Colors are changing everywhere and its starting to cool down outside. Perhaps its these changes that brought on Meg's weirdness today?
At least I hope Meg was just having an off day today. It started at 5:30am. She woke me up because she needed to go out. Nothing unusual there, but after she did her 'business' she refused to come back in. When I called her, she ran away from me and then turned and stared at me. I was tired and didn't really care if she stayed outside so Bear came in and Meg didn't. At about 6-6:30am, she started barking at something so Dad got up to bring her in, but she refused to come to him too. After that, she was quiet so we just left her out.
Later in the day, we went to agility class. Meg had been doing pretty well in training all week and I was excited to show what she could do in class. Meg however had other ideas.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
I am the weak link...
Meg is doing great in agility! I on the other hand need some serious practice. I'm keep using the wrong arm to show her which way to go or I take my eyes off her and she ends up behind me. (Agility Rule #1: Never take your eye off the dog.) I'm also bad about having the treat/toy in the wrong hand. (Agility Rule #2: The hand closest to the dog is the 'active' hand.) Meg will have me trained sooner or later, but in the mean time she gets lost or frustrated with me until I get it right.
Meg and Bear didn't get much practice in last week because we (the humans) were out of town, but they still did pretty good. Today in class we expanded on some of what we did last week and worked on a few new things. When we arrived, the dogs did what I hope is their new pre-class routine.
Meg and Bear didn't get much practice in last week because we (the humans) were out of town, but they still did pretty good. Today in class we expanded on some of what we did last week and worked on a few new things. When we arrived, the dogs did what I hope is their new pre-class routine.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Target!
Meg and I started playing a new game yesterday. She knows target, but is getting sloppy about it and won't actually touch the target with her nose and sometimes she will just walk towards it and then turn around and look at me. Other times we won't touch it with her nose...she'll just sit or lay on it, which is not what I want. Silly girl! So now we play target-soccer. I will kick the ball for her when she touches the target. Its fun watching her. She brings me the ball, she touches the target, I kick the ball. She brings it back, touches the target, I kick again. Hopefully this will help solidify her targeting and also help teach her not to come back to me to get a treat after she touches the target.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Yay....MAIL!
The post-woman and UPS guy have brought us some goodies!
Yesterday the new Frisbees I ordered from HyperFlite arrived. Up to this point, we've been using HyperFlite Fastback discs that I bought years ago for Bear's sister Matty (who passed away earlier this year). They are starting to get a bit beat up and not flying so straight (couldn't possibly be due to my throwing...lol).
I got Meg a couple of the SofFlite discs, the glow-in-the-dark Midnight Sun disc, and a Competition Standard Lite disc. We tried at the Midnight Sun after work last night.
Yesterday the new Frisbees I ordered from HyperFlite arrived. Up to this point, we've been using HyperFlite Fastback discs that I bought years ago for Bear's sister Matty (who passed away earlier this year). They are starting to get a bit beat up and not flying so straight (couldn't possibly be due to my throwing...lol).
I got Meg a couple of the SofFlite discs, the glow-in-the-dark Midnight Sun disc, and a Competition Standard Lite disc. We tried at the Midnight Sun after work last night.
Foundation Agility
Every Border Collie needs a job to keep them busy and out of trouble. Meg and I play Frisbee or ball several times a day. While it is fun and provides a physical outlet, I don't feel it is mentally stimulating enough for either of us. That's where agility comes in.
In August, Meg and I started taking a Foundation Agility class with Penney Morse of Sunara Dog Training. Meg has loved it right from the start, so much so that I decided to enroll Bear too so he can join in on the fun. He has bad hips so won't go farther than the foundation class, but he can benefit from learning something new.
In our first class,
In August, Meg and I started taking a Foundation Agility class with Penney Morse of Sunara Dog Training. Meg has loved it right from the start, so much so that I decided to enroll Bear too so he can join in on the fun. He has bad hips so won't go farther than the foundation class, but he can benefit from learning something new.
In our first class,
The first few months....
Meg and Bear, the goofy 10-year-old lab mix, got along great right from the start. Anni, the cat, was quick to show Meg who's boss.
Meg was a bit nervous those first few weeks, but she soon began to find out where she fit in. We had a great time getting to know each other. She was a bit shy at first, especially towards Dad. She's a fairly soft dog and would try to hide if anyone spoke too loudly (whether it was directed at her or not).
