

From the Nationals website: For the first time ever, the USBCHA National Sheepdog Finals will be offered as a live streaming broadcast over the Internet. We will film and stream all of the semi-final runs on Saturday (40 runs) and all of Sunday's 17 runs in the double-lift finals. This web cast will be live, unedited, complete, and FREE. We hope you'll join us as we bring our sheepdog trials into the Web 2.0 age. Our partner in this endeavor is 5:00 Films, and we're delighted with them so far.

Catching up from Calgary

2010-08-03T21:17:00.000-07:00

Another very delinquent post! Here are some pics from the Hilltop field trial. How late am I in getting these pics up? Well, I'm getting ready to head back to Calgary for the agility nationals. I will probably post those pictures sometime around December.

If I get packed for Calgary in a timely manner, then I will upload the photos and video from the Calgary Stampede stockdog shootout thingy.

Anywho....

Annual "wide open spaces" shot. Isn't it a purty field?

Not so purty were the Angry Ewes. "We are very angry. And we are going to take it out on your dog".

Louanne, the future is out there. :-)

I call this next series "Ladies Who Shed".

Louanne:

Chris:

Lee:

Lisa:

Shout out to Brother Nic!

Lou and I approach the post with some trepidation (and not a few bug bites):

Such ... big ... sheep ... (whimpers)

It was going pretty well until we lost them on the turn from the crossdrive panels.

That ain't right.

My heroes have always been cowboys. :-)

Run Wick Run!

2010-07-19T18:59:00.000-07:00

I'm totally delinquent in putting these up but here are the photos of Wicky at the 2010 BC and Yukon Regional Championships. My little minx ran her heart out for me. She was competing as a 16" Vet for the first time (she's almost 10, I think) and she wasn't really sure why we were jumping such puny jumps. However, as she does at whatever height you jump her, she kept the bars up, made all her contacts, none of her gambles, and even managed to pick up a 2nd place in one of the Jumpers rounds. At the end of the event, she had about 405 points and is qualified for Nationals at Spruce Meadows.

Wick, you don't get enough training time, you don't get to trial enough, and I'm sure that sitting in the van at sheep dog trials is getting really boring. I will regret not spending more time on you, because I will never have as talented an agility partner again. You rock.

All photos courtesy of Wild Hare Photography.

Wick says "Srsly, I'm jumping sheltie height here. And who are you calling old?!?"

Wick has always been very camera-aware.

After 9 years, she still rubs her hair off in the poles.

Go Wicky!

Pictures like this make me want to tape her ears so that they're pointy. :-)

Dogs on Furniture

2010-07-05T19:43:00.000-07:00

Collies as art. Or ... Rex, what the eff are you doing?

25/52, If Only You Knew How Much ...

2010-06-27T20:10:00.001-07:00

25/52, If Only You Knew How Much ...
Originally uploaded by voteforbear

Whidbey Island SDT

2010-06-21T14:42:00.000-07:00

We went to the Whibey Island SDT on the weekend. What a glorious place! Gorgeous views, great sheep, and a lovely field. The shedding ring was on a raised plateau and mowed like a putting green.

Hello, girls!

Lou takes it in from the peanut gallery.

Lorne Landry's Cassie.

Brian Nelson's Pleat.

Little Lucy on Saturday.

Some kind of hawk:

Lou is overcome with drowsies.

Please...throw...da...ball

2010-06-16T10:30:00.001-07:00

Please...throw...da...ball
Originally uploaded by voteforbear

Wick isn't very subtle about what she wants. It kinda looks like she is about to burst into tears at the lack of ball throwing.

And yeah, that blurry tri-colour thing in the background is the Rexxon Valdez. It seems he infiltrates every photo that I take.

Patrick Shanahan Clinic - Coldstream, BC

2010-04-19T12:05:00.000-07:00

We spent a great weekend in Coldstream, at a Patrick Shanahan clinic. The weather was fantastic, the field was out of this world, and a good time was had by all. If you have a chance to go to one of Patrick's clinics, I *highly* recommend you go. He has a way of making the things very clear, both to you and the dog, and he's pretty fun to boot.

On the first day and part of the second, we went over double-lifts. Then we each tried it, while the rest judged. It was interesting to see how different people took points for different things! Luckily, everyone was a good sport about it and no blood was shed.

