Ravenwood Dalmatians

Wesley pics

2012-01-29T18:05:00.000-08:00

Wesley and the rally run through

2012-01-01T12:23:00.000-08:00

I took Wesley to rally run throughs today and was very pleased with him. On his first run two dogs got into a little spat just outside the ring right next to the 2nd station sign as we were approaching and he got distracted but then so did I. He refocused in just a couple of seconds and finished the rest of the course quite nicely. The facility has brand new fake grass and I really thought he might try to sniff his way around but he only sniffed once and that was while he was in a down. His 2nd run was much better. He had a slightly crooked sit on one station but the rest of the work was just lovely...got a lot of compliments from the other exhibitors. I was very pleased with that run because we had been standing away from the ring and a whole bunch of children were petting him when the woman pretending to be the judge called me. He went in completely cold turkey and sat very straight at the start line with his eyes on me. He met a bunch of new people and dogs and had a very good time. I'm so pleased with how well he handles new situations. Weather permitting, I'll take him to run throughs again next weekend.

Wesley pics

2011-12-22T14:04:00.000-08:00

This is Wesley's first Christmas so I took a few pictures of him in Christmas settings.

Wesley meets Santa

2011-12-21T12:54:00.000-08:00

Wesley did a nursing home visit today and they were having a Christmas party complete with Santa Claus. Wesley went right to him and snuggled up....apparently trying to get on the "nice" list. The people watching got a big kick out of that. Wesley was all dressed up with a bright red ruffled collar in keeping with the season. He is such a hit at the nursing home and is so well behaved that people almost don't believe he is only 9 months old.

Nori and Wesley - Freestyle workshop

2011-12-19T08:28:00.000-08:00

I took Nori and Wesley to a freestyle seminar this weekend and we had a great time. The seminar was small so we got a lot of time to work. Nori was happy to be out and about and getting to do some work again. I discovered she is very picky about music. She works to anything that is being played and does a nice job but when a piece really appeals to her she gets much more animated, her moves are more dynamic and the other attendees said her tail seemed to wag in tune to the music. Nori's taste does seem to differ from mine. She was raised with classical music, broadway songs, opera, and golden oldies but she really liked zydeco. Who knew? I was very happy with Wesley. He was able to work with 6 other dogs out on the floor and even did a nice solo improv off lead. He has a lot of power in his movement yet can rock back on his rear for slower stuff and still keep a trot. The music had 2 places that just begged for a pause so I moved in front of him and he stopped in a stack and then I moved him back to heeling on the opposite side. Several people said that should definitely be a move in his routines as he looks so pretty standing like that. He had a lot of fun and seems to really like freestyle so I will start looking for music for him.

Wesley Class 6

2011-12-16T10:24:00.000-08:00

Wesley finished up his obedience class session Wednesday evening. He did a nice job on his graduation exercises although I do know I am going to have to work with him around dogs running agility. He becomes absolutely mesmerized and it seems fairly obvious that he thinks that is going to be a lot of fun. I'll be taking him to any agility run throughs I can find and just sit outside the ring and C/T for attention. We have about a month before any other classes start. I like the distractions provided by the place we were going for the obedience class but I don't want that long a drive in the winter. I'm a big chicken about driving in snow or on frozen roads. We will at least go to the conformation classes at my club for January and February and then in March I'll put him in an agility foundations class. He does nice heeling and has a great recall. He is getting better on his sit and stand for exams....not kissing the examiner. He has several cute freestyle moves and knows a bunch of tricks. He retrieves wooden, leather, plastic, and metal articles and has started scent discrimination work. We have done some nosework and tracking and he is very keen on that. He does a baby dogwalk, tunnels, the chute and bump jumps and is very fast. He likes things to move so he shouldn't have any problem with the teeter when he gets old enough. He knows all of the rally exercises through excellent although we will try to get in more proofing practice before entering competition. He loves people and other dogs and has wonderful greeting behavior with new dogs. He is maturing very nicely and we will probably hit a few breed shows in January. All in all he is a really great puppy and I am delighted with his looks, his movement, his personality, and above all, his intelligence.

Harry RE

2011-12-05T11:34:00.001-08:00

Harry and I went to a rally trial Friday and I am pleased to say he got his 3rd RE leg with a 3rd place. Good boy, Harry.

Extreme Counter Cruising

2011-11-28T19:24:00.000-08:00

Usually I have some brag about how well Wesley has done something but tonight I'm not sure if I have a brag or an "Oh My!!!". My husband was running the dogs out and Wesley just hopped up on the kitchen counter. It was so effortless and graceful that we just stood there sort of open mouthed. He was on the floor and the next second he was on the counter. He is quite a clever little fellow and obviously very athletic. I don't think the 24" table in agility is going to be any challenge at all but I think we'll have to try to deter him from the new sport of extreme counter cruising.

Pictures of Wesley

2011-11-25T11:30:00.000-08:00

Here are some new pictures of Wesley at 8 months. Comments welcome.

Wesley - Class week 3

2011-11-16T17:50:00.000-08:00

Wes had a busy day. He did his 2nd nursing home visit and he did very well. Everyone just loved him and he loved all the petting. He is going to make a great therapy dog.

