Don't cross me

It's late this morning; wow it's already almost 8 and I have yet to go to the gym. Don't know if I can make it this morning with these horrible allergies, I can barely see through the tears streaming down my face. I've sneezed now about a billion times and don't see it letting up anytime soon. Well, I'm ready for the gym if it should cease for a while. The dogs are happy, they do not care if we get up early and enjoy being in bed until they absolutely have to get up.

The weather man says it's heating up which means I do have to get up and get going earlier. Can't run the dogs in the heat although I see people doing it all the time which makes me pretty crazy. I might just hit the beach today with the dogs, if it get's too hot. The beach is great and I haven't been there enough. Before I know it we will be at the end of May and the dogs aren't allowed on the beach then until mid Sept.

I have been working on a new boundary with the dogs. Our front gate blew down and so we only have one gate now. This means that the dogs don't understand that although the gate is gone the boundary still remains. They have a very loose idea that the boundary is there but it needs reinforcing. Of course this is accomplished much better if EVERYONE is on board. If one person lets the dogs continually cross the boundary then it becomes a very wishy washy boundary, not good.

Boundaries must be very official and there must only be one way to cross a boundary and that is your release word. Whatever that word is, it is the only way to get across the boundary. Once a dog is trained to a boundary I proof them, meaning I make it amazingly difficult not to cross the boundary. I call out random words in the same tone I would my release word, they must pay close attention. I run through the boundary and expect them not to follow and I put things on the otherside of the boundary that would make one break a boundary and enforce.

A boundary is serious business; for me it means the difference between getting run over or not. This is where I am the most fierce, cross the line and you pay. I do my best Oscar winning performance here; I want my dogs to looking at each other saying "I'm not going, you go," to each other. There is a clear line in my mind and the ground that you don't cross, if you do you suffer the consenquences and the rarely seen ferocity inside me kicks into gear. I have alot of experience to draw on for this performance. Only a few have crossed me and lived to tell the tale. ;)

Should you have more than 1?

Should you have more than one dog? My answer is a huge YES. Why? I think it is very important for dogs to have canine companionship as well as human. As great as we are and we are great aren't we? We just don't cut it in the dog department. I like that my dogs have each other, I enjoy having a pack of dogs and suspect I always will.

But, and this is a huge BUT; you must want more than one dog to have more. I do not think you should get a second dog because your dog wants one. If you do not want one then you should not get one for your dog. I'm sorry but your dog is not going to take care of it in anyway other than companionship. There will be two piles to pick up everyday, two dogs to feed, two dogs shedding (not mine), etc etc.

More than one dog is harder to control, there is the whole pack mentality thing that happens. They have disputes that need attending to and it is very important to give them one on one time with you. Otherwise you can end up on the outside of the pack looking in with no control. I love pack dimension, I thrive on it. So for me a larger pack would suit me fine.

We sat on the deck this morning with the dogs enjoying the sound of birds and the suns warmth just coming up. I know the dogs enjoy it as much as we do. The quiet has them listening so carefully that every little noise seems to lift their ears. The sun warms them in the cool air.

I went in to get my camera to shoot Jessie resting her head on Tilley's warmer body. Her darker hair attracts the sun which attracts Jessie. You just know how good the warmth of the sun feels on their senior bodies. With the cool air they can enjoy the full benefit from the sun without over heating, very nice.

Luke gets in the way alot when I'm trying to capture an image. He is use to it being all about him alot of the time. So when I get out the camera he gets into position. Sometimes it is difficult getting him out of the way, he doesn't quite get it when it's not all about him. But being able to place him and ask him to stay helps a huge amount. And then of course I always snap one of him.

Above is the girls enjoying the sun and Luke waiting his turn to be shot.

The greyhounds

Good Saturday morning; well I sure slept in this morning. I was awaken early by Luke nuzzling by my head so we snuggled until we both fell asleep once again. Having had several weeks of up and at'm very early we all needed a good sleep in. The weather couldn't be better for me, cool with some clouds which makes for great gardening weather.