As interesting is double-lifts are to do, they make for very dull photos. So instead, here are the usual "dog staring at stuff" pics.

Lee's Chica

Ruedi's Teak

Jennifer's Max

Ian's Imp Jo Jo

Holly's Rosie

And finally, Susan's puppy, True, who is True-ly lovely.

Weave, Wick ... WEAVE!

2010-04-14T16:02:00.000-07:00

Inspired by Nicki Gurr's series of videos documenting her young dog learning to weave via Susan Garret's 2x2 method, I decided to bite the bullet and re-train the Wickens.

As a background, Wick learned to weave about 7 years ago, but over the years, it became apparent (!!) that we had some holes in our weaving foundation. I bought the Susan Garrett 2x2 DVD and we've been following it closely (I hope!).

Here, the two sets of poles are slightly open, and a couple of inches apart.

Wick's 2x2 Training from Kristi Oikawa on Vimeo.

The next session that same day, the poles are almost closed, and barely two inches apart.

Wick's 2x2 training, second session, April 12 from Kristi Oikawa on Vimeo.

The next day, the poles are straight up. We start with four, then go to six. Oh, and we added a jump!

Wick's 2x2 Training, April 13 from Kristi Oikawa on Vimeo.

For our next session, we will add a second set of six poles, about 10' from the first set.

And for your amusement ... Wick weaving, circa 2003. :-)

Spring lamb!

2010-03-06T22:03:00.000-08:00

They're heeeeeeere!

Look, Lou! Lambies!!! (Lou hates working newborn lambs)

But hey, working little lambs and their mommas is better than not working at all so up and at 'em.

Getting up close and personal.

After torturing him on lambs, I let him work the regular working flock. Note how much happier he is!

And little Rexxy isn't quite ready to work teeny lambs and their occasionally angry mothers. He was very glad to work the regular, non-fighting sheep.

Secrets of the hay barn

2010-02-27T10:21:00.000-08:00

On every farm there are secret places where Very Strange Things happen. At Keepmore Farms, that place is the hay barn. To the casual observer, it's where the bales of hay are stored. But more careful scrutiny reveals some interspecies co-mingling.

Let's grab a couple of really cute lambs.

And now add one slightly distressed collie.

Now ask said distressed collie to move the lambs along the hay bales.

OK, that concludes torturing Lou. Let's move on to ... working chickens! Ah, now THIS is something that Lou enjoys.

Rex, portrait of a young dog

2010-01-19T13:07:00.000-08:00

Well, Rex has been living with us for a month now, and he's adapted to house life pretty well. He's only had one accident (which Wick may have helped cause) and he's a very easy dog to live with.

As with all my dogs, I was moved to make a video scrapbook of Rex's year with Lee. What a lot these two accomplished in 2009! I am looking forward to running this young dog in sheep dog trials, as well as training him up for agility.

That'll do, Bear, that'll do

2010-01-12T14:44:00.000-08:00

On December 16, I lost my beloved aussie, Bear. He was somewhere between 13 and 15 years old, I think, and he'd been struggling with renal failure for a few months.

I adopted Bear in 1999 from the Vancouver SPCA. Over the next 10+ years, we went on all kinds of crazy adventures, including two trips to the AAC Agility Nationals, weekly visits to see the sheep at Rose and Bruce's lovely Keepmore Farms, as well as competing in flying disc and musical freestyle.

But most importantly, he was my buddy, my sensible dog who paved the way for the (not so sensible) parade of collies that now live with me. He was my rock and he changed my life. May everyone have a true and faithful companion like Bear just once in your lifetime.

I made a video about our lives together. I miss you, Mr. Muffin. See you on the other side.

Nursey Finals photos

2009-09-29T20:03:00.000-07:00

80+ of the finest baby dogs went to the post in Klamath Falls. The top 40% of those ran a second time, and the highest cumulative score won. Congratulations to Scott Glen and Don!

Alisdair MacRae and Coll laid down a lovely run in the second round.

Thad Buckler and Nic, Rex's brother:

Nic's ewes stalled out a bit at the pen:

Hello Rex!

Rex had a bit of a problem with this ewe:

But eventually everyone got in the pen.