Tonight was the third class of his obedience class. We missed last week as I was away but we did work on the homework for the class. He is still fascinated with the flooring but he was improved. He also got distracted by the dogs running agility in the next ring....looked like more fun... but he was able to get it all together and do some very nice work. He has great attention once he has settled down. I'm hoping to get him to some "10 minute ticker" type things so he can get practice in a variety of new places. He is very smart but also very social and is positive everyone came just to see him.

Catching Up

2011-11-14T11:54:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how long it has been since I updated the blog. Have had a hectic few weeks.

Wesley started an obedience class 2 weeks ago. The facility has a state of the art turf floor and he was very distracted at first as I think it holds the scent of all of the dogs that have been there but he figured it out and did some very nice work. I wish the class was a little more advanced but I think it will still be a good learning experience for him.

We missed the 2nd class as I was judging rally in Salisbury, MD Wednesday and Thursday. It was a nice club to judge for. They provided me with great stewards. I drove home right after finishing up Thursday and repacked my suitcase to head out the next day.

Friday, Wes and I drove to Parkersburg, WV. It was about 300 miles which isn't a bad drive but I hit snow for about 75 miles of the trip. As many of you know, I absolutely hate to drive if snow is expected within 500 miles of me. The snow stopped after we got through western MD and the rest of the drive was okay. Saturday we had a seminar with Deb Jones author of The Focused Puppy, the In Focus agility series and some recent articles in Clean Run. It was a lot of fun and reminded me to practice even very basic skills to keep them sharp.

Sunday, I pretty much tried to recover from 5 days on the road except for giving Wes, Harry, and Jamie a training session and taking Nori for a couple of walks.

Nori is recovering well from her TPLO surgery. It will just be a a couple of weeks until she can resume her normal life. Of course, we will have to build back up to agility slowly. I think she will be very happy to do some actual work.

It was a beautiful day today so we did some tracking with Wesley. I am going to have to find the gloves I wore to protect my hands when I started Jamie as Wesley is very eager to find that glove and he is very strong. I love how enthusiastic he is about everything we do.

I hope to be able to get some new pictures of Wes this week. He has really grown and is, in my not completely unbiased opinion, a very nice boy. I haven't entered him in any shows for the rest of the year but we will be looking forward to the January shows in Fredericksburg.

Wesley's first pet therapy visit

2011-10-26T12:38:00.000-07:00

I had to evaluate a dog for pet therapy today so I asked the activities director at the facility if I could bring Wesley along and let him come in and visit to see how he would do. I can definitely say being a pet therapy dog is in his future. He was absolutely wonderful and everyone just fell in love with him. He walked down the hall on a nice loose leash and stood very nicely for petting. He thoroughly enjoyed himself and I was very proud of him.

Wesley brag

2011-10-23T17:31:00.001-07:00

Wesley and I went to some UKC shows this weekend and he is now U-CH Blackthorn Ravenwood Come Fly With Me.

Pictures from Catonsville

2011-10-17T08:56:00.000-07:00

We went to some shows this weekend. I had recognized that Wesley needs some more time to mature but I didn't want to pull him and possibly break the majors so we went for the practice. He showed very well and the Friday and Saturday judges did give him a good look. I'd show to them again when he grows up a little more. It was his first time at an indoor show and he handled all of the noise and activity very well. He did have a grand time meeting new people and new dogs. He loves motels since there are always people around who want to pet him. Here are some pictures that Linda Davis very kindly took of him while he was in the ring. Thanks, Linda, both for taking the pictures and being generous enough to share them. BTW, he is waiting for the exam in the first picture and the BOW sign just happens to be in the picture. He only won his class.

There are a few more pictures at http://qhdal.smugmug.com/Dog-Shows/Catonsville-KC-2011/Catonsville-KC-2011/19563124_vgTR2k#1532388424_bjrQT2Q including one that shows how well-behaved he is for the exam.

He will be starting an obedience class the first week of November and one of the clubs will be having run throughs in November and I will take him for rally and obedience run throughs. I'm not in a hurry for him to grow up. The ones that mature slowly tend to be the ones that hold together really well as they age. I'm having a lot of fun with him and am delighted with all of the nice compliments he gets.

Rally trials

2011-10-09T06:41:00.000-07:00

Harry went to rally trials Friday and Saturday and earned 2 legs towards his RE. He hasn't been out since last December and he was somewhat stressed Friday. Yesterday he worked much better. However, the judge was apparently not releasing dogs from the honor until the handler of the working dog had reattached the leash. The honor is supposed to end when the working dog passes the finish sign at which time the honor steward says return to your dog. The finish sign was only a couple of feet from the rear of the honor dog. The working dog was a giant breed dog that was heeling wide and while the handler tried to attach the leash the dog swung his butt around and nearly stepped on Harry's tail. Harry got up which should have been okay since the exercise was over but the judge still took off 10 points. Why have an honor steward if you aren't going to have them do their job and why put the end of the course that close to the honor dog? I have been seeing that tendency more and more. The honor is crammed up against the ring gates and the working dog comes very close. Rally is supposed to be lower level competition than obedience and we never have a working dog coming up behind the dogs doing stays in obedience. It seems we, as rally judges, should be able to design courses that keep the dogs safely separated. I have seen a number of dogs that are really not under control off lead that have made it to rally excellent. I hate to think that one of these dogs would interfere with the dog doing the honor.

ODKC pics

2011-10-07T17:16:00.000-07:00

Award winning photographer Linda Davis snapped a few candids of Wesley at the ODKC show 10/02 and has vey generously allowed me to post them to this blog.