I have been photographing alot of greyhounds lately for my up and coming book. The images are spectacular which is not hard with a sighthound. I have to say that over the years I have yet to meet a greyhound that I didn't love. If you are ever considering the addition of another dog; do check out the rescue greys. They are some of the most sensitive and loving dogs I've met.

It is sad that before the rescue group interventions these wonderful dogs were once cast out and euthanized but now there are so many rescue groups that take these dogs in, rehabilitate and rehome. Greyhounds make wonderful pets; seems that you just can't have one though. Rescue greyhound guardians are simply smitten by these guys and it's not hard to see why.

A racing greyhound is a work of art physically, a super athlete in every sense of the word. The sheer size of their back legs is amazing. Their movement is easy and their gate can explode into powerful burst of speed in a split second. Although these dogs all come from the track they all have a different story. Some just didn't make the cut, some had a very short racing career and others were the super stars who have passed their prime.

No matter what their story, most have a happy ending due to the dedicated rescuers of the racing hounds.

The wolf inside

How many times have you seen a dog; perhaps an Alaskan Malamute or a German shepherd and thought how close they must be in genetic makeup to a wolf. Well the fact is that the tiny little foo foo white toy poodle and the narly big Malamute are as closely related to the wolf. Seems impossible right? I myself have seen some dogs that really seem to be just generations away from the wolf but they are not.

With human manipulation we have taken the genetic material of a wolf, coyote and jackal and made our dogs of today. Once domesticated we humans started our transformation into what we considered the best dog to be. When you look at the vast differences physically in a pekingnese, Irish Wolfhound and the Shar Pei, one would think that they all had to come from different molds. But they are all from the same mold which was then tweaked by humans.

Humans pulled out traits that they found desirable, planning and molding our dogs of today. Many dogs are still being molded; take the "designer dogs," some humans are not content with the already hundreds of existing breeds and are working on new ones. When a new breed is in production there are alot of "purbred" breeders on the sidelines complaining about these mongrels that are being produced. All of our dogs are mongrels from way back, each breed is a compilation of what someone thought to be the perfect recipe. But each and everyone has related genes to the wolf, from the tiniest, longest to the tallest.

But make no mistake, a wolf is a much different animal from our dogs. Even wolves who are bred in zoos or reserves for many generations are not dogs. They may have very similar behaviors to our dogs but they are wild and the main difference is that you don't tell a wolf what to do. At one of the APDT seminars that I attended we were shown a video where Pat Goodman of Wolf Park was disciplining a wolf. She was quickly and accuately put in her place for attempting to discipline the wolf. It was not an overly aggressive behavior, just very matter of fact. A dog is not a wolf and a wolf is not a dog.

flying

I dug up some old photos of Tilley yesterday so I thought I'd post them on my blog. Tilley as alot of you know was an amazing frisbee dog. Just yesterday I took her to an old field where we use to frisbee and retrieve, things were a whole lot different.

I'm off to an early shoot this morning, greyhounds............I love shooting greyhounds. Have a great day everyone and hope you enjoy the images.

The comfort zone

I was awaken this morning by the rain, it was coming down like cats and dogs. But now the sky seems to be clearing and the rain has stopped. The dogs are again wedged up against my legs making it impossible to even budge an inch. When they get a comfy spot they are none to willing to give it up. They do love their comforts. It always amazes me when people find it so strange that dogs like comfort. Like us they know what feels good and what doesn't.

Often a dog will lay on a hard floor by choice; typically this is due to the temperature and not the comfort level. Given the choice between a hard floor or a bed they will almost always choose a bed. Even Mr. Fussy; Luke who does not like to share a bed has taken to sleeping on the really big bed I have in the kitchen. He use to lay in the livingroom which is around the corner. He does not like when the other dogs try to lay on the same bed as him; he doesn't like all the walking around him while he is on the bed.