And life was good.

I think this is my favourite photo from the Nursery field. It's Ian Zoerb and Freckles, looking out over a dusty and smoky field.

Klamath Falls 2009

2009-09-29T10:47:00.000-07:00

Woot! Road TRIP!!! Susan and I loaded up our two good dogs (bad dogs and old dogs stayed at home) and headed way south, then way east, then did a few extra loops, then came close once or twice to plummeting to our death in the Willamette Forest ... and then we were in Klamath Falls, Oregon, for the 2009 USBCHA Finals.

Lamb is my co-pilot.

Crossing the bridge into Porland:

Lou and Kyu in a pretty rest area somewhere in Oregon:

TAKE THE EXIT! For the love of all that's holy, TAKE THE EXIT!! SOOKIE!!!

There seemed to be a forest fire (what is it about these road trips and forest fires) but we still decided to pull over and pose El Magnifico against some magnificent backdrop.

So after 11 hours, some vampire audio books (SOOKIE!!!), a half bag of tiny Toblerones, and a lot of Starbucks Double Shots, we made it! Woot!

Western Canadians - the hardware

2009-09-02T21:54:00.000-07:00

The Class of 2009:

COME ON!!! I'M TRYING TO TAKE A PICTURE

Congratulations to Dennis Gellings and Jan, the 2009 Western Canadian and CBCA Champions:

And to Peter Gonnet and Jill, the Reserve Champs:

And to my friend, Vickie, who, with her good dog, Gale, made it into the finals in her first year of running Open. You RULE!!!

Trial pics, Western Canadians

2009-09-02T21:42:00.000-07:00

OK, enough with the frou-frou pics. Here are the dogs who represented! Woot!

Hello, Rexy. Well done on your 4th place finish at WC!

And Mazel Tov to your brother, Nic, for finishing up Reserve:

Congrats to Scott and Don, the CBCA Nursery champs:

And to Peter Gonnet and Taff, the WC Nursery champs:

This is one of Beverly Lambert's dogs.

Stormy and Roy with one of the few pens:

Holly's Mirk:

Jennifer's Spot:

Norm and Jock in the double-lift finals:

Vickie and Gale in the finals:

Amanda and Clive in the finals:

Ian and Gyp:

Bev and Mirk:

Peter and Jill:

Dennis and Jan:

Western Canadians, Okotoks, AB

2009-09-01T21:26:00.000-07:00

Went to Alberta at the end of August to run in the CBCA/Western Canadians. What the slash? Well, the CBCA Championships generally are held in conjunction with a large trial in the east one year, and the Western Canadians the following year. You pay two entry fees and run once. Win! Wait. Maybe not so much a win. Ahem.

Anyway, we made good time, even with the little detours we took in the interest of stopping to smell the roses.

I think this is near Salmon Arm:

And this is the last spike, where one part of the railroad did something with another. I think. I dunno, read the sign. It's on there.

Somewhere in Banff:

And then we made it! Bar Pipe Farms! Wide open spaces! Vast sky! Gopher holes!!!

Cause you KNOW there has to be a "Wick digs while Lou makes weird faces in the background" pics:

Wick, what did you do with the gopher?

Bear. Le sigh. I love this dog. He had no idea where he was, or why, but he puttered around like a trooper, rolling in every bit of dry cow pat he could find.

El Magnifico chilling:

Our agility friend, Matt, came to watch and brought his crew. Rocky and Bear bonded over the "have to live with border collies" thing.

Jennifer got to take home her little pup, Mitch.

Lacamas Valley Sheep Dog Trial, Camas, WA

2009-08-18T21:12:00.000-07:00

Went down to Lynn Johnston's wonderful trial. Unlike last year, the temps were perfect - not too hot, not too cold, and no sign of rain.

The lambs were as silly as last year, and it took a patient, persistent dog to lift them nicely. Handlers, too, had to wait patiently as, some 525 yards away, your dog was negotiating with the sheep and there was nothing you could do but breathe deeply and hope to see some signs of movement.