I quickly learned how little Meg knew...the extent of her training seemed to be 'sit', 'come' and 'leave it' (the latter two she had just learned while staying with Eileen at Ravensgate). She loved toys, but wasn't sure how to include people in her games.
After she had a few days to settle in, we began Meg's education, starting with 'down', 'tug', 'drop it', and 'shake', and we continued to work on 'come' and 'leave it'.
Her first walk revealed that she was a bit dog reactive. Dogs at the park, vet, or store were fine. While on a walk however, she would she bark and jump and spin in circles at the sight of another dog. She quickly learned where all the dogs in the neighborhood lived. She would react to houses where dogs lived even if the dog was not present at the time we walked by.
After she had about 6 weeks to settle in, Meg and I enrolled in an obedience class at Northern Tails Dog Training with Lisa Lucas. Meg did great! She loved going to class and having a job to do. We worked on sit, down, leave it, heel, stay, and manners. We also got some tips and ideas on how to handle her reaction to other dogs on walks.
During this time, Meg also learned two of the greatest games ever invented...fetch and Frisbee!
Meg was a bit nervous those first few weeks, but she soon began to find out where she fit in. We had a great time getting to know each other. She was a bit shy at first, especially towards Dad. She's a fairly soft dog and would try to hide if anyone spoke too loudly (whether it was directed at her or not).
I quickly learned how little Meg knew...the extent of her training seemed to be 'sit', 'come' and 'leave it' (the latter two she had just learned while staying with Eileen at Ravensgate). She loved toys, but wasn't sure how to include people in her games.
After she had a few days to settle in, we began Meg's education, starting with 'down', 'tug', 'drop it', and 'shake', and we continued to work on 'come' and 'leave it'.
Her first walk revealed that she was a bit dog reactive. Dogs at the park, vet, or store were fine. While on a walk however, she would she bark and jump and spin in circles at the sight of another dog. She quickly learned where all the dogs in the neighborhood lived. She would react to houses where dogs lived even if the dog was not present at the time we walked by.
After she had about 6 weeks to settle in, Meg and I enrolled in an obedience class at Northern Tails Dog Training with Lisa Lucas. Meg did great! She loved going to class and having a job to do. We worked on sit, down, leave it, heel, stay, and manners. We also got some tips and ideas on how to handle her reaction to other dogs on walks.
During this time, Meg also learned two of the greatest games ever invented...fetch and Frisbee!
Must love cats (or at least not eat them)...
I searched for six weeks.
I wanted a Border Collie.
I wanted a rescue.
She had to be a 'she', young but not a teething puppy that would need potty training, fairly quiet (Bear does enough barking for one household). She had to have potential for Agility and Frisbee, which meant she needed to be healthy and active. I wanted a medium sized dog this time so she had to be under 50 lbs. Oh, and she had to do well with cats. Mom's cat Anni and I don't always get along. As much as I'd like to see her be herded around the house by a rambunctious Border Collie, I knew that wouldn't go over to well. So...young, active, quiet, content, dog loving, cat loving female Border Collie.
I searched several times a day on Petfinder, craigslist, and breed rescue websites, looking at the same dogs over and over to make sure I didn't overlook my girl. While looking on the Pacific Northwest Border Collie Rescue site for the billionth time, I found her...
She was a gorgeous blue eyed merle. She was pictured with a cat. She was active and seeking a job and a family. I filled out the application for her and called Eileen at Ravensgate BC Rescue. No answer. I was disappointed, but kept trying. After a couple days I began to panic. I knew this was the girl for me and I didn't want to see her go to some one else. Finally, I received an email from Eileen telling me to try calling in the morning and talk on the machine a bit to give her time to answer.
The next day I got through and we talked about my gorgeous merle girl for about 20 minutes. Everything started out well enough. Yes, she does well with cats. Yes, she gets along with most other dogs, though some she doesn't like. She can be a bit pushy. She sometimes barks like crazy while in her crate. She's got a pretty intense personality and doesn't really have an off switch. She will escape from the yard and go roaming given the opportunity...
Ok, so maybe this was not the dog for me.
I'm about to say 'thanks' and hang up, when I remember that Eileen had another female Border Collie foster. What was her name? The one without a tail? Meagan!
