Meet George

I am so excited. Greg was doing some photo archieving online and found these long lost pictures of the Cairn that brought me to this breed.

George Cothren of El Cerrito.

This little dog was found haggard and retched on the streets of Oakland, California in about 1995. When I met him, his coat was practically nonexistent and he stunk. He was also kind of a grump, very particular about how he was handled. He and I struck a cord from the first moment and the rest is history. He came to live with us for a few years after my grandma died and his passing still brings tears! He adored my grand daughter Maya and could always be found sleeping next to her crib when she was visiting. He was amazing and endearing and brought both Greg and I to where we are now in the Cairn community!

A thing of beauty..

.... is in my house right now. Thanks to my kids and hubby. I got it for Christmas.

Next step, training Kona and Merl to think it is the most wonderful thing on earth!

By the way, it is from Affordable Agility and is really lightweight and wonderful. It is called a mini teeter it is the perfect size for hauling around (and fits in the dining room!)>

A Visit To Jimmy

Today Zoe, Padme, Marty and I decided to take a walk...we have been suffering from major cabin fever. We called Sharon and asked if Jimmy would like company. We then set up for a journey of 35+blocks. An hour later we arrived. I thought the dogs would be exhausted, but as soon as they saw Jimmy, the party began. They played and played and played! Much to my relief, Ed and Sharon brought us home in their all wheel drive Honda. Our street is still a mess, so I have no idea when we will be driving ourselves.

ENOUGH ALREADY!!!!

We are having snow AGAIN this evening. I am pretty sick of it. We have had a total of at least 16 inches.

These pictures were taken looking down in my backyard from a second story window. The picture of Greg is Christmas morning giving the seven dogs who were here with family the run of the yard to burn off some energy.

The picture of Kula is rather bitter sweet. Just after this picture was taken, she apparently injured her non repaired ACL (the other leg). We are waiting for swelling to go down (and the vet office to return from Christmas week off). She is completely off of it, too much like what happened in March. Next week we will find out if we are facing another surgery. Based on this latest incident, it looks like agility is over for Kula. I have spent the last two days crying whenever I think of it. Maybe he (the vet) will tell me she will be stronger now and agility will be okay. Somewhere deep inside, I know that is not what he will say and need to figure out how to let her play on the equipment and not injure herself. Maybe Heidi will assure me that Teacup is totally stress free. Her little girl had ACL repair I think. There are dogs waiting to be trained, I hope Kula taught me enough that I don't make a mess of them!

Pondering tire chains

I can remember (sad as it is) the past record snow fall in 1968. Auntie Peter (my dad's twin sister) and Uncle Ed were visiting from Maine. Uncle Ed was adamant about shoveling the sidewalks and driveway and was saddened by the fact that schools were closed with such a small inconvenience.

Tire chains are required to drive in Washington County and I'm without tire chains... what to do.. what to do. Do I call around to see if I can find some? Do I head out on foot to finish my shopping? Do I continue to stay home and bake cookies, crochet presents and walk doggies? What will I do tomorrow if it dumps more snow?

Oz and Happy are having a great time. They go out back and make colored snow. The sit patiently by the back door and watch the pudgy little birdies eat out of the feeder hanging along the fence. Last night we went for a glorious walk around the neighborhood, we were gone at least an hour. We had to stay on the street because the snow is so deep on the sidewalks that Happy has to leap-frog to make any progress. Oz hops, it's only chest high on him. We all get a great work out tho. Last night was the ultimate in a Christmas evening walk; Cold but no wind, no snow or rain, very quiet and the Christmas lights were so brilliant against the white snow. The LED ones that were covered by snow were especially beautiful, they gave the snow a heavenly glow. The boys ran up and down, back and forth, peeing and sniffing. I'd call them in every once in a while just to keep in touch. I was at such peace when we got home, Oz crawled up on the couch onto my lap, Happy next to his butt and we just sat there silently.