Weekend shows

2011-09-22T08:12:00.000-07:00

Wesley went to his first shows this weekend. As I said in a previous post, I am trying to measure our success in how well he shows. I was absolutely thrilled with him. He stacked beautifully, was perfect for the exam, and gaited nicely. I received many compliments on what a nice puppy he is. I did notice that he looked very immature compared to the dogs that were there. He will go to a few more shows for experience but then I'll probably concentrate on rally and obedience until he matures a little more. He is also working on agility but, at 6 months of age, I am mostly interested in developing a love for agility and in keeping his speed and enthusiasm. We'll start getting into the more serious stuff in the spring. He can do a lot of the obstacles already so I just want to keep it fun for him.

Prior to the shows I went shopping to try to find some skirts to wear in the ring. I hate shopping and shopping for skirts was not anything I'd look forward to. I couldn't find anything. The skirts were either way above the knee (not going there) or mid-calf and very full. I am short so mid-calf cuts me in half. It's fall so I thought there would be beautiful fall colors like gold, forest green, red etc. but everything is shades of grey and black. I guess I will be forced to walk up to handlers who are wearing suits I like and ask where they bought them. I will have to venture out again to shop before the next set of shows. I hate to take time away from important things like playing with the dogs to shop.

Wesley pics 9/15

2011-09-15T09:25:00.000-07:00

Wesley will be 6 months old Saturday. Here are some quick pictures we shot today. Comments welcome. I am delighted with him in every way. He is handsome, extremely social, and super smart.

Freestyle Seminar

2011-09-12T10:28:00.000-07:00

I took Jamie and Wesley to a Michelle Pouliot Freestyle seminar in Philadelphia this weekend. It was a great seminar and I came home with tons of ideas. I worked Wesley in the sessions that dealt with attention or innovation and Jamie in the ones that called for a dog with some actual freestyle moves. I was very happy with both of them. Wesley does not seem to mind any new situation. He is happy anywhere. He loves platform work so he really enjoyed that session. He also really enjoyed a session on introducing props. I had already done 2 one minute sessions with a skateboard at home so I already had him eagerly putting his front feet on but it only took 5 C/Ts to get him putting all 4 feet on it and he was able to repeat the behavior several times. I then changed to a child's shopping cart and did have him putting front feet up on the push bar but the session ended before I had a chance to teach him to push it forward intentionally. Jamie had such a good time doing freestyle again that I may work on a new routine for him...in my spare time (Ha Ha).

Wesley had his first ride in an elevator and, as I expected, he just thought it was great fun. He and Jamie are great traveling companions which is fine because I want Wes to think of Jamie as a role model.

I'll post more later but I got home late last night, taught classes all morning, and have Wesley's puppy class tonight. He only has two more sessions of puppy class but my club's conformation classes start back tomorow night and we are going to focus on that for September and October.

I promise I will put up new pictures this week.

UKC shows

2011-09-03T14:52:00.000-07:00

I took Wesley to 2 UKC shows today. He isn't old enough for actual competition but they were offering the NLC (non-licensed class) novice puppy for puppies under 6 months so I decided it would be a good training experience. We haven't had any matches or any conformation classes all summer and he will be starting his show career in a few weeks. He did a very nice job. He stacked up and held his stack even though his tail was wagging so much I thought it would propel him across the ring. He didn't move a foot on the exam. I hope all judges will like his puppy kisses as much as the UKC judges did. He gaited really well. Both the judges and many of my fellow exhibitors commented on what a nice puppy he is. He was the only Dal there and actually the only under 6 mos puppy so I have to measure our success by how well I thought he performed and all I can say is....Good Boy, Wesley!

Responsible Dog Owners Day

2011-09-02T17:08:00.000-07:00

This evening Warrenton Kennel Club had a booth for AKC's Responsible Dog Owners Day at a street fair in our little town. I took Wesley so I could help with the booth a while and he could do some meeting and greeting. I was so pleased with him. I expected him to be a little wild with lots of people, lots of dogs, and lots of excitement but he behaved beautifully. He stood or sat for petting from literally hundreds of people. He hasn't met a lot of children but he just loved them. He had his picture taken dozens of times. Everyone commented on how beautiful he was and how well-behaved he was. I am so proud of him. He is just a great puppy.

STAR Puppy Pictures

2011-08-21T07:17:00.000-07:00

Wesley's STAR Puppy medallion and certificate came yesterday. Here are some pictures.

Saturday Pictures

2011-08-20T16:41:00.000-07:00

Wesley has been doing a nice running dogwalk (baby dogwalk.... 8' boards and only 2' high) for quite some time. Today I put the a-frame down as low as it goes to see what he would do with it. I had him on lead as I placed one of his favorite tug toys on the ground and then took him to the other side and removed the lead. He raced right over the a-frame to get his toy.

After about 3 repeats, he raced to the other side, snatched up his toy, wheeled around, and came right back over the a-frame in the opposite direction. He is so clever.

We will not be doing much work on the a-frame until he is older but I want him to be familiar and comfortable with racing across it.

After his little agility session, he practiced some stays with his good buddy and mentor, Jamie.

Wesley at 5 months

2011-08-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

Wesley is 5 months old today. Comments welcome. I think he is amazing.

Nori Update

2011-08-17T08:53:00.000-07:00

Nori seems to be recovering well from her TPLO surgery. The incision is healing nicely and there is no longer any bruising or swelling on the leg. She is putting weight on it. The difficult thing is going to be keeping her quiet for the next 2 months.

