Northwest Paws Across America is the blog of a group of friends doing things with our dogs! We travel across America doing conformation, agility, earth dog, obedience and rally. Follow our adventures here!

We are Betsy Peet, Dena Wolfe, Val Perry, Vicki Havlik, Casey DePriest

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Suns out! finally!




It rained here all morning. But finally the sun came out and I took the dogs out to potty and we played their favorite thing! As you can see both Hunter and Alex like water, but more importantly they like the spray off the hose! Hunter dig's it and Alex bites it. What a team!

We miss our friends!

We are the cairns who live in Kirkland. Kula, Kona and Hattie otherwise know as Crofterkids (clever huh? mom morphed us all into one identity). We really love the pictures of Happy and Mary that were in the last article. Mom tried to get dad to go to agility last night, so he could take some pictures of Kula, but he "had work to do"....I think it may have included a baseball game on TV! It is the big weekend for Kona. His first time to compete in rally. Mom thinks he will get higher scores than Kula did...hard not too and qualify! She really doesn't like that stuff. Maybe if mom would move faster....like she does in agility. Kona is getting really good about the sitting stuff, that is mostly all that novice rally is. Hattie is starting to move through the weave poles better. At first she was afraid of the poles that are on the ground! Silly girl. I think mom is going to set up the fence around the poles so Hattie and Kona will run through to get the treat at the other end. I hope she makes the new set of poles so that Kula still can do them the grown up way! Well, better get off the computer, mom wants to see if Dena is up yet....woof for now.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

These Hips Don't Graze

Happy and Mary went to their first agility class. It was great as there are only two other dogs in the class. As you can see from the picture Mary was tired after a day of obedience and agility.

I was a bit apprehensive as I thought the cost was too much and it is on the (evil :) west side of town. But I was pleasantly surprised. The instructor, LISA, was great and got us right to work going over poles in a pick-up-stix style. Happy was the star. The only ‘slow’ dog was a Border Collie mix. hehehehe The other dog is a Keeshond who also does conformation and was not as good as the “CAIRNS.”
I can see now, as I knew before, it will be me as Mary’s downfall. But we will plug away.

We then started on the jumps.
Happy went perfectly and then I did the four-line jump and everyone was laughing. Mary did it all and I didn’t fall down so what was it? Lisa said that Mary had so much energy going over the jumps she didn’t know what to do with it all…... her legs were going everywhich way… another missed photo-op. She then had us work on our position and she said to go down the line with our body straight forward, trying not to turn into the dog and graze the jumps with your hips. Betsy says, “These hips don’t graze.” It is going to be an awesome time with Betsy and Happy in class and well worth the time and money. The other pictures didn’t turn out of the dogs going through the tire so we will try to figure out a different camera. This is of Happy going through the tire if you can make him out.

We just might make it for Montgomery.

Monday, July 16, 2007

NW Paws Across America

(I thought I already posted this.) If you are reading it, you found us again! Yet another name for our little tribe! Dena found another group with the name we had been using....hard to believe that one. Anyway, this sort of says who we are a little more clearly. Be sure to note that our focus is on doing stuff with our dogs!

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Has anyone heard my story




about Kula being launched from the rear window of Greg's Camry a few years ago? Well, this afternoon, Hattie tried to one up her. We were all hanging out in the upstairs room that is my little "retreat". It is where I watch TV (not a 46 inch one), blog, IM you get the picture. Speaking of which. The pictures above need some explanation. The one on the left is the screen from the window of the afore mentioned room. That is where it landed when Hattie jumped against it barking at the sound of the neighbor dogs collar tags. She landed just short of it and to the left. Thank goodness we had an awning built last year! I have no idea how I got out the window as fast as I did. Meanwile, Kula and Recee are barking their fool heads off for all sorts of reasons. Number 1; the dog tags that sent Hattie over the edge (literally). Number 2; unauthorized exit by Hattie. Number 3; unorthodox exit by mom! Everything is fine. I am happy to report. I am also quite sure my heart is healthy, cuz it would have stopped from the adrenaline surge!
Now, back to the pictures. All of you who have traveled with me or even visited house or motor home will recognize what those are. They have now found yet another alternative purpose (in their original life, they were organizational cubes. I purchased 24 of them at Value Village for $5.99). It may have been the most useful $5.99 I have ever spent. Anyway, these 3 are now permanently wedged into the offending window!
I sure hope Kona doesn't decide he needs to join the flying club, I have had quite enough.

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Looking for an art angel.

As you may have noticed (or not depending on your style), we are in need of a new banner for our blogspot. It was brought to my attention that we should change what we are using, so takers anyone. Anybody out there a "banner angel"?

Friday, July 13, 2007

Cascade Cairn Terrier Fun Days

Mark your calendars. Saturday August 4 and Sunday August 5 at the home of Curt and Joyce Whall in Kent. Saturday is open to all breeds to come and play. Sorry, Sunday only cairns can participate. There will be all kinds of fun things. Try obedience, agility, canine good citizen testing, fly ball demonstration. Games of all kinds as well. Hot dog bobbing, kissing contest, fire hydrant (you know what), a fun conformation match, costume contest just to name some of the things we will have available. Lessons on grooming and conformation for pet owners or new prospective show dogs. There will be lots of chances to volunteer (a great way to get to know people). We are looking forward to seeing more people than last year!