Normally he would get up and huff away if one of the girls was trying to get cozy near him. Although he regularly digs and tosses the bed everywhere even when they are already asleep on it. The other day he really ticked off Jessie, she was nice and comfy on the kitchen bed when Luke decided he would like to lay there as well. He started to dig; digging Jessie along with the rest of the bed she let him know right away that she was not okay with being dug up.

When I bring home a new bed it takes a matter of seconds for someone to nab it. They know exactly what beds are for and even though there may be great carpet with a plush underpad they go for the bed. Dogs deserve comfort just as much as we do; even young dogs. But that is where you have to be smart; young dogs also like to devour beds and can put you into the poor house by methodically destroying each new bed you buy. So if you have a young bed destructor; stick to the old blankets until they understand and respect the meaning of a good bed.

As dogs age; beds become even more important. Once down and settled it can take an old dog a long while to muster up the desire to get out of their bed. This means you have done well in your bed purchase. My old girl Tilley has started to use a bed that I purchased sometime ago. The bed was not a big hit to start off with, it is soft but the fabric is a bit stiff, not the fuzzy type. Even poodles like a fuzzy faux fur bed; it is their favorite. I put this new not so great bed in the corner of the familyroom room; sort of behind a chair making it seem cave like. She has really taken to this bed and I often cannot find her in the day when she has fallen deep asleep back there. She has specifically chosen the location over bed preference; there is peace and quiet back there.

Our k9 evolution

It's Tuesday and the sun is shining but apparently only today; they are calling for clouds and rain tomorrow. And although I do love a good downpour, we are painting the house so I'm hoping it will stay away for a couple more days. The dogs have been getting out alot for walks and I find myself doing alot of comtemplating of late. As I watch all the people out with their dogs I am noticing that there are alot of old dogs.

Funny how you notice things more when you are dealing with the the same issues in your own life. I haven't seen a whole lot of puppies recently; perhaps that is right around the corner with spring and all. I am often thinking of the dogs in my past, how they were different than the dogs I have today, how I was different than who I am today. I use to beat myself up for the things I didn't know way back then, but I have long ditched that philosophy; replacing it with live and learn.

So many times when I introduce someone to positive training methods they are upset with how they have been treating their dog. "Sherri, if I'd only known," is what they usually say. And then I address the guilt; "you cannot feel guilty for something that you did not know." It is far better to learn and move on than to dwell on what you have done in the past. Yes it is too bad that we don't come out knowing everything but life is an evolution of yourself. I wish I had known back then what I know now, but the fact is I didn't.

You cannot force evolution, it happens overtime if and only if someone is open to change. There are people who will never change, they are stuck and like the way things are. But for those who are open and willing to learn; evolution is never ending. I am a huge advocate for research; listening to what others have to say. Take what you agree with; learn from it and toss the old. Each dog that passes through out life has been involved in our evolution. So far my guys have done a pretty good job; but they are not near done yet. ;)

You're grounded

Well the girls are officially grounded, yep they've had the stool pulled out from them literally. Not too long ago I bought a nice small ottoman or foot stool for the girls to use as a step to get up onto the bed. It took a while for my pea brain to figure out that at this age they should not be up on the bed. But my heartstrings got the better of me and I felt bad that they couldn't get up anymore. Jessie actually hasn't been able to get up onto the bed since we got this monstrous Kingsized beast.

Just this morning as I was getting ready to take the dogs out; Jessie launched herself off the bed like the little rocket that she is and hurt her leg. I am very lucky that she is built like a tank and rarely get's physically injured from anything. She's one tough cookie. So as I watched her walk it off I thought to myself "that's it." No more bed for the girls. I've been lifting them down now since we got the bed but I can't be sure that I will always be there for them and they could get very seriously injured.