Wesley Class 7

2011-08-16T10:25:00.000-07:00

I was very pleased with Wesley at class last night. The instructor introduced shaping to the class. Of course, I started shaping with him in the hotel the first night I had him. The idea in class was to teach a puppy to go to place inside a hula hoop that was flat on the ground. Wesley has been taught to go to so many things that he ran to it the second it hit the ground. I clicked and treated by tossing his treat away from the hoop. He snatched up the treat and ran right back to inside the hoop. With a few C/Ts he was happily racing to get in position. I didn't want to overdo this as I limit shaping sessions but since other puppies were still working I decided he could learn to go back and forth through the hula hoop. I had the bottom of the hoop resting on the floor. He looked at the set up and then poked his head through the hoop...C/T. I tossed the treat and he raced back to try again. This time he immediately started through the hoop so I clicked and tossed the treat ahead of him so he could finish going through. Within a few C/Ts he was happily going through the hoop from both directions. We also worked on some right side heelwork which he has also been doing since I brought him home. He can change sides by doing a single leg weave, a spin to the outside (good skill for rear crosses), and by turning towards me as I turn towards him. He loves heelwork games. Once again we turned the puppies loose to run and play and he didn't leave me until I gave him permission to join the play group. He comes when called out of the play group. He plays beautifully with the other puppies. I am so glad he is in a class with other sweet, social puppies. They all display very nice greeting and play skills. His heelwork was good as were his stays. He did a nice stand stay with me doing the exam. Next week I'll ask the instructor to do the exam. I'm really having a blast with him.

Wesley - Class 6

2011-08-09T04:24:00.000-07:00

Wesley had his 6th puppy class last night and passed his STAR puppy. I'll put a picture up when I get his medallion and certificate from AKC. He was a very good boy and is getting better at working through distractions although he would love to play with all of the people and the other puppies. He is continuing on in a Puppy 2 class as I want him to practice working through distractions although I hate having to drive 40 miles to class.

Freestyle Seminar

2011-08-08T11:11:00.000-07:00

I went to a freestyle seminar this weekend and had a great time. For the Saturday seminar I took Nori as my working dog as I had scheduled a private lesson (I had met with her orthopedic surgeon Friday and he said it was fine for her to go as long as we didn't do any jumping. He thought it would be good for her to do something she would really like. She had TPLO surgery this morning and is doing fine. Me....not so much. I'll be a basket case until I bring her home tomorrow.) She really enjoyed herself and did very well. We found a piece of music that she really liked and I will start working on the choreography while she recovers from the surgery. We won't be doing much of anything for a few months. I took Jamie on Sunday and he had a great time. He was so enthusiastic that I am going to have to do a new routine for him for a senior dog division. I took Wesley along both days. He didn't work in the seminar but he got to meet new people and new dogs. As always, he thoroughly enjoyed himself. I worked him in the ring during the breaks and he did really well. He acted like everyone had come to see him. I love his attitude. All in all it was a fun weekend and I am inspired to get back into freestyle.

Jamie and Wesley

2011-08-03T08:09:00.000-07:00

I had thought that Jamie, at 10 years of age, might find Wesley annoying. Wesley wants to play 24/7. However, Jamie is really enjoying his new buddy and loves to play with him. Yesterday they had some cute tug games going but by the time I thought to sneak out and get the camera they were about tired out. Here are a couple of pictures of them together.

Wesley 7/30

2011-07-30T13:40:00.000-07:00

Here are some new pictures of Wesley (Blackthorn Ravenwood Come Fly With Me).

We have just started doing the first grid from Susan Salo's Puppy Jumping DVD. As you can see, he is quite enthusiastic. He won't start any real jumping for quite a while but he is doing a tunnel, chute, baby dogwalk and a buja board.

He loves to work on the theraball...might have something to do with all of the cookies. I had to put it up off the floor when we weren't using it as he was trying to jump on it when I didn't have it stabilized. The little munchkin will try anything.

Wesley at 4 months

2011-07-18T09:17:00.000-07:00

Here are some new pictures of Wesley. He was 4 months old yesterday.

Wesley - Puppy Class Week 3

2011-07-12T09:05:00.000-07:00

Wesley had his 3rd puppy class last night and I was very pleased with him. He is able to do loose lead heeling with the other puppies and to focus on me even though he would love to play with his classmates and their owners. We practiced letting the puppies run together and then calling them back to us and he did a great job. The other puppies in his class seem to have good social skills and they all played really well together. We also practiced recalls across the room and he came to me like a little spotted rocket. He got bored and did some barking in class 2 when other puppies were working so I have been practicing relaxation work with him. Last night he just sat and watched me or stood quietly and watched when another puppy had center stage. He is a delightful little boy and I couldn't be happier with him.

Nori is now off anti-inflammatory meds but still on crate rest and leash walking. If the symptoms don't return within a week we will be able to start gradually increasing her exercise. She wants to run so bad that I feel sorry for her.

Jamie and Nosework

2011-07-11T08:50:00.000-07:00

Jamie had a great time at a fun nosework seminar yesterday. He was very tired as the dogs did a great deal of work but he gave it his all as he always does. We had 6 dogs working in very close quarters and there were only 1 or 2 incidents of dogs barking or indicating any displeasure at each other. Jamie was perfectly behaved with everyone. We covered a lot of ground in just 1 day. We ended with the dogs searching a room to find three pieces of food that someone else had hidden. Jamie did a really nice job and found all three pieces in a short time. I was so pleased with him. I'm hoping to find a canine nosework class sometime that doesn't conflict with something else I have to do....so many sports....so little time.