Yes, she does well with the cats. She gets along with all the other dogs at the house. She's good friends with the merle girl, but has never followed her on her ventures under the fence. She rarely barks. She's active and full of energy, but she will calm down inside. She's a sweet dog, she just hasn't had a lot of training.
She's perfect! We talked for another two hours about Meagan and Border Collies in general. THIS was the girl for me.
At around a year of age, Meagan somehow ended up in the Canyon County Animal Shelter in Caldwell, ID. After spending three weeks in lock up, she was pulled by a border collie lover and sent to a foster home in Kennewick, WA. From there she went to live on a small farm in Bellingham, WA where they intended to put her to work herding. It didn't work out and five months later she went back into a foster home, this time, with Ravensgate Border Collie Rescue on Camano Island, WA.
We drove seven hours to meet Meagan, the black and white, 40 lb tail-less rough coat gal that stole my heart. We went for a walk with Eileen, Meagan, four other dogs and a cat. After a round of kisses and a full body wag (Meg, not me), I knew that this was MY girl. She jumped in the car as soon as we opened the door. She was ready to go home!
So that's Meg's story. This is her blog.
Meg is my first Border Collie and I look forward to documenting our journey together and sharing it with whomever takes the time to read this blog.
I wanted a Border Collie.
I wanted a rescue.
She had to be a 'she', young but not a teething puppy that would need potty training, fairly quiet (Bear does enough barking for one household). She had to have potential for Agility and Frisbee, which meant she needed to be healthy and active. I wanted a medium sized dog this time so she had to be under 50 lbs. Oh, and she had to do well with cats. Mom's cat Anni and I don't always get along. As much as I'd like to see her be herded around the house by a rambunctious Border Collie, I knew that wouldn't go over to well. So...young, active, quiet, content, dog loving, cat loving female Border Collie.
I searched several times a day on Petfinder, craigslist, and breed rescue websites, looking at the same dogs over and over to make sure I didn't overlook my girl. While looking on the Pacific Northwest Border Collie Rescue site for the billionth time, I found her...
She was a gorgeous blue eyed merle. She was pictured with a cat. She was active and seeking a job and a family. I filled out the application for her and called Eileen at Ravensgate BC Rescue. No answer. I was disappointed, but kept trying. After a couple days I began to panic. I knew this was the girl for me and I didn't want to see her go to some one else. Finally, I received an email from Eileen telling me to try calling in the morning and talk on the machine a bit to give her time to answer.
The next day I got through and we talked about my gorgeous merle girl for about 20 minutes. Everything started out well enough. Yes, she does well with cats. Yes, she gets along with most other dogs, though some she doesn't like. She can be a bit pushy. She sometimes barks like crazy while in her crate. She's got a pretty intense personality and doesn't really have an off switch. She will escape from the yard and go roaming given the opportunity...
Ok, so maybe this was not the dog for me.
I'm about to say 'thanks' and hang up, when I remember that Eileen had another female Border Collie foster. What was her name? The one without a tail? Meagan!
Yes, she does well with the cats. She gets along with all the other dogs at the house. She's good friends with the merle girl, but has never followed her on her ventures under the fence. She rarely barks. She's active and full of energy, but she will calm down inside. She's a sweet dog, she just hasn't had a lot of training.
She's perfect! We talked for another two hours about Meagan and Border Collies in general. THIS was the girl for me.
At around a year of age, Meagan somehow ended up in the Canyon County Animal Shelter in Caldwell, ID. After spending three weeks in lock up, she was pulled by a border collie lover and sent to a foster home in Kennewick, WA. From there she went to live on a small farm in Bellingham, WA where they intended to put her to work herding. It didn't work out and five months later she went back into a foster home, this time, with Ravensgate Border Collie Rescue on Camano Island, WA.
We drove seven hours to meet Meagan, the black and white, 40 lb tail-less rough coat gal that stole my heart. We went for a walk with Eileen, Meagan, four other dogs and a cat. After a round of kisses and a full body wag (Meg, not me), I knew that this was MY girl. She jumped in the car as soon as we opened the door. She was ready to go home!
So that's Meg's story. This is her blog.
Meg is my first Border Collie and I look forward to documenting our journey together and sharing it with whomever takes the time to read this blog.
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