Luke is another entity entirely; I'd like to keep him off because I don't want him to be getting hurt either but the last time he couldn't get up on the bed he had numerous seizures. He is a creature of habit and when we first got our bed they brought the wrong box spring, we all stood and roared laughing at the height. There was no way the dogs or us for that matter could get up there easily. So Luke's bed jumping was ended for a couple of very long and tough weeks until the correct sized box spring came.

He will let me hoist him down which is a surprise in itself; he is such a nervous ninny. But if I let him know that I will be lifting him down he is very good about it. The girls will be allowed on the bed in the morning while we have our coffee and then the stool will be pushed away so that they can't get up.

Yes there are alot of changes in our lives lately; that's life.

Squabbles

Where did the weekend go? It's already Sunday evening and I have yet to write a weekend blog; sorry folks. I don't even know what I did yesterday, oh ya we shopped for new outside lights. Then watched the hockey game. Ducks won over the Sharks 5-2. Today was spent on bathing dogs, brushing and just hanging out. We had a crazy rushing week so it was nice to just chill.

Luke went for a big run today with his Dad and on return the girls gave him the once over. It's really cute to see them sniffing him to see where he went and greeting him home once again. Even though they adore each other and are very much a pack they have their occasional squabbles, but squabbles is as far as it goes. We have never had a full out fight with this pack, but they do have disagreements. So what do you do when there is a disagreement?

The best advice is to stop it, quickly and calmly and stay very non emotional about the whole situation. Like with children, it is over very quickly. I remember years ago; my Mother telling me to never get involved in a fight my children have with friends. The kids get over it within a short time and the parents if involved remain angry. This is so true. So you take steps to resolve piece and your job is done. Other than making sure that no one is continually causing problems, just react and go back to life as normal. That's what our dogs do.

stubborn?

I've got stubborn covered here at my house. Many people say that their dog is stubborn but just because a dog doesn't want to jump up and do what you want them to do immediately is not stubborn in my books. But the real definition of stubborn is: unreasonably or perversely unyielding. Jessie is my stubborn girl and as a Jack Russell terrier it is what I expect. Yesterday she had her full force of stubborness at work.

We have workers at my house, we had been going to hold off for a while but with a change of events; my house is a very busy work in progress right now. This means that I juggle dogs and our relaxed daily activities are now more stringent and structured. I get the dogs out EARLY and we leave through different doors daily. The other day I was taking Jessie out, she ran into the garage to get her harness on and wouldn't leave. No matter how much I asked her to come with me; she thought that the only way out was through that giant garage door. Luckily she is small.

Yesterday I was taking all three dogs out; I know it is confusing to don their leashes before we head out the backdoor but I expect some sort of flexibility; which is what the poodles give me. A little baulk of confusion and then they agree to follow me. Not Jessie, she is not even coming into the kitchen, the kitchen is not where we leave to go on walks. No matter how much I call; it ain't happening. At this point I am laughing at the sheer stubborness of my tiny pack leader. To her, we leave through one of the front doors for a walk and that is it.

Knowing full well that she is not coming into the kitchen no matter how hard I try to get her there; I go and hoist her up giving her no choice in the matter. There is a huge difference in my dogs, I have to say in my breeds. Jessie is amazingly smart but not in the same way that my poodles are. She is more a programmed smart, she learns very quickly but has a difficult time veering off the norm in her life. She is sort of a little robot.

I am not a very routine person, routine bores me to death but even the fact that going for a walk and leaving through the back door lead to such confusion let me know that there is enough routine in my life to set my little Jessie into concrete.

Breed specifics

"Breeding to better the breed;" is a common phrase in the dog world. But what does it actually mean? I have the chance to meet breeders of just about all the breeds there are and I love learning about each, I find the little breed specific facts facinating. But as on onlooker and lover of all it sometimes makes me laugh when I hear people say things like "oh this breed should not be an outside dog," or "this breed must have training and socializing." Because that is a blanket statement.