More about SNOW

Since there's not much else to talk about, being unable to leave the house. My daily life consists of 90 minutes of chores each morning making all the livestock comfortable (the horses are turned out today for the first time in a week, not because the weather today is any better, but because they can't stay in forever), then a few hours of playing on the internet, another hour of chores, and drinking caffinated beverages into the night to ensure that I don't fall asleep so early that I would wake up before 9am, when it starts all over again.

I invited the neighbor kids over this afternoon for dogsled practice. I am going to put Rain in his pulling harness and let him drag them around the yard. The mother said, "Isn't that a little dangerous?" This was while we were standing on top of a hill on the road watching the kids sled down, making sure a car didn't come and hit them, and I was using a 4-wheeler to pull them back up after each run. No, the dog isn't dangerous. Hopefully will have pictures of that adventure later.

For now (remember to click on pics to make them bigger)







I can't make the pictures go in any sembalance of order, but I'll list the captions and you can match them (I think the pics are in the exact opposite order they should have been)

-Rain makes a snowdog
-The snow here is exactly half a Tally deep
-For a moment, we couldn't see Tally and thought she was buried, so Rain looked for her
-Sammy stood behind Rain while he was looking
-The terriers are smart enough to use trails the big dogs broke

The snow fort

My dogs were not involved with the construction of the snow fort. They were smarter than that. They were inside by the fire where it was nice and warm and dry (with me). Here is a link to how my dear husband saw what was going on. www.425realty.com

Pet Paradise in Japan

Photobucket Album

Pet Paradise

On a recent trip to Japan we were shopping in a Nagoya mall and came upon this shop. I was amazed to see all the things for sale and couldn’t pass up the chance to get a couple of things to take back for gifts! Next to the Pet Paradise was a Pet City. It was a bit larger and mostly the other items your dog may need to survive when the new goggles and a ride in the stroller doesn’t stop the growling in the tummy!
Enjoy the rest of the photos on my next post!

Snow Day in Kirkland

Kula, Kona, Hattie and Merl had great fun playing in the snow. I wonder why they love it so much. After playing they slept the afternoon away. Ah, to be a dog. Come to think of it, I did the same thing, minus the playing in the snow and the nap!

Tiger Tales

All the Adventures we're having! So I figured I'd include my most recent: Bringing Home Baby: Mercator Tiger Paw (Fergus x Beanie, whose pic is to the right).

The story begins with a call from Vicki suggesting I think about buying a nice puppy from Andrew Kramer, one from his beautiful bitch (Vicki knows I love her Mary, and Beanie looks a lot like Mary). I knew it was unlikely, because I board dogs now and have three perfectly fine Cairns sleeping with me these days, but said I'd give it some thought.

An hour later one of the Cairngorm Clan, Marty Verlinich, called to say she loved Daisy and thought she needed a buddy, preferably a boy. Well, when things fall in your lap, what are you supposed to do? I asked her if she'd consider a show dog, and she said, "Yes, it sounds like fun, and can I come, too?"
Oh, it's going to be fun, Marty...just read this blog!
I called Andrew. We exchanged pedigrees and pictures.
Here's Fergus:
http://www.infinitykennelsonline.com/Albums/BIS/Fergus/Fergus-A02.html

So the next thing I know, Marty & Ray have generously donated their airmiles and I'm booked to go pick up this little bundle of potential! The original ticket to D.C. with many legs (including Orlando!) miraculously became two direct flights. Andrew graciously brought Tiger to the airport where both dog and breeder charmed a passing stranger who told us all about her dogs (pitbull & shepherd) while we tried to sign contracts and trade paperwork. She later turned out to be the ticket agent who would reduce Tiger's ticket price, because "he's just so cute!" He made not a peep under the seat from Dulles to SeaTac, I think exhausted from his morning outing. On the ferry he sniffed the cold Puget Sound air and made friends on the sun deck at sunset, looking out at the ships and lights. Under 24 hours total, and he was home safe, playing with Tipsy in the kitchen, and is...this morning...curled up with her in the big dog bed, considering his fate. I think it will be good.