I was very happy with Lou. Last year, we retired both days, as he couldn't move the lambs in anything remotely like the proper direction. This year, he was much better, even turning in a drive on the Friday that I didn't think he had in him. Only 5 off, and that was probably due to the wobbly start to the drive-away panel. OMG, it was a thing of beauty! OTOH, his fetches were not good at all, and the sheds were, um, brutal. However, he wasn't many points off from making the double-lift. If we had a fetch line either of the two days ... oh well. We got numbers instead of letters. For a dog that hates working lambs, it was a vast improvement.

This is why I'm hot:

I like really black dogs. Elizabeth's Soot fits the bill!

I also covet tight-skinned dogs. Noelle refused to give me her nursery dog. POUT.

The view from the post was nice.

I thought this dog looked like a female version of Lou:

Look at this face!!

Patrick's nursery dog for 2010:

On the River Sheep Dog Trial, Acme, WA

2009-07-24T18:29:00.000-07:00

Went across the border for Dirk and Sonja's On the River SDT, run exclusively on their gorgeous Scotties. The weather was dreamily cool, the handler's supper delish, and when the sun finally came out, we took the dogs down to the eponymous river. Well, we almost lost Bear, but thanks to chivalrous BF, Bear was retrieved and escorted to safety.

Lou has run on these sheep a few times now, and he loves them/they love him. The love affair continued this weekend. Except for some dodgy flanking here and there, I was pretty pleased with him.

I love going to the post with him. Talk about a feeling of calm.

Not a bad fetch, and a nice turn around the post:

After a pretty good drive and quick shed, all we had to do was time out at the pen, and we'd be in the double-lift final. Alas, I managed to lose sheep that were *in*the*mouth*of*the*pen! Le sigh.

Candy Kennedy didn't lose her sheep.

Jeff and Cap are very expressive shedders:

Brace, as demonstrated by Cap and Nissan:

And to prove the trial was on the river!

Then we dried off in a large field of clover and bees:

Amos says thanks for coming. Now get out!

PAC - July 2009

2009-07-19T18:12:00.000-07:00

Oh that's right, Wick doesn't do sheep, she does doggy obstacle coursing. So contrary to popular belief, she does actually trial in local trials - I don't just dust her off for Regionals. For example, we went to PAC's July trial outdoors at High Run. Great people, great lunch, and spectacular weather. Makes me wonder why I don't do it more!

Oh hai, Raya. You still iz the most aweome weaver:

And tire-go-though'er:

Get the earplugs, here comes aussie nation!

Purple frame, purple frame. I only want to see you laughing in the purple frame.

Little Flip, who almost makes me want a JRT:

Shout out to the veterans! Hello Teddy!

And Hurley:

Lou says it's ok for Wick to get a competition weekend every now and then.

As long as he gets to play tag with her between runs:

Thanks PAC! See you soon!

Canada Day at the Park

2009-07-01T17:35:00.000-07:00

Just a few of my dogs at our park.

Wick displaying her awesomeness:

Hello, Mr. Muffin:

The many ears of Lou:

Sprinkler Madness

2009-06-13T17:55:00.000-07:00

The calm before the chaos:

>

And then the sprinkler came on.

Lou is obsessed.

FAIL!!

WIN!!

Hello Lexy:

Britt and Uncle Lou have a moment:

Paxton Valley SDT

2009-06-01T20:24:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Holly and Len for opening up their farm once again! We had a great time at their trial, enjoying amazing sunny weather, good food, and good fun.

The girls were up to the task, proving tricky to pen and/or shed, as per usual.

Lee and Nan won Saturday's Open class with a very pretty run:

Rex won Sunday's Nursery class, as well as the overall in Nursery. Good job, Lee and Rex!

Susan, proving that fashion and shepherding need not be mutually exclusive:

Kyu is rather stylin' too:

BC&Yukon AAC Agility Regional Championships

2009-05-21T14:30:00.000-07:00

Campbell River, BC May 15-17, 2009

We went to lovely Campbell River on the Island for Wick's first agility trial of the year! Poor thing hasn't had much (any) practice but she did very well and qualified for Nationals again. This probably will be here last Regionals at 22", and she finished as she started, with no bars down. :-)

We stayed at the Coast, across from the marina and ferry terminal.

Wick and Reveille do their version of driftwood art:

Wick, can you just SIT on a rock?

Reveille looking fluffy:

To make this picture work, we wedged Bear between the rocks. :-)

I really like this one of Carson and Kelsey. Kels is 11 years old now, and still fast as stink.