Yes there are breed specific hardwired behaviors - “Hardwired” is often used loosely to refer to functions that are innate and unlearned in living systems: “The ability to perceive objects in a certain way appears to be hardwired into the brains of mammals.” Hardwired behaviors can be very breed specific; from herding, chasing, swimming etc. There are hardwired behaviors that are common in all dog breeds and mixes that are not breed specific like grooming, predation and communication.

Most breeds do well with other breeds, dogs speak dog. So although there are breed specific behaviors they are all much more similar than many "breed lovers" would like to admit. The breed specifics that makes us want a certain breed are more the external behaviors, surface stuff so to speak. Are they the relaxed type, high strung, retrieving maniacs, guard dog type or live to please guys?

I sort of look at hardwired behaviors as having two distinct levels or tiers, the all dog hardwired behaviors and then the breed specific hardwired behaviors. And the second tier hardwired behaviors are the ones we pick and choose from. Some of the toy breeds having had most of their predatory behaviors bred out; being bred strictly as companion dogs can happily coexist with birds and rodents. Where other breeds who have not been bred as strictly companion dogs have a hardwired reaction to rodents and birds which is very predatory.

Human intervention has made one species very different; what started out as one has become many indeed.

Control

Wow, am I proud. This morning while walking the poodles at a great park we had a rabbit run in. I had them both off leash while we walked twice around the park, it was extremely quiet, very nice. I had just taken Luke's collar off and saw a rabbit up ahead, I didn't worry about it because they are pretty darned fast. I knew Luke would run after it; that's what dogs do, at least that's what my dogs do. He did not just charge in like a crazy dog, he assumed stalking stance and began his painfully slow approach. As I watched I realized that this was not a normal rabbit. It was watching Luke and doing nothing.

I watched for a few more seconds and realized that this would not end in the typical fashion with Luke bounding at the bushes that the rabbit escaped into. This could get messy. I told Luke to "leave it," he froze. Took a few more steps and again I told him to "leave it." I knew it wouldn't be easy, he was right in the thick of it; the full blown hunt zone. So I pulled out my big guns and yelled NO! I rarely use the word; and specifically save it for the really bad stuff.

Again I said "leave it," and with his right front leg held ready to pounce is turned and moved away. The dumb rabbit then sauntered off ever so leisurely, having no idea that his fate had been changed by some great training. This is extreme; had I stopped Luke before he was in his hunt mode it would have been easier; but I thought the rabbit would hop away like normal. So hoping to stop the behavior when Luke was so deep into it was a risk. But he amazed me and came off of the rabbit; perhaps part of the lure was gone, the rabbit didn't seem afraid, it didn't flinch. And just maybe that is part of the thrill for a dog.

Just Chill

Everyone needs down time; a time when you can just sit back and chill. But chill'n out means something different to everyone, what I might think as a relaxing activity others might hate. And as much as sitting doing absolutely nothing sounds nice, most people have a difficult time doing nothing. That is where dogs and people are very different; dogs enjoy doing nothing. It is in their makeup to just chill.

If you watch a pack of wolves throughout a day; there are many hours when they are just sitting or laying down looking, that's it, looking. My dogs do the same; although Tilley not so much, even at 12 she is my most active throughout the day. But Luke and Jessie like to sit and watch the world go by and it is as good for them as it is us. Life is so busy, that it is good for you to sit back and chill.

We all know how important it is to get our dogs out; exercising, socializing and basically having a fulfilling life right? But, it is sometimes overdone. I know some people who visit the dog park everyday or hike huge distances everyday with their dogs. And with some breeds this can be a bad thing; the dogs learn to adjust their activity level and their need for more and more activity grows. Our dogs like us; need a day off. They need to switch it up, do different things at different levels.

I discovered this morning that I really dislike routine, I don't like doing the samething over and over again and it frankly makes me pretty cranky. I like switching it up, even where I walk the dogs has to be different. More than three days in the same place and I'm getting bored. And for dogs; often too much routine is a bad thing and they become programmed into behaviors that may be difficult to get them out of.

