Tate Won the Triple Crown

Our sheep dog association has an award called the Triple Crown. The board picks three trials during the year, one at the first, one in the middle and one at the end of the year that are the "Triple Crown" Trials. To be eligible, a dog must compete in all three trials and then the scores from each trial and totaled to determine the winner for each class. Well, Tate and I won that award for the Novice Class!!

I was pretty proud of him!!!

Thursday Update

Kelly over at Timber View Farm has a great idea. We will all miss TMT with Laura, but that doesn't keep us from making weekly updates and keeping each other abreast of our lives with our dogs! So until after the holidays here's my weekly update.

My main dog activity has been getting Tate ready for Texas State Finals! It is next weekend (18th and 19th). After my mistake on our last run, I've really been working on release command, and we have had some good works. A friend of mine is coming this weekend so we can work our dogs together. It should be a lot of  fun.

I've been working Bess 3 or 4 days a week on our old goats. She turns 7 months old this month, so I'm not asking a lot, just giving her the opportunity to work. She has been working everything that moves since she was 3 months old. Her dry works commands are awesome! She downs instantly, even at reasonable distances. Her call back is at about 98%, which is amazing to me. She's learning her "with me" command, which is essentially a "heal" command, and is doing very well. On stock, she goes both directions and shows amazing natural balance and rate. I'm very excited to work with her. I'm going slow and sure and keeping her interested and correct.

Pete is 3 months old. He loves doing chores with me and playing with Sonya. He is a joy, and so very smart about the horses, and listens very well.

Hope everyone has a great weekend and wonderful week til next time!!

Tell Me Thursday #15

Glad to have Laura back - missed her nosiness!! LOL Of course she (with the help of several friends) is asking questions again!

1. What are you thankful for this week?

That's easy - I AM SO GLAD THAT IT IS NOT 108 DEGREES OUTSIDE!!! I've actually worn a sweater for several days!!! We also have had some rain for which I am equally thankful. We have a chance for rain the first of next week.

2. How do you deal with a squeaker/shrieker/noisy dog?

We don't really have a problem with that, but Liesl has a very sharp, high pitched Yap, that is annoying. We teach all our dogs that "hush" means to make no noise. Most of the time, our dogs only bark if there is something "out of place/sorts" so we usually check it out. Sonya has a response howl/bark when the coyotes and foxes are carrying on, and we like her to do that to keep them away.

3. Barbara wants to know: what would you say is ONE skill or attribute that is necessary for success.

NEVER GIVE UP!!!!!

4. Pippin wants to know: what are your favorite games?

Sonya: I don't play games - I am much too dignified! humph

Pete: My absolute favorite game is grab Sonya by the scruff and hang on. She can't get me there!!! tee hee

Bess: While doing chores with the boss lady, I LOVE to beat the cats to the barn, get in front of them and  see them SCREEEEEEEECH to a halt. Then I trot off, and help feed horses.

Liesl: When play time comes, I love to upend Bess and see how many times she flips!! She is hilarious!!!

Tate: I love to chase Liesl and Bess around during play time, and I cheer (bark) them on while they are wrestling!

Mike: I like to play card games both with the family and on the computer - even though the computer players are really 'stupid' sometime.

Doniene: I like playing cards/games with the family and my favorite computer game is Word Yacht.

5. What are some of your strategies for dealing with winter?

We generally don't have "real winter" for very long periods. But during those cold spells, we stock pile the fire wood stack (we heat our house with two wood burning stoves). I put extra bedding in all the dog houses, and we feed extra hay/cubes to all the horses and cows. If it stays real cold for a week or more, I put a heat lamp in the chicken house.

Happy Fall Ya'll