Speaking of stinking fast, hello, Phoenix!

And big congratulations to our former DAM teammate and all-around cool dog, Xena, who claimed the top of the podium in 16" Specials:

For all the pics from Regionals, you can visit my Flickr page.

On the River SDT

2009-05-11T13:36:00.000-07:00

From Deming, Washington, May 9-10, 2009

Tall grass, wily sheep, and a large field made for a very entertaining and challenging weekend!

You could have anything from Scotties to Katahdins, to Cheviots.

These are not short sheep, it's just that the grass is really tall!

Lou and I waiting our turn.

Lou turns his girls around the post.

And begins his drive.

The run didn't go well, but that doesn't mean that Lou doesn't get a snuggle. Thanks to Diane Pagel for this great shot!

Somewhere in the grass is Dee.

Pearse and Riel won Saturday, and the double-lift final on Monday.

Stirling Acres Sheep Dog Trial

2009-04-21T11:29:00.001-07:00

We spent the weekend attending Lee Lumb's excellent Stirling Acres Sheep Dog Trial. This is my favourite trial, as I made my trial debut at the inaugural trial in 2006. Seems like quite a long time ago that I found myself standing at the post, staring in awe at my dog pounding up the field. Actually, I still find myself staring in dumb admiration at Lou. :-)

Speaking of trial debuts, shout out to Rex who, under Lee's expert guidance, won all three Nursery trials! Yay, baby dog! Not yet two, and already a champ!

Fetching like a seasoned pro:

The hardware:

While I had nothing to do with his success, I am more than happy to pose with the winner!

But my heart belongs to this guy:

I wasn't much of a handler for him this weekend:

Poor guy was knackered at the end.

Shout-out to Kyu!

The Big Field

2009-04-15T17:39:00.000-07:00

Pam May has sourced a wonderful big field where the dogs can stretch their legs and work on some longer things. On the corner of 192nd and 16th in Langley, it's a little piece of paradise on a busy bit of road. It's not unusual for cars to pull over to watch as the dogs move the sheep around the field.

Oh yeah, apparently there are wee little frogs. I've never seen one.

Hello, Jana

And Jayne

Riel, you're such a poser:

Kyu!!!

Hail, Caesar!

This blog post has been brought to you by The Mullet

March madness!

2009-03-22T01:30:00.000-07:00

It's sunny! Second day of spring! And the lambs are starting to drop!

What's cuter than new lambs? How about 5 week old puppies! In a basket!

Maybe we can do better than that, even. What if we add a lamb?

Rain says "Hey, you're squishing me!"

Get out of my basket!

You're kind of cute:

Let's be BFFs:

Speaking of new friends, Lexy, meet Cousin Lou:

That's not a nice thing to do to your cousin!

Rain looking stalky:

Lexy says that she can look stalky too!

Britt isn't so much stalky as spotty.

Lexy and Louise have a moment:

Sam meets Louise, with Lou overseeing the whole gong show, I mean, meeting:

Britt isn't sure about this weird-looking puppy

Lou is the designated babysitter:

Making sure things don't get out of control

Sam and Britt try to entice Louise to play with them:

Louise complains bitterly to Lou about the puppies:

Louise and Lou bonding:

Britt!!!!

Is it just me or does it look like Lexy is weaving, and single-striding at that!

Awww. Lexy, you are very cute:

Rex at 22 months

2009-03-16T15:51:00.000-07:00

I also got a chance to take young Rexy for a test drive. Lee has done an absolutely wonderful job with the little guy. He's got his flanks down, and he's fully on whistles. Just need some of the snow to melt so that he can stretch out his driving.

In this video, Lee is doing the steering, and I am doing the filming (and giggling). He works much nicer for her than me!

Rex - 22 months old from Kristi Oikawa on Vimeo.

Photos from Coldstream

2009-03-16T15:44:00.000-07:00

The gang went up to Coldstream for a clinic with Lee Lumb. Well, Lou was in the clinic. Bear and Wick once again spent the weekend holding down the van. :-)

Go Bear go!

How weird. Wick is digging.

Why does Wick always look like she just ordered a hit?

Ohmmmmmm ... Lou ponders the meaning of life:

Lou is a dork.