Laughed so hard...

The second best thing about the shows last weekend (the first being Kona's completion of his Canadian championship). The Over the Hill handling competition. At lunch on Friday at the Auld Lang Syne Dog Show in Chilliwack. It was my first time at this show and reading the ad in the premium list, assumed it was to be a serious competition. It was to be judged by a panel of Junior handlers, so I figured it was part of their training, you know , so that the handler can experience the judging experience from "the other side". Feel what the judge feels as the assess all of the dogs and handlers in the ring. Rachel tried to talk me into entering. I was a little grumpy that Kona had not won that day, so opted out of involvement. We did decide it would be fun to check out though, so headed over at the announcement of the beginning of the event.
The first dog/handler team in the ring was a stuffed dog in a cart! Next dog was another toy dog that did tricks! Bearded Collies followed and that cart dog and the little dog doing tricks were nearly the undoing of the Beardie puppy! He was going crazy to get to those fun looking things.
There were about 14 total entries. One lady with a standard poodle, had done her hair and the poodle with the same hair do and a flamboyant gait and arms...oh, and don't forget the $20 tucked into her armband which she pointed out to the judges panel! There was a pro handler wheeled in on a cart dollie, pretending he was so old, that was the only way to get to the ring. The costumes playing on age related weaknesses were delightful. One of the "handlers", when asked to "go down and back" handed his leash to the judge and trudged down and back as requested. Another handler pretended he couldn't hear what the judges were saying and handed them a pad to write what they wanted. One of the women had mistakenly grabbed her grooming arm (with "dog" attached) instead of her cane. There were lots of really funny nuances, and I am sure as I reread this, I will think of more. As the winners were announced, the handlers started tusseling for the place spots, yelling "mine, mine!" Everyone was well entertained and had a good time. All participants were awarded a prize for walking in the ring. As the exhausted judging panel left the ring, I heard one of them exclaim to a friend, "That was a gong show, I am fried!"

Canada, take two

Again, all I could hear while showing in Canada this weekend was dozens of voices from over the years... "it's easy to finish a dog in Canada," and "you can finish a dog in one weekend in Canada!" It does take less points to finish a dog in Canada, but one must still earn those points!

Sammy went Reserve on Friday and Sunday, and went BOW/BOB on Saturday for four more points, bringing her Canadian total to 7 of 10. If she should happen to earn another 3 points the next time we go up, it will have been a cheaper and faster title than her AKC championship, but still not the cakewalk that many folks advertise it as. I'm almost glad it's not that easy; Sammy's International Championship and Int. group placements, including a group 1, are not something I find myself bragging about- that title really does toe the line of being too easy. The Canadian title takes just enough effort to make it something to be proud of.

The Canadian judges seem to be looking for a slightly different type of Cairn than what we usually see here in the NW states. Judge Keke Kahn, from Florida, liked our type and gave Kona his last needed point and Sammy BOW for 4 points. She commented favorably on Sammy's balance and the set of her shoulders; she liked Kona's head, and recognized Cece as a littermate to Kona. She placed Cece high in the class, but told Val that she was not quite the dog Kona is, which most of us would agree with.
When Ms. Kahn came to take a New Champion photo with Kona later, she asked where my bitch was for a photo. I told her mine would finish the next day, and she asked, "What makes you think she'll win tomorrow?" I was a little slow on the uptake, but I should have told her, "Well, you thought she was the best Cairn here today, don't you expect tomorrow's judge to agree with you?" Alas, it was not to be- Canada wants to see me back again.

Merl (Kona x Hattie) was in his first puppy match Friday night. He was adorable, trotting around the ring in a workmanlike manner and standing well on the table.

