New to blogging...

Ok so I feel very old trying to keep up with all of these new fangled things like blogs, Facebook, Twittering etc. I used to be way ahead of the technology curve and the computer support person for a law firm back when personal computers were first being installed on attorney desks back in the mid-1980s. Now I feel behind the times. :( But just watch - I'll soon be Twittering!

So here goes as I start my first blog :)

This year, 2009, is going to be a fun and busy year for me. After not having a dog to trial seriously for a few years I now have three young dogs to trial. This past year I have been running Pam Vermeer's Sheltie Jedi while she recovered from two knee surgeries. It has been a wonderful experience because he is a great little dog.

Jedi is a fast and consistent little Sheltie. He has been well trained and he adapted quickly and easily to running with me. Together we earned his MACH II and qualified for AKC Nationals. We are going to run at the AKC Nationals at the end of this month and then after that he will go back to running with Pam. Jedi underwent two major dental surgeries and had 18 teeth removed in December 2008 and January 2009. It is amazing how much pain and discomfort these dogs will endure in order to continue to play agility. We had no idea how much he must have hurt until I started running him again in February. He is running with more speed and more enthusiasm than before and he is running like a two year old instead of the ten year old he is. He is even more bouncy and more joyful than I've ever seen him. He went to a vet who specializes in dentistry and who does digital x-rays and has a state of the art hospital. It was expensive but it was the best investment that could be made to see the huge change in the quality of his life. Watching him before one would not have suspected that there would be such a dramatic change or that this happy dog could show even more happiness in his life!

This year I will be running Feisty, Sinco and Cante. I love running these three girls. They are so completely different. Feisty is a 3 1/2 year old blue merle Pyrenean Shepherd, Sinco is a 2 1/2 year old red merle Australian Shepherd and Cante is a 2 year old black tri Australian Shepherd.



Then there is the newest addition: Spring, a 10 month old blue merle Sheltie. I had said I would "never" have a Sheltie because of the barking. Well never say never!! I'm eating my words! He is a wonderfully outgoing and confident pup.

More to follow on the musings, antics and teachings from these dogs and many others!


Annelise