There are no words to caption this one.

Even guardian dogs need to nap.

Now with eyes!

2009-03-01T00:45:00.000-08:00

The pups are 17 days old in these photos. Eyes are open, and ears are starting to flick around too!

Note: I can't tell Sam and Rain apart in pics, so I likely am getting their pics all muddled up. Apologies to Sam and Rain.

Lexy:

Rain:

Britt:

Britt and Lexy

Sam and Britt:

The photoshoot ends when the pups go back to sleep:

Puppies at 11 days

2009-02-24T21:49:00.000-08:00

Puppy pile! Britt at the back, big Sam in the middle, little Lexy in front and to the right, and Rain in front and to the left:

Sam and Rain on the left, Britt drapes her paw over Lexy on the left:

Rain and little Lexy. Don't worry, what she lacks in size, she makes up for in determination!

Rain and Britt:

Sam showing a rare burst of energy, crawling over Rain:

Jana's puppies

2009-02-16T23:25:00.000-08:00

All photos taken on February 14, 2009, when the little darlings were 3 days old. :-)

Pile o' puppies:

Could you please face the camera?

No fighting!

Small, large, and medium (aka Peanut, Sam, and Britt)

Sam stretches out for a nap:

Britt chills:

Britt and Rain:

Rain and Peanut:

I think Sam is doing some kind of dance while Rain and Peanut nurse:

Teeny tiny puppy feet:

Jana and Peanut share a moment:

Good girl, Mama Jana:

My dog

2009-01-29T16:35:00.001-08:00

Bear is getting old, he can't really hear, and he doesn't move a whole lot. But he still follows me from room to room, and every morning, I wake up with his shaggy (snoring) self beside me. I got him almost exactly 10 years ago, and it was the best thing I ever did.

He is always up for spontaneous photo shoots:

Sometimes he drifts off:

He is my buddy:

He is my dog:

Apologies to Wick, Lou and Rex, you guys are my dogs too. But you get enough attention, it was the black dog's turn.

More frickin' snow

2009-01-05T00:07:00.000-08:00

OK, there's been snow on the ground for over 20 days. Enough! While it is awesome that the dogs aren't tracking in tons of mud and dirt, we all are going crazy from cabin fever! I want my rain back!

Bear occasionally needs to be helped out of snow drifts:

But overall, he is a fan of the snow:

Roy's not so sure about the snow:

Lou uses his huge feet as snowshoes:

Shayne right before he goes under:

On balance, I think the dogs love the snow:

Although with just one trail, it can get congested:

Four-way stop procedure!

Proceed when clear:

Meg, Shayne and Jana:

Ready ....

Go!!!

And little Chance:

Let it Snow

2008-12-22T00:03:00.000-08:00

Bear:

Lou:

Wick and Lou:

And then Bear and Lou dried off on the couch:

The Horror, 2008 Edition

2008-12-04T23:59:00.000-08:00

Giddyup!

2008-12-02T14:13:00.000-08:00

Handy Dog Arena Trial - November 2008

2008-11-25T11:48:00.000-08:00

This is Jimmy. Jimmy cracked corn. No one cared, apparently.

Lou-lou

Kyu-ball

Sock

Dreaming of Cheviots

2008-11-20T15:00:00.000-08:00

One day, I hope to have a nice little flock of North Country Cheviots. Until then ...

And Rex makes four

2008-11-18T13:05:00.000-08:00

Introducing Rex, a handsome young tri-colour border collie all the way from Evansburg, AB.

Rex pays proper respect to Bear:

Rex will die if he continues to greet Wick like this:

Lou, you are so sexy:

And some solo shots of the new fella:

And one last public service announcement from Wick: Sniff my butt, you will DIE.

A brief political interruption

2008-11-04T22:33:00.000-08:00

I hesitate to post this, given that I am not American, and this is a blog o' dog photos, but I have something on my mind.

As a Canadian living within 30 minutes of the US border, I have always viewed America as the talented, good-looking older brother of Canada. Flashy, cocky, and just better at so many things. Your stores have a better selection of stuff for less, you win so many medals at the Olympics it's almost boring, your shows/movies/music so permeate our culture that we have to have "Canadian Content" rules just so that Canadian artists get a chance. You have an unwavering belief that you can achieve anything you set your mind to, and you were usually right.

