I'm an Official Scout!

I am no longer one of the cadets in training, or one of the baby scouts...I am officially a Dog Scout of America. Look out world here I come. This opens doors for plenty of new opportunities and fun! I can earn other badges. I can become a therapy. I can get my CGC which only makes my doggie scouts certification all the more impressive. The test to be a Dog Scout is much more difficult than a CGC. We have to leave a live animal when asked, we have to leave food when asked, we have to do a whole BUNCH of things including all those sits, downs, and stays.

I was so excited when my sister told me I had passed. She sent in the forms for my bandana and badge right away! Now we're eagerly awaiting them so that I may wear my bandana around town and prove what a grrreat girlie I am. (some people don't know that, you know. I know it's blasphamy!!)

I am now "The Air Up There" Abbey DSA!! YAY!!!

Dog Scouts of America

We had our first DSA meet up today. It was a blast! We got to learn new and different things and all though the doggies make me a little scared right now, I know I will get used to my new friends.

We worked on a few things that get us our Dog Scouts title and earn us our badges. Obedience, which I ruled the roost at; leaving food and other animals, ummm...that was a bit harder; and socializing with other dogs and people, I was pretty darn good! I got afraid when one doggie came up to sniff in my face, but I got used to her quick.

I made some great new friends who look JUST LIKE ME! I can't wait until the next doggie meet up.

Today's Run Thru

Okay, so I went to a run thru today over at the training center. If you want to put a level on it from 1-10, it was about a 7.5. I started off great, did everything right and in the middle decided to run and go say "hi" to my little sister, Bella. Well, of course, I was called back and came instantly, but only did 6 out of 12 weaves WHAT?!, yep only 6. Mommy didn't force me to do more, but she didn't reward me either. She figured I wasn't doing them because I was hot and tired and it's one of the hardest obstacles on course. I refused to do the A-frame, so mommy didn't make me do it at the moment...I was having some problems with it anyway, but I DID THE TEETER and ran all the way to the END. We did the rest of the course pretty much perfect. After the other doggies got a turn to run, mommy brought me back to the A-Frame and weaves (you didn't think she was going to just let me duck out on 'em did ya?). She had me do all 12 weaves and rewarded me, then had me do the A-frame and rewarded me and had me do it again and again. We worked on the teeter too, and before we left, mommy had me do a six set of channel weaves and only rewarded me for completion. =D All in all, it wasn't a bad day, but this Florida heat was killing us. We left early, sweaty and bug bitten.

Mommy is going to buy another 6 set of weaves and add them to our other 6 set to make twelve poles so that I can practise on them. Weaves are my favourite obstacle, and mommy SWEARS the reason I ducked out on them was because I was too hot, either that...or I'd been so used to doing the 6 set in the yard that I didn't bother to do 12. Sorry mom =P.

Started Up Agility Again

Today I went back to agility class. This morning, my sister warmed me up outside on the weavepoles, we left the house at 9:30 and agility started at 10:00. We got their early so that we could take care of potty business and what-not.

My sister took me into class, and we started with serpentine jumps. We began with foundation work for the jumps, then did the jumps in a small sequence. I BURNED THAT COURSE! My sister was sooo surprised! She knew I was fast, but today I was blazing and she didn't even have to use any directional cues, just hand signals for the jumps! Then when we put it together into a LONG sequence, I ran so fast, I was ahead of my sister most of the time. Boy oh boy did I run fast AAAND I hit all of my contacts too! My sister thinks it was the steak that she packed for treats today...aaand I have to admit that, that might've had a little something to do with it. But I was still into running with my sister too! It was a BLAST! *Ahem* and so was I. My sister was so happy and proud of me she kissed me the whole way home. =D I LOVE AGILITY!

My First Ever Trial!

You wouldn't believe it! I had to wake up at 4:00 in the morning, watch my mom and sister bustle around the house picking up, wetting, and freezing rags, grabbing my duffel, filling up bottles of water, putting Deli Chicken into small sandwich bags, and AY AY AY! Then we finally loaded the car, drove to the nearest 24 hour pharmacy, picked up some snacks and what could pass for breakfast and headed out into the boonedocks. It was about a 20 minute to a half hour drive out there. We parke settled, took a short nap and waited. A few minutes later, some of my friends showed up, so we all went together to umm....*ahem* take care of our business. I got measured (a whole 15") and then waited hours until it was my turn to go.

I was the last run of the day, and though I revieved some time faults, I had a clean run! When I got distracted by "stuff" she got me right back and we ran and ran and ran. I'm pretty sure we got a 3rd place, but we'll have to wait until tomorrow to tell.

Abbey, the agility SCHNAUZHUND!