So maybe tomorrow or on the weekend, just chill with your dog and eat some bonbons. :)

Monday

There was no bath for anyone yesterday. The clouds came over and the wind whipped up and I was not in he mood to blow out two poodles. So, we wait for a nicer, warmer day. Luke is feeling much better today and woke up in a very good mood. He obviously needed a couple of days to rest his beaten up body from the hoodlums that jumped him.

I have a big shoot planned for tomorrow, I'm very excited. But today will be catch up and working on my website. I have a ton of photos to haul out and get on there and articles to pull too. One article that I had published in a textbook is being elusive and I am having a hardtime finding it. I wrote it alongtime ago but it is an especially good one.

Ah ha, I found it. After writing that I couldn't find it I decided to check the site where I had originally posted it and sure enough, there it was. It is called Boredom Blues begone and will be on my site today. It discusses how our dogs can lead a very boring life unless we step up and stimulate their minds very much like the zoos work so hard to do for their animals. Well, at least the really great zoos.

It is our job as guardian to make sure they have stimulation for their minds as well as exercise for their body. It is amazing how a short outing can tire a dog out. Just by walking down a new street, visiting a new park or a new pet store with your dog can be very stimulating. New smells abound, new sights, new people and surroundings in general. It is very good for our dogs and actually helps to make them a better dog.

You can read the whole article on my site at www.justdogswithsherri.com

Maybe a bath today

I met a tall, dark and handsome guy lastnight; and I shot him ;) My shoot was very good, such a well behaved dog it only took minutes to get lots of shots off. I love meeting new dogs, getting a chance to hear a bit about them and see the connection they have with their humans, I never grow tired of it.

So what's up today? Well it's 8:45 and I'm just thinking about getting up, nice. The weather is overcast which is also nice because then I don't have to be too concerned about when the dogs get out. At the moment they are all curled up on the bed with me, Tilley is in the exact spot she was when I fell asleep lastnight and Luke and Jessie are cozied up together with Jessie enjoying the warmth of his soft blonde coat.

Luke is still limping a bit, you know after his run in with the boxer ladies? I think that if the sun comes out a bit that I will try to get all three bathed today. They need it and it is impossible during the week when the workers are here. So on my agenda today? An achy back.

Have a good one.

Off on a shoot

Today everyone had a chill day; my daughter and I did a bit of shopping while the dogs were at home relaxing. They had a huge week this week so I thought they were all due for a break. Luke is limping from his run in with the two lady boxer gangsters but seems to be fine otherwise. He does keep giving me those eyes but he knows how to play Mom real well.

I'm off on a poodle shoot tonight, looking forward to it. I'd like to get my poodle book moving a little faster, this week was just a really weird one. With each image I want to bring out what stands out in each dog, which usually means I gotta get to know them really quick. That means alot of discussing; what is their favorite thing to do? Sometimes this answer is an easy one; but sometimes dogs are very fun loving and love just about anything. Many standard poodles fit into this category, they are by far one of the most utility breeds. They are up for anything.

But no matter how many I meet, they are all different. Each has their own personality, issues, quirks and things that make them special. That is what I have to discover and bring out in an image.

What a great job

Bad greetings

Yesterday I wrote about greetings, today I'm going to write about bad greetings because we were on the receiving end of one. I had all the dogs out very early, took Jessie to a grassless area for a big hike and found a great new trail that made me feel like I was actually in the woods. I'll go back there definitely. And then I took the dogs over to a familar park but one that we hadn't been at for a while.

I pulled up and there was a token guy boarding across the parking lot and two loose boxers. On a closer look I realized that I knew these dogs, they actually live behind us. We have seen them out before and my dogs have interacted with them. They approached the car as I was trying to get my guys out and the guy didn't seem to be concerned. I let Luke out and then turned to lift Tilley out. With Tilley in my arms I heard the horrible sound of a fight.