Like most sibling relations, sometimes I found you tiring. But I always knew that in a pinch, you would protect us, that you had our backs, and that so long as you were around, we were safe from things that go bump in the night. A huge responsibility, I know, but you always did it with little griping because it was the right thing to do.

Over the last couple of years, you changed, and it saddened me. What happened to your swagger, your confidence, your belief in yourself? We used to make fun of you because we were jealous; now, well, we just make fun of you because you've gone off the rails a bit.

I feel optimistic after tonight's election that you have turned the corner. Perhaps the last few years were just a phase? I sure hope so. I hope that you will return to what you once were, the envy of all other nations: a beacon of democracy and hope. We need our big brother. The world needs you. Welcome back!

Just because it's funny

2008-10-18T11:13:00.000-07:00

Paxton Valley SDT

2008-10-06T13:01:00.000-07:00

Kyu

Jana

Lou

Kate

Mirk

Jen

Quill

Rob

Teak

Paxton Valley - the cabin

2008-10-06T12:15:00.000-07:00

Rose and Lou rekindle the romance

Jana is disgusted

Meg is sad that Lou has taken her spot

Bear is just happy to grab a corner of a sleeping bag

Wick hiding from the fly

Jana crashes

Falling for Fall

2008-09-28T11:28:00.000-07:00

Fraser Valley Sheep Dog Trial

2008-09-02T23:33:00.000-07:00

Jen at the lift:

Dee

Kate

Meg

Robbie

Kyu

Chica and Lee shed:

Brian and Pleat shedding

Lou and I shedding

And Lynn and Ken presiding over it all. Do I detect a snicker?

The ewe appears to be complaining about something.

I have no complaints with Lou's run:

Nor can I complain about my blinged out sheep!

And the obligatory "Wick Digging" pics:

See ya!

Lacamas Valley SDT

2008-08-19T18:15:00.000-07:00

July 26, 2008

2008-07-27T00:55:00.000-07:00

Metchosin Beach Pics, July 2008

2008-07-21T22:26:00.000-07:00

Metchosin Sheep Dog Trial, July 2008

2008-07-21T12:07:00.000-07:00

Lou

Jana

Cassie

Chica

Nan

Kyu

Mick

Mike

Robbie

Dharma

Duke

Water baby

2008-05-25T17:41:00.000-07:00

Lou is obsessed

With the hose

Bear and Wick would rather chew on bones

Wick is not so emo afterall

2008-05-20T12:13:00.000-07:00

She can do "happy":

Sly:

Paranoid:

And giggling:

Flyball!

2008-04-26T21:38:00.000-07:00

Jet, the flying Pyr Shep:

Kate:

Meg:

Skai is a blur of fur:

Say Hello to the 2008 Lambs!

2008-03-02T21:33:00.000-08:00

My favourites:

And a close second:

Oh ... dear. It's Brillo:

Itchy Lamby:

How rude!

Muddy field, happy dogs

2008-02-16T21:30:00.000-08:00

Lou:

Wick:

Meg:

Jana shows Lou some love:

Bedhead in 2008

2008-01-02T20:38:00.000-08:00

The mighty male border collie roars!

The annoyed male Aussie poses poses reluctantly:

Lou's new friend, Billy Bulldog:

Bear can't believe that the paparazzi found him:

Lou wears his mullet well:

My two boys:

Bear and Jaimee

2007-11-26T11:59:00.000-08:00

The Big-Headed Dog

2007-11-25T12:01:00.000-08:00

The Horror, 2007 edition

2007-11-14T11:53:00.000-08:00

East Kootenay Sheepdog Trial

2007-09-18T14:11:00.000-07:00

The setting: Pine Butte Ranch, just outside Cranbrook, BC

Milt and Ben get the shed:

Norm and Cub turn the post

Reo's eyes light up at the pen:

Reo picks up a straggler:

Casey pauses briefly:

Gin keeps an eye on the action:

My crew at a really pretty rest area:

Keepmore Farms Arena Trial

2007-09-04T11:47:00.000-07:00

A Doggy Yoga Essay

Flat like a worm:

Salute the paw:

Rump to the sky: