Beebe's Christmas Letter

Beebe after her allergy testing

"Dear Relatives,

Thank you for giving me table scraps, bread, butter, and fatty pieces of roast and steak. It was a nice Christmas gift. I never get those things and it's just what I always wanted.

Beebe"

In return, Beebe's gift to me this Christmas, was a colitis flare. For two nights she has woken me up with panting, trembling, and screaming to get outside, for THE WORST DIARRHEA EVER (mucous and water, not much blood). I took her to get bloodwork, made her NPO, and I hope to God she doesn't have pancreatitis. So, at 5am I had the pleasure of cooking up some brown rice and chicken broth for her first meal in a day. Her abdomen isn't painful and she acts fairly spunky, she wants to eat and drink, so I'm not too worried. We will be visiting the Vet again on Monday for her lab work.

No matter how much improvement in her health I see while she takes her Interferons, her allergy injections, and eats her carefully prepared raw diet, I shouldn't rest on my laurels. At the heart of it all remains an unhealthy dog with a bad immune system.

Good Citizen Ike: another CGC

Ike passed his Canine Good Citizen test last night. Of course, I have believed all along that he was a very good boy and worthy of the title. This was more of an affirmation of his good breeding. Unlike Beebe, Ike was bred to be a total package: he is a wonderful companion, with a stable temperament, great health and good looks to boot. I basically walked into the test on the spur of the moment with little preparation and let him be himself.
This was a very different experience in complete contrast to Beebe’s CGC experience. It had taken 2 years of preparation to get her to that point. I worked very hard to get and keep her attention, and it was immensely gratifying to have her pass the test because it had been such a challenge the entire way. The greatest reward for her was not the certificate we received, but me being able to bring her with me to work and feeling more free to go onto other types of activities such as Flyball, Agility and Rally.

Ike does Agility, part Deux

Ike tries the weave poles "Look at me Mom! I did it!"

Ike pauses before conquering the tire...and again looks at me instead of at the camera.

"You want me to do what? I don't bow for just anyone." Ike practices a down stay, in super slow mo, while on the table.

This was just a short little workshop for basically novice dogs, so most of the equipment wasn't full height. Yawn, his highness became bored because the other dogs were too stoopid to learn it as fast as he did.

Birds and Shiba

If the last picture doesn't hint as to what the Shibas really think about my Quail project, then let me tell you that small game is definately on the menu here. I didn't realize how bird-y they were until I got the Quail. Now everytime we walk by the out of site pens, the dogs squeal and pull to get a glimpse of them. Let's just say, they are very motivated now when it comes to training...especially when dinner is on the line :)