We also saw our friends Carol and her Goran (Oliver x Rona, brother to Dena's Alex), who is looking stunning, with a wonderful head and a nice hard coat. Two of Goran's puppies were also at the show to celebrate their six month birthday. The boy puppy went Reserve on Sunday.

Rain did nothing all weekend, but did successfully pull our crate dolly into the building on Thursday and back out again on Sunday, so he's at least almost earning his keep.

Check back soon for a post from either Val or I about the "over the hill" handling competition.... for now, I'll just say that the only time I've laughed so hard at a dog show was when they took a picture of all the Junior Handlers at Westminster, no dogs, and the photographer squeeked a toy and threw it off to his left while he snapped the picture, and that time I didn't laugh for nearly as long.

The misadventures of Speed Racer in Canada

Last Thursday, Rachel Westlund and I headed off to Chilliwack BC (that is Canada) in Speed Racer. Our goal was many fold, highest on my list, finish Kona's Canadian Championship...needed 1 point of 10. Highest on Rachel, finish Sammy and get some points on her Malinois, Rain. We took CeCe along as well, Pat had entered her as insurance that there would be at least 1 point available each day. There were three shows and we were pretty optomistic that we would do pretty well.
We arrived at Heritage Park about 2 pm, having made very good time and crossing the border with no problem. The RV parking lady informed me that there was no electricity available. We would have to dry park. No problem, we did that alot on the Montana trip of 07. She told us we could park anywhere we wanted in the main lot. So, off we went and found a place fairly close to the doors, while not being an obstruction. I set up the exhaust pipe for the generator while Rachel set up our grooming area...luckily getting one of the last remaining power spots! We were feeling quite plucky and full of ourselves at that point. It was a beautiful day and the sun was streaming in the window, a glorious red sunset. Remembering the rhyme "Red sky at night, sailors delight" I was very optomistic that the weather reports of an incoming storm were (as usual) over rated. Rachel reminded me that we were a good ways inland and possibly that rhyme didn't have much to do with a forcast for us.
Thursday night everything went as planned (except we didn't have microwave popcorn). Waking on Friday morning, the generator didn't fire up quite as usual, but I was only mildly concerned. I did mention it to Greg after we showed. By night on Friday, we knew we were in trouble. The generator wasn't working as it should. The battery wasn't getting charged, without a charge, the generator would not start. So, now we were dry camping without any power. We had a small propane heater and some flashlights. Luckily Rachel had gotten us a power spot for grooming and we took up residence there! The temperatures were in the 20's it was snowing and blowing and very bad weather. I would run out, turn on the oven and start the heater to try to avoid freezing up any pipes etc. Fix some food and run back to our little camp inside the grooming building. We would sleep in the RV, moving ourselves and the dogs back inside the heated building as soon as it opened in the mornings.
If we hadn't been so stubborn, we could have moved to a hotel. It would have meant leaving the dogs in the grooming building overnight, so we toughed it out. That was a last option!

Leaving yesterday was nuts. The wind was still blowing and the wind chill was just about 0 degrees! We had to break down our little camp (in the nice heated building) and load the motorhome, we did it very quickly needless to say. It was no fun driving in the wind, but at least the wind let up when we hit the snowy, icy roads!

There were no more mechanical problems with Speed Racer. A lesson learned, no more winter dry camping in the motor home. We were very lucky things turned out as well as they did!

New Canadian Champion

Kona did it on Saturday! Thank you Judge Keke Kahn from Florida!

Yes, Ratty Rat is OK

Just a quick note on Ratty Rat. He has moved into the family room. Imagine, a rat living in my new house first. But - I went out to check on him as I worked my way through the snow. His water was slushy so I brought him in. He has to stay in the little apartment but it is warm. It is about 5 degrees warmer in the new addition than the rest of the house. :) I can hear Alex and Mary barking as I type. He may have to move into the closet so I can shut some doors between us.
Everyone stay warm and safe!

Enslow and me

Here some of what Enslow and I did last month at the Bearded Collie National Specialty in Rohnert Park California. This run gave us a 1st place in the Novice Class. It was fun!

This IS a Memorial

To differentiate it from our I-love-this-dog tributes we regularly post here.

Spirit, my old black dog, was put to sleep last night when my brother (who believed himself to be her owner) came home and found her unable to stand. Her Cushings caught up with her; her pancreas was inflamed past the point of function.

Spirit was my first sport dog, and the dog who taught me what dog sports are. Never having a formal class, or even real equipment at home, she could run a full agility course. At her fitness peak, she could high jump more than twice her height, her record being 47 1/2 inches. She won a frisbee distance and accuracy competition at 8 years old, having learned to catch a frisbee in the air by realizing it was the best way to keep it out of the other dog's mouth- get there first.

Spirit earned her CD title with ASCA and with the Mixed Breed club. With her help, I won Best Handler at the MBDC Nationals. In 4-H, she was a wonderful Showmanship dog, helping me earn the Grand Junior title at our county fair, and two years in a row, being the ONLY mixed breed dog to make it to the Showmanship Finals at the State Fair.

When I was 16 we went to a local "pet dog show" fundraiser for a shelter, with competitions throughout the day, and a "top dog" award given at the end. Spirit won almost everything she was in, the barking contest, most obedient dog (she could heel backwards, long before Rally Obedience made that commonplace), best trick (I can no longer remember what she did- she had more tricks than any dog I've met), everything. At the end of the day they declared her Top Dog; we were interviewed for a radio show and she was awarded a giant bed, big enough for both of us, and a trophey taller than her, with a German Shepherd on top, which I still have.

Flyball was her passion and mine for several years. At her first flyball practice, she learned the entire course and ran it without any help. Years of running in the 5.8-second range earned her a Flyball Champion-Gold title, just a few hundred points shy of the coveted flyball master title when she was taken away from me. Her record runs were under 5 seconds, the mark in our club for an A-Team dog.

More than all of that, Spirit was my pet and companion. Her goal in life was to make sure my little blue Ranger truck never left without her. She would sneak in if I left the door open for even a moment. The fence had a loose spot over by the gate, and if I drove away without her, she would slip under and sit outside the gate, better to hear me returning. Most of the time, she heard the truck and was back in the yard before I saw her, but sometimes I'd catch her out.

All 45 pounds of her was a pretty scary dog when she was mad. Driving home from Canadian flyball one time, 2 am at a deserted rest stop, I took her to the bathroom with me, as I always did. I pushed open the door, looking down at her, and it was her head snapping up that made me look. A man was moving across the women's room toward us. Spirit pulled forward and went "BAROWROWROWROW" while I backed out and slammed the door. We raced to the car and I let her jump in to the front seat to get away faster. We weren't being followed, but she watched the building intently in case she had another chance to bark him down.

As a trainer, I would never recommend a dog with her sparkfire temperment and willingness to put teeth on people if her feet were touched for a home with small children. Yet, we moved in with Maggie when the kid was 7 months old. The kid stepped on the dog, looked down her ears with flashlights and practiced walking her on leash. Spirit was neverendingly tolerant of the toddler, waiting patiently for her tiny hands to grasp the ball, and fetching it religously, even if it fell out of Maggie's hand backwards.

Tally was also a puppy when we moved in all moved in together. When Tally went through her naughty phase, chewing up a nice wool coat and crying when left in a crate, the phrase "Can't you be more like Spirit?" was uttered. I then thought of the time Spirit was crated in the fully-packed car, and pulled my mother's new down jacket through the bars and chewed a large corner off. And the fact that Spirit was perfectly content in a crate, as long as I was in her line of sight. If I left the room, she would whine incessently.
As Tally grew into a mature, well-behaved terrier (at 8 months) who could be left in the car and not eat my breakfast sandwhich if I put it on the dash and told her to leave it alone while I ran back inside for my hat, only to find Spirit had, in the 2 minutes I'd been warming up the car, jumped the baby gate into the pantry and eaten an entire bag of chocolate chips, the phrase "Can't you be more like Tally?" became commonplace. Even as I spoke it, I knew that Spirit was exactly who she needed to be, and exactly who I wanted her to be.