Nori was not impressed that she had been left at home. I hope she will be allowed a little more freedom when she gets her re-check.

Wesley and Puppy Socialization Time

2011-07-09T05:44:00.000-07:00

I took Wesley to puppy socialization time last night. It was a terrible drive in heavy traffic and took me much longer than anticipated. When we got there I discovered only 1 other puppy had shown up. The other puppy was a very rambunctious Lab that was 8 months old. I had thought there would be puppies from Wesley's puppy class. Wesley had not dealt with a rough and tumble dog as his playmates have been either his age or they have been adults who know how to play gently. After about 30 seconds I almost ended the play because I thought the Lab was just too rough. I let it go a little longer and he seemed to figure out he would have to be a little tougher with her. After a short time they were playing nicely, albeit roughly, and he was having a grand time. I was very pleased that I could call him away from the play and he would come to me and give me his full attention to do some heeling, sits, down, stays, etc. and then could be released back to play mode. Both pups were exhausted by the time we left. He slept all the way home but had his energy back by the time we got home. Wish I had that kind of energy recovery!!! Wesley enjoyed meeting some new people and was a perfect gentleman with a little girl. I was concerned that after the rough play he might try that on my adults at home but he didn't. He played calmly and quietly with them. I think he is getting to be very good at reading other dogs and he will have excellent social skills as he matures.

Nori is not enjoying crate rest at all. Her leg seems to be better as she walks with full weight on it but I know we still have a way to go before she can resume more normal activities.

Wesley Pictures

2011-07-06T12:45:00.000-07:00

I was emailed a reminder that I haven't posted pictures of Wesley in over a week so here are some new ones. It's been hectic around here. Nori partially ruptured a cruciate ligament so she is on crate rest and can only be walked on lead. I am supposed to walk (really just walk, not trot) her a couple of miles each day. Those of you who know Nori know that crate rest is not her thing. It's been so hot that about the only time we can actually walk is early in the morning or well after sunset.

New Pictures

2011-06-27T10:05:00.000-07:00

The pictures I took on Jamie's birthday were a mess. I forgot to change the settings on the camera and they were very blurry. This one came out so so.

Jamie gets a birthday snuggle from Wesley.

Here are some new pictures of Wesley. We are very happy with the way he is growing up.

Wesley is really into shaping so I decided to try to teach him to push a ball thinking he might be able to do treibball when he is older. He caught on very quickly but then added his own twist on the behavior. When I accidentally rolled the ball toward him, he put his feet up on it and "walked" it back to me. He is too clever.

Happy Birthday, Jamie

2011-06-22T18:13:00.000-07:00

Jamie celebrated his 10th birthday today. It's hard to believe it's been over 9 years since I went to the Netherlands to bring him here. He is such an absolutely wonderful boy. He had special treats including birthday cake that he shared with Nori, Harry, and Wesley. We adore you, Jamie, and are so happy you came to live with us. Some things are just meant to be. I took some pictures today but haven't had time to transfer them to the computer.

Wesley goes to puppy class

2011-06-21T18:18:00.000-07:00

Wesley had a big day yesterday. First his good buddy Seal came over and they had a nice romp. Then, in the evening, he started his puppy class. He was a little distracted at first. After all, there were all those people and puppies he hadn't met yet but it didn't take him long to figure out he had to do some work. He was a very good boy. Tonight he went to conformation class where he met a very sweet Vizsla and he got to play with a mini wire Dachsie. He thought the Dachsie was a lot of fun. Of course, he had a great time visiting with all of the people. This is one very social young man and I am having a lot of fun with him.

Wesley - New Pictures

2011-06-14T09:34:00.000-07:00

Wesley has been busy with his training. He has had more playdates with Seal and went to conformation class again last week. There was another Dal pup about a month older than he is and they had a great time together. He had a vet visit to update shots and get microchipped and was a perfect gentleman. He also went to a t-ball game Saturday morning where he met a lot of new people and a lot of children. He was so good with the small children.

Today we snapped a few new pictures.

Wesley goes to town

2011-06-05T10:08:00.000-07:00

It was a nice cool, overcast day today so I took Wesley into town and we meandered through a few shopping areas. He greeted everyone with a wagging tail and "look at me" attitude. I have to admit I never tire of hearing people tell me how beautiful he is. We even found a low brick wall to practice stacking.

His reward for being such a good boy was a chance to play in the creek again when we got home. He seems to really like that.

Wesley and the creek

2011-06-04T09:07:00.000-07:00

This morning I took Wesley for a walk through the trees along our creek. He hadn't been there before as my husband has just finished getting all of that trimmed down after all the rain we have had. I walked him to the creek's edge and a twig floated by. He launched himself into the water, grabbed the twig, and brought it right to me. He enjoyed that game and then he discovered the joy of splashing around in the water. He was just so cute.