Everything happened so fast; I turned with Tilley still in my arms to see Luke hit down to the ground and the larger older of the two on top attacking him. As I placed Tilley down and yelled he got his footing and the second one when after him. This was a matter of seconds, I yelled and quickly approached and the boxer backed off. What the h(*& just happened?

The guy was telling his girls how that was not a nice thing to .................. Um no I'd say it's not a nice thing to do alright. I went over Luke carefully looking for blood but there was none. The guy never apologized; we just walked out separate ways. If this is how your dogs act; do ya think maybe you should have leashes on them? I think so.

Needless to say I was furious and if it were my dogs that had done it? I'd be apologizing my a(* off and I'd be at the guys door with a bottle of wine too. It was not a good start to a not so great day. People, honestly.

Greetings

The other day I had my poodles at one of our most common parks. There I am able let them run off leash for sometime and on at other times. We were the only ones at the park for sometime when a dog friend arrived. Luke had been scoping the horizon the entire time we were there, he knows that this is the park you come to play at. He is always ever aware.

A car pulled up; Luke saw it right away and it was far away. Out comes a woman and her dog; I immediately recognize them, perhaps Luke does too. From the other side of the park which is a very large park I can see her body language already. She is lowering as she runs across the park to greet my guys. With her eyes squinting, lowered body posture and the telltale wagging run there is no mistaking a friendly but unsure greeting.

Luke assumes his stalking stance and approaches like a lion who has locked on his prey. At first he is very slow, each step a thought out movement. Then he speeds up as she gets closer. She stops for a moment in hesitation; looking for signs, friend or foe? Luke continues to increase his speed and when he gets about 20 feet from her he veers off to the side coming up on her left side; a very good sign to her.

A straight approach is a dominant aggressive one, a mannerly greeting is done from the side. This movement away to the side let her know right away that Luke meant no harm by his panther stalking and was friend. The two had a fun romp, Luke acting the tough guy and the young female spinning and jumping with excitement. After talking to this dogs guardian she was sure that her dog mistook Tilley for someone else. I know the someone else and there is a resemblance but do dogs get it wrong?

Yep, I have several times had my poodles out when they see a Jack Russell. They immediately charge over thinking that it is their Jack Russell. I have seen Tilley run up to men thinking that it was one of her men, who she loves beyond life itself and only at the very last minute is there recognition that she has made an error. So even though they have amazing memories, far better than ours and recognition abilities which far exceed our own, they make mistakes too.

I got mine

I certainly got my exercise today. I was up at the crack of dawn and at the gym; home by 7:30 to take Jessie out for her big walk. Back from that to take the poodles out for their big walk/retrieve time. I haven't been throwing a ball or anything for Tilley for a long while. She has always charged after the ball with such enthusiasm that by the time she gets to it and jams on her brakes; her shoulders take quite an impact. So being that she is getting up there in age I haven't been tossing.

But today I thought I'd give it a whirl for her again and I was correct; her take off and follow through is much slower so she doesn't get near the impact at the end. She just sort of trotted over and picked up the ball. She didn't even bring it back the first time which totally blew me away. She sort of jumped around pretending she didn't know where it was and then dove on it.

She had about 1/2 a dozen tosses and that was more than enough; "quit while you're ahead." Then it was Luke's turn, he often doesn't bring the ball back at first. He gets distracted what with all the plants and trees to pee on, a guys gotta do what a guys gotta do. So there I stand waiting for his return; and inevitably he returns without the ball. Yep, I go and retrieve the ball and try again. This time he brings it back nice and fast and he's gone like a shot before I have a chance to throw the ball again.

Luke has always been out infront of the ball and thank goodness I have a chuck it. I could never throw it near the distance without it, infact I can't throw worth a darn. So I fling the ball out of the chuck it and right down infront of Luke, oh about 20 feet ahead of him. I can tell when he sees it over his head, those giant ears of his pop up. He loves a good retrieve game and turns off easily when it's done; Tilley not so much. She hangs around the last place she saw the ball hoping that by some miracle it will appear and toss itself into the air, not likely. But you never know.