Smarty pants... (Our 250th post!)

Jodi over at Heart like a Dog wrote a post about how her dog, Sampson, manipulated her into letting him off leash during a walk.  Which made me laugh, because so many people claim dogs are stupid.  But I think they are more clever than we realize, and here are some of the reasons why:


Our dogs know, by reading our facial expressions and body language, when we are happy, sad, angry, worried or frightened.  They can not only judge our moods, but they either join us in our happiness, or try to offer comfort if we are not in a good mood.










We had one dog, Mojo, who taught herself how to open the fridge, and she would make midnight raids.  When we blocked off the fridge, she learned which button on the microwave to push to open it, and would steal the loaf of bread we stored in there.


And they know how to beg for food, without ever saying a word.  Our boy Ryder is the master of the "heavy head" trick.  To be fair, this is our fault, because the first time he did this, we didn't discourage him.  So what is this trick?  We can be sitting on the couch, eating something, and Ryder decides he would like us to share.  So he will hop up on the couch, sit next to you, lean against you and put his head on your shoulder.  That's it, there is no whining or drooling, just his head on your shoulder.  If this doesn't work, he will press his head closer, so that his cheek is pressed sweetly against you.  If it still doesn't work, his head becomes progressively heavier and heavier, just in case you were some how unaware he was there.  It's a pretty unique form of begging, and he will quit and get down if you tell him to stop, so it's not obnoxious.  But I have given in and shared whatever snack I had at the time, because I do think he was pretty clever to think of it...

So in what ways has your dog shown how clever he or she is?

And now for something different!

Lately, we have been sharing collie health related topics, which are very valuable.  But now it's time to share something cute and fun!  Last weekend we attended a collie puppy match.  The club holding the match honored us, by asking my daughter to judge sweeps and junior handling.  It was the perfect way to spend a Sunday - surrounded by collie puppies and sunshine!

The puppies were all just too cute!

Busy week!

Last week my mother fell, when she went out to feed the birds.  She slipped on the ice, and broke both her arms!  Chase, her collie, came to stay with us.  We call him Uncle Chase, and he is a big boy.  This is Chase, isn’t he handsome?

 

So while my mother was in the rehab facility, Chase went to visit her, since she missed her boy.   While he was there, he noticed a woman in a wheelchair, and he walked over to her, and very gently put his head in her lap!  I was very impressed with how good Chase was during the visit.  And then since Abby is so calm and quiet, she got to go visit her Grandma too.  Abby was so gentle and calm, she immediately climbed up on the bed and curled up next to Grandma. 

 

 

Everyone loved both Chase and Abby, and I think either of them would make excellent therapy dogs.  We might go back with Abby, just to let her visit with some of the residents, as it’s not only a rehab facility, it’s also a nursing home.

 

Yesterday, we took Scarlett to a collie specialty show, and she won Winner’s Bitch and Best of Winners!  Because of how many other smooth collies were entered, the win was for 4 points.  They calculate the points based on how many other dogs of that breed/variety are entered at the show.  A major is a win of 3, 4 or 5 points.  To become a champion, a dog needs a total of 15 points, and two of the wins have to be majors.   Scarlett now needs just one 3 point major to finish her championship!  We are very proud of our little Scarlett O’Collie!

 

On the way home we stopped by the beach, to take a couple pictures...

 

Scarlett and my daughter

 

 

 

 

 

Busy week = no fun!

Our human sister is away this week, she is attending something called a Prom.  Mom has had to work 3 nights this week, in addition to her day job, and is even working today - Saturday!  We are feeling very lonesome this week, and Mom had better have something fun planned for this afternoon!  We are putting our collective Paw down, enough is enough for barking out loud!

It's hard waiting for our Mom and sister to return.  We think they should take us with them, wherever they go!  Because afterall, everything is more fun when you have your best friends with you!

We sure wish Mom would hurry up and get done with this work thing!  Maybe we should explain to her that it isn't really Saturday, it's actually Collieday...do you think that would help?

Why show dogs?

My daughter and I live with our five collies, and we both take care of them.  But my daughter is the one who is responsible for handling them at dog shows.

First dog show

She began learning how to show collies ten years ago, when she was just a little girl.  She started out as a junior handler, and now that she is in college, she wants to become a professional dog handler.

My daughter and Abby, winning the tough Open class at the CCA 2008 National

Dogs respond well to her in the ring, and my daughter is becoming recognized as a great collie handler.  She is good with dogs, and has even been hired to handle other people's collies at dog shows.

It's been a wonderful experience, watching my daughter grow up,  and her time competing at dog shows has been an important part of her life.  It has taught her patience, responsibility and good sportsmanship.  She has had to spend years practicing and training.  She has attended classes and seminars, and has been mentored by many well-known collie handlers over the years.

Westminster 2012

She has learned to set goals, and work hard to achieve them.  She wanted to qualify to compete at Westminster, and she did it, twice. 

My daughter and Holly, Westminster Dog Show 2012

She was ranked amoung the Collie Club of America's Top Twenty Junior Handlers for last five years of her junior handling career.  And while she misses competing in junior handling, she now helps younger junior handlers develop their handling skills.

The 2012 Collie Club of America Top Ten Junior handlers invitational

Competing at dog shows has kept us spending time together as a family.  When most teenagers would rather be off with their friends, my daughter and I were traveling all over the country to compete in dog shows.  She has also developed life-long friendships with other junior handlers by competing in this sport.

(Winner's Bitch competition at the CCA 2008 National)

And the people we have met over the years have made us realize that we are now part of a dog show community.  And they have recognized my daughter's efforts by awarding her a college scholarship!  I know that many people look at dog shows and cannot understand the appeal.  Some may even dislike dog shows, or find them boring.  But I will always be grateful for what dog shows have brought into our lives, and how they helped mold my daughter into the amazing person she has become...