I moured her loss three years ago when my brother took her back from me with the misguided notion that he still owned a dog that had been in my possession for almost nine years. Every time I've seen her since then I've told myself it's a bonus, more than I thought I'd have, and it was a good thing. But it was also the worst of both worlds- I didn't have her, and yet I still had to watch her get old.
The nine years I had with her were worth it, though. There is no value greater than the love and bond we have with our dogs for the short time they are with us.

Beware the Racoons!

Lauren Golden is a friend who owns one of Pat's puppies, Maisie and one of Vicki's puppies, Obie. I have copied an email she sent to me earlier today.
BTW - I was attacked by a raccoon last night!!! I was taking Maisie out to potty on her flexi leash, while I was holding Obi in my arms. She charged over to the neighbors' yard and was barking/whining/terrier-noising like crazy. I knew that something - cat, raccoon, squirrel - must be over there, so I started pulling her back on the flexi. She would not budge. She had more strength than ever! So I walked backwards, trying to pull the flexi in. I wasn't watching her, just pulling. Next thing I know, I look down and see a huge (e.g., bigger than a Cairn by far) raccoon AT MY FEET! Next thing I know, the raccoon is bitting my leg, I am screaming and kicking it. I don't know if I kicked it first or what. All I knew is that it was going to get Maisie, and I was not about to let anything get her if I could help it. So...as I was kicking and screaming, I felt Obi tense up. Luckily, he didn't try to jump or maybe I had a close grasp on him. It was so mamma bear protecting her little pups. Finally, Scott helped us inside and the raccoon is just staring at us! So, off to the ER and I got a tetanus and rabies vaccine and immune globuline around the two bites. And I have to have four follow-up shots. It was all really scary, especially the thought of the raccoon getting the dogs. But, in the end, I would rather the raccoon have gotten me then them. I just can't believe it came up to me!
So, beware the racoons!

Are your "boys" included?

Kona is here, but there are some of my favorite "boys" missing! These guys are all sporting Barb Schuster ties! Janis Whitcomb is the artist. It is the cutest thing ever. (Of course, Kona is most unphotogenic..bottom left just next to the threesome.)

Darn roommates....

I have Pat's puppy (formerly Val's puppy "Meritage"), Tipsy, here for the week. She is extremely cute and loving, and one of the most pick-up-able dogs I've ever been around. She loves to be picked up and carried and is most happy to hang out in my arms for, it seems, hours at a time.

Tonight, I believed the roommates to be both gone (despite all the lights being on in the house....) based on the lack of cars in the driveway. I came home from our important and productive CRCTC meeting, let the puppy out of the laundry room, and was greeted with a wonderful puppy dance- bowing, spinning, wagging and throwing herself upside-down on my feet. I backed away to encourage her to get up and she followed, leapt at me and went back into a play bow. I scooped her up and she wiggled in my arms and ended with her chest against mine, one of her paws extended toward one of my hands.

The next thing that happened *might* have been that I got in a little on the puppy-dancing...... then we *might* have spun a circle around the living room, with a little boogey in front of the couch... and the words "do a little dance, make a little love, get down tonight" *might* have come out of my mouth.... before turning back to face the hallway and seeing one of the roommates doubled over in silent peals of laughter.....

Of course, that might all have not happened. Just remember, should you ever hear it from my roommate, that there are two sides to every story.....

Rain has new toys

They eat more than the toys I acquire for the terriers, and take up more space, but then, Rain eats more than the terriers and takes up more space, so it all seems balanced.

Added links

I have added some links to blogs I enjoy following. Hopefully you will enjoy reading them too.