One of my training goals was for him to experience at least 4 new surfaces a week but we are running out of ideas. He has been on grass, deep grass, muddy grass, dirt, mulch, stall mats, pine needles, sand, gravel, stone, patio stone, ceramic tile, vinyl tile, brick walkway, marble, asphalt, concrete, carpet, ring matting, hardwood, granite, orange snow fence laid on the ground, x-pen laid on the ground, a series of different kinds of tarps on the ground, baby dogwalk, tunnel, the barrel from the closed tunnel, and now a creek. Any other ideas? So far nothing has bothered him at all. He is gung ho to go anywhere and do anything.

Yesterday we did ping pong recalls through the barrel of the closed tunnel. I want him to understand he is to race through a tunnel not dawdle. He really liked the game and was running as fast as his very cute legs could carry him.

Wesley at 11 weeks

2011-06-02T17:19:00.000-07:00

Wesley will be 11 weeks old tomorrow and I am thrilled with how he is growing up. He is already retrieving his dumbbell, loves to play tug, and has a nice sit on the table. He also looks really good stacked and moves beautifully.

Wesley Goes To Conformation Class

2011-06-01T03:26:00.000-07:00

Last night I took Wesley to his first conformation class. I didn't realize there was a CGC test going on too. It made for lots of distractions. I couldn't believe how well he did. He was interested in the other dogs and got to play with two Dachshunds. He also met a couple of very nice children who petted him and gave him treats. He greeted every dog and human with a wagging tail and the kind of body posture that says "Want to be friends?" He stacked up on the table and never moved a foot. He was perfect for the exam including having his bite checked and he got a lot of cookies for being so good. I have been working on his gaiting a little but I didn't expect it to be as good as it was. He trotted around the ring like he owned the place. I got a lot of very nice comments about him. Good boy, Wesley. He will be starting his STAR puppy class on the 13th and I hope he is going to shine there too. I am so delighted with this puppy.

Last week his new adventure was learning how to go up and down the stairs on lead. Talk about a fast learner. He is doing a great job taking one step at a time and not putting any tension on the lead. He was also introduced to box work and caught on very quickly. He really likes shaping games and is already offering cute behaviors when presented with a new object. He met the remote control dinosaur a few days ago. I haven't turned it on yet but he has already learned he can make its head go up and down by tapping it with his paw. Did I mention I am delighted with this puppy?

Wesley Meets Seal

2011-05-23T09:02:00.000-07:00

Wesley made a new friend today and they had a blast running around the yard. Seal is a young Italian Greyhound and Wesley discovered that IGs can run in circles at very high speed.

Wesley pictures

2011-05-19T10:55:00.000-07:00

We are still waiting for Verizon to fix our phones but I was able to upload some photos. These were taken today.

We are having a lot of fun with Wesley. He is very smart and inquisitive and he is gorgeous.

Wesley

2011-05-18T05:37:00.000-07:00

I got home from the CRC trials Thursday evening and headed out bright and early Friday morning for the long drive to ME. I spent Friday night in NH and then completed the drive to Sara Puyne's house Saturday morning to meet the newest addition to the family. I was already smitten with him from his pictures and from the emails Sara and Linda had sent about him but I was thrilled to see he was everything I had hoped for in a new pup. He has beautiful, intense black spotting and black eyes. His structure is wonderful and he is very sure about his place in the world. Wesley is by Kris and John Benoit's Gryffin and out of Sara Pruyne's and Linda McSherry's Violet. Both parents are CH and CHIC. Violet has a TD and agility titles and is the litter sister to the phenomenal GRCH CT Corey and DCA BOS and Top 20 winner Daisy.

The trip back home was a breeze considering I was traveling with an 8 week old puppy. He whined a little when we first started but then settled into playing with a toy and fell asleep. He hadn't had a leash and collar on yet so I was wondering what we were going to do when we stopped for potty breaks. Not to worry! I slipped on the lead and collar, put him down in the grass, and he proceeded to trot right alongside me and take care of his business. He then greeted several people with his ever wagging tail and wet kisses. By the 3rd rest stop you would have thought he had been walking on lead all of hs life. We stopped in CT to spend the night and I had brought along an x-pen to keep him confined in the room. I took him for a long walk before bedtime hoping to tire him out. I put him in the x-pen and he began to voice his disapproval. This is something I might have not given in to at home but I wasn't sure people in neighboring rooms would want to hear his displeasure. So I picked him up and put him on the bed and he snuggled right up and fell asleep. He woke up at 5:30 and then woke me up by pouncing on me and biting my ears.

We had rain all of the way home but he was a real trooper about his potty breaks. When we got home he walked into the house like he owned it and proceeded to investigate everything. He is so bold and curious. The first time out in the yard he proceeded to check out all of the agility equipment and even walked up the baby dogwalk all by himself. I was picking up the yard and turned around to see him doing a very fast dogwalk.

He has been meeting some of my friends and everyone just loves him. Last night while my friends and I were talking I had to run over and grab him because he was headed up the full height a-frame. He is only going to be allowed on the agility field with supervision as he is so bold and inquisitive and I don't want him to get hurt.

The other three dogs are getting used to him. Nori thinks she has to protect him so she won't let Harry or Jamie go near his x-pen when he is in it. She is starting to relax about that. If the dogs aren't paying any attention to him he will bark at them and play bow until someone comes over to sniff him. He is staying in the x-pen in the family room when all 3 adult dogs are loose and then he gets to run around the house while they are outside.

He is responding to training really well. He wants to investigate everything and interact with new things so I think he is going to really like shaping. So far we have just worked on 101 things to do with a box and shake hands (as well as important things like sit, down, come, and stacking for the breed ring).