Getting Prepared for Trial

We're getting ready for trial! My sister and I have put in our application/submission for our very first USDAA trial. I'm super excited! My sister is nervous as heck. She is saying that we have to prepare, we've only got 19 days, we need to work on everything! She's going nuts! Don't worry, I'll calm her down. I'm really confident that I'll do well.

I missed one agility class last week because my teacher was out of town (probably a trial thing) and my sister was a little upset because we didn't have a practise. Silly girl. I am going to be able to do a couple of run throughs, and practises before the actual trial, which is on March 1st and 2nd. My sister's already got the pre-trial jitters. Understandable...it's our FIRST EVER!

Did I mention I was excited....I'M SO EXCITED!

I've been tagged!

I was tagged by Abby! I am going to tell you 5 Valentine wishes, and then tag 5 friends with a p-mail or rosette. They will then write a diary entry and tag 5 friends with a pmail or rosette, and so on and so on...

1. I hope for another cold front, because in MIAMI that's a treat!
2. I hope to go see another agility trial before I have to do my first.
3. I really want to get another tennis ball
4. More AGILITY
5.Get some Valentines day cookies.

I'm tagging
1. The loveable, Stormy B.
2 and 3. These sports loving, barkery testing canines MacKenzie and Baxter
4. My good buddy, SPRING
5. and finally, Agility psycho pup, Abbi!

I may be gatting a new sister!

My sister(the two legger) was feeling a little destraught when no one was returning any information on the status of our adoption applications for my new four-legged friend. So, today she called one of the people who's fostering a dog that we want to adopt and found out that they were considering my family to be adoptees...YAY! She's a real cutie, all the way in North Carolina, but she is soo gorgeous and mommy said she didn't mind traveling a few miles to get such a sweetie. We hope we get the news soon so that we can plan a day when we can go and hopefully pick her up and give her a furever home. I'm so excited, I don't have to play with the cat all the time! I will have a brand new sister! I've got my little paws crossed that we'll be the ones to bring her home. I know she'll be grrrrrreat! WOOF

The DOG PARK

Today was a brand new step in my rehabilitation and progress toward getting a CGC. You see, when I was just a wee little puppy (about 4 months) My family took me to dog park with my big brother, Billy. They thought it was okay since Billy always went to the dog park and the dogs are always nice, but that day was different. After being harrassed by kids that didn't ask if they could hold me, followed by dogs whose owners weren't watching them, and trampled by one HUGE American Bulldog whose owner didn't give a darn, my family decided to take me outa there and my big brother Billy gave that American Bulldog a good talking to before we left. Unfortunately, after that, I was never the same...people scared me, BIG doggies scared me, that's not to say I didn't have any doggie friends but they were few, and I was really timid around the house. My sister and mommy have been working on my behaviour and trying to get me back up to snuff for YEARS and finally after a lot of hard work and noticeable progress they decided to test the mother of all fears I had...THE DOG PARK. So today they took me in on leash to a new dog park in our area that is constantly monitored by the owner and let me take a look see. My sister, after much deliberation and studying of my body posture decided to let me off the leash. I walked around the park just fine not snapping at the LARGER dogs but mostly ignoring them, if I had a moment or if a dog came by that my sister thought I would be uncomfortable with, she picked me up. But, that was in the big dog area, my sister also knew that there was an area for little dogs, something the previous park they took me too didn't have. When I was comfortable trotting around and just sniffing the big dogs, she put me in the little dog section where I romped played and watched the big dogs run around and cool themselves off in the lake. I had a grrreat time, voluntarily walked up to people to say hello and get a pat without ducking my head or skittering away, and said hello to every dog there. As we walked back to get to the exit in the big dog area, I wasn't scared but very calm as I trotted toward the gate and went back to the car. I got my excercise, conquered my fears, and had a load of fun ALL IN ONE DAY! Dog Parks are no longer scary places to be, but wonderful places to play with friends!

Agility Practise

Today, I went to my agility school to get in some practise. My sister also brought her friend and her dog Allie so that they could practise their jumps. Anyway, my sister and I worked on a few things, including independence with obstacles. She wanted me to learn to do the contact obsctalce without her being right next to me. So, I started off on the table in a down stay position and she potioned herself next to the dogwalk, but about two feet away at first. She indicated the dog walk before she released me and said "okay, walk it!" Up and over I went, but I forgot to target in the two on two off position, so she took me back. We began again and this time I made sure I hit that contact. After we got that down pat, my sister moved further away from the dog walk, inch by generous inch. Soon, I was doing the dog walk, two on two off, the A-Frame, two on two off, and the teeter, two on two off all independently. Maybe too good even, my sister thinks, because when she ment to send me to the weaves, I went all the way out to the teeter. She asked the instructor what happened and she said "you told her to go out." What my sister should have said was "Come weave"... "out" means as far out as possible. BOL, its okay. SHe's learning.