I am having internet connection problems and Verizon is supposed to come and check the phone lines this morning so I hope to have pictures up later today. Right now I can't stay connected long enough to upload a picture.

Thanks, Sara and Linda. I can't imagine a puppy could be a better fit for me. I have very high hopes for him.

CRC Trials Brag

2011-05-18T04:55:00.000-07:00

Colonial Rottweiler Club held three trials 5/10-12 and Nori double q'd all 3 days. I was so proud of how well she ran. Good girl, Nori.

Catching Up

2011-05-04T04:12:00.000-07:00

4/22 I judged rally at the Washington Poodle Club Specialty in Timonium, MD. The exhibitors did well in spite of the fact there were several vendors across a narrow aisle at the back of the ring. One of the vendors was selling squeaky toys and it was a bit of a distraction. I was also surprised that most of the entries were standards...only one miniature. It used to be the other way around.

I was back in Timonium to judge Baltimore County Kennel Club on Sunday the 24th and Catoctin Kennel Club on Monday the 25th. Both clubs provided exellent hospitality and wonderful stewards.

Having judged 5 rally trials in 2 weekends I still feel that not all exhibitors prepare as well as they should. There seem to be a number of excellent level people that just do not teach the Back Up 3 steps and novice and even some advanced people do not do the Stop and Down correctly. If you teach rally classes or if you are planning to do rally, check the exercise descriptions for what is required for each sign. The rules and exercise descriptions are available on the AKC website.

This last weekend we were back to running agility. Nori picked up another double q on Friday and q'd in standard all 3 days. In jumpers,she got an off course jump on Saturday and Sunday she was handler impaired but aside from that her runs were lovely.

We have this weekend off but Nori and I will be off to Palmyra, PA Monday afternoon for agility trials Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

PVGRC Trials

2011-04-20T12:18:00.000-07:00

4/15 and 4/16 I judged rally for the Potomac Valley Golden Retriever Club. This was a wonderful club to work with...great hospitality and great ring stewards. Kudos to PVGRC for a job well done.

CDTC trials

2011-04-10T18:36:00.000-07:00

Had a good weekend at the CDTC agility trials with Jamie finishing his MXJ Saturday and his AX with a first place today. He also q'd in jumpers today. He is now U-CH U-CD U-RO2 Gwynmor Power Point CD RE TD AX MXJ OF VCD1 W-FD/MF TT CGC TDInc. Nori q'd in Exc B jumpers all three days including a 2nd place today. We had a few bobbles in std like her being so far ahead of me I couldn't get her pointed the right way so it would seem I need to be doing some serious wind sprints.

NC weekend

2011-04-03T08:15:00.000-07:00

Nori and I went to agility and obedience trials in NC Thursday, Friday and Saturday. She was entered in Beg Nov B obedience Thursday and Friday and finished her title Thursday with 1st place and picked up an insurance leg Friday with a 198. We also double Q'd in agility Thursday and Friday including a 4th in std on Thursday and a 2nd in JWW on Friday. Got some very nice comments on how well she was running and, of course, on how beautiful she is. Here are a few pictures from the weekend.

Santa Baby

2010-12-21T18:19:00.000-08:00

In keeping with my tradition of an “adapted for people who are canine obsessive” holiday carol, I offer the following:

Santa Baby (with apologies to the lyricist and anyone else even remotely associated with the original song.)

Santa Baby, put a MACH under the tree for me.
What a super gift that would be,
Santa Baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight.

Santa Baby, wrap an OTCH up with a bow. I know
I would be all aglow,
Santa Baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight.

Santa Honey, A CT would be just great, can’t wait.
Fill your sleigh. Don’t be late,
Santa Baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight.

Just a joke ‘bout all of this.
Think of all the great times I would have to miss.
It’s more fun, and yes, that’s true,
Working with my dog for each and every Q.

Santa Baby, there’s not a lot I really need, no greed.
Just have fun with my dogs, indeed.
Santa Baby, so have a Merry Christmas tonight.

Christmas 2010 Kathy McCoubrey

Happy Holidays 2010

2010-12-17T16:23:00.000-08:00

ODTC Brags

2010-12-17T11:49:00.000-08:00

Last weekend was the last agility trial of the year. I am pleased to say that Nori finished her MX and added two more double Q's toward her MACH. Jamie and I had a bobble in each standard class but he did Q all 3 days in Exc B JWW. It was a nice finish to a successful year.

Nori with her new MX title ribbon.

Nori in Exc Standard.

Jamie in Exc. Standard.

Harry RA

2010-12-03T13:18:00.000-08:00

Today at the Catoctin Kennel Club Rally Trial Harry, Ravenwood Quick Thinking RN CGC, earned the third leg for his RA title with a score of 96 and 4th place. I am so proud of Harry. He is as smart as he is adorable.

One of my training clients also showed today. Congratulations to Peggy and Fire (Dobe) for earning their second RA leg.

Weekend Plans

2010-11-19T11:45:00.000-08:00

Jamie and I will be off to a Kathy Sdao seminar this weekend. I am very excited at the opportunity to attend as I've heard great things about her seminars. I'll post some information about it Monday.

Bouv Club Obedience/Rally

2010-11-18T05:57:00.000-08:00

We had a very successful day at the Bouv Club trial in Richmond on 10/14. Nori won Beginner Novice B with a 195 1/2 and Jamie was second with a 193 1/2. (Yes, I know Jamie has a CD but Beginner Novice is an Optional Titling Class so I thought he might enjoy going back into the obedience ring just for fun....and he did.) Then Harry took first in Advanced A with a 96 to get his 2nd RA leg. I am very lucky to have such great dogs.

CVAC Brags

2010-11-09T12:19:00.000-08:00

Nori had a great weekend at CVAC q'ing in 5 of 6 runs and earning two more QQs towards her MACH. She got a 4th in JWW on Saturday and a 3rd in STD on Sunday. Jamie had some really nice runs but my timing is slightly off with his enormous stride and we had little errors in each run.

CVAC put on a very nice trial. The weather was a little brisk at times but all in all it was a lot of fun.

Weekend Brags

2010-11-01T10:17:00.000-07:00

I competed with Nori and Jamie at the Dauphin Dog Training Club trials in PA this weekend. Nori had a great weekend with 3 Q's out of 4 runs adding another QQ to her MACH pursuit. Jamie had a Q in JWW on Saturday and some really gorgeous runs but, unfortunately, each had a little mistake. It was his first weekend out in three months and Nori's first weekend out in 2 months so I was very happy with both dogs. It was a very nice trial. DDTC treats workers very well. It was also nice that chairs were kept out of the area where dogs had to enter and exit the ring so it made for a much less hectic atmosphere outside the ring. I wish other clubs would consider this.

And some brags for my training clients.....Carole and Queenie (All American) got their second RN leg at Middleburg Kennel Club and Anna with Poppy (Bearded Collie) got a Select in Best of Breed competition also at Middleburg. Way to go ladies!!!!

Fall Pictures

2010-10-23T14:01:00.000-07:00

We took a couple of fall fun pictures out by the barn today.

(L-R) Jamie, Nori, Harry

Nori thinks there should be cookies in the Jack-O'-Lantern.

Brags from Saturday

2010-10-10T10:08:00.000-07:00

Harry moved up to Advanced for the CDTC rally trial Saturday and, not only qualified, but took 1st place. He even got some prize money for 1st place and is planning to take himself out for a pizza. I guess he'll have to take me along since he doesn't drive. Only one of my training clients showed Saturday and did qualify so a big congratulations to Joanne and Sioux for their second Rally Novice leg.

Huge congratulations are in order for Jackie Stilwell and Katey for finishing their UD. What an accomplishment. Jamie and Mackie produced some very smart pups...my MACH Romy, Tana's CT Jordi, and now Katey UD.

Harry RN

2010-10-08T13:44:00.000-07:00

Harry and I went to the Mt. Vernon DTC Rally Trial today and I am proud to say he got a 98 and 3rd place in Novice B to finish his RN title. Good job, Harry!

I would also like to brag for two of my training clients. Joanne with IG, Sioux, got her first leg in Rally Novice B and Carole with All American, Queenie, got her first leg in Rally Novice A. Nice going, ladies!

Kudos to the Mt. Vernon DTC for a very nice trial. They had coffee and doughnuts for exhibitors and bowls of treats for the dogs as well as placement rosettes and the very cute neck ribbon Harry is wearing to honor new titles.

Nori and the dinosaur

2010-10-07T13:56:00.000-07:00

One of my absolutely favorite things to do with my dogs is free shaping. One of my clients gave me a battery powered dinosaur to use as a distraction in class. I thought it presented a cute shaping opportunity so I taught Nori how to "pet the dinosaur". This really needs to be captured in a video so you can see the dinosaur move and make strange sounds but I did get these two pictures to share.

Some brags

2010-09-28T12:01:00.000-07:00

Harry (Newley x Romy) made his rally debut this weekend and I was very proud of him. He got a 97 on Saturday and a 98 and 4th place on Sunday. I had many nice compliments on how well he worked.

I'd also like to brag for my good friend Jackie Stilwell. She finished a CDX on Nicky (Newley X Romy) and got a 2nd UD leg on Katey (Jamie x Mackie) this weekend.

Run Throughs

2010-09-21T05:01:00.000-07:00

Thursday morning I took Harry (who is preparing for his novice rally debut) and Nori to run throughs at Catoctin Kennel Club. Nori did a nice open run through and Harry did a nice rally run through. I have discovered that a dog retrieving in the ring next to him is very distracting so we worked on that a little at home. Last night I took them to run throughs in Fredericksburg and he was less distracted about the dog working in the next ring. Nori did well.

Weekend

2010-09-21T04:57:00.000-07:00

I spent my weekend working at the PVBSC and Warrenton Kennel Club, my all breed club, agility trials. I didn't run a dog because I worried it could be too hot to compete outdoors. However, we had lovely weather and the trial ran pretty smoothly. I scribed I don't know how many classes and helped build a lot of courses. I was pretty beat by the end of the weekend.

New Title

2010-09-01T12:48:00.000-07:00

Nori finished her XF title at the SMKC trial 8/27 with a 2nd place. That makes 3 new titles for her this year (MXJ, AX, XF). Jamie finished his OF in July.

agility pictures

2010-08-20T11:53:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from a recent agility practice session.

Harry on the dogwalk.

Jamie on the teeter.

Nori on the dogwalk.

New blog

2010-08-05T17:55:00.000-07:00

Have had a hard time keeping up with my website http://www.ravenwooddals.com/ but I'm hoping to do a better job with updating this blog.